(Mom, cover your ears. I mean, your eyes, or, nevermind....)
Has anyone here ever done a polar bear jump? In what type of weather? Were you sober? Would you do it again?
And, are you doing it this year?
Now this post would not be complete without an outtake from January 1, 2005:
"How was your New Years Eve? I did get your message about the Polar Bear Club - honey if I jump in the water they will think that I am a stranded whale, the nets will come out, the police will be called in. It just wouldn't be good."
Many of you know him as the Breck Girl. And really, the man wears more hairspray than any woman I ever met. It can only get worse tomorrow in New Orleans, where the humidity can dismantle and curl even the most antihumectant hairspray-coated locks.
So John Edwards is going to announce how wonderful he is tomorrow as he stands on a pile of rubble in New Orleans. Now, one of his advisors leaked this today, so they aren't the smartest bunch (think back to the Walmart Playstation debacle). But please please please don't lead them on to this one: that like, every nitwad in the world - including both Brad Pitt AND Ray Nagin - have all like, made appearances and announcements and stuff from New Orleans. Because they're all totally more smart and chi-chi than we are and we probably won't know that or something...we'll just believe them that they're really cool.
With any luck, one of those boards will bear a tetanus-laden rusty nail...
Or with any more luck, Rep Kessler will just make an announcement after Edwards, stating that because Edwards doesn't stand any chance of his campaign dollars actually getting used in a manner that will help him WIN, that perhaps he should just give it up to the state. He can keep a few bucks for administrative costs like hair spray, but even the trailerest of those of us on one end of Two Americas knows that humidity ain't a lady's best friend.
And tonight, they're holding a special little invite-only soiree. Now, let's back up a second. Special invite-only soiree at McDonald's. Yep. You read that all in one petite sophisticated little sentence.
As if you needed any reminder of our good lives in the United States. God, Guns, and plasma-tv-leather-recliner-piped-in-music, McDonalds. Oh wait, I'm not supposed to say God or Guns?
Wisconsin Legislature's Heart Was Two Sizes Too Small
One of the major problems with modern society is the lack of shame. My former boss reminded me of that a few years ago. Wisconsin's pretty well known for corruption in government. But they've reached a point where even they don't mind if anyone sees anymore.
Madison - Rep. Fred Kessler (D-Milwaukee) said today that the value of unused gift cards should go to the state treasury - not to the merchant - and that change will be part of a bill he'll introduce in the legislative session starting in January.
Kessler said millions of dollars a year go unused by gift card recipients, and retailers are allowed to book the unused values after the cards expire. He cited figures from Consumer Reports showing that 19% of all gift cards are not used because they are lost or expired.
Kessler called that a "windfall," which he said could be used to support schools, health care or roads.
(oh, really?)
Under his bill, after a one-year expiration date on all cards, 80% of the value of unused cards would go to the state treasury. Merchants could keep 20% of the value of an unused card to pay for processing, Kessler said.
"I'd rather have people spend the money and use the gift card, but if they aren't, I'd rather the state get the money," Kessler said.
Two bills regarding gift cards failed to pass in the last legislative session; one would have eliminated fees or expiration dates on gift cards and the other would have required conspicuous posting of expiration and service charge policies.
So much for a good business environment.
And why bother? They think it all belongs and is owed to them anyway.
I'm a day late on this and not feeling guilty about it, but I couldn't let the passing of James Brown go unmentioned. I won't go too far into a commentary, because there are so many things that can be said about the life, the music, the genius of James Brown. He is rightfully named as one of the most influential artists of our time. He invented funk. I remember watching a special on JB one time and one of this former musicians from the 60's was talking about one time in the studio where James was sort of singing/rapping out the tune and the timing for a song he wanted to compose. What struck this musician was James needing to say, "stick with me on this - I know it sounds funny right now but you'll see what I mean once it's together.
People who are talented and creative in the true sense of the terms, are inspiring. Each of us has had contact in our real lives with people who have inspired us not because we want to be as cool as they are, but because we remember how others' creations have made us feel. In the case of the musician it's the formation of song and lyric and whatever-that-is that glues it together - it comes out of their soul and into ours and we can feel it. That's what inspires us, that's what makes us want to be great, regardless of what that "it" is. We are inspired and affected by them because we want to do that, too.
So I wanted to share some of my favorite James Brown songs. There are plenty more but there's just so much space:
But the one song that actually introduced me to James Brown and got me interested by the sheer power of it was the Old Landmark from the Blues Brothers soundtrack (which, IMHO, is a better vocal performance than the movie version).
And, I can't let this post go by without posting one of the most memorable, James Brown-inspired clips, ever:
Rest in peace, sir. I know you won't because what ever your feet are now won't sit still, but for what it's worth, thanks :)
UPDATE
As Brother Mav would say, "don't be lost when the time comes"
I wish everyone who reads this blog a very Merry Christmas. I hope that your Christmas is filled with as much joy and happiness, relaxation and reflection as you can possibly handle. And may the blessings of the season stay with you and your loved ones the entire year.
Also a very Merry Christmas and thank you to our troops serving all over the world to protect our country, others countries, our collective freedom and safety. May all of our prayers uphold you and support you at all times.
Some Grown-Ups Are Still Demanding a Train Under The Tree
It's about time that the real motivations for getting a choo-choo in the area get out into the open. Clearly when someone won't give up, there's something in it for them. It ain't for the peoples, it's for someone else. Someone who is pimping out the whole rail thing.
The JS has a story this morning about the "new" Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority's proposal for a tax to finance a commuter rail line. First, ok, c'mon, stop counting your chickens (you clucks). (And while you're at it, take the word "Authority" out of your name because you're not responsible for anything, like normal people...) Back to my point. They want to propose this tax to take the burden off cities for their embattled bus lines:
"The plight of the Milwaukee County Transit System - and to a lesser extent, its Racine and Kenosha counterparts - as competition for limited property tax revenue continues a cycle of fare increases and service cuts. Some public officials, riders and bus drivers have pressed for a dedicated revenue source to protect the buses that tens of thousands of people ride to work and school every day."
Now, what strikes me here? We are going to propose a tax, to finance buses, so we can eventually have trains. You can deduct that from the story. But I have news: they think we have revenue problems just to support the buses, that's nothing - wait until we have trains in the mix. Of course if we have trains, we could get rid of the buses which we can't afford apparently, and the just extend the train lines.
to be on the roll of Real Debate Wisconsin! I'll be working on Monday Random Quotes most weeks and lemme tell ya, you're all in for it. You and your big mouths! Just kidding, I love y'all and am looking forward to trawling for quotes. If you see anything that you think is worthy of nomination, see "Dial M" on the right hand side of my blog for my email. Thanks Fred!!!!
Your thoughts have a direct effect on your body and your health. I have seen this in action in myself and in others.
If one is imprisoned from the outside one is - most of the time - imprisoned from the inside. The stigma of society and a loud crime that puts a person on notice in the community is in itself, imprisonment. That turning inward, isolation, and hyperfocus on oneself is damaging. When you can't engage with the outside world and discharge through normal, lawful, non-evil and healthy interactions, you better believe the effect is going to be self-destructive.
I disagree. Just watch. He will offend again - he might have to move out of state to do it under the auspices of making a fresh start - but this man is far from dead.
Underestimating offenders like Billy Lee Morford is ignorance collectively personified. At least among the group-thinkers that dismiss his threat to society. To the rest of us who aren't pointy-headed intellectuals with government dole jobs or government consultancy...to the rest of us who live normal lives....to the rest of us who care about the integrity of our society and safety... know that this cannot be dismissed, dumbed-down, swept under the rug, appeased, accepted, or rehabilitated. We are not wrong.
And there is no shame in denying him rights forever. No punishment will ever fit his crimes.
Fred at Real Debate Wisconsin has posted regarding his tentative aldermanic aspirations. They are yet to be confirmed, even by Fred, but I would be incredibly happy for him if he does decide to run. There have been local millings about the possibility of his candidacy, and correct me if I'm wrong but if people are talking, it's a good thing. If nobody was talking, well, I would be worried if I was Fred, and serious about it. Hey it won't take a lot of funds to get him recognized, right??
I think so, especially when it comes to fish wrap in the shape of a Journal Sentinel.
I noticed this at Starbucks, that the JS was considerably smaller. Not tabloid of course, but it's not the same size as a WSJ. A sign of things to come? A reflection of their dwindling readership, or their shrinking relevance and credibility?
Take a look the next time you're near one. Wonder what it was like to be in a meeting with execs and have to face that decision.
I have in the past four months become almost exclusively a Bloglines user. I use the blogroll from time to time but I have no idea how to do that thingy where the most recent posts move to the top. So in Bloglines I have to click on the new posts that have photos or other content that won't display in their UI but other than that, I've had few complaints, and it saves me a lot of time.
But like Blogger, Bloglines seems to die on me at the worst times. Lately I've had very little time to blog surf and it's been a good way for me to keep up with the cheddarsphere. Either it doesn't update, updates everything someone's posted for oh, about 34 posts, or it doesn't show the American Mind properly. (Yes Hack, Bloglines seems to have iss-ues with your rss feed!).
So Nick Schweitzer suggested using Newshutch. I couldn't get used to it, something about it didn't click with me. Does anyone have any other readers they really like?
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Defense attorneys and death penalty opponents were outraged Thursday over an execution in which the condemned man took more than half an hour to die, needed a rare second dose of lethal chemicals, and appeared to grimace in his final moments.
"I am definitely appalled at what happened. I have no doubt he suffered unduly," Angel Nieves Diaz's attorney, Suzanne Myers Keffer, said after Diaz died by injection.
What I want to know is this.
Where is the outrage when a baby is yanked from the womb prematurely, cracked in the back of the head, and has its brains sucked out? Isn't that suffering unduly? And what if it doesn't work the first time? Does anybody wonder if those babies grimace in their final moments?
Now that I'm past my twenties and early thirties, the things that life consists of and and their meaningbecome apparent to me...faster and faster.
Since I've turned, oh, 34, several situations have presented themselves to me and they've all been very instructive. Enough dots are there to put it together. It's as if God shows me qualities in life and in people and says, "this is how you look when you do this ____".
So with that, there's a lot to be said for the phrase "fake it 'till you make it".
I won't go into all of the details about why this is relevant, but it's something that's presented itself to me almost as a grand finale to some lifelong lessons. I wish it had happened sooner but perhaps I wouldn't have recognized it yet.
But I had no idea that hiding your light for lack of a better term, is one of the most irritating things you can do. Not only to yourself, but to others around you. There is nothing worse than being around someone who constantly exposes their weakness or insecurity. It's not humble, it's annoying. All it does is make everyone uncomfortable or second guessing a normal interaction. It calls attention to something that could have been reduced to a fleeting moment of normal self-check and in fact, feeds it. It causes others to start downplaying their own strength or light or normal self confidence. Did I mention it's annoying?
So therefore, I just wanted to say that I have taken another step in my understanding of why it's so important to not cover up who you are, not assume that you know what others think is true about you. If you do that, you'll take on a lie that you're spreading about yourself, and bring it into your being as truth and fact. I've witnessed this in a few situations in the past six months, and I have less and less patience now for people who do this.
All those words to say the very obvious: stay away from whiners and the whiner mentality. There's nothing you can do with an insecure whiner, and if you try, well, you'll just get annoyed.
And when you feel that insecurity, fake it. This is the one time when it's a-ok to fake it.
Like I have said in previous posts, sometimes even I come to this blog to see if anything was posted.
Have no fear friends, it's a slow go lately with workload and all, but I have no intention to stop showing love here. Or showing patterns. Or giving Sliver something pretty to look at. You know, the good stuff. I just like to be well-informed enough before shooting off my mouth. Cause that never works. Especially in meetings at work.
In the faux pas heard round the world, three other babes showed up at the White House holiday reception in the same 8,500 dress as the First Lady.
You'd think these ladies would have had enough sense to leave the party and change their dress out of respect for the first lady. Nope. Our beloved first lady had to go upstairs and change. I mean, do the right thing out of respect.
But what I want to know is this: who is the mole? What did these ladies know, and when did they know it?
So is the story of Jimmy Carter. Now, Carter was the first president I was old enough to remember and recognize - and my first impression was that life sucked under Carter. Sure improved dramatically and quickly under Reagan, though...
I came across the above gem through Drudge today. The former Carter Center Executive Director, Kenneth Stein, has dropped the former Pres like a hot boiled peanut. Citing the following:
"Stein wrote that the book, "Palestine: Peace, Not Apartheid," was replete with factual errors, material copied from other sources and "simply invented segments," according to an excerpt of the letter published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution."
And Carter responded, with flimflam including but not limited to: (and ah declare) that Stein had not been actively involved with the center for more than 12 years and was not involved with the new book. Even though Stein is referred to in this story as a longtime aide and thinktank member.
Those of us in normal jobs, with real accountability, and presented with the same situation would probably make this note to self: This might leave a mark.
Do NOT step on one of these. Not if it's the middle of the night. Or if the fire alarm is going off, or if you're drunk, or if you can't sleep, can't pay attention, considering ways to reduce your carbon footprint, thinking about rutabaga or the number 42. Don't even do it if you're dashing out of the house in your PJs to get to Starbucks. Especially if your PJs are Inside Pajamas. Because, my friends, if you step on one of these I can guarantee you will have much, much much larger problems.
Others see you as sensible, cautious, careful & practical. They see you as clever, gifted, or talented, but modest not a person who makes friends too quickly or easily, but someone who's extremely loyal to friends you do make and who expect the same loyalty in return. Those who really get to know you realize it takes a lot to shake your trust in your friends, but equally that it takes you a longer time to get over if that trust is ever broken.
Here I'm thinking that oh no, people who were in car accidents died from their accident injuries. Which would be really tragic.
