Wenchie LostElf

dancin' in his eyes

2011-01-04T02:21:00.000-06:00

Hoodoo Groovin'
Moonlit Jivin'
Disco Divin'
Juke Grindin'
Shades Smokin'
Ass Shakin'
Earth Quakin'
Slow Rollin'
Eyes Fuckin'
Slave Dyin'
Haint Suicidin'
Soul Risin'
Grin Spreadin'
Laugh Chokin'
Scream Rockin'
Light Lovin'
Spirit Driftin'
Infinity Dancin'

Facebook Links

2011-01-03T19:19:00.002-06:00

My Links and random posts...

2010/2011 Bell Schedule

2011-01-03T18:56:00.000-06:00

First bell: 8:15 A.M.
First period: 8:20 A.M. - 9:21 A.M.
Second period: 9:25 A.M. - 10:13 A.M.
Break 10:13 A.M. - 10:28 A.M.
Third period 10:32 A.M. - 11:20 A.M.
Fourth period 11:24 A.M. - 12:12 P.M.
Fifth period 12:16 P.M. - 2:00 P.M. (lunch period - see below*)
Sixth period 2:05 P.M. - 2:52 P.M.
Seventh period 2:56 P.M. - 3:45 P.M.

*LUNCH SCHEDULE
First lunch: 12:20 - 12:50 P.M.
Second lunch: 12:55 - 1:25 P.M.
Third lunch: 1:30 - 2:00 P.M.

The Space Between

2010-12-30T02:47:00.000-06:00

Sometimes things make sense, even when they don't.
Sometimes horrible things are wholly good in the end.
Sometimes positive things are truly evil in the end.
Sometimes there is NO line between good & evil, right & wrong.
Sometimes there is Nothing But the line.

Sometimes the words that match my soul scare the crap out of me.
Sometimes the words that match my soul are so beautiful they hurt.
Sometimes the words that match my soul are so ugly & horrifying that they are beautiful.
Sometimes the words that match my soul are not words that can be spoken, but they can be heard.
Sometimes I know that One Word is All there is.

Sometimes I want to live so bad I feel like dying.
Sometimes I want to die so bad I end up living.
Sometimes I pray for things just so that I won't get them.
Sometimes I wish for things just so that I might get them.
Sometimes I give up hope completely just so that I will get it all.

Sometimes when I say I love you, it means I hate your guts.
Sometimes when I say I love you, it means I hate MY guts.
Sometimes when I think I hate you, it means I love you more than life itself.
Sometimes when I think I hate me, it means I love you more than life itself.
Sometimes I can't tell the difference.

Sometimes I am afraid that my heart will never heal.
Sometimes I doubt that it was ever whole in the first place.
Sometimes I am terrified that it will mend and it won't change anything.
Sometimes I am terrified that this is all there is.
Sometimes I am terrified because I know there is more.

Sometimes I want to throw myself away.
Sometimes I am afraid for myself.
Sometimes I am afraid for everyone else.
Sometimes I want to save the world.
Sometimes I want to set it on fire and watch the motherfucker burn.

Sometimes I wonder how the tiny person that I am can possibly be the huge person that I also am.
Sometimes I forget all about the Big Me and revel in my smallness.
Sometimes life is a twisted sick perverted joke that makes me sick laughing.
Sometimes life is so beautiful and thrilling that breathing is orgasmic and I choke.
Sometimes I can't tell the difference.

Sometimes I get tired of balancing on the pinnacle and I let go.
Sometimes I fall. Sometimes I fly.
Sometimes they are the same damn thing.
Sometimes I think I'm flying and I am falling at light speed.
Sometimes I think I am falling and I bust through into a new universe so strong and alive that I wonder how I never saw my wings.

Sometimes forever seems so short and infinity seems so small.
Sometimes my tiny place and time in this world seem immeasurable.
Sometimes I am a paradoxically paradoxical paradigm adjustment technician specializing in Absurdity and Divine Irony.
Sometimes I am a meat popsicle.
Sometimes people get the 2 confused.

Sometimes I wonder how it is that even though I have died that I am still more alive than so many others.
Sometimes I forget on which side of the veil we are supposed to be.
Sometimes I remember how much more I could see when I was blind.
Sometimes literal truth is way more fantastical and figurative than any metaphorical story ever could be.
Sometimes people think I mean these things figuratively, they are wrong.

Sometimes I walk in the rain so that I can see the sunshine.
Sometimes I hide in the dark so that I can feel the light.
Sometimes I am alone and cold so I can feel the love in my soul and forget about my body.
Sometimes I am alone and cold so I can forget the love in my soul and only think about my body.
Sometimes being alone and cold has nothing to do with actually being alone and cold at all.

Sometimes I swear I will never be free.
Sometimes I vow to never be caged.
Sometimes I wonder why I've never truly felt lonely.
Sometimes I remember that it's because I've never truly been alone.
Sometimes I remember seeing the others like me, feeling their embrace, basking in silent love as their wings glide by.

Sometimes I look inside to see through the window in my forehead.
Sometimes I forget how to really see with my eyes.
Sometimes I laugh after this happens because I can hear others laughing with me, remembering that we are all connected anyway.
Sometimes I think that I am a figment of someone's imagination.
Sometimes I am afraid that I am a figment of my own.

Sometimes I feel that I am the sacrifice and a blessing, the curse and the cure.
Sometimes I remember that I am the lamb AND the lion and I laugh.
Sometimes I think it's sad that most people can't tell the difference.
Sometimes being sad is really just being mad.
Sometimes furious rage is tears that can't be shed, words that can't be said and love that isn't felt.
Or is it love that isn't heard?

Memphis Botanic Garden, Home of the Goldsmith Civic Garden Center

2010-07-01T23:35:00.003-05:00

Do-It-Yourself Downsize: How To Build A Tiny House by Jon Kalish

2010-07-01T23:32:00.000-05:00

Sculptures Made Out Of A Single Paper Sheet

2010-07-01T23:23:00.002-05:00

From Artist: Peter Callesen "About my paper works: My paper works have been based around an exploration of the relationship between two and three dimensionality. I find this materialization of a flat piece of paper into a 3D form almost a magic process – or maybe one could call it obvious magic, because the process is obvious and the figures still stick to their origin, without the possibility of escaping. In that sense there is also an aspect of something tragic in most of the cuts. Some of the small paper cuts relate to a universe of fairy tales and romanticism, as for instance Impenetrable Castle inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Steadfast Tin Soldier, in which a tin soldier falls in love with a paper ballerina, living in a paper castle. Other paper cuts are small dramas in which small figures are lost within and threatened by the huge powerful nature. Others again are turning the inside out, or letting the front and the back of the paper meet – dealing with impossibility, illusions, and reflections."

;p

2009-07-27T13:51:00.001-05:00

P032509PS-0501

2009-05-24T20:56:00.001-05:00

P032509PS-0501, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

How cool is this?! :)

P020209PS-0181

2009-05-24T20:17:00.001-05:00

P020209PS-0181, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Seriously awesome

P020209PS-0149

2009-05-24T20:15:00.001-05:00

P020209PS-0149, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Just a regular guy.
I <3 President Obama!

Camporee

2009-04-01T10:09:00.003-05:00

STOP YELLING ACROSS THE HOUSE!!!

2009-03-19T15:34:00.002-05:00

This St. Paddy's Day Skip A Round for Hopeline

2009-03-16T18:43:00.003-05:00

Dear Hopeline Supporter,

Every 42 seconds, someone attempts suicide in the United States, Every 86 seconds, an individual calls the National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE.

Last year we experienced a 30% increase in calls due to the economic recession. This St. Paddy's Day if you plan to buy a round of drinks we ask you to skip one round of drinks to help us support the network and the people who are losing their jobs, homes and are desperate for support. $10 will help us connect 30 people to resources that will help them get housing, medical help, mental health and addictions services, food and other support. The Kristin Brooks Hope Center founded the National Hopeline Network, toll-free private confidential suicide prevention crisis lines. The National Hopeline Network is a private non-profit and receives no government support. We are available to the public 24/7 solely through the support of the general public - you

1-800-SUICIDE is listed in almost every phone directory in the US and receives up to 2,000 calls a day from individuals in crisis.

1-800-SUICIDA - One out of every seven Latina women will attempt suicide. The economic downturn has greatly increased the number of calls to 800-SUICIDA from citizens isolated from their families, unable to support their families, unable to find any one to help.

1-877-YOUTHLINE - Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youths 16-24. The Youthline connects callers to trained peer counselors who understand and have experienced physical and sexual abuse, self-injury, sexual identity issues, have been bullied, experienced a breakup, are victims of divorce, feel like they have already failed at their life.

1-800-PPD-MOMS - This crisis line connects women with other Mothers and women who have experienced post-partum depression. PPD indiscriminately affects all races, socio-economic levels. It impacts women with healthy babies in loving families, as well as single mothers on their own, it also can impact women who have terminated their pregnancies. Callers receive help and hope from trained women. No callers are judged, they are only offered support and referrals.

1-877-VET 2 VET - Currently, combined suicides in our armed forces is exceeding the number of monthly deaths of servicemen and women serving in Iraq. Vet 2 Vet connects members of the armed forces and their families to trained crisis line workers when peer support who understand the complications of post traumatic stress disorder, being physically injured, as well as being deployed for extended periods away from families and loved ones are not available.

With your help, when an individual calls one of the lines of the National Hopeline Network, it will be answered. $10 will connect 30 people to help and hope, please help us pay our phone bill.

Sincerely,

Reese Butler
Kristin Brooks Hope Center - 1250 24th Street NW, Suite 300 - Washington, DC 20037 - 202.536.3200 - www.hopeline.com

HOW YOU CAN HELP TODAY:

1. Donate $10 today (if everyone who received this email donates $10 today we can cover our costs for the next four months).

2. Commit to raise $90 from your own online community (like Facebook or MySpace) or in your own town, work place or clubs by the end of March (if each person does that - it will cover our costs for three years!)

3. Recommit yourself to the 99 CLUB or commit to support one 99 CLUB member to achieve their annual goal of $5,000. (That will allow us to keep working on our Internet crisis intervention site for one full year.) That includes the training and certification of over 1,000 new volunteers.

By the way, the PostSecret Community 99 Club member has almost reached the goal for this year! If you are a friend of Postsecret, help them reach their goal by clicking here.

Your ten dollars will make sure we can continue this work for four more months. If you can get nine of your friends on Facebook, MySpace or other social networking site to do the same we can do this for three years!

AC/DC Phone Pics

2009-03-14T03:27:00.001-05:00

Doodling May Boost Memory

2009-02-28T02:32:00.000-06:00

In a Boring Meeting? Doodling as You Listen May Help You Remember Important Info
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Feb. 27, 2009 -- The next time you're stuck on hold or zoning out during a dull meeting, you might want to reach for a pen and doodle -- and not just to ease your boredom.

Doodling might help you remember snippets of key information that's mentioned in those conversations, a new study shows.

The study comes from Jackie Andrade, PhD, of the School of Psychology at England's University of Plymouth.

Andrade asked 40 adults who had just finished another psychology test to listen to a "rather dull" audio tape play for two and a half minutes and to jot down the names of people who would definitely or probably be coming to a party, according to the tape.

As they listened to the tape, half of the participants were encouraged to doodle on a piece of paper. They didn't have to draw freehand; instead, they were given a sheet of paper filled with outlines of squares and circles to shade in. For comparison, the other half of the group didn't doodle while listening to the tape.

A minute after the tape finished, participants took a pop quiz in which they had to recall the party-goers' names and places that were mentioned on the tape. They had not been told to listen for the places.

The doodlers recalled an average of "7.5 pieces of information (names and places), 29% more than the [average] of 5.8 recalled by the control group," Andrade writes.

Why was doodling helpful? Maybe it kept participants more alert while they listened to the boring recording, Andrade suggests.

"This study suggests that in everyday life doodling may be something we do because it helps to keep us on track with a boring task, rather than being an unnecessary distraction that we should try to resist doing," Andrade says in a news release.

The study appears online in Applied Cognitive Psychology.

20th Annual Beale St Zydeco Festival

2009-02-28T01:01:00.000-06:00

20th Annual Beale St Zydeco Festival

Feb 28, 2009

Memphis, TN

Vote for Bobby Chaumont

2009-02-25T12:23:00.002-06:00

The candidates for the CHL Performance of the Week for Week 18 (Feb. 26 - Feb. 22) are:

Bobby Chaumont (MIS) scoring two goals in a 36 second stretch of the first period of their 5-3 win vs. WIC, 2/20

Fans can vote for Bobby Chaumont now through March 2, at the CHL web site, www.centralhockeyleague.com. The winner will be announced on March 3

Jump!!!

2009-02-23T18:15:00.003-06:00

Back in the 1929 Financial Crash it was said that some Wall Street Stockbrokers and Bankers JUMPED from their office windows and committed suicide when confronted with the news of their firms and clients financial ruin . . .

Many people were said to almost feel a little sorry for them . . . . . .

In 2008/2009 the attitude has changed somewhat!

Oldies but Goodies

2009-02-23T18:13:00.000-06:00

1. How Do You Catch a Unique Rabbit?
Unique Up On It.

2. How Do You Catch a Tame Rabbit?
Tame Way.

3. How Do Crazy People Go Through The Forest ?
They Take The Psycho Path

4. How Do You Get Holy Water?
You Boil The Hell Out Of It

5. What Do Fish Say When They Hit a Concrete Wall?
Dam!

6. What Do Eskimos Get From Sitting On The Ice too Long?
Polaroid's

7. What Do You Call a Boomerang That Doesn't work?
A Stick

8. What Do You Call Cheese That Isn't Yours?
Nacho Cheese

9. What Do You Call Santa's Helpers?
Subordinate Clauses..

10. What Do You Call Four Bullfighters In Quicksand?
Quattro Sinko.

11. What Do You Get From a Pampered Cow?
Spoiled Milk.

12. What Do You Get When You Cross a Snowman With a Vampire?
Frostbite.

13. What Lie s At The Bottom Of The Ocean And Twitches?
A Nervous Wreck.

14. What's The Difference Between Roast Beef And Pea Soup?
Anyone Can Roast Beef.

15. Where Do You Find a Dog With No Legs?
Right Where You Left Him.

16. Why Do Gorillas Have Big Nostrils?
Because They Have Big Fingers ..

17. Why Don't Blind People Like To Sky Dive?
Because It Scares The Dog.

18. What Kind Of Coffee Was Served On The Titanic?
Sanka.

19. What Is The Difference Between a Harley And a Hoover ?!
The Location Of The Dirt Bag.

20. Why Did Pilgrims' Pants Always Fall Down?
Because They Wore Their Belt Buckle On Their Hat.

21. What's The Difference Between a Bad Golfer And a Bad Skydiver?
A Bad Golfer Goes, Whack , Dang!
A Bad Skydiver Goes Dang! Whack ..

22. How Are a Texas Tornado And a Tennessee Divorce The Same?
Somebody's Gonna Lose A Trailer

New Stock Market Terms

2009-02-22T12:22:00.003-06:00

Got this from my Dad today:

New Stock Market Terms

CEO – Chief Embezzlement Officer
CFO - Corporate Fraud Officer
BULL MARKET – A random market movement causing an investor to mistake himself for a financial genius
BEAR MARKET – a 6 to 18 month period when the kids get no allowance, the wife gets no jewelry, and the husband gets no sex.
VALUE INVESTING – The art of buying low and selling lower.
P/E RATIO – The percentage of investors wetting their pants as the market keeps crashing.
BROKER – What my financial planner has made me.
STANDARD & POOR – Your life in a nutshell.
STOCK ANALYST – Idiot who just downgraded your stock.
STOCK SPLIT – When your ex-wife and her lawyer split your assets equally between themselves.
MARKET CORRECTION – The day after you buy stocks.
CASH FLOW – The movement your money makes as it disappears down the toilet.
YAHOO – What you yell after selling it to some poor sucker for $240 per share.
WINDOWS – What you jump out of when you're the sucker who bought Yahoo at $240 per share.
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTOR – Past year investor who's now locked up in a nuthouse.
PROFIT – an archaic word no longer in use.

# # # # #

If you had purchased $1000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago,
you will have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1000 of shares in AIG
one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1000 of shares in Lehman Brothers
one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.

But---- if you had purchased $1000 worth of beer

one year ago, drank all the beer,
then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund,

you will have received $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment planis to drink heavily & recycle.
It's called the 401-Keg.

Getting back to my Aspie roots! You (and your loved ones) Might be an Aspie If....

2009-02-22T02:26:00.006-06:00

I was inspired to revisit some of the you-might-be-an-aspie-if sites by a conversation I had tonight. I am STILL amazed at how many of these I can apply to myself. haha!

Some of my favorites:

You might be an Aspie if:

You quit smoking, not because you're worried about lung cancer, but because you're tired of setting your hair on fire....

You can remember the exact date The Flintstones premiered (Oct. 1, 1960) and the name and production number of the first episode (P-1, "The Swimming Pool") but completely forgot about the now-congealed tuna casserole that's been sitting in your microwave for three days...

You get really ticked because you realize the first episode of "The Flintstones" to air on Oct. 1, 1960 was episode P-2, "The Flintstone Flyer" (it aired out of production order) but didn't catch the mistake until you sent off the e-mail, and now you're going to look like an idiot...

You can sing the Esperanto anthem--in Esperanto
("En la mondon venas nova sento,
Tra la mondon iras forta voco...")
but your own country's national anthem throws you...("Where was that part about the 'ramparts' again?")
You actually spent hours on the internet trying to find a MIDI of the Esperanto anthem...'cause obscure anthems are your "thing" this month...

You actually know what Esperanto *is.*

You wonder why in the world someone would design a flag and write an anthem for a nonexistant nation--as you're headed to Klingon language camp...

If it takes you 5 minutes to explain where the mayonnaise is in the refrigerator....

when someone says, "Now take a minute and picture -in your head- something or other", you wonder why it would be necessary to suggest it, because you always have pictures in your head....(OMG YES!)

- you never worry about an umbrella and point out to people that they aren`t going to fizz like alka-seltzer if they get wet.

- your hands are always covered in burns, cuts and scars, and the only ones you noticed getting are the really spectacular ones, but they never hurt anyway.

- people keep saying if they were you, they wouldn`t be telling anybody about the idiotic ways you got those burns, cuts and scars.

- at any one time you can count 200 scars on both hands.

*note* The scar thing is WAY too close to home!

if you are the only one behaving rationally in a real emergencey and everyone else is angry at you for trying to get them to get to safety...

The last time you moved house, you had 25 large boxes of books to every one smallish box of clothing.

It took you, your parents, a friend, and 4 movers 3 days to move all your stuff, and you were only moving out of a 2 bedroom apartment! (what can I say. Clutter is my life.)

You question whether you are really a Homo Sapiens Sapiens.. and not a seperate sub-spiecies like H. Sap. Sap. Varient Aspie.

You have ever seriously wondered if some ancestor of yours was in fact a space alien who 'jumped the fence'.

You've ever joked that in your last life, you lived on Alpha Centauri.

You refer to what is supposedly your own species as "Humans".. or worse, "Homo Sapiens Sapiens". Extra points for times you shake your head and mutter "Humans...." when you see some example of social behavior that you find unattractive, like bullying or extreme faddishness, or being boistrously over-social. Extra points if those times happen more than one time a day.

You hate having to talk on the phone and confine your conversational depth to 'Yup', 'Nope', and 'Bye'. 10 additional points if you answer the phone with either 'Me'. or 'What do you want?'

You go outside and are instantly mobbed by animals, because animals always love you. They sense something different about you and that makes them feel safe and happy.

You take apart computers or other electronics for fun. 10 additional points if you started doing this before you were five years old. (Remember the see'n'say picture viewers? Mine was dissassembled in about 2 minutes, I was 5!)

You own more than 3 different types of earplugs or sunglasses. (Haha!! I have over 20 pairs of sunglasses and at LEAST 6 types of earplugs!)

You play 'Name That Bruise!' in the bath, because you have no idea where you got them. (Haha or you actually take photographs of your inumerable bruises, make collages and send them to friends!)

You gave up on ever convincing people that you are not odd ages ago. You now just live your life and to hell with anyone who thinks it strange. (ayup!)

You introduce yourself to people you've already met over and over again because you are face-blind. (YES!)

You would rather have your liver pecked out by a giant crow than spend a day at the mall. (Hahahahaaha sooo true!)

If your classic book report assignment is rejected because the school board doesn't accept the works of Stan Lee (It is TOO classic!!!)

You reinforce the foundations and floors of your house to allow for the sheer tonnage of books you own and insist on keeping around for frequent re-readings, even though you remember everything in them.

You own more books than anyone in your city.

You spend over 30% of your income on either books or collectables related to an interest. 10 additional points if you're supporting more than one interest in this manner. (Doesn't EVeryone??!!!?)

you fiddle around with your computer, sell it, reinstall Windows, crash it, try different combinations of the above and occasionally give up on computers for life (for a couple of days) so often that you have to rebuild your meagre list of about 6 favourites once every couple of weeks. (hahahahaaha oh by the way don't trip over the computer parts and pieces in the middle of the BATHroom!~ Seriously, I have pictures....)

...you want to sky-dive or bungee jump, but you wouldn't do it if you had to drive through traffic to get there.

...if when you were a kid, and other kids wanted to play ball, you wanted to turn toy cars over and spin their wheels.

...on the one hand you think you are the most interesting person you know, but not too many other people are trying to get to know you.

...you have learned to say "why" in several different languages. (warum? pse? zasto? proc? hvorfor? waarom? bakit? pourquoi? mengapa? perché? por que? почему?)

...your boss says, "Do such and such", and you can't do it until you know "why", because you are not going to waste your time on doing something that doesn't make sense. (absodamnlutely!)

...if you refused to let your grown son get rid of his legos, because you wanted to have the option of playing with them yourself again. (legos, action figures, books, puzzles, trading cards....:)

...you get extremely disappointed in yourself if you don't know something when you need to know it because you really "SHOULD" know that. (All the damn time!)

you have to ransack your entire residence a couple of times a week trying to find something you often need, and even though you usually don't find what you're looking for you find half a dozen useful other things you thought you'd lost, often even something you actively need that day. (a couple times a day!)

...you get all cleaned up and dressed for a party and just before you walk out the door you remember you hate parties so you switch on the computer, put on a t-shirt and get settled in for the night. (haha! yep)

You like defraging your hard drive so you can watch little blue squares lining up for a couple of hours. (it's great fun!)

you go to the paper shop to buy a newspaper but you can't decide whether to get the Herald or the Telegraph, then you remember news is all lies and nonsense (not to mention a waste of trees!) so you go home again without a paper. (I did this exact thing last week!)

when someone recommends that you ask Jesus into you heart, you form a mental picture of him changing the wallpaper in your left atrium. (Usually I picture more of a soft-shoe shuffle through the entranceway...)

you firmly believe that amyotropic laterosclerosis should be named for Stephen Hawking instead of Lou Gehrig. (Firmly!)

you need a sedative when you go to an ice-cream parlour with more than two flavors. (I'm not quite that bad... but mainly that's because I don't like ice cream! :)

If you would rather eat broken glass than go to a sorority party (pretty much)

your significant other sleeps on the sofa because there's JUST too little room for the two of you and your stuffed animals (10 points more if said animals are ordered alphabetically by scientific name).(Hahaha um there are pictures of just such an occurance that 'may' have taken place in a habitation of mine...)

you've ever created your own Plexiglass lunchbox to help you remember at a glance whether you're going to the office or coming home. (I didn't do this, didn't even think of it, but damn that's a GOOD idea!)

you've ever told somebody, "I'M NOT IMMATURE--I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT!!!!"

"Do you want fries with that" aggravates your PTSD. (hahaha omg /cringe.)

you find it easier to remember something reasonable like "acetylsalicylic acid" than some arcane, fancy-shmantz word like "aspirin". (I'd like to thank my dear old dad for passing along this trait! Cameron will have fond memories of his mom and grumpa discussing why the sodium laurel sulfate solution might have an adverse effect on the dermatological layer of his canine companion and that extreme care and vigilance should be used in it's application with some thought given to perhaps substituting a more canine compatible cleansing formulation.)

the word "Hallmark" makes you think "When you care enough to send the very best", and you can remember tons of those kinds of "ad" lines and you use them in everyday speech. (AND at the same time you are visualizing the 'pun' that is a Hallmark card with an actual Hallmark on it! hahahahah)

you are going to college and petrified by the question "what is your major" because you don't know if it should be, English, Russian, Art, Art History, Psychology or whatever your next interest will be, OR if you should pursue your own personalized major program in Eremitic Studies or Anti-Social Science. (absolutely terrified!)

.if the thought, "there has to be a pattern to this" is a major theme of your life. (MAJOR!!!)

you actually KNOW that an Aspergerian is not a vegetable you cover in Hollandaise sauce.

you can't stand kids but you spend inordinate amounts of time browsing through "Toys 'R' Us". (I actually like kids -mostly- but yeah an INORDINATE amount of time at "Toys 'R' Us")

you think that only a sadistic inhuman fiend from the deepest recesses of hell could have written/inspired pieces like "The Chipmonk Song". (Christmas, Christmas time is here--AAAAARRRGGGGHH!!) (EVERY year it's the same! I've made numerous posts about this topic in the past but seriously WTF?!!!)

you have dreams of communicating with extraterrestrials and nightmares about chatting with the next-door neighbour. (Haha!!!!! full on night-terrors!)

You have a stuffed animal collection and have to take one with you when you travel to keep you company. (well I gave up traveling with my teddy bear at a much younger age... 32!;)

You manage to make out a list of shopping items to buy, and you hate making lists. You feel all proud of yourself for your accomplishment until you realize once you're at the store that you left it on the kitchen counter. (I don't really hate making lists, it's just one of those things that takes a little extra effort and yeah I do this EVERY trip to the damn grocery store. I DO hate grocery stores...)

Someone asks you how you are and you give an honest answer about what a rotten day you had and go on for 5 minutes about it. Then they get insulted or bored and you get confused 'cause after all, they DID ask. (HAHA I dedicate this one to Susan, we have commiserated over and boglged about this on a few occasions!)

you follow rules to the letter - but only if they make sense to you. (Guilty as charged! Afterall an illogical rule cannot by definition actually apply to anything!)

you consider the pleasantries of others just a waste of time. (Pleasantries of others are one of my BIGGEST pet peeves... IS THERE A POINT TO YOUR MEANDERING RAMBLING REPETITIONS???!!!!! PUH_LEEEEZE ARRIVE AT IT IMMEDIATELY IF NOT SOONER!)

you understand a certain figure of speech because it was explained to you, but you still wonder what idiot could come up with something like that.(one of my hobbies, trying to figure out where a figure of speech came about and what sort of idiot came up with it in the first place)

you go to buy butter and come back with 12 different items, none of which is butter.(Yet another reason to avoid the grocery store at all costs!)

you talk your body into functioning when it refuses to be healthy enough to do certain things - and it often works. (This IS how I get through most days)

you collect stuffed felines and have more than 300 and know the names of all of them (and their personalities) but you still mix up your relatives. (*blush* I don't have 300...)

someone did some work for you trying to help you and thus ruined your whole day and the last few months of work because you absolutely NEEDED to finish it yourself.(Recently I asked a friend to tell me that they would do some work for me, because I knew as soon as I heard those words I would be totally motiveated to DO IT MYSELF and get it done as soon as possible to avoid ANY chance of anyone else actually doing it)

if you spend hours trying to figure out how someone could find a meaning in your words that was not there. (Hours, Days, WEEKS!!! It is one of the banes of my existence. AND there MUST be a solution IF I could only find the freaking reason it happens ALL the freaking time! hehe yeah just a little bitter about this one...)

your aunt had an accident while she was out with the dog, and you ask if the dog is alright. (I dedicate this one to my son, Liam!)

someone wants to get past you and says "excuse me" and you reply "sure" without moving a bit. (I dedicate this one to my brother, and BOTH of my sons! LOL)

you forget to eat or drink for a few days because you are working on an interesting project.

you insist on your view on fairness even when anyone else thinks you have gone mad. (and this one is dedicated to my son, Cameron. Poor baby just cannot get over the fact that life isn't fair, even though it really, really should be!)

you pass by a playground and see a nonverbal child you know playing with sand and water. You join in and have absolutely no problems with spending hours there, not speaking a word, and the two of you not even looking at each other.

...instead you have a very vocal and animated talk with the tomcat from downstairs - all in cat-language, of course. (haha VERY vivid flashbacks of doing this almost exactly)

the girl you've been trying to impress finally catches on and gets a new hairdo with the idea of impressing you back, and you walk right by her without recognizing, and she grabs you and provokes you to ask, "WHO are YOU? (This one goes out to you, Rob!)

you not only line things up, you always line them up in a symmetrical arrangement. (well if you are going to line them up, they may as well by symmetrical!)

you can't give up reading the newspaper, even though you'll never get through to to all the articles you want to read, and as a result, you're now out of living space because you can't bear to part with the back issues for fear of losing one deep in the pile where you know there's an important story you never gor around to reading (ten extra points if you know which pile said important story is in, and approximately how deep in that paper is).(I don't do this with newspapers, but holy hell you should see the files I've saved on my computer for further reading at some future point in time)

You know your aspie when you can smell the storm before it starts to rain, But you go and check the weather channel anyway just to be sure hehehe.(I DO THIS!)

only hours after a biology final you spend $6 on a magazine devoted to brain science, especially because it has an article on savants (including Kim Peek and autistic artist Richard Wawro) and you look forward to the deep relaxation you will feel while propped up in bed reading it. (I seriously had to read this one 3 times to see why this one might be considered Aspie, because, it seemed like a perfectly reasonable, acceptable, fun thing to do to me!)

you feel somehow privileged to have insights into the subject of cultural anthropology because you have been studying anthropo's your whole life trying to figure out what makes their culture tick.
(it's Temple Grandin who compared herself an "anthropologist on Mars") (YES, YES, YES!!!)

...you are extremely grateful for online tax preparation because: a)no one has to try to decipher your handwriting,
b)you don't have to see or talk to anyone to file your taxes, not even the people at the post office. (You have NO idea!- it's also one of the greatest things about online shopping- If I am out and the kids want pizza, I will DRIVE HOME to order it online and then have it delivered to my house)

your teacher commands every one in the room to pair-off to discuss a topic and you are extremely relieved that no one wants to be your partner. (Dreaded this! Almost as much as "Ok class, now we are going to share about ourselves...")

...you always liked the phrase "deja vu" and have experienced it, of course, but you were really happy when you learned about, "jamais vu", because it's always nice to know that the psychologists have picked pretty sounding French words to describe your problems.

After thinking about "jamais vu", you think about, "rien vu", and wonder if you just invented a new phrase.....

Je jamais vu rien, je deja vu rien jamais.

And you think that "jamais vu" might be what happens when you see your neighbor outside in his or her pajamas. And then you think, "wow, I sure am funny." I am. Funny. :-) (hahahaha all the time!)

you don't think an aspie board would be very authentic without some argumentative pontificating, I defend argumentative pontificating because I myself am prone to such. Although, I am only trying to be factual and helpful. (and this one goes out to Cory! :)

...if you cook home cooked dog food for your dog, which recipe is based on the latest in dog nutrition, but you frequently have coffee and pie for breakfast and go days without eating a proper meal with vegetables.(/nod)

You think the sound of competetetetetivenessnessness, is more satisfying than the regular way of saying it. (well it is!)

You get irritated when people come up to talk to you when you are doing something important like; staring at a wall, trying to find a space in your mind that is not overwhelmed by noise and imposing people with their desire to converse.

Never mind when people come by unannounced when you are totally getting into some research topic or painting or doing mosaics or whatever.....Hi! How nice to see you! Now go home! I'm busy!!! (Sorry!)

one of your favorite hobbies is "autie spotting". (I share this pastime with friends it's so fun!)

---another one is dog watching...not unlike bird watching...you keep track of all the breeds you have seen in real life, like: "Guess what? I saw a Keeshond today!!" (this is genetic ;) - 2 days ago when Liam and I were waiting in the Vet's office for Charlie, we spent the WHOLE time studying the large poster of 'Dog Breeds of the World' and discussing all of the different dogs we'd seen and the ones we really wanted to see..)

.if you think an old fashioned egg beater is a very cool toy. (it is TOTALLY a very cool toy. I have 2... an extra just in case one breaks, I've never beaten an egg with either one of them)

if you are a 43 year old woman and you just can't make hair-spray work for you. (well i'm 'only' 41...)

if you think cataclysm is a really great word. Catamaran, catatonic, catalyst, Catalan, catalogue, catastrophe all great words, and they start with CAT, which is neat, too. Patagonia is a neat word, too. And sassafras. (don't forget "catch phrase' I wonder what that means exactly? does it have the same root as catalogue? how do you catch a phrase exactly and what is a frasier? is it at all like a brasier? and how on earth is it different than a brassier? and what stupid idiot invented those things anyway, I notice he didn't invent an ballsier! But, ballsier would just lend size to testicles it wouldn't actually restrain them ....)

if you talk back to the people on the TV and radio and call them idiots or say sarcastic things to commercials. (one of the many reasons why I should never watch TV especially in the company of people that are not familiar with my little 'quirks'.)

you knew years ahead of time that you weren't going to the senior prom.

...by the time the prom came, they couldn't have paid you a million dollars to go to the prom. (Ok just LAST week at a family discussion, my sister says to her husband "Courtney never had teenage bad skin like you at all, she always had clear skin as a teenage" and my Dad pipes in "But she never had to worry about going to things like the Junior and Senior Prom either" I am NOT kidding this was last week! - and no I did not read this list until tonight!)

if you thought when you were 8 years old that you had no chance at being Miss America because you had so many scars on your knees and legs. (I'm thinking this is a girl thing...) (Haha I am one walking scar, I thought the last dermatologist was going to have a conniption fit about the state of my skin)

.if you have ever looked at your feet and thought that they looked like they were about 25 feet away from your head. (sometimes they are just closer than others.....)

So those were some of my favorites. Here are some other cool articles (Especially if you happen to be an Aspie :)

How to Live With Asperger's Syndrome and Develop Social Skills

How to Avoid Common Hygiene Mistakes

And my Favorite Asperger's: My life as an Earthbound alien

The picture is from this very sweet site Teaching Jeremiah, A Journey into the Mind of an Asperger's Child

2009-02-22T02:22:00.000-06:00

How to Relate to Someone who Has Asperger's Syndrome

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You might know someone with Asperger's syndrome, and you might not even know that they have it. This should help you relate to them, and show you some ways to get them to leave their shell and interact.

Steps

Read articles and books about Asperger's Syndrome, preferably those written by people with the condition.
Find someone who displays characteristics of Asperger's. You can't exactly do any of the other steps if you don't.
Approach them slowly, and casually. If you see them in one spot every day, say around noon, start bringing your lunch to that spot, and sit next to them. Don't talk to them the first time, let them get used to your presence first.
Start a small conversation. People with Asperger's are not very good at conversations, so you will probably need to lead them. You know, start by introducing yourself, and asking their name, then ask them about themselves. For now you just want to get them talking, what about isn't really important yet.
Try to find some common ground, some activity that both of you enjoy. Agree to get together some time and do it. Show up for the get-together on time.
Lay your emotions bare to them. Tell them how you feel, even when you think it's patently obvious, and ask them to do the same. They'll love you for it.
If they are acting strangely, tell them (if it dangers them or others). It's important to let them know. Don't say it meanly either, just say: "Most people don't do that"; or, "That's usually considered inappropriate"; or just "Please don't do that". If it's no harm to anyone, then leave them alone. It could be a comfort to them.
Introduce them to your other friends, and try to keep everyone getting along. They may act differently in the presence of your friends, or their friends. They may simply not get along. Don't try to force them to get along with your friends... They will probably be most outgoing when encountered one on one.

Tips

Never lie to someone with Asperger's. People with Asperger's, especially those that have been bullied as children, often have trust issues and even if they only catch you lying once, may never trust you again.
People with Asperger's tend to be considered "smart". It might be a good idea to ask them to help you with your homework in exchange for your helping them meet people. This will allow you two to relate more.
Don't coddle them, but try to protect them from bullies and authority figures, at least a little.
They will probably seem distant most of the time. If that (or something else) hurts your feelings, explain as well as you can what hurt your feelings and why, and work out an agreement that both of you can live with.
They may be a bit obsessive. Try to put up with it. Rearranging stuff in their houses/room is generally a bad idea.
Oftentimes they will make no motions to keep the relationship (be it friendship, or something more) going. They won't call, and you might not see them for days anywhere but where you are used to seeing them. That doesn't mean they don't care. Try to encourage them to take some of the initiative, and call them often, if you can.
If you are in love with them, and you have confirmed that the same is true in reverse. (This is very hard; the best way is just to ask... And be prepared for a misleading response. For example, when they say "Yeah I love you", they might mean like a brother or sister, and not love love. Or they might say "No, I don't", which could mean that they don't family love you, but may friendly love you, or romantically love you, or at least lust after you, and don't think lust really counts. They will probably also be shy). Anyway, if you are in love with them, and have confirmed that they are also in love with you, then you should be very, very, careful. Get to know all their habits, decide if you can live with them, but be prepared for them to completely change after the revelation. (Nervousness, different habits, etc.) If they trust you, you can probably get them to change back to their old lovable selves, but that can be hard. Also be careful. People with AS can burn you, even if they don't intend to. They don't show their feelings well, and you might not understand as well as you thought you did.
Never talk down to someone with Asperger's Syndrome, or talk to them like you would to a child. It is annoying and insulting to the person with AS.

Warnings

Do not encourage someone with Asperger's to behave in an inappropriate manner. Doing so will likely cause them to behave in the inappropriate manner more often. Pretty soon they're doing it all the time. This is a bad thing.
Subtle hints don't work, if you want to communicate then simply say it.
People with Asperger's are very gentle people. But when they get noticeably angry they usually mean it.
Many people with Aspergers are very nice people. However, they're only human. Like with any other human being, your personalities may 'clash'.

Related wikiHows

How to Live with Asperger's Syndrome

Sources and Citations

Wikipedia on Asperger Syndrome

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Relate to Someone who Has Asperger's Syndrome. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Love Me Ded - Ludo

2009-02-21T02:10:00.004-06:00

{The video is not great but the song and lyrics crack me up}

Love Me Dead
By Ludo

Love me cancerously
Like a salt-sore soaked in the sea.
'High-maintenance' means
You're a gluttonous queen
Narcissistic and mean.
Kill me romantically
Fill my soul with vomit
Then ask me for a piece of gum.
Bitter and dumb
You're my sugarplum.
You're awful, I love you!

CHORUS
She moves through moonbeams slowly
She knows just how to hold me
And when her edges soften
Her body is my coffin
I know she drains me slowly
She wears me down to bones in bed

Must be the sign on my head
That says, oh...
Love me dead! Love me dead!

You're a faith-healer on T.V.
You're an office park without any trees
Corporate and cold
Gushing for gold
Leave me alone.
You suck so passionately
You're a parasitic, psycho, filthy creature
finger-bangin' my heart
You call me up drunk
Does the fun ever start?
You're hideous and sexy!

REPEAT CHORUS

Must be the sign on my head
That says, oh...
Love me dead! Love me dead!

SOLO

Love me cancerously
Rut-dah-dah-dah-dah-daaaah
How's your new boy?
Does he know about me?
You've got the mark of the beast.
You're born of a jackal! You're beautiful!

REPEAT CHORUS

Wha' 'bout that sign on my head
That says, oh...
Love me dead!

I stumbled upon this one....

2009-02-19T23:01:00.003-06:00

You took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out you are a
Creative Spiritual Reinventer
0.30% of the 94244 people who have taken this quiz are like you.

I took the 43 Things Personality Quiz and found out I'm a

Creative Spiritual Reinventer

2009-02-19T02:11:00.002-06:00

You Are an Ectomorph

You are thin and lean. You don't put on weight easily.

Ectomorphs are known for being private, introverted, and brilliant.

It's likely that you are introspective, philosophical, and even artistic.

Other people tend to make you a bit tense, but being alone is both inspiring and comforting.

What's Your True Body Type?

Your Height Says You're Introspective

You are a very vulnerable and spiritual person. Your emotions run deep.

You have a philosophical and poetic soul. You think things through and are a bit of a skeptic.

You tend to be very opinionated. You are a perfectionist with high standards.

You prefer to work alone. You work hard, and you don't like interruptions.

You are about as tall as the average Japanese woman.

What Does Your Height Say About You?

Your Feet Say You're Slightly Stubborn

You are pretty average in your expressiveness. You can express yourself well, but you don't always want to.

You are a somewhat passionate person. A few things get you very fired up, but you're usually pretty laid back.

You are not a very assertive person. If something doesn't come easily to you, it's not worth having.

You don't fall in love easily. It's hard for you to connect to people, and you don't have many attachments.

You are not afraid of anything. You are brave and courageous, even when most people would be terrified.

You are intellectual and philosophical. You are more concerned with thoughts than action.

You are a fairly hard worker, but you are also a little spoiled. You like indulge yourself every now and then.

You are not easily influenced by other people. You hold your ground and are true to your beliefs.

What Do Your Feet Say About You?

Your Inner Blood Type is AB!

Your personality is hard to define - you're very unconventional.

And even if your personality could be defined, it would be completely different next week!

Outgoing and shy, sensitive and thoughtless, you tend to have a very split personality.

This makes you unpredictable. You can be a total angel - and a total devil.

You are most compatible with: everyone!

Famous Type AB's: Jackie Chan and Marilyn Monroe

What's Your Inner Blood Type?

The Vatican has brought up to date the traditional seven deadly sins by adding seven modern mortal sins

2009-02-19T01:21:00.003-06:00

ORIGINAL DEADLY SINS
Pride
Envy
Gluttony
Lust
Anger
Greed
Sloth
MODERN EVILS
Environmental pollution
Genetic manipulation
Accumulating excessive wealth
Inflicting poverty
Drug trafficking and consumption
Morally debatable experiments
Violation of fundamental rights of human nature

The Vatican has brought up to date the traditional seven deadly sins by adding seven modern mortal sins it claims are becoming prevalent in what it calls an era of "unstoppable globalisation".
Those newly risking eternal punishment include drug pushers, the obscenely wealthy, and scientists who manipulate human genes. So "thou shalt not carry out morally dubious scientific experiments" or "thou shalt not pollute the earth" might one day be added to the Ten Commandments.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into Hell".
The new mortal sins were listed by Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti at the end of a week-long training seminar in Rome for priests, aimed at encouraging a revival of the practice of confession - or the Sacrament of Penance in Church jargon.
According to a survey carried out here 10 years ago by the Catholic University, 60% of Italians have stopped going to confession altogether. The situation has certainly not improved during the past decade.

Catholics are supposed to confess their sins to a priest at least once a year. The priest absolves them in God's name.
Talking to course members at the end of the seminar organised by the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican department in charge of fixing the punishments and indulgences handed down to sinners, Pope Benedict added his own personal voice of disquiet.

"We are losing the notion of sin," he said. "If people do not confess regularly, they risk slowing their spiritual rhythm," he added. The Pope confesses his sins regularly once a week.
Greatest sins of our times
In an interview with the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Archbishop Girotti said he thought the most dangerous areas for committing new types of sins lay in the fields of bio-ethics and ecology.
He also named abortion and pedophilia as two of the greatest sins of our times. The archbishop brushed off cases of sexual violence against minors committed by priests as "exaggerations by the mass media aimed at discrediting the Church".

Last Updated: Monday, 10 March 2008, 16:06 GMT
By David Willey
BBC News, Rome

(The seven new sins aren't quite as "catchy" as the seven old ones. It's a lot harder to say 'Genetic manipulation' than to say 'Pride'.)

Hypatia of Alexandria

2009-02-15T02:36:00.002-06:00

Hypatia of Alexandria

about 370 - 415

Hypatia was the first woman to make a substantial contribution to the development of mathematics. She was killed by a fanatical Christian sect.

Hypatia of Alexandria

Science Tattoo Emporium

2009-02-14T02:24:00.002-06:00

Trust Your Instincts: Some Lucky Guesses Tap Into Subconscious Memories

2009-02-14T01:47:00.001-06:00

New research shows that even random guesses can sometimes be educated. Published in the latest Nature Neuroscience, a study by neuroscientists Ken Paller and Joel Voss has shown that choices we think of as instinctive may in fact be based on memories that can’t be consciously accessed [Telegraph].

Participants were given a special recognition test in which their memories of kaleidoscopic images were evaluated for accuracy. The subjects were distracted while viewing half of the images and paid full attention to the other half. When they were asked whether they’d seen particular images before, they were also asked if they consciously knew the correct answer or were taking a wild guess.

The researchers came up with interesting results: Regardless of attentiveness during the image studying process, participants were significantly more accurate with their guesses than with their confident answers [Ars Technica]. Guesses by distracted participants, however, were more accurate than by those who were not distracted, which suggests that the brain was storing information even more efficiently when the test subjects weren’t paying as much attention. Voss and Paller believe that this indicates that correct guesses resulted from implicit memory and are unrelated to explicit memory [Ars Technica]. Implicit memory is how you know your route to work in the morning, while explicit memory is what you draw on when someone asks you to remember the first time you rode a bike.

Says Paller: “Our research showed that even when people weren’t paying as much attention, their visual system was storing information quite well. We may actually know more than we think we know in everyday situations, too. Unconscious memory may come into play, for example, in recognising the face of a perpetrator of a crime or the correct answer on a test” [Telegraph]. So there might not be that much luck involved in a lucky guess.

Related Content:
DISCOVER: Memory Training Can Make You Smarter
80beats: Honeybees See the Difference Between Numbers—Literally

Image: Nature Neuroscience

February 9th, 2009 Tags: decisions, memory
by Rachel Cernansky in Mind & Brain | 1 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >
One Response to “Trust Your Instincts: Some Lucky Guesses Tap Into Subconscious Memories”

1. Danorock Says:
February 11th, 2009 at 3:24 pm

I’m a teacher, and I am horrified by the implication that my students would retain information better if they paid LESS attention! Add to that the concept that my attempts to make them more metacognitive might actually be hurting their recall, and I’m about to leave the profession!

Feb. 15, 2003, Iraq War protest in Rome the largest antiwar rally in history

2009-02-11T02:30:00.000-06:00

When it comes to protests, the book of Guinness World Records currently lists the Feb. 15, 2003, Iraq War protest in Rome as the largest antiwar rally in history. The event drew an estimated crowd of 3 million. On that same day, protesters gathered in nearly 600 cities in a coordinated global effort to express moral outrage against the U.S. invasion of Iraq. This included a reported 1.3 million protesters in Barcelona, Spain, and between 750,000 and 2 million protesters in London [sources: Guinness Book of World Records, BBC]. All told, between 6 and 10 million people participated in the global protest [source: BBC].

14 of the 75 richest people in all of history were Americans

2009-02-11T01:57:00.001-06:00

A list (compiled by Forbes magazine) of the 75 richest people in all of history, going back to Crassus (No. 8) and Pharaoh Amenophis III (No. 12), shows that an astonishing 14 of them (including John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie, Nos. 1 and 2) were Americans, born mostly of humble origins between 1831 and 1840. That made them just the right age to take advantage of the tremendous creation of wealth in the years following the Civil War.

The example of those men, and those decades, has colored American attitudes toward wealth ever since. It persists today, according to Page and Jacobs, who found that "large majorities of Democrats and low-income Americans agree with Republicans and more affluent people that it is still possible to start out poor, work hard, and become rich."

Dubya, Drawn and Quartered

2009-02-02T20:01:00.002-06:00

Will anyone miss George W. Bush when he finally leaves Washington this month? Well, Vanity Fair’s illustrators might feel a wistful twinge, as his failings and follies inspired some of their best work. This farewell slide show features our favorite depictions of the soon-to-be-former president.
WEB EXCLUSIVE January 9, 2009

A few of my favorite images from the slideshow

SPIN's Abigail Everdell catches a VIP bus from Manhattan to rural Pennsylvania to write about the band's exclusive first gig.

2009-02-02T00:11:00.002-06:00

It Happened Last Night
AC/DC Are Back! Live Concert Review
SPIN's Abigail Everdell catches a VIP bus from Manhattan to rural Pennsylvania to write about the band's exclusive first gig.
By Abigail Everdell 10.27.08 3:28 PM

In my confirmation email from the record label representative, I was told that travel from Manhattan to Wilkes-Barre, PA, ("Wilkes-Berry?" "Wilkes-Bar?" Actually, it's "Wilkes-Bear-Uh") and back for an exclusive AC/DC performance Sunday night would be by VIP Bus. For those of you who don't know what a "VIP Bus" is, predictably, it's a bus that looks like a limo from the inside. Meaning wavy-edged mirror ceiling with colorful lights, comfy leather bench seats, and lots of places to stash drinks.

It also means pizza, chips, pretzels, assorted candies, ice buckets full of water, soda and beer, AC/DC's live DVD No Bull, and later This is Spinal Tap, playing on two screens, and a bus driver who keeps making jokes about how fucked up you all are getting and tells you, with a nudge and wink, that you can go ahead and light up a smoke if it's ok with the other passengers.

It was this bus and some 30 others that Sony arranged to transport fans and industry folk to the Wachovia Arena to see AC/DC's final dress rehearsal for the "Black Ice" World Tour, their first outing in eight years which begins tonight. Promotional tickets amounting to a little over half-capacity of the 6,000-seat arena were distributed, and contest winners who couldn't make their own way to Pennsylvania gathered in New York and loaded onto buses. Other fans tried their own luck -- like the three zealous Italians who traveled across the world and New England with no guarantee of entry, counting on the benevolence of the organizers (they got in).

We arrived early and decided to tailgate. By the time my buddy and I made it into the arena, AC/DC were 15 minutes from their scheduled 8 P.M. opening. We maneuvered through mobs of sweatshirt-clad adult fans and slowly wandering, barely-organized packs of children to our stage-left seats. Gazing over some 3,000 milling bodies, only one fellow stuck out -- in an orange and yellow day-glo, leopard-print jacket and foot-long black Mohawk. He basked in the attention of pointers and picture-taking Joes like a mini-celebrity.

By the time the lights on the long stage lit up, the crowd was on its third wave of cheering. The pitch turned frenzied when a screen dropped and a sex-and-devils-themed animation began, in which an AC/DC train is hijacked by a pair of barely-clothed babes, who seemed to have gained entry onto the coach by -- ahem -- feminine wiles. The audience maintained its roar until the closing fireworks and flash bombs revealed a giant train above the stage and the five members of the band appeared, looking reliably familiar in black sleeveless shirts.

Compared with No Bull, which was filmed in 1996 in Spain, greyer hair and slightly reduced agility are the only significant changes to AC/DC's performance. Brian Johnson still sports impossibly tight pants and forces his vocals through a Ninja Turtle-like open-cheeked grimace. Malcolm Young and Cliff Williams still flank the drum set unobtrusively unless called upon to trudge forward and contribute backing vocals. And Angus Young still rules the stage like it was built for his pale knees alone (and it was). Of the set's dozen-plus numbers, only two were new -- "Black Ice," and "Rock and Roll Train" -- and, as everyone in the audience seemed to have made it to Wal-Mart, the bellowing sing-along made Black Ice tracks almost indistinguishable from older hits.

The emphasis on chicks and explosions remains, as fireballs spit from the locomotive's wheels during the shouted letters of "TNT," and "Whole Lotta Rosie" featured its subject's lingerie-clad, dirty-kneed likeness expanding in a matter of seconds to straddle the train with leg-shaking delight. Reveling in old favorites, the band performed practiced renditions of "Back in Black," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap," "Hells Bells," and "You Shook Me All Night Long," to the constant, screaming thrill of the audience.

Angus Young closed "Let There Be Rock" by pinballing shirtless around the stage and doing a Homer dance on circular hydraulic platform, 15-feet above the crowd. And, for the final song of their two-song encore, "For Those About to Rock," six cannons shot off smoky booms that echoed through the arena with the sonic power of an air show. Though only lasting about 70 minutes, the performance contained everything one could expect from AC/DC. That is, the archetypically familiar and the brightly spectacular.

On the drive back to Manhattan, more pizza was chowed, more candies unwrapped, and a screening of Office Space received wearied chorals of, "And I told them, I told them that if they move my desk one more time…" and "Yeahhh, I'm gonna need you to come in on Saturday." I missed most of this, as I was curled into an uncomfortable corner, trying to sleep off the buzz caused by a giant, pineapple-shaped bank of hanging speakers blasting the heaviest rock'n'roll into my unplugged ears.

Concert Review: Times may change, but AC/DC is eternal

2009-02-02T00:05:00.002-06:00

Concert Review: Times may change, but AC/DC is eternal
Commercial Appeal Memphis Online

By Bob Mehr (Contact), Memphis Commercial Appeal
Saturday, January 31, 2009

In a year where "change" has been a buzzword and cultural theme, AC/DC remain impervious.

On Friday, during a sold-out show at the FedExForum in support of their latest album Black Ice, the band happily proved that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Offstage, AC/DC is comprised of four rather ruddy looking Australians and Englishmen well into middle age. Onstage, however, they transform themselves, into a gang of naughty schoolboys, using a tried and true selection of songs made up of razorwire guitar riffs, simple pounding rhythms and lots of suggestive lyrics about bad girls and dirty deeds.

The band's Memphis concert stayed faithful to that formula. The extravaganza opened with big screens playing a bawdy cartoon, portraying guitarist Angus Young as a randy railroad conductor driving an out-of-control engine. The animation became reality as the group, accompanied by a giant fire shooting locomotive, hit the stage to the strains of "Rock N' Roll Train."

Though Young -- dressed in his usual schoolboy uniform -- was the undeniable focal point of the show, singer Brian Johnson proved himself the most likeable frontman in rock, constantly pumping up the crowd and the band, and generally acting like everyone' most enthusiastic drinking buddy.

Meanwhile, the rest of the band -- rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young, bassist Cliff Williams and drummer Phil Rudd -- stayed largely in the background, providing the sonic foundation.

From the get-go the audience was on its feet, where it remained -- AC/DC concerts do not have any ballads, slow numbers or breathers -- as the band mixed in the occasional new track ("Black Ice"; "War Machine") with a steady diet of favorites ("Back in Black"; "You Shook Me All Night Long").

As always, the show was highlighted by a number of familiar set pieces: Angus' striptease routine during "The Jack"; Johnson swinging from a bell rope for "Hell's Bells." Elsewhere, “Whole Lotta Rosie” — the band’s ode to a well-proportioned stripper — was accompanied by the inflation of a 90-foot foot blow-up doll bouncing and shaking to the beat.

What AC/DC lacks in innovation, they make up for in enthusiasm, as the band delivered the "oi, oi, oi" chants of "TNT" as if it were the first time they were playing the song, rather than the millionth.

After a rousing encore of "Highway to Hell", a phalanx of cannons emerged on stage, for the night-capping rendition of "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)." One booming explosion after another could be heard all down along Beale, as the deliriously happy throngs emptied onto downtown’s streets.

Change, as the saying goes, may be good. But on this night, the same old AC/DC was even better.

-- Bob Mehr: 529-2517

Photos:
Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal

(no sale) Fri, 30 Jan 2009 (nbACDC1) Photo by Nikki Boertman. Brian Johnson and Angus Young (on guitar) of AC\DC perform to a sold-out crowd at the FedExForum Friday evening January 30, 2009. The Aussie legends are on a world tour in support of their new album, Black Ice.

Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal

(no sale) Fri, 30 Jan 2009 (nbACDC2) Photo by Nikki Boertman. Brian Johnson of AC\DC performs to a sold-out crowd at the FedExForum Friday evening January 30, 2009.

AC/DC in Memphis

2009-02-02T00:00:00.002-06:00

AC/DC Concert Blasts FedExForum
January 30,
I know quite a few people who feel the cannons fired during "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)" -- the number that usually closes an AC/DC show -- is hokey, but I happen to think it's one of the iconic images in rock-and-roll theater.
And judging from the cheers, shouts, and wild applause from the sold-out crowd that stayed on their feet during the Australian group's entire show at FedExForum Friday night, I guess I'm not alone.

It was a helluva concert, one that left me with my ears ringing from the sounds cranked out of a row of 10 Marshall stacks, my brain numbed by truly stunning visual effects, and my hands sore from clapping.

The show opened with a tremendous stunt -- a larger than life-size locomotive, belching flames and steam, slid out from behind a curtain to complement the opening number, "Rock and Roll Train." Add to that a four-story doll that inflated (and even tapped her foot to the beat) during "A Whole Lotta Rosie," the huge "Hell's Bell" that dropped from the rafters to kick off the classic song of that name, great videos (including a B-24 dropping guitars and babes from its bomb-bay doors) projected on a pair of giant screens behind the band, and then the row of six massive cannons that boom, boom, and BOOM during the band's closing number, and you have a truly classic AC/DC concert.

The almost two-hour performance featured non-stop hits -- "T.N.T.," "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Back in Black," among others -- from the group that's now been touring for almost four decades, with three songs from their new album, Black Ice, thrown in just to show the band hasn't lost its touch.

Singer Brian Johnson's screeching vocals were actually in good form, and lead guitarist Angus Young -- still wearing that schoolboy outfit at age 55 -- seemed as nimble fingered as he was 20 years ago. His blistering 10-minute solo on his Gibson SG during "Let There Be Rock" not only brought almost constant applause, but a rather surreal scene, when hundreds of concert-goers suddenly whipped out their camera phones to capture him playing on an elevated platform that rose from the middle of the arena.

Johnson told the crowd, "This is for you, Memphis," when the band cranked out "Dirty Deeds (Done Dirt Cheap)," but he really had the audience in his pocket the whole evening. Diehard fans of AC/DC surely left satisfied, and anyone not familiar with the band or their music probably left impressed. After more than 30 years, these guys can still rock with the best of them, cannons and all.

-- Michael Finger Memphis Flyer Online

Fractal Tiger

2009-02-01T02:20:00.001-06:00

Fractal Tiger, originally uploaded by ricdiggle.

This is AMAZING

that's what she said!

2009-01-30T12:19:00.003-06:00

How much wood
would a woodchuck chuck,
if a woodchuck
could chuck wood?

As much wood
As a woodchuck would,
if a woodchuck
would chuck wood.

Ooey Gooey was a worm
A mighty worm was he
He crawled upon the railroad track
The train he did not see
Ooey Gooey!!

Fuzzy Wuzzy
Was a bear,
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Had no hair,
Fuzzy Wuzzy
Wasn't really fuzzy,
Was he?

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
How many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers;
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

There was a crooked man, and he went a crooked mile,
And found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile,
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.

There was an old woman who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do;
She gave them some broth without any bread,
She whipped them all soundly, and put them to bed.

Rock-a-bye, baby,
In the tree top:
When the wind blows,
The cradle will rock;
When the bough breaks,
The cradle will fall;
Down will come baby,
Cradle and all.

Hey! diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Old Mother Hubbard
Went to the cupboard
To get her poor dog a bone;
But when she came there
The cupboard was bare,
And so the poor dog had none.

Mistress Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With cockle-shells, and silver bells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep,
And can't tell where to find them;
Leave them alone, and they'll come home,
And bring their tails behind them.

Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn.
The sheep's in the meadow, the cow's in the corn.
Where is the boy that looks after the sheep?
"He's under the haycock, fast asleep."
Will you wake him? "No, not I;
For if I do, he'll be sure to cry."

Little Jack Horner
Sat in a corner,
Eating his Christmas pie.
He put in his thumb,
And he pulled out a plum,
And said, "What a good boy am I!"

Little Miss Muffet
Sat on a tuffet,
Eating of curds and whey;
There came a spider,
And sat down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet away.

Jack be nimble,
And Jack be quick;
And Jack jump over
The candlestick.

Jack and Jill went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water;
Jack fell down, and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.

Hickory, dickory, dock,
The mouse ran up the clock;
The clock struck one,
The mouse ran down;
Hickory, dickory, dock.

Body Statistics (unverified)

2009-01-23T16:13:00.000-06:00

It takes your food seven seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach.

One human hair can support 3 kg (6 lb).

The average man's penis is three times the length of his thumb.

Human thighbones are stronger than concrete ..

A woman's heart beats faster than a man's.

There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet.

Women blink twice as often as men.

The average person's skin weighs twice as much as the brain.

Your body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.

If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.

Women reading this will be finished now.

Men who read this are probably still busy checking their thumbs!!!

Congratulations to the Centomo Family!

2009-01-23T14:31:00.001-06:00

Jan 20, 2009- LAREDO, TX- The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League would like to congratulate Amanda and Sebastien Centomo, who welcomed their first child, Jaxson Cruz Centomo at 8am this morning in Oklahoma City.

Jaxson Cruz Centomo weighed six pounds, seven ounces.

The Bucks goaltender is in Oklahoma with his wife Amanda, and their newborn son Jaxson until Friday afternoon.

Congratulations to the Centomo family!

(The Riverkings play the Bucks tomorrow night, I'm so excited!)

Hooray for Diversity! President Obama's family (and mine :)

2009-01-22T22:55:00.001-06:00

Graphic: Text from Obama's inaugural address

2009-01-20T11:55:00.001-06:00

This graphic, produced using Wordle, shows the words that President Obama used most often during his inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol.

FINALLY!

2009-01-20T09:44:00.004-06:00

Today is the Day!!!! I'm so excited, I can't stand it!
At 12:00 noon on Inauguration Day 2009 (Tuesday, January 20, 2009, as set by the Twentieth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution), Barack Obama will become the 44th President of the United States.

P.S.A. ~ Spay & Neuter your pets, Please!

2009-01-19T22:29:00.001-06:00

Pets are NOT disposable!
There are 45 cats and dogs for every person born.
Only 1 out of 10 dogs born ever get a home.
Only 1 out of 12 cats born ever find a home.
800 dogs & cats are KILLED each HOUR in the U.S, because there are not enough homes for them!
Please SPAY and NEUTER!

My Christmas Present

2009-01-14T22:33:00.001-06:00

I <3 Big Ben :)

Lake Cormorant Middle/High School evacuated after bomb threat

2009-01-13T16:32:00.002-06:00

Law enforcement officials wait outside Lake Cormorant Middle/High School Tuesday while the facility is searched for explosive materials.

Lake Cormorant Middle/High School was evacuated Tuesday after students reported a bomb threat.

A note written on a bathroom wall threatening a bomb would go off at 2:13 p.m. was seen by female students at Lake Cormorant Middle/High School around 1 p.m., according to a news release from DeSoto County Schools. Students reported the threat to school authorities.

School officials contacted the DeSoto County Sheriff's Department and law enforcement officials were on the scene within minutes, the news release stated.

The students were evacuated to nearby Lake Cormorant Elementary.

Bomb dogs and investigators from Desoto County Sheriff's Department swept the building, and found no evidence of explosive material.

"A bomb threat is a felony," Superintendent Milton Kuykendall said in the release. "Anyone connected with writing this threat will be prosecuted to the full extent the law allows."

Deer Camp Christmas

2009-01-10T01:19:00.000-06:00

2009-01-10T01:17:00.000-06:00

~sometimes~

2009-01-10T01:13:00.000-06:00

Chris Isaak - Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing

2009-01-09T18:59:00.000-06:00

Christmas Lights are fun!

2008-12-05T14:43:00.000-06:00

The spoiled under 30 crowd

2008-12-01T15:31:00.001-06:00

When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears With their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking Twenty-five miles to school every morning ... Uphill... barefoot... BOTH ways

Yadda, yadda, yadda

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, There was no way in hell I was going to lay A bunch of crap like that on kids about how hard I had it And how easy they've got it! But now that... I'm over the ripe old age of Thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today.

You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my Childhood, you live in a damn Utopia! And I hate to say it but you kids today you Don't know how good you've got it!

I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have The Internet. If we wanted to know something, We had to go to the damn library and Look it up ourselves, in the card catalogue!! There was no email!! We had to actually write Somebody a letter, with a pen! ...Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there!

There were no MP3's or Napsters! You wanted to Steal music, you had to hitchhike to the damn record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ'd usually talk over the beginning and @#*% it all up!

We didn't have fancy crap like Call Waiting! If you Were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it!

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, Your mom, your boss, your Bookie, your drug dealer, a collections agent, you Just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, mister!

We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video Games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games Like 'Space Invaders' and 'asteroids'. Your guy was a little square! You Actually had to use your Imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or Screens, it was just one screen Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting Harder and harder and Faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a Little book called a TV Guide to find out what was On! You were screwed when it Came to channel surfing! You had to get off Your ass and walk over to the TV to change the Channel and there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons On Saturday Morning. Do you Hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK For cartoons, you spoiled Little rat-bastards!

And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat Something up we had to use the stove. Imagine that! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids Today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lastedFive minutes back in 1980!

Regards, The over 30 Crowd

2008-11-28T01:24:00.000-06:00

Sebastien Centomo (again) lol

2008-11-27T23:37:00.000-06:00

Chat with Seether

2008-11-27T20:52:00.001-06:00

New RiverKings Intro

2008-11-26T17:23:00.002-06:00

Some of the older ones for Comparison:

2008-11-26T17:15:00.000-06:00

2008-11-26T17:13:00.000-06:00

Seether ~Breakdown~

2008-11-26T16:50:00.000-06:00

60 Minutes with President-Elect Obama

2008-11-24T13:02:00.000-06:00

Watch CBS Videos Online

Sebastien Centomo

2008-11-21T15:59:00.000-06:00

Rick Kozak

2008-11-21T15:57:00.001-06:00

ok so maybe i'm a little obsessed ~but in a good way!

2008-11-19T14:05:00.000-06:00

Shine Down ~ I own you~

2008-11-19T13:45:00.001-06:00

"I Own You"

Come on in, take a seat.
Tell me how you feel this weak.
Are you cursed? Are you blessed?
Are you still inside the mess?
All those feelings wrapped around you,
Hold you down so you can't break through.
Its a trap, so don't ask. Its a shadow on
Your back. It don't burn, it don't bleed,
Still it cuts you at the knee.
All this pressure that surrounds you,
Holds you down but you know you
Gotta break through.

[Chorus:]

Hey, c'est la vie.
Remember me?
I made you, dressed
And trained you.
Hey, it's bitter sweet.
You can't kill me with kindness,
I don't buy it.
Strip down, show me flesh and bone.
(Strip Down.)
'Cause now I own you.

Take a breath, hold it in.
Now look up, let's begin.
Lesson learned, take a turn.
Now you come around again,
All those feelings wrapped around you,
Hold you down so you can't break through.
Time is up, take your shot.
'Cause your story's all you got.
Don't back down, don't say no.
Just stay still and let go.
All this pressure that surrounds you,
Holds you down but you know
You've gotta break through.

[Chorus]

(You can't kill me with kindness, no I don't buy it.)
Strip down, show your flesh and bone.
'Cause now I own you.

[Chorus]

Now I own you. [x3]
You know I own you.

We Need More Pirates!

2008-11-19T13:15:00.002-06:00

You may be interested to know that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of Pirates since the 1800s. For your interest, I have included a graph of the approximate number of pirates versus the average global temperature over the last 200 years. As you can see, there is a statistically significant inverse relationship between pirates and global temperature.

(No I don't mean the modern Somali type of pirates! )

Our Military troops need help!

2008-11-16T21:38:00.005-06:00

The (very) active military:
Of the Army’s 44 combat brigades, all but the one that is permanently based in South Korea have been deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan. Of the 43 brigades:
12 brigades have served one tour
20 brigades have served two tours
9 brigades have served three tours
2 brigades have served four tours

Source: The Center for American Progress

Tapping Reserves:

More than 434,000 National Guard and Reserve members have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and more than 20 percent of them have been deployed more than once. This large-scale reliance on the Guard and Reserve — with about 60,000 on the ground at any given time — represents a shift away from the services’ traditional dual role — aiding in domestic crises, such as natural disasters or civil unrest, and standing by as a strategic reserve force, to be deployed in later stages of a conflict if needed.

Source: Department of Defense and National Guard and Reserve

Indeed, the whole approach to providing manpower for this conflict differs from that of the Vietnam War, from 1964-1975. Then, a much larger active military — 8.7 million troops — was bolstered by a draft that added 1.7 million more soldiers to the ranks, according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. More than 640,000 of the draftees served in Vietnam, constituting about one-quarter of the total U.S. force there, the VFW said.
But the draft ended in 1973, and the active military now numbers about 1.4 million, according to the Department of Defense.

In order to sustain troop levels in what has become a much more prolonged conflict than originally anticipated, the military has relied on repeated deployments, and a far heavier use of “weekend warriors.” More than 434,000 National Guard and Reserve members have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, about one-quarter of them more than once, according to the Pentagon. In comparison, about 340,000 Guard and Reserve troops were deployed during the Vietnam conflict.

Extended tours of duty in the combat zone — some as long as 18 months — also are a departure from the past. In Vietnam, the standard tour of duty was 12 months. If a soldier was to be redeployed to the combat zone, Army policy mandated a 24-month period of recuperation or retraining between tours, said Larry Korb, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank.

While military families’ views of the war vary, many feel that too few are being asked to sacrifice too much — a prominent theme among those who shared their thoughts with msnbc.com.
“If this "War on Terror" is the "War of this Generation" and Washington is not going to change that mission, then … Washington needs to mobilize this nation through national service (conscription),” wrote a Gut Check America reader in Baton Rouge, La., who asked that his name be withheld because of concern that his remarks might cause trouble for his son, now in his second deployment to Iraq. “To have 1 percent of this nation's citizens bear 100 percent of that burden is morally reprehensible. ‘Support the Troops’ needs to be more than words to the other 99 percent of this nation's citizens.”

“Our experience is that it’s two different worlds — the one for everybody else, and the one for military families and service people,” agreed Laura Stranlund of Amherst, Mass., whose son, Army Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Miller, is on his third deployment since 2001. “Unless you’ve got skin in the game or know someone who does, it just doesn’t seem to matter. America is at the mall.”

Mr. President-Elect Barack Obama

2008-11-05T15:40:00.002-06:00

YES!!!!!!!

2008-11-05T15:17:00.005-06:00

I got a thank you letter from our soon to be president, Mr Barack Obama. I cried when I was listening to his speech, I cried again today when I read it. I'm just so relieved and I feel the beginnings of hope. It's overwhelming. Of course, nobody knows what the future holds, Mann tracht und Gott lacht ~ Man Plans, God Laughs..... but this is just an astounding, beautiful, amazing time in history no matter what!

Barack Obama to me 12:05 AM (15 hours ago)
Courtney --
I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.
We just made history.
And I don't want you to forget how we did it.
You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.
We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.
But I want to be very clear about one thing...
All of this happened because of you.
Thank you,
Barack

Cameron's 4th Grade Figurative Language Project

2008-11-04T23:40:00.002-06:00

If the world could vote

2008-11-04T12:40:00.002-06:00

There is a nifty map that shows the results from votes recieved world wide. Really cool check it out!

http://iftheworldcouldvote.com/
"November 4th 2008 the American people will choose a new president. The president of the United States of America is the most powerful person in the world.

We would like to know who would be the next president of the United States of America - if the world could vote!

In the presidential election in 2004 122,267,553 people voted. 6,500,000,000 people did not.
Our mission is to get more people to vote than voted in the last election. Mission impossible, we know, but still, wouldn't it be great to see what the whole world thinks? "

Barack Obama
87.2% (705,642 votes)
John McCain
12.8% (103,458 votes)

as of this time:

Total number of votes:
809,132
Countries voted from:
212
Votes received the last...
Hour:
7,740
24 hours:
91,506
7 days:
308,786

Nuit

2008-11-02T19:32:00.001-06:00

Blues Festival!

2008-10-10T23:46:00.004-05:00

Main Stage - Friday - 10/10/2008

12:00/1:00 - Earnest "Guitar" Roy

1:15/2:20 - Hamilton Loomis

2:35/3:45 - Sam Carr & The Delta Jukes w/ Dave Riley

4:00/5:10 - Carl Weathersby

5:30/6:40 - Pinetop Perkins & Bob Margolin

7:00/8:15 - Mem Shannon & The Membership

8:45/10:00 - Michael Burks

10:30/11:45 - Severn Records 10th Anniversary Soul & Blues Revue: Featuring/ Lou Pride, Darrell Nulisch, and Tad Robinson

Dad, the boys and I went to the Arkansas Blues and Heritage festival in Helena AR today. It was AWESOME I took lots of pictures and we got to see Pinetop Perkins perform too. He is 95 and still kickin' ass!

I was VERY impressed by Michael Burks he has the stage presence/guitar playing of a young BB King and a voice like Otis Redding. Amazing performance.

Self

2008-10-07T17:24:00.001-05:00

stripes with plaid

2008-09-29T15:32:00.003-05:00

"Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy. "

Visages

2008-09-24T14:49:00.005-05:00

Visage - The front surface of the head, A disposition of the facial features that conveys meaning, feeling, or mood, An outward appearance, the appearance conveyed by a person's face, The face or facial expression of a person; countenance.

My First Husband/BFF

2008-09-24T14:04:00.003-05:00

Gary Allen Smith of Bainbridge Island, passed away on August 15, 2008 in Seattle, Washington.

He was born March 20,1964 in Anchorage, Alaska and spent most of his youth in Wadsworth, Ohio, graduating from high school in 1982. He relocated to thePacific Northwest in 1989 where he began his career with the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSE) as a conductor, and was promoted two years later to Engineer. Gary is remembered for living life fully, with great gusto andunmatched humor. He loved riding his motorcycle with his "bro's" and his wife Morissa; traveling throughout the US and Europe to visit each and every one of his cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews whenever he was nearby; being in the great outdoors camping and sitting in his "little woods";attending an eclectic mix of rock-n-roll concerts; jamming with friends in his basement band room; and his world famous bar-b-que pulled pork and pickled eggs. Gary is beloved by his large andloving family and will be greatly missed. He is survived by his wife Morissa Knudsen-Smith, daughter Rachel Nichole Smith, and stepson Christopher Smith; his parents, Robert and Helen Smith; brothers Mark (Martha) Smith and David (Becky) Smith of Wadsworth Ohio; sister Susan (David) Martin of Nashville, Tennessee; and sister Kathy (Peter) Montion of Whitehouse, Ohio; 14 nieces and nephews; and numerous cousins, aunts, and uncles.

My Grandma

2008-09-24T13:15:00.006-05:00

Edna Frances Garlitz Hiett October 17, 2007

Edna Frances Hiett, 84, of Great Falls, a retired special education teacher and Navy veteran, died of cancer Monday at a local nursing home. Her funeral is 2 p.m. Thursday at Croxford Funeral Home and Crematory, with burial in Highland Cemetery. She is survived by daughters Marie McIntyre of Walls, Miss., Alanna Hiett of Missoula and Alice Hile of Lakeside; sons William G. Hiett Jr. of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Earl L. Hiett II of Oregon, ......etc.

My Mom

2008-09-21T22:16:00.005-05:00

WALLS, Miss. - Former Missoula resident Marie (Hiett) McIntyre, 61, a homemaker, died of cancer Tuesday at her home in Walls, Miss.Her memorial service is 3 p.m. Monday at Twin Oaks Funeral Home in Southaven, Miss.

Mrs. McIntyre was born Feb. 14, 1947, in Missoula, Mont., to the late William and Edna Hiett.She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Dr. Craig R. McIntyre of Walls; one son, Christopher H. McIntyre and his wife Yukie of Tracy, Calif.; two daughters, Courtney E. McIntyre of Walls, and Kimberly H. McIntyre-Rathur and her husband Tariq of Atlanta; two brothers, William G. Hiett Jr. of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Earl L. Hiett of Sheridan, Ore.; two sisters, Alanna L. Hiett of Great Falls, Mont., and Alice L. Hile of Lakeside, Mont.; and six grandchildren, Liam, Cameron, Carter, Reese, Sophia and Scarlette.

Memorials can be made to http://www.smiletrain.org/. Condolences may be posted online at www.gftribune.com/obituaries.

Going down

2008-08-17T16:54:00.003-05:00

I see the world its going round

Seems to me its upside down

Lookin for something to say

I feel a little different anyway yeah

Does it make much sense to you?

Doing all those things you do

Making sure that Im all right

Yeah Im fine!

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, goin down!

I see the world its goin round

Seems to me its upside down

Looking for something to say

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, goin down!

Ive been feeling Im going down.

Takeout boxes

2008-08-15T09:28:00.000-05:00

Takeout cartons are an American invention. Those white takeout cartons that are a symbol of Chinese-ness across advertising and the United States? They are so American they are not even really used in Canada (which is more of an aluminum and Styrofoam market, as one carton executive put it). The white boxes were originally invented in the first half of the twentieth century to hold shucked oysters, and are thus are often called "pails" in industry lingo. Carton executives say that sometime around World War II, they Were adopted by Chinese restaurants for takeout, in part because they could hold hot liquids.

One piece of trivia: On the East Coast and the West Coast, the boxes are oriented in different directions. On the East Coast the wire runs down the short length, while on the West Coast, they run down the long length. The two styles mix only in the greater Houston area.

2008-07-30T01:26:00.001-05:00

2008-07-28T07:01:00.000-05:00

2008-07-28T06:50:00.002-05:00

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. - Benjamin Franklin

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! - Patrick Henry

"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." - Samuel Adams

"I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies. Already they have raised up a monied aristocracy that has set the government at defiance. The issuing power (of money) should be taken away from the banks and restored to the people to whom it properly belongs." - Thomas Jefferson

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated. - Thomas Paine

I place economy among the first and most important virtues, and public debt as the greatest of dangers to be feared. To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. If we run into such debts, we must be taxed in our meat and drink, in our necessities and in our comforts, in our labor and in our amusements. If we can prevent the government from wasting the labor of the people, under the pretense of caring for them, they will be happy. - Thomas Jefferson

"A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." - Benjamin Franklin

For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and provide for it.Patrick Henry

2008-07-28T05:58:00.002-05:00

Hyper Color

2008-07-28T02:28:00.001-05:00

Facial Personality

2008-07-26T19:38:00.002-05:00

Let's play spot the Black Sheep!

2008-07-26T16:43:00.008-05:00

I am blessed.

2008-07-26T11:12:00.003-05:00

I'm the 773,071,647 richest person on earth!

Discover how rich you are! >>

I'm in the TOP 12.88% richest people in the world!

RICHER THAN YOU THINK? How do you feel about that? A bit richer we hope. Richer and ready to give some of your newly found wealth to those who need it most.

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

DID YOU KNOW..? Three billion people live on less than $2 per day while 1.3 billion get by on less than $1 per day. Seventy percent of those living on less than $1 per day are women.

2008-07-23T02:39:00.002-05:00

Your Birthdate: June 21

You're a restless rebel with an unpredictable nature.

Bright but unbridled, you tend to seek out wild experiences over new ideas.

People are frustrated by your great potential, but you love your unconventional life.

You're a heartbreaker. People get attached to you, and then you're gone.

Your strength: Your thirst for adventure

Your weakness: Not taking time for slow pleasures

Your power color: Hot pink

Your power symbol: Figure eight

Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

You Were Born Under:

Your most comfortable inside your head - and often daydream the day away.

You have an artistic temperament that makes you seem creative to some, eccentric to others.

You avoid conflict at all costs, and you have a difficult time with relationships.

Attractive and with good manners, you tend to shine in social situations.

You are most compatible with a Pig or Rabbit.

What Year Were You Born Under?

Your Love Type: INFP

The Idealist

In love, you crave a long term, harmonious relationship.

For you, sex doesn't come quickly - it takes time for you to open up.

Overall, you are supportive, nurturing, and expressive.

However, you tend to be shy and protective of your personal space.

Best matches: ENFJ and ESFJ

What's Your Love Type?

You Are 5: The Investigator

You're independent - and a logical analytical thinker.

You love learning and ideas... and know things no one else does.

Bored by small talk, you refuse to participate in boring conversations.

You are open minded. A visionary. You understand the world and may change it.

At Your Best: You are sharp, inventive, and creative. You have the skills to lead the world.

At Your Worst: You are reclusive, weird, and a bit paranoid.

Your Fixation: Greed

Your Primary Fear: Being useless or incompetent

Your Primary Desire: Being competent and needed

Other Number 5's: Bill Gates, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Bjork, and Stephen Hawking.

What Number Are You?

Domino's Scientists Test Limits Of What Humans Will Eat!

2008-07-22T12:53:00.004-05:00

Domino's Scientists Test Limits Of What Humans Will Eat

i love what the newscaster says at the end
"the equivalent of five americans were killed in afghanistan today"

(it's a parody...the Onion News Network)

methodical madness lol

2008-07-09T17:38:00.000-05:00

He may be mad, but there's method in his madness. There nearly always is method in madness. It's what drives men mad, being methodical.
- GK Chesterton

Tariq's brother has some of his artwork up to buy!

2008-07-09T13:03:00.007-05:00

Check it out and tell your friends! Please, buy something if you can! Even a magnet or 2 would help and show support for his art.

Also, he just had a show.
"Monday, July 2, 2007
Art Opening Reception w/B.J. Rathur
Finely detailed pen ink drawing, reminiscent of Inuit totem symbols contrast with more expansive colorful acrylic pieces. This colorful contemporary art invites the viewer to play with imagination to discover the artist’s hidden imagery and meaning."

Congrats BJ! :)

Beale Street Highlights

2008-07-09T13:03:00.003-05:00

I pulled some of the better shots and made a highlight set on Flickr. Click the title ^ and you should be there :)

2008-07-08T20:05:00.001-05:00

You Have A Type B+ Personality

You're a pro at going with the flow

You love to kick back and take in everything life has to offer

A total joy to be around, people crave your stability.

While you're totally laid back, you can have bouts of hyperactivity.

Get into a project you love, and you won't stop until it's done

You're passionate - just selective about your passions

Do You Have a Type A Personality?

The Book of Noah ~starring Pat Cox

2008-07-04T12:57:00.004-05:00

The Book of Noah-Trailer

Pat Cox

Can also see Pat in 'Eat'
Eat (new trailer)

and

'100 Lives'

System of a Down with Lyrics & Commentary ~ there is a lot more to SOAD than you might think!

2008-07-01T15:17:00.006-05:00

Because it is way past time for this post! I have made plenty of music posts, but for some reason I've not posted anything about the band and music that I listen to most. Sometimes it's like that, the things that are TRULY important to us are the things that we keep private. Well it's time to change that. Going all the way back to Toxicity, from 2001. It is the one CD that I can't live without. It really is how I start (and usually end) my day. I'm not saying that the other music I listen to isn't important and meaningful, it's just that in the end it all tends to come back to these songs.

SOAD Toxicity ~ Science
Making two possibilities a reality
prediting the future of things we all know
fighting off the diseased programming
of centuries, centuries, centuries, centuries
Science fails to recognise the single most
potent element of human existence
letting the reigns go to the unfolding
is faith, faith, faith, faith
Science has failed our world
science has failed our mother earth
Spirit-moves-through-all-things x6

Letting the reigns go to the unfolding
is faith, faith, faith, faith
letting the reigns go to the unfolding
is faith, faith, faith, faith
Science has failed our world
Science has failed our mother earth
Spirit-moves-through-all-things x12

Science has failed our mother earth

(I'm ALL for science, but it certainly isn't everything. If you look at everything with just the eyes of science you are missing the point! Faith does not and should not exclude science either. Science is an amazing and important tool. They are not mutually exclusive, you can have both ;)

SOAD Toxicity ~ Prison Song
They're trying to build a prison x2

Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids
Following the rights movement
You clamped on with your iron fists
Drugs became conveniently
Available for all the kids

I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch right here in hollywood

(nearly 2 million americans are
incarcerated in the prison system
prison system of the US)

They're trying to build a prison x3
(For you and me to live in!)
Another prison system x3
(For you and me!)

Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
you don't even flinch
all our taxes paying for your wars
against the new non-rich
Minor drug offenders fill your prisons
you don't even flinch
all our taxes paying for your wars
against the new non-rich

I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch right here in hollywood

The percentage of americans in the prison system
prison system, has doubled since 1985

They're trying to build a prison x3
(For you and me to live in!)
Another prison system x3
For you and I, For you and I, For you and I.
They're trying to build a prison x3
For you and me
Oh baby, you and me.

All research and successful drug policy show
that treatment should be increased
And law enforcement decreased
While abolishing mandatory minimun sentences
All research and successful drug policy show
that treatment should be increased
And law enforcement decreased
While abolishing mandatory minimun sentences

Utilising drugs to pay for secret wars around the world
drugs are now your global policy now you police the globe

I buy my crack, my smack, my bitch right here in hollywood

Drug money is used to rig elections
and train brutal corporate sponsored dictators
around the world

They're trying to build a prison x4
(For you and me to live in!)
Another prison system x3
(For you and me!)
For you and I, for you and I, for you and I
For you and I
They're trying to build a prison x3
for you and me
oh baby, you and me

(It's scary but it's true, land of the free, has more people in prison per head of population than anywhere else in the world, By FAR! It has 751 people in prison or jail for every 100,000 in population. (If you count only adults, one in 100 Americans is locked up.)

The only other major industrialized nation that even comes close is Russia, with 627 prisoners for every 100,000 people. The others have much lower rates. England’s rate is 151; Germany’s is 88; and Japan’s is 63.

The median among all nations is about 125, roughly a sixth of the American rate.

Citizens and Residents of the United States are more likely to be incarcerated than people anywhere else in the world, including China, Russia and the Middle East. American prisons and jails are notoriously unsafe, overcrowded and underfunded.

Myths have a way of hiding what we don't want to see.

Americans, for example, are quick to charge Third World dictators with abusive prison policies. But prison incarceration rates tell a different story.

Recent reports show that 45 of the 50 democratically elected state governments in the U.S., including Florida, imprison their citizens at a faster pace than any of the foreign governments headed by dictators.

Rulers in Libya, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, China and Pakistan made Parade magazine's 2005 world's worst dictators list. And the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, located in Oakland, Calif., has issued a report titled, "U.S. Rates of Incarceration: A Global Perspective," showing the incarceration rates for these five dictatorships - the number of persons in prison for every 100,000 population - ranging from a low of 57 in Pakistan to a high of 207 in Libya.

By comparison, prison policies made in Tallahassee locked up 499 state citizens for every 100,000 population in 2005. In other words, Florida imprisons its people at a rate more than two times faster than Muammar al-Qaddafi's Libya and eight times faster than Pakistan under Gen. Pervez Musharraf. If inmates held in local jails in Florida were added, the spread would be even wider.

Only five states - Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Minnesota and North Dakota - have prison incarceration rates less harsh than Libya's. All other states enforce prison policies that put dictators around the world to shame, including more than 600 inmates per 100,000 population in Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas.

Read here, here here, here and here for more information.

SOAD TOxicity ~ Forest
Walk with me my little child
To the forest of denial
speak with me my only mind
walk with me until the time
and make the forest turn to wine
you take the legend for a fall
you saw the product
why can't you see that you are my child
why don't you know that you are my mind
tell everyone in the world, that I'm you
take this promise to the end of you
walk with me my little friend
Take this promise to the end
Speak with me my only mind
Walk with me until the end
And make the forest turn to sand
you take the legend for a fall
you saw the product
why can't you see that you are my child
why don't you know that you are my mind
tell everyone in the world, that I'm you
take this promise to the end of you
Take this promise for a ride
you saw the forest, now come inside
You took the legend for it's fall
you saw the product of it all
no televisions in the air
no circumcisions on the chair
You made the weapons for us all
just look at us now
why can't you see that you are my child
why don't you know that you are my mind
tell everyone in the world, that I'm you
take this promise to the end of you

(God is trying to explain to us that we are not just people but that we are created in his image, we are His children (pieces of Him). Why is that so hard to see? In other words, we are all ONE, everything is connected, it's that simple.)

SOAD Toxicity ~ Deer Dance
Round, round
Circumventing circuses
lamenting in protest
to visible police
prescence sponsored fear
batallions of riot police
with rubber bullet kisses
baton courtesy
service with a smile

Beyond the staples center you can see america
with it's tired poor avenging disgrace
peaceful loving youth against the brutality
of plastic existence

(chrous)
pushing little children
with their fully automatics
they like to push the weak around
pushing little children
with their fully automatics
they like to push the weak around

round, round
A rush of words
pleading to disperse
upon your naked walls, alive
A political call
the fall guy accord
we can't afford to be neutral on a moving train

Beyond the staples center you can see america
with it's tired poor avenging disgrace
peaceful loving youth against the brutality
of plastic existence

(chrous)

A deer dance, invitation to peace
war staring you in the face, dressed in black
with a helmet, fierce
trained and appropriate for the malcontents
for the disproportioned malcontents.
The little boy smiled, it'll all be well
The little boy smiled, it'll all be well

(chrous)

Push the weak around(3x)
They like to push the weak around.

It's about peaceful protests and ordinary citizens that are violently treated by police/riot police/military, etc. Not so amazingly, it's another direct consequence of the 'war on drugs'.

The only terrorist most Americans will ever encounter is a policeman with a badge, nightstick, mace and Taser. A Google search for "police brutality videos" turns up 2,210,000 entries. Some entries are foreign and some are probably duplications, but the number is so large that a person could do nothing but watch police brutality videos for the rest of his life. A search on "You Tube" alone turned up 2,280 police brutality videos. PrisonPlanet has a selection of the most outrageous recent cases.

Police brutality has crossed the line from using excessive force against a resisting Rodney King to unprovoked gratuitous violence against persons offering no resistance, such as the elderly, women, students, and elected officials. Americans are not safe anywhere from police. Police attack Americans in university libraries, in public meetings, and in their own homes.

"In recent years American police forces have called out SWAT teams 40,000 or more times annually.

Last year, did you read in your newspaper or hear on TV news of 110 hostage or terrorist events each day? No. What then were the SWAT teams doing? They were serving routine warrants to people who posed no danger to the police or to the public.

Occasionally Washington think tanks produce reports that are not special pleading for donors. One such report is Radley Balko’s "Overkill: The Rise of Paramilitary Police Raids in America" (Cato Institute, 2006).

This 100-page report is extremely important and should have been published as a book. SWAT teams (Special Weapons and Tactics) were once rare and used only for very dangerous situations, often involving hostages held by armed criminals. Today SWAT teams are deployed for routine police duties. In the US today, 75-80% of SWAT deployments are for warrant service.

In a high percentage of the cases, the SWAT teams forcefully enter the wrong address, resulting in death, injury, and trauma to perfectly innocent people. Occasionally, highly keyed-up police kill one another in the confusion caused by their stun grenades."

It is also in a bigger picture sort of way about how the USA pushes the rest of the world around. {Bush’s "war on terror" quickly became Bush’s war on Iraqi civilians. So far over one million Iraqi civilians have lost their lives because of Bush’s invasion, and four million have been displaced. Iraq’s infrastructure is in ruins. Disease is rampart. Normal life has disappeared.} It is saying that law enforcement and the goverment would not be able to get away with the brutality if we all spoke out against it. What we're doing instead(sitting back and complaning a bit, while shopping and maintaining our plastic existence) isn't helping anything. "We can't afford to be neutral on a moving train".

It really is music with an important message. You may not like how it's done, you might not be able to listen to it, but you can't deny how important these messages are. Spread the word!

XKCD ~The Blag of the webcomic

2008-07-01T14:20:00.005-05:00

Read the XKCD Blag too!!

Great stuff!

1:37am

2008-07-01T14:20:00.002-05:00

To go along with the last post

2008-07-01T14:20:00.001-05:00

pwnage!

2008-07-01T13:53:00.006-05:00

This Isn't a Joke but I wish it was! ~ Consevapedia~ I am bringing this awful, horrible, mind-numbingly ignorant site to your attention because of this article from Bad Science. It is really a thing of beauty and must be read completely to fully savor all of the nuances and PWNAGE! (WIRED's article about Conservapedia is great; What would Jesus Wiki?)

"All time classic creationist pwnage
June 24th, 2008 by Ben Goldacre in bad science

Richard Lenski is a biologist who recently found evidence for the emergence of new traits among E.coli bacteria, in a fascinating experiment which he has described in a paper in PNAS. His results look a bit like evolution. You will note that his paper includes the original data.

Andrew Schlafly is a startlingly predictable right wing christian activist who runs Conservapedia. I highly recommend a look around there if you’ve not already had the pleasure, because even the people who run Conservapedia find it hard to tell whether the edits are being made by god-fearing americans or naughty satirists.

Schlafly read Lenski. He got angry. He demanded the original data. It was pointed out to him that the original data was in the paper. He demanded the original data again. With menaces.

The following exchange is mirrored humbly and verbatim in case of disappearance. It represents pwnage on a scale most of us can only dream of."

It continues on with the full letters from the exchange between Mr Andrew Schlafly (right-wing conservative nutjob) and Mr Richard Lenski (respected scientist, educator and one of my new heroes). Please, do yourself a favor and read them!!!