Because there's really no limit to ego gratification when you've got a spot to spout with your name on it.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Headline: Hard Drive Crashes and I'm Oh So Blue

Yes, I am still here. It's funny what you get used to. I have gotten so accustomed to having easy access to internet, e-mail, blog site, graphics programs, image files. You would think that I was smart enough to back up all my important files, wouldn't you? Hubby kept telling me to do so, but never showed me how. So I never did. I've found a lot of stuff again, but some is lost forever. I had painstakingly compiled loads of images, interesting recipes, my own writing, and poof! One day everything was fine, and in the next moment, everything was gone.

I am fortunate that hubby knows how to fix sick laptops and figured out what was wrong with it. So help is on the way in the mail for lost setup programs. Lappy will probably live again soon. In the meantime, I am relying on hubby's computer in our very cold basement and our niece's computer, which is riddled with annoying pop-ups which she actually likes, so it's a real pain in the ass to use. Still, at least there ARE other computers in the house, so I should be grateful. Can't remember all the cool websites I found by accident whilst looking for something else, can't remember all the byzantine mnemonics I used to remember all my passwords, can't remember where I got all the neat images I found on Google, which were also usually found by accident. Sigh.

I solemnly swear that if Lappy lives again to perform its magic for the immediate future till it crashes again, I will regularly back up my files. For now, I'm trying very hard not to cry for my poor lost Lappy. Sniff.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Graham Norton- hooray for gay

I love BBCAmerica. Like most cable TV stations, 90% of it is crap, maybe even more, depending on your point of view. But when they're on, they're spot on. Graham Norton is one of the funniest people on telly. Thank you, beeb! How many American cable TV channels would support a character like this? Not a one.

I was jumping up and down for joy when I saw that there was a new season of his show. At least new for us on this side of the Pond. It was shown there in 2007. Still...

From reading his website and not being altogether stupid and credulous, I have deduced that much of the show is pre-planned where it seems spontaneous (uh, that's why they call it "ACTING"), but I am prepared to suspend my disbelief to play along. You never know, or at least I never know, what actor or singer or comedian is going to go splat and hit that wall of utter silence known as dead air. However they contrive it, the show is f@#$ing funny. Sometimes I don't even know who the hell the guests are, but it doesn't even matter. Graham and his minions can make something out of nothing, where necessary, and I don't care how they do it. It's interesting to see what goes into making the show seem so spontaneous though.

So far, my favorite episode ever has to be Alice Cooper and Sandi Toksvig, or something similarly Viking-esque. I don't give a rats ass about Alice & never heard of Sandy before, but she's as funny as Graham, and Alice was, surprisingly for me, entertaining in a way that I find absent in his musical performances, despite some level of talent and a lot of theatrics. Stop spitting blood and screaming to song lyrics Al, and talk about golf some more!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Abbie Hoffman

So what's with the sudden resurgence in interest in Abbie Hoffman? It's not just here in the U.S., but all over the world. I thought he was kind of important in the history of the U.S. in the 1960's. I did my own "Steal This Book" tour of Europe (sorry, Europe, but I was broke and wanted to see you before it all turned into one big Americaland- I like seeing the different things that make each place unique. It turned out to be my only opportunity to go and be there a while). Didn't ANYONE else do this or was I the only one? Not that I'm complaining.

What's happening now that makes Abbie Hoffman so much more interesting all of a sudden? Leave me a comment about what you think! Inquiring minds want to know.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

419 Redux (See "Where's Mine" entry)

So here's a new variation on an old theme. See if you can spot what clued me in that it was less than aboveboard. I have pasted it right in here so you can read it in its entirety.You just can't make up this kind of thing. Oh, wait a minute, they have made a feeble attempt to do just that! Shame, shame! I've included the actual internet header for your amusement.

Received: from de007005-ve.idaq.com ([217.168.144.198])
by vms172055.mailsrvcs.net
(Sun Java System Messaging Server 6.2-6.01 (built Apr 3 2006))
with ESMTP id <0ju900091omocvi0@vms172055.mailsrvcs.net> for
xxxxxx.xxx; Mon, 07 Jan 2008 03:20:51 -0600 (CST)
Received: (qmail 9625 invoked from network); Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:55:36 +0000
Received: from localhost (127.0.0.1) by localhost with SMTP; Sat,
05 Jan 2008 17:55:36 +0000
Received: from ACC915D9.ipt.aol.com (ACC915D9.ipt.aol.com [172.201.21.217])
by webmail.meninet.co.uk (Horde MIME library) with HTTP; Sat,
05 Jan 2008 17:55:30 +0000
Date: Sat, 05 Jan 2008 17:55:30 +0000
From: "Scottish Textiles.LTD."
Subject: Work As A Representaive In Our Team This 2008. Dont Miss Out!!
X-Originating-IP: [217.168.144.198]
To: info@scottishtextiles.com
Reply-to: textilesltd.scottish@yahoo.es
Message-id: <20080105175530.ip6i2o3z4g8ggk4g@webmail.meninet.co.uk>
MIME-version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; DelSp=Yes; format=flowed
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable
Content-disposition: inline
User-Agent: Internet Messaging Program (IMP) H3 (4.1.1)

Scottish Textiles Company.
Dear Candidate,
We have a job offer available for you in response to your Initial request in the Job search directory.We are a very small International trading company with our corporate headquarters based in Scotland.We deal on raw materials and finished personal care products including live long products.

Due to our competent records we have been recieving orders from NORTHERN AMERICA,AUSTRALIA,and EUROPE which we have not been able to process competently since we do not have a payment recieving personel in these Areas as it is difficult to have payments sent from foreign countries processed within a short time.We have decided to recruit payment officers online hence we will be needing a representative to process our payments in these areas - due to delays in processing payments from these areas.

REMEMBER: THE MORE PAYMENTS YOU PROCESS- AT A FASTER THE RATE THEHIGHER YOU STAND TO EARN DAILY.
For Example
you've got 3000.00USD. ! You take your income: 300.00 USD Which is the 10% pay rate. Send to us: 2700.00 USD. First month you will have 15-20 transactions on 3000.00-4000.00 USD or more. So you may calculate your income.
For example 18 transactions on 3500.00 USD gives you 4410.00 USD.


What we ask:Two free hours daily not including weekends, Internet access for sending and receiving e-mails,available means of cashing payments at your bank using your existing bank account.

IMPORTANT:
You must be over 21 years of age.U.S,UK,CANADIAN OR AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP.If you meet these conditions please reply us by contacting the payment officer to receive a Representative Contract agreement do give us your personal informations as stated below,

1.Full Names
2.Full Contact Address
3.Phone/fax Numbers
4.Age
5.Occupation
6.Company Name

Send Your Details To;
Mr. Malanga Amos.
Payment Officer,Scottish Textiles.
Email;textilesltd.scottish@yahoo.es

Mr. Manlanga Amos, Will send you more details and the companies contact telephone numbers as soon as you contact him,Do get back with the above informations for quick delivery of payments

Wellcome to our Team!!!
Mrs Mary Allan.
Public Realations Officer
Scottish Textiles Company.

lambie of the week


Well, it's not Friday,but I'm home sick. Have the attention span of a gnat right now- haven't even looked at my computer in several days. Finally checked e-mail and found the best picture, sent to me by my good friend Freddy from Retail Hell Underground. He knows how much I love lambies and found this one for me. Cool! So I'm posting it before I forget. This will be one of the few times in my life when I'm ahead of myself. I was even born two weeks late! I can't help but think that I did that deliberately, though, because it was my mom's birthday.

The image was here.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

To Dave Barry and Freddy from Retail Hell Underground with love

For some inexplicable reason, I was Googling around and found Dave Barry's (un)official website/blog and was overjoyed. I remember reading his columns in my local newspaper's Sunday supplement and laughing so hard that tears were running down my face and I was even more incoherent than usual, and that's going some. Dave Barry was one of my humor gods.

I took a writing class once and my teacher told me that my humor reminded her of Dave Barry's. What better compliment is there?

So I went to Dave's site to see what was going on. Not a whole lot, but it was amusing anyway. There's not much going on in my life either, but sometimes no news is good news, so I'm just going to look at it like that. Who am I to judge Dave Barry's life anyway?

The thought suddenly occurred to me as I was writing this that most, if not all, of my humor gods are, well, gods. Not many humor goddesses that I can think of. Sure, maybe Rita Rudner, Phyllis Diller. Whoopi Goldberg certainly. But when I think of humor writers, not many women come to mind. Why is that? Are there actually less women who are that funny? Or do they have more difficulty in finding a publisher/editor/audience? I don't know the answer. Do you?

Dave's FAQ had a question and answer that was one I've asked: can Dave Barry help me get published/find an editor/critique my work/tout my product or column or pimp my ride? Well, definitely not the last thing. And as for the rest, the site recommends The Writer's Digest to find publisher and editor information for sending submissions.

You know what I'm going to do for my New Year's resolution? I don't usually bother with anything so useless and hypocritical (does ANYONE ever follow them up?), but this year is gonna be different. I'm going to get a hold of a Writer's Digest and submit something. What have I got to lose?

And do you know who got me charged up enough to get off my arse and do something? My friend Freddy at Retail Hell Underground, who has a suggestion on their website to do just that and take a positive step towards something you really like to do. I went to check this fabulous site, which has inspired me many times when retail was ripping me a new one during the holiday season, and what did I see? Bless me if Freddy hasn't put me at the top of their Friends and Faves List. Wow! Thank you so much, Freddy! Seems like every time I'm ready to throw in the towel, there's my friend Freddy, encouraging me and all the other retail whores, not to give up. I'm sending you a big hug, Freddy.