All this airtime wasted on a non-issue!

Ok, so Scooter Libby was pardoned. Yeah, it was sleazy. But c'mon, we all saw it coming, didn't we? And I'm sorry, but when I think of all the other rights and programs and international relationships this President has gutted, I can't get all that upset about Scooter. I guess when it comes to this Administration, I'm plum out of outrage.

That's why it's making me CUH-RAZY that it's being discussed ad nauseum on the news shows! General Petraeus and Iraq, let's talk about that. Will these recent terror incidents, and the public's reaction, influence Gordon Brown's policy on Iraq? The impact of this Court reversing Brown v. Board of Education, let's talk about that. Does all this attention to Scooter mean that all is forgiven with Attorney General Gonzalez? All of these issues are far, far more important than Scooter, aren't they? Why have we allowed ourselves, and the media, to be distracted by this?

And, oh, how it's seeped into the 2008 discussion! Bill Clinton's impeachment ... Bill Clinton's last-minute pardons ... blah-blah-blah. NO CORRELATION. Apples and oranges. We all know that. The Clintons are discussing it themselves, running to their weakness, getting it out there, so by the time Iowans and New Hampshire-ites (is that right, Jenny?) get ready to cast their votes, Hillary can dismiss the whole pardon thing by saying, "Didn't Bill and I discuss this openly and honestly way back last summer?" And when we're talking about the (first) Clinton Presidency, we aren't talking about Barack Obama. So I understand Bill and Hill's motivation. But why is the press taking the bait and comparing/contrasting the Bill Clinton/George W. Bush pardons at this length?

McCain is imploding. Thompson still won't commit. What impact do Gore's family problems have on his decision to run? What's going on with the Edwards staff? Why are we STILL talking about Mark Rich and Susan McDougal?

I feel like we're being manipulated. How can we control the conversation?

Under the Umbrella

Like just about every little girl, I read Little Women and completely related to Jo. I recently saw the Broadway musical version and still completely related to Jo.

Book, movie versions and musical all have a scene toward the end that touches me in so many ways. As Jo shares an umbrella with Professor Bhaer, he clumsily proposes. Since this is post Civil War era, he apologizes for being a poor immigrant without much in the way of earthly possessions, "nothing to offer" our Jo. Nothing, that is, except the ability to appreciate, understand and completely accept one of the prickliest, most complex and enduring heroines in American literature. Naturally she accepts and together they run Plumfield, a school for boys, in the house Aunt March left her. (So ultimately, while Jo may have lost each and every battle with Aunt March, she wins the war: Aunt March eventually does care for the less fortunate, even if it's posthumously. How very Jo!)

Oh, I adore that scene under the umbrella! A completely spectacular woman finds a man who loves her, who encourages and helps her with her writing, who wants her to be his equal and achieve every wonderful goal she's set her sites on.

I still believe. None of my relationships worked out, but, for the most part, I spent time with some really lovely men. I just wish one of them had turned out to be my professor.

Color me a little paler than Sparky Duck

You'd think our colors would be closer, seeing as Mr. Duck and I share the same "girly smell."

you are aqua

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well. Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Unconscious Mutterings #2

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Happen :: stance
2. Terribly :: Awfully
3. History :: Teacher
4. Master :: Lock
5. Petrified :: Forest
6. Moan :: Sigh
7. Attack :: of the Puppet People*
8. Picture :: Show
9. Students :: School
10. Potter :: Harry

*One of my favorite bad movies EVER!

For more information, or to play yourself, visit http://subliminal.lunanina.com

What to call this feeling?

My local public library has a major fundraiser every summer -- the book sale. I love the book sale. The village really gets behind it, a line forms around the block (veterans know to bring their own shopping bags, or carts, or even the occasional baby stroller to fill with books), and we pay $5 to get in there and look at books that sell for 50¢ to $2. It's social and fun and a good way to support a tremendous community asset. I also enjoy looking to see what once-popular book is now sooooo over (last year I spotted many hardcover copies of The Nanny Diaries).

But the book sale is not really what this post is about.

Because I love the book sale (and because there's another sale in another town coming up to support the animal shelter where I got Reynaldo), every summer I bug and nag and cajole my friends to bring me their cast-off paperbacks. (I don't have a car, which makes hardcovers a bit difficult to manage.) Usually I get a dozen or so, which is nice because every bit helps and besides, my friends are a diverse group and a good selection of books always makes for a better book sale.

My coworker, the one who is FINALLY getting divorced, asked me if I wanted the books she and her husband are divesting themselves of. Sure, OK, why not? She's had to go through a lot of pain during this break up (pain she has not been shy about sharing with me ...), and why shouldn't some civic good come of it?

She says she has four big boxes of books and will be here with them at 5:30 tonight. Then we can go to dinner and have a few drinks and ... I just asked for the books on Monday. I didn't expect anyone to get them together so fast. And I don't know that I want to spend my Saturday hearing EVEN MORE about her upcoming divorce.

Is it evil that I hope she cancels?

I don't feel like seeing her. I don't feel like seeing anyone. I know it's Saturday, and I'm supposed to want to go out. But there's a Cubs game on tonight, I have a movie rental I really should either watch or return ... I'd rather be alone than go out with her.

I wouldn't mind talking on the phone to my mom. Like the Cub game, by dropping off the books and going to dinner I'll miss my weekly yak with her. And I really, really miss my best friend. I haven't talked to him since Monday and, as always when he's incommunicado, I'm unraveling a bit.

Does this feeling count as lonely? When I have a cellphone list filled with numbers and there are only two I want to call, I'm not sure I'm lonely. Antisocial? Spoiled and unsympathetic to a coworker's pain? Lazy?

Oh well, I'll just comfort myself knowing that I'm helping the library ... and that maybe she'll cancel.

A Dreamy Saturday Special

1. My dream house is …
A high-rise condo with a terrific view of The Lake

2. My dream car is …
Always at my disposal, and comes with a driver

3. My dream vacation is …
Quiet and relaxing

4. My dream life is …
Not that different from the life I have. I'd just like to enjoy it wearing a smaller size.


Visit the Saturday Special for more information, or to join in yourself.

Celebrity vs. Movie Star

Bruce Willis played "Hardball" with Chris (HA!) Matthews this week. He was very soft spoken and focused, intent on getting his bi-partisan message out about respecting and caring for our troops. He maintained they are our "real action heroes." Chris Matthews seemed uncomfortable. Not annoyed, the way Anderson Cooper clearly was whenever he had to cover Paris Hilton. No, Chris Matthews came off instead like an interviewer with a subject he wasn't very into. Another celebrity with another cause. Not something the trips Chris' trigger.

Compare that with his interview with Redford shortly after we all learned that "Deep Throat" was Mark Felt. Matthews began with the premise of talking to the celluloid Bob Woodward about his source. But he couldn't stay on the subject. What about the movie industry? What about the Sundance Institute? What about the environment? What about the death of Johnny Carson? (Huh? What? Do we have any reason to believe Redford even knew Carson?) The questions came so fast that Redford barely had a chance to answer, and instead just looked at his host with weary amusement. That night, Chris Matthews wasn't a journalist or even a provocative interviewer. That night, he was just another movie fan.

Recently George Clooney said that he felt Newman and Redford are our last movie stars. There may be something to that. After all, Matthews, the man who has rattled ambassadors, journalists, candidates and statesman, was practically drooling all over himself when he found himself before The Sundance Kid.

Yes, this is accurate

I Am Buffy the Vampire Slayer

"We saved the world. I say we have to party."

What Superheroine Are You?

Friday's Feast #6

Friday Feast is taking a break this week so Kim went into the archives and found one from 2004 to answer. (Thanks, Kim!)

Appetizer: Name 3 things that you are wearing today.
Sandals, jeans and a t-shirt

Soup: Who was the last person you hugged?
A coworker who's going through a divorce.

Salad: What do you like to order from your favorite fast food place?
Ironic that this is the salad, because you won't find a vegetable anywhere near my order, unless relish counts. The fast food place: Parky's Hot Dogs. The order: Meal #1 -- dog, fries and a medium Coke.

Main Course: What time of day do you usually feel most energized?
Probably mid-morning; 11-ish, right before lunch.

Dessert: Using the letters in your first name, write a sentence.
Gone at last! (Our office closes early today.)

Read more Friday's Feasts, or add your own, at www.fridaysfeast.com

Do you know when it's your autumn, 1993?

I love this photo of Greg Maddux, ca. November 1993, because it shows someone who appears to be at the apex.

He's at home in Las Vegas, on the phone with Tom Glavine, his friend/Braves teammate/only real competition for the Cy Young award. Fortunately for the reporters assembled in what appears to be his kitchen, he soon received official notification that he did, indeed, win his second consecutive Cy Young. That's his very pregnant wife, Kathy, in the doorway. Their first daughter, Amanda Paige, was born in a few weeks.

Today Greg Maddux is a 320 game winning legend. But when this photo was taken, he was a phenomenon. He was playing on $30 million/3 year contract (huge for the time), and he had a couple more World Series appearances and Cy Young awards ahead of him. Summer of 2007, he's still making $10 million/season, but it's a one-year contract with San Diego. He's still with his high school sweetheart, Kathy, and they added a son to their clan. He seems to still love the game. I'm sure he's happy (I hope he's happy.) But it will never be November 1993 again.

Now that I'm old, I wonder, do you KNOW when it's your winter of 1993? Did he KNOW that this was as good as it was gonna get? Did he enjoy it fully? Ironically, I was very happy in November 1993, too. And no, I didn't appreciate it as much I should have.

Can't you feel them circling, honey? Can't you feel them schooling around?

Today my oldest friend asked me to help her figure out how the Thursday 13 works. One of her blogspot buddies recommended she investigate it, but the homepage confused her. I responded by rather desperately changing the subject. But the exchange left me feeling pissy, anxious, and sad.

First she asked me if I'd ever read a blog that yes, I've visited. Now this. She's getting closer to discovering this, my blog. My musings. And I don't want her to.

I like keeping this blog separate from my real life. I like having something that's mine exclusively. I don't want to share it with my oldest friend, or anyone else I "really" know.

When I have an issue with her, or my family, or a coworker, and I blog about it, I'm not trying to score points, and I certainly don't want to hurt anyone. I just want to have an outlet for my honest feelings and my real voice.

I use a nom de blog. I have never mentioned the name of my agency, nor of any clients I work with. The photos I've used here haven't even been my real cats! And that's because I want to maintain my anonymity and my privacy.

I don't think I've posted anything here that's so bad our friendship couldn't survive it. And yes, I could just go through and delete any posts that might rattle her. But dammit, that's not the point.

I want this to be my own!

I'm going to have to worry and stew and awfulize on this some more.

Thursday Thirteen #23 -- 13 Great Thirteens

Thirteen Thursday 13s THE GAL HERSELF found memorable 1…. Bohemian Rhapsody/Thursday 13 Random Facts about My Sweet Cat I still believe my cats are the most fascinating ever, but with this TT Harlekwin introduces us to a most charming feline, Rikki. (Wait till you see the photos!) 2. Inside Mo’s Mind/ Thirteen things my pups have destroyed this year Mo’s affectionate inventory of mutt mayhem. 3. Gabriella Heweitt./13 Reasons I Adore Chocolate This post is simple, it’s evocative and it made me smile. Kinda like chocolate itself! 4. Philly Transplant/Thirteen Great Things about Mrs. Duck Sparky Duck can be such an irredeemable, irreverent smart ass … except where Mrs. Duck is concerned. Which makes this sweet and romantic TT all the more enjoyable. 5. My Life in the Urban Zoo/13 Things We Should Have Learned By Now Some are corny, some are cute, and this is the post where I picked up my my oft-repeated, “Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.” 6. J’s Thoughts and Musings/13 Facts about Drawing Blood OK, so it’s not fun. But it’s important, especially since now The Gal Herself is an old broad who needs to get her cholesterol checked. And I like learning things, and Jenny McB has a gift for making the complicated accessible. I gotta admit, I enjoy my own. Coming up with my TT idea and then fulfilling it is a lot of fun. So I'm ending with ... 7. The 13 Most Popular Movies of All Time The TT in which I use inflation to avenge Rhett Butler and help the South rise again! 8. Why I'd Like to Switch Places with My Cats If you share your homes with cats, you'll understand 9. Little Things That Mean a Lot I loved writing this one. I should reread it to straighten myself out! 10. Mushy Moments Sigh ... my favorite love scenes ... sigh 11. Stuff I Can Do Without Um ... I really was gonna organize this place and throw some of that crap out some day 12. Gloriously bad pop songs It's embarrassing to admit I know the words to, and can sing tunelessly along with, every one of these horrors. 13. Rewatchable Reruns As a matter of fact, I'm watching Law & Order (again) right now ... Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Life is good in these United States

The Cubs are solidly in second place, and finally over .500.

Of course, I'm still fat and I still have a red and irritated eye, and there's still so many books and magazines and papers and other assorted crap laying around that my home may actually qualify as a fire hazard.

But the Cubs are winning, and I have been awarded the title of Rockin' Girl Blogger! (Thanks Ms. Hewitt.) So, in all, life is good.

Happy Independence Day!

I just love this picture

The Cubs are on a winning streak and play the Nationals tomorrow at 6:05. Then the Marlins play the Padres, and it's televised here at 9:05. That means I get to start the evening watching the Cubs gain on Milwaukee and end it by gazing upon my beloved, future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux.

I know that explaining my future baseball TV viewing habits makes for a lame post. But doesn't that photo redeem it? (I know I wanted to see it again.)

Not about Scooter Libby

The blogosphere and cable TV are abuzz about the commutation, but except that I'm surprised by the timing, I must admit I don't care. On a purely human level, I don't even mind. Scooter Libby risked everything to take one for the team. He lied to protect Bush, Cheyney and Rove. In a way, it's kinda nice to see they aren't going to let him twist in the wind.

Which is not to say that I haven't found the last 6 years enormously, profoundly disappointing.

I finally got a chance to watch the PBS/Tavis Smiley Presidential Debate and was struck by all the issues that were covered. Subjects I don't believe I've heard this President talk about in depth, nor within the framework of his faith: Race, poverty, AIDS here at home, economic disparity, Katrina, outsourcing jobs and the crisis in Darfur. With the exception of Kucinich and Gravel, I realized I could be pleased and proud to have any one of those Democrats as my next President.

Instead we have a President who is pleased and proud to have appointed the judges who helped overturn Brown v. Board of Education.

Who allows Iraq to suck all the oxygen out of the atmosphere, confident he's doing the right thing because he's appealed to his "Higher Father" about this war.

Who is concerned about Terri Schiavo's right to life but, as governor, oversaw more than 110 executions.

Who fights more for the contents of IVF test tubes than for funding after-school programs, education, etc., for at-risk teenagers.

His brand of Christianity is so different from mine. His values are so different from mine.

I am not only offended by what George W. Bush does, I am offended that he cloaks it in religion. My religion. Especially when we live in a country that has a proud tradition of the separation of Church and State.

At least I understand the Scooter Libby commutation.

Appearing busy while killing time

I'm fat and ugly. I'm not wearing makeup because of my swollen and inflamed eye. I'm bored, yet I can't leave work. I'm on the verge of becoming VERY grumpy. What shall I do?

PLAY THE GOOGLE GAME, OF COURSE!

You know this game. You type in [Your first name] Needs and see what comes up. It's guaranteed hilarity and a damn good time suck, to boot. Best of all, as your fingers dance across the keyboard, you look like you're working!

So buckle your seatbelts, kids. Here we go …

I need:

• to read 14 specific books to qualify for CBE (Childbirth Educator) Certification

• to lose weight before my wedding

• a new, caring permanent home to feel safe and secure (in this scenario I'm a cat in a shelter)

• fans in Columbus, OH, so I can get a comedy gig (I accompany myself on the ukulele)

• help in finding other descendants of Margaret Kelly

• to be happy with what I have, even in the rough times

• to call the County Insurance Company on Mayor Gibson's behalf

• a vacation

• Jon to explain our relationship from time to time

• you to channel your healing energy my way

Now, wasn't that a good use of our time? Oh well, it's almost 4:30. I should check in with Mayor Gibson before my ukulele and I head home.

Oh, Good! So I'm Cheap AND Easy!

$3630.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

Mother/Daughter Bonding

I love Lou Pinella, especially now, after the Cubs just took 2 of 3 from Milwaukee. But I found out yesterday that my mom LOVES Lou Pinella. As in she wishes he was my new daddy. (OK, my mother would never say that; but "I've noticed Lou Pinella is good looking" means "I wish Sweet Lou was your new daddy" in mom-talk.)

And, when I mentioned my eye problems, she expressed sadness because she knew how I'd been looking forward to the new Bruce Willis movie. She knows I find him attractive. (Of course I'd never say that; "I'm so hot for him I can't stand it" is Gal-speak for, "I find Bruce Willis attractive.")

ow, Ow, OW!

This started yesterday morning and got worse and worse until this morning I went to the new walk-up clinic at Walgreen's.

I woke up Saturday with severe redness in my right eye. Didn't bother with my lenses but didn't think much of it. Went out in the summer sun and ... OH MY GAWD! I couldn't see. Shit, I couldn't even open my eye -- that's how light sensitive it had become. My glasses are photogray but hadn't gone completely dark yet. So I stood in the shade (and there was precious little of it yesterday -- damn this good weekend weather!) and waited for my glasses to do their magic. Can't tell you what an embarrassing drag that was.

Then I brilliantly made it all the worse by using Clear Eyez. The bottle said it would reduce redness. What the bastards DIDN'T say was that it was going to really hurt and make my eye lid swell. What's more, this little $3.59 OTC bottle of eye drops increased my light sensitivity from acute to ridiculous. It was so bad that watching Live Free or Die Hard was actually painful. Yes, the bright explosions in the otherwise dark theater were too much for my poor eyes to take.

By this morning I was miserable. It's Sunday. It's the beginning of the a holiday week. I don't have an eye doctor (just an optometrist). What's a gal to do?

So at 10:00 I headed over to the Walgreen's Health Corner Clinic. My eyes hurt so much in the morning sun that I walked much of the way with my head down. The nurse practioner took me immediately. She was very friendly, very thorough, tested my cornea for scratches or injury and, finding none, prescribed me some antibiotics. Even better, she gave me a referral to an opthamologist and assured me that if my eye doesn't improve they will see me, holiday or no.

Wish me, and my poor bacterially-infected right eye, luck.

Unconscious Mutterings #1

I say ... and you think ... ?

1. Partner :: Duo
   
2. News :: Paper
   
3. Foam :: Resolve Carpet Cleaner
   
4. Paycheck :: The first and the 15th
   
5. Me :: Myself and I
   
6. Eight :: Days a Week
   
7. Dairy :: Milk
   
8. Exciting :: Action
   
9. Hockey :: Blackhawks
   
10. Socialite :: Rich
    

For more information, and to play along, visit Unconscious Mutterings.

My scent is yummy

Thanks to kwizgiver for the link ...

Your Scent is Pumpkin Pie

Warm, comforting, and a bit old fashioned You've got what men want - believe it or not!

What's Your Girl Smell?

What this blog needs is ...

… another meme!

1. While in a forest, you see a cabin ahead, you_______?
Run up and peer into the windows.

2. In the cabin you find a large chest, you________?
See if it's locked.

3. Suddenly you hear a noise coming from the outside, you________?
Try to hide, like the chickenshit little gal I am.

4. The adventure over, you leave the cabin and________?
Muse about it in this blog.

For more information, or to play yourself, visit The Saturday Special Meme.

God Bless This Man

That incredibly ordinary-looking man is Chicago's Mayor Richard M. Daley. And I say, with all sincerity and no irony whatsoever, that he is in my prayers.

I am watching the news coverage of the Scotland airport "incident." An expert on domestic terrorism said that we -- major cities in the United States -- are "overdue" for a similar attack.

While this bombing, and the one attempted in London yesterday, could have killed hundreds, maimed hundreds more, and broken thousands of hearts, they are not on a scale of the 9/11 attacks. It's a different terrorist tactic altogether, and preventing it depends a great deal on police work. For a variety of reasons (not the least of which is the drain the Iraq war continues to place on our resources), the federal government leaves major cities largely on their own when it comes to protecting "soft targets."

That's why this pudgy, ruddy-faced man is my superhero. Mayor Daley loves this city and will do, has done, and is doing whatever it takes to keeps us safe. Every morning when I get on public transportation and go into the Loop, I place my safety in his hands. Considering the size of Chicago and the state of our world, that is not an exaggeration. The thousands of people at Wrigley Field today, at the Taste of the Chicago, on the lakefront, anywhere that the public congregates in large numbers this weekend, is doing the same. There is no one on earth I trust more with that daunting task than this man.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. People have received high-paying city jobs to drive salt trucks and have never shown up for work. Major no-bid contracts for municipal projects have gone to buddies of buddies of the Mayor. I've lived in Cook County all my life and I've heard all the stories about this mayor and his late (and, by the way, completely unlamented by me) father, King Richard I. Whatever. Maybe corruption is part of their DNA. Maybe it's in our Lake Michigan water. Not interested in the reason why. I don't care.

If something horrific happens in my beloved city, it will be made smaller by this man. If we are spared, it will be because of providence, and luck, and this man.

I know this the same way as I know the sun sets in the West.

I have seen the Chicago police boats in the River, under the bridges that the el travels over. I have seen the police dogs, heartbreaking in their focus and dedication, guarding public trash containers, lest anyone tosses a bomb in. I have seen extra cops patrolling parks and museum entrances in larger numbers. They are there one day, gone the next. No one talks about it, but we all know what it is. Post 9/ll, if the City hears whispers or rumors, the police come out in greater force. We don't change the way we live, we don't do anything different, but we can't help but see those out there to protect us, and wonder about the unseen steps being taken to protect us.

Nothing happens in this city, and very little happens in this state, without the approval of the man you see here.

God bless him.

Just 99¢ a bottle!

With every trip to the store I find something on sale and throw it in the cart for the neighborhood food pantry. ("Food pantry" is misleading; they also happily accept toilet paper, toothpaste, bar soap, etc.) I find I have a grocery bag filled with non perishables in no time, and it's no strain on my budget at all.

What's needed at food pantries changes with the seasons. Oh, there are evergreens, like pasta, rice and cereal. But just as in the winter, people eat more soup, during the summer we consume more sandwich fixings and barbecue condiments. That's why I was so excited to find catsup for just 99¢ a bottle!

It's the hunt. The search. Last week I found Lipton Chicken Rice Sides for just 79¢! I have to admit grocery shopping is not one of the highlights of my week, and finding a bargain that will help others brightens it a bit.

I'm so shallow and low-brow, I should be ashamed

Yeah, but I'm not, so let's get past it.

Our office closes early on Fridays during the summer and so here I am, eating a salad (which I hate), drinking Arbor Mist strawberry zinfandel (yes, I know) and watching (sigh) Judge Alex.

Judge Alex Ferrer is so handsome! I know the from show's opening that he was once a cop, then a trial lawyer, then a criminal court judge, and now, an afternoon courtroom show hottie. He's got great shoulders, beautiful hands, and so many teeth I suspect that he's somehow distantly related to Donny and Marie.

There are so many things I should be doing: scrubbing the tub, a load of laundry (or three), paying my bills ... But I luxuriate in these lazy, stolen Friday afternoons: just me, my wine, and my afternoon courtroom hottie. Life is good! If only I had a cheeseburger instead of this damn salad, my life would be perfect.

Friday's Feast #5

Appetizer
How many pieces of jewelry do you wear most days?
6: a pair of earrings, one ring on my left hand, two on my right, and a watch on my left wrist

Soup
What is your favorite instrumental song? "The Horse" by Cliff Nobles

Salad
Who has a last name that you like? New York Yankee Bobby Abreu

Main Course
Name a popular movie you’ve never seen. Spiderman

Dessert Fill in the blank: Nothing makes me ___________ like ____________. happy, hearing from my best friend

Read more Friday's Feasts, or add your own, at www.fridaysfeast.com

Thursday Thirteen #22 -- The 13 most popular movies of all time

THE THIRTEEN MOST SUCCESSFUL MOVIES EVER I love movies and I go often. Yet when I recently saw a list of the box-office champions of all-time, I was surprised that I hadn’t seen any of the Top 5. How could that be? Did I consume all those Sno-Caps, sitting in the dark, watching box-office bombs? No. Here’s the reason: inflation. The average nationwide ticket price today is nearly $7.00, but when Gone with the Wind came out, it only cost 25¢ to get into a matinee. That puts Rhett at a definite disadvantage against Spiderman and Jack Sparrow, doesn’t it? So here are the Top 13 most popular films of all time, adjusted for inflation. I've seen 10, which makes me feel much better about the world. This list is courtesy of Amazon.com, who went ahead and did the math for me. (And, naturally, is willing to sell all 13 DVDs to you.) This is based on box-office receipts. I wonder what the results would be if we factored in sales and rentals. Maybe I’ll track that down for a future TT … 1…. Gone with the Wind (1939) 2. Star Wars (1977) 3. Sound of Music (1965) 4. ET (1982) 5. The Ten Commandments (1956) 6. Titanic (1997) 7. Jaws (1975) 8. Dr. Zhivago (1965) 9. Disney’s Jungle Book (1967) 10. Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 11. Ben Hur (1959) 12. 101 Dalmations (1961) 13. The Exorcist (1973) Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. ancsweetnsassygal's 1980s TT will have you humming Huey Lewis all day. 2. Courtney's ambitous TT is up. 3. Pussreboots issues us a reading challenge. 4. Impworks' TT is thrill packed. 5. Crimson Wife's TT is funny, if you're not too stupid to get it :) 6. Maiylah's TT is low-tech 7. Wylie goes beyond Shatner to name 13 famous Canadian actors 8. Sue's TT are 13 quotes she wishes she could claim as her own 9. Susan's f-ing funny TT is up 10. Cordia shares 13 things she dreams of doing 11. Ben introduces himself to us with his TT 12. Nicholas shares some very olden oldies 13. Janet's got 13 things on her mind this week and shares 'em 14. Drew's TT is devoted to the Birthday Boys, Jonah and Jude 15. Amy shares her vacation itinerary (don't worry, she'll be back for Mom's birthday on the 7th) 16. Lene's TT is, well, kinda icky; hope everyone feels better soon! 17. Nancy's TT inspires us to exercise 18. Mommyba's TT is cartoon characters to make you smile 19. Malcolm's TT takes us back to childhood fun and games 20. Gloria's TT is about young love. 21. Darla's TT is filled with "Sniglets." 22. Samulli shares his many and varied favorites, including Walnut Caramel Cream Ice Cream. 23. Starla's TT rhapsodizes about Phoenix. 24. JennieBoo tells us what's in her medicine cabinet, so now we don't have to snoop 25. Starrlight's TT is devoted to Gross Pointe Blank dialog 26. Chris' TT shares the songs on his current Zen rotation 27. Frigga's TT encourages a self exam of your soul, conscience and memory 28. Titania takes us on a tour of Las Vegas 29. Jenny McB is in search of new ways to "torment" her boys 30. Jill shares 13 women characters she likes 31. Sparky Duck is back online with a TT about other TTs (beginning with this brilliant one)

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Were that it was true!

Thanks to Gabriella for sending me over to this site. Isn't my card gorgeous?

You are The Empress

Beauty, happiness, pleasure, success, luxury, dissipation.

The Empress is associated with Venus, the feminine planet, so it represents,
beauty, charm, pleasure, luxury, and delight. You may be good at home
decorating, art or anything to do with making things beautiful.

The Empress is a creator, be it creation of life, of romance, of art or business. While the Magician is the primal spark, the idea made real, and the High Priestess is the one who gives the idea a form, the Empress is the womb where it gestates and grows till it is ready to be born. This is why her symbol is Venus, goddess of beautiful things as well as love. Even so, the Empress is more Demeter, goddess of abundance, then sensual Venus. She is the giver of Earthly gifts, yet at the same time, she can, in anger withhold, as Demeter did when her daughter, Persephone, was kidnapped. In fury and grief, she kept the Earth barren till her child was returned to her.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

Seems a little harsh to me ...

Thanks to Sparky for posting his. Unfortunately he's been banished to the second level, so we won't be running into one another for all eternity.


The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Fifth Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)	High
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)	Moderate
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	High
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Yippee-ki-yay! I'm goin' to the movies!

Just received my "movietime email" from the local theater, letting me know the shows and showtimes for this weekend. Live Free or Die Hard starts showing at 11:00 AM and keeps right on until 10:00 PM.

Yes, I appreciate film. Cin-e-ma. But even more than that, I love movies. And my favorite action hero is back and I am SOOOOO gonna be there. Though 11:00 does seem a little early for blowing up buildings, doesn't it? Or am I getting older (just like McClane)?

Good riddance, Tank

Tank Johnson, Chicago's answer to Paris Hilton, has finally been let go by the Bears.

Mr. Johnson has rolled blissfully along, exhibiting hideous judgment and breaking laws and squandering every chance the Bears and the NFL have given him for redemption, blissfully confident that he can get away with anything because he is ... well .. HIM. Rules don't apply to people like HIM, do they?

This sad saga began in earnest last December. His home was raided and the cops found guns and marijuana. The grass belonged to his good friend, roommate and bodyguard. The guns belonged to Johnson, which put him in violation of his probation for a 2005 gun charge. It's important to note that, in addition to grass and guns, there were young kids in the home, because it was Tank's weekend to play Daddy.

The Bears told Johnson that they felt this situation was serious and he had to "clean up his act." Johnson said he would. Then he and his bodyguard went clubbing. Twelve hours later that bodyguard was dead, shot because someone bumped someone on the dance floor.

Now surely this was serious, right? But see, the Bears were in the Super Bowl for the first time in 20 years! And since he is special, the courts gave Tank Johnson special permission to leave Illinois to play in The Big Game.

Tank served 60 days in Cook County Jail this year. He promised that NOW he got it. NOW he knew that he had to clean up his act.

That's why the Bears were unhappy to learn that last Friday Tank had been stopped at 3:30 AM last Friday morning for speeding, and refusing a Breathalyzer test.

I hear murmurs that the Bears will be sorry they cut this guy because he'll be snapped up by another team. Well, God help that team.

In praise of 1940s New York City

I watched the movie Laura over the weekend. (Thanks to Malcolm for making it top of mind for me again.) It's a completely sumptuous black-and-white movie, a famous film noir. But while I have a weakness for murders and whodunnits, that's not why I love Laura.

Everything about it is so idealized, romantic and gorgeous. The crime that sets everything in motion is a hideous murder (I'm not giving anything away here). A woman answers the doorbell only to get a face full of buckshot. At close range. EWWW! Yet the murder takes place offscreen and even as the police investigate the crime scene, there's no blood. Anywhere. There's beautiful furniture and priceless antiques and a beautiful portrait of the title character. There's a bar for cocktails, but there's no blood spatter, no brain matter, no stray teeth stuck in the upholstery.

Because this isn't Martin Scorcese's New York. It's Manhattan in the 1940s, at it's most sophisticated. Women have names like Laura Hunt and Anne Treadwell and they wear hats and gloves. They only leave the island of Manhattan to go their weekend places, in the country or perhaps the Hamptons, or maybe to the Kentucky Derby, to mix with the horsey crowd. All the men wear ties, everywhere. (All the lovemaking, like the violence, takes place offscreen, but I wouldn't be surprised if the men wore ties with their pajamas … no, make that smoking jackets.)

Everyone is smart. Everyone is witty. Each bon mot is better than the last, no matter how many cocktails are sipped.

The women keep journals and diaries. The men write their women letters, even though they live only a short cab ride apart and will be seeing one another for dinner this coming Tuesday. It's not unusual for a lady to commission a portrait of herself (like this one of the main character) and then fall in love with the artist.

I hope I'm not making this movie sound trivial because it's not. It's storytelling of a very high order, with terrific performances from top to bottom. It is also an almost perfect example of filmmaking in the 1940s. It reflects who and what America wanted to be as we came out of The Great Depression and believed there was an end in sight to WWII.

I wonder what current movies will be remembered as classics 60 years from now, and what they'll say about us.

(For those who prefer books to movies, if you can lay hands on Laura by Vera Caspary, read it. It's a great read because it's written in three different voices -- each chapter is told by a different character.)

And they lived happily ever after

This past weekend I went to a friend's wedding reception. It was lovely and, like the Grinch, my small heart grew three sizes that day.

The bride is 51. The groom is 53. It's the first marriage for each, and I think that's because God was saving them for one another.

Of all my friends, she is by far the most successful. She has worked hard on her career and is very, very good at what she does. Unfortunately some age-appropriate men have found her power and salary intimidating.

Yesterday, as I watched the bride and her groom move from table to table at the reception, with him gazing at her as though he had found the Jewel of the Nile, I almost cried. He's not the kind of man she used to dream about -- he's no taller than she is, he's balding, he's quite happy as a middle manager -- but he is the man who has fulfilled all her dreams. Even more than the Cubs sweep of the Sox, her happiness gave me reason to celebrate.

I'm already rated R, so let's go for it

Today was my annual gyne exam. (Now you know the subject. If you keep reading, you have no right to be offended by anything that follows.) This is not the most entertaining, most comfortable day of my year. Yet today wasn't so bad.

The reason? I brought a book with me and I read in the waiting room. Are any of you familiar with Angels by Marion Keyes? The passage I happened to read was about Maggie and Troy's first ... um ... "date."

My subsequent exam went easier.

So, ladies, here's my advice: before you leave for the gynecologist, tuck a steamy book into your handbag.

Proceed with caution

Spotted this on Jenny's site and had to try it for myself. I guess I'm more of a potty mouth than she is.