Room with a view

This is the view from me and Timmy's hotel room. I can guarantee this photo doesn't do it justice.

Whataburger

Apparently they're hiring breakfasts at Whataburger.

Billy Ray Cyrus

and surprise guest Miley :) Very pleasantly surprised about how incredible this concert was...

My real traveling partner :)

What about Uggs? Crocs?

I hear ya bucko

Boot Scoot

We are in Nashville drinking beer and Jim Beam at a great bar, staying overnight in downtown Nashville. We're also spontaneously buying dirt cheap tickets to the Billy Ray Cyrus concert at this bar tonight. Rumor is Miley might show up too, but we don't give a crap about her. Nashville rocks my world.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

In Tennessee

So far so good. The weather is foggy and overcast but we're hoping it will get better by the time we get to Nashville. Fingers crossed!

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Snowball

Someone brought this in, like, an hour ago. It's still here. So are we.

Choppers

Last night, I actually bit one of my brackets off. Bit it off. In my sleep. This is metal that was cemented into my mouth. If my bark is worse than my bite, we're all in trouble.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Paul Simon

I'm listening to Paul Simon's album Surprise -- (yes, I will always call them "albums.") I like it. I'm kind of in love with him. Well, I'm in love with his music, not him. He did not age well.

Tanning

I was just thinking about the guy at the tanning salon who looks at me like I have 5 heads. I tan once every week or two (sometimes just once a month) and they always ask me when I go in, "How long?" As in, how long do I want to lay in the tanning bed under the bulbs...

Now, I know I'm pale in the winter. That's why I go tanning. I always press my luck with the guy and say, "15 minutes?" And he always looks back at me and smirks as if to say, "Not on your life." So he makes me go in for 12 minutes and I'm burnt to a crisp when I come out. I'm looking forward to doing this tomorrow.

Thing that keeps me up at night...

On the side of the Mac and Cheese box, Kraft lists the calories under two headings:

"In box" and "Prepared."

Are people really eating this stuff unprepared?

Raise your hand if you're eating Kraft Mac and Cheese as just noodles and powdered cheese, uncooked.

I didn't think so.

Food

Okay, here's the food I've eaten since the braces went on:

Cottage cheese
Pudding
Eggs
Banana
Mac and Cheese

So sick of mushy food and it has only been ONE day.

The first thing I will eat when these bad boys come off will be a bacon cheeseburger and crunchy french fries. Then I will chew a whole sack of Big League Chew and eat popcorn like it's my job.

Safe Place

Just heard a doctor say this on TV:

"Do you know when most people decide to cry? When they feel safe."

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

The tree

that makes us so happy it's not even normal.

I will also add that I found this tree on the street with a note on it that said "Please take me to a good home." So, free Christmas tree! :) Kara and I watched A Charlie Brown Christmas last night and grinned at the tree like it was a miracle from Santa.

Pretty Deep

This is pretty deep for first thing in the morning, but I'm pretty sure you guys can handle it:

"Whenever we feel lost, or insane, or afraid, all we have to do is ask for His help. The help might not come in the form we expected, or even thought we desired, but it will come, and we will recognize it by how we feel. In spite of everything, we will feel at peace."

—Excerpted from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

Dog in the Snow

Dad found this one. It's a keeper. Watch all the way to the end. Very cute!

http://www.dogwork.com/dogsnow/

Electricity

As I was walking to the train station just now, I overheard the tail end of a conversation between two really young girls. They were talking about the gold Christmas lights that are up in the trees on the street that I live on. One girl says to the other, "I know, I just don't understand how they get the electricity all the way up there!"

I don't get it either. Nonetheless, just like a lot of the things I don't understand, they're beautiful.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Favorite Christmas Song?

This is hard for me. I have 317 Christmas songs on my iTunes, and that doesn't even include all my CDs. I'm going to have to go with Silver Bells by The Supremes. I could go obvious and say White Christmas by Bing Crosby, but where's the fun in that?

PS - White Christmas by Bing Crosby.

Playing For Change

Travis's dad sent this out yesterday in an email forward. Pretty cool. Makes me remember that all over the world... people will always feel compelled to sing and, in the process, lift one another up.

Holiday Inn

I'm sitting here watching the old movie Holiday Inn and thinking that they really don't make movies like they used to... and I wish they would.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Ah Christmas...

The time of year when diners get excited about everything.

Favorite Thanksgiving quotes

On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence. ~William Jennings Bryan

Thanksgiving is possible only for those who take time to remember; no one can give thanks who has a short memory. ~Author Unknown

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Nothing holds a candle

to this...

Why We Suck

Denis Leary = Comedic Genius. And as an added bonus, he seems to be a great family man and keen observer of life's funniest moments. I dog-eared a lot of the pages in this book (which is the highest compliment a reader can give to an author.)

I loved what he said in the first chapter especially. Read below:

"... there are endless things you can buy in America - but a sense of humor isn't one of them.

We got pills and potions for your head, face, fears, tits, ass, anxieties, colon, kidneys, alcohol addiction, drug jones, heart, lungs, lips and attitude - but we don't have anything that can make you laugh at yourself."

Denis Leary, thank you for reminding me that you can learn a lot of things... but a sense of humor isn't one of them. Mom and dad, thank you for blessing me with a sense of humor that has gotten me through some ridiculously unfunny situations. I have learned that everything is funny if you look at it crookedly enough. And really, is there any other way to look at some of the crap that has happened to me?!

Now go out and buy this book. It's fantastic and irreverent and laugh-out-loud funny.

Nerds and the people who write about them

I've been spending a lot of time in libraries lately, and spending time in libraries always reminds me that a lot of people who like to read books are nerds. Like crazy people nerds. Especially people who work at libraries (and I don't say this lightly because I used to work at a library.) I asked the guy behind the counter if they had the new Coldplay CD and he talked to me for 30 minutes (after he told me they didn't have the CD.) I have no idea what he said, but as I was walking down the stairs he shouted after me, "It's called Vida La Vida!!!!" Like, loud. In a library. What if I had asked him where something embarrassing was? -- "It's called The Vagina Monologues!!!!"

In any case, I got some Coltrane (because I've always wanted to say "I got some Coltrane", some Dylan, some Springsteen, Paul Simon, more Christmas stuff, Sam Cook, Robert Plant, etc. etc.

I love libraries. But the creeper nerds still creep me out. Mostly because I'm pretty sure I'm one of them.

Braces

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I am getting braces... again. Please hold your applause.

Dow is down. Get your Christmas Spirit up on the cheap

These sites are your best friends:

http://www.bradsdeals.com/
http://www.dealcatcher.com/
http://www.freeshipping.org/
http://www.retailmenot.com/

Listen to Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. They sound fantastic together and this song makes me happy. Don't buy it. Go to the library, take out the CD, bring it home, download it onto your iTunes, return the CD to the library.

Others to check out:
Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Leon Redbone - Christmas Island
A Christmas Together with John Denver and the Muppets (A MUST)
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas

~~ I once made Christmas mix CDs for all my friends. I wrote out the names of the songs and the artists in alternating green and red ink on the jacket and drew holly berries on the CD. It's a cute idea and it took a lot of time and love. People really like that crap. Everyone tells me that it's always the first CD they pull out when Christmas comes around again. Not to give anything away, but I'm working on a new mix :) FREE MUSIC. You're welcome.

The library has all the Christmas DVDs you could ever want. Go there and get them. Watch them and return them. Cost: $0

At night, walk down a street lined with trees that have gold lights tangled up in them. Instant Christmas spirit. Flurries = bonus.

HOT SOUP = $0. Oh wait, that's not true... Maybe $5.95

Rockefeller Christmas Tree sighting = $0

Don't spend a lot of money this year. My number one rule is don't spend money you don't have. This may actually be a great year to get back to basics. I can guarantee that your real friends will have no problem curling up with you on the couch with a bottle of wine to watch Rudolph instead of going out to a fancy restaurant. Some of my favorite and best Christmas memories involve years where I had little or no money. Funny how that works.

It really is the simple things that make this a special time of year. Snoopy. Charlie Brown. The Grinch (that bastard.) The first snowfall. I remember playing in the snow with my sister and my dog Lady. Lady loved the snow. My mom says it's because she was born in the snow in Maine. Apparently if you love snow, it means you were born in the snow. I guess I was born on the sun.

I can remember so many Christmas Eves in church all dressed up and singing, lighting candles and laughing with good people. Didn't cost a dime. Which is great, because with the way this market is going, I'll be lucky if I can find a dime in the couch cushions.

All kidding aside, light a candle, hang a wreath, make hot chocolate... and watch Elf. Smiling is his favorite. Mine too.

Just applied

I just applied for a job with the Obama-Biden Administration. No idea which one. I'm hoping for Secretary of State, but only if Hillary doesn't want to do it. I'm not going head to head with that one.

Sergio

These signs are all over Greenwich and I feel so bad! If you think you may have seen him, call the number. Poor Sergio!

If I'm on fire, please put me out

Keith Olbermann

If you watch Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, you will think this is funny. Otherwise, it won't make any sense. Choose wisely.



In other news, whether you watch him or not... this is poignant. Keith's Special Comment about Prop 8, marriage, racism below. Watch it and let me know what you think.

From The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

"... an effort must be abandoned once its hopelessness is exposed. Only the artist perseveres in such circumstances."

This is one of those 600 page books that I'm almost thinking I need to read twice. Has anyone else read it? I'm obsessed with Almondine.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Great question

Dave Chappelle: "If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear your God say when you arrive?"

James Lipton: "You're wrong Jim, I do exist. But you can come in anyway."

What a great answer.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Wow

Why did I not know that Obama's head speech writer is 26 years old?! Now I love Obama even more.

Wait, is that even possible?

Yes.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/20/fashion/20speechwriter.html?_r=1&ref=fashion&oref=slogin

Ex-White House butler witnesses black history

A truly amazing story:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-white-house-butlernov09,0,3998158.story?page=1

Flickr photos of Obama and his family backstage on Election Night

These are pretty cool :)

http://flickr.com/photos/barackobamadotcom/sets/72157608716313371/

Things only I would do:

1. Meet a celebrity and talk to his FBI Agent friend all night instead.
2. Make and drink a milkshake while watching a special about The Biggest Loser.

Things I did this weekend:

See above.

The email from Barack, before his speech

If it had said "Love and kisses from Barack" it would have been that much cooler...

Jennifer --

I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.

We just made history.

And I don't want you to forget how we did it.

You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.

I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.

We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.

But I want to be very clear about one thing...

All of this happened because of you.

Thank you,

Barack

Yeah, this never gets old.

Love it

The new and improved :) www.palinaspresident.com. Check it out.

"There's never been anything false about hope."

President-Elect Barack Obama

I've had all day to think about the enormity of what just happened and I want to explain what it looked like through my eyes last night. I was at a tiny bar in NYC called Cafe Amrita at 110th (Central Park North) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard. The bar was packed with Obama supporters and we were watching election results on the big screen like it was the Superbowl. And in a way, it was.

Everyone was eating and drinking and smiling and introducing themselves to each other. When CNN started calling individual states, the cheering started. Then the hugging and the dancing. And when CNN announced PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA... the crying began. I didn't expect to cry. I had to call my parents. The text messages flooded in. People came pouring into the bar from the street to watch the historic event. And finally we were quiet. And we listened. And we went inside ourselves and found hope we didn't know we had.

Every single person there stopped and stared at the television screen with tears in their eyes. Blacks, Whites, Latinos, Asians, older people, younger people, people with accents, people with money, people with not too much... we just listened. We listened as John McCain took the stage in Phoenix and graciously and respectfully conceded to Barack Obama. As he finished his speech, the crowd of Barack Obama supporters in that tiny bar rose and cheered John McCain.

Then Barack took the stage, and we watched. And we were quiet. And we listened. And we witnessed history. And we will never forget. Grant Park in Chicago looked like a rock concert. Times Square and Rockefeller Plaza were out of control. Harlem was a love-fest.

And now nothing will ever be the same again. Our children and grandchildren will grow up in a world where nothing is impossible.

My dad took my sister and I to see the troops come home from Desert Storm. I was young and I understood their sacrifice and I cried then. Now I am older, and I understand Barack's road to this victory, and I cried those same tears last night. I wish I could bottle those tears and show them to my children and my grandchildren someday.

For them, the stories and photos and newspapers will have to suffice. We are the lucky ones. We were a part of this change, and that is no small thing. In fact, it's bigger than any of us can imagine. If the enormity of this hasn't hit you yet, be still. Be quiet. Be proud. We were a part of this. Barack Obama has proven that anything... ANYTHING... can happen.

After Barack gave his speech, I'll never forget what my new friend Eli said about the people in the bar and the people pouring in from the street. He said, "Wow, people are talking to each other." And I looked around, and they were. Strangers were embracing, dancing, cheering, chatting. There was an energy in the air like electricity. Like an oxygen supply. I wanted to keep breathing it in.

There were a lot of tears today. I had to stop reading the newspaper on the train because the words started to blur.

This is truly momentous. Drink it in.

Yes we can, America... and we did.

My favorite piece I've read today...

politics
Fired Up and Ready to Go
Obama concludes his campaign on a high and wistful note.
By John Dickerson
Posted Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, at 12:39 AM ET
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Politicians often start their speeches addressing the big development of the day. When Barack Obama took the rain-soaked stage here, the new material at the beginning was the sad news that his grandmother had died. "She has gone home," he said, his voice halting. "It's hard, a little, to talk about."

Obama used a handkerchief to wipe away a few tears, a rare moment of spontaneity from a highly controlled candidate. He paid tribute to the woman who raised him in a two-bedroom apartment while his mother lived in Indonesia. She was one of the "quiet heroes," he said, moving her story into his stump speech. "Not famous names, not in the newspapers, and each day they work hard. They aren't seeking the limelight. In this crowd there are a lot of quiet heroes like that. The satisfaction they get is seeing that their children and grandchildren get a better life." It was to those quiet heroes, he said, that his campaign was dedicated.

Madelyn Dunham's grandson may be elected president Tuesday, which makes her death so poignant. A chapter in Barack Obama's life is closing in a definitive and complete way.

In Obama's last day of campaigning before the voters have their say, he traveled through Florida, North Carolina, and Virginia, facing the same large crowds that have met him at each stop along the way. "I have just one word for you," Obama said at the start of each of his rallies. "Tomorrow." His message was simple: "I've made the arguments. Now it's all about who wants it more."

After hundreds of arid hotel rooms, soggy sandwiches, and countless handshakes and smiles for the camera, Obama can now rest a bit—no matter what happens. No more making sure he thanks the right local officials before every speech and properly pronounces their names. No more unwrapping his hotel bathroom cup from the sanitary plastic. On Monday night, he went home to Chicago to sleep in his own bed. In the coming days, he'll stay there for the longest uninterrupted stretch in more than a year.

Obama's final day of campaigning began with 45 minutes at the gym and a phone call to African-American leaders. Joined by Oprah, according to Politico, Obama said he looked forward to watching his daughters play on the South Lawn of the White House.

Though it was his last day of campaigning, Obama did not let up on McCain. He did mix his remarks with occasional compliments, though. He congratulated McCain on "the tough race that he's fought" and reiterated that McCain was a genuine hero. When knocking him for misunderstanding the economy, Obama said: "It's not because he's a bad man. He doesn't understand what's happening in America."

On Election Day, Obama will vote and make a quick visit to neighboring Indiana. He'll also squeeze in a basketball game and visit with friends. His aides say he doesn't watch the election returns, because, as David Axelrod explained, making the universal hand signal for mindless talk, "He doesn't like all the chatter."

At the last rally of the campaign, in Manassas, Va., Obama faced a crowd of 90,000 spread up a hillside. Members of the audience said they had come to watch history. At the back of the crowd of mufflers and ski hats, school-bus-size letters spelled out "Vote for Change."

At the conclusion of his remarks, Obama, dressed in suit slacks and a black windbreaker, reprised a story that was once a staple of his stump speech but that he hasn't told for a while. He told of his encounter with Edith Childs, a city councilwoman from Greenwood, S.C., who had lifted his spirits at the start of his campaign when his rallies were small and no one gave him a chance. She inspired him with her chant of "Fired up and ready to go."

It's a story he's told hundreds of times but probably never so well. He lingered for effect, described the councilwoman's church hat with a broad theatrical sweep of his hand and somehow was able to convey a time when he was small and vulnerable to the crowd of 90,000 that came to see him. "That's how this thing started," he said. "It shows you what one voice can do. One voice can change a room, and if it can change a room, it can change a city, and if it can change a city, it can change a state, and if it can change a state then it can change a nation and if it can change a nation it can change a world."

As Obama told the story for the last time in this campaign, on the day his grandmother died, it was easy to imagine that, as he told it, he was thinking not only of Edith Childs but also of a woman he called "Toot."

John Dickerson is Slate's chief political correspondent and author of On Her Trail. He can be reached at slatepolitics@gmail.com.

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2203422/


Copyright 2008 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Co. LLC

Change You Can Believe In

Barack hasn't won yet, but his campaign alone has been a victory for change you can believe in. Only 52 years ago, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus. Soon, Barack Obama may sit in the most powerful seat in the United States of America.

Although I understood the significance of this day in the months leading up to the election, the gravity of the situation didn't hit me until today. In our parents' lifetimes, they have gone from seeing segregation in America to possibly seeing an African American take the Oath of Office. No matter what your politics, that's change you can believe in.

If you already believe Barack is the change we need, you'll shed a tear when you watch the following video. I did. I never thought I'd live to see this day, but I'm glad I have. I wish Obama's grandmother had lived to see this day, but as my mom told me last night, "She has the best seat in the house."

Madelyn Dunham, you raised an amazing grandson and helped to change history with your care and love for ONE MAN. That's love you can believe in.

Barack 08. VOTE TODAY. As far as elections go, there is no tomorrow.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nov4

Choose wisely

Connection
there came a moment in the middle of the song when he suddenly felt every heartbeat in the room & after that he never forgot he was part of something much bigger
- Brian Andreas

Remember that whether or not you decide to vote tomorrow, you're a part of something much bigger. Your voice counts. Make sure it's heard.

Courage

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" - Mary Anne R. Hershey
-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Voting advice from TIME

"Before going to the polls, check to make sure your registration is in proper order by contacting your local registrar or going to canivote.org. (There is still time to fix problems.)

If you still have questions about polling-place locations or ID requirements, or if you encounter any problems at the polls, call Election Protection (866-OUR-VOTE), the nation's largest coalition of poll watchers and lawyers. The nonpartisan call center will be staffed through Election Day."

- TIME magazine

How have I never seen this?!

Trick or Treat!

If anyone is looking for a gift for me, a 6'1 Barack Obama cut-out is just about as good as it gets. Found it at amazon.com. You're welcome.

Joe Biden Interview

I found this on Barack's site. So cute!

VOTE NO ON QUESTION 1

I have been following the political news very closely, and even I was taken aback yesterday when my dad told me about "Question 1" which will be on the ballot on November 4th. If you are voting for Barack Obama, please vote NO on Question 1 and click on the site below to find out why:

http://www.ctvoteno.org/

I am voting NO to preserve gay marriage in CT, and to preserve a woman's right to choose. In other words, a NO vote = keep gay marriage in CT and preserve a woman's right to choose.

I can't really tell you how to vote and I can't force your hand, but I can make you aware of Question 1 and of what it means. Knowledge is power.

Car chases

Here's what I don't understand about car chases. Why don't the cops just back off and let the helicopter track the guy? Once he runs out of gas or stops the car, deploy the troopers in that area. No? Can anyone enlighten me? Because right now in Florida they are endangering EVERYONE.

Also, where does this guy think he's going? I know where he is. If I know, the police definitely know.

UPDATE: Okay, okay, I get it. They can't just let the helicopter do it because once the guy jumps out of the car and hides among the palm trees in a residential area, no one can find him. Fine.

The Millionaire Mind

I just finished the book The Millionaire Mind. I started it years ago and kept putting it down to read newer, shinier books. Now that I'm finished with it, I'm ready to become a millionaire. I should have finished this book years ago. I'll see you all at the country club this weekend. My dog will be in my bag.

Raiding the closet

How did Tracy Morgan get Sarah Palin's jacket? I wonder if he can get me Piper's Louis Vuitton bag.

Happy Halloweentown

Senator McCain, quit farting around and get out of the Jack-O-Lantern's eyes. That is not what a stump speech is. Quit asking Palin for guidance. She's got her hands full being the Prime Minister of the United States Senate.

Halloweentown

This is the movie that's on the Disney channel right now. This is the least scary scene so far. Most of the rest of the movie looks like a Genesis video. In other words, Reagan mask scary. I'm never letting my kids watch TV.

MSN Money

Click around this site for tips on saving money, investing, retirement, etc. It's still one of the best resources I've found for great tips:

http://moneycentral.msn.com/personal-finance/

You're welcome.

Silk bag

I just read a magazine article that told me to store my tights in a silk bag instead of all tangled up in a drawer. Right, let me just go grab one of my many silk bags. I store them right here next to my unicorns and my leprechaun.

Recent finds

I collect quotations and little stories like a fiend. I have since middle school. I guess a lot of people do this. I just love words too much not to. Here are some recent finds:

"Hold on to what is good even if it is
a handful of earth.
Hold on to what you believe even if it is
a tree which stands by itself.
Hold on to what you must do even if it is
a long way from here...
Hold on to my hand even when
I have gone away from you."
~ Nancy Wood, from Many Winters

"What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what." ~ Oprah's creed

"If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough." ~ Meister Eckhart

"Trust your instincts. Intuition doesn't lie." ~Oprah

"Doubt means don't. Don't move. Don't answer. Don't rush forward." ~ Oprah

"When you don't know what to do, get still. The answer will come." ~ Oprah

Okay, there's a lot of Oprah there, but that woman is smart, so I would listen to her :)

Change Rocks

Here's an article from backstreets.com re: the Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel fundraiser for Obama in NYC. Best line in the story comes from Barack himself: "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen."

A NEW JERSEY AND LONG ISLAND STATE OF MIND

Benefit at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom brings together Bruce and Billy -- and Barack

At the "Change Rocks" benefit concert in support of Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel joined forces, the favorite sons of New Jersey and Long Island meeting in Manhattan to co-headline a show that also featured John Legend and India.Arie. Caroline Kennedy introduced the artists, and Bruce had a few more words before the performances began -- first of all, about the undercard: "Billy and I thought we could sing until we heard India and John rehearsing earlier. We're just pretending." As for the main event, Bruce described it as a historic meeting of New Jersey and Long Island, suggesting (as you might imagine from this old demi-rivalry) that it wasn't the smoothest of collaborations: "I like to rehearse, Billy doesn't." He went on to joke that the whole affair was somewhat Palin-esque: "A lot of last-minute cramming and confident presentation... faking it like you really know what you're doing, but you don’t. Hopefully no one will leave the room screaming like in rehearsals!"

Legend opened with his majestic solo piano take on U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)," and was soon joined by Bruce, Patti Scialfa, and India.Arie for his new song, "If You're Out There." After short sets from Legend and Arie, Bruce was back for a little acoustic set of his own, with solo readings of "The Promised Land" and "This Hard Land." In between he gave a version of his recent Vote for Change stump speech, saying that electing Obama was just the beginning to "taking back our country," and that it would take everyone "from Jersey, Long Island, and all points west" to rebuild this hard land. Joel followed with his band (which would be the backing band for the rest of the evening) for two of his own songs, "Miami 2017" and "Baby Grand."

The main event featured the Boss and the Piano Man together. Backed by Joel's band, along with Patti and E Street pianist Roy Bittan, Springsteen and Joel traded off songs from their deep catalogs, opening with "Tenth Avenue Freeze-out" and closing with "River of Dreams." On "Tenth," Bruce sang, "They made that change uptown and the Piano Man joined the band..." and "when Jersey and Long Island bust this city in half!" Joel dedicated "Movin' Out" to George Bush and Dick Cheney. On "Thunder Road," simultaneous piano action from Billy ("I like this one!") and Roy. This was truly a blended set -- not only trading off songs, but trading off verses as they sang on each other's songs. Bruce was surprised that Billy didn't know "Spirit in the Night" -- he called out chords throughout -- but was really into his own verse on "New York State of Mind," a highlight of the night. Legend and Arie joined in as well, singing on "Spirit," "The Rising," and "Glory Days."

In the encore, one more Bruce tune: "Born to Run," Bruce leaping onto Billy's piano -- with permission! -- and the pair sharing a hug, Billy giving Bruce a kiss on the cheek. "People Get Ready" spotlighted all of the evening's performers, who then brought Barack Obama to the stage. Some inspiring words from Obama himself, who also offered plenty of praise for the night's artists:

I want to thank John, India, all the wonderful musicians, and especially the two giants -- Bruce and Billy -- that I grew up listening to, and whose songs give a voice to ordinary folks that go to work each day wondering how they are going to pay all their bills and afford healthcare. They write inspiring songs about the problems of everyday heroes that have been ignored for far too long by those in Washington, and that is what this campaign has been all about. I thank them for bringing all of you here together tonight. We have a lot of work to do in the next 18 days. So call your neighbors and e-mail all your friends and keep this great spirit from this room going until election day. One voice can inspire and change the mood of a room, can inspire and change the mood of a city, can inspire and change the mood of a state, can inspire and change the mood of a country, and can inspire and change the mood of the world.

Obama also revelaed that, backstage as they were listening to the show, he told his wife: "The reason I'm running for president is because I can't be Bruce Springsteen." The night closed with "Signed, Sealed, Delivered," Legend taking lead, with Obama and his wife Michelle dancing and clapping along.

Steal Back Your Vote

Once their server calms down, go here:

http://www.stealbackyourvote.org/

I haven't actually seen it (because the server is overloaded since Rachel Maddow had Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on her show promoting it) but it's worth looking at in order to make this a truly democratic election. And by democratic I mean democracy, not necessarily the party affiliation. Fairness is key.

You know...

I agree with a lot of the things John McCain says. I also read his Wikipedia page out loud to my parents yesterday and my dad said, "What do you think of him now?" and I said, "I think that man deserves to be the damn President."

I have the utmost respect for John McCain and believe you'd be hard pressed to find a man who has served our country better. I think he made a very bad choice picking Sarah Palin as his running mate and that's why I can't vote for him. I am amazed at the things Palin has accomplished as a woman and as an American, but I do not believe she would be an adequate replacement for John McCain should something happen to him.

I am still amazed by John McCain and if Obama wins I hope he has the brains to tap McCain for an important post in his cabinet. Even more, I hope McCain will accept, because I don't believe he's done serving our country yet, nor will he ever be. His blood runs red, white and blue and it would be a travesty to lose his expertise and courage.

Losing Palin, we lose nothing. Losing McCain, we lose an American hero, and I don't care what your politics are... that's inexcusable.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Superstition Part Getting Ridiculous

Here's our new line-up. A sleeping elf holding a daisy, a pumpkin, a Santa dog, an angel and a green monster. When I told mom I didn't think it was working she said, "Maybe we need a different pumpkin."

Now she's running to go get the rabbit's foot because she's "just about had it."

Superstition Part 3

And now an angel has joined the fan base. Mom instructed me to "turn her on her side so you can see the wings." Desperate times call for desperate measures. Also, these are the times that try men's souls. Now she's talking about adding a stuffed pumpkin and an elf to the mix. It's starting to look like Yankee Stadium in here.

Superstition Part 2

Okay, we had to call in the big guns. Now this Santa dog has joined the green monster. Mom was concerned about whether or not the dog "could see the screen." I'm wondering about when these animals are going to start demanding beer and hot dogs. I think one of them might have a foam finger.

Superstition

My mom puts this in front of the TV and she swears this one item watching the game will mean a win for the Red Sox.

Wazzup!!!

This was actually a very cute moment from Wednesday's debate. Looks so funny in freeze frame! :)

One semester of Spanish

I had never seen this, and I was practically peeing my pants I was laughing so hard when I did see it the other day. Now you have to, too.

palinaspresident.com

Please visit this site every day! Hilarious!

palinaspresident.com

Crazy In Love

Not only is he EVERYTHING else, but he's also the President you most want to have with you at a dance club.

Among The Porcupines

I love memoirs. I can't get enough of them. I would write one myself if I didn't think it would hurt so many people. I just read Among The Porcupines by Carol Matthau. She was married to writer William Saroyan twice and then to Walter Matthau. I knew nothing about her until I read the book. Best friends with Gloria Vanderbilt and Truman Capote. Fascinating person. My favorite parts are below:

"He knew the truth and was looking for something better." ~ a line from William Saroyan's play Jim Dandy

This is Carol writing about leaving Bill Saroyan:

"I knew that when I finally left Bill, it was not because of anything he did to me. It was because I realized what I would have had to become to remain his wife and that created a head-on collision with all that I had always wanted for myself. I knew I would have to put the knife in him before he got it in me. I knew that I would have to be alert and armed with poison. I had to get there first.

But the thought of spending a marriage being ready with my dagger in order to defend against the dagger that was ready for me made me know how much I had to leave him, how quickly and suddenly.

I don't think marriages break up because of what you do to each other. They break up because of what you must become in order to stay in them."

The book is very "old New York" and old Hollywood and deals with a lot of the themes I like. No one should have to become anything less than everything they are to stay in a relationship with anyone. This includes friendship, work, love, everything.

Leo Buscaglia once said "Accept me for myself or not at all. Any other arrangement is cheating both of us." I would hate to cheat anyone out of knowing the real me :) so I won't.

Yes

This is exactly what a child wants out of one of these machines... Crazy dentures by BDwayne. Imagine your child begging you for crazy dentures? You're a crazy denture. Also, that handmade sign is truly remarkable.

Not to be confused with "Scotty Doesn't Know"

I believe this really sums up a lot of what I'm trying to say here...

This cat has a secret...

... and he only wants Ferg to know what it is. Although I did overhear him saying something about Obama being awesome. But that's no secret.

GAME OVER

This is a little something I like to call "The Table I Was Sitting At Last Night." Also known as: Our Economy.

I don't know what this is...

... but when I saw it on the train this morning I knew it belonged. right. here.

Connecticut Supreme Court legalizes gay marriage!

This is a good thing. I'm glad they did the right thing for everyone who really just wants to be able to love each other and have equal rights while doing so.

My friends and "that one"

McCain said "my friends" 22 times in Tuesday night's debate. He is not my friend on facebook, myspace, twitter, or in real life. I'm beginning to think it's just something he says to buy time when he's not sure how to begin his answers.

A lot of attention has been paid to the "that one" remark that McCain made toward Obama. I don't think it was racist, but I do think it was unnecessarily disrespectful to address a fellow Congressman that way. Also, it was creepy.

In other news, Sarah Palin is also not my friend.

Holy disturbing

Wed Oct 8, 10:03 PM ET

NEW YORK - In a sign of the times, the National Debt Clock in New York City has run out of digits to record the growing figure.

As a short-term fix, the digital dollar sign on the billboard-style clock near Times Square has been switched to a figure — the "1" in $10 trillion. It's marking the federal government's current debt at about $10.2 trillion.

The Durst Organization says it plans to update the sign next year by adding two digits. That will make it capable of tracking debt up to a quadrillion dollars.

The late Manhattan real estate developer Seymour Durst put the sign up in 1989 to call attention to what was then a $2.7 trillion debt.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/odd_national_debt_clock;_ylt=AvuG5JqrBLm9v4c0ui1lLBADW7oF

Love and Barack

This is why I love Teeny... Because she sends me this email:

"I know it's only Mon. but I'm addicted to you and want to hang this weekend. What are your plans?"

If only a man would say this! Teeny, will you marry me?

Vote for Barack.

xoxo

Match Critique

I just saw this intro on someone's match.com profile and I can't stop laughing. I feel bad doing this, but it just has to be done. My notes in blue:

LET ME START BY SAYING THAT THESE ARE VERY BAD PICTURES OF MYSELF (yes, that does seem like a great start - I especially love the ALL CAPS, very serial killer, ransom note-ish) MUCH BETTER IN PERSON... (clearly) I HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOR..I HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT EVERYTHING IN LIFE. (except about your pictures, apparently.)

...LOOKING FOR THAT SPECIAL CHEMISTRY...I LIKE NASCAR (of course you do) AND MOST OTHER AUTO RACING... I LIKE TO TRAVEL TO FLORIDA ALOT.(AT LEAST 4 OR 5 TIMES A YEAR) (thanks for clearing up "a lot")... EAT OUT(SUSHI, SEAFOOD ETC...) (I think sushi IS seafood.) I ALSO LIKE TO GO OUT EAST TO THE WINERIES FOR WINE TASTING AND TO GET AWAY FROM REALITY ...,,THANK YOU ... (Also, the wineries are where I take you to kill you. THANK YOU.)

Register to vote - Election is November 4th

"Democracy is…the conviction that there are extraordinary possibilities in ordinary people." ~ Harry Emerson Fosdick

Two words. Barack Obama.

http://www.rockthevote.com/

I hate banks

I ordered new checks from my bank last week and they arrived this week. I had to put the box that holds the checks together myself. I guess these really are tough times. Also, it cost me almost $25. To build my own check box.

The big debate

I'm very excited for tonight's debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden. If I had any friends in Connecticut who gave a crap about the debate, I would have a debate party. Instead, I will have a party in my pajamas with Chubby Hubby ice cream. I hope they ask Palin about abortion, the Supreme Court, Russia and gay marriage. She is an IDIOT.

http://palinbingo.com/

Also, our "roof dwellers" are back. For those of you who don't know about the roof dwellers, these are kids that somehow climb onto our roof and look into our bathroom skylight. Needless to say, I'm afraid to shower until it gets dark out. Not because I really care all that much if they see me, but because when I see THEM I freak out. I have no idea why they go up there, but apparently ours is not the only building they climb on. This is a huge problem in Greenwich. This is our crime in this town. Peeping Toms. Insane.

When you take your next shower, imagine the possibility of Peeping Toms watching you. I bet you suck in your stomach and contort a little differently than you would in a "windowless" bathroom. I hate trying to look like a supermodel in my shower. It's hard enough to come close hours AFTER my shower. Then I look like Gisele. Or was it a gazelle? I can't remember. Probably the first one.

It's official

I'm 30!

Illusions

"No one can escape from illusions unless he looks at them, for not looking is the way they are protected."
— from A Course in Miracles

Oh, hello freezing cold weather

I didn't miss you... at all.

One of the best vows I've ever heard

I take Michael in contradiction and in mayhem. In grief and delight. To cherish, dismay, and split burritos with. For good company and daily comfort. For the tornado of rage and for love. I take him. I do.

—Catherine Newman

Deep thoughts

I'm pretty sure the most important question we can all ask ourselves at such an important time in our nation's history is "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?" Coming in at a close second is probably "What can brown do for you?"

My new boyfriend

I like waking up to this face! Maybe I'll steal him?

Over 1,000 hits!

Just saw that the site meter is at over 1,000 hits! Thanks for reading my ramblings, guys :)

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Right... Just like Al Gore invented the Internet

Why wouldn't John McCain have invented the BlackBerry? This is as good as it gets.

http://www.blackberrycool.com/2008/09/mccain-aid-mccain-helped-create-the-blackberry/

Almost makes me want an iPhone.

Another thing I wish I invented!

The Sarah Palin baby name generator:

http://politsk.blogspot.com/2008/09/sarah_13.html

Mine is Rust Mustang Palin- nice.

Thomas Tileston Wells

Today it's been five years since my dear friend Ty passed away. I truly don't understand where the time goes. I was trying to think of something new to say today, but the words I spoke at his funeral still make the most sense to me as a tribute, so here they are.

My name is Jennifer and I was Ty's roommate for a year in Greenwich, CT while he was working in New York City. First of all, I would like to thank Ty's mom, Katie, for inviting me to tell this story today. When Katie called me a couple of nights ago and asked me to speak, I was honored. Almost immediately after I hung up the phone, I started to panic about what I would say. There are no words to adequately express the emotions we have all felt in the past two weeks. There is nothing I can say to make all of this disappear and go back to the way it was. I can only hope that sharing my favorite memories with all of you will help, in some small way, to ease the pain in our hearts.

I met Ty in July of 2002. From the moment I met him, I felt as if I had known him for ages. Talking to Ty was easy. He could walk into a room and pick anyone out of the crowd, strike up a conversation, and by the end of the night, Ty had made a new friend. Several of you are probably here because of a situation just like that. He forged connections with people all over the country. Those connections are not lost. They have brought all of us together today. They are our connections now. This is how Ty would have wanted it. After today, when all is said and done, he wants us to learn more about each other... to become genuinely interested in each other's lives, as he was genuinely interested in all of ours.

I had the privilege of spending this past Wednesday night with Shannon, Ty's girlfriend. We talked, laughed, cried, and reminisced for hours over two glasses of red wine. Several times during the night, both Shannon and myself commented that it was almost as if Ty was sitting right there with us. He is a presence that can be felt, even now. The most beautiful words Shannon spoke that night were, "Ty is teaching us so much." Truer words were never spoken. Since Ty's passing, I have seen changes in the way I have conducted my life, in the way Ty's other friends are making the important things their priorities. We are realizing that money and job titles and cars and expensive clothes are useless. What Ty had was priceless... a genuine love of life and of all the little things that make life so good. He was happy in an armchair playing XBox on a snowy December day. He was happy cooking dinner for his roommates any night of the week. He enjoyed being with good people and taking it all in. He loved watching the news in the morning and the Simpsons at night. He loved his music. Never once did I hear him complain that his life was lacking anything. He was content, happy and free no matter where he was or what he was doing.

Ty and I had a brother/sister kind of relationship. He was really the only brother I've ever had. A few days before Ty was to move to Hawaii, he stopped by my new apartment to say goodbye. We talked for hours, just like Shannon and I did the other night. After a few cold beers and lots of reminiscing, Ty stood up to leave. The last words he spoke to me were, "You've been good for me, girl." With Ty around, it was often easy to forget that I actually had a real name. For a year, I thought my name was "Girl." "You've been good for me, girl...." Looking back on those words now, I'm honored that Ty believed I brought something special into his life, whatever that may have been. Looking back now, I see how much he has taught me about life, about relationships, and about how the little things add up to the big things.

Ty loved his family. He loved his girlfriend. He loved his friends and his free time. He lived a short but full life, and his legacy is us. His personality and vibrancy are not lost forever. We have all been touched by Ty. We are all of us changed, for the better, for having known him. In Ty's words... "he's been good for us." Now, the best gift we can give Ty and his family... is to be good for each other.

I would like to read the following on behalf of one of Ty’s dearest friends. The words of this song, “Brokedown Palace” by the Grateful Dead, have brought comfort to many of Ty’s friends over the last couple of weeks…

"Broke-down Palace"
Words by Robert Hunter; music by Jerry Garcia
Fare you well my honey
Fare you well my only true one
All the birds that were singing
Have flown except you alone
Goin to leave this Broke-down Palace
On my hands and my knees I will roll roll roll
Make myself a bed by the waterside
In my time - in my time - I will roll roll roll
In a bed, in a bed
by the waterside I will lay my head
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul
River gonna take me
Sing me sweet and sleepy
Sing me sweet and sleepy
all the way back back home
It's a far gone lullaby
sung many years ago
Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come
since I first left home
Goin home, goin home
by the waterside I will rest my bones
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul
Goin to plant a weeping willow
On the banks green edge it will grow grow grow
Sing a lullaby beside the water
Lovers come and go - the river roll roll roll
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
to rock my soul

Ty, we love you and we miss you.

I had never seen this video

until today. This was the first Daily Show with Jon Stewart after 9/11/2001. I was moved to tears, especially since I was standing at Ground Zero just last night. And he's right about the new view...

What the?

Not even kidding. These are the kinds of mailings we get at our apartment. Do I need a senior discount AND a dog coat? I think not.

Site of the Week

This is a pretty cool site. I can't afford anything on it right now, but if I could, I would buy... everything.
http://www.kangaroomstorage.com/

Cynic

I forgot about this until just now. Before we went to Ground Zero and to dinner last night, Nicole and I were standing on a corner (of course) and a handsome man in a suit came over and interrupted us to tell us that we are "two of the most beautiful women I have ever seen." We thanked him and he kept walking. My first response? "Wow, that was nice. And he wasn't even asking us for money?"

The towers in blue

This one was taken right at Ground Zero.

Yes, I took these. No, they haven't been touched up. Used a setting on my camera that only picks up the color blue. Surroundings are black and white. It really was this beautiful. I believe Teeny called it "Gotham City."

Still the best piece I've ever read about 9/11...

I Just Called to Say I Love You
The sounds of 9/11, beyond the metallic roar.
by: Peggy Noonan

Friday, September 8, 2006 12:01 a.m.

Everyone remembers the pictures, but I think more and more about the sounds. I always ask people what they heard that day in New York. We've all seen the film and videotape, but the sound equipment of television crews didn't always catch what people have described as the deep metallic roar.

The other night on TV there was a documentary on the Ironworkers of New York's Local 40, whose members ran to the site when the towers fell. They pitched in on rescue, then stayed for eight months to deconstruct a skyscraper some of them had helped build 35 years before. An ironworker named Jim Gaffney said, "My partner kept telling me the buildings are coming down and I'm saying 'no way.' Then we heard that noise that I will never forget. It was like a creaking and then the next thing you felt the ground rumbling."

Rudy Giuliani said it was like an earthquake. The actor Jim Caviezel saw the second plane hit the towers on television and what he heard shook him: "A weird, guttural discordant sound," he called it, a sound exactly like lightning. He knew because earlier that year he'd been hit. My son, then a teenager in a high school across the river from the towers, heard the first plane go in at 8:45 a.m. It sounded, he said, like a heavy truck going hard over a big street grate.

I think too about the sounds that came from within the buildings and within the planes--the phone calls and messages left on answering machines, all the last things said to whoever was home and picked up the phone. They awe me, those messages.
Something terrible had happened. Life was reduced to its essentials. Time was short. People said what counted, what mattered. It has been noted that there is no record of anyone calling to say, "I never liked you," or, "You hurt my feelings." No one negotiated past grievances or said, "Vote for Smith." Amazingly --or not--there is no record of anyone damning the terrorists or saying "I hate them."

No one said anything unneeded, extraneous or small. Crisis is a great editor. When you read the transcripts that have been released over the years it's all so clear.

Flight 93 flight attendant Ceecee Lyles, 33 years old, in an answering-machine message to her husband: "Please tell my children that I love them very much. I'm sorry, baby. I wish I could see your face again."

Thirty-one-year-old Melissa Harrington, a California-based trade consultant at a meeting in the towers, called her father to say she loved him. Minutes later she left a message on the answering machine as her new husband slept in their San Francisco home. "Sean, it's me, she said. "I just wanted to let you know I love you."

Capt. Walter Hynes of the New York Fire Department's Ladder 13 dialed home that morning as his rig left the firehouse at 85th Street and Lexington Avenue. He was on his way downtown, he said in his message, and things were bad. "I don't know if we'll make it out. I want to tell you that I love you and I love the kids."

Firemen don't become firemen because they're pessimists. Imagine being a guy who feels in his gut he's going to his death, and he calls on the way to say goodbye and make things clear. His widow later told the Associated Press she'd played his message hundreds of times and made copies for their kids. "He was thinking about us in those final moments."

Elizabeth Rivas saw it that way too. When her husband left for the World Trade Center that morning, she went to a laundromat, where she heard the news. She couldn't reach him by cell and rushed home. He'd called at 9:02 and reached her daughter. The child reported, "He say, mommy, he say he love you no matter what happens, he loves you." He never called again. Mrs. Rivas later said, "He tried to call me. He called me."

There was the amazing acceptance. I spoke this week with a medical doctor who told me she'd seen many people die, and many "with grace and acceptance." The people on the planes didn't have time to accept, to reflect, to think through; and yet so many showed the kind of grace you see in a hospice.

Peter Hanson, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175 called his father. "I think they intend to go to Chicago or someplace and fly into a building," he said. "Don't worry, Dad--if it happens, it will be very fast." On the same flight, Brian Sweeney called his wife, got the answering machine, and told her they'd been hijacked. "Hopefully I'll talk to you again, but if not, have a good life. I know I'll see you again some day."

There was Tom Burnett's famous call from United Flight 93. "We're all going to die, but three of us are going to do something," he told his wife, Deena. "I love you, honey."

These were people saying, essentially, In spite of my imminent death, my thoughts are on you, and on love. I asked a psychiatrist the other day for his thoughts, and he said the people on the planes and in the towers were "accepting the inevitable" and taking care of "unfinished business." "At death's door people pass on a responsibility--'Tell Billy I never stopped loving him and forgave him long ago.' 'Take care of Mom.' 'Pray for me, Father. Pray for me, I haven't been very good.' " They address what needs doing.

This reminded me of that moment when Todd Beamer of United 93 wound up praying on the phone with a woman he'd never met before, a Verizon Airfone supervisor named Lisa Jefferson. She said later that his tone was calm. It seemed as if they were "old friends," she later wrote. They said the Lord's Prayer together. Then he said "Let's roll."

This is what I get from the last messages. People are often stronger than they know, bigger, more gallant than they'd guess. And this: We're all lucky to be here today and able to say what deserves saying, and if you say it a lot, it won't make it common and so unheard, but known and absorbed.

I think the sound of the last messages, of what was said, will live as long in human history, and contain within it as much of human history, as any old metallic roar.



Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal

Lipstick politics

If Sarah Palin happened to be a man, no one would care about the lipstick on a pig comment. People need to calm down. It's a common phrase in politics.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Searching for jobs

If anyone has any ideas, please let me know! Here's my resume *

* I'm awesome, creative, kind, lovable, cute, and to top it all off... very smart and extremely funny :)

My salary requirements: $200,000 and a hug a day.

Seriously, if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

In bed

Does anyone else sleep with a book in their bed? Am I weird? I mean, I know I'm weird, but is this one of the reasons why? For most of the summer I was ripping through books (one a day sometimes) and now I'm stuck on Tom Brokaw's BOOM. So, I've been sleeping with Tom Brokaw for quite awhile now. Seriously though, is it abnormal that I almost always have a book in bed with me, or do people do that?

The Last Lecture

Instead of a site of the week this week, I wanted to put this on here. If you haven't watched it yet, you must. It is long, but worth it.

At ease, gentlemen

Okay, seriously? What the hell is this all about?

Hey hey

Every time I'm at the beach I have an insatiable desire to act out the opening scene from The Monkees TV show. What does this say about me? More importantly, what does this say about us as a nation?

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Underage voters

I just heard a kid on the beach say "Obama." Well, it's pretty clear to me who the 4-and-under demographic is siding with.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

This is for Amy!

Best line of the night

Andrea Mitchell: "Well, you can say that at least this group of Republicans knows how to throw a party."

Keith Olbermann: "Or at least throw a balloon."

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Sarah Palin's shoes (part deux)

Because you're all nuts and you know you want to know, here are the shoes. And yes, the shoes are really called "Naughty Monkey Double Dares."

http://tinyurl.com/6afdzw

I stand by my original observation. They're cute shoes.

I just ordered this - will be standing at my mailbox until it arrives

from moveon.org...

Want a free Obama button? MoveOn's giving them away totally free--no strings attached. I just got mine, and wanted to share the opportunity with you.

Click this link to get a free Obama button:

http://tinyurl.com/5mnkwo

Wear it proudly :)

The song I can't get out of my head - YES WE CAN...

Flat pennies

For some reason, my dad is obsessed with these penny flattening machines. Needless to say, dad broke the machine and did not get a flattened penny.

Petty Theft

You know you're in trouble when your first thought upon entering a doctor's waiting room is, "Let's see... what magazines can we steal from here?"

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

I always wondered what would happen when this day came...

Don LaFontaine, voice of movie trailers, dies

http://tinyurl.com/5b4mrp

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

American Hats

I just wanted to check... has everyone taken off their Republican hats and put on your American hats? Because the Republicans are very concerned about this. If you ask me, the Republicans at the convention should take off their cowboy hats and call it a day.

-- Sent from my BlackBerry

Sarah Palin's shoes

This is how you know the media is sexist... They have all been showing photos of Sarah Palin's red, open-toe shoes that she wore when John McCain introduced her as his running mate. When was the last time you saw a photo of Obama's shoes, or George Bush's shoes, or Al Gore's shoes? I mean, they were cute shoes, but completely irrelevant as far as the election goes.
Sent from my BlackBerry

Site of the Week

http://www.fark.com/

HILARIOUS. And I'm not just saying that because they're paying me to say it, because they most certainly are not, but they can if they want to. I won't mind.

Michelle Obama / Hillary Clinton

It's been amazing watching both of these women in action. To see such intelligence and poise and enthusiasm on the convention stage has been something else. I can't wait to hear Bill speak tonight. I miss him :(

Animal Cruelty

If you run a dog fighting ring, I think you should automatically go to jail... for life. No questions asked. No second chances. Can you tell I'm watching Animal Cops Detroit?

David Blaine at it again

Is it wrong that all I can think of is "this will be hell on traffic?"

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b25521_david_blaine_gets_all_wired_up.html

The Good Stuff

Was in East Haven again last night with Kara and her family. This time my parents came and everyone had a great time. Lots of food (as always), great people, plenty of beverages, lots of kids, pets, sun, stories, songs. All the good stuff. Sometimes life hands you the opposite of lemons. And you have to make... um... whatever the opposite of lemonade is. I think it's beer.

Amazing

Pepperoni Hot Pockets Recalled

Nestle Prepared Foods is recalling certain Hot Pockets Pepperoni Pizza stuffed sandwiches because some may contain pieces of plastic.

That's all you really need to know...

Brian Andreas

If you've never heard of Brian Andreas, you're missing out...

www.storypeople.com

Bad Argument
I don't believe in love, he said & I nodded & said I'd heard that argument before & it always ends badly & he couldn't think of another thing to say.
~ Brian Andreas

I forgot to tell everyone

The other day I heard a meteorologist call hurricanes "swirly." I think I've finally found a job I could possibly do.

This is why I hate people

Kara and I were out to dinner last night, seated next to a table of crazy older women. The women asked every single member of the waitstaff if there was flour in the lobster bisque (after they had ordered them and had them delivered to their table.) The waitstaff wasn't sure, so they said they would check with the chef, which they did. When their waiter came back to let them know the verdict, one woman loudly berated him for not knowing every ingredient of every dish they served. Very high and mighty. I wanted to throw my drink in her face. She then proceeded to pick her teeth with her fingernail, talk about having affairs on trains, and counsel another woman on how to get rid of a pesky neighborhood cat - (drown it in a bucket.) You stay classy, Sunset Grille patron.

Listen to this song

and try to not have an amazing day after hearing it:

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Go to itunes and preview it. It's so great.

Speechless

www.dmband.com

These are amazing

Stuff White People Like

This site is hilarious if you have a sense of humor. If you don't have a sense of humor, you will be offended or (even worse) you just won't get it at all...

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/

Recent favorite quotes

These need to stop living on my facebook page, so now they're going to live here. Welcome to your new home, recent faves:

"This is how it works
You're young until you're not
You love until you don't
You try until you can't
You laugh until you cry
You cry until you laugh
And everyone must breathe
Until their dying breath

No, this is how it works
You peer inside yourself
You take the things you like
And try to love the things you took
And then you take that love you made
And stick it into some
Someone else's heart
Pumping someone else's blood
And walking arm in arm
You hope it don't get harmed
But even if it does
You'll just do it all again"
~ Regina Spektor

"If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies."

Moynihan said to Tim Russert about the Ivy League hotshots in the Senator’s office; “What they know, you can learn. What you know, they can never learn.”

"I'll let you be in my dream if I can be in yours."
~ Bob Dylan

"You're maudlin and full of self-pity. You're magnificent."
~ Addison De Witt

"And we danced too wild, and we sang too long, and we hugged too hard, and kissed too sweet, and threw back our heads and howled just as loud as we wanted to howl, because by now we were all old enough to know that what looks like crazy on an ordinary day looks a lot like love if you catch it in the moonlight."
~ Pearl Cleage

Sam Craig: [Sam and Tess are both mildly drunk. Tess's head is resting on Sam's chest in the cab] There's something I have to get off my chest...
Tess Harding: [starts to get up] I'm too heavy...
Sam Craig: [smiles] No. I love you.
Tess Harding: You do?
Sam Craig: Positive.
Tess Harding: [sighs] That's nice. Even when I'm sober?
Sam Craig: Even when you're brilliant.
~ Probably the best Hepburn/Tracy dialogue ever, from the movie Woman of the Year

Crocs

These things are a huge hit in Maine. I don't understand. I just don't get it. I'm afraid to try them on because I know I will love them too and then you won't be able to pry them off my cold, dead feet. Just like Uggs. I resisted Uggs for so long, and then once I finally tried them on and bought them, I wouldn't wear anything else. I started wearing them to work, for chrissake. Inappropriate. But Crocs are hideous. The colors are awful. They are plastic shoes. Maine residents SWEAR by this footwear. I need to stay far, far away from Crocs.

Silent Raves

I just read about "silent raves" and now my head is spinning around. No music. You bring your own iPod and dance around in a room full of other people wearing their own iPods. Isn't that basically just the streets of New York, but even more crowded, annoying and awkward? Who comes up with this stuff, and why am I not making money off of my stupid ideas too?

Well who the hell is then?!

Beer Tent - First Pour

Warning: This will only be funny/meaningful/nostalgic if you understand the significance of the "first pour." Apologies for the terrible video quality. I took the video on my phone and if I had turned the light on, everyone would have shattered their glasses :) All hail to the Chief.

What a coincidence

I knew I liked those cats.

Typical

My dad has given up on dealing with the women and he's turned his attention to cats. This is our favorite stray. And by stray I mean my dad.