GMAFB
There's quite the uproar, it seems, regarding the proposed Espresso Tax in Seattle. I'm personally against it. I don't care if "It's a dime. It's nothing. It's just a dime for kids," as rambled by John Burbank, "executive director of the nonprofit Economic Opportunity Institute, which came up with the idea." If you want to institute a sin tax, make it applicable to the sin for which the revenues will be used. Espresso has nothing to do with daycare and preschool.
Death reminds me of the radio
CNN has an article up on Joseph Druce, the man who killed John Geoghan. While I lament the loss of life, I cannot help but wonder whether I'm actually sad for him that he died so violently.
On a side note, Druce's attorney's name is Mitchell Garabedian. Every time I hear that last name, all I can think of is John Garabedian, the Wild Armenian (the guy from Open House Party).
Anyone up for a trip to NYC?
I'd like to go sit on this guy and force-feed him cheeseburgers. And turn everyone he's ever loved and his entire family into a bunch of "fatties" and "tubbies."
The Bronx is Plump and The Battery's Round
If this guy said the same thing about Jews, Blacks, Hispanics, Muslims, etc... he'd no longer be employed at the New York Post. So why is he?
Yes kiddies, it's that time again...
You are Monday's Child!
What Child of the Week Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
As much as I hate to admit that a random 60-second internet personality quiz actually nailed me dead on, well... it did.
This is NOT a good thing
My department just moved to a different building. Our new building has a coffee shop on the ground floor. I'm currently enjoying a chai (I should have for it iced, but no matter, it's still yummy), inspired by Erica, who recently discovered chai. I've known for a few years that I love chai, but never seem to think of ordering one, usually preferring an iced mocha with whipped cream and a shot of raspberry. But this is really yummy. This is one of those times where I'm glad I can't afford something like this every day, because I'm sure it's not fat-free.
ADDENDUM: Casa Bianca, which is ONLY the BEST NY-style pizza I've had since moving to the Midwest, is also moving in across the parking lot. Oy freakin' vey.
Whine whine whine, bitch, moan and complain
Why is it that there are stick-thin people who walk around the grocery store with all sorts of fat-soaked, sodium-laden, sugar-fortified crap in their carts at the grocery store, while hubby and I are there with skim milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese, lean meat, fresh veggies and virtually NO pre-processed crap (seriously - we might pay 50 cents in tax on a grocery bill - and the pre-processed stuff is the stuff that's taxed) and we have not lost ONE FREAKING OUNCE of weight?
Yeah, I know... gotta exercise. But with how drastically we've changed our eating habits in the last year, you'd think we'd at least have lost a little weight. Grrr.
Cleaning spree
I'm sure I've complained about Friday nights before. Every once in a while, I just want to come home from a hard week at work on Friday night and not have Ten or Fifteen People Who Aren't Necessarily My Husband there with me within an hour. Last night was just such a night. Our friend Shawn volunteered last weekend to have Friday night at his house this week and we took him up on it. It was just the right night for it, too. Work absolutely kicked my ass this week, hubby and I have been fighting (mostly due the stress I've been under and my inability to control my mouth when I'm stressed), I was hella tired and crabby and H.O.T. because the lovely, lovely, much beloved A/C in my car decided to take a shit and my 55-minute commute turned into 75 minutes due to people going to The Dells for the weekend. So having Friday night at someone else's house last night was a real treat for me.
The downside?
We're not instinctively clean people. We both love when our apartment is spic-n-span, and get very antsy when it's messy, but we're both very lazy and hate the effort it takes to make it clean. So, since we knew we weren't going to have Ten or Fifteen People Who Aren't One Of Us at the apartment last night, we didn't feel the need to keep it particularly tidy this week. Our place is a freaking sty. And we'll be cleaning in a mad frenzy in a few minutes. Hubby's mom is stopping by with some fresh green beans from the farmer's market in about 45 minutes (I've very happy that I can honestly say my mother-in-law kicks some most righteous boo-tay), and if it's not clean, she'll start cleaning.
Happy happy joy joy!!!
I don't know where I've been, but apparently the second book by my absolute favorite author right now (that would be In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner) is going to be made into a movie - and according to the latest post on Jennifer's blog, Cameron Diaz is in negotiations to play one of the characters (Maggie, for anyone who's read the book. And you're saying "of course she'd be Maggie, she couldn't possibly be Rose!"). I hope it works out. She'd be PERFECT for the role.
I can't wait. I will read ANYTHING this woman writes and I can't wait to see the movie! I will definitely be there opening night. Yippee!!!!!!!!! :D
Sometimes it's better to keep your opinions to yourself, even on a debate board
I should know better by now than to voice my opinion on tax credits on a parenting website. My favorite response was from some uber-defensive chica who called me a petty armchair psychologist, then proceeded to tell me that my opinions weren't opinions, merely expressions of resentment. Pot? Meet kettle.
Another thing she said to me that made absolutely no sense... "you act as if we don't pay taxes. I bet my husband pays a hell of a lot more in income tax than you." Ummm, yeah. Of COURSE he does. He freaking makes more money than I do. He SHOULD pay more taxes. But people with kids generally pay a lower PERCENTAGE of their actual income in taxes, which was my point (which she completely missed, BTW - and I get too riled up, so I'm stepping away from debating with her).
Words of Wisdom
"Sometimes, when you want intelligent conversation, you have to talk to yourself." ~Chef Mongo, Good Eats Fan Page Forum
Heh.
Feel-good post of the day
A friend of mine posed this question today: what sounds good to you right now? My answers:
* A snuggly nap with my Baboo
* Having a place where I can plant all the veggies I want
* A nice big plate of chicken tikka masala
* Some of Sherri's cookies that I made last night (oatmeal chocolate peanut butter chip)
* A big glass of ice cold skim milk
* Snuggling with a purring kitty
* A nice, quiet romantic dinner
* Swimming
* Sitting in the sun with a good book
* Feeling my skin soak up the rays (I love that tingly feeling)
What sounds good to you right now?
Random bitching
I have a beef with CitiFinancial. They offer NO payment method OTHER than mailing a check/money order, or dropping a check/money order at their office. No phone payments with check or credit/debit cards, no internet payments, no nothing. My new order of checks hasn't come in yet, and I just don't trust money orders. My payment is late and I'm at the mercy of the check printing company at this point. whine whine whine bitch bitch bitch.
UPDATE!! I called my local branch to ask a totally unrelated question and my rep told me that they can take check-by-phone if the payment is late beyond the grace period (which it is - I seriously ordered these new checks almost 3 weeks ago!), so I made a check-by-phone payment. Still pisses me off though that I have to be late in order to use a convenient payment method. It's not like they don't get enough off me - and most of their other customers - in interest (27%) to justify the cost.
Another reason a good FICO score is critical
If not, the gubmint might think you're a risk to National SecurityŠ. The government has requested that a Lockheed janitor's security clearance be revoked because he's had financial difficulty. Here's a choice quote:
Co-workers and bosses speak glowingly of Lynch, a brain-tumor survivor who's active in his church, building homes for poor people in Maine and West Virginia.
But because he and his family have struggled financially, the government now sees him as a threat to national security. Defense Department officials believe the janitor may be tempted to sell government secrets to get out of debt.
Ooooh, here's another one:
"Defense Department policy states that "an individual who is financially overextended is at risk of having to engage in illegal acts to generate funds." The policy says that a history of financial trouble and an "inability or unwillingness to satisfy debts" are among factors that could raise security concerns.
Un-fucking-believable.
Shrinking package sizes
Why is it that the only yogurt I can find that's still 8oz. is Colombo?! That really pisses me off. Not that I have anything against Colombo, but still... Granted, my grocery store lowered the price (raised the price if you figure it out per ounce, but it's still cheaper to buy two yogurts if you're just looking at price) on the store brand when they went down to 6oz., unlike other companies who keep the price the same or even raise it, but I need an 8oz. yogurt! Argh!
You know you're a jackass when...
I have officially banned the first person EVER from my residence.
We've known this guy for a while. He's always been a "storyteller." He came with us a few years ago to Renn Faire, where he said that he met a deaf girl, signed back and forth with her and got her number, but that my husband made him throw her number on the pile at the book burning. First of all, he can't sign. Second of all, there is no book burning at Renn Faire. Third of all, if he got a girl's number, my husband would probably be the first one encouraging him to use it, because the guy can use all the friends he can get.
Fast forward to probably about a year ago. He was spreading rumors that his boss was going up to strip clubs and getting blow jobs. Well, his boss just to happens to be the father of a good friend of ours, and we know the blow job story is patently false. He also spread a rumor that our friend's sister told him he could warm his hands between her legs when he came in from the cold one day last winter.
He's gone too far this time. He must either be incredibly stupid (that's my vote), or have something against that family, because, well... our friend's sister just had a baby. This guy is NOW going around saying that he has no idea how she even knows who the father is, because he can name "at least 5 guys she's slept with, and each of those guys can name at least two more."
The only person she's ever slept with is the baby's father, and they're sticking together and getting married somewhere down the road.
Jackass.
He is NOT welcome in my home.
News Alert!!!
I'm a crazy liberal!!!
You may now go back to your regularly scheduled lives.
Ooooh, I really like this one
I don't know who this Bill Lemley guy is, but this quote is perfect for at least one person I know. And I have one in particular in mind right now...
"When nobody around you seems to measure up, it's time to check your yardstick." ~Bill Lemley
I like it. I really like it.