Sunday, December 31, 2006
Last Saddam Post of 2006
Apparently they are arguing about whether the Iraqi government was responsible for Saddam's hanging or if it was actually Moqtada alSadr who dropped him.
I've now seen the video and the answer is obvious: it was Mexican wrestlers.
(Thanks to Ms Mushrooms for bringing this to my attention.)
New Year's Eve
It's New Year's Eve. Unless you are in Asia and Australia and Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa, where it's already New Year's Day. Cheers!
Another year down the crapper, as my father might've said.
Spent most of the morning downloading CDs onto my ipod. My sis (a true boomer) lent me about 25 CDs full of old songs which as a boomer-hater (I suppose technically that is self-loathing but I digress) I should hate, but there's a lot of old stuff I wanted to own (Can you say Creedence?) so there ya go.
The Sounds of Silence continues to be a great song. What a great song.
And under odd discoveries, ever known a song for, oh, 30 years and only come to realize something about it today? That happened with Your Song by Elton John. Only this afternoon did I realize that when he sings "I forgotten if they're green or they're blue", he's singing about his love's eyes! I never knew that. I always thought it was some rhyme that made no sense. I never connected it to the eyes that he sings about in the next line. How dumb is that.
In movie news, saw The Good Shepherd today. I liked it. But would only recommend it to anyone who likes Cold War, CIA, KGB intrigue. Slow-moving intrigue. Very slow-moving intrigue. John Turturro is terrific in it. But I kept imagining him licking a bowling ball like in The Big Lebowski and that distracted me.
In trailers: I saw the Beatrix Potter one, with the oddly attractive Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. I fear this is a family film and will afford no opportunity for McGregor to drop his trousers. Is it me, or has he stopped doing that completely? He used to do it a lot! I haven't seen Little Ewan for years, methinks.
In other trailers, it looks like 2007 will be a cinematic Chris Cooper cavalcade. Which is good because I like him. The spy movie he's in about the CIA looks good. I really like CIA movies, I've noticed.
Is Dick Clark dead? I can't remember.
Another year down the crapper, as my father might've said.
Spent most of the morning downloading CDs onto my ipod. My sis (a true boomer) lent me about 25 CDs full of old songs which as a boomer-hater (I suppose technically that is self-loathing but I digress) I should hate, but there's a lot of old stuff I wanted to own (Can you say Creedence?) so there ya go.
The Sounds of Silence continues to be a great song. What a great song.
And under odd discoveries, ever known a song for, oh, 30 years and only come to realize something about it today? That happened with Your Song by Elton John. Only this afternoon did I realize that when he sings "I forgotten if they're green or they're blue", he's singing about his love's eyes! I never knew that. I always thought it was some rhyme that made no sense. I never connected it to the eyes that he sings about in the next line. How dumb is that.
In movie news, saw The Good Shepherd today. I liked it. But would only recommend it to anyone who likes Cold War, CIA, KGB intrigue. Slow-moving intrigue. Very slow-moving intrigue. John Turturro is terrific in it. But I kept imagining him licking a bowling ball like in The Big Lebowski and that distracted me.
In trailers: I saw the Beatrix Potter one, with the oddly attractive Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor. I fear this is a family film and will afford no opportunity for McGregor to drop his trousers. Is it me, or has he stopped doing that completely? He used to do it a lot! I haven't seen Little Ewan for years, methinks.
In other trailers, it looks like 2007 will be a cinematic Chris Cooper cavalcade. Which is good because I like him. The spy movie he's in about the CIA looks good. I really like CIA movies, I've noticed.
Is Dick Clark dead? I can't remember.
Friday, December 29, 2006
My Bizzarro New Year's Resolutions
1. Gain 20 pounds.
2. Start smoking. Work my way up to a pack a day.
3. Stop walking; drive more.
4. Get off the treadmill and onto the couch more often.
5. Read fewer books; watch more reality t.v.
6. Watch porn.
7. Spend money frivolously
8. Spend more than I earn.
9. Embrace Cheney.
10. Kick the cat.
Hanging Around
Let me state for the record that I think hanging Saddam Hussein will cause more suffering and grief than joy. I'm filing it under "Bad idea".
Why don't the Saudis take him in, like they did for Idi Amin? What? Idi was good enough for them, but Saddam isn't.
How about the Russians? They can take him, poison him slowly over several months and then say he died of natural causes. Man, do I have to do these people's jobs for them? Get with the program, Vladimir.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
The new standard of cool
James Brown's body is "lying in state" at the Appolo Theater in Harlem. How cool is that.
I can't believe I just saw the open casket on the news. Ick. I hate open caskets. In his case, though, it seems appropriate to believe that he would want everybody to see him just one more time.
Resolution time
Here I go again. Year-end stocking-taking. Vowing to do better next year. This year I have to come up with Resolutions that I can actually keep. How many times have I said that? Oh, only every single pathetic wasted year.
Should I post my Resolutions on my blog? hmmm. Exposing myself to the entire world...or well maybe to 10 people at most? hmmm.
To be continued...
Should I post my Resolutions on my blog? hmmm. Exposing myself to the entire world...or well maybe to 10 people at most? hmmm.
To be continued...
It's Hajjing time again
It's that time of year again.
I wonder if British bookies take bets on how many pilgrims will get trampled to death this time round. They take bets on everything else under the sun, I'd guess they have this covered too.
300? 700? 1200?
There's gotta be a better way to worship.
I wonder if British bookies take bets on how many pilgrims will get trampled to death this time round. They take bets on everything else under the sun, I'd guess they have this covered too.
300? 700? 1200?
There's gotta be a better way to worship.
The Closeted Russian
When will Daniel Craig come out of the closet and admit he's Russian? 'Cause one look at him and you know he's got Russian blood.
And now the news that he may be playing the poisoned Russian spy Alexandre Litveneko in a movie. Well, I guess he'll have two parts in that film because obviously he'll have to portray Putin as well. Busy, busy, busy.
I'm fascinated by this Russian KGB poisoning story, but it is so complicated I can't follow the plot. At first it was Putin's fault, but now apparently the Russian govt is trying to finger the Yukos oil execs. Big surprise. I need it to be played out in an action thriller to better understand it.
My insistence that Daniel Craig is, in fact, secretly Russian, in no way diminishes my new-found admiration of his assets. Just want to make that clear.
And now the news that he may be playing the poisoned Russian spy Alexandre Litveneko in a movie. Well, I guess he'll have two parts in that film because obviously he'll have to portray Putin as well. Busy, busy, busy.
I'm fascinated by this Russian KGB poisoning story, but it is so complicated I can't follow the plot. At first it was Putin's fault, but now apparently the Russian govt is trying to finger the Yukos oil execs. Big surprise. I need it to be played out in an action thriller to better understand it.
My insistence that Daniel Craig is, in fact, secretly Russian, in no way diminishes my new-found admiration of his assets. Just want to make that clear.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
"He doesn't feel good"
That's what my sis said when her husband told us James Brown had died. I gotta hand it to her, she didn't miss a beat.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Welcome Christmas
I'm off. Have a great Christmas everybody. Let's go back to the Grinch....
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Christmas Day.
Welcome, Welcome
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome, Welcome
Dah who dah-moose
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas
Bring your cheer
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Come this way!
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas,
Christmas Day.
Welcome, Welcome
Fah who rah-moose
Welcome, Welcome
Dah who dah-moose
Christmas day is in our grasp
So long as we have hands to clasp
Fah who for-aze!
Dah who dor-aze!
Welcome Christmas
Bring your cheer
Friday, December 22, 2006
Casino Royale
I'm a big girl and I like to think that I can admit when I'm wrong.
I was wrong.
About Daniel Craig.
Very wrong.
Oh so wrong.
Five minutes into Casino Royale, I knew I was wrong.
In the G-rated spirit of the Holiday Season, I will simply say: he's a very attractive gentleman.*
Maybe it's the Bond mystique. Or the Bond tux. Or the Bond grey T-shirt. I dunno.
To all the critics who complained that the poker game scene is too long, I say tish and pish. I love on-screen high-stakes poker playing and I loved all of that part of the movie. Did I mention the tux?
What really did bother me in that scene, though, was Giancarlo Gianini's play-by-play to our Shakesperean tragic heroine, i.e. the Bond girl. The way Giancarlo kept telling her (and us) "the pot is at 24 millions dollars" or "the pot is 115 million!". Oh shut up with the exposition. We don't care about the exact amount of the pot, and this chick is supposed to be an accountant, and you're telling me she can't keep track of the wagers. Please.
Best line: "That last hand. It almost killed me." Oh James, darling, you are so amusing.
Another gripe, and this is a typical Bond gripe for me. The whole plot was dumb. So when governments are trying to track down the source of terrorist funding, they arrange a $10 million stakes poker game in Montenegro? MI6 and the CIA have a gambling wing? No wonder we are losing the war of terrorism. What about the rest of the people at the table, were they all spies too? How could they know the very fat black guy wasn't going to win the whole pot?
(*Translation: What a hot man!)
I was wrong.
About Daniel Craig.
Very wrong.
Oh so wrong.
Five minutes into Casino Royale, I knew I was wrong.
In the G-rated spirit of the Holiday Season, I will simply say: he's a very attractive gentleman.*
Maybe it's the Bond mystique. Or the Bond tux. Or the Bond grey T-shirt. I dunno.
To all the critics who complained that the poker game scene is too long, I say tish and pish. I love on-screen high-stakes poker playing and I loved all of that part of the movie. Did I mention the tux?
What really did bother me in that scene, though, was Giancarlo Gianini's play-by-play to our Shakesperean tragic heroine, i.e. the Bond girl. The way Giancarlo kept telling her (and us) "the pot is at 24 millions dollars" or "the pot is 115 million!". Oh shut up with the exposition. We don't care about the exact amount of the pot, and this chick is supposed to be an accountant, and you're telling me she can't keep track of the wagers. Please.
Best line: "That last hand. It almost killed me." Oh James, darling, you are so amusing.
Another gripe, and this is a typical Bond gripe for me. The whole plot was dumb. So when governments are trying to track down the source of terrorist funding, they arrange a $10 million stakes poker game in Montenegro? MI6 and the CIA have a gambling wing? No wonder we are losing the war of terrorism. What about the rest of the people at the table, were they all spies too? How could they know the very fat black guy wasn't going to win the whole pot?
Another gripe. (Spoiler alert) Bond's recovery time after being horribly tortured in the genitals was awfully quick. I couldn't believe he was already getting amorous when frankly he should've barely been able to walk, much less...well, you know.
I know, I know. He's James Bond.
This is not to say I didn't enjoy the movie. It made me want to go to the Bahamas and Montenegro and Venice. Thumbs up.(*Translation: What a hot man!)
A Small Christmas Gripe
The men in Tim Horton's commercials are such losers.
They get SO excited about a teapot or a new coffee mug, I can't stand them.
Our Man Joe
He died 4 years ago today. I still miss him. Some people really do leave the world a cooler place for having lived. He was one of them.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Today's Strange Encounter at Work
I went to the bathroom on my floor. The entire time I am in there, a lady from another department is at the sink scrubbing and scrubbing a tote bag. Clearly she had spilled something in it.
Me: You spilled something?
Her: What?
Me: Something broke?
Her: Oh, I had an egg in my bag and it broke.
(An egg? Clearly it was not hard-boiled or she wouldn’t be scrubbing for 5 minutes)
Me: An egg?
Her: Yes. I was in such a hurry this morning, I just put the egg into my bag. I didn’t put it in a Tupperware or even a plastic bag.
Me: I see.
!!!
Who on earth thinks they can throw an egg into a tote and expect it not to break before lunch time?
Who's hiring these people?
Winter Solstice
I'm not sure what we're supposed to do today.
Dance around the Festivus Pole?
Set up a tiny cardboard Stonehenge?
Who cares? As of tomorrow we'll start having more minutes of daylight*. Huzzah!
I feel more chipper already.
*except for the Southern Hemisphere, of course, where they'll have fewer minutes of daylight. Boo.
Dance around the Festivus Pole?
Set up a tiny cardboard Stonehenge?
Who cares? As of tomorrow we'll start having more minutes of daylight*. Huzzah!
I feel more chipper already.
*except for the Southern Hemisphere, of course, where they'll have fewer minutes of daylight. Boo.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Keeping abreast of current events
Let me preface this by saying:
1) I cannot believe this story isn’t all over the Internet. I took it from a Dutch web site, dated 13 December. That’s a whole week ago and the Internet isn’t saturated by a big boob story? Astonishing.
2) I guess my list of countries I cannot visit without feeling terribly inferior is now: Britain, Denmark and Netherlands. Sigh.
3) Note to girls 12 to 19 years. Eating fatty food will not give you bigger boobs. Trust ME on this one. A fatter behind, yes.
4) Shouldn’t there a companion story to this about how the number of male visitors booking trips to Holland has skyrocketed in the past week?
AMSTERDAM — Dutch women are getting bigger breasts and 32 percent of them now have a D-cup or bigger compared with 20 percent five years ago. In Europe, Dutch women are ranked third behind British and Danish women in terms of bra size, research commissioned by Bodyfashion Promotion indicated on Wednesday.
Some 42 percent of women aged 30-39 have D-cup breasts and feel in general okay about that. Women with a large bra size are now the largest group in the Netherlands. But the shape and size of breasts start to change once women reach the age of 40 and women then opt for a smaller bra size.
Some 44 percent of surveyed girls aged 12-19 think that eating fatty foods helps increase the size of their breasts. All survey respondents said poor nutrition habits are the cause of increased breast size. Hormones in food and the general increasing size of the population are also leading to bigger breasts.
1) I cannot believe this story isn’t all over the Internet. I took it from a Dutch web site, dated 13 December. That’s a whole week ago and the Internet isn’t saturated by a big boob story? Astonishing.
2) I guess my list of countries I cannot visit without feeling terribly inferior is now: Britain, Denmark and Netherlands. Sigh.
3) Note to girls 12 to 19 years. Eating fatty food will not give you bigger boobs. Trust ME on this one. A fatter behind, yes.
4) Shouldn’t there a companion story to this about how the number of male visitors booking trips to Holland has skyrocketed in the past week?
AMSTERDAM — Dutch women are getting bigger breasts and 32 percent of them now have a D-cup or bigger compared with 20 percent five years ago. In Europe, Dutch women are ranked third behind British and Danish women in terms of bra size, research commissioned by Bodyfashion Promotion indicated on Wednesday.
Some 42 percent of women aged 30-39 have D-cup breasts and feel in general okay about that. Women with a large bra size are now the largest group in the Netherlands. But the shape and size of breasts start to change once women reach the age of 40 and women then opt for a smaller bra size.
Some 44 percent of surveyed girls aged 12-19 think that eating fatty foods helps increase the size of their breasts. All survey respondents said poor nutrition habits are the cause of increased breast size. Hormones in food and the general increasing size of the population are also leading to bigger breasts.
2007
I smell not one but TWO elections coming in the new year: both federal and provincial.
I'm so excited I could squeal wheeee wheeee wheeee
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
My favourite Christmas song!
I just found these lyrics. Let's all sing, sing, sing Trim Up the Tree.
Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
Trim up the town with goowho gums and bizilbix and wums
Trim every blessed window and trim every blessed door
Hang up whoboohoo bricks
Then run out and get some more!
Hang pantookas on the ceilings
Pile pankunas on the floor
Trim every blessed needle on the blessed Christmas tree
Christmas comes tomorrow
Trim you, trim me!
Trim up your pets with fuzzle fuzz
And whiffer bloofs, and wuzzle wuzz
Trim up your uncle and your aunt
With yards of whofut flant
Trim every house in Whoville from the cellar to the roof
Hang up a mile of dafflers
And three miles of snaffer snoof!
Hang dang-donglers on the bathtub
Trim the occupant the with floof
To every home in Whoville and to every blessed Who
Christmas comes tomorrow
Trim me, trim you!
Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
Trim up the town with goowho gums
And bizilbix and wums...
Trim up the tree with bizilbix and wums
Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
Trim up the town with goowho gums and bizilbix and wums
Trim every blessed window and trim every blessed door
Hang up whoboohoo bricks
Then run out and get some more!
Hang pantookas on the ceilings
Pile pankunas on the floor
Trim every blessed needle on the blessed Christmas tree
Christmas comes tomorrow
Trim you, trim me!
Trim up your pets with fuzzle fuzz
And whiffer bloofs, and wuzzle wuzz
Trim up your uncle and your aunt
With yards of whofut flant
Trim every house in Whoville from the cellar to the roof
Hang up a mile of dafflers
And three miles of snaffer snoof!
Hang dang-donglers on the bathtub
Trim the occupant the with floof
To every home in Whoville and to every blessed Who
Christmas comes tomorrow
Trim me, trim you!
Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff
Like bingle balls, and whofoo fluff
Trim up the town with goowho gums
And bizilbix and wums...
Trim up the tree with bizilbix and wums
Tis the Season
How come I’m not a bigwig exec at Goldman Sachs? Where did I go wrong? I could use a share of $16 billion.
“Surging stock and bond markets, coupled with an unprecedented level of takeover activity, has turned the big investment houses into corporate cash machines. It is also delivering stratospheric bonuses to top employees, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. doling out a staggering $16 billion this year.” (Washington Post)
$16 billion with a B in bonuses. In bonuses. That’s obscene.
Are Christmas or year-end bonuses the norm? I work for an organization that is governmental, i.e. non-profit so we don’t get any bonuses, be it Christmas, year-end or the Easter Bunny’s birthday.
In my first job, many many moons ago, our Christmas bonus was a week’s gross pay. But I’ve been out of the real for-profit world for so long, I can’t remember what a bonus feels like. Except for maybe the daily bonus of blogging half my day away and knowing that absolutely nobody cares…heh heh
“Surging stock and bond markets, coupled with an unprecedented level of takeover activity, has turned the big investment houses into corporate cash machines. It is also delivering stratospheric bonuses to top employees, with Goldman Sachs Group Inc. doling out a staggering $16 billion this year.” (Washington Post)
$16 billion with a B in bonuses. In bonuses. That’s obscene.
Are Christmas or year-end bonuses the norm? I work for an organization that is governmental, i.e. non-profit so we don’t get any bonuses, be it Christmas, year-end or the Easter Bunny’s birthday.
In my first job, many many moons ago, our Christmas bonus was a week’s gross pay. But I’ve been out of the real for-profit world for so long, I can’t remember what a bonus feels like. Except for maybe the daily bonus of blogging half my day away and knowing that absolutely nobody cares…heh heh
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