As the Favre Turns...

This past weekend was the last weekend of the regular NFL season, and I watched the Packers (luckily) NOT lose to the 0-15 Detriot Lions, but they are not even remotely close to going to the Super Bowl. However, neither are the Jets....

Wonder how Brett Favre REALLY feels...

At the End of last season, Favre retired from the Packers as statistically the greatest quarterback of the NFL. Not bad... It was great to have the greatest QB to be a part of the Green Bay legacy. The Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest still-extant teams in the NFL . They won the first two Super Bowls, they are owned by the residents of Green Bay, and when someone wins a touchdown, they leap into the arms of the fans (the "Lambeau Leap").

But apparently all that just wasn't good enough for Favre.

Just before the beginning of the 2008 season, Favre announced that he was coming back. Sounds good, right? Well... yes and no. He came back because he wanted one more shot at a Super Bowl. OK, fine, what player DOESN'T want to win the Super Bowl? That wasn't the "problem". The twist was that he wasn't coming back to the Packers; he was shopping for what he thought was going to be "THE" team. His pick ended up being the New York Jets... but they didn't do that well this season either.

I personally feel that he should have just stayed retired.

He was something of an Everyman's Hero... came from humble beginnings, didn't bury himself in the glamourous sports lifestyle, and genuinely loved the sport. He even once stated that he would never play for anyone but the Packers...

But he came back.

With another team.

He didn't become a great QB in a vacuum... he needed to be a part of a great TEAM to make it possible... and at the end, he turned his back on them.

Just cheapens the "magic" in my opinion.

Losing sleep...

when I become focused on something, I can attain amazing levels of obsession... too toften over things that in the grand scheme of things are not terribly important.

Right now I am completely consumed with modifying all sorts of electronics into :steam punk" versions. I've not DONE any conversions yet, but my mind is swimming with all sorts of possibilities, which has already led to taking apart a few things... (luckily they are things that, while not BROKEN, are things that were no longer useful to me)

my first project, and one that I have high hopes of success, will be a land line phone. I already have two old phones, one rotary and one touch tone, both of which work. if it weren't Christmas Day, I would be off to Goodwill looking for more whole pieces, and off to American Science & Surplus for the sundries...

Don't know what I will DO with the final products, as I will probably make several... but I have some time to worry about that

Up to my kilt in snow

it actually didn't take long to dig out of my parking spot, but the "road" was only about a lane wide... forward was blocked by the postman's delivery van, and behind was blocked by people trying to go forward anyway. I finally got past the postman (he backed up far enough where he could move over as he had better height clearance)... but there were MORE cars ahead, and the cross streets were impassable. I got stuck after making a right turn...

as I was stuck in the middle of the street, the plow went down my street. When I finally made it BACK to my street, I parked and called it a day.

It took about an hour to go a couple blocks, get stuck repeatedly, and eventually return home.

When you think Christmas...

...I apparently think of weaponry...

This is the bow I bought myself for Christmas. I have been looking at Grozer bows for many years now, and NOW seemed the right time... (actually it turns out I should have waited a week or so, as this bow went on sale for about $100 less, but who knew... I didn't until it was too late...)

It is hand made and came all the way from Hungary. Draw weight is 37# up to 32". I have ordered new (longer) arrows because I hope to learn the Mongolian draw...

UTILIKILTS!

alright... it's official and such... I am going to be the Milwaukee/Chicago Sales Rep... WOOOO! something that I can do in my spare time as well... so no quitting the day job...

"The Biggest Celebrity in the World"?!?

The Republicans have fielded several "celebrity" candidates within just the last few decades (Regan and Schwarzenegger were both actual MOVIE STARS) but somehow Barack Obama is the "biggest celebrity in the world"? In recent ads from the McCain camp, they compare him to Britteny Spears and Paris Hilton... and a representative from the McCain campaign has the balls to say the commercial focuses on their opinion of Obama's position on foreign oil... All while a "crowd" chants "OBAMA" Third Reich style in the background sound.

Oh, the commercial is playing right now... Apparently Obama is also to blame for rising gas prices... prices that have been on the rise for several years now... all through W's actual terms of presidency. One senator has more influence over gas prices than the president himself? Hellova stretch...

The Hunt is ON!

The first time I saw one of these was about five years ago. I bid on it, and lost... I saw another one in the last few months... and didn't get that one either... then I saw a permit PLATE attached to a shine box... and I was outbid on that as well...

But this time I actually won!

So now I have ONE bootblack permit badge, and I want more

I also want one made for myself... make it look vintage and authentic.

I want as many of these as I can get... contact me if you have one or you find one.

THE THREE THAT GOT AWAY

leaping a chasm of logic

Not that Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of my favorite people or anything but this site Dancing with Nazis is making some HUGE leaps of logic akin to: Mosquitoes have legs; Bears have legs, therefore bears are mosquitoes.

The site alledges that Arnold is a Nazi, with their "proof" being a belt buckle that he is wearing. The buckle is a skull surrounded by fleur-de-lis. The skull reminds me more of Mexican Day of the Dead imagery, while most people associate fleur-de-lis with France (or heck, the Boy Scouts).

Again, I might not like Arnold, but their leaps of logic are nothing but laughable

Virtual Strip Searches

It's amazing what the government has convinced people is "for their own good at any cost".

TSA's virtual strip search

TSA promises to blur out your face and NOT save the image... but that also means that they can NOT blur out the face and that they CAN save the image...

Despite metal detectors, terrorists were able to hijack three airplanes in the US seven years ago with knives. Going to a "virtual strip search" won't make us safer because those with malicious intentions will just find different ways to get around security.

Maybe the government prefers we just fly naked... oh, and hancuffed to the seats... and blindfolded... and gagged...

Greek Mythology on Wheels!

XANADU

Xanadu comes to Broadway... its one of my favorite guilty pleasures from when I was a kid, and its a movie that I think that everyone needs to see..

if it comes to Chicago, y'all are going to HAVE to come with me...

I'm a crack whore for BSG...

That's Battlestar Gallactica...


ok, so yeah it premiered four years ago and will be wrapping up this season, but its all new to me and I am its bitch...

I am half way through season two after watching eight episodes yesterday and seven today

I bought a sleeve patch on eBay and I put it on my jacket today...
when I geek, I go all out...

"Life Alert" wakes the dead?

"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

press a button and help is on its way...

just saw a commercial for "Life Alert", and it's a good idea and all (though a bit obsolete with cell phones so common and handy...)

but what I want to know is why the commercial has C. Everett Koop as a spokesman...

sure, he was Surgeon General...

but isn't he dead?

stepping up to the plate

this guy....

hit me...

about a month ago...

seems even though he doesn't have insurance, he is stepping up to the plate and doing the right thing to make my car right... he told my insurance company that he is taking out a loan to fix my car.

ok so it's not THAT miraculous that he is doing so... Wisconsin law declares him at fault (he rear-ended me) ... and if he was NOT stepping up, he might face a lawsuit where he might end up having to pay more... but it's nice that he is "manning up" without needing to be coerced with a lawsuit...

We can dress real neat from our hats to our feet...

Near the end of 1983, my parents told my brother and I that they were going to be getting a divorce... and on January 7th, 1984, my mom moved my brother and I to 26 N Wisconsin St where we rented out a house that my mom's friend was trying to sell. The house was a hundred years old or so, four bedrooms, still had the original furnace (coal burner, converted to gas)... the house was drafty and big, and somewhat haunted... The house was sinking in the middle and the floors kinda bounced a bit... which is a trait only good in bouncy castles. In the winter, the temperature in my room would drop down to about 50 degrees, so I was sick a lot. I think I was sick a lot anyway...

We lived there for almost exactly a year, moving out New Year's Eve of 1984. Less than a month later, my father passed away... but on the bright side of that I only had to do the "two houses" thing that kids of divorced parents have to do for only just a year.

But this story is not about divorce or death or boo hoo.

Its about a song.

I don't remember how much I got a week for an allowance, couple bucks tops I am sure, but that was enough to buy a new 45 a week...

A what?

A 45... A "single"... a 7" record ... A black plastic disc with a song on each side... yeah.. those... you remember those... Your parents had a few of them tucked in a weird cabinet somewhere along next to a dusty shoe box of photos and your baby book or something like that. The 45's that I bought I kept in a drawer next to my sock drawer. I didn't have that many at first. The drawer was big enough to hold a couple dozen, and as I accumulated more I would sometimes just take them out and count them, look at them, think about the best way to organize them... Cyndi Lauper, Duran Duran, Howard Jones....

But there is one that I can actually still remember buying it... I picked it up on my way home from school. It didn't have the colorful picture sleeve like many of them had. I think once a single had been printed and reprinted, they eventually did away with the picture sleeve and put it in a generic sleeve for the later printings. This one was in a tan sleeve with the recording company logo printed on it over and over. I ran home and probably played it a dozen times before giving my family a break.

It was "The Safety Dance".

I had just started collecting music; it was something that kept me going, something to look forward to... it was a rough time otherwise and all that (but see above where I say this story is not about the boo hoo) . To this day, most of what I consider "favorite music" is from that year, either released or acquired in 1984. And to this day, every time I hear even just the "catch" from "Safety Dance", I can remember back to the day that I bought the 45 for it; it was one of my first and was a constant favorite.

I bet you can't remember the day you downloaded such and such song... "ahh... right after I closed my Outlook Express and fended off some pop-ups, I navigated to iTunes and found it.... I had to wait WHOLE SECONDS before the data transfer was complete...." where's the fun in that?

I bet your friends don't dance.. and if they don't dance, well... there no friends of mine

It was 90 years ago today...

Manfred von Richtofen, born 2 May 1892, defeated 21 April 1918

Richtofen was actually not much for flying... it was a means to an end, which was he wanted to be the Ultimate Hunter. And he was.

But the Hunter was always the Hunted, and he was taken down by a single shot, fired from the ground.

The average American doesn't understand The Great War the same way we can so easily understand World War II. In WWII, it was a struggle between "good" and "evil". The Great War was all about language, culture, and borders which had been drawn and redrawn for countless centuries by men who never thought twice about the common man. Confusion and birth-right animosity spurred this war, yes... but not evil... not the kind of evil that was defined in the Second World War...

So I feel no shame in declaring this man a Hero...

Utilikilts comes to Wisconsin

over the course of the last year, Utilikilts have been opening to the wholesale/retail markets, allowing more stores to spread the kilted goodness... well it so happens that there is a shop near Milwaukee that is carrying Utilikilts.... The Blessed Bee in Kenosha is on the Utilikilts website as being a retail location. I haven't been there and I don't know how many they carry... but its a good start if you want to get fitted and hold one in person...

Dear Beloved One (well that's kinda personal...),

Compliments of the season (i'm really not much of a cook) to you and other members of your family Based on your profile (you should see me at 3/4), l am happy to request for your assistance because i belive that you are not going to betrayed the trust which i am going to lay on you (well then, lay it on me!).

My name is Jennifa Robert Komo. 21 years old and the only daughter of my late parents Mr.and Mrs Robert Komo. My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet (attractive person, then...)-(a cocoa merchant) who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days (and what about his nights?). It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad on 12th.November 2005.Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travelled with him at that time, but God knows the truth! (you should ask him then!)

My mother died when I was just 4 years old, and since then my father took me so special (in like a "start up the Barry White music" sort of way?) . Before the death of my Father on November 12th 2005 he called the secretary who accompanied him to the hospital and told her that he has the sum of (USD$2.5 000 000) Two, Million five hundred thousand dollars left in a metalic trunk trunk box (double your safety with a trunk trunk), wich he deposited in a Security Company here in abidjan, that he registered it as family valuable items for security reasons, he told the secretary that i should contact the Company for them to know me as his next of kin wich i have did as he instructed,

He also told the secretary that i should not let any of his relations to know about this because he was kiled by them and if they know about it, that they will do nothing but to kill me in other to take hold of every thing, He told her that i should seek for a foriegn partner abroad who will help me retreived the trunk box and also travel with him or her in other to continue my Education and also to start a Bussines relationship with the person, (um... wouldn't the obvious solution be the daughter and the secretary?)

My dear, this is why i have come incontact with you in order to help me retreive that trunk box from the Security Companys custody and send it direct to your country and also to make an arrangement for me on how i will come over to your country in other to continue my Education and also to go into bussines relationship with you hence i am still a child and i dont know any thing about bussines, i am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards and your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded. (she is still a child, but knows how to hack and retrieve e-mails of strangers? wait, I thought she said she was 21! I am growing suspicious...)

Now permit me to ask these few questions:-

1. Can I completely trust you? No
2.Can you accept me as your own blood Sister? well, if we did THAT, then wouldn't I be one of those relatives you aren't supposed to trust?

3.What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you? all of it, Baby!

Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible with your full assurance that you will not disapoint me in this issue so that i can give you the contact of the Security Company where my late Father deposited that trunk box (ohhh this MUST be a scam... it's no longer a "trunk trunk box" but JUST a "Trunk box"!) for you to contact them on how the trunk box will be retreived from their custody and deliver to your country,

Thank you soo much for your understanding and may almighty God bless you and your Family to the Glory of Almighty Father Amen,
My sincere regards,
Miss Jennifa Robert Komo. and why does she have a dude's middle name?

---

Do you get hundreds of mails everyday? Delete none. Keep them all.

Please for your urgent reply!

GOOD DAY.

NOTIFICATION OF PAYMENT BY ATM MASTER CREDIT CARD

DID YOU AUTHORIZE ONE MR. ROBERT J SMITH? WHO
PRESENTED DOCUMENTS OF CLAIM PURPOSED TO HAVE BEEN
SIGNED BY YOU FOR THE RELEASE OF YOUR PART-PAYMENT OF
US$8 MILLION ONLY?

WE HEREBY OFFICIALLY NOTIFYING YOU ABOUT THE PRESENT
ARRANGEMENT TO PAY YOU, YOUR OVER DUE
PRIZE/INHERITANCE FUND WHICH YOU COULD NOT COMPLETE
THE PROCESS OF THE RELEASED OF YOUR TRANSFER PIN CODE
THROUGH THE DIGITALIZED PAYMENT SYSTEM. WE HAVE
DECIDED TO PAY YOUR FUNDS WITHOUT ANY REQUESTED FEE
BUT THROUGH (ATM MASTER EXPRESS CREDIT CARD) THIS
ARRANGEMENT WAS INITIATED/CONSTITUTED BY THE WORLD
BANK AND PARIS CLUB, DUE TO FRAUDULENT ACTIVITIES
GOING ON WITHIN THE AFRICAN REGION.

THE WORLD BANK AND PARIS CLUB INTRODUCED THIS PAYMENT
ARRANGEMENT AS TO ENABLE OUR PRIZE/INHERITANCE
BENEFICIARY TO RECEIVE THEIR FUND WITHOUT ANY
INTERFERENCE. THE ATM MASTER EXPRESS CREDIT CARD WAS
CONTRACTED AND POWERED BY GOLD CARD WORLD WIDE.
RECONFIRM THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION TO US FOR SECURITY
REASON.

1) YOUR FULL NAME
2) YOUR RECEIVING ADDRESS.
3) YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER
4) YOUR PROFESSION
5) YOUR AGE

UPON THE RECEIPT OF THIS MAIL WE ARE GOING TO LOAD
YOUR FUND INTO THE MASTER EXPRESS CREDIT CARD AND SEND
A SCAN COPY OF THE CARD TO YOU BEFORE WE WILL PROCEED
TO DISPATCH THE CARD DIRECTLY TO YOUR NOMINATED HOME
ADDRESS SO YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT
ALL WE NEED IS YOUR PROMPT RESPONSE AND CO-OPERATION
BY GODS GRACE WE WILL HAVE A SUCCESSFUL TRANSACTION.
PLEASE RESPOND ONLY TO THIS EMAILS ADDRESS:

MR. PAMI VEGAS.
CHAIRMAN BOARD OF TRUSTEE
CONTRACT/ INHERITANCE PAYMENT.

"well I would walk 500 miles...."

SO... IMsL wants me to some judge the Ms. Bootblack contest this year (be on a panel of about a half dozen other judges) but well... I have no money (my bankruptcy court date is at the end of this month....) I have someone who is trying to find people who will donate frequent flyer miles to help me get there, which is awesome though I don't know HOW someone donates miles...

ANYWAY...

if you or anyone you know has more frequent flier miles than they know what to do with, let me know.... IMsL is the first weekend of May, so I will need to gather this info very very soon.

and as I am not a charity, nor is IMsL, this can't be any sort of tax write-off (just wanted to say that so no one makes the wrong assumptions and then is upset that its not a write-off)

"kissing disease", my eye!

ok... so I just got back from the ER... I have been feeling like walking death for a couple weeks, went to my regular doc last Tuesday, but no change in how crappy I have been feeling...

so I left work early today and went to the ER... tested positive for mono, which strangely makes me happy.... at least I feel like crap for a REALLY good reason.

Anyway, this is the SECOND time I have had mono, and apparently it is very uncommon to get it more than once, kind of like the way getting chicken pox USUALLY makes you immune from getting it again. The first time I had mono was about this same of year, three years ago... just in time for my birthday...

and yeah, "kissing disease" my ass.. I haven't kissed anyone since like... May last year.

But apparently, getting mono at all can trigger fibro... and getting it AGAIN is also related to fibro.

Anyway... I will be on Second Life A LOT in the next couple weeks...

Talk Derby to ME!

I am on the waiting list for trying out for the Brew City Bruisers!

I haven't been on skates in more than a couple years... but in my younger days I was no slouch, so with some practice I should be able to get back up to speed ...

I don't know when tryouts are going to be... hopefully not TOO soon... i've got my derby name picked out already, but y'all will all have to wait until I am on the team to hear it ;)

me want....

ok, since I have no money, I am going to pretend to spend it... next purchase :
Mauser Broomhandle

Old is new

first of all... I have been away for a very long time... I have been without my computer for nearly a month now (!) but wait, there's more! it's not working right! I can browse the internet and check my e-mail, but anything more will crash the computer and reset it... yay

but in the meantime I have been window shopping (HA!) for some fun things... I need this...

Bluetooth Accessory