hank III at mississippi nights

Me and Q went to see Hank III at Mississippi Nights last night. It was a great show, albeit a very long one - we were there from 7:30 until 11:30, and it still wasn't over.

The show was really good. Hank III first did his country songs, which are great. I'm not a huge fan of country, but I do like the good ol' boy stuff - not anything pop country at all. Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, all of the Hanks - I like that kind of stuff. Anyway, he puts on a great show. The only disturbing thing was the upright bass player. I'm pretty sure he's a serial killer. Or that he eats babies. Check him out (to the left) - he had a big ol' mohawk, and the creepiest stare ever.

After the country stuff, he does his 'hellbilly' songs. It's kind of a combo of really heavy music and country. For those of you who don't know, he does both - he also plays with Superjoint Ritual, which includes Phil Anselmo from Pantera. This stuff was pretty good, but by this time, I was super tired.

Next he plays with 'Assjack', and this stuff is really heavy. The singer (I guess III does backup) was a total turd, so that was unfortunate. Or maybe I was just really, really tired by this time, and couldn't tolerate much of anything.

Anyway, the people watching was the best part of this whole show. It was a very strange mix. And the place was packed to the gills, which made for interesting times. I'd call at least half of the crowd hillbillies - and I think they'd call themselves that too. I'm not being insulting, just pointing out a fact. There were lots of people there with parents, and also people there expressly for the heavy music. Plenty o' girls who wore WAY less than they should have, with fat flying everywhere. We also saw a pregnant girl downing beer - I'm pretty sure it was beer, anyway.

And there was so much smoke my eyes burned. It was the kind of thick smoke that sticks with ya even after you've showered. Even though I was kind of bitchy, I had a really good time, and am glad I went.

who are these people???

Here are some hilarious ways people have found my blog:

roger riney asshole I've mentioned this one before, but it's worth noting again

toothbrush airborne feces research bathroom what were they even looking for?

drunk piggyback been there, done that - no need to get the internet involved

doctor took advantage and feel her boobs this person must have known about my grammar pet peeve

runaway bride jennifer wilbanks pics really? she's not even that cute

scenesters on trading spouses I haven't watched in a while, but I guess it's possible

a little lunch, a little kickball

Today I picked my little brother up for lunch and we had a picnic in the park (he's on spring break). Before we left his house, his granny told me he's been having some trouble at school. He's been getting into a few fights, and isn't on the honor roll anymore, and he won't talk to her about it at all (he lives with his granny). She said the music teacher told her she thinks he's just learning how to defend himself, and finally reacting like a normal boy - he's been picked on all his life, mostly because he's very small for his age, and because he's biracial.

It just about broke my heart, but I didn't want to show that, because we were talking right in front of him. I decided to let him pick wherever he wanted to get lunch, and talk about it later.

We got to the park, toted our food and my kickball to a spot in the sun where we set up the blanket, and ate our lunch. His kids meal came with a little toy, so he played with that for a while, and we talked a little bit about kickball. He loves kickball. Then I asked him if he had gotten in any fights lately. He said no, that all of that happened earlier this year. I asked him what he fought about, and he said the kids called him names. They called him 'white boy'.

I thought that was so stupid. What a dumb insult. He's definitely light skinned, but not white. I told him that was a silly thing to call him, and he said he ignores it now. Kids are mean - they've always been that way, and will into the future, I'm sure. It didn't seem to bother him to talk about it, so maybe he's just getting to the point where he realizes how dumb it is. I've never heard that before, though - calling a biracial kid 'white boy'. I told him they just do it to get a rise out of him. I know they don't do it expressly to be cruel - he's actually a pretty well-liked kid.

We had a blast, though. Somehow we managed to play a kickball game with just the two of us. The hour flew by, and I so did not want to come back to work. I could have stayed out there all day, lounging and playing kickball. More lounging than playing, though - I have horrible feet problems, and after 3 straight games last Sunday, I'm like an old woman. Muscles I didn't even know I had hurt after that. We won two of them, though, to move into second in our division. Good times.

brian adams - hell yes

I heard about this on 590 The Fan Thursday morning, and I've seen it other places, too. There's this theory that whatever song was #1 on your 18th birthday somehow represents your life in some way. Foolish me, I decided to try it. The song that was #1 on my 18th birthday was:

'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman' by Brian Adams.

Wow, that's a thinker. That could definitely be taken a couple of ways. If I was a lesbian, I'd get it completely. I just happen to be straight, and with a gorgeous, handsome, sweet and funny man.

If it was possibly referring to some experimentation, perhaps in college, it's wrong there, too. No such luck. Yes, I've kissed a couple of girls, but they were tiny pecks. Nothing that would constitute 'really loving a woman'.

I can say, however, that I truly love a handful of women. My sisters and mommy, of course, are no brainers. I've also got a couple of very close girlfriends. So I guess in that respect, I have really loved a woman.

Okay, so it's a stupid theory. But fun, and a great Friday timewaster! Here's the link. If you're one of my 3 or 4 consistent readers (hi there!), I'm curious to see what your song is, and whether you think it relates to your life somehow.

dubya on religious freedom

Here's an interesting topic (and a very sad one) - a man in Afghanistan could be sentenced to death for converting from Muslim to Christianity. Of course, the powers that be (unfortunately) in this country are throwing a fit. We, after all, went in there and threw out the Taliban, supposedly to free them. Oopsie. Looks like it may not have worked.

Q brought up a good point while we were watching the Today Show. What if he had converted to Judiasm? Or ? Would the US be as involved or concerned? Would that be newsworthy?

I just can't help but choke a bit on the bile in my stomach when I hear things like this (other than the horrible grammer, that is):

Bush, in a statement Wednesday, said that “I’m troubled when I hear, deeply troubled when I hear, the fact that a person who converted away from Islam may be held to account.” While not demanding that the trial be stopped and the defendant released, Bush said he wanted to make sure that “people are protected in their capacity to worship.”

Is he for real? Mr. Conservative Christian, vying at each turn to wrap this country's laws around Christianity, is saying that? Boy, that's interesting. Maybe he should think before he speaks...wait, that may not be possible. After all, there is a website dedicated to all of his public speaking errors.

does condie really care about some small time radio guy in the lou?

Has everyone heard about the controversy regarding KTRS talk show host Dave Lenihan? Apparently he accidentally said a racial slur on the air yesterday and was fired immediately. I heard the story last night on the news and wondered how one 'accidentally' says a racial slur. Seems unlikely.

Then I read more about it. He was talking about how great it would be if Condoleeza Rice became the next commissioner of football after Tagliabue (that name is hilarious to say) retires. He said, "She loves football, she's African American which would be kind of a big (coon). Oh my God, I totally, totally, totally, totally am sorry for that. I didn't mean that." He actually meant to say 'coup'.

I guess I can see that happening. However, I'm of the opinion that you don't accidentally say things that you wouldn't say normally, so I do think it's questionable that 'coon' ended up in his sentence. However, 'coup' completely fits, and makes perfect sense. The unfortunate part is that he had a 7 second delay at his disposal, and didn't use it. What a bummer. But he was on her side. Why would he call her a 'coon' if he was supporting her as commissioner of football? I just don't know.

I think maybe he should have been given more of an opportunity to explain himself instead of getting fired instantly, though. However, he was speaking about the Secretary of State, and the radio station was bound to take severe heat if they didn't do just that. What could they have done? It's unfortunate, but they have to worry about their sponsors. Plus, this guy had been on the air for something like 8 days, so I'm sure that made it easier to fire him.

I guess I just think it's totally unfortunate that a person can't make a mistake these days without a shit storm. So what, the guy mixed up his words. Big deal. If people would relax for a minute, and maybe worry about bigger and badder things, I think we'd be way better off. Then again, if this guy so readily slipped in 'coon', how often does he say that in his personal life? By the way, I'd never heard of this guy before yesterday, so I have NO IDEA if he's a racist or not. He does teach at Logan College of Chiropractic, and I know two guys who have gone there or go there, so I'll have to get the scoop from them. He also got suspended from his job at the college, which I think is way unreasonable. That just sucks - it was apparently this guy's dream job to work at KTRS, and after 8 days, was fired, and I'm sure his radio career is over, if not his teaching career. All for one slip of the tongue.

Any thoughts? I'm interested to know your opinions (hello? is anyone out there???)

stuck in the mud...literally

A man got stuck in some mud in Texas after running from police (they stopped him for an outdated license tag). He ran into a field, and got stuck up to his waist.

As if that isn't unbelievable enough, he died after two hours - supposedly due to exhaustion and the cold (wait - Texas isn't even that cold - it was in the thirties).

Hmmm, something seems fishy to me. People have survived much worse ordeals. Am I missing something???

On another note, someone landed on my site by searching for roger riney asshole. Roger is the owner of my old company, Scottrade. Though I never called him an asshole in this blog, I have spoken about the drinking game asshole. I'm more concerned about the person who searched for that. Is it an old colleague? A disgruntled employee? I want to know very badly. As Steph used to say, 'we can't always have what we want, now can we?'. Oh well.

kickball and penguins

We won both of our kickball games this weekend, which was fun. We were a little sloppy, but it all worked out in the end, which I figured would happen, as both the teams we played were new. As we've learned, it takes at least a couple of seasons to figure everything out, and get the hang of what you're doing. One wouldn't think it'd be that hard - it's kickball, right? But there are tons of rules, and many tricks that are only learned through experience.

The second team we played was super mouthy, so it was our number one goal to beat them. We were only up by three at one point, and got a little nervous, but after totall pulling together under our united goal, we effectively beat them. They were totally whiny babies. They'll learn. This league doesn't tolerate whiny babies AT ALL. I've seen the president (yes, the president - how cool is that???) throw a team out of the league after bitching about something during the tournament. They're serious about one thing - having fun and keeping it low key. It's okay to be competitive, just not sore losers. I think this team was just pissed that their record was 1 and 5, and they were a bunch of young, seemingly athletic adults, and couldn't deal with losing. They should definitely get used to it, though - they've lost to some pretty marginal teams.

The funniest part of the day happened before they even started, though. Cootie and I were sitting in our chairs on the sideline watching some of our team warming up (we were freezing, it was like 45 degrees, cloudy, and windy). There were two people (a younger and an older woman) running frantically after a small border collie, who had apparently gotten loose. The older lady kept yelling 'Grab him!' repeatedly, I guess hoping someone standing around would just bend over and grab the dog. The dog wasn't even running that fast though, and would stop from time to time, trying to attack the kickballs. More than once he stopped at the feet of the young girl, who could not, for the life of her, manage to pick him up (I think this is why people were reluctant to pick him up - they couldn't comprehend why the two women couldn't do it, and didn't entirely get the situation). After at least ten minutes of watching them run aimlessly after the dog yelling 'Grab him!', the dog trotted up to Cootie, who patted her lap one time and said 'Come here', and jumped right into her lap. The two people were AMAZED, and came over to get the dog and thank her. The whole thing struck me as hilarious, and I could not stop laughing, which I'm sure did not please the two people, but it was one of those situations where laughing is all you can do, and trying to stop just makes it worse. Thankfully Cootie kept her composure.

There was no leash in sight, by the way. Hint to dumbasses: if your dog has problems running away from you (and/or you are too moronic to figure out how to pick it up when it's standing at your feet), keep it on a leash. Not terribly difficult.

Q and I watched 'March of the Penguins' this weekend. I loved it. I was totally amazed by what these creatures go through every year. Nature just dumbfounds me - how these animals continue to do the same thing year after year, to such precise exactness, is unbelievable. That a bird can seemingly experience such emotion is really cool to see, and also very humbling, realizing humans aren't the only ones who can experience with such depth. Definitely watch it, if you haven't yet.

can you guess?

NBA OR NFL?

36

have been accused of spousal abuse

7

have been arrested for fraud

19

have been accused of writing bad checks

117

have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

3

have done time for assault

71, repeat 71

cannot get a credit card due to bad credit

14

have been arrested on drug-related charges

8

have been arrested for shoplifting

21

currently are defendants in lawsuits, and

84

have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year

Can you guess which organization this is?

Give up yet?

Neither.

It's the 535 members of the United States Congress.

Yep, the same group of idiots that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

look out for numero uno, kiddies

I've been hearing a lot of buzz about this lawsuit. Apparently a 25 year old guy doesn't want to have to pay child support to his 20 year old girlfriend because 1. she told him she couldn't have children and 2. he made it completely clear he did not want children at that point in his life. He contends she made the decison to have the child knowing full well he did not want her to have/keep it, so why should he have to pay?

I do think he has a valid argument. I can easily see both sides. I heard a radio show debating the issue, and someone suggested setting up a time frame after learning of a pregnancy for they guy to 'opt out'. Then the girl takes that into consideration when deciding whether to keep it or get rid of it, either through abortion or adoption. It does make sense. Then the guy doesn't have to pay every month for the rest of his life for a child he didn't want, and made perfectly clear he didn't want. Girls do hold all the cards, so to speak. Then again, they go through 9 months of pregnancy and labor. It's a tough issue.

More importantly, though, is the impact on this child, who apparently was forgotten in the midst of all of this stupidity. Hello, men and women, if you don't want children, fucking protect yourself! It's not a difficult concept. If a girl tells you she can't have children, should you trust her? Not today, folks. So wear a rubber, and you'll never (or very rarely) find yourself in this situation. Guy says he's infertile? Have him wear a rubber, or take birth control, or use a diaphragm. Not incredibly difficult.

It's disgusting. No, maybe this bonehead didn't want children, but he sure wasn't that concerned, if he didn't wear a rubber. People need to start being responsible for themselves. 'She lied.' Boo fucking hoo. Get a clue, moron. People lie all the time. This isn't a new concept. And now there's a child in the picture, due to his dumbassness. Did he want it? Maybe not. But the kids here, regardless. So pay for it. Them's the breaks.

I'm so darn sick of people blaming others for their problems. Take some fucking responsibility for yourselves, and you won't find yourself in this predicament.

Okay, that's my rant for today. Soon I'll be celebrating like a true 1/4 Irishman. Bring on the green beer! As MT, my dear friend lucky enough to be living in Ireland for a while told me today, Beannachtái Lá Fhéile Pádraig!!! That's Gaelic for Happy St. Patricks Day. It's pronounced ban-ach-tee la fay-le Paw-drig. Enjoy! And have fun pooping green tomorrow morning!

what would i do for a cool million...

This confirms not only why the media today is ridiculous, but also why I don't subscribe (and go broke in the meantime) to cable. Remember Jennifer Wilbanks? No? I didn't either, until they mentioned the whole 'runaway bride' thing. Oh yeah, that dumb skank. Apparently cable news shows are beating down her door with offers for her to do the same thing exactly again, simply to provide some good news stories and ratings. Some have even offered a million dollars. Seriously, isn't there something better for a million dollars? That woman is a mess. Why not drudge up Darva Conger? Or Tonya Harding? I'm guessing you could get them to do just about anything for that kind of scratch. And they wouldn't have to repeat the same old story.

I mean, if cable networks want to pay people to create news, who cares, right? But they probably shouldn't admit to it. Keep it behind closed doors. And how can they live with themselves? I think these execs would be happier if half the nation croaked from the bird flu simply because it'd make a great story. It's disgusting.

More importantly, though, what is wrong with that woman? Besides leaving your fiance and ridiculously expensive wedding and running away to Arizona (or wherever) and claiming mexicans raped you and held you hostage, that is. Why wouldn't she take the million bucks? She can't seriously be worried about her reputation. First of all, she's totally yesterday's news. I wouldn't have even remembered her name if it hadn't been mentioned in this article. And she'd only be doing exactly what she did already, so how could it ruin her reputation any more? And wouldn't a million dollars be more than enough to deal with whatever may happen to her reputation? If anything, I'd respect her more for doing it and taking money from the dumbass cable companies.

Take the money and run, girl. Literally.

getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

Here are a few random bits o' info about yours truly...

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:25, most unfortunately

2. Diamonds or pearls? Not a huge fan of either, really - I'd take 'em for free, though

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Brokeback Mountain

4. What is your favorite TV show? Desperate Housewives - I'm a sucker for smut

5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Honey Nut Whole Grain Cheerios - Target brand

6. What is your favorite cuisine? Thai or maybe Vietnamese

7. What is your middle name? Anne

8. What food do you dislike? Greek - that meat is just creepy

9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? That is waaaay too hard. I guess maybe Seamless or Eagles of Death Metal, but just because they're currently in my car.

10. What kind of car do you drive? Mazda 626, finally fixed...for the moment

11. Favorite sandwich? I'm only a fan of semi-gourmet sandwiches - a BLT from Subway or anything from Quiznos

12. What characteristic do you despise? know-it-alls

13. Favorite item of clothing? comfy sweats from Old Navy

14. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would it be? New Zealand, Ireland (next year!), the beach - really, anywhere

15. What color is your bathroom? Green

16. Favorite brand of clothing? anything that's a great bargain

17. Where would you retire to? I'll take anything, as long as I can retire - here's to hoping!

18. What was your most memorable birthday? my last one (mostly because I can't really remember the rest) - Q & I took the day off, we ate a huge awesome breakfast at Uncle Bill's, then saw a movie. I love laid back, lazy days.

19. Favorite sport to watch? Baseball

20. When is your birthday? June 28

21. Are you a morning person or a night person? definitely night - I'm the grumpiest mofo in the world in the morning

22. What is your shoe size? 8 dress, 8.5 tennies

23. Pet? Chay, the wonderhound

24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? my sis is getting married!

25. What did you want to be when you were little? a vet, until I volunteered with one, and almost passed out when they lopped off a tail and blood squirted all over the wall

26. How are you today? let's see...bored, headache, want to be outside, lost - the usual

30. What is your favorite candy/chocolate? gummy anything, chocolate anything

31. What is your favorite flower? gerber daisy, if I had to pick

32. What is a date on the calendar you are looking forward to? any date marked 'Saturday' or 'Sunday'

33. Are you in love? definitely

34. Do you enjoy your job? Not quite 'enjoy' - 'tolerate' would be more fitting. I 'tolerate' my job so I have money to live and eat.

irish food is yummy

Kickball season has started off great. We won our first game 11-0. Last season we had a good win/loss record, but were really bad about giving up runs to the other team, so this was great, and showed a nice change in our defense. That team had an even record last year, which could have been scary. They were the type of team that might have beaten us last year because we were so inconsistent, sometimes playing great, sometimes sucking badly, and often winning by complete luck.

The second team we played won every game last year but one, and were in a tough division, so I was nervous about it. I figured we'd lose, it was just a question of how badly. There were no runs scored through the fifth inning, which was great. Our defense was awesome. Then they got through a little bit and ended up beating us 5-2, which I think was pretty respectable, considering they won both of their games last week (before the rest of the games were rained out), scoring 24 runs total and only allowing 4 runs. We looked good out there. I think we totally shocked them, which was pretty funny. In the third inning I heard someone on their team call out 'who ARE these guys???' (even though our team name is on our shirts - duh).

The rest of the weekend was nice and laid back, with extremely warm temperatures, and not nearly as much rain as was predicted. Especially since I called in to work on Friday to take the day off. I need three day weekends every week. I'd be so willing to work ten hour days. That extra day makes all the difference in the world.

Either that or I just need to get the hell out of corporate America. I'm just not cut out for this crap. I hate being on someone else's schedule (my completely unorganized bosses with no respect for my time), HATE having to dress up (especially shoes), hate having to be somewhere else from 8-5 every day, hate having to be someone I'm not (friendly in the morning, team player, etc). I just despise all the fakeness. You can slice through the tension in this place with a knife, yet everyone acts totally nice and happy, all best friendsy. It's repulsive. I just have an extremely hard time being fake and schmoozy, which is totally the key to success here. Don't get me wrong, I like my bosses (for the most part), and the company has great benefits, so I'm thankful to be here for the most part. I'm just getting pretty fed up with corporate work. I hear Quik Trip pays a lot...heh, I'm pretty sure they couldn't pay me enough to put up with the clientele. Ick. Then again, at least I'd get to wear comfortable shoes. I guess every job has it's ups and downs.

I also got to eat my favorite dinner in the world last night - corned beef, potatoes, cabbage, and beans. Too bad I don't like Guinness, because that would have made the perfect Irish dinner (though I just heard somewhere that corned beef isn't actually an Irish thing...interesting - Megan, any expertise here?). It was yummy, and best of all, I get leftovers tonight. Yum.

stupid st. louis, stupid cars, stupid rainy day

I despise cars. For the billionth time, I despise having to drive a car to and from work every day. I wish I could use GOOD public transportation, leaving my car in the driveway for weekend use only. What a treat that would be.

I can't think of a bigger hassle then having to get a car fixed (which happens so very often). You've got to make time in your busy life to go and sit with it, or get some poor sucker to pick you up when you take it in and drop you off when it's ready. It sucks. Then, more often than not, the stupid thing wasn't fixed right, and you have to take it back over, and over, and over to get it done right, going through the process of making time in your already super busy life to do this repeatedly. I'm so sick of it.

Plus, it's so hard to find a good mechanic, one who knows what he's doing and won't fuck you over. I guess this is just reflective of the world as a whole, though. You can't trust anyone anymore. If you think you can, you're just naive.

I'd probably feel differently after doing the public transportation thing for a while, but I just think it'd be grand. I swear, traffic and moronic drivers (which is just about everyone) just make my blood boil. Maybe I just need an outlet for my frustrations. I've started working out again, so maybe that will help.

All I know is that it's raining today, which means at least an additional 10 minutes to my commute. I'm still baffled as to why this happens, but oh well. C'est la vie. I can't wait until they start construction on highway 40. Though I don't actually ever drive on 40 for my commute, it's bound to make it a nightmare anyway. 40 and 170 has to be the dumbest intersection on the planet already, so construction surely will only make it worse. Blah.

comparing bushy to hitler

Have you heard the news about this teacher? Apparently this kid took a recorder to his high school social studies class, and taped his teacher raving and ranting about Bushy, seemingly unprovoked. He took it home and shared it with his father, telling him the whole thing made him feel uncomfortable. The 20 minute portion of the tape has been played all over the radio. Taken alone, yes, it does seem as though this teacher is a little crazy. What teacher in his right mind would do such a thing nowadays? Contrary to popular opinion, teachers are very bright. It's strange.

Unfortunately, only one side of this story has been spread all over the media. Here's the real story. The kid who brought the recorder also came prepared with a number of strange and leading questions for this teacher. He asked all of them, and the teacher answered, not really knowing how to handle the situation, and also expressing his discomfort and the fact that everything he said was his opinion, and not necessarily correct. The kid then took the 20 minute 'edited' portion of the tape to his parents who shopped it around to right-wing groups. Pretty unbelievable, right? Yet this reporter, publishing an article in the Denver Post, didn't bother to check out all sides of this story. She reacted solely on one perspective. This kid is pretty determined to spread this story all over the media...that should be a red flag right there. If he really felt violated, he wouldn't be all over the place.

I think it's complete crap, yet totally representative of what's happening in our media today. They're allowed to run around and report on whatever the hell they want, constantly making mistakes and selectively reporting on what they want the public to see. Then, when the entire story comes out, and they're wrong, nothing! No retraction, no apology. It's repulsive.

Take the Barry Bonds story. I think it's pretty obvious he was doping, but really, who knows? Certainly not these reporters who wrote the book alleging he did it. They can make educated guesses, especially since they were (or are) investigative reporters in San Francisco, but they can't say for sure, for a fact, that he was doping. Yet it's all over the newspapers.

Also take the example of the bouncer in New York under suspicion of raping/torturing/murdering that college student. I'll admit, he does seem suspicious. The police are probably on to something, but who knows for sure besides that bouncer? No one does. Yet he's as good as guilty as far as the media is concerned. What if he's innocent? Will the papers print a story about that, will the nightly news air a retraction? Of course not. As far as the public is concerned, this guy is guilty, and his life is probably ruined whether he's found innocent or guilty.

Don't get me wrong, I love the news. I'm online all the time reading it, and watch the news every morning. But I know enough to take it with a grain of salt. I don't believe things based on one news story. I just think our media outlets should be more responsible about what they print or air. It's become more for entertainment than for facts, or even unbiased reporting. That's evident when the first story on the nightly news is about death, destruction, terrorism, etc. each and every night. You gotta rope people in, right? It's all about the ratings, and none about common sense or correctness.

I'm against censorship, and feel the media has the right to do what they want. But when they're deliberately misleading people for their own gain, it's just not right. It's disgusting.

the urban league

I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 88th Annual Dinner Meeting of the Urban League of Metro St. Louis last night. I had a really great time.

There were thousands of people there, probably the biggest dinner-type event I'd ever attended. The food was good (NJ loves good food), and the awards were quick and painless. The highlight of the evening, though, was the keynote speaker, whose name I can't remember now. He was a big black guy whose voice went on for miles and miles. He spoke into a mic, but certainly didn't need it. I'm sure the entire room could have heard every word. Unfortunately, the speakers were at most ten feet from my head. My ears are still ringing.

Anyway, he spoke about the three major problems with society, in his opinion. Those are the government, culture, and religion. He was a veteran whose three children were (or are) in the military, but was staunchly opposed to the war in Iraq. He felt there was no call to go there after 9/11, as it had nothing to do with it at all. He basically said that our great nation, once the 'superpower' of the world, should be spreading peace and harmony as opposed to war and forced ideals. His words were amazing. He was very careful to say he wasn't opposed to war, just to what's happening now.

Next he beat up our culture, more specifically, 'gangsta rap'. He began by saying he is a huge fan and supporter of hip hop, but that he just doesn't get 'gangsta rap's' treatment of women, calling them bitches and whores. He fears what our children might be learning, and basically scolded anyone who supported this type of music. He isn't supporting censorship per se, but supports common sense, saying we shouldn't enable our citizens to publicly treat our women like dirt. Pretty cool.

Last, he tore up the current state of religion. He said religion used to be about brotherhood, about community, and finding common ground in a higher power. Now though, it's about money and power. He said he feels the average Joe out there thinks that success and money are going to get him into heaven, and that he must have these things to be 'religious'. He feels that folks who are down on their luck are much more in need of a helping hand than anyone else, but that's forgotten in today's religious culture.

You could tell this guy believed every ounce that came out of his mouth, which was very empowering. The crowd was really getting into it, and totally seemed to respond. I found it so refreshing to hear such honest and genuine words at a 'business' function. No schmoozing, no slobbery ass-kissing - I'm just not used to that. What business nowadays (or even non-profits) are able to be this honest and open? None. I'm just so sick of everyone tiptoeing around issues.

There were at least 100 special guests - the mayor of St. Louis, East St. Louis, chief of police, and tons of community and business leaders. It was humbling to be in the presence of some of these people, especially knowing they are obviously supporters of the community.

I also found it interesting that St. Louis' Urban League is the best in the nation. In a community so racially divided as St. Louis, it's great to know that we have such advocacy and such community support.

Stewart rips the stars...nice

So the 'stars' didn't like Jon Stewart. What did the Academy think was going to happen when they asked him to host? Have they ever seen the Daily Show? It's not a big surprise, folks. I, however, found it hilarious, especially when he scolded piracy, saying it was taking money away from the actors there in the theater (the most disgustingly rich in the nation). It was awesome. Nothing like mocking the stars on their big night. Bravo, Jon Stewart. Your performance was everything I expected.

What was up with the pre-show? Too much movie recaps, outlining who was nominated. When I watch the pre-show I want to see the celebs - which ones have good outfits, which have horrible, which are completely awkward during their interviews - that's the good stuff. I watch the awards to see all the nitty-gritty. And surf the internet to find out who is nominated, etc. And they talked to critics, which was so stupid! I was pissed. I want smut during the pre-show. That's what it's all about. And this year there wasn't nearly enough.

Some favorite (and not-so-favorite) moments:

• Jon Stewart ripping on celebrities right in front of them and they were forced to laugh.
• Jennifer Garner almost tripping on her way to the podium.
• The why-was-he/she-there moments: Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Will Smith - why?
• Philip Seymour Hoffman winning best actor (from shart to best actor - nice move!)
• The cute little Wallace & Gromit guys with their bowties (though Tim Burton should have won there) and the cute little stuffed penguins. Dorky, but cute.
• 36 Mafia winning best song - someone definitely rolled over in their grave with that one.
• Uma Thurman looking incredibly hot.

Did anyone else think it was totally rude that they kept cutting the mic off before the second winner in a pair of winners could talk? I'm all for cutting the mic, but at least give them both a chance to speak. It's not the second one's fault the first one was a selfish moron. I thought it was awful. They'd go up to speak, and not realize the mic was off, and stand there talking without anyone able to hear. It was very rude.

Kickball started this weekend. Unfortunately our games were rained out, which sucks. I look forward to kickball all year long, so to miss the first games is such a bummer. The first round of games weren't called, so we made it to Tower Grove and were unloading all our stuff (in the rain) before learning the rest of the games were called. By that point we were already wet, so we were totally ready to play. Oh well. I guess we saved our two opponents from a slaughter. Lucky them.

major dick bong

I'm not trying to be disrespectful in the least bit. I have much admiration for our veterans, and know for a fact I couldn't ever do the things they've done, as I'm a huge wimp.

My boss has a calendar of fighter jets in his office, as his father flew one during world war two. I've never opened it, but there it was on Friday afternoon, just sitting on his table. I opened up the first page, and there sat Dick Bong. I kid you not. Major Richard Bong, AKA Major Dick Bong. No folks, this is not a joke. I found a website dedicated to him on the internet (ahh, the joy of the internet).

I am fascinated with the name Dick. I have an uncle named Dick. I know, when they were named, it didn't mean what it means today. I just can't imagine, even if I grew up with the name, keeping it nowadays. Especially if paired up with Bong. My god, the possibilities are endless. It's not as though there aren't other nicknames for Richard. Both Rich and Rick are perfectly acceptable. How did Dick come from Richard, anyway? It's like getting Peggy from Margaret. How does that happen? I have an aunt named Peggy. She's not married to Dick. My extended family is just full of odd nicknames.

It reminds me of a name I once came across, Dick Pouch. Dick and Donna Pouch, proud residents of this fair city I call home. This provided hours of entertainment, as I found it at a previous job, and we laughed for days. There are some really unfortunate names out there, but Dick names are the best. I mean, Dick alone is funny, but come on - Dick Pouch? Dick Bong? It's almost too good to be true. As discussed with my writing group, sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction.

All of this Dick talk reminds me of the time we went up to visit my Uncle Dick and cousins in Minnesota when I was younger. We all went to some amusement park. We managed to lose my uncle, and my mom told my cousin, a boy my same age, to call out for him. First he called out 'Dad', whereby every father there turned around. Obviously that didn't work, so mom told him to call his name. He yelled out 'DICK!' at the top of his lungs. This caused quite a different reaction. I don't actually remember this, but mom does, and tells it every time I ask. It never gets old.

I admit it, I'm so immature. I like Dick jokes. I can't help it. Have a good weekend lovely readers!

we'll give you florida. it's a fair trade.

So the founder of Domino's Pizza (a former employer of mine, frighteningly), Thomas Monaghan, is trying to set up a town in Florida called Ave Maria. It will be governed by Catholic principles, not the laws of the USA. I guess some groups are freaking out, saying it's un-American, which is hilarious in and of itself, being that the laws of this nation are leaning more and more towards religious ideals every day.

My thought is this - let the crazy religious right have their own town. Who cares? I'm totally for that. That way, I can stay the hell away. They're all in one place, making them very easy to avoid. They can leave us alone, and our constitution alone. Too bad this town is only going to be about 20,000 residents (which is actually pretty scary). I say we just disown Florida, giving it entirely to the religious right. They can have Jeb, too.

Florida is perfect. There would be no reason to go there. You don't have to drive through the state to get anywhere, and it doesn't have a ton that can't be found elsewhere in the country. Sure, it'd be an inconvenience for all the grounded folks (living in reality), as they'd have to get the hell out of there fast. But who would argue? It would suck to lose your home, but it's a small price to pay to corral all the bible thumpers in one area, right?

I think this guy is on to something. I think he thinks this success is going to teach us something - that roman catholics can live separate, in peace, and prove that somehow this breeds better citizens. I think he's missing the point. I want them to separate themselves out. Please. Go ahead and teach me that lesson.

I think it's just sad, raising your family in such a sheltered way. I want my kids to experience diversity, to understand all the different things available in this world. I want them to know different religions, cultures, countries - everything. The more exposed they are the better, in my opinion. It's kind of like baptism, on a much larger scale, of course. Baptizing your infant basically commits them to one religion for the rest of their lives (or so the church would like). Why not let them grow up and decide for themselves? Yes, it's an accepted practice. I think a lot of people do it without thinking. If you ask me, anyone who believes their small infant will go to hell if they're not baptized is just plain freaky. I'm sorry, but I can't get on board with a God who would send an infant to hell solely because it wasn't baptized. That's insane.

So, good riddance, I say. Go and live in your mono-dimensional little Catholic town. I'm actually interested to see how these children fare, actually. How many go insane and reject the system entirely. It'll be interesting.