I'm a sucker for dedicated Dads

Here's the true story.



I'm a sucker for the song Ooh Child

Is Oprah White?

According to Fiddy she is.

"the rapper says Winfrey "started out with black women's views but has been catering to middle-aged white American women for so long that she's become one herself. I think the idea of being publicly noted that she's a billionaire makes [black women] interested in seeing her views. But it's even more exciting to the demographic of white American women she's been aiming at to see that she has the exact same views that they have.""

Damn.
He's all articulate'n shit.

Photo via: Anne Elizabeth Sexton

ATTENTION!!!

There is absolutely no reason for a 52 year old woman to be taking Pole Dancing Classes.

Exercise?
Cut the shit.
Please.

When you tell me you're taking pole dancing classes, I immediately assume that you're having a menopausal crisis.

HELLO!

One of my weaknesses at the gym is reading Hello Magazine.
Lives of the rich and famous, and sometimes just the rich. I like Hello Magazine for the same reason that I like Vanity Fair...only Hello celebrates and Vanity tears.

The photos in Hello are what get me.

Tonight, while torturing myself on the treadmill, I saw (I say saw because I didn't read it) an article on Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher...the photo spread was great!

Debbie and Carrie drinking fake tea, and fake cooking in a sterile, model home kitchen.
A photo of Debbie mock chastising Carrie at the open (suspiciously spotless) oven door in an immaculate kitchen.

This is twice in a couple of days I'm reminded of something my mother used to do when I was a kid.

She used to take rolls of film of fake family gatherings to send "back home".

Us sitting in the kitchen drinking Turkish Coffee from empty cups.
Uja stirring an empty pot on the stove with all the appliances shown in the photo.
Sitting in the immaculately cleaned living room with a decanter and glasses, with the T.V. and stereo system circumstantially shown in the photo...all this to show my grandparents that we were doing ok.

That we weren't starving, and that we had "things", things that maybe other family "back home" didn't have.

It wasn't until today that I realized that we used to send our own "rich and famous" magazine layouts "back home".

(If I find some of the photos, which I know that I have...I'll scan and post them)

Quirks of immigrants..you gotta love 'em.

Sunday CLick-ARound...

So, I think that it's clear that I love all things vintage...and I always have. Even when I was 18 I was sporting dresses and suits from the 1940's. This link to Vintage Ads caught my eye.

But, while I was on the main website...I saw some pretty funny pictures. Like this extreme mullet, and this cover of Parents Magazine.

If you're interested in movies, Daily Motion Movie Vids, is a compliation of video clips from movies from various free hosts like YouTube, Google Video and so on.

The Accent Archive is awesome!!! If you like listening to accents, the link is a list of languages with audio of a person reading a strange little paragraph in order to illustrate that persons accent while speaking English.
It's great. Someone like me can burn quite a bit of time there. For example, try Afrikaans from Pretoria, or Yoruba from Benin, or Punjabi from Pakistan, or of course...Serbian from Zrenjanin.

How about this map of how American foreign policy makers see the world.

While we're on the subject of the world, how about a collection of recipes from around the world? This site has a few that I'd like to try. I was disappointed to not see any Serbian recipes...but, eh...waddayagonna do?
While we're on recipes, and Christmas will be on top of us in a minute...here's BetterBaking.com.
I'll be trying the Pecan Pie Recipe (probably next weekend).

The Web Economy Bullshit Generator will be great for those bullshit motivational meetings, where semantics mean more than action, and work.

Ok, and last but not least...My friend Krysss from Krysss.com has mentioned to me a few times that I should check out the virtual world of Second Life. Well, I finally did...that's virtual me on the right at shopping for shoes in SL. I must say that it's an amazing game.

No. Really.
You should check it out. I'm not even going to say anything because whatever I say...you're not going to get the full idea until you've played yourself.

That's all folks...

Women!
Know Your Limits...



Yes, Tanja that is Tito at a dinner party.

Link via Funkaoshi

If you don't know me by now,
You will never never never know me...

I don't tell people that my husband is not white.
It's just not something you can pop into a conversation and not look like an ass.
So, often people will know me for months, even years in a professional setting and not know, and apparently this is an important piece of information for some people.
Ostensibly, it says something about me as a person to some people.

I was speaking with a woman whom I interact with almost daily.
We've had laughs and conversation. We've shared jokes, and fashion advice, and I quite liked her.

Until yesterday, when she talked about "those people", and how "they" behave, and how "they" don't come out for parent nights, or get involved in Parent Councils, but "they're" the first ones to come in guns-a-blazin' playing the race card when "they're" not happy with something.

I told her that my husband was always involved with his children's schooling, talking to Principals, and Teachers, he was always interested in what was going on, and behaved in a civilized manner with people...and it took her a moment to connect the dots.
Then, I told her that my husband is one of "them".

Then she looked embarrassed, and uncomfortable.
She then started with the "not all, but...you have to admit..."

Now, I can't ever see her the same way again.
But frankly, I don't care how she sees me.

And that's sad, because really I should take this as an opportunity to show her how wrong she is to make the assumption...you know...the whole one person at a time thing...

I'm too tired to convince her.

It's true when they say that one thing can change your mind about someone forever.

Kelly/Clay non-issue.

If you want to watch it, here is Kelly talking about it.

And really, who cares?

I don't, but I'll get to my point.

While looking around I caught Rosie O'Donnell talking to Kelly Ripa about it on The View, and the discussion went to "He put his hand over my mouth...and I have kids....you know..." and then a couple of the others chimed in with "I have kids...".
The irritating blonde on the show piped in with "If you don't have kids, you don't understand", or something like that.
Watch it here, if you're so inclined...

You know what I know about kids?

I know that they will eat snot, they will lick surfaces, they will pick stuff up off the floor and put it in their mouthes, they will eat dirt, they will play in their own shit if you let them...

They're more likely to get sick from their daily kid behaviours, than from Clay Aikens hand over their moms mouth.

I think that all those sanctimonious professional mommies would know that if their kids nannies bothered to tell them.

Duh.

Good health is tied to economics, and where you live.

No shit?
People feel shittier about their circumstances and health when they live in neighbourhoods that are run down and crime infested?
No. kidding.

How do I get in on this "study" scam?
Studies that we the taxpayers fund.

Next on the Rip Off the Taxpayer study agenda:

~Why do inmates try to escape prison?
~Can fish get drunk?
~At what rate do oversize jeans slide down your bum?
~Can McDonalds 7 times a week make you obese?
~Is the colour sky blue, actually "aqua"?
~Chocolate or Cheese Fondue preferences of Factory Workers.
~Are there more male or female hairdressers?
~Is crack addictive?
~Girls who wrestle in their underpants, and wet t-shirts...do they do it for the money?

Oh, I could go on and on....

Pitching a Fit,
Instead of a Tent.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't believe in big, stress-inducing weddings.
Yeah, I know...what a chicky chick.
So, when I read this article about a couple in New Zealand who sent back their tent because they didn't like it, and received an insulting e-mail from the company who provided it...

I laughed, and laughed.

Obviously, not only the bride is prone to bad behaviour when there's a wedding planned.

"The firm's office manager, Katrina Jorgensen, had written: 'Your wedding sounded cheap, nasty and tacky anyway, so we only ever considered you time wasters. Our marquees are for upper class clients which unfortunately you are not. Why don't you stay within your class levels and buy something from Payless Plastics instead.'"

Meow!

A family owned company.... the e-mail to the couple from the wife of the owner.
She's been fired.
By her husband.

How'd you like to hang at their house for the next little while?
The air would be a little thick, no?

Who?

Eva Avila, that's who.
Singing the National Anthem at Grey Cup.
She strutted out like she was somebody.
Hair a'flickin' - Check
Nose up - Check
Shoulders back - Check
Assistant to hold your Starbucks - Check


I had to ask, "Who is she?"
"Canadian Idol winner", says Stepson.

Good luck with that.

Sunday Click Around

I love old pictures of Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, and Audrey Hepburn. Style, grace and beauty. Here's a link to a MOMA Exhibit of Jackies White House Years. Here's another link to Jackie at Swingin' Chicks of the 60's.
Here's Audrey Hepburns site, chock full of lovely pictures of her.

Two beautiful and stylish women.

Remember Jack Handy?
Well, here is a compliation of his "Deep Thoughts".

FOUND Magazine is a website that asks you to submit notes that you might have found anywhere. It's kind of interesting because it's a little snippet in time from someone else's life. If you're like me, you can build a whole life around one of these found notes or grocery lists.

Life Magazine has always had some of the best photojournalists in the world on their staff.
Alfred Eisenstaedt would be one of them.

Remember little 11 year old Bianca Ryan? The kid with the adult singing voice?
Here's another clip.

Cynical-C posted a list of faux pas from around the world.
It's quite fascinating, you should look at it.

Extra-pine has a funny little interactive thing on it's website. It's called CleaningHunk.com.
You choose one of two guys to clean your house, and then you can watch them clean either the kitchen or the bathroom while shirtless. You can choose Brian or Jason and you can dress them up as construction workers or gladiators, and then you can fool yourself into pretending they're not gay.

I've linked this site before, but it's worth linking to again. It's a fun site with humourous lists of...what else? 5ives.

Coverage of the TomKat wedding.

That's all.

Overheard at the Gym...



"Beauty is but fleeting...stupid is forever".

Morning Drive

The Mister and me saw St. Elias Church on our drive this morning.
At first I thought it was an Orthodox Church because of the architecture, and The Mister swung off the main road for us to have a better look...but it turns out that it's a Ukrainian Catholic Church built entirely out of wood.

Very beautiful.

Ok. I found this on YouTube off of their website.
I'm no religion expert, but their services look suspiciously Orthodox, minus the black taller hats, tunics and beards.
Orthodox Catholics, anyone?

Ladies with an attitude, fellas who were in the mood...

I hate when society blames men for single motherhood.

I'm not talking about how your marriage didn't work out and now you're a single mom.
I'm talking about hooking up with someone, getting pregnant when you know the relationship is going nowhere, and having the child anyway.

Having to have the child may have held water 30 years ago, but these days when there are 100 different methods of birth control, the morning after pill and abortion...the only women who are having children are those who willingly choose to do so.

I know that there's the whole "right to life" and "religious convictions" thing going on, but I fail to comprehend how one religious conviction cancels out another...for example, having the child is more important than obstaining from sex before marriage...which would also be a "conviction" that was in place to avoid the latter, crucial conviction, no?

I've seen many a woman use pregnancy and motherhood as an excuse to not move forward with their own educational, financial independance and development.

What prompted this post is friend of mine who sent me an article by a woman who was essentially blaming a certain culture of men for single motherhood in her community.
(If you want the link to the article, e-mail me. I didn't link to it because my post isn't about her article per se.)
I realize that marriage isn't for everyone...and I know I've done a post on this topic before...but I think that often women will sabotage their own development by having children, and then use the children as an excuse for not being able to move forward with their own lives.
Strong and independant women will move forward with or without children.

Weak women will allow themselves to be pulled down by circumstances and bad life choices driven by their own low self-worth and poor judgement.

If you're not happy with how you're living...I don't understand how bringing an innocent child into the mix is going to make things easier for you.

Someone please explain to me how men are to blame for single parenthood?

You know what's sad?

I read an article that had Diddy quoted as saying,

"As meticulous as I am with my work, I'm even more meticulous with my lovemaking. … I like to do it for a long time. Sometimes I'm making love and she's like, 'You gonna save some for the honeymoon?'"

What's sad is that without his money and luck, he'd just be another hig headed, can't close his mouth for the overbite guy...and not a particularly good looking one at that.

Age is a scourger, money is a savior.

Army exempts Miss Israel from toting gun.

Apparently, Yael Nezri, a private in the Israeli Army, says the bruises are making it difficult for her to model in photo shoots. She's been granted an exemption by her commanders for her two-year army stint.

Great.

Now, all she has to do is get The Man from Glad to stop dressing her. This dress made from garbage bags, with a kitchen catcher fringe has got to go.

So does the other matronly crap they're dressing her in.
Bleh.
She's a beautiful girl, she shouldn't put up with it.
Oh yeah...she's not carrying her gun anymore.

Damn

Click on the button and vote for me!!!



I'm nominated in Humour and Personal Blogs.

Class-ay.
I'm sure his old friends at the trailer park will be glad to have him back.

Tagged by
My Good Friend Grey Scale.

5 Interesting Things About Me:

1. I will repeat myself. I will. Really. I will.
2. I am self taught.
3. I am a Stepmother.
4. I will take a lot of shit, but when I'm done.
I'm Done.
5. For two summers I worked at the Toronto Immigration Detainee Centre at the Airport.