how very, very cool

Click here for a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel.

giant poop bubbles

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, the Midwest is apparently rife with giant poop gas bubbles.

I swear . . .

I find it interesting that people are taking the passing of the healthcare bill as a sign that Jesus is coming. How many other countries in the world have universal healthcare? Apparently Jesus only cares about what happens in the United States and will base his triumphant return upon what happens here and only here. I can't imagine why Americans are thought of as arrogant! And what's even more arrogant is that as I typed that, I seriously thought "Now watch, Jesus will come back just to spite me because I wrote that." Yeah, because Jesus cares about my blog!

giant gay repellent umbrella

A Gaythering Storm from Jane Lynch

There is a storm being caused by gay marriage and we are all in serious trouble. This is a parody of NOM's Anti-Gay Marriage PSA. Watch the original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp76ly2_NoI&e

more wedding pictures

Me and Erin (Erin and I?). Do you see the family resemblance?


Night before the wedding, hanging out with Erin's friends.


Lindsay, Erin, me.


It was this big!


There may or may not have been alcohol consumed before the following picture was taken.


Ditto.


Yup, they're still there!


A common theme. I believe every single second of this weekend was documented by multiple cameras!

awesomely bizarre

Something about this is just wrong . . . and yet so right. Make sure you watch the whole thing.

give it to me!

As you may have noticed, I'm going through an obsessive blogger phase. Don't worry, I'll make up for it later by not blogging for a couple months.

When I first started reading this tribute to the movie The Monster's Christmas (don't worry, I had never heard of it either) I was slightly intrigued and then I saw the following and it is now my mission in life to find this movie.

I can't stop watching this; it's hypnotic. In my mind, when she makes the face, there are sound effects.




And this may just be my new favorite song.

careful!

I once had a roommate who accused me of being a hypochondriac. This was ironic because for everything I thought was wrong with me, she had already had it and most of the time, had it worse. But I digress . . . here's an article about 6 Things Your Body Does Every Day (That Can Destroy You). So, since you could die at any second, let us eat, drink and be merry. Or are we not supposed to do that? I can never remember if the Bible tells us to do something or not to do something, hence that whole coveting my neighbor's ass debacle.

pure genius

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

entertaining

I have just discovered Cracked.com. Prepare to be inundated with funny/interesting articles. First up-the Disney model for relationships. Here's just one gem from this article:

Where does the incest come into play? That would be compliments of The Lion King. Oh yeah. Extending beyond the realm of the back-water hills of Appalachia, digging your sister stretches over the Atlantic and hits the Savannah. There is only one male in the pride. That would be the beloved lion king, Mufasa. Simba and Nala grew up in the same pride. Again, I reiterate, there are no other males making babies in the pride. That would make Simba and Nala half siblings. That's right. They used the British royalty method of keeping the King's bloodline pure. The punishment of such a relationship? A half-baked sequel staring your mutant off-spring that introduces new blood (in the form of one new male) into the pride. I'm not even going to tread near the notion of how Simba inherited all those females. Neither The Lion King or The Lion King II: Simba's Pride seem to have any scruples concerning raising children in a harem of sex partners. An orgy is simply quality "family time."

good song

I hate it when you can't embed YouTube videos. Anyway, I'm really into the song, "Painkiller" by Turin Brakes right now. I can't get enough of it. I wake up with it running through my head.

interesting experience-long, but please read!

The other day I was at the grocery store, going through the check-out line, when the cashier asked me if I was ready for Easter and started talking about wanting to color eggs. I told her I don't eat eggs, which then led to a discussion on being vegan. She said she could understand not eating meat, but she would never be able to give up cheese and milk, and then she said that dairy cows were probably treated better than the cows for slaughter anyway. I said no, actually they're not; for starters, they're kept pregnant so they'll produce milk. The cashier couldn't believe that. So my question for anyone reading this is do you think dairy cows are special cows that just magically produce milk? I would like to share a little secret with you; cows are mammals and just like humans, only produce milk after giving birth. There is no such thing as a cow that produces milk constantly, which is why dairy cows are constantly impregnated. And don't go thinking that pregnant cows are treated well. They are kept in cages and they are barely able to move. Then, once they give birth, that calf is immediately ripped from them. If it's a male cow, it's sent to the veal factory. If it's a female cow, it will be subjected to the same fate as its' mother. Now you're probably thinking well it's just an animal, it doesn't know or care when it's baby is taken away.

• "The terrible sound one hears on any dairy farm after a cow has given birth is the call of a lost calf, calling her mother, and the mother answering in desperation. If that is not suffering, I don't know the meaning of the word. . . . the removal of her calf is the single worst incident in the life of a dairy cow. . . . We saw one cow outside the stockade, roaming, looking for her calf, and bellowing. 'That's not a happy cow,' Temple said. 'That's one sad, unhappy, upset cow. She wants her baby. Bellowing for it, hunting for it. She'll forget for a while, and then start again. It's like grieving, mourning--not much written about it. People don't like to allow them thoughts or feelings.'"*

If that sounds unpleasant, keep in mind that the same scenario is repeated over and over again, with calf after calf, until the dairy cow is finally too old, at which point they are slaughtered. And of course since they are now older cows, the only thing their meat is good for is hamburger meat, which is a whole separate topic. Now I am certainly not going to tell you not to eat animal products, because that's a very personal decision, but I would like to ask that you think about where the food that you eat comes from, and perhaps educate yourself on the topic. If, after finding out all the facts, you still want to eat meat, drink milk, etc., that's fine, at least you know what went into what you eat. So please, do some investigating. Find out where your food comes from. Find out what it takes to get it to your plate and then make an enlightened decision about what you will choose to feed you and your family.


*Taken from "The Face on Your Plate: the Truth About Food" by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, pg. 80.

stuff I'm enjoying at the moment

The soundtrack to Spring Awakening. So good.












Whale Wars



"Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" by Rufus Wainwright




any book by Susan Jane Gilman


baby bok choy



eos smooth sphere in sweet mint

pics from dinner

Here are some pictures from dinner our first night in Georgia.

Me and my cousin, Becky


Top Row-Lindsay and Erin. Bottom row-Jenny, Becky and me.


Left to Right-Uncle Don, Aunt Debbie, my dad, Becky, me, Lindsay, Lindsay's boyfriend Matt, Jenny, Jenny's fiance Kevin, Jon, Erin.

a blog I enjoy

I just discovered the blog Rurally Screwed and love it. I especially enjoy the post "Rumble at Wally World." You should go read it. This is one of the (many) reasons I hate shopping at Wal-Mart. If only I had the guts to stand up to people like she did!

miracle workers

Here's what I bought to tame the humidity-induced frizzies while I was in Georgia:

Garnier Fructis Style Sleek and Shine Anti-Humidity Hairspray

John Frieda Frizz-Ease Weather Works Weather-Proofing Style Sealant Creme (that's a mouthful!!!)


These products were miracle workers. I highly recommend them if you're going anywhere that's humid. I only wish I had found them earlier than our last day in Georgia.

What exactly is that???

Mark's email today contained this gem:

I'm assuming that is a dog, but I'm not 100% sure. I think maybe there's a little warthog in there too.


But then again, the face is a little hyena-ish.

Tom's Shoes

Have you heard about Tom's Shoes? For every pair of shoes you buy, they donate a pair to a child in need in a developing country. According to the website:

Many children in developing countries grow up barefoot. Whether at play, doing chores or going to school, these children are at risk:

• A leading cause of disease in developing countries is soil-transmitted diseases, which can penetrate the skin through bare feet. Wearing shoes can help prevent these diseases, and the long-term physical and cognitive harm they cause.
• Wearing shoes also prevents feet from getting cuts and sores. Not only are these injuries painful, they also are dangerous when wounds become infected.
• Many times children can't attend school barefoot because shoes are a required part of their uniform. If they don't have shoes, they don't go to school. If they don't receive an education, they don't have the opportunity to realize their potential.

I got these ones:
I know the shoes are a little pricey, but honestly, I would rather pay more and know that my money is helping a child in need, instead of just getting a cheap pair of shoes.

Georgia Day 3

Saturday was the big day-Erin was finally getting married!!! Other than a last minute run to the Rite Aid to try to find some products to deal with the humidity (It wasn't an afro, and I'm not Jewish, so it wasn't a Jewfro, so maybe I'll call my situation a MoFro.), we didn't do much except get ready for the wedding. Everyone looked great-the bride was gorgeous, the bridesmaids looked fabulous in their dresses, and the mother of the bride looked beautiful. The guys looked good too, but you can't really say much about a tux. I did manage to light the memory candle without tripping along the way or knocking the candle over and burning down the church. I was quite proud of myself. The ceremony went off without a hitch, and after pictures, we headed out to the reception site. This is when things started to go terribly wrong. So remember how I'm vegan? And remember how I said I was taking a break this weekend, and just eating what was available? Yeah, well that ended up not going so well. On the way out to the reception, my stomach started to feel not so great. I downed a couple of stomach pills, hoping that would help, but unfortunately, it didn't. Shortly before we started eating (the reception food was delicious, btw), the pain started to really hit. I took another pill, praying that they would start to kick in, but after a little while, I realized that was just not happening. I wanted to stay to see Erin and Jon off, but I only lasted through the toasts, cake cutting, and first dance, and then I had to hurry and say good-byes (It's possible I got teary eyed each time I hugged someone good-bye.) and get out of there. I was seriously dying the whole drive back to the hotel. I've cheated and eaten non-vegan a couple of times before and had a pretty bad upset stomach, but this far and away put those moments to shame. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that there was internal intestinal bleeding involved, and that is why I will never eat meat again. Never ever ever. Never.

Georgia Day 2

Yesterday we all went to get our nails did and . . . AND . . . I got my very first pedicure! I know, you would think that with my obsession with all things beauty related, this would have happened a long time ago. I now plan on making this a regular occurrence. Well, as regular as my budget will allow.

Later we did the wedding rehearsal and I'm happy to report that my whole lighting the memory candle thing is not quite as scary as I had thought, and fortunately, there will be someone there to supervise all flame-related activities, so if I do manage to burn down the church, it won't be solely my fault. After the rehearsal, we went to the rehearsal dinner out at Jon's (Erin's fiance) property. They had it catered by The Varsity and it was delicious. I've gone off of my vegan healthy lifestyle for the weekend because really, I don't think it's possible to be vegan in the south. Or at least it isn't if you're just visiting and aren't cooking for yourself. Anyway, at the rehearsal dinner I had chili dogs and onion rings. Best chili dogs and onion rings ever. During the dinner I hung out with my cousin, Jenny, who I don't think I had ever really talked to much before. Erin and Lindsay are more my age, so I've always hung out with them. It was nice to visit with Jenny and get to know her a little bit better.

After the dinner I went with Erin, Lindsay and several of her friends to a hotel bar for drinks, then we went back to the hotel room and hung out for a little while. It's been nice getting to know some of Erin's friends. I always see their names on email forwards and their pictures on Facebook, so I was excited to get to actually meet them.

Being here has actually made me think about moving down here. I have this itch to do something and move somewhere when I'm done with school in August. I think the only thing stopping me would be having to find new products for the whole hair/humidity issue. Well, that and finding a job and a place to live, I guess. We'll see what happens. I do really like it down here. Maybe I'll do it for like a year and just see how things go.

Georgia Day 1

My dad and I flew to Georgia this morning for my cousin Erin's wedding. When we arrived at the airport and tried to check in, I learned that since my last flight, I have somehow managed to earn a spot on the no-fly list. Yeah. We had to go to a special line to check in and I had to go through a rigorous process of verifying my identity (meaning that I had to verify my date of birth). The lady at the counter told me the next time I book a flight I should use my middle initial. Unfortunately, I have no middle name. Maybe all common and generic names are put on the list or something, I don't know. At dinner we all decided that I should go ahead and give myself a middle name, and that it should be Hussein, because what are they gonna do-put me on the no-fly list? Oh that's right, they already did.

Anyway, we finally made it to Georgia and met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousins for some good ole southern BBQ. It was great to see everyone and it's great to be down here. The last time I was in Georgia was like 1992. My hair apparently has missed the humidity since the moment I stepped off the plane (not even out of the airport, mind you), it immediately started to frizz. I think it and my skin have just been soaking up every bit of moisture they can. Ahh, the joys of living in the desert!

I also decided that since my mom is from North Carolina, I am only half Yankee, and therefore I have the right to freely use the word y'all, and to discuss, with righteous indignation, the war of northern aggression. It is my birth right.

today's highlights

1. I finally got my dress for my cousin's wedding. Also got a little black shrug to wear with it and black heels. I'm not entirely sure about the shoes, but at this point I've already started breaking them in and I just can't be bothered to find shoes that will not only match a little bit better, but that also come in my size and are actually at the store and don't have to be ordered. (I have big feet-size 11. Oprah wears 11 too. And so does Paris Hilton, but she doesn't get to be in my big foot club because well, she's Paris Hilton.)



2. I watched yesterday's episode of Kell on Earth and loved that Kelly and Andrew crashed Tandrew's blind date. If you aren't watching this show, you need to be. Not getting Bravo is no excuse-they put the episodes online.

3. While I was in Vegas over the weekend (don't you love how I just threw that in there, nonchalantly, like I'm this world traveler and have this fabulous life!), I stopped at Trader Joe's because they have a great vegan selection. One of the things I got was a Vegetable Panang Curry (third item down), which I ate today. It was so good. So good. BTW, Trader Joe's needs to be opening up a store somewhere along the Wasatch Front ASAP. If you can open stores in Wisconsin and Minnesota, surely you can branch out into Utah.

4. This actually occurred last night, but I'm still riding the high from it . . . Gossip Girl is finally back after an exceedingly long hiatus!!! And if Gossip Girl's back, that means Daily Intel's Gossip Girl Recap is also back!!!

5. Even more sassiness!!!!

Best news ever!

My prayers have been answered! A Sephora will be opening at the Fashion Place mall in June!!! No more having to wait until I go to Vegas! A little danger warning is going off in the recesses of my mind. I have a feeling this could be a slightly bad thing for my bank account. Maybe I'll have to get a part-time job there, just so I can get a discount.

sassy gay friend

Hamlet would have ended much differently if Ophelia had a sassy gay friend!

baby!

So excited to announce I have a new nephew. His name is Trevor Walker. I shall commence with calling him T-Dub immediately.

Finally!

We've been waiting all weekend to hear from my brother, who's on a mission in Chile right now, and he finally emailed this morning!!! I'm so glad to finally hear from him-needless to say, this last weekend was a bit stressful! Here's part of his email . . .

So, just so you know, I´m perfectly fine! Saturday morning I woke up because I heard a bunch of weird noise, and all of the sudden, everything just started shaking like crazy. I realized what was going on, and I hopped out of bed and shook Elder Barreiro awake, and we ran/stumbled out of the house. I really don´t even know how to explain it. Sirens everywhere, dogs barking, people yelling, the world moving. It was madness. I was in socks shorts and garments so it was a little chilly. The earthquake part lasted about a minute and Luckily nothing happened to our house(besides all the stuff inside had been thrown all over the floor), so after while in the street we went back in, but then everything started shaking again so we naturally left. The tremblors kept happening all throughout the night and our neighbors, and members kept coming by to check on us so we didn´t get any sleep. At about 7 the Assistants to the president came and told us to stay put in case they called, which was pointless because the phones weren´t working either. And the lights and water didn´t work in Con Con so there wasn´t much to do. We did end up leaving to go check on some people that live close by and everyone was ok. We spent the day passing by members and investigators to see if they needed help with anything but Con Con didn´t really have to much destruction. There were a couple of apartment buildings that had the roofs and a couple floors fall in though. We also have orders to call our families, but none of the call centers are working still so I don´t think that will be happening. We got water and power back yesterday, but the power is like, half the strength, and the water was orange, and now they´ve cut it till tomorrow, so yea. Fortunately we have about twenty big bottles stored up of water in the pension so all is well. I just stink.