Saturday Ramblings

I'm now curious what the cost/benefit ratio turns out to be from this ad campaign:

I can't help but think this will be one of the few places that Christie actually wastes money, instead of saving it.

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You Are 30% Boyish and 70% Girlish

Even if you're not a girl, you're very feminine. You're in touch with your feelings, and your heart rules you. A bit of a emotional roller coaster, one moment you're up and the next you're down. But no matter what, you try to be as cute and perky as possible.

How Boyish or Girlish Are You?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

Yep -- perky. That's me alright. (*snort*)

Actually, this is more like it:

You Are Lucy

You are smart as a whip... maybe a little too smart for your own good! Other people tend to annoy you. You tell it like it is, and you're not about to spare anyone's feelings. You're very blunt. You are assertive to the point of being aggressive. You know what you want, and you're going to make sure you get it. Deep down, you're trying to be helpful. You give good advice, even if people don't want to hear it. You always shoot from the hip.

What Peanuts Character Are You?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

And I played that role in scenes from You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown when I was in High School, too!

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Found in my Blogger stats:

Moldova

11

I've never heard of it, but apparently I've had 11 visitors from there in one day!

Very, very cool!

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Giggle of the Day:

Drive-Bys

Don't forget I'm doing a give-away here. You can't win the $75 gift certificate if you don't enter, and you've only got until next Friday!
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It took the artists only four days to do this:

SUPAKITCH & KORALIE - VÄRLDSKULTUR MUSEET GÖTEBORG from elr°y on Vimeo.

I couldn't have done it at all. That's beautiful... and awesome. I really admire people with talent like that.
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Once again our brainiacs in Springfield seek solutions to our financial problems that will drive business from our state. Howzzat, you ask?

Some Illinois-based Web businesses were furious Thursday at a legislative plan that would require online retailers, such as Amazon.com and Overstock.com, to collect a 6.25 percent state tax if they have commissioned affiliates in the state.

That puts at risk huge revenue streams for such Illinois-based Web sites as FatWallet.com, CouponCabin.com and BradsDeals.com, which receive much of their commissions from sending customers to major online retailers. Their commissions are at risk because large retailers have shown in the past that they will sever business relationships with affiliates like those to avoid collecting state sales tax, called a use tax in Illinois, on products they sell.

The bill, passed Thursday afternoon, needs approval from Gov. Pat Quinn.

Illinois blogger Marathon Pundit and lots of others will be losing his Amazon Associate status if Quinn signs that bill.

Oh, you say -- it won't be that bad. Oh, really?

"I feel like I've been completely flipped the bird," said Tim Storm, chief executive of FatWallet, based in Rockton, near Rockford. "Essentially, 30 to 40 percent of our revenue gets shut off instantaneously."

FatWallet officials were busy Thursday scouting ways to leave Illinois, Storm said.

"The reality is that as a business owner with 52 employees, we're not going to just get shut down because of a law Illinois passes. Our customers don't care whether we're in the state of Illinois," he said.

Brad Wilson, founder of BradsDeals, in Chicago, said about half his revenue would be in jeopardy, along with 20 jobs at his company.

"We don't have much choice. If this is going to stick, we literally can't physically be in Illinois," Wilson said. "My wife is from Cleveland and would be thrilled if we moved back there. That's the kind of thing that's going through my head."

Good going there, Governor. We're going to lose business and see more people out of work because of this short-sighted bit of legislation. And, on top of that, people who are hurting and who can buy things more cheaply are once again given the shaft.
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I don't know about you, but this is change I can believe in:

House Votes to Repeal “Job-Killing” Health Care Law 236-181

Yay!
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Quote of the Day:

You know I am a fan of Nic Cage and Ron Perlman (whose very existence made the “Hellboy” movies possible). Here, like cows, they devour the scenery, regurgitate it to a second stomach found only in actors and chew it as cud. It is a noble effort, but I prefer them in their straight-through Human Centipede mode.

Go Roger!
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Ear Worm of the Day:


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If you know a little girl who has fallen under the spell of the Evil Empire of Little Girldom, you're going to want to bookmark this link to Dollie & Me, which has really adorable matching outfits for your little one and her doll that won't break the bank.

TMPAE has drunk the Kool-Aid. It's nice know I'll be able to send her a little something every once in a while that isn't ridiculously over-priced.
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Giggle of the Day:



CharlieDelta's cat strikes again!
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And here's a BlogThing, since I haven't done one for a while:

You Are Chinese Checkers

You live a hyper, fast paced life. You rarely ever slow down. You are good at juggling many things at once. You are the ultimate multi-tasker. You enjoy being in a group - in fact the bigger the group, the better. You are an enthusiastic competitor, and you can be a little ruthless when you play games.

What Board Game Are You?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Sunday Schedule

I have another new heroine:

The real story of bigotry and intolerance is the fact that it lives and thrives on the left. As a gay woman who spent most of her adult life pushing the cart for liberal causes with liberal friends in a liberal city, I found that sexism, racism and homophobia are staples in the liberal world. The huge irony is liberals spend every ounce of energy promoting the notion that they are the banner carriers of individualism and personal freedom, yet the hammer comes down on anyone who dares not to conform to, or who dissents even in part from, the liberal agenda.

Think about what would happen if you did act up? If you dared to say you like Sarah Palin, or admire Margaret Thatcher, or think global warming is a hoax, or think Bill Clinton is a sexual predator, or that George W Bush isn't to blame for everything, or that Barack Obama has absolutely no clue what he's doing, you know there would be a price to pay. Odds are that your "liberal" friends would very liberally hate you. At the very least, being shunned would be your new experience, condemning you to suffer that horrific liberal malady called social death.

Sing it, sister!

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Now here's a little blast from my past:

The bulky, blue machines are all more than 40 years old now, but the idea behind them remains as irresistible to Chicago children today as it once was to their parents and grandparents.

"Now You Can Operate the Amazing Mold-A-Rama Automatic Miniature Plastic Factory!"

I can't wait until my grandson's old enough to start his own collection. Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, Museum of Science and Industry and Brookfield Zoo -- Oh, the fun we'll have!

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Yep. I called this one a year and a half ago, and once the price of the Kindle itself went down, the sale of the device... and eboooks... went way up:

Though they only make up 9 percent of the consumer book market, e-book sales are up 193 percent over a year ago, according to the Association of American Publishers.

An estimated 4 million U.S. homes have an e-book reader such as Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook, according to Forrester Research, which predicts sales of more than 29 million devices by 2015.

HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray reports "a sea change in the past few months" among new best-selling books: "On some books, the e-books are outselling the hardcovers."

Seriously, my Kindle was second only to meeting my daughter for the first time on my list of all-time great Christmas gifts. I use it all the time. It weighs next to nothing, fits in most of my purses and I can get books in seconds any time I want. On top of that, I've used it for simple Google searches lately, and I can even check email or blog from the darned thing if I'm really stuck far away from my laptop.

One more thing -- I've been introduced to a lot of new authors through the Kindle store's best seller list, and I've gotten a lot of interesting stuff either free or at a discount that way. (And when I've liked the discounted/free stuff, I've gone back and purchased more of the authors' works at the regular Kindle price.)

They really are dandy little devices.

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Getting ready to put together your Christmas shopping list? This article is loaded with tips for saving money on all your holiday purchases. (You may even want to print and save it for future use!)

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More Facebook privacy issues. Sheesh!

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Quote of the Day:

Braun's ego -- remember her run for president in the 2004 cycle? -- is matched only by her leaden political ear, behind which she had dabbed a little eau de Stroger. Yeah, that'll bring out the vote.

Zorn's got her number, all right.

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Where are you on the empathy scale?

My score: 67
0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)
33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average

64 - 80 is very high

80 is maximum

Found via LL, who found it via Vox Day. Dr. Helen also took the test.

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Blogthings!

You Crave Inspiration

You are optimistic about both your present and your future. Things are going well for you. You see love as companionship. You're the type of person who would fall for his or her best friend. You expect other people to respect you. You are respectful of them in return. Your inner child is playful. You can have as much fun as any kid!

The City Park Test

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

... and...

Your Workspace Says You Work Best With Others

You are generally fairly organized, but you have occasional slip ups. You find keeping organized challenging. You are hardworking and driven. You have an excellent work ethic. You are proud of your life, and you want your co-workers to know how great it is. You're not afraid of some subtle bragging. You don't switch careers often, and you intend to stay at your current job for a long time. At work, you tend to be an extrovert. You enjoy working with other people and drawing people into your work space.

What Does Your Work Space Say About You?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

Saturday Ramblings

Aha! Now I see where the Straight White Guy first got his fully warranted fear of zombies:

Zombie

1 1/4 oz lemon juice
1 oz dark rum
3/4 oz orange juice
1/2 oz cherry brandy
1/2 oz light rum
1/2 oz high-proof dark rum
2 dashes grenadine

Usually these drinks are saved for Halloween-themed parties, and judging by the amount of alcohol contained in one zombie, you should only really be drinking them on special occasions. The drink made its debut in the 1939 World’s Fair in New York. It’s reputation for swift inebriation was so well-known that in 1940 a song about the dangers of drinking too many called “Abercrombie had a Zombie” was released. And yes, too many of these will have you walking like a zombie. Har har har.

See? Fats Waller warned him:

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Dwile Flonking? Sounds like a great game for your next blogmeet...

(And, lest you think the author was yanking your leg, see this... and this. And here's a site where you can do a little virtual Dwile Flonking.)

I think I need this book for my curiosities reading shelf, in fact.

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A couple of Blogthings:

You Are Adventurous

You are quite adventurous and brave, but you are also reasonable about it. You don't have to be on an adventure 24/7. You have good judgment and balance. You like to try new and exciting things, but you also pay attention to risk. You're not the type of person who would throw your life away just to go on a new trip or have a new romantic partner. You like your thrills in small, safe doses. You are gutsy in all aspects of your life from career to relationships.

Are You Adventurous?

Blogthings: Cheaper Than a Therapist

... and...

You Should Travel by Sailboat

When you travel, you really prefer to carve your own path and do things your way. You want to go at your own pace and do as much yourself as possible. You despise group tours. You don't travel from a schedule or plan... you just go with your intuition. You believe that travel is more about the journey than the destination. And you'd like to sail away into the sunset!

How Should You Travel?

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings

Why? Because I can.

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Quote of the Day, The First:

"If these people don't think I'm at least a bit of a nutter, I've failed miserably in my quest to be a little more weird everyday." -- Trudy Seabrook

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Quote of the Day, The Second:

"The fate of the $3 nachos is unknown." -- Steve Schmadeke

Classic!

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While I feel very, very sorry for the Westie's owner, I also feel sorry for the worker who made this mistake:

Hospital employees were cleaning the indoor cages when a worker took the female pit bull and put it in an outdoor kennel and then put Tootsie in the adjacent one, according to the report.

"[The pit bull] had chewed through the cage and pulled Tootsie by her head and neck through the opening," the report said. When someone checked on the dogs, it was too late.

Unless you've ever tried to buy an indestructible toy for a pit bull, you simply have no idea how powerful their jaws are, and how fast they can chew through just about anything.

If I hadn't seen my own sweet granddog pop a tennis ball like a gumdrop, shake her head, smack her lips and go pppptttui -- spitting out an entirely fuzz-less and flattened former orb in less than 10 seconds -- I wouldn't have thought it possible. I'm guessing even a cinder block wall would be about a 5 minute job for a motivated pit bull to chew through.

What a shame, all the way around.

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Giggle of the Day:

Betcha didn't know a dog could beat-box!

Sunday Schedule

Heard about this CD box set on Nick Digilio's show (which, BTW, was an absolute free-for-all at the tail end of the evening) during his interview with Jeff Tuckman last night, and I'm thinking it might just make a dandy birthday gift for my baby brother, who grew up wearing cowboy suits and cowboy boots and carrying cap-gun six-shooters:

This compilation of rare and in some cases, never before seen television programs from the golden age of Hollywood represents the largest assortment of TV shows ever released! Relive your childhood or discover a truly unique brand of entertainment for the first time with 600 Episodes to choose from! Enjoy over 265 hours of family friendly entertainment with over 40 exceptional shows spanning the last six decades!

Shows include: Bonanza, Wagon Train, The Rifleman, The Lone Ranger, Dusty's Trail, The Cisco Kid, Annie Oakley and many more!

Stars include: Roy Rogers, Henry Fonda, Bob Denver, Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Jackie Coogan, Forrest Tucker, Gabby Hayes, Lash LaRue, Clayton Moore, Buddy Ebsen, Tim conway, Chuck Connors, Dale Evans and many more!

What do you think?

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And, thank's to Nick's Facebook page, I ran across this NSFW site that will require eye bleach when you're through.

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*ahem*

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Quote of the Day:

"This is a Last Days type of thing, right? Didn't the Romans reveal a Double Down before they fell?"

Og also has an opinion on the Double Down. Mmmmmm! Gravy!

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Hah! I'm fashionable. So there.

(Therefore it's all MY fault?)

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Those who know me know I'm not into the whole Green/Global Warming/Sky Is Falling/We're All Gonna Die movement. And I'm not. However, I really hate waste -- and packaging waste in particular. Thus, I think this packaging by PUMA is brilliant:

And I think PUMA's going to make a lot of money off the intellectual property behind that packaging. A lot.

Yup.

(A tip of the cap to those amazing folks at The Awesomer.)

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I've got a pot of this yummy rice & bean-y goodness bubbling on the stove. I'm not sharing, either.

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It's a good thing I didn't realize old George was going to be at Comic Con to read from A Dance with Dragons... because I'd have probably gone down there, kidnapped him and gone all Kathy Bates on his ass until he finished the damned book.

The man has toyed with my affections for far too long.

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Amtrak Auto Train? What an utterly cool way to travel!

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You Are Disturbingly Profound

You're contemplative, thoughtful, and very intense. Taking time to figure out the meaning of life is a priority for you. Because you're so introspective, you often react in ways that surprise people. No one can really understand how you are on the inside... and that disturbs them.

Are You Disturbingly Profound or Profoundly Disturbing?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

Drive-Bys

Desert Cat clearly gets Velociman... as this hilarious personal ad demonstrates. (And I thought I had a talent for writing those...)
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If I'd have known Chicago had its own BaconFest, I'd have been there in a heartbeat. I've subscribed to the site, and I'll be there with fork in left hand, knife in right hand and bib around neck next year.

I want to be a judge for the Golden Rasher Awards when I grow up. They wouldn't even have to pay me. Hell... I'd pay them for the privilege.
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And since I've now got bacon on the brain... "It's Friday! Let's Dance!" (C'mon, Great Reader! Join in!)



Other Friday dancing fools?

Billy Sweetfeets Gingersnap Norton is doing a little Tip-Toe Through the Tulips.

My Barstool Blog Son is letting Wet Willie put him in a Weekend state of mind.

Elisson has fired up the Little White Choon Box to go dancing with himself.

How about you?

Update: It pays to have friends in cultural places! I got tickets from one of the stage crew at the Chicago Civic Opera House to see Swan Lake by the American Ballet Theatre tonight:

Now that's dancing!

(Thanks a million, Junior!)

More Updates!

Fausta gives you literal and musical Great Balls of Fire.

Kerrcarto is jammin'.

Paul is exerting a little Industrial Discipline.

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Oooo! Ramen! That's it. I have to move back into the city.
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Spoon tender pot roast? (*whimpers "Mommy!"*)
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I just love to make my BlogDaddy faint in shock. I agree completely with this. And I agree completely with this. And Miss Manners rules here.

Now somebody hand him the smelling salts...
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If you're from the Dallas area (or even if you're not) and you're into social media of any kind, this convention looks like it could be pretty darned cool.
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Giggle of the Day:


see more Lolcats and funny pictures
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Just so you know...

You Are 69% Tortured Genius

You are smart. Brilliant in fact. And while it's a blessing, it's also a curse. Your head is filled with everything - grand ideas, insufferable worries, and a good deal of angst.

Are You a Tortured Genius?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Quick Stop

Your Shopping Stereotype is Unique

It's hard to stereotype you, because you simply buy what you like. You are a true individual. Sometimes you go high end. Sometimes you go low end. But you almost never go with the crowd. You don't settle until you find the perfect item. Shopping is one of the ways that you express yourself. You're proud of what you own, and if you change your mind about something, you immediately get rid of it.

What's Your Shopping Stereotype?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

Yup. Just ask my daughter, who got to see me in action this weekend. One thing I don't do is waste time!

(Blame it on Jay.)