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A lawyer you?ve gotta love
2007-01-24 09:14:02
With profuse apologies to OkieLawyer , I had to steal this piece that he posted yesterday; it’s from an e-mail that is apparently going around that I haven’t yet seen. It’s hysterical. It would be even funnier if it were a true story, but I’ll get to that after you read this e-mail going around. Many of you reading this know that New Orleans residents are challenged often with the task of tracing home titles back potentially hundreds of years. With a community rich with history stretching back over two centuries, houses have been passed along through generations of family, making it quite difficult to establish ownership. Here’s a great letter an attorney wrote to the FHA on behalf of a client that was absolutely priceless! You gotta love this lawyer . . . it’s too good not to share! Everyone who has ever bought a house will enjoy this. A New Orleans lawyer sought an FHA loan for a client. He was told the loan would be granted if he could prove sa...
More About: Love , Gott , Gotta

An Inconvenient nomination
2007-01-24 09:14:02
Congratulations to Al Gore and the filmmakers of their provocative environmental film, An Inconvenient Truth, for its Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature. The head-in-the-sand global warming deniers, like our “beloved” Senator Jim Inhoffe, will chalk this up to the “liberal” Hollywood crazies just supporting their own “liberal” agenda. Gore-haters will summarily dismiss the movie’s message without ever giving it a fair hearing/viewing. But I have to say that, even though I’ve not really been a Gore fan previously, I gained a lot of respect for him after seeing his movie and hearing many interviews with him. Even if you don’t agree with all the conclusions or all the evidence presented in the film, he makes some compelling points that should make every person rethink their impact on our environment. As a Christian, it’s my responsibility to be a wise steward of the creation that God has entrusted in our care. If I&...
More About: Nomination , Nation , Mina

My Pet Herbert!
2007-01-24 09:14:02
The other day my math teacher told my class that we each needed to get a smallish box for a project that has to do with geometry called “Brother Box”. She didn’t say any more about that so I don’t know anything. But she did say something about making a house for a pet rock. Pet rock? I thought that sounded interesting, so I searched it on Google. They are quite famous! I found a website where you can have a virtual pet rock. So I checked it out. A little while before I came home, I had talked to Khaylla and Julia about what I should name my pet rock. I came up with Herb ert Fred Berrypicker. I know it’s weird, but that’s my life. So I just fed my pet rock. Oh! The website I found him on is http://www.virtualpetrock.nl. Hope you enjoy having your own little friend. See Ya In A Bit! ~Ashley~
More About: Herbert

Movie Review: The Devil Wears Prada
2007-01-24 09:14:02
This weekend we watched The Devil Wears Prada , starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci and Anne Hathaway. This was a very cute movie, especially if you’re a girl. The basis of the story is that a very normal, but intelligent young woman (Andrea) who knows nothing about fashion lands a job “a million girls would kill for” as the assistant of Miranda, the editor for the top fashion magazine in New York City. The movie pokes funs, and perhaps reveals some truth, about the brutality of the fashion industry. Andrea discovers being successful in her job means she has no choice but to give up time with her boyfriend, friends and family. Will Andrea follow in Miranda’s footsteps, with fame, fortune and success as her calling card? Or will Andrea learn that she does have the power to choose what is important in her life? I liked The Devil Wears Prada. It wasn’t something I will go out and buy for our movie collection, but I’d watch it again once in awhile. Th...
More About: Movie , Movie Review , Review

Super Monday!
2007-01-22 21:13:02
The Colts did it! They finally beat the evil empire and Darth Belichick! And Peyton Manning finally gets a shot at a Super Bowl ring. I confess, though, that I had all but given up hope when the Colts trailed 21 to 3 in the first half. It seemed that Manning and the Colts were blowing their chance once again. But, fortunately, they rallied back and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat! How sweet it is! The Dallas Cowboys are my primary team, but Indianapolis has always been my sentimental team. I was living just outside of Indianapolis when the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indy. It was exciting, even though I never had a chance to go to one of the games. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed watching Peyton Manning. He’s one of the all-time greats and deserves a Super Bowl ring, just like John Elway did in the waning years of his career. So, with all due respect to Karla’s friends in Boston, I couldn’t be happier about the outcome of yesterday’s game! Not only...
More About: Monday , Onda

It?s Time For School!
2007-01-22 21:13:02
FINALLY!!! School is finally starting tomorrow and I am so excited! I will get to see my friends and get to start drama and reading/writing! I think it will be the best day of my young life (except maybe walking into my high school for our field trip at the end of the year. I am so pumped up. I made my lunch at about eight o’clock. I switched my binders. Oh… and remember when I told you that in my Spanish class next year I could have sophomores and juniors in my class? Well… I learned that I could have seniors in my class. Man do I feel smart! I can’t wait to meet my reading and writing teacher, Mrs. Walter, or is it Ms.? I don’t know… well anyway when I start drama I will be spending two hours of the day with one of my favorite teacher’s! She is my drama teacher and she is so cool! I am jabbering on the computer I think… is that even possible? If it is I’m sure doing it all right. I think it is because I am so excited! I have ev...
More About: Time

Dancing Queen
2007-01-22 21:13:02
I had a blast at the party on Friday! We had a Dance Dance Revolution marathon. I beat everyone except for my friend Mackenzie, and a couple of rounds with Ashley. ( In case you are just having a slow-minded day like I do too many times, Ashley is my sister.) Anyways I have definitly been getting the use out of that lovely game. I am getting a workout for sure! I am happy that I have become a semi-pro at that game. Well that’s all for now… oh and… GO COLTS! WHOOOOOOO!!!!!
More About: Dancing , Queen

Back to Normal
2007-01-22 21:13:02
It’s nice when life gets back to normal. The past week or two have been quite strange with life seeming to slow down indefinitely. It’s nice to see street again, to be able to walk in the yard without feeling like you are on ice skates, and to drive the regular speed of traffic. It’s nice to take the girls to school. I used to not like being just normal. But now, after a couple of weeks like these have been, normal is very good.
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Just a quick note to say that posts will likely be lighter t
2007-01-16 03:04:03
Just a quick note to say that posts will likely be lighter than normal this week. Karla and the girls will likely have their posts, but I will likely be absent from the blog for the remainder of the week. I’m completely snowed under… and not just because of the weather. As I mentioned last week, we’ve been inundated at work with new projects — several of which are due this week! As I said then, the schedule was tight already. It was complicated by the major winter storm that hit us Friday through Sunday. It was further complicated by my main computer deciding to crash. I spent all 8 hours (from 4am to NOON) Friday on it before the weather compelled me to leave the office to make sure I was at home before it got to bad. Well, I spent nearly all day working on it again today. That’s two-plus days of productivity lost! And I didn’t have much time to spare. So, I’ll be chained to my desk at work for the next several days with little to no spare ...
More About: Post , Note , Just , Hat , Quick

Biography (courtesy Wikipedia): Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2007-01-15 21:04:01
Biography (courtesy Wikipedia ): Dr. Mart in Luther King , Jr. (January 15, 1929 ? April 4, 1968) was the most famous leader of the American civil rights movement, a political activist, and a Southern Baptist minister. In 1964, King became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (for his work as a peacemaker, promoting nonviolence and equal treatment for different races). On April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1977, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Jimmy Carter. In 1986, Martin Luther King Day was established as a United States holiday, only the fourth Federal holiday to honor an individual (the other three being in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, George Washington, and Christopher Columbus). In 2004, King was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Considered by many as one of the greatest public speakers in U.S. history [1], Dr. King often called for personal responsibility in fostering world peace [2]...
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As you’ve probably noticed by the spiffy new countdown
2007-01-15 21:04:01
As you’ve probably noticed by the spiffy new countdown clock Brad created, I’m going on a little jaunt to Boston in a little over a month. I’m going to visit some friends for a weekend. I’m very excited. I do, however, keep wondering if 73 days out is too early to pack my bags. Ashley is one of those types of people. She starts packing a week before any event, even if it’s just a sleepover. It’s quite endearing. But I can understand her excitement. Maybe I should at least get my list started, because we all know I’ll change my mind many times before actually packing the clothes I plan to wear. Better yet, I could have Ashley plan my clothing and then when she starts packing way early, I can blame it on her! That sounds like a great plan. Then no one would know that I’m so excited that I’m wanting to pack already. After all, isn’t it time yet? If you think about it, time is a funny thing isn’t it? Or at least our perc...
More About: Down , Notice , Count , Countdown , Probably

Thanks to “Ice Storm 2007″, we’ve been abl
2007-01-15 03:02:01
Thanks to “Ice Stor m 2007″, we’ve been able to catch up on the movies from Netflix. This morning we watched Little Miss Sunshine. This has been described as a dark comedy, but to me it was a comedy about life. While not for everyone, this movie is rated R due to language, some sexual suggestion, and drug content. I’m one of those people that believes sometimes you need to just not look for offenses and look for the true story underneath. Little Miss Sunshine is the story of the Hoover Family. Like many of our own families, they are what the world would proably consider “dysfunctional”. Filled with idiosyncracies and personality quirks, the Hoovers are more normal than most of us would like to admit. I think there is probably a bit of the Hoovers in every family - at least every family that wants to be honest about their lives. This is a movie about overcoming obstacles and finding our place in the world. Here is a brief summary written by Jim Beav...
More About: Thanks , Been , Hank

We’ve made it through the first two waves of freezing
2007-01-14 15:01:03
We’ve made it through the first two waves of freezing precipitation. We still have electricity, heat and running water — and we are very grateful for that. We’re feeling a little better now than we were 36 hours ago. Dustbury reports it best: This year’s Storm of the Century ? we seem to get one about every two or three years, for what it’s worth ? has so far yielded up a smidgen of freezing rain, which was supposed to be the major threat, and a whole bunch of sleet. Precipitation for Day One was 0.28 inch of water equivalent, which is way more than one would expect for a serious ice storm; what happened, in this case, is that it got too cold for maximum freezing-rain production, and the stuff froze well before it hit the ground. The computer models, complained the National Weather Service in one of its Forecast Discussion segments, seriously underestimated the speed with which the Arctic air mass descended upon us. (I mention this because there are ple...
More About: Free , Made , Through , First , Waves

Being shuttered inside during an ice storm/winter event is a
2007-01-14 15:01:03
Being shuttered inside during an ice storm/winter event is a perfect time to do a meme. I stole this one from Everyday Mommy, who stole it from Chilihead, who stole it from… 1. If you had to choose one vice in exclusion of all others, what would it be? Adult beverages — specifically margaritas and/or Long Island iced teas. 2. If you could change one specific thing about the world, what would it be? Eliminate world hunger and extreme poverty. 3. Name the cartoon character you identify with the most? A little more intelligent version of Homer Simpson. 4. If you could live one day of your life over again, which one would it be? If I could only pick one day, it would be the 144-hour “day” (the week) that I first dated Karla. Seriously. It was the highest high I’ve ever had. Second and third would be my two daughters’ births. 5. If you could go back in history and spend a day with one person, who would it be? Jesus of Nazareth — and that was...
More About: Event , Winter , Inter , Storm , Ring

The Chinese have long been known for being a very progressiv
2007-01-14 15:01:03
The Chine se have long been known for being a very progressive people - I mean they thought of spaghetti WAY before the Italians ever heard of the stuff. But what is this water torture thing people associate with the ancient culture? Supposedly, water torture involves dripping water onto a person’s forehead until a tension builds up from the expectation of the drips that causes them to spill whatever information they have. According to Wikipedia, There is no evidence that this form of torture was ever used by the Chinese. The popularity of the term “Chinese water torture” may have arisen from Harry Houdini’s Chinese Water Torture Cell (a feat of escapology introduced around 1913 which entailed Houdini being bound and suspended upside-down in a locked glass and steel cabinet full to overflowing with water, from which he escaped) together with the Fu Manchu stories of Sax Rohmer that were popular in the 1930s (in which the evil Fu Manchu subjected his victims to...
More About: Prog , Have , Know

Talk about cutting your nose off despite your face, this new
2007-01-14 15:01:03
Talk about cutting your nose off despite your face, this news story won’t help this company’s marketing efforts. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports: Talk about embarrassing. Mothers Work Inc., the Philadelphia-based retailer of maternity clothing, agreed to pay $375,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit. The federal complaint? A Mothers Work store in Florida, Motherhood Maternity, refused to hire qualified applicants because they were pregnant, and then fired an assistant manager who complained about it. “This is horrifying to me,” said company president Rebecca Matthias, who founded Mothers Work in 1982 when she was pregnant. “My whole world is about servicing pregnant women.” The company operates more than 1,500 Motherhood Maternity, Mimi Maternity, A Pea in the Pod, and Destination Maternity stores and departments in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. The largest part of the settlement goes to the former assistant manager, LaShonda Burn...
More About: Your , About , Talk , Face

FRIDAY FAVORITES: ?More Cowbell?
2007-01-12 20:59:02
Sarah sent me a video earlier this week that some of her fellow Central Middle School classmates put together. It was a re-make of one of my favorite Saturday Night Live sketches of all time. I’ll spare you the middle school version (unless you really want to watch it); instead, here’s the original SNL sketch, featuring Christopher Walken and Will Farrell.
More About: Friday , Bell , More , Frida , Favorite

Murphy?s law adds insult to injury
2007-01-12 20:59:02
Yesterday evening I wrote about the impending doom of the approaching ice storm that the weather “experts” have been striking fear into telling us about. What I didn’t tell you is that I was writing that post while waiting for the diagnostic tools to figure out what was wrong with my big computer. Writing about the doom and gloom of the ice storm was a futile attempt to take my mind off the even bigger, very real doom and gloom of potentially losing hours of work on a project that was due by noon today. I was already under the gun. This week, the floodgates opened up with several new and urgent projects hitting all at once. So, I was already stressed about that and had little time to spare for any hiccups in the workflow. For various reasons, I was behind schedule on the big project due today, so I was already stressing about getting it done it time. My blood pressure was up 10 to 15 points. Then factor in the dire predictions of the big ice storm coming that would...
More About: Injury , Murphy , Insult

Olbermann on the President?s latest plan
2007-01-12 20:59:02
Another exceptional commentary by Keith Olbermann :
More About: President , Mann , Test , Side

The doom before the storm?
2007-01-12 08:58:03
“The sky is falling, the sky is falling.” It’s supposed to come in the form of freezing rain. If the weather “gurus” are correct, we’re in for one of the worst ice storms we’ve seen in five years or more. But, they don’t always do so well in predicting winter weather. We are often subjected to “doom and gloom”, “the sky is falling” predictions that don’t quite pan out as they said. It really as gotten bad enough that we often wonder if they are just “crying wolf” and people just start ignoring the warnings. For several days now, they’ve been warning us about the coming storm. As we get closer to D-ooms-Day, the dire predictions have reached a fevered pitch. If what they are saying is true, the ice storm barreling down onto Oklahoma could shut the state down with widespread power outages and impassable roads. Five years ago, a big ice storm hit the state and did, in fact, wreak havoc on r...
More About: Storm , Stor , Doom , Fore , The D

Ugly American stereotype ?worryingly accurate? ? so says our
2007-01-12 08:58:03
I found the following “sad-but-true” article from The Sydney Morning Herald (thanks to Fark). Even though the story is nearly a year old, it was the first time I’ve seen it and it’s still interesting: LOUD and brash, in gawdy garb and baseball caps, shuffling between tourist sites or preparing to negotiate a business deal, they bemoan the failings of the world outside the United States. The reputation of the ugly America n abroad is not just some cruel stereotype. Rather, says the United States Government, it is worryingly accurate. Now the State Department in Washington has joined forces with US industry to plan an image makeover by issuing guides on how to behave for American s travelling overseas. Under a program starting next month, several big US companies will give employees going abroad a “world citizen’s guide” featuring 16 etiquette tips on how they can help improve their country’s battered international image. (read more)
More About: Worry , Type , Ugly

Thursday Thirteen 2nd edition
2007-01-12 08:58:03
Thirteen Things That Drive Me Crazy People who consistently run late, and don’t care enough about your time to change. Meetings and/or events that don’t start at (or even close to) the scheduled time. Inconsiderate people who either don’t care or who are too oblivious to the world to recognize how their actions are inconveniencing or burdening others. People who wait until they actually get to the bank teller to begin filling out their deposit ticket or check, making everyone in line wait that much longer. Slow drivers who decide to run the same speed as the slow drivers in the other two lanes, causing normal drivers to back up in a long line resembling a pace lap at a NASCAR event. Drivers who hurry to cut in front of you only to slow down. Drivers who stop on the on-ramp/off-ramp to wait for a clearing in the traffic. Sitting at a stop light at 4:30am with no one else around and waiting and waiting and waiting for the [CENSORED] thing to change. People who sit...
More About: Edit , Thirteen , Thursday , Edition

I?ve Got A New Way To Walk
2007-01-12 08:58:03
There was an episode of Sesame Street from around the time Sarah was little that featured three pigs who seemed a bit like The Pointer Sisters (the Sesame Street version was The Oinker Sisters). They would sing this song called “I’ve Got A New Way To Walk ”. It was about “walk” and “don’t walk” signs. The song came to mind because I woke up feeling much better this morning and decided to take the dogs on their walk. I’m not sure if I just needed to get all of my complaints out in the open, or what, but the aches and pains seemed to be much less noticeable today. When the four of us first started out on our walk, both Sam and Princess were doing their usual pulling on the leash. I decided to put a new technique to work. Each time they pulled I simply stopped dead in my tracks and waited until they came back to me. What do you know! I only had to do that about 3 times. The rest of the 15 minute walk was a breeze, literally and figur...

My Favorites
2007-01-12 08:58:03
Okay some of you daily readers may know a lot about me. I’ve been posting for a while, but never really said what some of my basic information is. So here it is: Name: Ashley Ann Neese Age: 11 years young Birthdate: April 16, 1995 Approx. 3:20 PM Occupation: Student Grade: 6 Favor ite Food: Strawberries Favorite Drink: Lemonade Favorite Cookie: Chocolate Chip w/ Walnuts Favorite Book: Currently Ida B or Because of Winn-Dixie or Full Tilt Favorite Subject: Math Favorite Animal(s): Monkey, Frog, Cow, Elephant, Pig, Sloth Instrument: Piano Well that’s all I can think of right now. Guess I’ll post later. Good-Bye Now! TTFN! ~Ashley~
More About: Favorites

Best haircut ever?
2007-01-05 08:43:02
For the guy who doesn’t know if he’s coming or going… or who is planning a career in crime… or covert operations… Via Boing Boing: “Hair cut, creepily realistic, looks like guy’s face.”
More About: Best , Ever , Haircut

Thursday Thirteen - Inaugural Edition
2007-01-04 20:43:01
One of our new regular features this year will be our weekly participation in Thursday Thirteen , “the best meme in the blogosphere,” according to the originating website. Find out more about the meme at the end of this post. Sometimes one of us will post our Thirteen and other times you may find more than one of us participating. It could really be fun — well, at least it’s a good idea starter for a post. So, here’s my inaugural Thursday Thirteen: * * * Thirteen Things I Want to Do in 2007 (Not my New Year’s Resolutions — well, I guess they could be) Take a real vacation. (Being a business owner and rainmaker for the business, it’s hard to take time off because when I’m not at work, I’m not billing, which means I’m not making money! So I have to have enough business that allows me to bill enough that I can miss some work.) Go somewhere interesting on my vacation. We’ve talked about a possible family trip to W...
More About: Edit , Edition , Inaugural

Ironic Pic(s) of the Week?
2007-01-04 14:42:01
From the “practice what you preach” department, via The Concourse of Hypocrisy, “A cavalcade of gas-guzzling contemporary automobiles with hypocritical bumper stickers”… The miles-per-gallon rating of the 1969 Chevy Blazer is an extremely low 8.7, which would make it the least efficient car in the Concourse. The above-featured vehicle won first prize in the “Best Antique Car” category of this site’s Most Hypocritical Car Owner contest. So what’s this all about? The citizens of Berkeley, California pride themselves on being the most socially conscious environmentalists in the world. They also hate war, since every war these days is dubbed a “war for oil.” But that doesn’t stop Berkeley environmentalists from driving big cars and enjoying the convenience that comes from consuming all that oil we shouldn’t have! Many of their fuel-burning high-priced cars display bumper stickers condemning the oil-based...
More About: Week , Ironic , Iron

Suburbanites ? ?Just white rap?
2007-01-04 14:42:01
I saw this video on another blog and thought it was quite funny. (WARNING: This video is rated PG-13 for “colorful metaphors” in a few spots; if such language is offensive to you, please pretend that those have been “bleeped” out. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed by the fictional characters in this video do not represent the publisher or contributors of this blog in any way, shape or form; its inclusion here is for lampooning purposes only.)
More About: Urban , Just , White , Suburban

Liberal bias in the media?
2007-01-04 02:41:01
Next time you hear someone rant about the liberal bias of the mainstream media, point them to this post… Oh, man — first CNN, now Yahoo News. As you know, CNN has apologized to Barack Obama for putting his name on a picture of Osama Bin Laden. Now Yahoo News has committed the opposite blunder: On their photo page, the caption on their photo of Obama reads, “Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.”
More About: Media , The Media , Liberal , Bias , Al B

I?m not alone?
2007-01-04 02:41:01
I am notorious in abandoning New Year’s resolutions almost as fast as I make them. According to a British survey, one-third of resolutions will be broken within the first week… Researchers found that stopping smoking was the most popular resolution (27 percent), followed by losing weight (24 percent) and eating more healthily (16 percent). However, the survey found Tuesday that many will be lighting up, scoffing stodgy food and avoiding the gym by Monday. The study discovered that one in seven resolutions fail within hours, while slightly more than one in seven (14 percent) last the day. The same percentage stick to their resolution. Men plumped for goal-orientated targets such as giving up smoking or getting a new job, while women were found to take theirs very seriously, with 70 percent saying they felt disappointed if they failed. (AFP) Now I don’t feel so bad about my past failures. Hopefully, though, I’ll buck the trend this year.
More About: Not Alone , Lone , Alone