What the Hell is the matter w/Women?

So, yesterday I found out that people with Autism are allowed to drive. Now, this seems INSANE (!) to me, but I thought that maybe I don't completely understand the condition so I thought I'd research it a bit before I ranted & made a fool out of myself... I haven't found much yet... BUT I had to put my search to a halt for a second and post a quote I found when I googled "autistic driver" (completely unrelated). A Surfline.com thread came up. The title: "What the hell is the matter with women?" A response;

"I don't know. But I don't trust anything that bleeds for 7 days and doesn't die."

Sorry Liberals, But I found this f'in hilarious :-D

The "Zero-Year Curse"

So, our 9th president William Harrison wasn't exactly on the "Indians' side." He helped lead the US army during the War of 1812. Two of the Indian leaders were Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa, aka "The Prophet."

One day when Tecumseh was away, Harrison attacked his brother's town, leaving Tenskwatawa dead. (The Battle of Tippecanoe)

From Wikipedia: "According to legend, Tecumseh had placed a "curse" on [William] Harrison, claiming that every President to be elected in a year ending with the number zero (which happens every 20 years) would die in office. Harrison, Lincoln (elected 1860), Garfield (elected 1880), McKinley (elected 1900), Harding (elected 1920), Roosevelt (elected 1940), and Kennedy (elected 1960) all died in office, falling prey to the Curse of Tecumseh, sometimes called the "zero-year curse". Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980, broke the curse, although some believe that after the assassination attempt by John Hinckley, Jr., he went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated. George W. Bush, elected in 2000, has survived so far; his second term of presidency ends on January 20, 2009."

Removed

The term “Second Removed” (referring to ancestor's relationships) came up this morning & we weren’t sure what it meant. Since I learned something new, I thought I'd share w/the group...

Years “Removed” refers to the generation difference. “Once Removed” is 1 generation. “Twice Removed” is 2 generations & so on. I found this chart on Genealogy.com.

How to use this chart (sorry if its hard to read):
1. Pick two people in your family and figure out which ancestor they have in common. For example, if you chose yourself and a cousin, you would have a grandparent in common.

2. Look at the top row of the chart and find the first person's relationship to the common ancestor.

3. Look at the far left column of the chart and find the second person's relationship to the common ancestor.

4. Determine where the row and column containing those two relationships meet.

*Nothing like some boring facts to get the day rolling :-P

"Things"

Fun things I found when I Googled "Things":

ThingsMyGirlfriendandIHaveArguedAbout.com/: A website where this English guy documented a TON of fights him & his "violent psychopath" of a girlfriend have had. The entries are pretty entertaining & for the ones that aren't hilarious, they at least make me appreciate Dave even more :)

Fun Things: this site has a bunch of optical illusions. REALLY fun!

Things People Said: This site has funny Accident Reports, Excuse letters, Courtroom Quotations, Resume Quotations, etc... They're funny as hell and yet another site to go to if you need a laugh or are bored as hell at work.

A few examples:
Accused, Defending His Own Case: "Did you get a good look at my face when I took your purse?" *The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in jail.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lawyer: "What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?"
Witness: "Gucci sweats and Reeboks."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lawyer: "Doctor, did you say he was shot in the woods?"
Witness: "No, I said he was shot in the lumbar region."

Resumes:
"I have a bachelorette degree in computers."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Objective: To have my skills and ethics challenged on a daily basis."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Special skills: Thyping."

Chain E-mails

#1. I hate how chain e-mails close with: For good luck, forward this to X-amount of people. If you don't forward this, you'll have bad luck for X-amount of years.

#2. I hate it even more how "religious" e-mails close with: If you love/believe in God, then you will forward this to everyone you know. If you delete this, it's like you're deleting him!

I think its crap that chain e-mails should make people fear deleting them, this especially when they're being forwarded for "religious purposes."

Now, the jackasses from #1 are just plain annoying. But the idiots from #2 are worse, and it pisses me off that even I feel hesitant to delete those e-mails. Religion irritates me that I know. But the jury is still out on the God "thing." I don't want to do anything directly against God in case one day I decide to join "his side." I find myself not deleting the e-mails, but also not sending them... out of fear… but why?

If there is a God, how are we supposed to know what’s right & wrong? Some things are very clear in the bible, but others are vague. Religions have come up with their own interpretations of what God would like his followers to do. So then, what’s what? What’s right & what’s wrong? My hypothesis of what God expects, if he’s logical, is to follow his blatant rules, but also that the rules of man will be added to the rules of God as long as they don't break the standard "rules of God." ie. God is doesn’t support profanity, but which words fall into this category? The words that man marked as "swear words" is what I'm guessing.

With that, now comes the fear of deleting a chain religious e-mail… if Man has decided that it is against God to delete an e-mail containing “the message,” does that then become an expectation of God, to forward that e-mail?

It's PB&J Time

So, I've got some stuff to discuss BUT I can't resist posting something cheerful! Thanks to Ana, I will always & forever love...

PEANUT BUTTER JELLY TIME!

Also, I'm not sure if you know, but they've got a great deal on
"WACKY WAVING INFLATABLE ARM FLAILING TUBE MEN!"
Videos by vMix Member:
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment



*Google had these videos up for a while but they got taken off, watch 'more Family Guy clips while you can at vmix.com :)... it's peanut butter jelly time!

Zongo

Yesterday I received another letter & picture from Zongo, the little girl that I'm sponsoring from Burkina Faso through Compassion International. Her full name is Zongo Kiswendida Silvia. She celebrated her 8th birthday on May 4th (same birthday as Joanna). This is a picture of her and the present she got with the birthday money I sent. Sadly, she doesn't smile in her pictures. I just hope that she is happier than she looks.

If anyone is interested in sponsoring a child, I recommend going through Compassion. It is $32/month. (Learn more About Compassion here). One thing that I really liked about Compassion is that they stay with the child until they turn 18. They make sure that they get an education and that they continue to live a good life. They also help the child through college if that is the right path for them. Other sponsorship programs only stay in towns and with families until they "get on their feet" and then they're gone (which I don't like).

Compassion also guarantees to send you at least 3 letters and a few pictures every year from your child. I have been sponsoring Zongo since December and I have already received 3-4 letters and 3 pictures. All the other companies promised 1 letter and 1 picture per year. I like having updates & getting to communicate with her regularly, so that she knows someone cares. (the photo on the right is her original picture, she's grown SO much!)

I've found that most sponsorship programs are centered on religion, generally its Christianity. While I'm not sure how I feel about religion, I do know that it brings peace of mind and hope to people who are less fortunate. So, whether or not there's a God, if believing in God makes her life better... then I'm all for it. At least she'll have something to celebrate, "God's unconditional Love."

If sponsoring a child is of any interest, I encourage you to find a company that appeals to you. I found that monthly costs range anywhere from $18-35. Most programs generally spend approximately 80% of the funds on the children themselves and Compassion falls just above that amount.

I really think this is a great thing to do. We already have way more than we need, and if you can afford "a dollar a day" then find a child you can help!

My home town

This article in the Chicago Tribune was brought to my attention by a friend... its not exactly "breaking news". Inevitable comes to mind :) Here is the article:

Report: Gangs moving to suburbs
Tribune staff reportPublished June 19, 2006, 1:53 PM CDT

Some gangs members apparently have begun escaping the pressures of big city life by beating a well-worn path to the suburbs.

That's one of the findings of a report released today by the Chicago Crime Commission in its first major study of area gangs in more than 10 years."

More and more gangs are migrating to the suburbs," Jim Wagner, president of the commission, said at a news conference today.

He said Chicago police have become skilled at disrupting gangland activity, so some gang members are moving to the suburbs where authorities often don't have the manpower or experience to deal with them. In addition, he pointed out, the Chicago Housing Authority has torn down many of the high-rises that once served as hideouts for gangs, and high-end condominiums have replaced dilapidated two-flats in many of the Chicago neighborhoods where gang activity used to thrive.

"Briefcase carrying young executives now stand on the very corners where gang drug dealers once peddled their poison," Wagner said in a press release.

Wagner said people in the suburbs no longer can afford to view gangs as an inner-city problem.

Between 70 to 100 gangs operate in the Chicago area with 70,000 to 125,000 members, according to the 272-page report.

In a survey of 81 suburban police departments, the commission found gang activity to be widespread. With the exception of some affluent and far outlying communities, most departments have had contact with street gangs, and in some cases the problem was found to be extensive.

For instance, an estimated 3,000 gang members operate in Waukegan, 2,000 in Cicero and 1,800 in Aurora, according to the report. In addition, gang activity is reportedly on the rise in 31 communities, including Hinsdale and Naperville.

Drugs remain the financial backbone of Chicago-area gangs, with estimated annual sales of a half billion dollars, according to the report.

But gangs are branching out into other activities, such as mortgage and real estate fraud. They are also active in money laundering schemes, counterfeit IDs, dog fighting, human trafficking and prostitution, according to the report.

Communities with the most reported gang members:
Waukegan: 3,000
Cicero: 2,000
Aurora: 1,800
Elgin: 950
Evanston: 600+
West Chicago: 500+
Park Forest: 300 to 400
Zion: 300+
Woodstock: 250
Hanover Park: 200
-- Chicago Crime Commission

Somewhat Refreshed

It's Monday and for the first time in a long time I actually feel somewhat refreshed!

My weekend:
Saturday: Went to the beach for my weekly 'alone' time, chatted w/Colleen, ate at Fuddruckers (woohoow!!), visited Tom in Burbank, watched a few episodes of Buffy and Angel, drove home at 12 am in TERRIBLE traffic!! Yeah, they brought the 5 highway down to 1 lane & it over doubled the time to get home. LA is NUTS!

Sunday: Went to the beach in El Porto (this time w/Dave), chatted w/my mom, ate at a little sandwich place, went home & watched some Boy Meets World episodes that Tom let me borrow, started creating Tom's production company's website, went grocery shopping, called my dad for Father's Day, watched more Boy Meets World... and that's about it.

The Differences that I can see b/w this weekend & last weekend:
1. I went to the beach on Saturday AND Sunday, which I love.
2. I didn't take any naps. I am a nap supporter, but I think my problem recently has been that I fall asleep for hours & not just a few minutes because I'm ssoo exhausted. Which in the end makes me feel like I wasted the day. I need to get a nap timer.
3. I accomplished tasks in multiple areas instead of focusing on 1-2 main tasks. I've come to understand that I have a need to be productive most of the time... that's not super hard. What's hard is finding a way to be productive about being productive. (i'm a dork!)

Monday

In a way.... I'm looking forward to Monday!

Up late, Long Entry, lo siento

I've been starting work earlier than usual lately due to a study that started a few weeks ago that required me to start at 7:30 am. I realized just how awesome getting off at 4:30 is. SO, when I stopped helping out with the study, which is a whole other f'in topic, I decided to compromise & start at 8:00... leave at 5:00. It hasn't been early enough though. Everyday this week I look at the clock at 10:00 am and it feels like it should be 3:00. That is definitely NOT good!! 2 hrs at work shouldn't feel like 7 hrs!

I decided today that I didn't want to go into the weekend exhausted, so I was going to take a short nap when I got home then go to bed at a decent time tonight... WELL, I fell asleep around 6, next thing I know I wake up, it's dark outside & the time... 9:30 pm! My whole f'in night... GONE! Having a shitty day at work then not getting to relax SUCKS! I had plans to work on my website & a friend's site. Now, I didn't get to work on either site AND I'm not going to be able to fall asleep at a decent time... & most likely, I'll be tired tomorrow. Being tired & having to do a lit review doesn't go together! Man I want to get to the next phase... it involves more action & less sucky reading.

This entry is SO poorly written, but I need to rant. I'm so back & forth about my job. Some days/weeks I hate it more than anything in the world & I feel like it is sucking the life out of me. Other days/weeks I love it and feel lucky to be doing something that I like. How could one job be at both extremes? & What is the solution? Is this all jobs? If you love what you do, will you find yourself hating that part of your life? Is it like what they say about marriage? "You love each other more than anything, but sometimes you want to kill each other. Inevitable ups & downs."

I NEVER fill out surveys... but I think something mindless will do me good.
1. In one sentence, explain your last relationship:
-- Fun & secure, but missing that thing.

2. What made you smile today?
-- Reading the pic from the post I put up yesterday

3. What were you doing this morning at 8 a.m.?
-- sitting in hell... whoops, sitting at my desk. trying to stay awake.

4. What were you doing 15 minutes ago?
-- writing the first half of this entry... 15 min before that, making a bagel... late night snack... not good.

5. Something that happened to you in 1985?
--I celebrated my 4th birthday

6. Your prom night?
-- disappointing but fun. The movies depict prom as being this "magical" night... it fell far short of that, but most "landmark events" do.

7. Last thing you said aloud?
-- The 'F' Word!

8. Last thing someone else said aloud?
-- I love you

9. Worst thing currently on television:
-- I'm sure more than 1/2 of what's on, but I wouldn't know... I haven't done TV for over a year. Except over Christmas at Jo's when I discovered Robot Chicken!

10. What was in the mail today?
-- Shit, I forgot to check :-P

11. How many different beverages have you drank today?
-- hhmm, water, Arizona Iced Tea, Cherry Coke, no coffee :( That made this morning extra hard.

12. What is your favorite part of the day?
-- not the morning, I hate waking up... not driving to work... not being at work... not driving home from work... I'd have to say when I finally get home & sit down for dinner.

13. Your current To-do list?
-- http://www.43things.com/person/troublepeak

14. Where is your best friend right now?
-- Boy: Sleeping in the next room... Girl: Not sure, but she's moving to Arizona in August! Woohoo... closer to me!

15. What color is your toothbrush?
-- Green & Clear... clear isn't really a color though

16. What is out your back door?
-- This Apt doesn't exactly have a back doors.

17. Any plans for Friday night?
-- Relaxing for sure. Working on my site. Probably a trip to the beach: rollerblading? surfing? playing catch w/the football?

18. Least favorite place to shop?
-- Most anywhere. Stores are SO dizzying

19. Last thing you bought?
-- DVD Player for $36, the latest Rihanna CD, Kelly Clarkson-Breakaway CD, and Shakira-Oral Fixation 2. I realized that I don't sing enough anymore & I'm not working on listening to any audiobook... Hopefully singing during my commutes will be fun.

20. Last gift you received?
-- 3 gifts in one: its a magnetic slot machine from Vegas that is also a pencil sharpener. (Thanks Ana) It brings some fun to the work day

21. Funniest thing you heard all day?
--

22. Favorite mug?
--the one Colleen got me for... my birthday... i think it was for my birthday... whatever the occasion was, she got it for me :)

23. What color is your front door?
-- green?

24. Beautiful is:
-- peaceful

25. Describe your keychains:
-- Do I even have anything other than keys & cards?... just checked... not really just keys, a Jewel card, an Osco card & a Wet Seal card.

26. Where do you keep your change?
--my bag, purse, desk, counter... wherever

27. Say something to the number 1 person in your Top 8:
-- hhmm... so this is a myspace survey. yeah, my boss has that site blocked from work. My top 8... hhmm... to all: I MISS YOU!

28. What kind of winter coat do you have?
-- I got it from cali so it's kind of 1/2 of a coat. Brown, fur on the hood (that made me laugh), no pockets... yeah, definitely not a Chicago coat.

29. What was the weather like on your graduation day?
-- From UIC, overcast. Nice, 50's, still not warm enough for the little dress I wore.

30. Last ice cream flavor?
-- mint chocolate chip.

31. Last rainbow you saw?
--a WHOLE one abut 3 months ago! Living on the coast is SO COOL. Dave & I have seen 2-3 full bright BIG rainbows!

32. Something you are excited about.
-- Going home in July.

33. Who are you thinking about right now?
--Going home in July

34. How many licks are in a tootsie pop?
-- what a goofy question. If you "licked" until you got to the center your tongue would be raw! Yeah, not exactly a pretty picture.

35.Current mood?
-- Slightly tired & anxious.

OK, I think I'll lay down. Man, what a day! If you've gotten this far I consider you a good friend! Thanks for caring.

Lessons Learned & Re-Learned

Lessons Learned (or Re-Learned) over the last 2 days...

1. Rollerblading into 14-16 knot winds... VERY Hard!

2. Rollerblading with the 14-16 knot winds... VERY Easy!

3. Taking an early lunch does not boost production for the second half of the day. (if you didn't want to work in the first place, you probably won't want to work when you get back!)

4. Being slow to react can decrease the likliness that you'll "Over-react". Time holds many answers... or the problem just "goes away."

5. Dreamweaver kicks Ass & SUCKS Ass at the same time... as do most things & people.

6. Money can make life more convenient and comfortable.

21st century of Safety

Situation: you just got sometihing in your eyes... they're BURNING... you need to flush the foregin object or chemical out ASAP... what do you use?.... Eye Wash Station 1 or 2??



















... not much of a competition :)

What an improvement! Welcome to the 21st century of Safety DRI!

I just realized... 2 posts regarding safety in the last month. Eh, that seems about right :-P

Honda Civic

Honda went a little crazy making a commercial promoting the Civic.


Go to:
www. honda.co.uk/civic/
"Watch Civic" is a really cool commercial.* Check out what Honda does with a 60 person choir...

"Drive" is a fun little game. (Not having a TV probably doesn't affect this one.)

*I realize that this commercial may have been on TV & there's a chance that I'm way behind. Regardless... its cool and they've also got a few videos of how the commercial was made.

6-6-6

Happy 6-6-6....


*Learn more about the "Number of the Beast" at Wikipedia.org.

Our World

All I can say is that this world is an interesting place...

Lioness in zoo kills man who invoked God
KIEV (Reuters) - A man shouting that God would keep him safe was mauled to death by a lioness in Kiev zoo after he crept into the animal's enclosure, a zoo official said on Monday.

"The man shouted 'God will save me, if he exists', lowered himself by a rope into the enclosure, took his shoes off and went up to the lions," the official said.

"A lioness went straight for him, knocked him down and severed his carotid artery."

The incident, Sunday evening when the zoo was packed with visitors, was the first of its kind at the attraction. Lions and tigers are kept in an "animal island" protected by thick concrete blocks.


It's "Mandy" vs the hotrods
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Sick and tired of souped-up cars with loud engines and pulsing music? Barry Manilow may be the answer.

Officials in one Sydney district have decided to pipe the American crooner's music over loudspeakers in an attempt to rid streets and car parks of hooligans whose anti-social cars and loud music annoy residents and drive customers from businesses.

Following a successful experiment where Bing Crosby music was used to drive teenage loiterers out of an Australian shopping center several years ago, Rockdale councilors believe Manilow is so uncool it might just work.

Councilor Bill Saravinovski said local authorities plan to install a loudspeaker and pipe in Manilow music, interspersed with classical pieces, over a car park favored by car "hoons," or hooligans.

"There are restaurants nearby and people can't park in the car park because they're intimidated by these hoons," Saravinovski told The Daily Telegraph newspaper Monday.
"Daggy music is one way to make the hoons leave an area because they can't stand the music," he said.

The Oxford Concise Australian Dictionary defines "daggy" as unfashionable, or lacking style, even eccentric or stupid.

Isn't it supposed to be harder than this?
ATHENS (Reuters) - A helicopter landed in the middle of the high security Athens Korydallos prison, picked up two prisoners and flew away in a Hollywood-style escape that has left Greek police stunned.

A criminal on the run hijacked the helicopter Sunday to get his brother out of prison, police said. Vassilis Paleokostas, 40, who was serving a 25-year sentence for kidnapping and bank robbery, and an Albanian convict escaped.

"The guards thought it was a surprise inspection by ministry officials and did nothing," a police official said.

The helicopter pilot, who said he was forced at gunpoint to undertake the mission, flew the inmates to a nearby cemetery and they made their escape on motorbikes. Greek police have launched a manhunt for the convicts.

Save $$ On Gas

Gas prices are high & yeah... it sucks!
LA has too much traffic. Too many cars. Too much pollution!!

With all of that, now what?
1. Stay Home... not possible, need money
2. Don't have a Car... not possible in LA due to lack of public transportation
3. Move closer to work... a shorter commute for me means a longer commute for Dave.
4. Trade in the Hyundai for a Hybrid... this is actually somewhat reasonable. My accent gets between 26-30 mpg which is good compared to most vehicles out there, but it still costs me ~$5/day to drive to work... and that adds up. The Prius has the best mileage with an average of 55 mpg at a reasonable price. Here are some Hybrids and their approximate values.

Honda Insight: $20,000
Toyota Prius: $21,700
Honda Civic: $22,100
Toyota Camry: $25,900
Honda Accord: $30,000
Lexus GS: $55,600

You can read more about the cars above at FuelEconomy.gov
To learn about how a Hybrid car works, check out HowStuffWorks.com

5. OR, I could resort to this... less pollution and a great upper body workout...