Quickie: The (Cheezy) Quote of the Day

"Love doesn't always come in convenient packages."

I have no comments, references, or stories to go along. Just wanted to let it marinate in your minds, at it did mine, for a minute.

Have a Happy New Years Eve. It's one of my favorite nights of the year, and I am definielty looking forward to drinkin', dancin', and enjoyin' being young and alive tonight!

See y'all on the flip side....

I Can't Think of Anything Cool to Write About

Seriously.

I just decided right now that I would put some time aside to write a blog entry, and my mind has gone completely blank. It's actually weird. I got nothing.

So here's another of the jumbled lists of thoughts that have been showing up on this blog a lot lately. Clearly I need some inspiration to write something real.....

1. For the first time ever, I didn't want anything for Christmas from my parents, so I told them not to get me anything....and they listened. I got no Christmas presents from Connie and Dick except for 3 Christmas Cadbury Christmas Eggs and a nail file in my stocking. True story. I guess I learned a lesson there.

2. Tonight is the last MU football game of the season....and even though comparatively we had an O.K. year, I am disappointed with our record. Especially since, for the first time after graduating from college, I went to 4 games. Of course, my record for those 4 games is 1-3. Apparently I am a jinks.

3. Rob Pattinson cut his hair. And he still looks uberhott. That's all I am going to say about that....

4. My house is so messy right now that I have actual paths leading from the kitchen to the bedroom to the bathroom. I have been living like this for 10 days now. Yet, I've had plenty of time to clean, but have just chosen not to. Now all I need is a cat, and I can be crazy clutter lady.

5. There is a Psych marathon on USA network today. That show seriously rocks. I heart the main character Spencer. I would like to find a guy with his dry, retro, and quick wit. He is also very humorously self deprecating.....a trait I have often been drawn too.

6. I went to the annual Travel Director party (AKA Happy Birthday Jesus & Julie) this weekend. I was amazing at how many people I haven't seen in ages that were there! The funny thing is that TDs never really change. They may move out of town, or get different jobs, but essentially, you always end up having the same conversations about the same things. For some crazy reason, I find that very comforting. I had a really good time at the party, and I hope the girl who throws it every year keeps it up!

7. I have no idea what to wear for New Years. I want to go the dress route, but all my dresses are boring, or else I have been wearing them out for a couple years now, so not exciting. Maybe I will go to the mall later and try to find something new. I am excited about the New Years Party I am going to. Its one of those bar parties with the one price inclusive. I think it will be a really good crowd, since I know most of the people going. I only have one rule for NYE, and its...NO HOUSE PARTIES! I loathe NYE parties that people try to throw at their homes. They are never as fun as going out.

8. My friend just called me to tell me that all the seasons of Sex in the City on DVD are on sale at Target for $8.99 each. What a deal! I still don't own seasons 1-3. Maybe I will go buy them today. Funny that I brought up Sex & the City. This blog entry feels like the episode where Carrie can't think of anything to write for her column and she writes really sucky things about "Finding the Perfect French Fry" and "Comparing Men to Socks".


And...... that's all I got. Apparently, my life right now is super boring. I will write again when something interesting happens. Stay tuned......

What's Swirling in My Head

This is RFD....(kudos to anyone who knows what that stands for)

......but here are 2 quotes that I read today. Totally pop-culture....not anything profound or the like. They just caught my eye....


1.
"Maybe it's maturity or the wisdom that comes with age, but the witch in Hansel and Gretel - she's very misunderstood. I mean, the woman builds her dream house, and these brats come along and start eating it"

-Miranda Hobbs (Sex and the City)


2.
"She did what many professed to be impossible: She persuaded millions of teens and tweens to read something other than a text message or a computer screen."

- Columnist Rick Bentley on Stephenie Meyer (Author of Twilight)


I hope everyone had a rockin' holiday today (or for the rest of week...) Peace Out!

Sellouts!

I have just lost all respect for The Moldy Peaches. You know, that indie band that did all the fun songs in the movie Juno.

Well, I was just watching a little TV tonight, and saw a commercial for the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. And the song in the background of the commercial was The Moldy Peaches song Anyone Else but You. It's not bad enough that the song was on an ad. Oh no....they had to take it one step further.

The tune was the same, and there was the whistling that is in that song but, THE WORDS WERE CHANGED TO DESCRIBE THE HOTEL!!!!

It was painful. Very, very painful to listen to.

After all, I hate the Atlantis. It is a huge ridiculous hotel that should be in Vegas, but is on an island. Its ugly. Impossible to work at. Too spread out. Very crowded. Obnoxiously overpriced. And it has the worst service of any resort hotel. I loathe it with the fire of a thousand suns.

What were The Moldy Peaches thinking? They just totally lost their street cred my friends. I will never listen their music again.

The Atlantis? Seriously?

My Dream Man Drives My Dream Car

DISCLAIMER: This blog entry was not written by Vivian, but her 16 year old alter ego.

OMG!

I just watched a clip of Rob Pattinson ( AKA the one and only self loathing mchottie vampire Edward Cullen) leaving Il Sole in Hollywood last night. Yes....I do stalk him via celebrity sites, and watch all his video bits. I have become that girl. No judgements please.

And the super awesome part...HE GOT INTO AN AUDI A4 CONVERTIBLE!!!!

Is that fate or what? Its only my favorite car, and the car I have been talking about buying for 5 years now. His was even that delicious platinum color I want. I think we are meant to be together. I mean, its not that common of a car.

Destiny, I say!

Clearly on a Name Kick...

After writing the blog before this one, I starting thinking about all the names I have loved for years. This is probably only a girl thing, but through my whole life, I have often mentally noted what I wanted to name my future children. I think everyone does this. The funny part for me is that I really never had any interest in actually having kids, but I still sometimes come up with names.

So...here are some of the names I can remember thinking awesome enough to bestow on my nonexistent imaginary spawn. Enjoy.....

(in no particular order as to timeline or preference. Also, some come with middle names, and some are middle name TBA)


Vera Louise - (Girl) this is a big one. I always thought there were not enough "V" names in the world, and I have always loved the name Louise. It's fierce and fun at the same time


Vivian Victoria - (Girl) Then she could be a true Vivi.


Vera Eloise - (Girl) The middle name for my favorite fictional character "Eloise at the Plaza". I like it better as a middle name, but it could possibly stand alone.


Elliott - (Girl) I went though this stage where I thought it was cool that girls had boy names like Madison.


Manhattan - (Boy or Girl) this is odd, but if the Beckhams' can name a kid Brooklyn, then I can go Manhattan. I think it works for a boy or girl


London - (Boy or Girl) Ditto as above. In fact, there are also 2 other cities that I think would make great names: Dublin or Melbourne. I don't think its weird....people name their kids Sydney and Austin.


Finnigan (Boy or Girl) I LOVED this name, especially for a boy. it was probably my #1 boy name for the longest. I got it from the movie Great Expectations, the one with Ethan Hawke. However, I have scratched it off the list because the show Grey's Anatomy used it for a character in seasons 2&3 and that ruined for me. Too pop culture now.


Gatsby (Boy) - this is actually the current favorite. I have never heard of anyone having this as a first name. Very original. It is based, of course, on one of my top 5 fav literary characters, Jay Gatsby from The Great Gatsby.


Barrett - (Boy or Girl) Another literary character name. (I am seeing a pattern here). After Oliver Barrett in Love Story. Apparently I am all about last names for first names. Would I dare name a child "Costello"?


Tiger - (Boy) Don't laugh. I know its strange, and it has NOTHING to do with Tiger Woods. I thought of this once, and decided it was creative. Tigers have been a constant in my life. They are my favorite animals. I think they are beautiful, intelligent, powerful, and graceful. All the traits I would want a child of mine to have. Also, I was born in the year of the tiger. The personality traits associated with that are right on for me. And, of course, it is the mascot of my Alma mater. Can't forget that. This would even work pretty well as a middle name....actually now that I think about it, it would probably be better as a middle name.



O.K. I am rereading this, and as much as I like these names, I think it is best that I don't want kids!!!! I shutter to think whether a son of mine would ever be able to get through childhood and adolescence with a name like "Gatsby Tiger". Wow.

What's in a Name....

I have always loved my name.....Vivian. I think it is very fitting my personality and character. It is a Latin name that means "Full of Life". I someday want to own a boat and call it that.....Full of Life.


Anyway, I was a little bored today, and researching the origins of my nominer, and found out that there was a St. Vivian. She is also referred to as St. Bibiana in some languages. O.K., the funny part.....

Apparently she is the patron saint of the the insane, those suffering from hangovers, and epileptics.

True Story.

I don't really have a comment about this or anything. Just wanted to share.

What's Going on in this Head of Mine.....

A Few Random Thoughts.


1. My Newest Obsession

I discovered a new website today that I will forever be addicted to. It's called Box Office Mojo. And its awesome. Basically it tells you everything you need to know about movies in the theater as far as how much money they have made, their opening weekends, and where they rank among other movies in all kinds of economic related categories. Trust me...its a time suck. Especially after I started putting in all my fav flicks. Here's the site.

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/



2. My Drink of Choice

I have been thinking about fountain soda a lot lately. Probably because I have been on the road for the last few days and have not had one. Totally jonesin'. As bizarre as this sounds.....the fountain soda has been a staple in my life for a lot of years now. It has been a part of some of my favorite memories, and some I would like to forget. Here is a list of whatnots about the relationship between fountains and me .....This is very geeky I know, but I decided to go with it.


I love QT gas stations. I will drive miles out of the way to fill up the tank at one. Do I think they have better or cheaper gas? No....its because they have Diet Caffeine Free Diet Coke on fountain, and the choice of crushed or cubed ice. Yeah. In the past, they have even had Diet Rite on Fountain, but that dream was short lived. Funny convo I had one with the manager of my local QT. Here's a transcript:

Me: So why don't you guys have Diet Rite anymore. I miss it?

QT Guy: So you're the one!

Me: The one what?

QT Guy: The one person who was drinking it. (He laughs).

Apparently it wasn't a good seller. What erks me is that they replaced it with that stupid Rooster Booster. Seriously?


Other Fountain Soda Memories:

The summer I lived at Mizzou and went to summer semester, I have fond memories of going to Sonic everyday between 3pm and 5pm for "Happy Hour at Sonic". They had 1/2 prize Route 44 Fountains. We would hop over there, and sit outside to talk about our day.

I don't think we have ever been on any of the now infamous stalking trips without a fountain stop first.

Once, on a particularly bad work program at the Breakers in Palm Beach, I was walking into the lobby on my way to the workroom with a Super Big Gulp. A bellman had the nerve to tell me that there was not any outside food and drink allowed in the hotel. I actually growled at him.
True story.
I stared at him...straw still in mouth... and truly growled from my throat. No words. He gave me the weirdest look ever, and said (sarcastically) "Wow, I guess you really need that caffeine." I just nodded and walked away. The funny part was that It was diet Sprite.



The best fountain moment:

Years ago, I meet a guy in Vegas from Wales. Long story short, even though I barely knew him, he decided to come to visit me. When I picked him up at the Chicago airport, it was really awkward. I was happy to see him, and he me, but it was so weird that we were doing this, that those first 30 minutes in the car were a little nerve racking.

Well, I decided I could not keep driving unless I had a fountain soda, so we stopped at 711 and I said I was going in to get a drink, and he came too. I got my fountain (44 oz Diet Coke with 1/3 ice). Then I watched in awe as he got his. He took a 20 oz cup, did NOT put ice in it, filled it with regular coke, and then stuck a straw in it without putting a plastic lid on top. I was mortified.

It was like he was blaspheming the fountain soda! I could not let this heinous action continue. I stopped him....took the cup out of his hand, dumped the liquid, and threw it away. I said "that is not how we get fountain sodas in the states." Then, I handed him a 32 oz cup (decided against the 44 ouncer for his first time, he might not have been able to handle it) and walked him through the ice, soda, lid, and straw. He stood there looking at me....and totally burst out laughing. And then I did too. It literally broke the ice. There was not another awkward moment in what turned out to be a fun visit.


So there you have it. I love fountain sodas. They are so much more than just a cool drink. They might be the magical cure all.



3. At the Theater

The movies I have seen lately:

Role Models - loved it. Hilar.

Four Christmases - hated it. It started out strong, but fumbled in the 4th quarter

Twilight - Loved it. Not anywhere as good as the book (not even the same species as the book, if you will) but I could be dazzled by Robert Pattinson all day. I actually have seen it twice, and a third time is planned. The soundtrack is pretty awesome too. Except for one song that sucks. And unfortunately is sung by my boy Rob.

The movies I want to see soon:

Milk

Rachel Getting Married

Slumdog Millionaire

The movies I have no interest whatsoever in seeing:

Seven Pounds - I'm over Will Smith. There I said it.

The Curious Tale of Benjamin Buttons - I don't think it will live up to the buzz.

The Day the Earth Stood Still - Another Disaster movie? Really?

Quote of the day.....

I do not recommend conversing with me today. Apparently I am drowning in a shallow pool of depression, self loathing, and regret. Here's a quote to go along with my currently shaken spirit....


"Come on in now. Wipe your feet on my dreams." - Pulp


I hate being miserable. I like to live my life in a no judgement, no regret world. But, that doesn't always happen. I am doing a lot of both today.

Bear with me though. Knowing myself pretty well, it should pass in about 5 hours. Give or take.

A Monday Morning Funny......

I just read this and it made me laugh. Here is a translation (if you will) of popular songs through the ages......

FIFTY YEARS
OF POPULAR SONGS
CONDENSED INTO
SINGLE SENTENCES.

BY MARC HAYNES
- - - -

The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Led Zeppelin, "Whole Lotta Love"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

James Blunt, "You're Beautiful"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Sir Mix-a-Lot, "Baby Got Back"

I want to do it.

- - - -

Elvis Presley, "Hound Dog"

You're doing it with everyone.

- - - -

R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly"

I believe I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Patsy Cline, "Crazy"

I want to do it with you so much I'm going fucking nuts.

- - - -

Frank Sinatra, "Strangers in the Night"

I'm drunk and I want to do it with you.

- - - -

The White Stripes, "My Doorbell"

Using metaphor, I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Little Richard, "Good Golly Miss Molly"

I'm doing it with Miss Molly, and she's totally into it.

- - - -

Duran Duran, "Rio"

I'd love to do that chick dancing on the sand.

- - - -

The Beatles, "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"

I'd like to do it with you right now.

- - - -

Carly Simon, "You're So Vain"

We used to do it, but then you did it with someone else, and now I'm not going to do it with you, although I wish we were still doing it.

- - - -

Pulp, "Common People"

I once met a stuck-up European who wanted to do it with me.

- - - -

Radiohead, "Creep"

I'm filled with self-loathing, and, though outwardly I hate everything you represent, I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Kate Bush, "Wuthering Heights"

I'm an 18th-century fictional character and I want to do it with another 18th-century fictional character.

- - - -

Bob Dylan, "Blowin' in the Wind"

The Man is currently doing it to you.

- - - -

Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock"

Incarcerated men will on occasion do it with each other.

- - - -

Meat Loaf, "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"

Hey! You won't believe what this one chick said while I was doing it with her!

- - - -

Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"

I did it with you, and now it hurts when I pee.

- - - -

Céline Dion, "My Heart Will Go On"

Even your death has not stopped me wanting to do it with you.

- - - -

AC/DC, "You Shook Me All Night Long"

We did it yesterday.

- - - -

One of my Lists: Thanksgiving 2008

I have decided to give myself exactly 10 minutes to think of, and write down here, what I am thankful for at this precise moment in my life.....enjoy.

The wireless Internet that I am stealing from one of my neighbors

That I have started reading on a regular basis again

The strange introspective internal examination into my life that has surfaced from my reading the "Twilight" series of books. Its weird but has been intriguing. I heart Edward Cullen.

My dog Stevie

Mizzou Football

Netflix

That I have started losing weight again

That I still have a job

That Connie's surgery went better than expected

That I am not disappointed by the decision to not have a birthday party.

That I have discovered a new group of friends to hang out with, that like to do the same kind of things I like to do

That I am still very close to people that I went to high school and college with

That I am not worrying about money right now

That my hair is again long enough to wear curly and not look like a mushroom head

That I am comfortable enough with my strange pop culture obsessions to not be embarrassed by them

That in just a couple of months, we will have a new president. And we will finally find out what kind of dog the Obamas decided on

That I don't have a problem with very last minute trips, or traveling alone

My awesome cell phone, and that I have embraced text messaging

That I am not more annoyed that I cancelled my digital cable and can no longer DVR my shows. I don't miss it near as much as I thought I would

That gas is cheaper

that I still believe in love

That I can say corny things like the above without a hint of sarcasm

That I have been mildly successful in my resolution to be less judgemental.

That I found a pair of jeans that I love and fit perfectly

That more and more places have started to have Caffeine Free Diet Coke or Pepsi on fountain.


So time's up and that's all I got...Happy Thanksgiving everyone. One more holiday I don't like after this (Christmas) and then its on to my 3 favorite...right in a row!

If you couldn't guess, they are: Mardi Gras, Valentines Day, and St. Patricks Day

WooHoo!

A Blog Entry directed at California's Mormon Churches....

...or their Catholic Churches, or any religious organization that supported (either financially or vocally in their services) California's Prop 8......


STOP WHINING!!!!!!


If you have a problem with the gay rights groups that are picketing your churches, then you are welcome to shut down operations in the US and move to a country where free speech is not allowed. And good luck practicing your religion where ever that may be. Just because you might be a religious institution doesn't excuse you from the same scrutiny as ANY organization that takes a political stand on issues.

My quote of the Day comes from Dan Savage:

"When political attacks are launched from churches, political responses will be delivered to churches. If goddamned McDonald's had organized and paid for Prop 8, we'd be marching on goddamned McDonald's."


I have an offer for religious supporters of Prop 8......how about the critics of it will agree to stop protesting outside of churches, if you all agree to stop protesting outside of Gay friendly events. Or the Pride Parade. Or even abortion clinics and Planned Parenthood for that matter. Think you can do that? You want to be able to protest for your causes, but you don't want others to protest for their causes that are different from yours.


And you know what really makes me laugh? You won! You got the damn proposition passed. Now, thanks to you, certain people in your state will be considered less worthy than others. Congratulations. Now deal with the aftermath of your big victory.

It still amazes me when religious groups want to limit the freedoms of other citizens. Its not like any of their freedoms are being contested. The government is not telling a church they can't pray, or that they can't have certain beliefs. The government is not limiting in anyway what can be said inside the walls of the church. The government is not persecuting church leaders for their doctrines. The government even gives a tax free status to religious organizations. Which, rightfully, should be questioned on some of these churches, since the constraints on that status involves not endorsing political entities.

And just for the record, I believe in our electoral process. And as despicable a voice I believe it to be, the people of California have spoken. They do not want gay people to get married in their state. The proposition passed by a majority, and I accept it. It makes the entire state look like a bunch of hate mongering fascists, but I accept it.

Of course, the true beauty of American politics is that nothing is ever set in stone. Democracy is always moving and changing. I hope Californians who actually believe in a free and fair country can come together to get a repel of prop 8 on the ballot next time, and then show up to vote for it!

Why I Care....

....what the rest of the world thinks.


Today I was talking about the election results with a coworker. I won't go into great detail about what was discussed but I will share one part.

We got on the topic of news coverage the day after the election. I mentioned a story that really intrigued me. CNN made a point to say that the day after every presidential election since the network was on the air, they have shown footage of some crazy people somewhere in the world burning an Amercian flag. Well, this year, they were unable to find any footage anywhere in the world where someone was burning an American flag. As random as it is, I felt that it meant that basically the whole world was rooting for Obama. Simplitic, I know, but being a world traveler, and having a deep appriciation for other cultures, I felt good about the possibilty of the United States redeeming themselves on the world stage.

The next thing my coworker said to me inspired this blog entry....

"Why should we care what the rest of the world thinks of us?"

Well......talk about opening the floodgates with that question! I got seriously fired up and started spouting off everything from.....

"Maybe because the United States is not as invinceable as we think we are, and someday we might need another country to be on our side."

to

"You know some of us would like to visit other countries in the world and not be afraid to be attacked or killed just because we are Americans."

and

"We better hope other countries like us, because the way this country spends money, we may need more than just China and Russia to lend to us!"


And this started me thinking about one of my favorite articles that I have ever read about American politics. And it was from a British newspaper. I'm sure many of you remember it from four years ago. It was the London Daily Mirror and they had a pic of Goerge W. Bush and the now infamous quote....

"How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB"

It was a jab at the number of American who voted for Bush. I personally thought it was hilarious. And although the cover was on news shows in the US all over the place....I don't think very many people actually stopped to read the article. It'a a shame, because it really is a brilliant commentary, and a nice perspective on what foriegners thought of the re-election of Bush. The title was "God Save America".

An excerpt:

"They say that in life you get what you deserve. Well, today America has deservedly got a lawless cowboy to lead them further into carnage and isolation and the unreserved contempt of most of the rest of the world. This once-great country has pulled up its drawbridge for another four years and stuck a finger up to the billions of us forced to share the same air. And in doing so, it has shown itself to be a fearful, backward-looking and very small nation. This should have been the day when Americans finally answered their critics by raising their eyes from their own sidewalks and looking outward towards the rest of humanity."

Well, here we are four years later, and I feel like, with the election of Obama, we are finally going to do what we didn't four years ago....start rebuilding our relationships with the rest of the world. And just for the record, I get it that just electing Obama is not automatically going to fix our international relationships, but at least it puts us on the right track. I mean, can you imagine what would be written about us in other countries if the McCain/Palin ticket had won???? And I am sure CNN would have had all kinds of burning American flag images to air.


O.K. Just for fun, one more excerpt from "God Save America". This one about Bush himself.....

"America chose a man without morals or vision. An economic incompetent who inherited a huge surplus from Clinton, gave it in tax cuts to the rich and turned the US into the world's largest debtor nation. A man who sneers at the rights of other nations. Who has withdrawn from international treaties on the environment and chemical weapons. A man who flattens sovereign states then hands the rebuilding contracts to his own billionaire party backers. A man who promotes trade protectionism and backs an Israeli government which continually flouts UN resolutions. America has chosen a menacingly immature buffoon who likened the pursuit of the 9/11 terrorists to a Wild West, Wanted Dead or Alive man-hunt.... A RADICAL Christian fanatic who decided the world was made up of the forces of good and evil, who invented a war on terror, and thus as author of it, believed he had the right to set the rules of engagement. "

I read these angry words from four years ago, and I realize that this is what the US is finally walking away from. Its a new beginning. A new era. And as overused as this word was in this latest election, its still true.....a chance for change.

A Quickie Story about Drinking & Those who Judge....

I am right now on the Island of Lana'i in Hawaii. We are staying at the Four Seasons Manele Bay. It is oh so very awesome, and I will be sure to write a blog about it this week.

However, I just have a little time now to share a funny that happen to me last night.

We went for a quick dinner, and a beer or 2, at a local little tavern and pizza place in town called Pele's. The joint was exactly what I was in the mood for: small hole in the wall, cheap, and not at the hotel.

Well, when we all arrived, I ordered a draft beer of Kona Ale (I'm on this kick to drink the beer of the land I am in) and some chicken wings. The waiter (who could have also been the manager/owner of the place) brought my beer and it tasted great. (Sidenote: I really enjoy the Kona Ale.) And I thought all was fine. Then about 15 min later when my food was ready, he brought the wings. Since I only had about 2 sips left in the beer I had, I ordered another. This is where it got weird....

The waiter asked (with a grimaced face, and clear disdain):
"Are you sure you want a second beer?"

I was so struck aback from this comment, I just stared at him and then said:
"Are you worried that I am going to drink too much?"

He replied:
"Well, its just that the police are tough here on drunk drivers."

Me: "It's my second and probably last beer. And I'm eating food also."

Smug Waiter/Manager: "Well, I'm just concerned. Are you driving?"

Me, getting a little annoyed that he singled me out of a group of 7 people: "No, I'm taking the shuttle. We are ALL taking the shuttle."

Smug Waiter/Manager (after a pause, by the by): "Well, OK then. I'll get you another beer if you are sure you want it."

Me, pissed at this point, but with a devious smile: "I want it. And I'll let you know when I want another after that. Thank you."

Smug Waiter/Manager left in a bit of a huff....and came back 2 minutes later with the beer. Said nothing while he put it down, and walked away.



What the F? It was 7:30 PM on a Friday night. I was sitting at a table of 7 people who all ordered drinks. And not the only one who ordered a second. Why was I the one he decided to drop his self righteous crap on on? It wasn't like I was visually drunk already, or falling over or something. That original beer was my first of the night!

Annoying...and intriguing at the same time.


P.S. We left on the shuttle at about 9:00 PM. And I did not order another beer after the 2nd one. Partly because I was tired, and partly because I thought he might spit in it.

P.P.S. My birthday is on Thursday, and since this is a small island, I was pretty excited to check out Pele's to go out there that night. Well, I guess we are going to have to pick somewhere else. Seriously.....If they are going to judge my getting 2 beers, I'm scared to celebrate there.

My Uber Random Thoughts on this Election and Its Outcome

So much has been swirling around in my head since that moment around 10 pm Tuesday night when we learned the identity of who will be the 44th President of the United States. My mind is a flutter of excitement, fear, impatience, sadness, and most of all, accomplishment.

The only way I could think of to put my thoughts into words was through a list. So here it is. A list of all the election related emotions (in no particular order) going through my head.



1. Excitement


I went down to the Chase Park Plaza for the official Democratic Victory Party. First of all, I knew for 2 days that I was going, and during that time, I had a big issue calling it a victory party. I thought it was a little premature. But I digress.....


It was a beautiful moment being around all the people on the same side as me, with media everywhere, and people dancing, singing, crying, laughing, cheering. It was like when your college football teams wins a big game. And what struck me was, when I looked around the room and saw everyone. It was the whole picture of America. Old people. Young people. Black people. White people. All races. Even a couple turbans. I saw some Emos, cheering next to yuppies in suits. I saw young couples with kids. I saw girls dressed like they were at a club in Vegas. I saw old grey haired men clapping and smiling, while young black punks in saggy jeans and crooked ballcaps were chest thumping. I saw old women in ridiculous homemade hats and painted t-shirts, jumping up and down with college kids in the blue "official" Obama team leader T-shirt.

Republicans can say what they will about who makes up the Democratic party, but we are a true cross section of this country. To use a great line from Barney on HIMYM ......

"I gaze upon that crowd to see the face of America. And it is divine."

Muchos Cheesy. Especially since Barney was talking about The Price is Right when he said it. But I still love the quote.



2. Fear


This is not as warm fuzzy as the last emotion, but rings true. I am scared about what will happen to Obama in the next four years. Not fear for his life or anything like that. There will be plenty of hot hot Secret Service snipers to protect him. (sidenote: I LOVE me some snipers. They are so hot the way they wear all black with the cool sunglasses.) But, fear that the problems which this nation faces right now are not the type of problems that get fixed very quickly. I know he will try, and having the support of Congress is a good thing. However, I am afraid that the issues will be bigger than what any administration could solve in one term, and Obama will end his presidency being scapegoated. And it is not a president specific thing. I think anyone who is in office right now really has their work cut out for them.

The part that makes me really scared is that Obama was able to gather support and inspire people like I have never seem a politician do before. The jokes about him being Superman and the Messiah have a basis in the way that citizens were so enamored and adoring of him. Especially considering there are a lot of first time voters, who may not have paid attention to politics before, and don't understand that winning the election is just the beginning. With this kind of entrance, it will be a very loud thump when he falls, if he is not able to do everything that we expect of him. The bar is raised very high. I just really hope he lives up to the hype.



3. Impatience


I just so want it to be Inaugural day right now. I want to hear the speech, which, you know, will be one for the ages. I want to see what Michelle is going to wear at the Ball. Especially since the Grant Park victory speech outfit was a trainwreck. There I said it. I did not understand that getup at all. It looked like what a drop of blood looks like under a microscope. And what was with the wrap half sweater thing? She's a pretty lady, but that dress did nothing for her. Back to the point....

I want Obama to start doing all the things he has promised. I want to see the decor of the ballrooms on Inaugural Night. I wanted to see the Obamas dancing in the red, white, and blue balloons. And I think more than anything.....I want to see those children running around the White House with the new puppy. All the news stations have been talking about what breed it should be. You know what really would send a message? If they go to the pound for the dog, and get a mutt of some kind. That would do a world of good for the Humane Society and other stray rescue causes.



4. Sadness


It's over. No more waking up every morning eager to watch CNN to get the latest poll numbers. No more switching over to FOX news to laugh at how partisan they are, and how they don't even try to hide it. No more plotting how I can watch the debates when I have to work. No more religiously checking Cajun Boy in the City and Andrew Sullivan blogs to get the latest democratic political scope. No more far right winged, borderline offensive (but that I looked forward to reading for the perspective) emails from my good friend's very conservative girlfriend. No more very spirited conservations at the DD Lounge or whatever other drinking establishment, about the political parties, their intention, and all the conspiracy theories surrounding both candidates and their running mates. I'm really truly going to miss those. I dig me a good half drunk argument about politics. Especially when someone brings up religion, abortion or the environment. LOVE IT! I guess now our Thursday nights out will go back to karaoke and darts.



5. Accomplishment


I feel I really had a stake in this election. I was part of it. This is the first time I have been so involved. I volunteered for the campaign. I had signs in the yard. I bought the T-shirt. I collected a bunch of campaign buttons. I wore the official white rubber Obama "Hope" bracelet without taking it off. I went with the over 100,000 people under the arch to see Barrack Obama address the masses. And it was amazing!!!!

Sidenote: I found this out on Tuesday....that Obama rally was the largest gathering of any kind in St. Louis since the 1904 World's Fair. How flippin' cool is that!

I even took my mother to see President Bill Clinton on his Obama campaigning stop at Kirkwood High School. He made me cry, I was so entrhalled with what he was saying.

And days up to the election, and on election night, I was stratigizing like crazy. I was counting up electoral votes and forecasting states like I was picking my football teams in Vegas at the sportsbook. It almost became a game for me. I loved that when I was talking to all the other volunteers on our shifts the days before and on Tuesday, we all had different predictions as to how Obama was going to win (which states, whether we would know on election day or after)....but the important part....we all so deeply wanted to believe he was going to win!

What made this different for me personally from other elections where the democrats ran:

Clinton -Too young to really care that much when he first ran, and not very political when I was in college the second term

Gore - Voted for him absentee because I was in Hong Kong for the election and most of the crazy hoopla that was the 2000 election, so I never really felt a part of it

Kerry - Wasn't really crazy about him, just thought he was the anti-Bush choice when I voted ....absentee again. I was in Australia for that election.

So my involvement and passion this year definitely did feel like a new accomplishment for me. I was part of something and someone I believed in. A candidate I educated myself about, running in an election I obsessively followed. A candidate I worked hard campaigning for. And in the end, that candidate was the victor.

And when Obama stood there in Grant Park in Chicago, while I watched it on huge screens at the Chase in St. Louis, and he made it very clear that the supporters were the reason for his being there...I truly felt it was my victory also.

I am going to end this with my favorite part of his speech from Chicago on election night. I hope it does for you what it did for me that evening.....


A new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down - we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security - we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright - tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America - that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

On the Election Tomorrow....

This is the best thing I have seen since all this election crap started. Through all the posts, pictures, buttons, emails and etc., this is so by far my favorite......




And I have never wanted anything to be more true!!!!!!

Barrack the vote tomorrow everyone. There's a lot riding on it. Obama 2008!



P.S. This is also the best motivation I've had to learn how to post pictures on this blog.

To Prove That This Blog May Lean "Blue" ........

......but is not overwhelmingly one sided.


I have mentioned here before, even as recently as a couple days ago, that I am very nervous about Obama possibly losing this election, despite the polls. I just think there are too many factors to consider besides his obvious popularity, and current standing.

Well, I just read an article, on a very conservative website called REDSTATE no less, that summed up a few of my fears.

Disclaimer: I do not agree with everything this guy says....but I will have to admit that he is confirming a lot of the thoughts that have been swelling around in my head.

So, here's the link ......

http://www.redstate.com/diaries/dan_perrin/2008/oct/28/the-seven-reasons-mccain-palin-are-a-lock-to/


I want this article to proven crazy. And shown to be just a bunch of conspiracy theories. Here's hopin'.

And for the love of all that is right and just in this world.... SHOW UP ON TUESDAY AND VOTE! FOR OBAMA! PLEASE!!!!!!!!

New Orleans Charity Event: By the Numbers

O.K. So I am in New Orleans for work this week. And this is a different kind of program.

Although it is a national conference for a client, they have taken on this enormous charity project where, by the end of the week, all 10,000 attendees will each have done 5 hours of community service here....painting flood damaged houses, landscaping yards and clearing and building neighborhood parks. It really is an undertaking. And something that I hope other companies start doing also. I love when they combine charity work into their meetings.

Well, our job here is logistical. Some duties: lunches, water, and snacks for staff. Busing everyone to the work sites. Organizing the police to close the streets where we are working. Organizing tool deliveries and portapotties. Basically all aspects that need to be done to allow the volunteers to just show up and work.

The main reason I am talking about this is that we just finished day 2 of the event. And I have to admit....a lot of strange things have happen. Now, my job as an event planner has always been to put out fires, and deal with the unexpected, but the last couple days have surprised even me.

The American Airlines Magazine does this cool thing where they share trivia facts by giving you numbers, and then explaining them. I thought that would be a fun way to describe some of the happenings on this New Orleans charity project so far. Some are hilarious, some are scary, and some are just plain weird.

And remember...this is just in the first 2 days. I have 3 more days of this......Enjoy!



Number of Hotels in New Orleans required for the Conference: 32


Number of Hotel that have had a fire in them in the last 2 day: 2


Number of feet between police officers in the Gentilly Area work event: 25


Number of total police officers it took to close the streets around that 9 block area: over 50


Number of people mugged while working in that same very patrolled area: 2


Number of times I went the wrong way on a one way street to get to my assigned location in the rental car: 3


Number of those times that ended with me swerving up on someone's lawn and getting stuck there to avoid being hit: 1


Number of portapotties required for this event placed various spots around the city: 150


Number of those I had to clean myself because someone doesn't understand the concept of using the hole, and not the surrounding rim of the toilet when using the porta, and the people we pay to service them would not be there for another 45 min, and I had a line of people to use it: 1


The "Number" I had to clean up in aforementioned portapotty: 2


Number of times I used the phrase "My job really sucks right now" while cleaning that portapotty: 20


Number of EMT Vehicles on standby daily for the event: 5


Number on EMT calls so far in the first 2 days: 14


Number of those calls that involved someone freaking out after being bit by a caterpillar, and insisting we get the bite checked out: 1


Number of grown men riding by on a bike with colorful ribbons coming out the handlebars, a 22 oz can of beer in the water bottle holder on the bike, and a full grill of gold teeth that asked if he could have one of the boxed lunches we were distributing for the volunteers: 1


Number of times that same man had to trade in his box lunch for another because he didn't like the sandwich flavor: 3 (he rejected chicken; vegetarian, and roast beef - ended up with turkey)


Number of people said bike rider came back with 30 minutes later to ask if they could have lunches also: 4 ( we gave them lunches too...and they did not dispute sandwich type)


Number of volunteers that completely ignored me when I personally asked them to not enter the abandoned house, next door to the one we were working in, that looked sketchy (she said she just wanted to take pictures): 1


Number of volunteers that fell through the withered wood floor of a house they were not supposed to be in, and broke their ankle, 5 minutes later: 1 (Coincidence??? I think not.....)



And the best one so far......

Number of dead bodies found in the work sites: 1

(FYI: A lady died of a heart attack while putting out the garbage. A trash man found her the next morning just as our buses were dropping the volunteers off at the house next door.)



You can't make this crap up.


I am going to add to this list after the program is over.....stay tuned!

Democrats are Pissing Me Off!

There I said it.


I am completely over everyone saying this election is done, and that Obama is going to win, and he is going to win big. Clearly these are first time voters with this cocky sentiment.

Voters who don't remember the "Swift boating" of John Kerry in 2004. He was ahead in the poll with 10 days to go too. And that is when the Republican PR machine took off and managed to turn a decorated war hero into a Vietnam scapegoat.

Let's look at the reasons I think this is going to be a very, very close election. One where we will most likely not know the outcome to on election day. One where I am not completely convinced Obama is going to win......



1. The Bradley Effect.

No one wants to hear about it or talk about it. But its out there, and it makes me nervous. Google the concept if you are not familiar.



2. Past Voting Trends.

Another topic no one wants to admit to......

Unfortunately in this country, young people and minorities do not always seem to make it to the polls on election day. No matter how vocal they have been in the campaigns. Obama's supporters include a lot of young people and minorities.


3. Lines at Voter Spots.

I don't care how many new polling places, or new machines have been added, I fear its not going to be any different than four years ago. There will be multi hour long lines to vote, and you know that is going to dissuade a fair amount of people. Especially those who tend to vote in the evening. (I.E. Democrats)


4. The Silent Majority.

Unfortunately Nixon was right when he coined that phrase about 30 years ago. History does not always favor the candidate of radical change. I am still afraid that there are a lot of people who have not shown support for either candidate during this election. I am talking about more than just the "undecided" that the media seems to spotlight. I am talking about people who have kept quiet this entire election, and we have no idea what they are thinking.



So, I'm nervous. I want Obama to win so badly. I just feel like everyone is getting too confident. And if Obama loses, there will be a very loud thud when this all falls apart. I want this to be a warning. It is far from over. There is still time to volunteer. There are still doors to be knocked on, and signs to be placed. And most importantly, show up on Nov. 4th. Wait in those long lines. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't vote, or are not eligible. Or that the polls are closed. As long as you arrive by 7:00PM....no matter how long the line is.....You can still vote!

I would hate to think that Sen. Obama came as far as he did; had so many people gather around him at rallies; wrote so many speeches that moved me to tears; introduced so many new ideas; and brought such a new hope to this sagging American spirit....just to lose in the bottom of the 9th.

Believe. Act. Vote.

(I know, such a trite phrase, but I saw it on a Pro-Obama blog, and it made me laugh. Had to use it!)

The Last (WooHoo) Debate

I don't think I would be doing my thoughts justice if I did not comment on Senator John McCain.

I have to say that I am saddened by what this man has been reduced to. Now, I don't want you to assume that this is going to be a bash on him, because I don't mean it to be. It just makes me angry at him, and his people, to see what he has transformed himself to be in an attempt to win this election.

And last night was the ultimate example of that.

I don't hate McCain. I never did. I said from the beginning of the primary season that I didn't have a problem with him as our president. I liked Hilary and Obama better, but I didn't feel that overwhelming fear and loathing that I had for Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, or even Fred Thompson. In other words, I liked him for a Republican.


Where I made my mistake was that the McCain I liked, was apparently the McCain of a few years ago. The one that the Republican party didn't want to have anything to do with. The one who both Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter said would make them vote for Hilary.

McCain of a few years ago may not have been full on ProChoice. But he was not in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. He was definitely not that guy who accuses others of being "pro-abortion" and talks about stacking the Supreme Court with super conservative justices. Or panders to religious zealots by spewing on about Life, and the gift of Life from God.

McCain of a few years ago may not have been fully behind Gay Marriage. But he was for basic gay rights, and opposed a constitutional amendment stating that marriage was between a women and a man. He was not this bigoted, judgemental ass who wants to protect marriage, and sees the possibility of gay marriage as a breakdown of moral fibers in our country.

McCain of a few years ago was a respected and decorated war hero. He was an expert on Military affairs, who had bravely served our country and deserved our admiration. He was not this blubbery, crotchety old man who takes cheap shots at his opponents about issues and associations that he KNOWS to not be factual. He would not have rolled his eyes, and show such disdain for an opponent that except for a few issues, he used to hold the same positions on.

McCain of a few years ago would have picked a running mate that matched his level of intelligence, and could have appealed to the large number of Republicans in this country who are tired of their party being associated with radical right wing religious politics, like he used to be. A running mate who wanted to get back to the Reagan years of less government. He would have never picked an ignorant, super conservative christian creationist with basically no experience, and a resume of sketchy politics. Who is only around to blatantly try to steal the affections of disillusioned women voters and the fired up Christian zealots who are clinging to the idea that Muslims and anyone who doesn't think exactly like them are the enemy.

So I think it is sad. A once great and respectable man had to change himself so much. Present McCain is not even a shell of past McCain anymore. I was thinking that there was still a little of the old school Maverick around, and that if he did get elected, that he would revert back to his old likable self again. But after that trainwreck of a debate last night, all my hopes of that are over. He really is just a war mongering puppet of the extreme Christian right.

Even Obama knows that he is not what he used to be. I felt that when Obama made the comment about the fans at McCain Palin speeches who shout "Kill Him" about Barack and other death threats. And all New McCain could respond with was that he supports the people at his rallies.

Well, Senator McCain....I hope the transformation was worth it. Risking your reputation, and sacrificing your beliefs during the first 30 years of political service to be possibly elected president by the people you used to call extremists.

And if you lose, you will not go down in history as the war hero, and acclaimed Senator that you would have deserved. You will be the failed presidential candidate whose name will always be associated with Gov Palin, who we know, will not get out of Alaska. You will be remembered for comparing your opponent to Britney Spears, rolling your eyes with disgust at the debates, and calling another respected Senator, soon to be president "That One." And the sad part is that with your age, and health issues, you don't have a lot of time to make up for this.

So, congratulations on selling your soul to the devil. I hope it was worth it.

Random Quote of the Day

"Instead of 'Stalker', I prefer 'Professional Crazed Fan'."

-Jack from Will & Grace

Yeah...It Sucked.

There is my answer to everyone who wants to know from me, my thoughts on the big Missouri lost over the weekend....


It sucked really bad. And Chase did not look good. At all. They should now call him Chase Away. Because that is what he did to all his (and our) Heisman hopes.


Even the beer I tried to drink after the game tasted like defeat.


The interesting part is the many things that happen that brought me to be in Columbia, in pretty good seats, for this depressing game.


Here's the quick version of the story in bullet point fashion:

(It's going to seem like some of these points are way off topic, but it will all come together in the end. Promise.)



* I had tickets to the New Kids on the Block concert in Chicago.


* I thought the concert was on October 11th, which is the weekend I asked off for work.


*Originally, work forgot about my vacation time request, and scheduled me on a program.


*I fought for it, and eventually was granted the weekend of October 11th off.


*Around the end of September, I realize that the NKOTB concert is actually on October 4th.


* I am unable to go because of work, but still have the weekend of October 11th off, and I am looking forward to doing nothing that weekend.


* I get invited to a day at the Missouri wineries with a friend and his friends. I accept and plan on going.


* Around Wednesday of last week, I realize that this is the only weekend I will have to possibly see a Mizzou game in Columbia all season. I also realize that if I am at the Missouri wineries on Saturday, I will be less than an hour away, and it is a night game. Furthermore, I find out I know oodles of people who are going to the game and have tailgates planned.


* I decide I want to do both wineries and Mizzou game. However, the game is completely sold out and no one I know has extra tickets. I also think that since it is so last minute, no one is going to want to drive with me to the wineries and then Columbia to try to scalp tickets when we get there.


*On Friday, I find out that Tiffani also wanted to go to the game, but would only go if we had tickets for sure. She had also agreed to pick me up at the wineries on her way to Columbia, and we could ride the rest of the way to the game together. We scour Ebay; Craigs List; etc. to try and find any tickets at a reasonable price.


*By late Friday night, we could not find any tickets, and it looked like I was back to Plan A of driving myself, and hoping to scalp one ticket, and most likely sitting myself at the game.


*Miraculously Saturday morning, Tiffani finds a guy selling 2 tickets for a good price, but we have to meet him in Columbia to buy them. She agrees to go. I am psyched.

*I make the determination that since I did not get my act together early enough, I really don't have time to go to the wineries. Plus, the whole stress of how we are going to organize Tiffani picking me up was getting very confusing. I call my friend and tell him I am out on the winery and owe him a day of wine drinking.

*Tiffani and I leave for Columbia with the intent of finding two different groups of tailgaters, and then possibly meeting another couple of friends at Harpo's before the game.

*We get to Columbia, and amazingly, everything seemed very easy. We found a free place in park in a garage very quickly.

* We had a little problem connecting with the guy selling the tickets, because he was on a bike riding around campus. We couldn't seem to figure out where each other was. Then, very coincidentally, I see this dude riding his bike right down the street in front of us, think it must be him, and we end up with good tix on about the 30 yards line, only 33 rows up.

*Then we start looking for the 2 tailgates, and we basically fell into the first one, and then found the second one in about 2 minutes.

*The friends we were supposed to met at Harpo's, ended up being very close to us when walking into the tunnel to the stadium. So, we entered the game having seem almost all the people we wanted to, and, also being able to sneak all my mini bottles of alcohol in!

*So there we were. Everything had fallen into place, with the fact that we were even there, the tickets, the ride, finding everyone. Now we were in Columbia with the Tigers boosting a 5-0 record, and 3rd place ranking. We were among 68,000 screaming Mizzou fans dressed in Gold and black, all very hopeful. It was AWESOME! Then the game began........

* And it was all downhill from there.

*Not going to rehash the details, but it was nerve raking, and disappointing, and then inspiring for like 2 minutes, and back to nerve racking.

*Then when the game was over, it took us almost 2 hours to get out of the parking lot. A fitting end to a sad, sad game.

*The aforementioned beer, that tasted like defeat, was a 22 oz. can purchased at the gas station on the way home. So depressing. Yet so necessary after the carnage that I had just witnessed.



So, the question I have been pondering (and stressing myself out about) since Saturday night is ...



....Did I jinx the Tigers? Was I fated to see this losing game? Let's look at the evidence....


Afterall, I had written that crazy self serving blog a week before, about how awesome we were and everything (see 2 blogs back). I tried to make it clear that I was still going to be a fan, win or lose, but let's be honest.....I didn't really think we were going to lose.

And it did seem that despite all the roadblocks, I was able to make it to the game with little drama. Was it too easy? Did I think fate was on my side for working everything out and actually being in Columbia? Was I too cocky debating all week whether I wanted Oklahoma or Texas to win...very stressed about who I wanted to be the victor of that matchup, and how it would affect Mizzou. I never even stopped to consider the chance that Mizzou might actually lose.

Well, its done. We lost a game. We will not be undefeated. And unless everyone else loses too, we will not be in a National Championship game. Yeah, it sucks.

One of the blogs I read make a very good point about this game, and why we MU fans are all so depressed.

We lost a game we were supposed to win.

And that has not happen in over two years.

Now, we have won games we were supposed to lose. We have lost games we were supposed to lose. But, we had not lost a game we were supposed to win. And that is why it is so painful. It was unexpected.

So, time to move on. We have a big game against Texas in Texas to win this week. And we are not favored to. And I remember a certain game in Texas my freshman year at Mizzou where Texas beat us 73-0 that I would like to take revenge for. I want to kill the Longhorns on their own turf. I want us to play like the team I know we can be. I can't wait for my Tigers to shine again!

So, I will end this with the same way I ended my last blog on Missouri Tiger football, That blog was a lot more hopeful and confident than this one, but this one phrase still rings very true for me.....

Missouri Tiger Football.

That's MY team, and win or lose, it always will be.

Quote (with Hidden Message) of the Day.....

.....Goes to Tina Fey. She is talking about how she feels about her very popular SNL portrayal of Republican Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin.

"I want to be done playing this lady Nov. 5. So, if anybody can help me be done playing this lady Nov. 5, that would be good for me."

Waxing Philosophical on Mizzou Football

My Missouri Tigers destroyed the Nebraska Cornhuskers 52-17 on Saturday. Nebraska is a team that we have had a constant struggle against for basically my entire lifetime. The last time before last weekend that we beat Nebraska in Nebraska was 1978.


In fact, I was watching the game from the sportsbook of the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, and when the game was over, a very overserved fellow Mizzou fan we met came back over to our table to show us his drivers license, and birthdate of 1979. He was all excited yelling out "Look....I wasn't even born yet the last time we won in Nebraska!"


My least favorite (and interestingly most favorite at the same time) Nebraska memory actually came in the late fall of 1997. Nebraska was ranked 3rd or 4th I think, and we were playing them in Columbia. It was an amazing game....especially since MU was halfway decent. But still, as per usual, no one expected us to actually give Nebraska a challenge.


Well, we held with them the entire game, only to lose in double overtime. The game should not have even gone into overtime in the first place because some crazy Nebraska guy kicked the ball while he had been sacked, and miraculously it was caught in the endzone to tie it up. I still don't understand how the refs allowed the play. The depressing part was that the Mizzou fans thought the game was over, we had won, and prematurely stormed the field!


Personal side story: I was actually in New Orleans for that game for vaca, and we went to a crazy little sports bar in the French Quarter to watch it. It is amazing what ended up happening. At the beginning, I was the only MU lover in the place. And the bar only had one small TV in the corner playing the game. The place was full of LSU fans. But as the game went on, and got more and more interesting, the whole bar started to root for Mizzou. And one by one, every TV in the place got switched to the MU / Nebraska game. This was mainly because the LSU game was over, and it was better for LSU if Nebraska lost. But whatever the reason, it was a blast to be out of town, and still have people cheering for your team. A trademark phrase of mine was born that day.....

"That's MY team!"

I was so thrilled that we had a chance of winning, that everytime the Tigers scored, or did anything right for that matter, I felt the need to shout out "That's MY team." Basically to inform all the LSU fans that I was a true MU Tiger supporter, and not just wanting the other team to lose. It seemed that the more overserved I got, the louder and more often I yelled out the phrase. My memory is a little fuzzy, but I may or may not have even jumped up on the bar and shouted it to all those cheering below me! For those of you reading, that recall me yelling the phrase at other MU games, now you know the origin.


O.K. , back to what provoked this blog on my relationship with Mizzou football. A friend of mine made a comment to me today about my excitement on our most recent game. It was a mocking comment. That friend (and you know who you are), tried to belittle our big Nebraska win by pointing out how bad all the Nebraska matchups have been in the past, and basically insinuately that dispite this particular game, our 1-30 record against the Huskers means Missouri football is not for real.


Even ignoring the misrepresentation of the actual record (its 5-28 since 1978), I got a little fired up, especially on a personal level. I know we have been bad in the past. It's not a secret. I'm not a bandwagon fan. I've been around awhile. In fact, I have a great quote that sums up my feelings on the last 15 years of following and routing for Mizzou football....


"Mourn the losses, for they are many. But celebrate the victories, for they are few."


After many, many years of mourning losses, now there are victories to celebrate. And celebrate them I will. I've earned it. All true Mizzou fans have. I stayed a fan though countless losing seasons. This is my time to celebrate my football team.


More about the comment (I can't seem to shake it) or what the comment represented......


My issue, on a broader scale, is the realization that it seems some are not taking Missouri football seriously. We may not have a tradition of being ranked or even having consistent winning seasons, but that doesn't diminish the Tigers accomplishments this season (or last season, for that matter). Mizzou is #3 in the country. We have the #1 offense in the country, and a very serious Heisman contender quarterback. We have yet to score less than 42 points in a game. We have already beat one ranked team this year. And we just turned the Cornhuskers into creamed corn in their house. We have proven ourselves worthy of our ranking and our hype.


I am reveling in the success of the Tigers. And I am enjoying the benefits that come with having a winning football team....the school has record alumni donations; the games are nationally televised instead of random regional coverage; and Faurot Field is packed with fans drowning in Tiger colors. I am also dealing with the sucky parts of having a winning team. For example, how hard it is, all of a sudden, to get tickets to the games we have always gone to.


Maybe 5 or 10 or 15 years from now, if we are again a second rate, unranked team who everyone laughs at, so be it. Hell, it could even happen next year.....and (knock on wood) this season is far from over. But you know what....even if and when it all falls apart, I will still be wearing the black and gold on game day. I will still try to make it to Columbia at least once a season. I will still get excited for the border war with KU. Plus, I predict, I will probably be boring everyone with stories about the glory days in 2008. Because.....


That's MY team.


And win or lose, it always will be.

Well, it's Done.

The House just passed the $700 billion bailout bill......

And, in my view, we are now officially a socialist country.

Now, I know we were never a true capitalist ecomomy. I get that. But if we were ever close to one, we would ride out the bear markets, just like we revel in the bull markets. Not try to keep the recessions from naturally happening. Its all part of the system.

What have we learned?

In the future, we should continue to let financial institutions operate almost completely unchecked from the government. They should still be able to make profits for themselves for years. But, as soon as they manage to run themselves into the ground, like many did, good old Uncle Sam will be there to give them money we don't have, and pick up the pieces. Why?

Because we are so scared of the alternative. And what is the alternative....and I don't mean what all the politicians are saying it is and scaring everyone into hastily and foolishly acting.

The alternative is....

No one has any f'ing clue.

I have no idea what would happen if we didn't pass this bailout. However, I know what more ridiculous borrowing is going to do to our future.

And the question I have had since this whole bailout talk started...what is the damn hurry? Why do we have to rush this thing through so fast? Why don't we take a step back, make sure we fully understand the consequences, and what is happening. I think that is the biggest reason I am against the passing at the bill. Even more than the borrowing thing (see next paragraph). I want to know why we have to rush to make such drastic and expensive decisions.


So what to do now.....let's all start learning Mandarin Chinese. It's where we are getting the money from, and where we will be probably indebted for the rest of my life at least. That's the scary part for me....not us letting the financial world and those who invest, and take a risk, figure out their problems.

The United States is the financial equivalent to a 30 year single girl with a good job, a lot of credit card debt, and no sense. She may make 100 grand a year, but she spends more. she also has the best of everything....apartments, shoes, clothes, furniture. She goes to the best restaurants and clubs. From the outside, she is fabulous. On the inside, she can barely even make the minimum payments on her credit cards. What happens when she loses her job and the money stops coming in?

What gets me is that no one is talking about raising taxes. We can spend $600 billion on a war, $120 billion on a stimulus package, and $700 billion on a Wall Street bailout, and no one dares even mention the slight possibility that we may need to increase our income as a country? What is wrong with everyone? No one wants more taxes, but come on.....its Economics 101.

For the first time since this election started....I am disappointed with Obama. Don't take this the wrong way, because I still support him, and think he will make a great president, but I wanted him to be against this bailout. I wanted him to be, in my opinion, the one lone voice of reason talking out there.

Well, like I have said about most of my extreme opinions, I hope I am wrong. I hope this bailout fixes everything. I hope we did not borrow and spend that much money in vain.

And, I hope the American people realize that this is a problem that will not be fixed overnight. And this bailout doesn't mean all the money they lost in the market will instantly be back. And I definitely hope that we change the policies, and work on the deregulation that brought us to this point.

I willingly admit that I am not a financial specialist, but I am a citizen with a stake in what happens. And I know that this blog entry has been rambling and vague, but I'm mad. And this is what I am thinking and feeling at this moment. This is my outlet to express it.

Like I said before....I hope I'm wrong. I hope this bandaid on our bullethole fixes everything. But I'm not going to hold my breath.....

The Concrete Angel (or alternative title: Why My Neighborhood Makes me Laugh)

Until this morning, I owned this random lawn ornament that was a concrete angel. It was about 3 feet tall and ridiculously heavy.

I had owned this thing for about 10 years now. How I came about said angel is interesting.....


My aunt bought this angel, along with a Mary in a Grotto, and a lawn jockey (all concrete) for her house (that's out of town) around 1998. I was living in my same house then, and since the place she bought them from told her they would not ship the lawn ornaments, she had them delivered to my house. Her plan was to make arrangements to have then shipped to her.

Well, the years went on, and I all but lost contact with my aunt, and the ornaments were forgotten. Except for the rare occasions when I would wander to the far side of my house and see the statues leaning against the brick wall.

We considered them abandoned, and around 2003, my mother had a friend who wanted to buy a religious lawn ornament for her backyard. My mother told her that if she could get some guys to come over and move it, that they could have one of the ones that had been leaning again my house unbothered for the last 4 years. They came one Saturday, and it took 3 men, but they moved and took the grotto and Mary.

And then there were two.

Around 2005, I had a tree that was just on the property line between mine and my neighbor's yard. Apparently my neighbor believed that the tree roots were growing under her sidewalk along her house. So, she aked that I have the tree cut down. Well, I came home after the tree guys had done the job, and I saw the funniest site. The guys had taken it upon themselves, after they chopped down the tree and left the stomp, to move and place the angel on the stump for all to see. I didn't really enjoy this, since I did not like the idea of a religious symbol being in my yard, but it was too heavy to move, so I dealt with it for awhile, and eventually hardly noticed it. Besides, where it was placed, most people thought it was actually on my neighbor's yard. So there it stood....for years.

And then there was one.

Around 2007, despite my many objections (sidenote: I personally believe that the lawn jockey is politically incorrect, so I had already made the decision that it would never grace my yard where the public could see it). I found I had a spot in my newly landscaped backyard for the lawn jockey. It was a very hidden spot, that you you could only see if you were in my backyard. I even found a lantern to hang from it. I had some workmen move it into place, and all was well.

And then there was none....or so I thought.

Last year, the stump that the angel was sitting on began to crack, and I noticed that very slowly, the angel was starting to lean. Then a couple of months later, it fell over altogether. I really didn't care, so I just left it lying in the plants. But, apparently the dudes who cut my grass noticed it, and picked it up, and put it back in place. Only for it to fall again....and again....and again. It seems that every other week, I would see it laying face down, and then after the grass was cut, I would notice that it was standing again. This went on for about 6 months.

Well, during this time, I got a new neighbor. A young guy, who really wasn't the type to have a an angel in the front yard, and since most people thought it was on his property, he made a comment to me about it.

It was actually funny.....my neighbor was half joking, but he said that the angel bothered him. He felt that every time he came home drunk, he would see the angel staring at him, and he thought it was judging him. And it made him feel uncomfortable.

I told my neighbor that I never liked the stupid angel, and that as soon as I could find someone who wanted it and could move it, I was planning on giving it away. This conversation was in June of this year.

The finale of the concrete angel....

Well, last night, I came home about 10:30 pm, having been slightly over-served. I saw the angel. It had fallen over again. And that was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

I WAS DONE WITH THAT DAMN ANGEL.

I don't know what got into me, but I decided right then and there that I was not going to deal with that concrete relic again. I went inside and put on some tennis shoes and jeans. Then, I started to move the angel.

Easier said than done.

The thing weighed a ton! So here I was, not completely sober, out in the dark, and straining to move the item. I finally decided that the only way I was going to get it anywhere was to roll it...which I did. It was even hard to roll. I ran over my toe in the process, but I kept on.

Eventually I got it to the curb. It took a lot of grunting and strength I didn't know I had, but I was able to stand the angel up. My plan was to just leave it on the curb, and hope someone would come and take it.

That may sound weird, but the next day was recycle day, and in my neighborhood on that day or trash day, you can pretty much leave anything out you like, and the city will take it. Even appliances, furniture, etc. That leads to people driving around, and checking what's there, and helping themselves to what they want before the trash or recycle trucks come. So my thought was that someone would just come by and take it.

So I felt a sense of accomplishment, and I went inside. About 10 minutes later, two things occurred to me.

1. People might not think I meant for that angel to be trash, since I was not leaving any bags or anything out there as well.

2. Someone may try to take it, and not realize how heavy it was, and hurt themselves.

So, at this point it was about midnight, and I came up with a plan. I grabbed some paper and a maker, and made a sign that said

FREE ANGEL! MOVE AT YOUR OWN RISK. IT'S VERY HEAVY!

I took a roll of packing tape and the sign outside, and wrapped it around the cherub. I felt good.



Jump to this morning:

I woke up at 4:30AM for my 6:55 AM flight to Vegas, (damn you ticketing people in my office) and looked out the window to see if my angel was still there. And low, and behold, it was gone. I knew it wasn't going to last long, but I was in a little bit of shock that some random person took it between the hours of 12:30 AM and 4:30 AM on a Thursday morning!

So that is the story of the concrete angel lawn ornament. It is a saga that has spanned over 10 years. I hope that angel is now in a good home...excuse me, lawn, and is blessing, if you will, the abode of whoever happened upon it in the middle of the night.