Best Bush of 2005

Dubya

1. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." —George W. Bush, to FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned 10 days later amid criticism over his job performance, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005
2. "Wow! Brazil is big." —George W. Bush, after being shown a map of Brazil by Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brasilia, Brazil, Nov. 6, 2005
3. "I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome." —George W. Bush, defending Vice President Dick Cheney's pre-war assertion that the United States would be welcomed in Iraq as liberators, NBC Nightly News interview, Dec. 12, 2005
4. "It's in our country's interests to find those who would do harm to us and get them out of harm's way." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005
5. "We expect the states to show us whether or not we're achieving simple objectives — like literacy, literacy in math, the ability to read and write." —George W. Bush, on federal education requirements, Washington, D.C., April 28, 2005
6. "Those who enter the country illegally violate the law." —George W. Bush, Tucson, Ariz., Nov. 28, 2005
7. "I think it's important to bring somebody from outside the system, the judicial system, somebody that hasn't been on the bench and, therefore, there's not a lot of opinions for people to look at." —George W. Bush, on the nomination of Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court, Washington, D.C., October 4, 2005
8. The questionnaire that she filled out is an important questionnaire. And, obviously, they will address the questions that the senators have in the questionnaire as a result of the answers to the questions in the questionnaire.
   -- In fine form on Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers, Washington, D.C., Oct. 20, 2005
9. "You work three jobs? … Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." —George W. Bush, to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005
10. "Because the — all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those — changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be — or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled. Look, there's a series of things that cause the — like, for example, benefits are calculated based upon the increase of wages, as opposed to the increase of prices. Some have suggested that we calculate — the benefits will rise based upon inflation, as opposed to wage increases. There is a reform that would help solve the red if that were put into effect. In other words, how fast benefits grow, how fast the promised benefits grow, if those — if that growth is affected, it will help on the red." —George W. Bush, explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005

Good Stuff!! Honorable mention to Barbara Bush for the following jewel: When asked about Hurricane Katrina survivors transferred to the Astrodome in Houston, TX. "What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary is they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, this is - this is working very well for them." ---Barbara Bush, Sep. 5, 2005 / NPR.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Best Reality Shows of 2005

1. Project Runway...You're in...you may leave the runway.
2. Amazing Race (but no more "family" style please)
3. Big Brother
4. Filthy Rich Cattle Drive (this one by far wins on overall entertainment value, but you feel kinda icky after watching it...lowering it's overall quality score. But thank the lord it brought me Fabian Basabe to make fun of. Where has he been all my life?)
5. Survivor
6. Making the Band 3
7. Real World/Road Rules Challenge
8. Project Greenlight (I can't wait to see Feast!)
9. America's Next Top Model
10. Battle of the Network Reality Stars

Honorable Mentions to Extreme Makeover Home Edition and Tommy Lee Goes to College. hee hee.... that darn Tommy Lee! That show rocked!

Best Shows of 2005

1. 24
2. Lost
3. Grey's Anatomy
4. Battlestar Galactica
5. Rome
6. South Park
7. Arrested Development
8. The OC
9. Six Feet Under
10. Ghost Whisperer

This was really hard for me to narrow down to 10. I watch way too much TV. Anyway, I didn't include Days of Our Lives, because for me that's a given.

Best Film of 2005

1. Star Wars Revenge of the Sith
2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
3. Batman Begins
4. The Lords of Dogtown
5. Walk the Line
6. Corpse Bride
7. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
8. King Kong
9. Crash
10. Fever Pitch

Best Album of 2005

1. Bullet in a Bilbe: Green Day (American Idiot came out in '04 or that would be my #1, it's the album I listen to the most, but this album is a live version of that concert so it'll do.)
2. Have a Nice Day: Bon Jovi
3. With Teeth: NIN
4. Playing the Angel: Depeche Mode
5. Guero: Beck
6. Monkey Business: Black Eyed Peas
7. Demon Days: Gorillaz
8. Jagged Little Pill-Acoustic: Alanis Morissette
9. You Could Have it so Much Better: Franz Ferdinand
10. Il Divo: Il Divo

2006 - Bring It

Happy New Year!

Another year comes to an end. Sweet. 2005 sucked ass. However, in the spirit of all the year end countdowns I will be doing my own best/worst of '05 lists. Keep in mind that there are a lot of movies I haven't seen yet/ cd's I haven't bought yet...etc. Stay tuned for that. This year we decided to go for a low key New Years. The past few years we've tried to go various places and it always gets fucked up. So, this year a bunch of people are coming to Jake's house and we're going to drink, play games, etc. Good times. : ) Hope you all have a great New Year... Be safe.

This is such a strange time of year for me. On one hand it's such a fun and special time of year where you really do feel closer to the people you love; and then on the other this is the time of year when I miss RD most. On January 9th it will be 8 years since I lost him. It feels like a hundred...and there are still so many years left to go. I still have yet remember all the great things without all the pain of having lost it. Time does not heal all wounds.

It Can't Rain All the Time

We walked the narrow path,
beneath the smoking skies.
Sometimes you can barely tell the difference
between darkness and light.
Do you have faith in what we believe?
The truest test is when we cannot,
when we cannot see.

I hear pounding feet in the,
in the streets below, and the,
and the women crying and the,
and the children know that there,
that there's something wrong,
and it's hard to believe that love will prevail.

Oh it won't rain all the time.
The sky won't fall forever.
And though the night seems long,
your tears won't fall forever.

Oh, when I'm lonely,
I lie awake at night and I wish you were here.
I miss you.
Can you tell me is there something more to believe in?
Or is this all there is?

In the pounding feet, in the,
In the streets below, and the,
And the window breaks and,
And a woman falls, there's,
There's something wrong, it's,
It's so hard to believe that love will prevail.

Oh it won't rain all the time.
The sky won't fall forever.
And though the night seems long,
your tears won't fall, your tears won't fall, your tears won't fall
forever.

Last night I had a dream.
You came into my room,
you took me into your arms.
Whispering and kissing me,
and telling me to still believe.
But then the emptiness of a burning sea against which we see
our darkest of sadness.

Until I felt safe and warm.
I fell asleep in your arms.
When I awoke I cried again for you were gone.
Oh, can you hear me?

It won't rain all the time.
The sky won't fall forever.
And though the night seems long,
your tears won't fall forever.
It won't rain all the time
The sky won't fall forever.
And though the night seems long,
your tears won't fall, your tears won't fall, your tears won't fall
forever.

Jane Siberry
The Crow Soundtrack

Xmas Post Game Show

I had a great Christmas... hope you all did as well. : ) I got tickets to see Beauty and the Beast; the Musical, Sephora lip gloss, the cutest slippers ever, and all sorts of other great stuff. My friend Michele who lives in Rhode Island has been out here for the holiday and it was so great getting to spend time with her again... she's M'nameM'bloodM'tearsM'houseM'carM'friendM'chele... mm hmm. She is. : )

Glad to report that after much drama with my present for Jake (YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO SHOP FOR YOURSELF RIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS! GOSH!), the footy pajamas I got him made it here on time and fit pretty well. woo hoo! Seriously though, he got a stern talking to. Him and I are going to be swapping gifts we got 2 of....sort of an After-Xmas-Flee Market. I'm getting his extra copy of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (a'la Depp) and he'll be getting my extra copy of Green Day: Bullet in a Bible. See how everything works out in the end. Now it's on to the New Year!

The Flood 2: The Reckoning

It has been defeated! After a lot of work, the post-flood clean up is done! : ) The insurance guy and the contractor came out yesterday to look at the damage. The contractor said he is going to recommend that all the dry wall and the the entire ceiling be redone. Possibly the fireplace as well, but he won't know about that until he uncovers it. So, now we wait for the contractor to work up his bid present it to the insurance company and then they can get started on the building. We're going to have to completely move out while they do it, but they'll pay for either a hotel room or an apartment for the entire time we're out. Sweet. Living in a hotel room... that's so Beverly Hills 90210!! And I'm spent on cleaning. whew.

Get on your hog and ride.

So, one good thing about The Flood is I've been cleaning out a lot of stuff and finding things I haven't seen in awhile. Here is a picture of me and my friend Shelby with Jesse James. This was at the Hot Topic manager's meeting in LA. Jesse showed up to the final night's Nightmare Before Christmas party. That's why I'm dressed as Zero.

Let's just zoom in on "us". Look how flushed I was...hee hee. I was drunk and he is SO HOT in person. So, all us girls were a little giddy. Aaaahh... sweet sweet Jesse.

I can't remember how I managed to bring up Jon Bon Jovi in my brief conversation with Jesse James, but somehow I did (I think I said something about Jon's son named Jesse James), and Jesse called Jon, my sweet baby, an ASSHOLE! WTF?! He went on to say that when he was on the road a lot promoting his bikes he would end up staying in the same hotel as the band. He said that one of the names Jon used to check in at hotels under was Jesse James, so he'd be asleep in his room and would get calls all night long from screaming girls thinking he was Jon Bon Jovi. He was sweet about it though, and due to the combination of the alcohol and Jesse's aformentioned hotness I totally didn't even care that he called my husband an ASSHOLE! I was just all giggly the whole time. hee hee... what a dork I am. Anyway, Jesse was totally cool and stayed at the party all night signing autographs, taking pictures, drinking, hanging out. He came to the party to reward the Hot Topic that had sold the most WCC merchandise that year. So, the manager from the store that won comes on stage and gets her award from him and then he asks her how many people work at her store. She says "10", and he says "Well, hopefully this will be enough for you to share with everyone for their hard work." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out $10,000 in cash and gives it to her as a bonus!!! Lucky! Whatever...I didn't want 10 grand anyway. It was a kick ass party, Social Distortion played our fucking manager's meeting that night! Crazy. It was sweet.

Just one more thing. Now, I ain't one to gossip so you didn't hear this from me, but this party was before the days of Jesse James dating Sandra Bullock. He stayed at the hotel that night, and he did not go to bed alone. There are two (yes, that's right, TWO) female store managers out there who had a happy ending that night. Way to promote better sales! : )

The Flood

Well, you're just not going to believe it.

On Thursday night, in the vacant apartment above mine, a water pipe froze, burst and flooded my apartment. (well, technically 6 apartments got water because of it) Isn't that hot?! I walked in my front door and it was literally raining throughout my entire apartment. The fire department sent out a special water unit who had to break into the upstairs unit in order to shut the water off. Thankfully, no major possessions were damaged, but there is going to have to be major structural work done. So, the insurance people should be out sometime this week to take a look at everything. ::sigh:: It made for a sweet weekend of clean up too. I had grabbed every piece of clothing, bedding, etc. to put all over the floors in the house, so literally everything I own has to be washed, but I think most of the clothes will be wearable. Some of them are gone forever. I may have had a Doc Marten casualty. I'm currently working on drying a pair out and reshaping them to see if I can save them, but I think the leather is going to be all stained and ooogey. All the water that came down was piss yellow and smelled just about as nice. Today is the first time I've been able to get online, because the phone wires in the walls had to dry out first, and there are only 3 rooms with working lights and power. Sweet!! Would you like some icing on that cake? The lady that own the unit upstairs says she doesn't have insurance. aaaaaahhhhh.... that tastes good. Although, we have insurance so either way we'll get it fixed, but of course they're being assholes about it. I heart neighbors! So, anyway, just thought I'd take a moment to fill you all in on my drama. I should go though. I've still got a lot of clean up to do.

lame.

Gobbles!

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. At least, those of you who celebrate it. For those of you who don't.... hope you had a good day. For the Native Americans... sorry about that. Can we talk about the fact that they had a native american float in the fucking Macy's Thanksgiving Parade?!?!! WTF!!!?? I'm just saying, that's pretty fucked up. Anywhoooo.... everyone lived through the killer M&Ms...and so now bring on Christmas.

Found an interesting article on THC spray....

Jon Voight (sp?) is dating Diana Ross. WTF???!!!?!?!?

I've seen a crapload of movies lately. Here are some reviews for you. Today we'll be using a scale of 1-5 presents; in honor of the season. : )

Walk the Line: eeeee
Lordz of Dogstown: eeee
Aeon Flux: eee
A Lot Like Love: eeee
Crash: eeeee
The Wedding Date: ee
Reefer Maddness: eee
The Fog: e
Fever Pitch: eeee

And I'm spent.

I know baby...You dig it the most!

Hooray for I-100!!

Much to my surprise and delight Initiative 100 passed this past election day here in the city of Denver. This makes it legal for persons over the age of 21 to have up to an ounce of pot on them. However, this is overridden by state law, meaning it's still illegal. That's ok though, for now. I'm so proud of our voters! This is a step in the right direction. : )

It means No.

This is a pretty funny article. Aarg! They were disinclined to acquiesce to their request.

Doby

Introducing Jake's new kitty, Ickly Doby Dobkins the Pooh. a.k.a. Doby. Nershy!

So, we all went and got our Revenge of the Sith DVDs last night, then I came home and watched it. I seriously love the Star Wars movies so much. Some of them more than others of course, but I loved all of them.

In other news I got my Bon Jovi tickets. It was a pretty high drama ordeal, but in the end I got seats on the floor so I'm happy. Also, I got my first NBC village piece! woo hoo... I got Jack's house, and it's dreamy. Today was voting day, so I did my job and went and voted. No lines, in and out, it was pretty cool. I voted yes on making marijuana legal, but I don't think there is anyway it'll happen. Hopefully I'm wrong...we'll see.

Sweet Sith Goodness

Happy Halloween!!

Yeah! It's the best day ever!! I Y Halloween!! Although, not really doing anything this year. After Jake gets out of class we may get together with Justin, Cristal, and Chris and then we're all going to Media Play for the midnight release of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I AM SO EXCITED!! Now, finally I will be able to begin the process of watching all 6 movies in order. That is going to be tits!

Derha

The new Depeche Mode cd is out!!! I LOVE IT! It was so worth the wait. More than anything I've missed David and Martin's voices. The dvd that comes with the cd has a behind the scenes during the recording thing. I can't believe how much older David looks. He's still so beautiful it makes me cry though. Everytime I look at him or listen to them I'm always reminded of the two men I've loved. The first one looks like David to me and he was who got me to listen to Depeche Mode in the first place. And the second...he's who all the songs are about for me now.
For the second.

The Darkest Star

Oh you sad one
Playing the angel isn't so easy where you're from

Oh you wild one
Devil's companion-you won't stay satisfied for long

I don't want you to change anything you do
I don't want you to be someone else for me

Oh you dark one
Eternal outsider-caught in the spider's web you've spun

Oh you blind one
Gentle and kind one-seeing the world as a loaded gun

I don't want you to change anything you do
I don't want you to be someone else for me

Stay as you are
The darkest star-shining for me-majestically

I don't want you to change antything you do
I don't want you to be someone else for me

Depeche Mode

You got to know when to hold 'em...

It's been awhile... moo, moo moo. Jake and I went to an in-home poker tournament and I won...Thank you very much. Woo Hoo! $$$$ good times. : ) In other news, we also went to see NIN last week and of course... It was incredible! Justin and Cristal went also, but they were right in front of the stage. The next concert I'll be going to is Depeche Mode...Sometime soon. : )

K...Entertainment news... Elijah Wood is going to star as Iggy Pop in a movie about his life. ?! Huh. Hard to picture Frodo as Iggy Pop...But ok...I'll give a chance. Madonna has a new album coming out on Nov. 15th. Confessions on a Dance Floor ...Yeah! : ) ...And the Star Wars score was named the Greatest Film Score Ever by AFI.

Last but not least, it was decided that breathing like Darth Vader would be preferable over talking like Yoda. Next up...The Supreme Court. I'm not even going to get started on the recent nomination bullshit...Not today. I'll be ready for that tomorrow. Until then I thought, if we're in an "anything goes" kind of mindset about the Supreme Court then the sky is the limit.

Also...I'm giving you all a reading recommendation. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown. Good stuff. : ) K...Now I'm off to watch Days. Marlena asked John for a divorce but only because she's being controlled by her "doctor", and Mimi and Shawn are gonna get it on, and Kate is trying to send Sami to prison....And ...ooooooohhhhh! IT'S GOOD SHIT! GOTTA GO...

Today....and here's an article about the snow we had just yesterday. hee hee...that darn Colorado.

I am the Pumpkin King!

I'm going to see Depeche Mode! Jake and I got our tickets the other day, and I could just tinkle I'm so excited! Frankly, I wasn't sure I was ever going to see them again, and now I am, yeah! :) In other news, Lost is finally back, and if you don't watch it I have no use for you. It's so good... And so far the season is off to a great start. OMG! They found "The Others"....Wow! I can't wait for next week. If you're a fan you must go to this website. It's really cool, which translates to a big commitment for those of us without high-speed, but it's an awesome site.

Jake and I went to see Corpse Bride, and I really liked it. Jake, not so much. Whatever. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of songs in it. I didn't realize that this one was going to be musical in nature like Nightmare Before Christmas. It had more in common with NBC than I expected it too, and given how much I love NBC, that's a good thing. However, don't get me wrong, I still love NBC way more than this movie. It was good, but not even close to the majesty, (mmhmm...Majesty) of NBC. Speaking of NBC, the season is upon us when all sorts of new merchandise becomes available, so I get to start buying new collectibles! Yeah! So, I found the next NBC investment that I'll be making. It's like a Christmas village, except it's a Halloween village, shown here. It will be mine. Come to Butthead.

Yay! I'm an American!

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 7 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

I am so ashamed that I missed 3! Nice job Sunshine....way to represent. Anyway, the polls have been closed on the President poll. So, if we could have another President, who would you pick? We have a tie between A Giant Douche, A Turd Sandwich and, my personal choice, David Palmer. Woo Hoo... It's funny that no REAL person won...or sad I guess. : ) So, this time the poll is a Would You Rather. Short and sweet. Would you rather talk like Yoda for the rest of your life, or breath like Darth Vader for the rest of your life? I vote for Yoda, although my mother has told me before that I breathe like Vader....whatever!

So, I have wanted to post the transcript from Real Time with Bill Maher from a couple of weeks ago. I'm a little behind...moo, moo moo. This is from the end segment of the show, New Rules.

Real Time with Bill Maher...New Rules air Sep 9, 2005

And finally, New Rule: America must recall the president. [applause] [cheers] That's – that's what this country needs. A good, old-fashioned, California-style recall election! [applause] [cheers] Complete with Gary Coleman, porno actresses and action film stars. [laughter] And just like Schwarzenegger's predecessor here in California, George Bush is now so unpopular, he must defend his job against…Russell Crowe. [laughter] Because at this point, I want a leader who will throw a phone at somebody. [laughter] [applause] In fact, let's have only phone throwers. Naomi Campbell can be the vice-president! [laughter]
Now, I kid, but seriously, Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you anymore. [laughter] There's no more money to spend. You used up all of that. [laughter] You can't start another war because you also used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people. [laughter] [applause]
Yeah, listen to your mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit card's maxed out, and no one is speaking to you: mission accomplished! [laughter] Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. [laughter] [applause] Like you did with your military service. And the oil company. And the baseball team. It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How about cowboy or spaceman?! [laughter] [applause]
Now, I know what you're saying. You're saying that there's so many other things that you, as president, could involve yourself in…Please don't. [laughter] I know, I know, there's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela, and eliminating the sales tax on yachts. [laughter] Turning the space program over to the church. [laughter] [applause] And Social Security to Fannie Mae. [laughter] Giving embryos the vote. [laughter] [applause] But, sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. [laughter] You've performed so poorly I'm surprised you haven't given yourself a medal. [laughter] You're a catastrophe that walks like a man. [laughter]
Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire metropolis to rising water and snakes. [laughter]
On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two Trade Centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans…Maybe you're just not lucky! [laughter] [applause] [cheers]
I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side. [laughter] So, yes, God does speak to you, and what he's saying is, "Take a hint." [laughter]

Amen!

Happy Bon Jovi Day!

Bon Jovi's new cd, Have A Nice Day, came out today!! Oh sweet Bon Jovi goodness of my soul. Last night I went to see Green Day in concert again, so the timing of this album is perfect. I'll be able to walk away from American Idiot for awhile. In other music news, Depeche Mode is coming out with another album (finally!!!) and they'll be touring again for the first time in 4 years!!! I can't wait! Their new album is called Playing The Angel, and I CAN'T WAIT for it!!! Good thing I have new Bon Jovi love to get me through . : ) My sweet baby was even nice enough to mention me in his Thank You section. Yeah...sure..."technically" he thanked "Ken Sunshine" but that's just a typo. It should read "Ken, Sunshine." ; ) Below is the song he wrote for me...isn't he sweet?

I Am

How you spend your minutes are what matters
All tomorrows come from yesterdays
When you're feeling broken, bruised and sometimes shattered
Blow out the candles on the cake like everything's a big mistake
It seems you always wait for life to happen
And your last buck can't buy a lucky break
If all we've got is us then life's worth living
And if you're in, you know I'm in
I'm ready and I'm willing

I am
When you thnk that no one needs you, sees you or believes you
No one's there to understand
I am
I'll be there to be that someone
When you think that no one is there to hold your hand
I am

We're just who we are, there's no pretending
It takes a while to learn to live in your own skin
Say a prayer that we might find our happy ending
And if you're in you know I'm in
I'm ready and I'm willing
I ain't got no halo hanging over my head
I ain't gonna judge you, I'm just here to love you
I am
I am

I am
When you think that no one needs you, sees you or belives you
No one's there to understand
I am
I'll be there to be that someone
When you think that no one is there to hold your hand
I am

-Bon Jovi

Batman-Out! Douche-In!

So, the first Nooks and Crannys quiz was closed and what we've learned is that apparently none of you care about Batman. And that's ....ok. I'm not taking it personal...That was just my first try. With a total of 2 votes.... your favorite Batman is....the one found in the comic books! Woo Hoo... Personally I choose Michael Keaton...but you know, whatever. So, the new poll question is below, and given my extra dose of anger at our "President" this week, I started thinking about someone else as President. So, be sure to check out the poll below and make your choice. Or give me your own suggestions on who you think should be president.

Note: I did not put Nader as a possible choice in the President poll, because even here it would just be a wasted vote. : (

...Deep in the Heart of Texas!

Barbara Bush, interviewed on Sep. 5, 2005 on NPR, said the following in reference to the Hurricane Katrina victims transfered to the Astrodome in Houston.

"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary is they all want to stay in Texas. Everybody is so overwhelmed by the hospitality. And so many of the people in the arena here, you know, were underprivileged anyway, this is - this is working very well for them." ....mmmm....heartwarming...

9/11

I've had MAJOR issues trying to get this to post...So I'm a little late.

I'll never forget the morning of 9/11 and the image I first saw on t.v. My mother had woke me up and told me "Come on...you have to get up. Two planes crashed into the World Trade Center." I was still sleepy, so I didn't get what she was going on about. So, I come into the living room and turn to the tv. And there was the second plane as it crashed into the tower. Horror, confusion, anger, sorrow, RAGE, fear...so many feelings that day. For most of us, the only way to "be there" was to watch it all on tv. That was the hardest thing to watch, but I couldn't look away. It must be a movie? It looks like a movie! This isn't really happening...on and on all that would run through my mind. Imaging what the families most effected went through that day still breaks my heart.

I remember when I was a little girl, I heard my mom talk about how they used to have air raid drills in school. I thought that was the strangest thing I had ever heard of. I just couldn't imagine having to do something so silly, and I felt so bad for how scared that must have made her as a child and I couldn't understand a world where that was necessary. Now, in a post-9/11 world, I understand that world. That day changed everything. That gets said a lot I know, but I think that we are still learning, even 4 years later, all the ways that it changed our country.

I've often said that there is beauty in everything, you just have to look for it. I believe that, and in the aftermath the world was able to see how great our citizens pulled together. That was the beauty. That day united this country in a way that we haven't been united in a long time. Remember that? I know you do, it was so strong that no one could forget the national family we became. The United States of America became a team! And our team had spirit. As the years have passed so has some of the team spirit we had before. However, Hurricane Katrina came as a follow up message to us. We're NOT done team USA! We have a lot of work to do at home still. Our main priority is OUR country, then with extra time we should be looking for those responsible for 9/11 and bringing them to justice.

My heart goes out to my fellow Americans. We share this tragedy together and together we must ensure it was not in vein. We will NEVER forget.

Timeline

• Friday, Aug. 26: Gov. Kathleen Blanco declares a state of emergency in Louisiana and requests troop assistance.
  
• Saturday, Aug. 27: Gov. Blanco asks for federal state of emergency. A federal emergency is declared giving federal officials the authority to get involved.
  
• Sunday, Aug. 28: Mayor Ray Nagin orders mandatory evacuation of New Orleans. President Bush warned of Levee failure by National Hurricane Center. National Weather Service predicts area will be "uninhabitable" after Hurricane arrives. First reports of water toppling over the levee appear in local paper.
  
• Monday, Aug. 29: Levee breaches and New Orleans begins to fill with water, Bush travels to Arizona and California to discuss Medicare. FEMA chief finally responds to federal emergency, dispatching employees but giving them two days to arrive on site.
  
• Tuesday, Aug. 30: Mass looting reported, security shortage cited in New Orleans. Pentagon says that local authorities have adequate National Guard units to handle hurricane needs despite governor's earlier request. Bush returns to Crawford for final day of vacation. TV coverage is around-the-clock Hurricane news.
  
• Wednesday, Aug. 31: Tens of thousands trapped in New Orleans including at Convention Center and Superdome in "medieval" conditions. President Bush finally returns to Washington to establish a task force to coordinate federal response. Local authorities run out of food and water supplies.
  
• Thursday, Sept. 1: New Orleans descends into anarchy. New Orleans Mayor issues a "Desperate SOS" to federal government. Bush claims nobody predicted the breach of the levees despite multiple warnings and his earlier briefing.
• Friday, Sept. 2: Karl Rove begins Bush administration campaign to blame state and local officials—despite their repeated requests for help. Bush stages a photo-op—diverting Coast Guard helicopters and crew to act as backdrop for cameras. Levee repair work orchestrated for president's visit and White House press corps.
  
• Saturday, Sept. 3: Bush blames state and local officials. Senior administration official (possibly Rove) caught in a lie claiming Gov. Blanco had not declared a state of emergency or asked for help.
  
• Monday, Sept. 5: New Orleans officials begin to collect their dead.
  

(Adapted from: Katrina Timeline, http://thinkprogress.org/katrina-timeline/ )

From the DCCC

• 
  The President now says he is going to head the investigation into what went wrong. President Bush need only to look in the mirror and ask himself why he appointed someone unqualified to lead the agency responsible for protecting Americans against disasters like this.
  
• Michael Brown was given the job of FEMA Director, with virtually no prior experience, apparently because he was the college roommate of one of President Bush's chief 2000 campaign strategists, who became his first FEMA Director. Brown was previously a legal counsel for the International Arabian Horse Association, where he was reportedly fired for incompetence.
  
• Brown joined Chertoff in claiming that nobody could have expected the damage, though we now know that both of them were briefed as much as 32 hours before the hurricane hit that the levees were likely to be breached.
  
• With thousands having spent days in the Convention Center in New Orleans with no food, water, or transportation available, Brown admitted to not even knowing about the people there until late in the week.
  
• And finally, to top it all off, he blamed the victims for not leaving -- even after it was revealed that many of them were simply too poor to find a means to evacuate.

Time is of the essence, lives are on the line.

It does not matter whether Mr. Brown's replacement is a Democrat, Republican, or Independent -- this is a matter of competence at a time when it is most needed, not partisanship. We need qualified leadership.

Tell the President: We Need New Leadership at FEMA.

A sincere thank you, and I promise that we are working as hard as we possibly can to help those in need. You will hear much more from us on how we can help them in Congress soon.

Nancy Pelosi

House Democratic Leader

Finally help arrives for the vicitms of Hurricane Katrina.

Just seeing what has happened on t.v. and watching what these people have gone through has been so horrible. I can't imagine what it must be like for them. My heart goes out to everyone.
MSNBC has a lot of info on what is happening, and some very touching photos. If you want to help you can get info from the American Red Cross.

Shotgun Anus!

So Jake and Justin are in Chicago and they sent me a photo of the White Castle they ate at. Sad to say....the experience was not good apparently. Jake sent a text message with the picture ("cartoon" style...just for fun.) that read.... "Mmm. Meat paste." That doesn't sound good. Too bad. Jake and I have been craving White Castle since Harold and Kumar, so what a let down this must have been. hee hee.


So, Justin added a guestmap to his site, and I thought it was a pretty cool idea. So, I added one too (thanks justin). I also decided to add a poll. The first question was just something I was thinking about earlier today. Anyway, I'll change out the questions and I think it's going to be good times. mm hmm. I do.

Welcome Home Bag of Weed!

Check out this article about the upcoming marijuana initiative in Denver. Let me just say that to me, this is long overdue. I don't think that it will pass, but I really wish it would. The reasons for keeping marijuana illegal have nothing to do with protecting our health, the youth, keeping the streets safe etc. It's about what is considered morally ok by the religious right. Why is alcohol legal? It is one of the biggest killers in the world. But Jesus drank wine so it's all good right? Yeah, well all I'm saying is that I bet Jesus was down with the herbal love too. Was he 'talking to God' or was he just stoned out of his mind? I'm just saying! You don't need to keep people safe from stoners...Give me a break. IF you get someone who is high to get off the couch and leave the house (and that is a BIG if) they aren't going to get violent like someone who is drunk will. Fighting is way too heavy when you're stoned... The last thing you want to ruin your high is drama. I've talked before about the wonderful trip to Amsterdam that my friends and I took last summer, but we really did learn so much from our time there. Yes, we went there because we smoke, and to smokers Amsterdam is kinda like the Motherland. Obviously that is one of the things that city is known for, but what struck me when I was there is how much of a non-issue it was. Even for us, after we got over the initial shock of being able to go somewhere and smoke in public, we got over it. We didn't spend the whole trip going from one shop to another... Far from it. The point I'm trying to make is that you can look at a city where marijuana is a part of their culture and see how it has effected the city. Amsterdam is not about marijuana. Not once did we see anyone fight or even use a loud tone of voice. We did not see swarms of homeless people who's lives were ruined by getting to smoke pot all they want. We did not see anarchy in the streets. One of the things we have to get over, as Americans, is thinking that we always know best. In Amsterdam all are welcome and accepted. They put the responsibility where it should be... With the individual. Everyone there was so nice and easy going, and as long as your not causing problems THEY MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS! It was so refreshing. I believe that Americans can handle taking care of themselves, and that includes deciding if you would rather have a joint than a martini! Tax it and regulate it just like we do with alcohol, that's fine. We just need to get to the point where we acknowledge that marijuana is NOT the same as Heroin, and that it is less bad than alcohol which is everywhere you go and ruins lives every single day. So, if we don't care if people drink themselves into a grave, or smoke enough to get lung cancer, then why do we care if someone smokes a bowl? It is the same thing. Freedom of choice belongs to the individual. Besides, without pot, The People's Republic of Boulder (seriously, Boulder is like it's own country. Boulder is to Colorado what Quebec is to Canada.) would not be the crazy, tree-hugging, environmental-police-having, party, granola-lovin' place that it is today. That is a fact. So, vote Pro-Boulder! (eww...that was hard to even type...Boulder makes me gag a little.)
Also, think about the restaurant industry boom that would happen if weed was legal! Seriously, The Wet Spot would never have closed down if weed had been legal. (Colorado specific joke...sorry about that. The wet spot is a nickname for this crazy and kinda nasty diner that used to be open in downtown denver.) K...I gotta go now, I wanna smoke after all this talking about it. : ) L.Y.L.A.S.!

My sweet baby in one his Versace adds. mmmmmm..... I love Versace.  

What's the difference between an apple?

When I got online tonight I started up the media player, put it on shuffle, and I've heard so many songs I haven't heard in a long time. I love that music can remind you of the past. You hear a song and you can remember a particular time in your life, or a particular person. Some memories are like watching it on tv. Like it's someone else's memory that I'm seeing. Then there are some memories that are so strong. You can close your eyes and remember what the moment felt, smelled and sounded like. I love that. Here are a couple of my favorites.

The Day the World Went Away

I listen to the words he'd say
But in his voice I heard decay
The plastic face forced to portray
All the insides left cold and gray
There is a place that still remains
It eats the fear, it eats the pain
The sweetest price he'll have to pay
The day the whole world went away

Nine Inch Nails


Kayleigh

Do you remember chalk hearts melting on a playground wall
Do you remember dawn escapes from moon washed college halls
Do you remember the cherry blossom in the market square
Do you remember I thought it was confetti in our hair
By the way didn’t I break your heart?
Please excuse me, I never meant to break your heart
So sorry, I never meant to break your heart
But you broke mine

Kayleigh is it too late to say I’m sorry?
And kayleigh could we get it together again?
I just can’t go on pretending that it came to a natural end
Kayleigh, oh I never thought I’d miss you
And kayleigh I thought that we’d always be friends
We said our love would last forever
So how did it come to this bitter end?

Do you remember barefoot on the lawn with shooting stars
Do you remember loving on the floor in belsize park
Do you remember dancing in stilettoes in the snow
Do you remember you never understood I had to go
By the way, didn’t I break your heart?
Please excuse me, I never meant to break your heart
So sorry, I never meant to break your heart
But you broke mine

Kayleigh I just wanna say I’m sorry
But kayleigh I’m too scared to pick up the phone
To hear you’ve found another lover to patch up our broken home
Kayleigh I’m still trying to write that love song
Kayleigh it’s more important to me now you’re gone
Maybe it will prove that we were right
Or ever prove that I was wrong

Marillion


...and by the way, what is the difference between an apple? A bike with two tires and a vest with no sleeves.

"I didn't come here to learn how to be simple." Filthy Rich Cattle Drive

Wow, it's been a busy week. So, first of all you'll notice the new blog name and address. Turns out, someone in my family (90% sure) found my blog! AAGH! Needless to say there was lots in here that I would prefer my family not see (insert my friend Jake saying "I told you so" here.) So in the first "Oh my God!" out-of-body moment I first deleted all the bad posts. Then, once blood was once again reaching my head, I thought I would move it instead and change the name. So, did that. check. So, now that we're here I just have to be more careful. I'll still talk about what I want, I just can't use any names that can be Googled (stupid!!). So, welcome to my nooks and crannys. Is that even how you spell 'cranny'?

So I've made a new reality show discovery! Filthy Rich Cattle Drive is one of the funniest shows ever! Watching a group of socialite cry babies put their arm in a cow's ass....priceless. LOVE IT!! Lou Ferrigno's daughter hates Robert Blake's son and they fight all the time! There's a guy named Fabian.... and he's all upset about the thread count of the sheets at the campsite! HA!! GOOD SHIT! I'M TELLING YOU!! I've also been enjoying Kill Reality. That's a fun show too. It' s like Project Greenlight meets The Real World. It's got all sorts of reality "stars". Fuck...I watch to much reality t.v. ... Damn you reality t.v. ....I love you so!!

EW update: Luke Skywalker's lightsaber auctioned for $200k, and Darth Vader's only went for $118k. (for the record, I would much rather have Darth Vader's); singer Marc Cohn ("Walking in Memphis") who was shot in the head here in Denver during an attempted carjacking was released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, wow that's amazing that he's ok. ; and there are two Harry Potter fans who created a band called Harry and the Potters in Mass. They have already played several dates with their Harry Potter book related songs such as "Save Ginny Weasley" and "The Wrath of Hermione". hmm...interesting.

And finally I just want to make a few quick points on the whole Cindy Sheehan thing.

• As an American she has every right to do what she is doing, agree with it or not.
• It is not disloyal to the troops to say that you don't understand why they are being asked to give up their lives.
• THE PRESIDENT IS SUPPOSED TO WORK FOR US!!! I think while he's on ANOTHER vacation (for 5 weeks!!) he can spare an hour!

That's all I have to say about that right now.

That's all for now dear readers. XOXOXO

Knock Knock...It's Solo calling.

It's time to check my Entertainment Weeklys to see what's up....let's see: For just $2.49 per call Elmo will call your child that "Going to the dentist is fun!" ; Ryan Seacrest is coming out with his own line of t-shirts'; ....give me a break; There is going to be a 3-D smurf movie! Sweet!! just don't include the stupid baby smurf...he ruined the show; Frankie Muniz (Malcolm in the Middle) is engaged....TO BE MARRIED...wow... ; Sandra Bullock and Jesse James finally got married. I met Jesse James once and let me just say...he's FUCKING HOT BUSINESS!! So, congrats to Sandra...enjoy! ; a judge dismissed the $20 million libel suit againtst Michael Moore. The suit was brought on by James Nichols, brother of Terry Nichols, who claimed that Bowling for Columbine inaccurately connected James Nichols to the 1995 bombing. However, the statements made in the documentary were found to be "factual and substantially true" ; and get this, Harrison Ford rode around with UPS in Jackson, WY. to personally deliver Star Wars Trilogy DVD sets to people, to celebrate Amazon's 10th birthday! Can you fucking imagine!? Opening up your door to find Han Solo there to bring you your box set! That would be so tits!

K...I'm done with celebrity news now, nothing can top Solo front door service. So I leave you to talk amongst yourselves. Here, I'll give you a topic:

Would you rather...

Have your breath smell like a bad fart

or

Have your laugh sound like a fart?

I, personally, would choose to have my laugh sound like a fart, because farts are funny so it would just make everyone laugh more. I don't want fart breath! Ewww! What do you choose?

I Found the Golden Ticket!!

So, other than my Grandpa, this was a big week! 1st: Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince finally came out!!! Woo Hoo!! I went at midnight to stand in line for it so that I could take it with me to Utah, although I didn't really have time to read until we got back. Didn't matter really though, I finished it all yesterday! I won't say anything because not all of my friends are done yet, but I will say that it was INCREDIBLE!! I don't want the series to end ever! I can't wait until the last one though, there is still a lot of ground to cover after this last one.

2nd: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory came out. It was also INCREDIBLE!! I thought it was so great, and you can tell they didn't set out to remake the first one. They're different enough that each one can stand on it's own. The first one will always be my favorite, but this one was everything I wanted it to be. I love Johnny Depp!

3rd: I'm going back to school to finish getting my teaching degree. I'll start school in August. I'm really excited, but at the same time it's been so long since I've had to do homework and study that it's a little intimidating. Jake is going to school again too though, so we're going to try and get our schedules to coordinate so that we can carpool together. Besides, we can help keep each other motivated to actually go to class. So, more details to come on that later. It's time to say goodbye for today, I've got so much in my TIVO to clear out from being gone. I've got some serious tv watching to do.

S.W.A.K.....Me

P.S. Hi Amber, how you doin'?

So, here's me in South park....I had a lot of fun with this. hee hee.  

If I was a Lesbo

This list is much easier than my real list of 5. So, here we go.

# 1. Angelina Jolie. This is pretty universal. Just about every girl and every guy I know out there would "hug" her. She's hot business!!

# 2. Salma Hayek. Wow!

# 3. Heather Graham. Does she make you horny baby, yeah!

# 4. Demi Moore. I mean seriously Demi? Ashton?! Really?! I mean....come on!

# 5. Catherine Zeta-Jones. Michael Douglas must LOVE his life.

My List of 5

So, here is my List of 5 as of the moment. If you don't know what the list of 5 is then you never watched Friends and need to get with the program. Also, as I am "married" to JBJ already, I don't have to put him on the list, it's a given. But isn't this just the yummiest picture of him EVER!!

#1 Vince Vaughn: He's so money!!!

#2 Orlando Bloom: yummy...yes please!

#3 Matthew McConaughey: all the evidence you need is in A Time To Kill. no shirt, wearing jeans with no shoes or socks and all sweaty....wow!

#4 Johnny Depp: He just keeps getting better and better

#5 Antonio Banderas : no wonder Melanie is always hanging all over him...

Vin Diesel and Keanu Reeves are alternates...they just missed the cut, this time. Stay tuned for the "If I was a lesbian list of 5". : )

Who's on your list?

Honestly....Harry!

Here are some pictures I found of some of the cast members of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire... I'm so excited!

mad eye moody