Happy Halloween, All

Boo! She skeert you, didn't she?

Someone Let The Hot Air out of Al Gore

And they used the courts to do it in the UK.

How's THAT for an ironic, turn of events?

Schools must warn of Gore climate film bias

Schools will have to issue a warning before they show pupils Al Gore's controversial film about global warming, a judge indicated yesterday.

The move follows a High Court action by a father who accused the Government of 'brainwashing' children with propaganda by showing it in the classroom.

Stewart Dimmock said the former U.S. Vice-President's documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, is unfit for schools because it is politically biased and contains serious scientific inaccuracies and 'sentimental mush'.

He wants the video banned after it was distributed with four other short films to 3,500 schools in February. (read rest of article here)

(emphasis mine. have a nice globally warm day!)

Cheaterama 2007 at the Nite Owl

Howdy folks,

I have my photos up on Flickr from the 2007 Cheaters Car show which was held at the Nite Owl on Layton. Many of you enjoyed the photos from 2006, so I thought I'd bring it all to your attention yet again.

See'em here on Flickr!

Shoebox Music

There are a few albums that will always be my unwinds. These are the CDs (and some I still have on vinyl) that I'll instinctively put on when I need to recharge. When I just need to fill the house with my presence and enjoy being me.

I won't review them all at once, but I will as I'm inspired.

Here's my list, in no particular order:

Colors of the Day - Judy Collins
At Last - Etta James
Blue - Joni Mitchell
Forget About It - Allison Krauss

Those are by far my top four. Others will definitely do the job: I love the soundtrack for Stealing Home, I love "Island Life" by Christopher Peacock, and without a doubt, ever, any CD by Mercy Me. They're just one of the most fantastic bands I've come across in a very long time. These are all great CDs and they aren't "emo". I don't like depressing music and I won't listen to something so that I'll feel some type of fake sad. That's a waste of good emotion.

My "favorite" of this list will alternate. Colors of the Day by Judy Collins, for whatever reason, is the one I most recently listened to. I grew up on a lot of folk and bluegrass, and I was a camp counselor. Being that I was a camp counselor, I played guitar, and I taught a lot of folk standards to the kids. This was back when camp was a real bonding experience and was about friendship. Not about making plastic jewelry.

Judy plays a lot of the old standards as well as some traditional folk songs from the turn of the century. As time has gone on she's covered a lot of other folk from our times. Here's why I love Colors of the Day.

1. My mom introduced me to her when she bought this album at Mainstream on north 76th
2. The cover image of Judy looked so much older than me at the time. Now of course, she looks kind of young to me...
3. I love her version of Both Sides Now. It made a lot of sense even when I was 15.
   
4. My Father is a great song. It makes me think of my grandpa on my mom's side because when I hear this song, I think of my mother singing it.
5. Who Knows Where the Time Goes makes more and more sense as time goes on
6. Someday Soon. Yep, as a woman, and as a woman who isn't particularly tied to the idea of waiting to be married to finally be happy and fulfilled with living, this song does make me hope that Someday Soon, it will happen. And to have the faith to "go with him, someday soon", will be powerful.
7. Who doesn't love "In My Life"?
8. Her version of Suzanne is superior
9. And I can find a reason for everything else on this CD. Although Farewell to Tarwathie never really struck me. It was a pain in the ass to lift the needle off the record. Good thing it was at the end of side one when I listened to this on vinyl :)

A good listen to Colors of the Day is an excellent recharge for me, especially on a Saturday afternoon.

One of these days, I'll blog about this baby. Which I'll listen to at any time of the year, but on special occasion :)

What're the Chances?

That I'd get two unique Courtney Gerrish hits in a row? From different parts of the country????

Can we make a drinking game out of this, or something?

Whatta clod. It's good to be Gerrish

Follow Through Is Kind of Important

Tonight, without fail, I vow to finish Vogue 9558.

Too bad my camera is out getting a few alterations and nips and tucks of its' own....

But it's gotta be done so that a) I can wear the darned thing and b) I can work on Wayne Hancock without guilt.

Because you know, soon it will be time to start this little number, which will be called Mercury Four. Because ya know.... surf is inspiring and all :)

Just wait 'till you see the fabric and purse materials I've picked out for it. Really, it will be like no other.

What a Guy

"Maybe his solution will be to get out his small varmint gun and drive those Guatemalans off his lawn."

John McCain. Grown-up extraordinaire.

A Day Off

The newly-engaged Brother Mav is in town, so I'm taking a couple of days off. Today I finally feel better. How best to celebrate?

Lunch at Cubanitas' with Mom and Mav. Cuban sandwiches and a completely bitchin' mojito for each of us. Today was a good day.

I have it on good authority

that there will be breaking news in the next few days regarding one of the city's most notorious slumlords. I don't always care about these things, but this one is a real piece of work.

A Week Or Two Later....

I was mumbling and grumbling as I left Bayshore this evening from an after work errand.

I really needed something important, and every store I went into gave me the same chilly response for some reason. No greeting, no may I help you, no nothing.

Until I went to Talbots. I was greeted in a friendly and sincere manner. This woman found me exactly what I was looking for to make an upcoming event just right. A little more than I wanted to spend, but it all mattered.

Still a little cranky, I drove out of the mall. On my right I noticed a couple walking. The man was pointing upward at some of the features of the new construction. He was smiling. His face was even a little bit lit up. It was Charlie Sykes.

Drop in on The National Conversation...

"Well, I guess that’s what a lot of free thinkers out there find refreshing. I don’t wear my race on my sleeve. It’s just a small part of who I am. I have no animosity toward plantation liberals. I just find the water they carry to be tepid, fetid, old and tired. Whether they’re carrying it for white people or black people, bad water is bad water."

Read the rest here. While I'm happy that James was able to have some R&R frolicking on the beaches of Negril, Jamaica... it's good to have him home :)

The Ever-Expanding Circle

First things first, what a beautiful day.

I tried to sit inside today for the Blog Summit, but I just couldn't. I was full of nervous energy and other excitement bouncing around inside of me and made an executive decision to get my narrow rear outside. I made a slippery little exit so as to go unnoticed...

This evening I had also had plans, by that point, I was reasonably content in the thought that I'd seized the day. Without, you know, taking a nap.

So this evening I got together with a group of bloggers from the MyFoxMilwaukee blogs. Tonight I met Gitrdone, saditalianeyez, Barbiedoll1959, highwayrun, and ididwhat. We had a really great evening of spirited conversation: Goofy neighbors, funny police stories, our veterans, hilarious quotables, life stories and blogging stories. I hadn't met them before, but we all hit it off swimmingly and it was a really great time.

And next time, I'll actually have a drink and a smoke :)

PS: I forgot the quote of the evening: "I'm not here to help you, I'm here to take pictures" highwayrun1

This takes getting beaned to a whole new level

Hugh Grant attacked a photographer with a pack of baked beans. I believe that's a first. Not sure I could deal with paparazzi myself, but if I had to, I'd hope to earn the vote of Most Likely To Attack Creatively.

That's a hot pic.

I Concur

She looks fan-tastic
Still dumb as a box of rocks, but a box of rocks with some style.

Hot Ass Mess!

Great term, by the way. But I just wrote that to draw attention to the most unbelievable pair of shoes I've seen in a long time. Best of all? They now belong to none other than Ms. Jones. I have Lisa Dutcher of Tip Top Atomic to profusely thank, for pointing them out to me. How was I to know that this day, this lovely Sunday, would point these babies my direction? They even go well with high insteps. Who'd a thunk!





Yes, now we can go on with the show, but only 'cause now, ya know!!