one down....

Grant application out the door.

Of course, I got a much larger one to review and work on last night, so here we go again :)

But it's not an awful book...

take the WHAT BAD BOOK ARE YOU test.


and go to mewing.net. not as good as reading a good book, but way better than a bad one.

stolen from Heart of Darkness (YML)

Ultimate geekitude

This post from Physics Geek reminded me of my favorite Ditch Day Stack of ALL TIME:

I believe this happened in the 60's. As you may be aware (see link above), on Ditch Day, Caltech Seniors lock their room doors and go off campus, leaving a series of puzzles behind for the underclassmen to solve to figure out how to open their door for a prize.

Anyway, the seniors left at 7 am and all that was on this particular door was a hose sticking out from under the door, and a note saying that only the proper substance could be poured through the hose to open the door. The only clue as to what that was was this: "0.693"

The underclassmen sat all day and stared at the door, they couldn't figure out what 0.693 meant..... Finally at 4:30, 30 minutes before they would have to give up, one of them jumped up and ran out the door. He returned a few minutes later with a steaming jug and poured the contents down the hose, and the door opened, just before 5.

The answer below the fold for those of you who would like to take a guess as to what was in the jug....

Does this look better?

For all you non-FF viewers... do the posts appear directly under the banner now?

I had intended to write something intelligent but I just can't seem to

My brain is elsewhere today. Really elsewhere. Probably the result of rainy skies (which I love), too much cold medicine, and RIVALRY WEEK!

Tomorrow is the big game, and today I'm wearing my National Championship shirt and my USC hairbows. Like a 5 year old. Should I put up a picture?

Fight On Trojans! UCLA SUCKS! (turn it up, these are audio links)

I did want to talk about PJM for a second. I am so f*cking tired of this guy and that guy and the other guy taking offense or calling someone else jealous or whatever. It's all a crock. However good an idea it is/was/whatever, you people are losing readership directly because of your association with PJM. You know why? BECAUSE I CAN'T GET YOUR DAMN PAGE TO LOAD BECAUSE OF THE PJM ADS. And frankly, Your Puppy-Blenderness, I am not going to wait 2 minutes for your page to load on our T3 here at work just to see what you said "Heh" about this time.

Also, re: the President's speech at Annapolis this week. Quit yer bitching about not seeing this plan 3 years ago. Isn't it enough that the President actually has a rational and reasonable plan? You know who you are (and you're not liberals either), so I don't have to link you.

To Patterico: Sorry my friend, as they say in the business, you wuz Scooped. Too bad. But him or you, it still makes your point, I guess.

On a happier note, Chuck Z is back home, recovering from his latest heavyweight match with the surgeon.

I need coffee. I particular, the coffee from this place. They have their own blend, which you can buy in the restaurant but sadly enough, not via their webpage. Arrgh.....

Moving along. Geez. I really feel like GIR today..... Taquitos!

Speaking of which, the CotR for last week is up at Like News but Tasty.

Speaking of news, Dad should be home Monday. Yay!

Rob is still sober. YAY! And blogging good. Check him out.

One last, a little Cuban-flavored humor for you, courtesy of the crack staff of Babalu.

Like a Lightbulb!

I'm Rudolph!

You Are "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer Had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw him, You would even say it glows. For you, Christmas is a mix of tradition and fun. You're not above strapping on a red blinking nose for a laugh.

I own such a nose. I have worn it on MANY occasions :)

From Joy (to the World)

More Meme-age (since I can't concentrate)

Stolen from Jen, who was nice enough to not tag anyone, so I won't. Feel free to pick this one up if you like, or not.

1. Seven things to do before I die
Live at the beach
Visit New Zealand
Travel without a schedule (anywhere, anytime)
Pay off all my debts (working on that!)
Own my own home
Retire comfortably
Go to a championship game and see my team win

2. Seven things I cannot do
Run (RA makes impact exercise a no-no)
Pee standing up (without making a mess) ;)
one thing for a long time without getting distracted
let someone hurt if I can help
stop worrying and let go
accept defeat gracefully
stick to a diet

3. Seven things that attract me to my DH
cute
goofy
snuggly
strong
the only person who can get me to shut up
sweet
funny

4. Seven things I say most often:
dude
excellent (frequently followed by ....Smithers)
y'all
rock on!
No! (usually directed at the dog)
Stop it! (usually directed at the dog)
I love you

5. Seven books (or series) I love
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Shipping News
the Anne of Green Gables series
the Little House books
the Harry Potter books
the Dark Tower series
A Series of Unfortunate Events

6. Seven movies I watch over and over again (or would if I had the time)
White Christmas
Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring
Blazing Saddles
The Blues Brothers
A Christmas Story
The Return of the Jedi
The Princess Bride

7. Seven people I want to join in, too
I won’t tag anyone, like I said up top, but feel free to join in or leave me a comment.

Googling Fun

Two recent hits, one right after the other from search engines:

1. "halal kosher wtf"
2. "nc pork barbeque recipe crock pot"

I agree.

Heh. Also, I'm #4 for this one. And I think this person was looking for Ith.

'Tis the Season

Advent is my favorite part of the church calendar. Maybe because we get to sing Christmas Carols.

Anyway, the BBC has a great online advent calendar you should check out!

h/t ith

Sad But True

At first I thought this was another fine piece of Harvey's IMAO humor. Wrong.

Amazon.com is deleting bad reviews of Cindy Sheehan's upcoming screed, in which she pretty much wipes her ass on her son's grave. Several, according to IMAO's count.

I understand that they may have done this when Michelle Malkin's latest came out as well, and that after some complaints the practice was stopped.

Let's see if some complaints from the other side stop the deletions in this case.

Either way, it sucks. Let people read all the opinions and decide for themselves.

TMI? Well, Maybe a little...

What Your Underwear Says About You

When you're bad, you're very bad. And when you're good, you're still trouble! You're sexy, in that pinup girl, tease sort of way.

But, as SF says, how can you resist the "Underwear Oracle"?

Everything's coming up Roses

Trojans Win!!! 66-19

Sorry, (f)UCLA fans, but we all knew this was gonna happen today.

See you all here in Pasadena for New Year's!

Cwithmath cahdth

96% done (I need 2 more addresses from my Mother) and my tongue is tired and immune to the taste of the envelope glue. Yecch. Ptui.

Good thing DH is making dinner :)

If I have your snail mail address already, you're getting a card, otherwise I'm sending the same thing via email :)

Sickness.

This just nauseated me. I mean presumably some adult had to have looked at the card and ok'd it, right?

During our visit to Walter Reed, we all piled into a room of a young soldier who had just come out of surgery. His parents were there to take care of him. His room was decorated with autographed photos...one from Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac who had visited the previous day...others of professional football players. There was also a card from a child...a get well card...

..or so one would think.

It was actually a "I hope you die" card. Think I'm kidding? I'm not. We were all speechless. Now I gave my word to the Public Relations officer of Walter Reed that I wouldn't publish any pictures of the soldiers that I took. I'm not sure if that covers pictures of cards, but until I get clarification, I will only quote the card for you and tell you that the handwriting looked like it was from a child in the third to fourth grade.

Here's what it said....

Dear Soldier,

Have a great time in the war.

And have a great time dieing in the war.

From,

Miguel G

P.S. Die

(there were bullet holes drawn around the word "Die")

Unfortunately the envelope wasn't kept so the origin of such a heinous act is unknown. Luckily, this soldier and his parents decided to hold on to the note because you will be seeing more about it on Fox and Brian Kilmeade.

Several folks are going off about baby moonbats and what are the politics of the parents and yadda yadda. I can't help but wonder if this is just a kid being a kid in a sad, misguided way. It's like something Bart Simpson would do for shits and giggles (like last night's episode where he tried to split Milhouse's parents up again so Milhouse got more attention and $$).

The kid's not the issue. The problem is the parent/teacher/responsible adult that didn't preview the card before sending it off to Walter Reed Hospital. The fact that either the adults didn't care or didn't disagree wth the messge makes me ill. Just because there's an American Flag on the front, that doesn't mean the message inside is appropriate. Look, what if (like Bart might) the kid had written about farting? Just as likely from a boy, just as inappropriate, but in a different way.

Now, If little Miguel turns out to be big Miguel, not a kid, but an adult posing as a kid to get their hate message through, that's just too sick and twisted to discuss, but certainly not above the loonies on the left.

Drop over to Two Babes and a Brain for a more thorough discussion of the topic.

(h/t La Malkin)

The Bloggies

We don't do the Weblog Awards around here. Too much of a popularity contest for our liking, and without any significant bonus (such as a nifty graphic), as in Aaron's contests.

We don't nominate, endorse, or vote, but if you want to, please do. You'll make another blogger very happy.

So, just a reminder that if you're interested, the final voting starts today, and you should click over and vote for your favorites.

Me, trendy???

According to this BBC article, Knitting is the new Yoga.

Stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Uma Thurman and Madonna have been recently revealed as knitters.

John Lewis haberdashery buyer Lucy Wright said chunky knitwear was featuring on catwalks and knitting was "being referred to as the new yoga".

Heh. Although I've moved on to crocheting, now that I figured out how to hold the hook. Crocheting is easier on rheumatic hands since you're never holdign up the entire weight of the piece, as you often do while knitting.

And I'm up to my ears in big pieces (hint, hint)

So glad I don't have a brother!

According to this BBC article, parents spend more money on their sons at Christmas than on their daughters.

Some 3,500 parents with children under 16 were surveyed by the retailer in the first week of November.

The poll found parents spend an average of £223 on presents for boys, compared with just £127 for girls.

The top five boys' toys for Christmas add up to £428.95, but just £162.45 for girls.

The Beeb thinks that this is because dollies and board games and books cost less than video games and electronics. I dunno, I think there are just as many girls who want an iPod or an XBox360 as those who want a Pink Glow-Doodle Bear.

In my experience, my parents and my friends' parents generally had a budget for each kid, and if Kid #1 got a big ticket item (like a Nintendo or a bike), the other presents were smaller or there were fewer of them than the other kids got. So they spent roughly the same amount on each kid.

In one foul and evil case, budgets being what they were, a friend got a Nintendo for Christmas, including 2 controllers and the obligatory Super Mario, but the siblings got all of the rest of the games, so the SuperNES lived in the living room and he had to ASK one of the others if he wanted to play a different game :)

In honor of my DH-- UPDATED!

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Good God I hope so! It would be sad if they could give you a PhD in science without being able to pass the 8th grade...

Minor quibbles:
1) It's nucleus. Not "nuclues"
2) 8th grade is PHYSICAL SCIENCE, so questions 2,4,5,and technically 6 (see below) don't count.
3) Question 6: What is the charge of a neuron? Umm? As if? The right question for the correct answer is "What is the charge of a neutron?". However, as asked, the correct answer is: depends on the ion concentration and the firing state.

Stolen from a Baboon with an eyepatch

UPDATE!!! Answers below the fold!

Having a good day!

Working from home today so I could run a few errands and do some cleaning in and around grant reading and prepping for my class next semester.

I just wanted to point out that I love Target. No really. Beyond all bounds. I found just about everything I was looking to get for DH for Christmas, and the printer we picked up for $17 on Black Friday just paid for itself by printing the address labels for the Christmas Cards!

Not to mention that that was the EASIEST printer install of all time. Yay!

Now to label the envelopes and then off to the PO!

More Goodies!

I scored us tickets to Barenaked Ladies!!! We kept missing them in Raleigh and Chapel Hill. I found out they were coming entirely by accident, and I snapped up a couple of tickets. Yeah, they're in the back, but who cares.

Yay!

Dad's Home!

After a few false starts, strangely unremoved central lines and drains, and an extra day to drain fluid, Dad finally came home around 7:30 tonight!

As I write this, he's probably in his own bed for the first time in 3 weeks. Snoring so loud he's shaking the house :)

He's still taking the pancreatic enzymes and has one drain left, but that was supposed to come out today, and will come out when he sees the doctor next, either the end of this week or beginning of next.

Oh, and because I am built just like my Dad, further proof why I never see diet results: The man has lost about 30 pounds and his pants still fit!

One of those days....

I get to work at 9:30. Strangely enough, there was a kick-ass parking spot open. Yay! So then I walk into the office, only to be greeted by "Yeah, uh, we don't have internet". So I sat and did what I could, then went and told our business manager that I was leaving. And left.

Got on the 110 N coming home, and (for a change) it was not bad. In fact it was wide open except for the I-10 interchange. I fly through downtown, and coming through the last tunnel in the RIGHT lane I see it all stopped ahead of me. DEAD stop. Shit. Can't get over for the exit. STUCK.

Arrrgh.

At least the right lane appears to be moving reasonably well compared to the other 2 lanes......

Then I hear "honk!!!! honk!!!!" behind me. Here comes the fire truck. SO I had to squeeze over for him to get through. Nice thing, though, I got back behind the fire truck, which cut off a lot of traffic.

Eventually we see what happened, a white Acura trying to take that first curve too fast (probably >80) flipped in the left lane and landed upside down in the right. These people should know, if the sign says 40, 80 ain't gonna do it.

Just before the exit. Grrrr.....

Anyway, the FD and ambulance were leaving as I got there, and the rest of the ride was uneventful.

Until....I get over to the right lane to turn right at the end of the freeway, and there's orange cones everywhere. Right and middle lanes, so I had to fight my way back left just to go right.

At least I made it home. Better than I can say for the dude in the Acura......

A Very Beazley Christmas

Poor Barney. His little sister Miss Beazley is such a star, it's almost ruining Christmas for him, even in the White House.

Check out this year's WH Christmas video here.

Code Red!

I ran across this idea today while reading through some new (to me) blogs.

Code Red Women for the Troops has a mission as well: To show the troops we support them and their mission. It's is our responsibility to teach our children that freedom is not free and comes with a great price. Our military men and women are to be honored and respected. It's repulsive that an organization such as Code Pink would use "peace" as a facade to degrade and disrespect our soldiers. Our troops are the only chance for peace that we have. We want them home too, but not until they finish what they started.

Drop by and let her know if you agree, visit the CodeRed Blog, and perhaps even pick up a Code Red T-Shirt.

Holiday funnies bunnies

The 30 second version of A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life, by Bunnies

And if you're not in a Christmasy mood, click here for more! Especially my favorite.

h/t Kathy

Yay for the Internets!

After several days of working at home (who wants to make a stressful 40-55 minute commute only to discover that their office is bereft of the internet), I braved the traffic to tie up loose ends at the office and discovered that my internet connection is back on line, meaning I can download grant stuff and send email and get images for my lectures. Yay!

Home for Christmas

This post by AWTM really got me thinking. She says this is the first Christmas in 5 years where she is at home.

She says:

The last 5 Christmas's have been hard for me.

I won't go into specifics tonight, because honestly. I am too tired for it. Let me say this, the last five years are filled with death, illness, new babies, and deployments.

This year is the first year my tree is up in OUR HOME. I haven't seen any of this stuff for 5 years.
...
The phone rings, and it is my Dad.

"I miss you, and love you and sure wish you would come home this Christmas."

He doesn't understand I am already home......

I know how she feels, in a way. When DH and I were married, we knew that he'd be leaving soon for Basic, and that we wouldn't spend Christmas together. So I didn't bother to put up any of my Christmas things, didn't get a tree, and made plans to return to CA with the Princess, who was then about 6 months old. Just before Christmas, however, we found out that his basic class (the last of the year) would be released for 2 weeks over the Holidays, and we managed to get him a ticket on the same flight as the last leg of my journey home.

That was the last time all of us were together at home for the Holidays.

For the next 5 years, DH and I decided that the trek to CA was more of a pain than it was worth. Forget flying a dog in cold weather, and we weren't paying a $400 boarding fee on top of flights, gifts, etc.

So we would nest at home. Almost never leaving the house the years he was still in the Army, just enjoying the time we could spend together, sitting in front of the tree, playing with the dog.

But something was missing.

I realized it last weekend as we were choosing our own Christmas Tree. This year we really will have Christmas at home. Yeah, my house is all decorated (although I can't find my Wreaths. Scumbag movers) and we have a lovely tree, but all of that will sit alone for a week as we load the car up with presents and make the trek home. For the first time in 5 years.

I'm sure there will be years when we won't want to make the drive, but not this year. Even if Dad hadn't been sick, we'd still be going. As my mother said the other day, I'm looking forward to opening presents without trying to balance a phone to my ear!

But, of course

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic

Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few. But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky. Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski

h/t another Classic

In honor of my friends and former co-workers

Stolen wholesale from the lovely Pamibe:

CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR THE PSYCHIATRICALLY CHALLENGED

Schizophrenia -Do You Hear What I Hear?

Multiple Personality Disorder -We Three Kings Disoriented Are

Amnesia -I Don’t Know if I’ll be Home for Christmas

Narcissistic -Hark the Herald Angels Sing About Me

Manic -Deck the Halls and Walls and House and Lawn and Streets and Stores and Office and Town and Cars and Buses and Trucks and Trees and Fire Hydrants and…

Paranoid -Santa Claus is Coming to Get Me

Borderline Personality Disorder -Thoughts of Roasting on an Open Fire

Personality Disorder -You Better Watch Out, I’m Gonna Cry, I’m Gonna Pout, Maybe I’ll tell You Why

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder -Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells…

Agoraphobia -I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day But Wouldn’t Leave My House

Autistic -Jingle Bell Rock and Rock and Rock and Rock …

Senile Dementia -Walking in a Winter Wonderland Miles From My House In My Slippers and Robe

Oppositional Defiant Disorder -I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus So I Burned Down the House

Social Anxiety Disorder -Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas While I Sit Here and Hyperventilate

So, which one are you?

Why am I not surprised?

You're a scientific intellectual.


What Sort of Intellectual Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

from The Pirate

Audience Particpation Special

So, since I've been a good little girl, what should I ask Santa for this year?

Oh, and one more thing

If I sent you a Christmas Card, and you got it, let me know, so I won't worry that I sent it to the wrong place or that a pack of rabid wolves ripped the mailbag off the poor carrier's back and took it back to their den for sh*ts and giggles. Or whatever rabid wolves do instead....

ok..... I guess.

You Are Comet

A total daredevil, you're the reindeer with an edge! Why You're Naughty: You almost gave Santa a heart attack when you took him sky diving Why You're Nice: You always make sure the sleigh is going warp speed

From Rudolph!

RIP, funny man

With the passing of Richard Pryor this weekend, we've lost yet another genuinely funny comedian.

And I've lost one of my favorite lines of all time: "I ain't dead yet, muthaf*cka"

More Sad News

I swear I'm never putting the computer down again.

First, we learned this weekend of the passing of Steven Malcolm Anderson, a longtime denizen of Dean's World and minion of QOAE Rosemary, and quite an amazing character in his own right. I will miss his quirky individualism and his tradmark signoff: "HAIL TO THE QUEEN OF ALL EVIL!!!"

Also, this weekend, Bill Frey, father of BFLer Patterico passed away at his home. Patrick wrote a touching tribute to his dad that you can read here.

Happy News!

Frank J and SarahK were married over the weekend, and it appears to have gone off without a hitch! Except of course for that whole "getting hitched" part :)

Congratulations you two, and may every day be more loving and lovely than the last! Enjoy your cruise!

Give credit where credit is due

A photograph taken by blogger/journalist/truth teller Michael Yon, which originally was published in Time magazine in May is now up for "People's Choice" photo of the year.

As of this morning, he leads with 52% of the vote, but I'm sure he could use some more.

Michael's story of the moment and the photo is here, and you can view all the nominees and vote here.

h/t Greyhawk

For our Heroes!

I received this email today from CPT. Chuck Ziegenfuss, who as many of you know was wounded in OIF and was the inspiration for Project Valour-IT. If you know someone who qualifies, PLEASE pass this info on to them!

Hi there. My name is Captain Chuck Ziegenfuss, and for those of you who
don't know me, I was wounded during OIF. And, for the last six months have
struggled to regain my health. During that time, I helped to found Project
Valour -- IT... I was the test bed/guinea pig. You can read more about me
and a long strange trip it's been from Iraq to my living room at
http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/ .

But that's not why I'm writing you today. I am begging you to please post
about an organization called Salute America's Heroes. They are donating
$500 to every wounded Soldier, Sailor, Airmen or Marine who registers with
them in the next few days. I don't know when the end date is on this, but
they did extend it beyond the date listed on their web site. This has been
approved by and coordinated through the Department of Defense office of
General Counsel Standards of Conduct office.

I'm simply trying to get the word out about this project. Please help me
by writing something about it in your blog, and telling any wounded veterans
that you know about this. If you prefer, you can simply link to my post on
it:
http://tcoverride.blogspot.com/2005/12/flash-traffic-immediate-attention.html

You can check out the organization at:

http://www.saluteheroes.org/redesign/

And our veterans can register for the $500 award at

http://www.saluteheroes.org/redesign/contents/registry/gift_cards.shtml

I was called this morning by a representative from the Veterans
Administration, who pointed me to this site so I myself could register. I
felt that I would be doing a disservice to my fellow wounded veterans if I
did not do everything that I could to spread the word about this program.

Thank you very much for your time,

Chuck

Go over to Chuchk's blog and check it out for yourself!

Update from Chuck: Supposedly the VA is contacting all the servicepeople who qualify. HOWEVER, given the fact that this is the VA, if you know someone who might qualify, it doesn't hurt to make a phone call.....

We actually went out! To a concert!

I just saw the Terrence and Philip MovieBarenaked Ladies! Who wants to touch me? I said who wants to f*ckin' touch me???? < /cartman>

The show was a blast, mostly because it was at the Santa Monica Civic, which seats about 2,000 people, so it had almost a small room feel and there was no issue with parking or lines.....

Last night's opening act was the LeeVees, and they were fantastic. A Jewish band that writes and sings Hanukkah songs! Consider this a recommendation to any of you who are Jewish or want an album full of songs about Latkes and Hanukkah. They were funny as well as reasonably good musicians and songwriters.

BNL came on around 8:30 and played a 90 minute set. The first part included a kids choir from Orange, CA, and most of their parents were in the audience. The kids have been traveling with them for about a month and I think this was their last show, so there was much hamming and showing off from the kids.

Lots of BNL favorites and most of their holiday album, too. As usual, they were INSANE. From Ed and Steven being goofy to Tyler's "get off your lazy drummer ass" version of Feliz Navidad, it was a really fun show.

In a few days, I'll be downloading the concert from here.

I'm nice! Well, mostly nice....

Christmas Naughty or Nice List I am on the The Nice List After checking the North Pole database I had : 1,659 nice entries 439 naughty entries Check your name on the Christmas Naughty or Nice List at JokesUnlimited.com

At least with my real name.... Since that's the one Santa has on his list....

h/t another nice kid

Just Like Hermione Granger

You scored as Gryffindor. You have been sorted into Gryffindor! You're brave, loyal, and perhaps a little short tempered- if someone says or does something you don't like, you'll make sure they know- and everyone else too- regardless of the consequences. Gryffindor 80% Ravenclaw 70% Hufflepuff 60% Slytherin 45% The Hogwarts Sorting Hat! created with QuizFarm.com

WooHoo! Griffyndor!

From a Ravenclaw

"Mighty Morphin' Pajama Rangers"

I don't care if Steve-O won't say it, I will. Heh.

It's time to face facts: The launch of Pajamas Media was a complete COCK UP.

When you launch something with that much fanfare, you better be damn sure all your ducks are in a row, your party line is clear to all the mouthpieces, and all your ad code is working and distributed.

Not to mention a copyright check on your proposed name.....

Too twisted for color TV

How evil are you?

from the ever-so-angelic Margi

**Bonus Points for anyone who gets the title reference**

Holiday Carnival Time!

Welcome to the 70th edition of the Carnival of the Recipes. Lots of wonderful holiday recipes for us all to share!

First up, a serving of history and some delicious hot beverages:
Wassail history and recipes from George Stratton of In the Interest of Me

Yummy treats for a Holiday Brunch or Christmas Morning:
Orange Slices in Wine and Lime from Punctilious of Blog O'Ram
Easy Monkey Bread from Deputy Headmistress of The Common Room
Cinnamon Apple Pockets from ALa of Blonde Sagacity

Warm and delicious soups and stews, perfect for cold winter nights:
Southwest Chowder from Joan of Oasis of Sanity
Hot and Sour Soup from Kevin of Technogypsy
Unexpected Beef Stew from Judith of Kesher Talk

Sides and Main Dishes for all those Holiday Feasts:
Baked Garlic Jalapeno Cheese Grits from Trouble in Shangri La of Dubious Wonder
Holiday Green Beans from Marsha of A Weight Lifted
Crater Gravy from triticale
Pepper Steak from Peaches of The Peach Pit

Holiday Sweets and Treats:
Swedish Butter Crescent Cookies from Aeryk of Geek Can Cook
Greek Wedding Cookies from Taleena of Sun Comprehending Glass
Afghan Biscuits, a family tradition from Keewee of Keewee's Corner
Pnina Shichor's Sufganiyot from Amanda of CustomerServant
Chocolate Mice from Shawn of Everything and Nothing

And my personal favorite, a perfect fit for Christmas parties, my own Birthday Red Velvet Cake

Ith has a wonderful collection of all sorts of holiday recipes. Just click over and keep scrolling down!
And finally for some holiday laughs try one of these:
Jose Cuervo Christmas Cookies from Elisson of Blog d'Ellison or
Rita's Christmas cake from Riannan of In the Headlights, and be sure to scroll down for the "real" recipe.

That's the lot. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Solstice, and Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!

Christmas Quizzes

You Are a Bright Christmas Tree

For you, the holidays are all about fun and seasonal favorites. You are into all things Christmas, even if they're a little tacky.

Your Elf Name Is...

Giggles Fluffernutter

Your Christmas Song Is

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Have yourself a merry little Christmas, Let your heart be light From now on, Our troubles will be out of sight From baking cookies to giving gifts to everyone... You enjoy brightening up the season for those you know

You Are a Fruitcake!

You taste like nothing else in this world. And get ready, you're about to get tossed!

All lifted from Jay and Deb

DH's long-awaited Rant

Prompted by an assholish conversation we were forced to listen to at the next table during breakfast this morning, and a post over at Smash's place, my DH presents his long awaited rant on Mama Moonbat and the prostitution of her son's death.

Geek on your Christmas list?

Here's a great little tool to help you decide what to get them....

h/t the Commissar

So much to blog, so little time

I have el zilcho for motivation today. Not for work or blogging or anything.

But I suppose getting woken up at the ass crack of dawn because DH couldn't find his school keys AGAIN doesn't help either.....

So here are some random thoughts while I wait for cuppa coffee #2

Bubbles in the water cooler are nice.

The mall is empty on Sunday morning. You can even park.

There's nothing I would like better than to get the hell out of here and go home and curl up with the princess under my favorite blanket next to the Christmas tree.

Eggnog Chai Latte is about the worst possible culinary idea of all time. Yecch. Of course it is served by Whorebucks.

Speaking of, my cup at a time takes less than 5 minutes to brew.

Saw about 3 minutes of the Prez on the CNN rerun last night. The man has balls. Stupid like a fox, I tell you.

There's nothing quite so good as The Full Monty on one channel and Sherlock Holmes mysteries on the next. With staggered commercials!

Damn the Redskins kicked the Cowboys' asses! Yay! (Hope my boyz in Charlotte are watching the tape..... they play the Cowboys next week)

Holy Crap! Christmas is in 6 days!!!!

It's amusing to sit down on Sunday afternoon and chat with a friend over IM and then realize that it's Monday where she is. Hence why she is working at home (hi Amanda!)

I seem to be a magnet for friends named Amanda. Or maybe it's just my age. My best friend growing up is Amanda, my best friend in grad school is Amanda, and two of my best blog buddies are also Amanda. Bizarre, I say. Bizarre.

The sad thing is, I want to go home to get things done, but I know I wouldn't. So I sit here and try to think about work.....

More later, and perhaps even coherently :)

Listen up, kid

If you're searching for this:
"how does 8th grader 1,530 SAT score compare with other 8th graders in 2005"

Ummm, it blows them away. And the 11th and 12th graders too.

you're pretty f*cking smart, ok? Now go play outside and quit being such a frigging nerd. Get some real life friends, ok?

I've been there. It ain't pretty.

This totally rocks!

For those of you who are tired as hell of your stupid blog editor (especially you MuNus), and in love with Firefox, Performancing has come out with its blog editor as an extension for Firefox.  It's awesome, too.

See how nice this post came out?

h/t phin the blasphemous phishy

Ye Olde Christmas Movie Meme

I was tagged by Contagion with LeeAnn's Christmas Movie meme, so here goes.

5 movies that mean Christmas to me:

1.  It's A Wonderful Life:  This is my Dad's favorite movie, and for my whole life it's been a part of Christmas in our family.

2.  A Christmas Story:  It isn't really Christmas until Ben calls to tell me how many of TBS's 12 reruns of the movie he's seen that year.

3.  Love Actually:  It's a movie about Christmas in that it's a movie about love.  And it happens at Christmas.  If you can't tell someone you love them at Christmas, when can you tell them?

4.  White Christmas:  Probably my favorite Christmas movie.  I can watch it any day of the year.  Maybe because of the snow.

5.  Meet Me in St. Louis: Have yourself a merry little Christmas.....

And now for the taggy part:
Ben
DH
Margi
Ith
Jay and Deb

A trip to the mailbox...

I love this time of year!  When I can go to the mailbox and there's no bills in it.  Nothing in it but Christmas Cards!

Yay!  And I got 4 today!

More Christmas Meme-age

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate.  Definitely.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? If Santa is me, then yes.  When I was a kid (and even some years since I've been "growed up") Santa even used to leave me a map to a special present.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Multi-colored on the tree, same outside.  This year we have loops on the patio fence and lights wrapped around the balcony railing upstairs.  White lights are boring.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, but my Mom has a kissing ball hanging year round in her dining room.

5. When do you put your decorations up? ASAP after thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My stuffing or cranberry sauce.  Hard to decide.

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Santa Maps (see above).

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? What truth?  You mean that he is the embodiment of the spirit of giving?  A long time ago.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yes.  My family generally gets together (Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc.) and we open those presents on Christmas Eve

10. What kind of cookies does Santa get set out for him? It varies.  Anything from homemade fudge to popcorn to Oreos.  Whatever Santa wants ;)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it!!!!  Especially how quiet it is outside when it is snowing.

12. Can you ice skate? Oh hell no.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift as a child? Barbie.  Preferably with a fancy dress.

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? Being together with the family, seeing everyone enjoy their gifts.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Cheesecake, fudge, and cookies.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve with the family, opening one gift at a time on Christmas Day.  Yes, we even take turns.

17. What tops your tree? A big Winnie the Pooh Angel

18. Which do you prefer Giving or Receiving? Both

19. What is your favorite Christmas Carol? I have several: We Three Kings, Oh Holy Night, O Come Emmanuel, and Adeste Fideles

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? YUMMY!  but Peppermint only, please.

What about you?
Found here and here

Somehow this is appropriate

According to experts, my adult industry job would be... Adult Book Store Clerk It's not just about sitting behind a counter, taking people's money and dealing with shop lifters, you get to meet 'interesting' people as well Take the Adult Industry Job Quiz

Someone needs a hug....

Elizabeth is having a bad and anxious day.  Drop by and wish her some good cheer and help her break out of her fear-induced funk, would you?

Sprung From the Trap!

Leaving work until Jan 2!!!!  WoooHoooooooooo!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Not sure why this is affecting me....

But I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of James Dungy, 18-year-old son and second child of Indianapolis Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy and his wife Lauren.

It's always sad to hear of the death of a young person, especially this close to the holidays, but this really got to me, probably because I know the Dungys are a very close family and it must have been hard for them to let their son move back to Tampa, only to lose him so soon.

My thoughts and prayers are with the Dungys and their friends and family as they cope with this devastating loss and search for answers.  I pray that their strong and deeply felt faith will guide them through this difficult time.

Awwww.....

But the Princess wouldn't like it very much....

Your Christmas Stocking Will Be Filled With a Puppy

Well - one cute, soft, cuddly puppy... And a very soiled Christmas stocking.

Stolen from the soon-to-be-rich Deb

Not for the kiddies

An oldie but a goodie, Foamy the Squirrel and the War on Christmas.  NSFW unless you have headphones....

Good News for Gwen and Gavin!

Say what you want about her fashion sense and her latest album, but Gwen Stefani is one of my favorite singers, and until this album, one of my favorite female songwriters.  She's smart and funny and kind of a geek.

And she's pregnant.  Gwen told the audience last night at her concert in Ft. Lauderdale that the baby is due in June and she's taking an indefinite break from the biz.

I know she's wanted this for a long time, and I'm really happy for her and her husband.

Odds and Ends

Well, as usual I come back to the computer to find that momentous events have taken place in my absence. It is with deep sorrow that I report Jack's father, William Martin Grant, lost his battle with cancer this morning. Understandibly, Jack has comments off, but if you know Jack, drop him a note and let him know how much we're all thinking of him and his mom right now.

On a happier note, junior Diva London Avery was born last Tuesday morning to Phoenix of Villains Vanquished and her Prince Charming.

Also, the fair Jen and her Beau are preparing for their wedding on Saturday. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers, especially the Bridezilla

Christmas was good for us. Lots of presents, most notably one of these for DH and one of these for yours truly.

So, was Santa (or the Hanukkah Fairy, for that matter) good to you this year? What did you get (good or bad)?

I love rainy days with nothing to do

DH and I are just lazing in bed. Mostly staying out of the way of the laundry fairy (my mother) and enjoying the rainy gray weather (yay!!!).

Although it's supposed to rain on my parade on Monday..... Oh well.

Went to see Narnia last night courtesy of some movie passes Santa was supposed to leave in my stocking. It was excellent. However, I would think twice about taking younger kids to see it. Much more explicitly violent than I imagined it would be. Hell it's a Disney film. More thoughts on the film in the extended...

On today's agenda: Dressed-Up Family pics with the inlaws. Oh joy Oh bliss. Pray for me around 6:30 PM PST, ok?

Is Power Blogs toast?

Here's a list of the blogs I can't get today:
Dean
Sean Kinsell (The White Peril)
IndustrialBlog (IB Bill)
TMV (Joe Gandleman)

All of them on/using PowerBlogs..... Was there a DOS on PB today? I can get to QOAE, though, interestingly enough...

The Deal is OFF

Supposedly the originators of the Tournament of Roses made a deal with the Almighty:  No parade or game on Sunday, and it has only rained 9 times in 116 years, the last time over 50 years ago.

Well, look at this forecast for Monday....

Then read what they're planning to do for the parade this year.

Excuse me while I rain dance some more.

And for the record, we won't see the performances.  We'll be over 4 miles away at Colorado and Craig.

Congratulations are in order!

For Vodkapundit Stephen Green and his wife Melissa, on the birth of their son, Preston Davis.

Just adorable :)

We're baaaack

Just finished some freezer pizza as we unwind and sort through the piles of loot we hauled up from the car.
Sheesh.  Does the stuff multiply on the way here from Fresno?

Must clean before house guests arrive on Sunday afternoon....

What are you up to this fine evening?

Happy New Year!

Not sure what to say except that this has been a year full of blessings, both expected and unlooked for, and I wish the same for each and every one of you in 2006!