Saturday, March 31, 2007

Book Review-Sunday Money-Two and a half quacks

I finally finished reading Sunday Money today and overall the book did what it was supposed to do, by totally imersing you into the weekend spectacle that is Nascar. Though, it may not be the best description of a book when you say finally.

Mr. McGregor's writing style was a bit too descriptive or flowery for me at points. I guess it might be difficult to find ways to describe burning rubber, weekend drunkeness and middle aged women that troll the infields of Nascar races over time. I also must admit I totally skipped half a chapter devoted to Jeff Gordon, because no great words will ever make me a fan of his.

But, there were also many points where I laughed out loud at some of his comments and descriptions. Certain pages did make me feel like I was in that infield, or trying to park the giant camper with McGregor and his wife and that is what a good book is supposed to do.

So, if you are a Nascar devotee, you will enjoy this book. If you watch just the big races, like the ones at Daytona, Charlotte, California, or when the traveling circus comes into your neck of the woods, you may enjoy the history and find yourself more attracted to the sport of auto racing. If you sit down on a Sunday, flipping channels and say, "ugh Car Racing" then stay away!

Friday, March 30, 2007

Martha vs Maxine

Real quick, don't forget the clock is ticking on the All About Me book contest, which is still available on the right.

But, now, a forwarded email from Mrs Duck, who got it from the Wombat. Now I am sure plenty of people have seen this before. But its a Friday, who wants a serious email right?



vs.


*Martha's Way*
Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice
cream drips.

*Maxine's Way *
Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake!
You are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it, anyway!

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the
potatoes.

Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix, keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry
cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the
cake.

Go to the bakery! They'll even decorate it for you.

If you accidentally oversalt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a
peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant
"fix-me-up."

If you oversalt a dish while you are cooking, that's too bad. Please
recite with me the real woman's motto: "I made it and you will eat it and
I don't care how bad it tastes!"

Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will
keep for weeks.

Celery? Never heard of it!

Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a
beautiful glossy finish.

The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites
over the crust so I don't.

Cure for headaches: take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your
forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink!

If you have a problem opening jars, try using latex dishwashing gloves.
They give a non-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Go ask that very cute neighbor if he can open it for you.

Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future
use in casseroles and sauces.

Leftover wine???????????
HELLO !!!!!!!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Laettner, 15 years ago yesterday

So, I was watching my favorite sports show, Pardon the Interruption on the TiVo and they did there happy anniversaries. Yesterday's was too Christian Laettner and Duke.

But why you ask, well, scroll down and see. I can still remember watching this game in my parents living room. Wombat was a tad annoyed because Tex and I would not leave until this game was over. But, afterwards, she even said that it was exciting and worth the wait.

Songbird, when I saw this, I thought you of all people might appreciate it.



I have determined a few things. First, that this is still an utterly amazing sequence in sports history. Verne Lundquist knows how to call a last second buzzer beater. And, I am getting freaking old!!!

Thursday Thirteen #28-The Cartoon One


Thirteen Cartoons Sparky used to Watch


Cartoons were a bigger deal in my childhood growing up on afternoons after school as opposed to Saturday morning, probably because our parents made sure that my brother and I were pretty active on Saturdays. But, some great shows still stick out in my head.



1….Laff-a-Lympics:A cartoon all star festival from the late 70s. A great mix of sports and cartoon!

2.The Superfriends: A dumb downed version of the justice league. only complaint for me were the wonder twins, who came around in later versions. A bucket of water is not going to stop an evil villian!

3.The Transformers:Later on in life I figured out it was just a big commercial for the toys themselves.

4.Spiderman:An after school ritual!!

5.The Smurfs: who knew they were around since the 60s. Though Mrs Duck always asks why there was only one girl smurf.

6.The Great Space Coaster: not necessarily a cartoon, but I dare you to not remember gary gnu or to get the theme song out of your head once you hear it.

7. The Flintstones: Yes, they were a take off on the Honeymooners. But I was a kid, how would I know anything beyond yabba dabba doo.

8.Battle of the Planets: I had to get up at like 6:30 A.M. to watch it, but as a kid, this was my favorite favorite. Reminds me of Andromeda now.

9.The Jetsons: where are my flying cars???!!??

10.GI Joe:Another big half hour commercial, but i was a boy. So, Yo Joe!

11.JabberJaw: I just realized that i saw this one in reruns, since their is no way I would remember a cartoon from 1976. Still, who doesn't love a guitar playing shark?

12.Bugs Bunny:A classic! A necessity for every child growing up. Though I was a huge fan of the Daffy Duck/Bugs Bunny combo episodes. "I'm rich, I'm rich, I'm a wealthy miser!"-Daffy

13.Family Guy: The one cartoon I still watch now. Mrs Duck hates it, but I can get her to watch for Stewie.

Don't Forget about the Book Giveaway thats on the little sidebar and I hope these cartoons brought back some memories!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)




Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Wednesday, March 28, 2007

The Book Contest, which is all about me

well, its the first book contest, since I have alot of books to give away. Damn spring cleaning! But, as promised to Rhian, here is the bindery.

The contest is simple. You have until midnight, Friday, March 30 to answer one question. If the answer is right, you get entered into the book giveaway. If the answer is wrong, you are S.O.L. But hey, you have a 50/50 shot. All correct answers will get a number, which will then be matched against my handy dandy Dungeon and Dragon dice, and someone will be declared a winner, if there number comes up.

so, you are asking I know, what is the prize??

1.Five Against One by Kim Nealy
2.Murder at Monticello by Jane Langton. Its the hardcover version.
3.The Chamber by John Grisham
4.Too Close to Call by Jefferey Toobin
5.Bake it Like a Man cookbook
6.Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson


So, answer the question correctly, and you get entered. Winners choice on the book they get. And I even pay for the shipping!!

So, here is the question.

Did I graduate from college in the town of:

a-Newark, Delaware

b-Newark, New Jersey


PS, Annie, you have unfair information, so if you do participate, just answer the question.

Sun Interrupted

A nice quiet afternoon. My book, my cigarettes, my gatorade and the lovely weather. Of course, that peace gets interrupted by the onslaught of landscapers coming up the street. The sound of the air blower is mind gnawing, the mowers kick up the allergies beyond the help of claritin and silence is shattered. It was a nice 15 minutes though.

Kick

Though, it was more of a verbal kick to the family jewels then a physical kick. And thank goodness for that because it would have really really hurt.

I am not sure whether I overreacted when Mrs Duck said that if any of her other friends buy a house before us, she will have to scream. And that was the kick, because since I have been out of work, I have not been able to provide for her. Well, at least that is how I think it sort of came out. And, I know its an antiquated idea, providing and taking care of your wife. Especially since if things stayed status quo with the last work situation, Mrs Duck would have been bringing home more then me anyways.

Of course, we worked it all out, apologies all around, since I may have griped a bit back with some nasty comments. Strictly as comparison. But, she was right, when we went to bed, I was still annoyed. I am just not sure if I was annoyed at her, or whether I was annoyed at myself for being a bit of a failure so far.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Da Comments #5

More give and take from me and my readers. Enjoy or ignore.

From Tug Tagged
kailani said...
Wow, Pat Benatar. That sure brings back memories.

yea for me too, though I think I only like 3 songs from her catalog, but those 3 I love!

Tug said...
Love Pat & the GooGoo dolls...but you know - I was living in Vegas when Tupac was shot, but had NE.VER heard him until now. Had never listened to Jared Leto, OR JT. See? You learn something with these tags...Thanks Sparky!!

Seems Pat has a strong following. JT is amazing, and has gone way beyond his boy band days. And Tupac is one of those losses that will affect music, at least IMHO.

Haley-O said...
Love "what goes around comes around"! And, Scarlett's totally my girlcrush! Good one!

I love when people admit there same sex crushes!

Christine said...
In So. CA all we heard was Justin Timberlake's "What goes around"! For me it was a good song to have stuck in my head, while driving through CA desert.

Which leads me to something else. Its amazing how music travels across the country and comes out much earlier out west and down south before it leads to the Northeast.

On Technology Way Wrong


Webmiztris said...
why do people come up with this crap in first place? I wonder, does it work when calling a cell phone too, as opposed to a regular house phone with caller ID?

well from the story, I can tell that someone with a cell phone can make the calls to your house phone using this system. Not sure about the other way around.

On Tuesday was Blog for EC Day...

Desert Songbird said...
The only reason to see an OB/GYN more than once a year would be because you're ill or you have a problem or you're pregnant. For normal check ups, once a year is the standard; that's all that is recommended, and that's all insurance will pay!
Stupid gatekeepers at doctors' offices. I deal with them constantly, and some of them are dumber than a box of rocks.

Pam said...
That is INSANE!!
Did she get her pills? There's always Planned Parenthood as an alternative place to get them.

Lady Jane Scarlett said...
Amen Desert Songbird!
I'm all for the IUD, no hormones, no nutty receptionist etc..

Claire said...
Doctors receptionists are the spawn of the devil. They have convinced themselves that they went to medical school.

I am glad I reposted this since Mrs Duck was able to get to her doctor eventually. Guess what, it was the spawn of the devil receptionists fault. She never even told the doctor Mrs Duck called. Though Lady Jane, I don't even trust IUD's! So yes we have the pills once again.

On Brain Dump...

Jay said...
I totally sympathize with the Mrs - I only just realized that Colorado is not where I thought it was...Jason asked me where I thought it was, and I imagined it right under Seattle.

Ok, I will forgive you since you are a Canuck, and I would only be able to tell you where Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver are. Hmm all the places with hockey teams.

Haley-O said...
Ahhh...A man who does the laundry and cooks dinner. Can I have my hubby call you? ;)

Haley, I do laundry, I just don't do it well. Or fold!

crowwoman / rhian said...
Atlanta is essentially another country according to the rest of the deep south. ["Yeah, Jo-Bob went way up thar to 'Lanter."]
And being a former resident of Atlanta, i'd have to say Atlantans would eagerly agree.

Mrs Duck thanks you for your support Rhian. Though she wanted to beat me up for mentioning her mistake until I showed her the comments.

Annie said...
Actually, the Rabid Wolverine is WWE Wrestler Chris Benoit, and I can tell you this, I would not complain if he blew my way mid-March....

You get me Trish Stratus and I will check on finding Benoit for you.

On Philly Wedding Review...
Pleaby said...
Would you consider reviewing my band? Here is a link to the website. Please contact me if you are interested. Thanks!

Sorry Pleaby, right now I am only reviewing groups that I actually had interaction with.

Alicia said...
You lived in NJ, huh? My son was born in Brick, NJ and my husband was stationed at Lakehurst. We lived at Ft Dix because the Navy housing at Lakehurst was terrible. My son had surgery at Children's in Philly, so we only made it there for his consultations, doctors visits and eventual surgeries... I wish I would've spent more time in the city. It really is beautiful. We moved to Colorado a few months later...
NOT a nightmare! Tug lives in HELL, I agree... but I'm from Boulder. It's very different and beautiful.

Yes, I lived in NJ my whole life, except for the brief college jump. Actually, my grandparents lived in Brick, so I know where Lakehurst and Brick are. I hope his suregeries went well. Mrs Duck is a surgery alum of both Childrens and Shriners. She still goes to Childrens for some consultations, but that is a much longer story.
Boulder is a college town, of course it is beautiful.

On Thursday Thirteen, the Subscription one...
Anthony said...
I keep waiting for a local team to win a championship so I can buy a subscription and get the free junk they package with it. Something tells me that if a Philly team ever wins anything, subscriptions at SI will skyrocket.

I think SI will be available only virtually by the time any Philadelphia Team wins a championship.

Slackermommy said...
Wow, that's a lot of magazines. How do you find the time?

I don't, thats why they are still horribly piled up behind the couch.

Alicia said...
I get Playboy. I read it for the articles.

did that work for you? I tried that on the wife and she put her foot down.

Wylie Kinson said...
How un-fem is it for me to admit that I love Maxim? The writing is sharp and witty -- far more interesting that Cosmo, Glamour and that ilk!
I don't get TIME, but it's Canadian equivalent - MacLeans. It's my preferred method of grasping political/world news

Not unfem at all. If I can look at Cosmo, you can look at Maxim. Though I agree with another of the commenters that Maxim has lost its edge some. Now I am going to have to sniff out MacLeans online.

Kimo & Sabi said...
WE fink "Cat Fancy" magazine is a purrdy good read.

Funny, because I was really thinking of looking into Cat Fancy, except I would think I was becoming one of those "crazy cat ladies" in guy form.

Twyla said...
I've only subscribed to one magazine in my entire life...and I'll never tell which one. LOL

Now thats a challenge. Though Im thinking Playboy or Highlights.

Chelle said...
I feel the exact same way about Rachael Ray. Love her recipes but, her voice makes my ears bleed.
Neila said...
*sigh* I do love Rachael Ray. She's growing on me - annoying voice and all. :-)

Love her food, hate her show. Though I do think 10AM is too early for anyone to be perky thats not named Regis.
she said...
All of a sudden, I don't think our magazine subscriptions (4) are too many. I'm with your wife - definitely showing symptoms of addiction.
NB: The hubby used to like Maxim until he found UMM.

Shhh, dont agree with the wife, especially when you mention a new magazine to look at and subscribe too.
Haley-O said...
I got a subscription to US Weekly for my b-day...Loves it! ;)

yep US Weekly sounds just like something up your alley.

On So is it the Messenger or the Message...

Anthony said...
Over at the gym tonight, one of the treadmill TVs was tuned to Fox News (uggh...talk about killing a workout)...anyway, the host was whining about the global warming debate. Basically, he was saying that the science was bunk, blah blah blah ... all of it centered around Gore.
Yours is a good question. I couldn't imagine Fox coming out against the issue if The Shrub or Dr. Evil was on that side.
What I can't figure out is why anyone would come out against protecting the environment, global warming or not. Guarding against possible warming of the earth is a measure to protect the air and water.
Isn't that a bi-partisan issue? Apparently not

One would think that the idea of not having the world implode or disappear under water would be an idea everyone can get behind.

Desert Songbird said...
The environment should be a NON-partisan issue; i.e., everyone REGARDLESS of party affiliation should care about protecting natural resources.
But, think about this from a business standpoint: would you buy haircare products from a bald guy or from a guy with full locks like, say, Jon Bon Jovi? It's all in how the message is delivered that will determine the success of the product. I hate to say it, but it's marketing, marketing, marketing. POLITICS is about the sell, not the message. Government should NOT be about politics, but it is.
Just my VERY humble opinion, but then who am I but some no-nothing suburban housewife...d'oh!

If you are just a no nothing suburban housewife, then I am Jon Bon Jovi. And politics is about marketing, which is why they need to raise all that money. But there should be certain ideas that should break through the haze.

Hyperion said....
Anyway, as a general proposition, I'd say that often the Messenger gets confused with the Message, and that's just the way it is. To use your own exmplae, if Dick Cheney said something, would a liberal be as likely to evaluate the information free of who delivered it? Probably not. Similarly, rightly or wrongly some people immediately wonder what Al Gore is up to when he speaks, what sort of end-game he has in mind.
More generally this holds true for most politicians. Any time you see a politician suddenly come out strongly on something, you can usually bet he/she is about to run for something.

well, I will say this, I was all for the tax cut originally when Bush got elected, because I am selfish and wanted some money back. Of course, I have let myself be fooled before. The problem is, should we look into the message everytime or should we just ignore it because of who it comes from. I try my best to listen to all sides, but alot of times its all just blasted talking points.

Haley-O said...
Erm...Canadian here. I liked that Al Gore got involved with this. It doesn't really matter to me how smug he is -- what matters is that he got people listening. I don't know if any of those other dudes could have. I think he was perfect for the job -- just to get the documentary noticed. He's an odd guy for the job, and a famous guy -- perfect.

Thats the one thing good about Gore. He is not a johnny come lately on this issue. He has been talking about it since he was a senator. So, he is not a fraud on the environment. Which of course should help his message.
Jay said...
Don't you wisht hat the medium wasn't the message?
That we could just pay attention to content, and whether the content has merit, and not whether we personally like the person who is delivering the message?

Jay, that is because neither side trusts the media. And we really shouldnt, since it all becomes Anna Nicole, Paris, and Britney, especially during sweeps. oh and the diaper wearing astronaut.

Wordnerd said...
In response to Anthony: Geez, guy. Give us a break. You guys have half a dozen news outlets distorting the facts on a regular basis -- mind if we have ONE? :)
Anthony said...
wordnerd: OK, one. But, I'd like it a lot more if they would go off the air at midnight. Being on at those weird hours just attracts a lot of drunks, who are suckers for a good story. Between Fox and QVC, drunks are probably responsible for 50% of their viewership. ;-)


yea, much easier for me to just let the two of you fight this out. Just let me witness it, it could be better then March Madness.

Sam's Town better then Hot Fuss??

Why yes, yes it is

I know some of you are looking at this title and saying what the hell. But, I played the hell out of the last The Killers CD on my Itunes. And this time, I may actually breakdown and try to get my hands on the CD for posterity. It is that musically stunning!

And right now, this is my favorite song!

Monday, March 26, 2007

Amazingly, there are hills in Slope Park

First off, apologies. I know I had mentioned there would be a contest for some free books over the weekend. It was a way for me to get all of you people to look at my blog while I was off carousing with the wife for the weekend. Yea, um, can we have a do over on that? Friday got away from me, I swear, the cat ate my homework. So, stay tuned this week for a simple simple contest!

So, it was off to North Jersey, the boonies, to visit my aunt and uncle. It was the sticks, honestly. Just a bit too rural for me and my liking. There were just too many times that we had to have the high beams on while driving up. But, it was alot better then the last time we made the trip, since a 2 hour trip took almost 4 hours.

Saturday was the highlight of the whole trip. Of course, it could have been seen as the lowlights too. It was Bowdoin's birthday celebration, and one of her wishes was to have the dogs, one chocolate lab and one young bulldog. First, in the trip was about 2 hours with dogs that have some farting issues. Then, while my cousin wanted to see the dogs, she didn't want them running around her small apartment. Not exactly thought out full as an idea. But, once skippy and dodo got there bearings, they actually behaved. We walked around the neighborhood, I am not sure whether it is Queens or Brooklyn, Im not a city guy. But we did eventually end up in Park Slope, so maybe someone can tell me where the heck we were!

But the highlight?? Dinner naturally. Bowdoin picked out this fantabulous greek restaurant, Miriam. I mean top of the world awesome. The appetizer was so delicious I wish I was not sharing it with Mrs Duck. And I am not usually a noodle pudding fan with my dinner, yet there kugel went perfect with the braised short ribs. Now I am getting hungry again. Oh, and for dessert, the greatest chocolate brownie sundae at the Chocolate Room across the street. For a foodie, this was the tops!

I am still exhausted, and its Monday morning. Feels like I spent most of the weekend in the car, between driving North, being a passenger to NYC and then driving home again. Im getting old, I was in bed before Mrs Duck and before 11 PM!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

So, Is it the Messenger or the Message?

A blog that I have found myself visiting more and more gave Al Gore a whining award on the blog that they control the other day. Now, him or her is definetly a Republican and I am a Democrat if you didnt know that already, but I am not going to call she/he out because they seem to be a great person overall and I treat them like I treat Tin Man, no need to get into raging screaming matches over politics, but a healthy debate is good.

But, it did get me to thinking. If it wasn't Al Gore delivering the Global Warming Message, would it make a darn bit of difference? I can admit, Gore is extremely smug. I was so pissed at him over the whole Florida recount debacle, for not fighting more. And there is just something about him that rubs many people who would normally vote for him the wrong way. I get it.

My question, if it was Lieberman or Dodd or Shumer or Bill Frist or even the Dark Overlord, er I mean Cheney, delivering the warnings about what we are doing to our planet, would the Republicans run out and agree and Democrats call it poppycock? (ohh I like using the word poppycock) I fear that the country is spiraling so far out of control that we can't agree on anything.

Now, if your someone controlled by the oil lobby and your from Oklahoma, like Senator Imhofe, it makes sense that you would wish to keep the science out of the record. But, if you, a normal person, can't see that something is up with the weather, then you maybe living in a dream world.

But, thats my own thoughts, tell me, if the messenger wasnt a smug, California elitist, but someone you saw as more of in line with your views, would you listen?

Thursday Thirteen #27-The Subscription One


Thirteen Magazine Subscriptions I have had or have


The wife thinks I am a magazine junkie. On some Thursdays or Fridays, our mailbox is filled with different periodicals. I don't even have time to read through them all, yet I have to count to 20 sometimes to stop from adding a new subscription to the list. Here is some of my magazine history.

1. Sports Illustrated-A natural, its the bible of sports reporting, or at least the bible that has the most customers.

2.The Sporting News-While I still get this magazine, it was much better when I was a kid. It came in newspaper variety instead of the glossy version of today and it was the only place I could get all sorts of stats before the internet existed.

3 & 4-Time and Newsweek-Time was first, but I find Newsweek to be a bit better. I think there is a tad less slant to the right to it.

5.A Taste of Home-Some great recipes, but, they also seem to be very very fattening recipes.

6.Maxim-The King of the non nudie men's magazine. I still have the Anna Kournikova and Christina Aguilera editions stored safely in a box in my basement.

7.Rolling Stone-I think I started getting the subscription just before it really began to suck. Though it still feels like a magazine for my father and not me.

8.PSM-A Unofficial Playstation Magazine, that used to be great once a month for some game samples. Plus they had some good reviews. I am in a holding pattern until I get my hands on a PS3, so I have let this one lapse.

9.ESPN-Yes, Another sports magazine, big and glossy. I think I might be a tad to old for this magazine, because there are a lot of times that I feel smarter then the actual articles.

10.Electronic Gaming Monthly-It has since become Games for Windows. IMO the best magazine for games for your PC. Not only do they tell you what sucks, they had a great editorial last month about how computer developers are making games that the computers right now are too slow for.

11.Blender-A men's Magazine for music. But ladies, don't run from the magazine, its the new Rolling Stone, since they have embraced the Itunes generation by telling you what songs to download individually. Plus, yes, the chicks are hot.

12.Everyday with Rachael Ray
-The great recipes of Rachael Ray, without the annoying perky voice in your face.

13.Cosmopolitan-Mrs Duck actually got this magazine, though we kept getting it even after we started living together, because my cousin, Bowdoin, was writing for them. Now that she has moved to Fitness, I think the 30 tips for great sex issue wont be showing up in the mailbox.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Brain Dump

Alot of things in my head, but things that would never work out to be a full post. So, I jam it all together into the Blog Relish. :)

1.Why does it seem laundry never ends? Well it ends for me because I don't get to it everyday, but you get the drift...

2.If March is supposed to come in like a Lion and go out like a Lamb, or vice versa, what is an ice storm in the middle of the month, a rabid Wolverine?

3.Mrs Duck was watching Designers Challenge while I was cooking dinner. I couldn't totally hear the TV, but I was able to see the architecture, which struck me as very southern Mansion like. Here is the conversation upon my return to the living room.

Me-"So where is the show in this episode, Georgia?"
Mrs Duck-"No, I think its Atlanta"
I had to leave before I got in trouble

4. Stupid things heard on Cable News:
while talking to a criminologist about the street gang called Public Enemy No.1, who is allied with a bunch of prison white supremacist groups. "Why are they so dangerous Brian?" Hmm, maybe the fact that they are a street gang allied with prison white supremacist groups???

5.Imagine if she was sitting on the womans purse!

Tuesday was Blog for EC Day

EC is of course, emergency contraception. And while I am not the most knowledgeable about this thing, since I have always figured it was a woman thing, I figured I would repost this post from January 27, 2007. Its a guest post by Mrs Duck, and while it is not Emergency Contraceptive, its contraception and gynecologists, so it will have to do.

Thanks Pam for letting me know.

So today I had quite the fiasco with my gynocologist office. Here is the story... Yesterday, I called the gyno office to schedule my yearly check-up. They scheduled me for the middle of February. Now I take Birth Control pills and I need a refill to get me by till my yearly check-up. This would require ONE refill. They tell me that they cannot refill my perscription until I am seen by a doctor. So that leaves me without my pills for a one month cycle, which as you can guess just annoys me, I am on birth control because I DO NOT WANT (at this time in my life) an unplanned pregnancy. Now let me tell you that I have been a patient here for the last 5 to 6 years. I am not a new patient! They also told me that I am required to come in for a check-up every 4 months. I only ever had a yearly check-up, my health insurance only pays for one visit per year. They have always perscribed me Birth Control pills for 12 months. So of course I tell the person on the phone who is feeding me this crap that this is not true. I asked when my last appt was (January 23, 2006) it is January 23, 2007 which leaves me at ONE YEAR. She refuses to refill my perscription, even though she has now started to stumble over her theory that I am required to be in the office every 4 months. I asked to speak to the doctor, she tells me that the doctor will need to call me back. I said fine and I also said to her that not being on my pills for one month was unacceptable to me, I do not want to interrupt my schedule. It took me months to get adjusted to the BC pills in the past. She says that she will have to doctor call me -- Of course that never happened! I was so mad they act like I am an addict. They are birth control pills for goodness sakes and I have been a patient for over 5 years. I have never been a no show on appointments. I have always abided by there rules.

You gals that are on birth control pills know that it is not something that you just stop and start at your own whim. This is really going to mess me up, not to mention my husband is not going to touch me for the next couple of months. So of course I ask the girls in the office how many times they go to the gyno, everyone of them said ONCE A YEAR. I only asked, because now I am thinking that I am crazy, they all assured me that I was not crazy and that they were just being awful! I have decided that I am going to change Doctors, I mean I could just see it now ... Years from now, my water breaks and they tell me sorry you cannot be admitted into the hospital, because (I cannot even think of a reason this is just so absurd) I am so frustrated by this situation! The answer from the gyno office is just NO and that to me was just absolutely the most unacceptable answer, I hung up the phone and just sat there and thought to myself that I cannot believe this. THEY ARE BIRTH CONTROL PILLS, not Oxycodin.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner

Ok, so its not a Chicken Dinner, its a $10 gift card, but indeed we did have a winner in Sparky's Match Game contest. While I was a tad disappointed in the turnout, I can understand how many people would not know what a Blue Hen looked like. The only bad point? All of the answers besides the bonus question were in the Thursday Thirteen! But I digress.

First, our Winner...

Congratulations to Desert Songbird!!!

I was highly inpressed by her answers. I mean, really really impressed. She even got Pepperdine for Christ Sake! Desert, drop me an email to let me know which of the two prizes you want and how you would like to receive it.

Special mention to K.P. I dont know what blog you were at, but he or she (see not giving away identities) did get 4 answers right. But, if you are looking for the Brevard Blue Ducks, take a peek at my profile picture. And thats why I am giving you special recognition, since I hadn't even heard of the Blue Ducks until 2 years ago.

Kailani and Christine, I knew you two would get one of them, the task however was to get the rest of them. :) Rhian, yes you could have got your husband to help, but since you sent pictures, you are forgiven.

There will be another contest coming up this weekend, alot easier and books are the prize!

Now for the answers, straight from the winners email. She got all 10 questions right!! Though I will say, I dont agree on your assement of Dick Vitale.

1.University of Delaware Blue Hens (founded 1743, located in Newark, DE)
2.University of Vermont Catamounts (founded/chartered in 1791, located in Burlington, VT)
3.University of Hawaii (at Manoa) Rainbow Warriors (the flagship campus, founded 1907, located in the Manoa valley on the island of O'ahu)
4.King Neptune, the retired mascot of Pepperdine University Waves (founded in 1937, located in Malibu, CA. Pepperdine attempted to replace King Neptune with The Wave Men, but as of now Pepperdine remains as the only Division I school without a mascot.
5.University of Oregon Ducks (founded in 1876, located in Eugene, OR)
6.U.S. Air Force Academy Falcons (founded in 1954, located 14 miles north of Colorado Springs, CO)
BUT it also looks like similar to the mascot for the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (founded in 1886, located in Princess Anne, MD) I didn't even know that about UMES

7.University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners (founded in 1969, located in San Antonio, TX (duh!); mascot’s name is “Rowdy the Roadrunner”)
8.University of South Carolina Gamecocks (founded in 1805, located in Columbia, SC)
9.Arizona State University Sun Devils (GO DEVILS!), (founded in 1885 as a teachers’ college, became Normal School of Arizona in 1901, became known as Arizona State University in 1958. Main campus located in Tempe with satellite campuses in Mesa, downtown Phoenix, and West Phoenix/Glendale). Mascot’s name is Sparky; colors are maroon and gold, but REAL Devils wear GOLD. Real Devils do wear gold. And still the greatest entrance into a football stadium ever!

Bonus Question: Dick Vitale (“Dickie V” or “Dukie V” for his affinity for Duke University) – “It’s awesome, baby!”


Congrats again, and look out this Friday for the next contest!!!

Technology Way Wrong

The lovely Nydia Han, another secret news girl crush by the way, did a story on just some "spectacular" technological breakthrough that is Caller ID Spoofing. The way it works is, you, electronic stalker, can purchase a 60 minute phone ID card online. Then using your assigned pin number and a telephone, you, electronic stalker, can call me and the number comes up on my caller ID as Aunt Betsy. Doesn't that just sound wonderful??

And apparently, right now it is legal, at least for individuals to do. I dont know, if you asked me, not only does it sound pretty dangerous for those naive individuals out there who would be easily fooled into giving out personal information that could be used for identity theft purposes, but it sure does sound like something perfect that those stalking EX's would love to get there hands on.

I am not going to list the companies that provide this service in this post, why provide them with another Google hit opportunity, but I would think this would be something that should be outlawed, as opposed to Jim Gardner's idea, which was to invent a Call ID Spoofing prevention machine.

Monday, March 19, 2007

Da Comments 4

Another Monday, another set of Comment Responses...

On Blogging Mental Health

kailani said...
Good to see you back! I've never heard of Wegmans but now I'm curious. I may have to check it out on a layover since we don't have it here.

Its truly amazing Kailani, like nothing I have ever seen. Though i think it started in upstate NY, so what else do they really have to do up there?

Anthony said...
Nice to have you back. I must say, as an area resident my whole-entire life, I've never been to the flower show. Just one of those things, I guess.
Sorry to see Drexel out of the tourney, but you can't make everyone happy.
Go Jayhawks!

yes go Jayhawks, still alive. Drexel would have a better arguement if they did not lay an egg in there first NIT game, at home no less. The flower Show for us is a once every 2 or 3 year experience. and eventually, no matter what, it still looks like just alot of flowers.

nancy said...
Taking a break is always a good thing. We missed the flower show here. I spent 12 hours in the car yesterday going to Danbury, CT and back. UGH!

Holy Crap why??!??!

Buttercup said...
You went to a Flower Show?? I'm very impressed Sparky. Clearly, I had you pegged wrong. :) Good for you for organizing. I have tons of that kind of stuff to do

Yes, Buttercup, I am a renaissance man. Plus it is a picture takers dream.

Momish said...
Wegmans? Where is a Wegman's around here? Jersey?

Yes, there is a Wegmans in Princeton/West Windsor and one in Bridgewater, though we ventured to the brand spanking new one in Warrington, PA.

J-Dawg's Realm said...
OK,
one of the things I hate about living in the midwest is that there are NO WEGMAN'S!!! I TRULY miss the Wegmans back home in Scranton...where else can you get fresh bread in baskets like at the old city markets, and fresh seafood off the trucks -- and like you said where else can you have band-aids and caviar in the same aisle!

Im sorry that I brought up all these things you miss, Dawg, but you do have a better chance of getting In N Out burgers or Sonic out by you dont you (BTW, Tug, your welcome)

On The Goat is a Rockstar

Nancy said...
Trust me many days I wonder why I had THREE kids and what it would be like not to have them. People have too much time on their hands to get so bent on other peoples choices that have no bearing on their lives.

Amen Nancy, though that could be said on alot of things, not just the post that Jay did on the whole kid thing. Live and Let Live.

Twyla said...
I do love my kids and wouldn't give them back for anything, but if I knew then what I know now, things would be different. I would have at least waited another 10 years for sure.

Twyla, you never sound like a bad mother, just a stressed one. But I do like your 10 year idea for sure. Though if we do decide to have kids, ill be in a walker when there in college.

Jay said...
Yeah, I totally know. :)

So Modest!! :)

On Not one but Two contests...


Editors note:oh wait, this one will have its own post tomorrow with thoughts and the winner, so wahh wahh wahh...

On Thursday Thirteen #26-Another NCAA One

Carmen said...
Ok, this Wahoo is upset at the Hokies being on your list, but not the Hoos. :) Actually, I'm just hoping we don't embarrass ourselves

I have no problem admitting that I picked Great Danes to beat the Cavs, since I am not perfect. Albany lost by like 50.

Tilly Greene said...
Okay, confession time, Basketball is my least favorite sport, and I love sports! I'll still make a pick - Da Bruins for the champs.

Its a possibility still Tilly, UCLA is just one of those awfully boring teams to watch, like paint drying or an hour of Fox News.

Knitting Maniac said...
Here's how *I* think it will go down:
OSU and Florida in a rematch National Championship game, but OSU will WIN this one. They need to vindicate the football team's loss last year.

After that Xavier game, it might be Buckeye destiny, but I do think they would need to win 2 basketball championships to make up for the pathetic showing by the football team.

Vader's Mom said...
Oh boo hiss Texas A&M. I have always been a SEC fan, so I really root for BAMA and the VOLS.

I am sooo pulling for the Vols now too, Mrs Duck is kicking my butt in this pool this year. Does Bama even have a basketball team?

she said...
So, when's this NCAA thingy over?
*grins, ducks and runs*

Now that sounds like Mrs Duck!!

On the Duck Family DNA...


Tug said...
I'll have to post mine soon-ish...LOL. You 2 have a lot in common - good thing. I'm a tad worried about Mrs. Duck's showing "part time lover", but hey - it's a great song....LOL.

Mrs Duck is actually quite snuggly and adores me as much as I adore her. But in the beginning, she was very big on her personal space and was none to thrilled that i was invading it some. That changed eventually :)

Jay said...
Matching is good, but I think a little contrast is exciting too, n'est-ce pas?

great now I have to google n'est-ce to just see what you are talking about Jay

On Help from Furry Friends...


tiggerprr said...
Hey Sparky! :)
Here's what our Cat Condo looks like. We got it at Costco for like $60 the cats love it. :)

Well, prrr, I sure hope Sam's Club has the same!

Uisce said...
we used to have a cat condo but we got rid of it because nobody was using it. not even the cats.

Now, thats not what I want to hear at all!! Though just now, Miss Lola was in the side window that I have to get on my tippy toes to look out of, so I would say shes game.

On Madness Day 1


Anthony said...
UNC is definitely overrated. It will be a close call between them and Ohio State to see which 1-seed is the first one eliminated. Early.

Anthony, you were sooo close to right, I think you maybe be Jimmy The Greek reincarnated!

On Gobble Gobble

Twyla said...
I was going to ask what the Hokies was, but then I googled it. I should have known. LOL

Yea, I should have marked this one tipsy typing in the labels as well as march madness :)

Tug Tagged

She is at it again, though this time it is not so bad. Tug has selected me for another meme, a musical one at that. And it was actually one of those sick coincidences, because as she was visting my blog, I was visiting hers. Alton Brown or "The Secret" strikes again.

So, its list 7 songs that you are currently really really into, no matter what they are, and then tag 7 more people to do it. Whats fun is I was just listening to the Ipod yesterday while scraping out snow, and was replaying some songs over and over again. Perfect Synergy.

1.When you were Young-The Killers-Jam out here well eventually the song takes a while to get started.
2.Welcome to the Black Parade-My Chemical Romance. Get your Goth on here
3.From Yesterday-30 Seconds to Mars. Get your yummy Jared Leto Goth here
4.What Goes Around Comes Around etc...-Justin Timberlake. MMM Scarlett here
5.Changes-Tupac. Miss a legend of rap here
6.Shadows of the Night by Pat Benatar. Only version I could find was a Supernatural version, I dont even know Supernatural!
7.Stay with you by The Goo Goo Dolls. Get you Goo here

So, I am supposed to Tag 7 people, which of course I will do, I have always been a huge fan of peer pressure, but if I dont tag you, feel free to join in. And the 7 winners are?

Kukka or Brach (since it seems the Empress is currently being questioned)
Peggy as she is
Amy
Tiggerprr
Twyla
because she is always good for some music
Maven
Stacy @ Exceedingly Mundane

I would have tagged Lady Jane, but I think she is really really busy this week.

So lets see how many I get, but thanks Tug, this was fun!

Full Weekend of Madness

First, let me get this out of the way...

I now Hate the Hokies

Nothing like destroying a pool nicely. Again, there were some exciting games, though I did miss most of the Buckeyes/Xavier game, I did get to see the most important part. Its amazing what a difference one free throw can make. And I am sure there is plenty of debate going on in Ohio about whether to foul or not to foul when your team is down by three. My opinion, let them go, if you cant win a game in overtime, you dont deserve to win it in regulation.

Vanderbilt/Washington State was a very exciting game as well, Derrick Byars just willed the Commodores to a victory by his stellar playing ability. Overall, the rest of the games were not overly exciting. Well, except for the Oregon games, which were just exciting because they won. Again, Phil Knight is just not going to be able to force the Oregon coach out because you just cant fire a coach that gets his team to the sweet 16.

On the homefront, we had Spice Girl and the Tin Man over for St Patty's Day. Mrs Duck was put in charge of the corned beef and cabbage, because I was busy breaking my shoulder chipping 5 inches of ice. And she did a spectacular job! Remarkably, I was drunker on Friday night then I was on Saturday. I guess I was celebrating St Patricks Day with the Irish in spirit.

Guess what, its Monday morning and Mrs Duck's car is still not dug out. I have, for now at least, decided to let the sun do its work. I may change my mind by Wednesday.

Oh, and Mrs Duck made homemade "Irish Potatoes", which are not the starchy ones, but the coconut butter cinnamon covered confection! Recipe soon to follow...

Sunday, March 18, 2007

An Irish Hottie to warm you up

A little bit behind schedule, but when you combine 5 inches of ice, basketball and corned beef, some things to fall beside the wayside. Amazingly, my pools have not imploded yet, but they are all tettering. Right now in the family combination, Mrs Duck is beating me! Oh the horror!!!

Andrea Corr of the Irish group, The Corrs, is this entries hottie. Not only can she sing, but she would warm any of those cockles out there for sure.

i hope everyone had an enjoyable St Patricks Day!!


Friday, March 16, 2007

Skippity Do, Im Mundane again!!

My good blogging buddy, Marisa at Apartment 2024 is hosting the Carnival of the Mundane again, and yes indeedly, I made the cut once again. Now it could be for the fact that there may have not been alot of submissions, but I am not going to look a gift Carnival in the mouth. Heyyy, Tiff made it too, shes freaking hilarious.

While your over there, give Marisa's whole blog a perusal. As I have said before, she is one of my favorites.

Gobble Gobble



I love the Hokies!!

Madness Day 1

Ok, pardon me if I was a little bit distracted by the nice little ice mix for weather this morning, hence this recap took way too long to get up.

Plus, the games yesterday were overall quite dreadful. Some thoughts from the early session.

-Bob Knight really cant coach em up anymore.
-Stanford was a waste of breath. As I said before, thanks for coming and taking up space, you rich panty wastes.
-Wazzu was alot more impressive then I thought they would be. Who says Tony Bennett cant coach?
-The rest of the afternoon games were uneventful. I never even bothered to turn on the GW/Vandy game, it was about 20-0 to start.

Oh, you want to know about the night games?

-VCU/Duke easily the best game of the day. Duke needs to figure out how to work against the press. Plus, they also have to stop getting these point guards who are such jerks. Paulus makes Bobby Hurley look like an angel.
-UNC may be a tad bit overrated.
-Marquette could not shoot.
-Xavier and BYU another really exciting game. BYU did what they always do in this tournament, they blow a game late. Plus, I still have to wonder how old some of these kids on the Cougars are, there center looked older then me.

Now, as I take a little break, tell me has anyone besides me even heard of Texas A&M Corpus Christie before Sunday???

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Help from my furry friends?

Well, really help for my furry friends as well as help from them. We are in the process of researching Cat Towers/Condos, etc. So my loveable cat owners, do you have one and where did you get yours from? Thanks in advance, carry on...

The Duck Family DNA

Sparky's



Mrs Duck


yes I broke down, because it looked so cool on alot of other blogs

The Committees first Doh Moment

Kudos to the NCAA Selection Committee for inviting Stanford. They have spent the last 2 hours or so making Louisville look like the next coming of Phi Slamma Jamma. By now, those suits in Indianapolis are just hoping that the Cardinals dont double up the Cardinal, and that maybe Stanford will break 50.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #26-A second NCAA One

First, some quick housekeeping. Friday is the deadline for Sparky's Match Game contest, scroll down to see the pictures. $10 is nothing to sneeze at.

Also, be forewarned, March Madness seems to do some strange things to people.


Thirteen Plus Three Of Sparkys Sweet 16 Teams


So its one of those bonus lists. Anthony of My Sick Mind posted his and now I am posting mine. We have a gentlemans wager, though I dont think we ever decided exactly what we are wagering on. Plus, this is a Public Service Announcement for all of you who are going to fill in brackets today without a clue as to what you are doing. Of course, you need to decide whether you should follow me or do the exact opposite.

1.UNC Tar Heels-East number one seed. Beware the masked man.

2.Texas Longhorns-East number four seed. Durant pulls a Carmelo Anthony, even though Rick Barnes is a horrible coach.

3.Washington State Cougars-East seed #3. Weird style of play and alot of seniors. Plus, Wazzu is a neat name

4.Georgetown Hoyas-East Seed #2. A Ewing and a Thompson cause havoc in the Tournament again.

5.Ohio State Buckeyes-South Seed #1. Celtics and Sixers get a preview of the number one pick, Greg Oden.

6.Tennessee Volunteers-South Seed #5. I love the press, and how many coaches would paint themselves orange?

7.Texas A&M Aggies-South Seed #3. Learn the name Acie Law IV, your gonna hear alot of it.

8.Memphis Tigers-South Seed #2. They get less respect then Rodney Dangerfield.

9.Florida Gators-Midwest Seed #1. The most unlikeable team in the tournament, I will be rooting against them, but they are that good.

10.Old Dominion Monarchs-Midwest seed #12. This years George Mason.

11.Oregon Ducks-Midwest Seed #3. The Ducks can shoot and have one of the best backcourts, even though the school wanted to fire there coach.

12.Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets-Midwest Seed #10. A pick because I hate the way both Wisconsin and UNLV play.

13.Kansas Jayhawks-West Seed #1. A very experienced team, a bit erratic, but too many good guys that can play together.

14.Virginia Tech Hokies-West Seed #5 Im Hokie crazy.

15.Pittsburgh Panthers-West Seed #3. A stifling defense, even if they cant score, themselves. (well im sure they "score" off the basketball courts)

16.UCLA Bruins-West Seed #2. Finalists last year and most of the team is back.

Okay, My final Four Picks?
Florida, Georgetown, Texas A & M and UCLA. Champs? Texas A&M. I believe in Acie Law!

Sorry for all the Sports stuff.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!





Not one, but two Contests!

*****Sticky Post, scroll down for more fun with Sparky***

Yes, thats right two contests, one for prizes and one for pride.

First, the one for without the prizes. I have started a March Madness Tournament Challenge group over at ESPN. Just click the group link for Philly Transplant and sign up. Make your picks and enjoy the craziness that is March Madness. No Prizes here, since its illegal to bet on sports *wink wink nudge nudge* but I would think beating me would be prize enough. Enter before noon on Thursday. Bring it on!

Ok and now for the Sparky's Match Game

First the rules, you have until 11pm Eastern Time on FRIDAY to submit your answers. Answers maybe submitted through the comments, or maybe emailed to blujackit AT gmail DOT com. If you do email your answers, please let me know in the comments so I can be sure I have your answers and they are not stuck in my spam.

The contest is easy, there are 10 pictures, 9 worth one point each and one worth 2 points. All of the answers can be found somewhere on this blog. All you have to do is look at the picture and tell me what University or College the picture goes with.

1.contest3 2.contest4 3.contest5

4.contestfix2 5.contestfix3 6.contest8
7.contestfix1 8.contest6 9.contest10

Bonus Question, Who is this? (thanks Sass)
contesttie



I did say prizes, which will be a $10 Amazon gift card, or $10 gift card from Itunes, winners choice. In the result of a tie, the winner will be selected by this blogs in house counsel (Mrs Duck) in a blind draw. Easy enough isnt it? Don't be shy.

Philadelphia Wedding Reviews-Rober Fair Caterers

As the weather here gets warmer, and good god it was 80 degrees here today, there are a few things that always pop up as spring comes along. The birds return, my allergies pick up, and Its Wedding Season! So, as a public service to those of the Delaware Valley, I am posting vendor reviews that Mrs Duck created for The Knot. Some editing has been done, just to protect our anonmity or however you spell that. And now, Mrs Duck, take it away...

Robert Fair Caterers:

I cannot say enough about my Caterers. They were extremely professional. Everything was set-up and ready to go on time. The food was awesome, and there servers were efficient and also friendly. We were expecting rain right before the start of our Ceremony and we really insisted that the ceremony be set-up outside. They set-up in a blink and there attention to detail was remarkable. Everything looked exactly the way I wanted and nothing was missed. Terry Fair was wonderful; I would recommend anyone using them insist on having her at your wedding. She knows exactly what she is doing! Terry was able to take charge and paid special attention to Sparky and I during cocktail hour, announcements, dinner, and cake cutting. We had a sit down dinner and some of our guests decided to move chairs and which left one too many people (12 people at a 10 place setting table) at one table. For a sit down this makes serving a nightmare, but it was not a problem for Robert Fair. I highly recommend Robert Fair Caterers, they are professional, efficient and the food was delicious. Especially the Appetizers!

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

The Goat is a Rockstar

If I knew how to nominate people for perfect posts, or bestest blog of the day, or the most awesome blog post, I would surely nominate Jay for this little ditty on Kill the Goat. It encompasses all my thoughts on the little angels that we call children, and also shows how childless adults have to deal with rules that are biased against them. God forbid you go against whatever the excepted norm is!

Jay as I have said before YOU ROCK!!!!

A case of military hoof in mouth disease.

Day after day, it just gets way too easy. Well, not easy for the administration, just easy for all of its detractors.

Today, it was reported that the Joint Chief of Staff of the United States military, called homosexuality immoral. Suprisingly, this is not a post about the silliness of that statement. Dear readers, you can feel however you wish to feel about homosexuality. I do not know what the bible says about it, nor do I care. I will feel my way, and you can feel your way and we will all get along.

No, this is actually all about stupidity. I can rail on right now about how foolish I think the current administration is, how I hope that Florida does not win the National Championship because they are unlikeable, or my dislike for baked ham. Guess what, no one is going to overthrow the government, the oddsmakers in Vegas are not going to change there minds, and the pig farmers are not writing me angry letters. Why? Because I am not a public figure. This blog is my microphone, and it usually talks to about 30 people tops.

However, if you are someone who is in the national spotlight, you dont say things like this! Its going to cause issues, and backlash, and consternation. You dont hear the CEO of Walmart saying his store wont sell to homosexuals. He is in the public and knows not to stir up the pot. So why would the Joint Chief decide to stir things up? Maybe he does have hoof in mouth disease.

Now, how many times to do think the powers that be in the White House have been bashing there heads against a wall this week, because they just cant catch a break.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Da Comments 3

I have been a bit slow, but, maybe it will be worth the wait?

From, "Is Hillary Right?"

Anthony said...
It is starting WAY too early. I fear voter burnout by next summer. I have to keep reminding myself that it's still 2007!
I think the Republicans could band together to "get" Hillary unless Rudy runs. He has as many skeletons in his closet as anyone, so the personal attacks will not work.
The really amazing thing that I saw today was a straw poll that ranked the Republicans. Sam Brownback still had 15%. (Rudy was the frontrunner) He is truly a frightening man, and I can only hope that he doesn't build up steam and accidentally get elected.
I'll be blogging from Canada.

And now I am hearing that Hagel seems to be turning himself to make a run. Now if he is not a crazy wackjob I dont know who is. Get me a Passport application please.

Lady Jane Scarlett said...
Help me draft Al Gore.

Tell me How!

Nancy said...
It is way to early in the game to listen to all this, ummmm, stuff!
I am sticking w. Obama. I just don't get why everyone hates Hilary so much. If she gets the nomination I will be right there doing everything I can to see she gets in.

I think Hillary seems to have a few problems against her. She comes off as too polished or crafted, you never get a sense of her emotion at all. And then there is the whole just utter hatred that the Conservatives of the country have for anything Clinton.

on the "Frio Manifesto Ver 2.0"
Lady Jane Scarlett said...
Ahhhh yes. Hawaii. I wish I were there right now. I liked the Big Island the best, you? :D

We only visited Oahu and Maui, and Maui was just phenomenal. Waikiki was specatacular too, but it also felt like something I could see in the Bahamas or Bermuda. Maui is incomparable to anyplace else.

kailani said...
I'd recognize that view anywhere! That's the Royal Hawaiian Hotel! I used to work there! Lower 80s today. Oops, sorry, didn't mean to rub it in ;-)

I knew the Pink would give it away.

On "Sweating and Breathing Easy"

Anthony said...
Hop on over to WIP's site. They are having a bracket contest with cool prizes.
http://www.610wip.com
I already have my favorite picked out. They'll probably get a #1 seed, but I really doubt that they'll get to the finals. They were 6 to 1 when I was in Vegas in January. If they win, I'll be kicking myself for not putting a futures wager down.
The Jayhawks.

The Jayhawks are a very good team, though Bill Self as a coach would make me a little bit nervous. He is no Roy Williams. I have to study my brackets still to figure out who the dark horse will be and where the Jayhawks will go. And you cant go wrong with WIP!

on "Todays Annoyance"

Lady Jane Scarlett said...
I heard about it on MSN. But now I'm hearing that president may pardon Libby. How underhanded and slimy is that?
Will someone PLEASE give this president a blow job so we can impeach him??

Jane, if only it was that easy, though dont you know that the President is going to have to save a pardon for a little bit just in case Scooter does decide to roll over on his old bosses. I know, chances are a pig will get wings first, but...

On "This Party Needs some Margaritas"

Tug said...
There was a beer out...Tequizo maybe? Can't remember - I wonder if they taste the same?
And hey. I thought we were friends. A butt pinching party, & I wasn't invited? I'm HURT. I am SUCH a butt person.
**sulks slowly off pouting*

*wiggles for Tug* it tastes just like Tequizo

Jay said...
Beer margarita?!?!?
Just when you think there isn't a drink in the world that hasn't been down your gullet....

Jay, knowing you, I bet there have not been too many alcoholic beverages that you have not sampled.

Christie said...
i don't pinch either.i slap! haha! so is this drink good????? it sounds interesting! i am going to have to try it now! it's a possible candidate for st. pat's day party! is it green already? or should i dye it?

Slapping is good. The drink is very refreshing and then all of the sudden you feel buzzed. I think its dyeable, depending on how light a beer you use. I wouldnt think that Yuengling would look too good green. :)

on, "The Thursday Thirteen an NCAA One"


crowwoman / rhian said...
ummm - these are all sports related right? yup - there go my eyes, glazing over. My bestbud told me recently that U of I had to stop using their mascot due to native american protests. And that's as much as i retained from what i'm sure he considered a very important sports related conversation. And I probably only remembered that because my grandmother was blackfoot so i'm sensitive to those ethnic issues. Yay Indians... I mean native americans... i mean indigenous peoples...whatever.

Yes Rhian, Illinois has had to stop using Chief whatever his name is. Though I think part of the reason besides the whole insensitive thing, its also not very realistic looking, at least in comparison to Chief Oceola of FSU.


Wylie Kinson said...
Goodness - how does your mind hold all that trivia? I can barely remember my kid's names!!

Its all stupidity somehow Wylie. I should be on Jeapardy, except for the fact that I would be screwed in the science categories

Susan Helene Gottfried said...
You have a geeky brain, to be sure. This is a good thing. (I just hope the brewing contest doesn't have to do with trivia of this sort. Hmm. Brewing contest???)

Susan, you could be close to right, Contest wise, you will have to stay tuned :)

Newspaper Hack said...
From a South Carolina grad to the rest of the world (especially those in the northeast) -- yeah. Cocks. We get it.
USC's been around since 1801. The joke's gotten a little old and juvenile.
And maybe no one knows this, but the name came from Revolutionary War General Thomas Sumter, who was known as "The Gamecock." South Carolina also had another colorful guy in the revolution, Francis Marion, who was known as "The Swamp Fox."
If things had gone another way, Carolina would be known as the Foxes

Well, it wasnt really a joke, it was more of just a unique little thing about U of South Carolinas team. Plus, I am sure the school itself is not crying for all the merchandising they sell because people enjoy the Beavis and Butthead angle.

Carmen said...
No Cavaliers on your list? I'm saddened. ;) I don't need any help getting excited about the tourney. I'm just hoping that my Wahoos don't embarrass themselves. :)

Scary first round game Carmen. If I had to pick a Virginia team for this list, the Hokies would win out.

on "Bill Maher Wisdom"

Pam said...
Bwaaahaaaahaaaa!!

Always love your laugh, Pam

on "Pop"

Lady Jane Scarlett said...
ugh. basketball.
can't they like, just have one quarter? The first three are really booring anyway...

Luckily, I am talking about College Basketball, which only has 2 halfs. Does that make it any better?

Anthony said...
I like GW to get in. Wasn't impressed with Clemson the couple of times I've seen them.
Selection Sunday should be interesting. Especially for Villanova and Drexel.
I have mixed feelings about the Wildcats. They're a good team, but often come up short in big situations. Down 26-2 in their last game at one point.

You and I think alike, since I had GW in the A-10 finals as well. If I was Bruiser Flint, I would be on every radio station in America screaming today. Of course, no one will care after Thursday, but it would make me feel better.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Blogging Mental Health

I know, I have been absent. Except for the rant about the Atlantic 10 and a few little Bill Maher quips I have not been at my blogging best lately. I decided Friday that I needed a smidgen of a break, I felt that my posts were not flowing and that blogging was becoming more of a chore then fun. So, step away from the laptop.

Actually, besides making sure there was money in the checking account and paying DirecTV, I was no where near any computer in the last 72 hours or so. I think I might have been worried that my eyes were turning square. Plus, I actually had things to do. But now I feel refreshed.

I know, your asking, what in the world could you really have to do Sparky? Well, Friday, it was off to visit a Philadelphia Tradition, the Flower Show. The displays were gorgeous, dont worry I will regale you with plenty of pictures in the future. But, it was hard on the hips and legs. The floor at the Convention Center is hard and unforgiving. But, I saw Cecily Tynan live and in the flesh. That does bring a spring to your step.

Saturday, the Duck house continued its "Year of Organization" by continuing to tackle the storage area in the basement. How much Crap can you collect in 14 years? Well, so far enough to fill 5 boxes and 10 Hefty Bags! I think the Buddhist monks have the right idea, less is more.

Sunday, it was a food shoppers dream, Wegmans!!! Caviar for sale next to Band Aids, tell me where you can find that??? Its a store that you need to visit once in your life.

So, a mundane, silly weekend, but at least I think it helped my brain be cleared of cobwebs and become refreshed. Of course, I could be talking all about March Madness and Milton Street in 3 days, but it feels refreshing.

Bill Maher on a Woman President

"There are men out there who actually think, a woman president would get PMS and start a war on the wrong country" (insert his eyeroll here)

Friday, March 09, 2007

Pop



Did you hear a couple of bubbles popping, particularly in the Northeast and South Carolina areas of the country? That sound was the Tournament hopes of Clemson and UMass going down the drain.

Clemson lost to Florida State and UMass found some way to lose to St Louis University, who I did not even realize was in the Atlantic 10 until last night. Clemson started out 17 and 0 on the year and then won only 21 games total. Massachusetts went 23-10 for the year, but was in a very weak conference.

Clemson should not get in to the tournament at all, they never came up big in any of the important games that they played. UMass still has hopes, if Xavier wins the conference tournament, but the way the A-10 tournament runs usually, look for George Washington or Rhode Island to get that other bid by winning the whole enchilada.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Bill Maher Wisdom

"HPV shots dont cause sexual promisicuity, tequila shots do."

Project 365 #25 Mornin Sunshine

Lola 3

Hi Lola, good to see you too

More pictures over at Sparky's Photo Hut, check em out.

Yep Yep

There is a contest brewing!

Thursday Thirteen #25-An NCAA One

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Thirteen Of Sparky's Favorite Nicknames


Back in college, I had a neat bar trick. I was able to name every Division One Universities Nickname, all 270 of them. You could name a school and I could spit back Wildcat or Eagle or whatever. And I would be so confident in my presentation, that I could fool you, even if I did not know the name for sure. So, here is a list in no particular order of my favorite nicknames to get you prepped for March Madness.

1.The Idaho Vandals-Before I got into college, I thought the Vandals were a bunch of guys with spray paint cans.

2.University of New Orleans Privateers-Named after the pirates who were hired by the government to help defend the cities port during the was of 1812 I think.

3.Delaware Blue Hens-This is my alma mater, of course they made the list. Named after some fighting chickens, as well as the Delaware Regiment in the Revoloutionary War.

4.Holy Cross College Crusaders-Hmm, a catholic school named after Catholic Warriors, enough said.

5.Florida State Seminoles-The only Indian tribe that did not sign the peace treaty that led to the Trail of Tears. Now each member of there tribe gets about $1000 a month from profits from there gaming casinos in Florida. Plus, during football games, the indian brave comes out with a flaming spear. Who could go against that?

6.Montana Grizzlies-Tell me who is not afraid of a Grizzly Bear?? Now, how about a group of Grizzly Bears??

7.South Carolina Gamecocks-Besides the fact that they have one of the best entrances in all of football, The theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey, but shorten the name and see why its cool.

8.Air Force Falcons-Out of all the service academies, including those few private ones down south, this name fits the Academy the best.

9.Arizona State Sun Devils
-If you cant believe that a Sun Devil does not exist after spending an afternoon in Tempe in June, then you must be wearing some frozen underwear. Plus, the school loves using Thunderstruck!

10.Pepperdine Waves-The school is in Malibu, on a cliffside overlooking the Pacific Ocean. While it has to be hard to study in a place like this, they also must see some pretty cool waves. Plus there soccer team is pretty good.

11.Vermont Catamounts-A mountain lion indigenious to the Green Mountains of Vermont, making this a natural choice. Plus if I mention a cat, I wont get hate mail from Zeus, Lola, Kukka or Bettina.

12.Wichita State Shockers-No its not lightening bolts, it has something to do with Wheat or something. But there mascot is scary looking.

13.U of Texas at San Antonio Road Runners-Now, everyone thinks Road Runners are cute little birds that go "beep beep". If you have not seen a road runner in the wild, you will know they are not cute, they have sharp claws and nasty tempers.

Honorary mentions to the University of Hawaii Warriors, though I did like there name more when the were the Rainbow Warriors.



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