Thursday, September 20, 2012

New Blogs

I decided to create some new blogs which are easier on the eyes.

New blog where I discuss issues that are important to me:
http://cookyspassions.blogspot.com/

My new blog with a new name to better showcase my handcrafted designs.
http://dreamheartdesigns.blogspot.com/

For those who love the ABC TV series, "Once Upon A Time," I have a new site for the new season:
http://heartofstorybrooke.blogspot.com/


See you there!

Thanks for visiting.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Before You Vote

America is supposed to be a free country.  Freedom is what our country was founded upon.  I am very troubled by people, especially politicians, whose agenda is to take away the freedoms many have worked so hard to attain.  I also have a big issue with the so-called "moral" people, specifically religious zealots who claim to be good and pure and who claim to do "god's work," while denying others' freedoms.

As we all know, there is an election coming up in a few months, and we have a very big decision to make about who we choose to run our country.  I am not especially pleased at what Obama has done in his three-and-a-half years as President.  I think he might have done more to get us out of the gigantic hole that George W. got us into.  But I am truly fearful of what will happen if Romney is elected.

Romney has stated he will repeal Roe v. Wade, which means abortion will be illegal in this country.  ALL ABORTION.  While many people, especially Catholics, might think this is a good thing, it isn't.  Making abortion illegal does not change the nature of humans.  People still have sex, and sometimes unplanned pregnancy will occur.  It's always been this way.  Throughout history, women have gotten pregnant out of wedlock, or in a marriage but unable to care for a child.  Whether it be through marriage, promiscuity, rape or incest, unplanned pregnancy happens.  It is a fact of human nature.  How many of us alive today are a product of unplanned pregnancy?  Or an older sibling is?  I was certainly unplanned.  How many of us do not know someone who was the result of an unplanned pregnancy?  And for you religious people, Jesus was unplanned. 

The thing is, abortions will happen.  If abortion is proclaimed illegal, women will die in an attempt to obtain one.  In the past, desperate women would go to so-called back room "doctors" to get illegal abortions.  I remember seeing a documentary where a woman was heartbroken over the death of her sister, because the sister had died during an illegal abortion.  I can still see the photograph in my mind, as clear as if it were yesterday, of a woman, nude, in an unnatural position, on her face and knees, where she had been in position for the abortion, something went wrong, and she died and was later discovered in that position.  I just looked it up.  The woman's name was Gerri Santoro, and I'll include a link to the page with her photograph.  I won't post the photo itself, because it is quite disturbing.  If abortion becomes illegal, deaths like Ms. Santoro's will happen again.  But next time, it might not be a stranger in a motel room.  It might be your sister or your daughter.  Before taking the drastic step to end legal abortions, you absolutely MUST consider what will happen to desperate women all across America.


Page with iconic photo of Gerri Santoro:

http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/gerri-santoros-abortion/


Taking away the right of a woman to choose what happens to her own body is ludicrous.  If men carried pregnancies, there would never be a question of abortion, because men write most of the laws in this country.  As a woman, it angers me to think some small-minded people wish to take away my right to do anything!  Of course we need laws in this country, but laws should move a society forward, toward understanding and tolerance, rather than moving people apart for their differences. 

Romney also states he will repeal the law that forces insurance companies to pay for birth control.  So he wants to take away a woman's right to birth control, then if she gets pregnant, she'll be forced to give birth to a child she didn't want in the first place?  What's next?  Take away women's right to vote?  We've just lost 92 years of progress in one fell swoop!  Women already make eighty cents to the one dollar that a man makes, for the same job.  And we have to fight harder to achieve it (no matter how smart we are), and we often have to put up with men who belittle us, slap us on the fanny, make us get the coffee, etc. 

Did you know that most insurance companies will pay for Viagra for a man  (or my favorite, the Pos-T-Vac:  See previous post about that one), so that he can get an erection, but they fight not to provide birth control for women?  How absurd is that?  Make sure you get your woman knocked up, y'all!

Repeal Roe v. Wade and take away the birth control requirement:  Create illegal abortions, maimed or murdered women, unwanted children, abused children, in a world that is already so overpopulated, it's about to burst at the seams!

If you are Catholic or otherwise religious, and are opposed to abortion or birth control, don't have an abortion or use birth control, but please don't try to force your personal views on every other woman in America.  Please don't try to force us to follow your religious teachings.  We have our own minds and morals and we must be allowed to choose our own correct paths.  Think how you would feel to be forced to do something against your will.  It's akin to the rape of our freedoms.  Please don't take away the freedoms we've worked so hard to achieve.  Please.

I realize, in all likelihood, I will not have changed many minds, but I hope, above all else, that I've given you something to seriously think about before you mark your ballot. 

Please be good to each other and please embrace our differences.  What a boring world it would be without all the colors in the box of Crayolas!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Dating Ads

As a single adult, I occasionally read or even post dating ads on Craigslist.  I have met only a handful of men this way, and nothing much to speak about:  It's seldom gone past a first meeting, but you never know if you'll meet someone who could become a good friend, so I'm open to the idea.  Not long ago, I wrote an ad to all men, essentially begging them to write better ads and letters:

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"To: ALL MEN - 45 (Sparks)

To all the men who post: Only about 10% of the readers of the Craigslist personals are women. If you want a woman to respond to your ad, you have to write something that grabs her attention.

Don't say general things such as:
"I want someone cute." "I want someone attractive"... Those terms are meaningless, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And since many women don't believe they are beautiful, they won't answer your ad.
"I want someone hwp". Do you realize that 60% of women aren't? And the ones who are, probably aren't looking on Craigslist.

If you ask for perfection... hwp, thin, attractive, smart, funny, has a job, a house and a car... then you'd better be perfect too.
If you are a serious guy, say so. If you're funny, say so.

Saying "I like to have fun" means nothing. Different people have different ideas of fun.
Saying a woman must send a picture first is a bad thing. We can be frightened or hurt by men, and we would like to see what you look like first, so we can feel assured that you don't look like a serial killer (trust me, I've seen plenty of those here.)

List some of your favorite activities that you might like to share with a woman.

Don't gripe about all the women who have done you wrong, don't call your ex a bitch, and don't ask that the woman has no baggage. Everyone has baggage, including you. Women are more accepting of your baggage than you are of ours.

DO:
Write at least one full paragraph, preferably two or three. A large number of men here post one or two sentences and expect someone to answer the ad. We won't. We will answer the ad of the man who tells us about himself, whose ad makes us laugh or smile.

If you post a picture, make sure you are smiling, that the picture is right side up, and that you don't look crazy in it. Best not to post the pic of you at your buddy's bachelor party. If you want love, don't post a pic of you naked or even half naked. Make sure we can see your face clearly. This also goes for pics emailed to responders of the ad.

But whatever you do:
SAY SOMETHING that makes you different from all the rest of the men here.

PROOFREAD AND SPELL CHECK. I personally won't answer an ad if most of the words are misspelled or if the ad doesn't make sense. Have someone proof it for you, or at least run spell check. And there is a difference between women and woman. They are not interchangeable.

And my best advice is, ask a female friend to read it before you post it, and even ask her to write it for you.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!"

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Funny, I mistyped my own age.  Oops.  But not that it matters in this instance really, since I wasn't trying to find a date.  :D

Anyhow, you wouldn't believe how many men wrote to me, telling me how women are worse than men, although in research for writing, I have viewed other women's ads and we are much more likely to write a better ad than men (statistically speaking).  Today I got a letter responding to this ALL MEN post.  Please try to refrain from laughing.  I dare you!

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"You are completely right on everything you posted! But that goes both ways! The very things you are talking about men doing or not doing are the same things I see women doing on here. Do you think men can't be hurt by what a woman says or does? If you do your wrong! Real men do have feelings to! I don't like ads with miss spelled words or abbreviated words! I personally think it shows a lack of carrying! As not everyone knows what your saying when you abbreviate several words together with a few letters! In my opinion that's the same as miss spelling words!
So basically what I'm saying to you and all women is practice what you preach!"

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I decided to color the misspelled or misused words and the odd statement that I'm not quite sure what he means, just for fun.  Yes, because I'm just that mean.  I am always amused when people misspell the word "misspell."  Yep, practice what you preach.  :D

Anyhow, enjoy the fodder and be thankful if you are in a relationship and don't have to deal with this crazy dating pool.

Sigh. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Advertising Annoyances

It's one of those days.  I can't sleep, even though I'm so sleepy.  The TV is on and certain commercials just irritate the heck out of me.  Especially the ones where the narrator mispronounces a word. 

Today's offenders: 

The first is for the Motorcycle Mechanics Institute, where the host says he wants to excape.  I kid you not.  You'd think that English is his second language, but sadly, no, he has no accent.

The second is for Humira (a drug) and mentions seeing a "gastroinnerologist."  I listen to it again and again, and never do I hear a "t" which would make it the actual word, "gastroenterologist."

The Marinello Beauty School ads (in general).  The new one features an "interviewer" who speaks English rather poorly, and when she says, "Turning dreams into reality" it sounds like she says, "Turning rims into reality."
An older ad asks, "How do you say 'Marinello'?"  You just told me.  The question should be something like, "How do you say, 'beauty'?"  Then it would make sense.

I don't understand why it's become so popular to feature narrators/actors in commercials who have speech impediments.  I see more and more of them.  Isn't the point of most ads to make the product look good, to put the best foot forward?  How does a speech impediment do that exactly?  And the trend for actors who speak in a nasally, whiney tone just irritates the heck out of my ears.  I just don't understand why... why... WHY they think it sounds good.  It was funny when Lily Tomlin talked like that as Ernestine the telephone operator, but it's not funny or cute for actors to talk that way in a commercial.  Please stop that trend!

I'm always amazed at a certain local restaurant who advertises they sell Expressos.  It's spelled correctly on the screen, but they've had numerous ads where the announcers (some male, some female) all say "Expresso" when it should be "Espresso."

Charter cable TV has an ad that claims it costs "Four times less" than... whatever.  And I noticed another commercial stating that you use "Three times less" detergent or whatever they are selling.  While technically there is a mathematical answer to 4 times less, it really shouldn't be used in this way.  It would make more sense to everyone to just say, "One quarter the amount," as opposed to "Four times less.  (Technically, four times less means one fifth, not one quarter.)

And when did it become popular in commercials to use the word "less" when it should be "fewer"?  Less is a measure of volume, fewer is a measure of quantity.  There aren't "less germs," but there are fewer germs.

I guess they are all better than the late-night ads for the Pos-T-Vac, penis sucking machine.  I have all but stopped watching "Quantum Leap" at night because of the offensive ad.  I just don't get why any man would actually go on TV and tell people his penis doesn't work.  "I'm like 'Wow, this really works'" claims one man.  And medicare will pay for it if you qualify.  Of course they will:  Men write the laws for the most part.  Every man wants a machine that sucks his penis.  (That's how it works, in case you think I'm joking.)  There is one guy in the ad that has a really bad toupee and he couldn't smile any bigger if he tried.  He just creeps me out, reminds me of a guy who might hang out near schools and molest small children.  Just picture him sitting in his car, watching the children while his penis is stuck in the Pos-T-Vac.  Yeech... *shiver*

The other day I heard (I was in the kitchen so I didn't see it) a commercial that was for some sort of erectile dysfunction product, I don't remember if it was a drug or a device, and it actually said, "It makes him so hard."  OMG.  They didn't just say that on TV, did they?  Oh yes they did, and they kept repeating it.  I actually came back in and turned the TV channel.  Children could be watching that!

On a happier note, I just realized that the new FreeCreditReport.com ad has the original band, featuring Eric Violette, returning to claim its rightful place.  I never did care much for the second band, and Eric is so adorable, he makes me actually want to watch the commercial.  I just wish they didn't have the band singing in the overproduced, hip-hop-y, crappy style they usually do.

And while I'm talking commercials, I have to say I like the Allstate "Mayhem Man."  He cracks me up. And I love the Geico piggy.  So full of glee... Wheeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Want Some Whine With That?

Tony Harnell, former lead vocalist for the 80s band, TNT, posted on Facebook about how frustrating it is when you're a rock star and people don't cater to you and do exactly what you want them to.  He works so hard, and people should do as he wishes.  Unfortunately, I didn't copy it down, but that's basically what he was saying.  He said he was venting.

Years ago, I was a big fan, and wrote to him probably every week.  I was young and stupid, didn't think about how freaky it must be to have people send you letters as if they knew you personally.  I never attempted to meet him, but I did do one crazy thing:  I lived in the state in which he was born, and this was way back before we'd ever heard of stalkers, so I bought a copy of his birth certificate, so I could get the time of day he was born to do a natal astrology report.  OK, it's over the top, and you can't do that these days, laws have changed, but it was a way to connect with the singer I almost worshiped.  But after I got the information from it, I didn't need the birth certificate anymore, so I mailed it to him.  And he actually called me, which at the time I thought was the coolest thing ever, but later realized he probably called to make sure I wasn't a legitimate threat.  And I was pretty much over him by that time anyway.  I stopped writing to him shortly after. 

So back to my story...
Yesterday he posted and whined about how he's not treated right... blah blah blah, whine whine whine.  Most of the fan comments were like, "Oh you poor thing" and "I know you work so hard.  You deserve so much better."  I wrote that he shouldn't complain when there are people who work much harder than he does and will never have the success he's had.  I wrote a lot more, but that was my point. 

His fans all disagreed with me, but not too big a surprise, really, since it's his fan page.  A few postings later, I'd had it with his whining and "shared" what he said on my own Facebook page, for all my friends to read what a whiny...  he is... Although I didn't swear or anything. 

He didn't like that, I guess, so Big Man that he is, he removed the entire posting and posted this in its place:

"Sorry folks, had to delete that last post due to a rather unstable, disturbed person posting messages here who identified herself as someone I actually almost had to contact the authorities about some 20+ years ago. They've been banned for safety and security reasons. I will from now on have to be more careful about what and how I post. Such a shame as you have all come to know me as honest and real. I'll do my best, but this one freaked me out big time. Love, TH"
 
I like that, "banned for safety and security reasons".  Of course, not because I was speaking the truth. I'm actually highly amused at what a panty-waste he is.  How did I ever like him in the first place?  No wonder he's not more famous than he is.  How many of you reading this have ever HEARD of him?  Other than Shawn, who knows who everyone is.  :D

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Martabating And Daryl's House

When I was in school in Atlanta (1992), I knew a DJ, Blake aka Bladerunner.  He was, and still is, a creative guy, and had this song, "Martabating."  And he made a video, which I was lucky enough to be involved in the making of, although due to me being camera shy, I'm not in the video.  If you watch the video (see list of links), forgive the nudity, I was NOT there for those parts, and was very surprised when I saw the final cut at the premiere.  No, I'm not a prude, but I don't think it was actually necessary. 

When the band is on what looks like a large rock, that's on top of Stone Mountain near Atlanta, and the band is Mess of Bones, which I find interesting since my old friend, SuSu, knew the band from when they were in Alabama, and well, small world.  The parts on the Marta trains was a blast, and I actually intended to be in the video, but when we got onto the train, they went to the right and I went to the left, so I'm right behind the cameraman.  The other friends on the train were all really nice, although I didn't know them well.  Hung out with Jaymz and Whoremoan a few times. 

Some bad things happened in Atlanta, mainly having to do with a couple of "friends" stabbing me in the back, but we did some crazy stuff and most of the time I had a blast.  Blake and his group were always fun, met several rock stars, and we were always doing something.

*          *          *          *          *          *          *          *          *

I have discovered a new show on TV, and it is also a web program, called "Live From Daryl's House."  It stars Daryl Hall, and he has a different musical guest each week.  I don't always watch, depends upon the guest, but if you like music, it's a find.

I guess I could say I owe much of my musical education to Mr. Hall, since I saw Hall & Oates hosting "The Midnight Special" back when I was twelve (1978).  They went inside a recording studio, and that was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.  I thought he was gorgeous, and I was hooked on him and the show.  I don't think I ever missed an episode from then on.  I even managed to get my mom to watch with me sometimes.  It was a great show, and I'm going to have to go watch some episodes on Hulu soon.  So many bands and comedians made appearances and I'm sure I saw acts that most other kids my age had never even heard of.  I still love so many of them today.  Ahh, back in the day when Rock 'n Roll was really Rock 'n Roll...