Return of the Crazy Words

Saddly to say I had to turn the word verification back on for the comments. I haven't turned the moderation back on, for now, just the irritating word thingie. I suppose it really doesn't matter that someone is trying to hawk Viagra or fake Louis Vuitton or whatever through my comments, but it just sort of irritates me. If the verification keeps them away, good. If it doesn't keep them away at least I know it is irritating them trying to type in those nonsensical words. Sorry the rest of you who comment have to suffer.

Listen While You Drive

I found another cool Website that is going to make my life easier. It is sort of like Netflix except you get Audio Books on Tape or CD. I do a lot of driving now and I love to listen to Audiobooks becase, well, Cleveland radio sucks and it keeps me awake when I am driving down to Columbus. What I like about this site though is you have two different options. You can either rent the CDs and have them mailed like on Netflix or there is an option to download the Audiobook so that you can load it up on your iPod. Now why didn't I come up with some of these ideas.

Cafe Conversations

I was at Target on Friday night and after getting a few things I decided to treat myself to my usual Starbucks drink. The Target that I go to just recently opened up their Starbucks and I should have realized I was in trouble when I saw two of their slower cashiers working behind the counter at the coffee shop

Me: May I have a double tall 2% carmel macchiato (yeah, I can't spell that word so bear with me)

Cashier: (looking quite perplexed as he does math in his hid) You want a Venti then man?

Me: No, Just a double tall is good for me

Cashier: Two talls is a Venti, so you want a Venti. (btw, two talls equals 24 ounces and a Venti is 20 ounces).

Me: No, I just want two shots of espresso in a tall drink

Cashier: Man, I ain't never heard of that before. That ain't what you want.

Me: No, it really is what I want. Just ring up a tall, ring up an extra shot and just put two shots of espresso instead of one in the cup.

Cashier: (as he finishes totaling me up and giving me my change) Man, that's just weird.

What can I say? I guess I must bring out the best in people or something.

Mmm Beer

Hey, who said giving beer for Christmas was white trash? I happen to think it's a great gift (okay, not if you are giving Gennessee Cream Ale, or PBR). It is something that you know the recipient is going to enjoy and get a lot of use out of. That is why I went to the Beer of the Month Club to take care of one more name off of my Christmas list. No crappy beer here, they send out hand crafted microbrews (and the recipient gets discounts off of online orders of their favorie beer from each months selections). I am thinking about enrolling myself in the coffee of the month club as a little gift to myself.

Hooked Another One

I feel like a pusher. I went out to Target over the weekend and my Sister in Law gave me money to get her a mocha. Of course I had to grab some hot chocolates for my neices (what can I say I'm a pushover). This the younger one (taking after her uncle VinnieG) slurping down her Starbucks. Right after this pic was taken she held up her cup and said "Thats-a some good-a coffee!"

Awesome Gift

I just came across this awesome gift idea at alienadoptionworld. You get this kit where you "plant" your alien in a goo in a test tube then feed it and watch it grow. It has a computer chip for a brain and as it hatches it's heart starts to beat. You can then go online and "communicate" with your alien and interact with it. You can also check it's vital stats and interact with other "aliens". This reminds me of a much cooler, and infinitely more fun, version of the sea monkeys that I had as a kid. The kit that they have comes comes with two aliens so it is going to be perfect for my neices (okay, I'm sure my brother and I will actually use them and enjoy them more but the girls will get plenty of other stuff too).

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanks to C-Fresh for the image.

Cafe Conversations

Sorry to get this one up so late. . .crazy with work and family coming to town. . .anyways

Lady: What time do you open tomorrow (thanksgiving day)

Me: We aren't open tomorrow

Lady: What do you mean?

Me: We are closed for Thanksgiving

Lady: Well where am I going to get coffee at then?

The scary thing was. . .she was genuinely confused. I felt like saying "you can make a pot at home you know."

Fun Fact

Just a little fun fact for ya'll. . .Do you know what the #1 shoplifted book is? C'mon, give it a good guess. Give up? It is the Bible. Yup, the number one selling book is also the most shoplifted. I guess the shoplifters must really need it if they don't even know that little commandment called Thou Shalt Not Steal!

Future Ex Husband Friday

Wow! All I have to say is "Taye Diggs is freaking gorgeous".

A Surprise

I went to check my mail today and had a neat surprise. D. stopped at a little Indian Trading Post not far from where I went to school in NM and picked me up these chili pepper seeds. That was really cool of her, thanks D. You will be sent all the super spicy peppers next year and I'll keep the mild ones!

Cafe Conversations

Saturday night I was taking the trash out about an hour before we closed. To get to the backdoor I have to go through the entire length of the bookstore from the cafe. I was passing approaching the information desk and saw two older "gentlemen" standing looking like they needed help so I started to walk towards them when one looked at the other and "whispered" in that way that old men have that is louder than I normally talk to the other guy

Don't ask him, he has a trash can. . .he probably can't even read.

WTF? Oh yes he actually said that OUT LOUD! Never fear though, I was not about to let him get away with it completely so I kept walking past them and in the same "whisper" I said

Yeah, but I can still HEAR!

It was so satisfying watching them slink out.

Me, Me, Me

I know all of you out there are just dying to know what the hell to get me for Christmas. Well to make it easier on you here is my wish list. And don't forget, cash is always appreciated!

Flashback

Okay, so it isn't really a far back flashback, only about ten years but it counts. Tubularman is back and he is on the web. He was the superhero from the strip of the same name featured in college papers during the late 90's. As you might expect from a college comic strip it isn't polished and it does have its up and its downs but at least it is mostly ups. Check out Tubularman Webcomic and you can see around 50 of the comics that ran the first go around. There are going to be new ones published in 07 so check back if you enjoy the slightly neurotic and low self esteemed (is that a word?) Tubularman as he battles his arch enemy EcoMan.

The Devil Wore Knock Offs

You are The Devil

Materiality. Material Force. Material temptation; sometimes obsession

The Devil is often a great card for business success; hard work and ambition.

Perhaps the most misunderstood of all the major arcana, the Devil is not really "Satan" at all, but Pan the half-goat nature god and/or Dionysius. These are gods of pleasure and abandon, of wild behavior and unbridled desires. This is a card about ambitions; it is also synonymous with temptation and addiction. On the flip side, however, the card can be a warning to someone who is too restrained, someone who never allows themselves to get passionate or messy or wild - or ambitious. This, too, is a form of enslavement. As a person, the Devil can stand for a man of money or erotic power, aggressive, controlling, or just persuasive. This is not to say a bad man, but certainly a powerful man who is hard to resist. The important thing is to remember that any chain is freely worn. In most cases, you are enslaved only because you allow it.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Back To Me

Thanks to all the hugs from ya'll. I am back to being my normal bitter self now. I still hate animals, trees, and people. . .but unlike yesterday I'm trying to keep it to myself (oops!) Anyway, Cfresh sent me this great vid in my email that really cheered me up a lot. Enjoy a bit of Ross: Fireman!

It's In The Cards

Did you ever wonder how people find those ecards that they send out? I have gotten some great ones (especially for Halloween) but I can never find the really good ones to send back to someone. This disturbs me because it is all about the one-upping when it comes to sending ecards. If you can't send a better ecard than the one you just got then why bother. I just found this eCards blog that I think I'll let do the work for me when it comes to finding the right (read: best) card to send. They spotlight eCards from Blue Mountain, American Greetings and Egreetings. They also have the current Holiday (that is Thanksgiving for you retail people out there. Yes there is something between Halloween and ChristmaKwanzaHanukah) eCards along with birtday and political cards. I think I'll be sending out the rapping Pilgrim here in a few days so keep a look out in your mailbox.

Yech. . .

Today just sucks. Pardon me if I am not witty or bitter but it is one of those days where I hate animals, trees, and people. I think I'm just going to go to bed and forget today even happened!

It's Raining Men

Well I'm all a blushing now. I was just invited to join It's Raining Men as a contributing blogger so I expect all ya'll homos out there (and you straights are more than welcome to stop by as well. . .)to stop by to get an extra dose of bitterness from me. Does this mean I now have to be twice as bitter?

A Speech

As if W. doesn't stick his foot in his mouth enough, now you can help him be more of an idiot! I have just spent about 1/2 and hour at the Bush speech writer cracking myself up. They have all these snippets of Bush talking that you can arrange any way you want then make him actually say it. Pure Genius! The only thing that would have made it better is if there was some way to save it and export it so I could share my genius speech writing with the rest of you.

MMMM. . .Beer

Sorry about two page wasters in a row, but I love them both. This is oddly right on!

You Are Heineken

You appreciate a good beer, but you're not a snob about it. You like your beer mild and easy to drink, so you can concentrate on being drunk. Overall, you're a friendly drunk who's likely to buy a whole round for your friends... many times. Sometimes you can be a bit boring when you drink. You may be prone to go on about topics no one cares about.

What's Your Beer Personality?

The Age of Aquarius

You Are From Saturn

You're steady, organizes, and determined to achieve your dreams. You tend to play it conservative, going by the rules (at least the practical ones). You'll likely reach the top. And when you do, you'll be honorable and responsible. Focus on happiness. Don't let your goals distract you from fun! Don't be too set in your ways, and you'll be more of a success than you ever dreamed of.

What Planet Are You From?

Game Night

Do you remember all those great games from when video games were all new and popular? I miss those games like Super Mario Brothers or 3D Frogger (I still love all versions of that game). You can find all sorts of free online games at the link to give you a blast from the past including all the old Nintendo games. They don't just have the Nintendo games either, there are a whole bunch of other free online games you can play there too (especially if you are looking for a NaNoWriMo distraction). Have fun and "Game On!"
archive="http://www.excessively.net/nescafe.jar"
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ROMFILE="http://www.excessively.net/swf/mario.nes"
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Free Games Online

Future Ex-Husband Friday

Jon Stewart. . .what can I say? I have had a major crush on this man since his (short lived) late night talk show. What can I say, I like my men a little bit geeky and a lot of funny. He has this in spades. Something about his facial expressions also gets me going too. . .

. . .and on a related note, I ran into the origianl ex-husband (otherwise known as that asshole who I wasted the best years of my with) tonight at Target. I know it makes me sound bitter, but damn it makes me happy that his new boyfriend is not only FAT, but also a FREAK (insert evil chuckle here)!

Bruno

Another of Sacha Baron Cohen's characters. I don't know how he has the cajones to do this stuff. I would be dying of embarrasement!

Balance

I woke up this morning feeling oddly serene and at peace. I couldn't figure out why until I realized "Oh yeah, we know have a Democratic majority in the House and the Senate. Ah, the beautiful feeling of balance that brings to my soul. It is so nice to know that Cowboy George won't feel like he has a rubber stamp anymore (and no offense to any real cowboys out there). "It was a thumping," Bush conceded at the White House, and rightfully so. Now that there is some balance in our govt I'm hoping for some much needed positive improvements.

Why Didn't I. . .

. . .think of this. BrainCast has set up a really cool and unique (at least to me) service where you call from a phone and store audio notes. This is going to be awesome for NaNoWriMo because I always seem to get my best ideas on where to go on my novel while driving. As we all know (or should at least) writing down those ideas while driving is a really bad idea but with this system all you have to do is call the 800 number and store your idea. When I am writing all I have to do is go to the Website and click on the speaker icon and my idea is blurted back at me. How simple is that? And it is free too! If you get that really great idea that you want to share with someone you can even email your audio notes as a .wav file to them so any of you who gets great ideas for my novel you know what to do.

Cafe Conversations

Ah yes, delightful Wednesday where I get to share the joys of the Barista life with you. This one actually happened to me this week. Two ladies in their late 60's come up and order two vanilla lattes. I make the lattes, give the lattes over, ring up the ladies, take their money, then give change to them. Five minutes later the bitchier one is back.
Lady: How much were those two lattes?

Me: (Thinking to myself look at the freaking receipt in your hand) They were $3.20 each, so $6.40 for both.

Lady: The coffee shop down the street only charges $3. You are charging me almost $7 for two lattes.

Me: If you don't want them I can give you your money back

Lady: I want them, but I want a discount. You should be ashamed of yourself

Me: (blank look trying to figure out what I am supposed to be ashamed about)

Lady: Well aren't you?

Me: Not particularly, no

Lady: (Stomping off and muttering to herself) horrible, terrible, aweful people. They should be ashamed, just ashamed.

WTF?

Dona Nobis Pacem

I Give. . .

Alright, I have finally given in to the fact that Christmas starts before Thanksgiving now. To help celebrate that fact and the season stop and download Greener's Christmas Song. You can download their Christmas song there then go to their Website and buy their album. A portion of the proceeds goes to Lifbeat which helps spread HIV/ AIDS awareness to America's youth (the largest growing segment of new infections). What makes it even better is that the music is actually good too! Shoot, I'll probably be buying on of their regular albums too. Here is a quick listen. . .

Crazy!

I don't know why this little creature amuses me, but it really, really does. I saw it over at Weighing In, Without the Cookies and almost peed my pants I laughed so hard. Hell, I have Christmas merchandise out at work already so why fight it?

Let's Hear It For Me

I am all a goggle today. After spending the weekend in Columbus with C-Fresh I come back to Cleveland and check my email out and lo and behold! The ever so smart and ever so discerning folks at Brainwash Cafe have awarded me a spot on their Editor's top 10 picks. Thanks ya'll! I am glad my job is good for at least one perk!

p.s.
Do I get extra points for flattery?

NaNoWriMo Day 3

Okay, I am a little bit behind here. Okay, I am a full days worth of behind on my word count, but that is okay. No need to panic just yet. I know from my practice run in July that all I need is a full day off and a couple pots of coffee and I can bang out 10,000 words. I will not freak, I will not freak. . .

Future Ex-Husband Friday

The oh so delicious Jesse Bradford is this weeks future ex-husband. I love those chocolate brown eyes of his. Check him out in Happy Endings as the hyper "film" maker or in Heights (where he makes out with James Mardsen).

Icons of Our Time

I am taking a course dealing with Operating Systems and earlier in the semester we deal with icons. I never really thought much about changing the icons on my computer but it got me to thinking about it more. Of course I like to keep whole themes going and not just have random hodge podges of icons smattered around and about. There are sites out there where you can download bunches of differing icons but the best ones I have found you have to pay for. That isn't necessarily a bad thing because you do get what you pay for most times (although I am still on the hunt for the best of the free stuff). If you are in the market to get some great Professional XP Style Icons then click on the link. These icons are designed with software developers/ web designers in mind, but anyone can use them and they are packaged together at reasonable prices in well thought out packages. You can get icons for email applications, accounting software, application navigation, network databse, E-commerce, conceptual, Web, or you can just go all out and get them all in one fell swoop.

Casting Call

Well, tomorrow is the day. The day D. begins her big trek to her new life in California. More importantly (because as we all know it's all about me) I have an opening for a Fag Hag (sorry, Homo Hunnie) that needs to be filled. I figured I would hold an open audition this Sunday for anyone interested. There has to be a hunnie out there somewhere who lost her Homo. Hmmm, maybe there is a Web site out there that pairs up fags and hags? I'll have to check into that. . .anyway Sunday at 6 p.m. will be the first round of auditions. What am I looking for? Well, a certain sense of style is mandatory along with an acerbic wit to help me keep my bitter skills sharpened. You also need to know when to drag me out of my house and expose me to life outside of Parma because I do tend to go into hermit mode quite often these days. Hmmmm, I also don't cook so cooking skills and a willingness to share those skills would be greatly appreciated. Let's face it ladies, you have some big shoes to fill (metaphorically speaking. D's Prada shod feet aren't big in actuality) so creativity is a must. I am sure D. will have some input as well so be sure to check back to see what she has to say.

Cafe Conversations

I can't believe I almost let Wednesday go by without sharing a Cafe Conversation! This one I had the pleasure of overhearing at the local coffee shop.

The scene: A local dive coffee shop with two young female baristas behind the counter. Enter two young Russian guys in their uniform of track suit and over priced tennis shoes.

Barista girl: What can I get you guys?

Russian guy: What is your name?

Barista girl: Huh?

Russian guy: What is your name?

Barista girl: Miranda (not her actual name)

Russian guy: I'll take two Miranda's to go.

Barista girl: (rolls eyes) Never use that line again.

Russian guy: What? (asks all innocently) Is not good?

Barista girl: No, is no good.

Dang, as if it isn't bad enough being harrassed by normal customers at least I'm not a girl fending off horrid pick up lines!

The Pumpkin That Lived

I went out this morning to get some coffee and I was surprised to see that my pumpkin was still alive and not smashed all over the street. Not only is it still in good condition seeing as how it was carved two weeks ago but it is still whole too. What is this world coming too when you can't rely on the neighborhood punks to smash your pumpkin on Halloween night? Hell, that is why I left it out all night.

NaNoWriMo Day 1

Well, off to a raring start already on NaNoWriMo. I got a call from work at 7:30 this morning (idiots) and I couldn't fall back to sleep so here I go, an hour and a half earlier than I thought. I know I did this in July, but I had an extra day and only one class. Not only that, but it is November and I work retail. Ah well, it isn't like I had a whole lot of anything else to do anyway. Wish me luck and good luck to all you other NaNoWriMo-ers out there. Happy writing!

The Hunt

Have you ever been looking for a job and tried the online job boards? I am still getting emails from a certain insurance company. I am pretty freaking realistic and I know that my resume does not merit a $100,000 salary and I have absolutely NO desire to sell insurance. Oh yes, and how can I pass up the work from home part time and make $10,000 a month to work from home. Well, the next time I start looking for a job I'm going to have check out GetTheJob.com(and you should try this out when you get to California D.). It goes through and finds jobs directly from the different company websites with 70% of the jobs not being found anywhere else. How nice it would be to not get barraged by the headhunters or the insane amount of emails from fly-by-night insurance companies. If you are looking for an actual job in your area then check this out. To read the press releases check out emediawire.