Surviving

Some good news, our homeowners insurance may pay for the wiring. We had someone come and look over our home and they will send the estimate to our insurance company and on Monday the insurance adjuster will be by to talk to us. A tiny sigh of relief.

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An interesting article I read....

Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year

By Donna Freedman

I'll be living on just over $1,000 a month this year. That doesn't sound like much -- and it isn't -- yet I plan not just to live on it, but to build a savings account.

My 2007 "income," the money I can actually count on, will be $12,084. I know this because it consists of alimony and a portion of a school grant. (I went back to college last year; the grant covers tuition and books with a little left over.) I already know my big-ticket annual costs, too: rent of $6,300 and $1,200 for car insurance. Subtract these from my income and I'm left with $382 a month for food, utilities, clothes, medical deductibles and co-pays, gasoline, renter's and life insurance and any help I give my daughter, who lives on even less than I do....More

Bike parts

Hey, hey! Yesterday afternoon I took my son to the motorcycle shop to get a back tire for his CR80. When we went into the back tire room I inhaled deeply. Ahh rubber and bike parts!

"It smells good in here" I sighed.

The salesman just looked at me and grinned.

Is it wrong to love the smell of fumes, oil, rubber, jerseys and bike parts? Is there something wrong with me?

Links:
14 Biggest Game Myths Debunked!--Pretty eye-opening. Common misconceptions about the game industry are debunked. Every video game consumer should read this!

Study: Spinal Cord Can Repair Itself ---U.S. scientists say they have disproved the long-held theory that the spinal cord is incapable of repairing itself.

Over 1000 People Show Up For Giant Pillow Fight in San Francisco-Over 1000 people showed up tonight at Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco for a giant pillow fight. Scott Beale of Laughing Squid shot a bunch of photos and will be linking to more photos and video that others shot as they are posted...

50 things before I die

I've always believed in living life to it's fullest and creating great memories, which for me means not being afraid to try new things. "Firsts times" are always a big deal. Like the first time I tried sushi or went snowboarding which got me windburned and a sprained leg, but well worth it. I think the best thing of all is that I'll never run out of things to do, places to see, foods to try, sports to play, movies to watch, books to read and people to meet.
I made a list of things I want to do before I die. Some of these things will be a lot easier than others to accomplish. Others I may never cross off the list, but I'm gonna try.

Here is the first installment of 15

1. Go river rafting (It's just not as fun in the lake).
2. Live in Japan for 6 months
3. See the Northern Lights
4. Win the Nobel Peace Prize for discovering a cure for PMS.
5. Find Bigfoot and prove he's real.
6. Read every book in the 1001 Books you must read before you die book
7. Run a mile (I haven't done that for TEN years!)
8. Own a bookstore
9. Swim with dolphins
10. Go on a 'whale watching' expedition
11. Attend a taping of "Saturday Night Live" in New York
12. Own a hybrid automobile
13. See all 3 of my children finish college
14. Go skydiving
15. Walk the Great Wall of China

So there is the first 15.

A survey:

Questions
1) What side of the heart do you draw first?
Top right.

2) Can you dive without plugging your nose?
Yes, pretty sure I can manage that!

3) What color is your razor?
Blue, maybe leaning towards teal.

4) What is your blood-type?
A negative

5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours?
Andy Worhol, but he's dead so that would be gross. Andy Worhol (alive).

7) How do you feel about carrots?
Well I feel they are best raw.

8) How many chairs at the dining room table?
6

9) Which is the best Spice Girl?
I liked Sporty the best.

10) Do you know what time it is?
It's time to dance!

12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?
Push the emergency button repeatedly before having a panic attack.

13) What's your favorite kind of gum?
Grape Bubblicious, oh and Dentene Ice

14) Do you scrapbook?
Just call me Grandma S.

15) Do you have a crush on anyone?
Oh yeah

16) Do you use words that you don't know the meaning to?
I do not defenestrate melicas, no.

17) Do you like to sleep?
yes

18) Do you know which US states don't use Daylight Savings?
Hawaii doesn't use it, not sure of any others.. and it's Daylight Saving, not SavingS with an S.

19) Do you know the song Total Eclipse of the Heart?
Yeah.

20) Do you want a bright yellow '07 mustang?
Sure, so I can trade it in for a hybrid

21) What's something you've always wanted?
I've always wanted to go on a whale watch....oh man, i just thought of some mean jokes...

22) Do you have hairy legs?
No

23) What does "Semper Fidelis" stand for?
It means "Simmer down fools!" okay I have no idea, but the people that posted this before me knew and says its Latin for "Always Faithful"

24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake?
Ocean

25) Do you wear a lot of black?
I wear tons of black

26) Describe your hair?
Brown, middle length, frizzy and suffers from schitzophrenia.

28) Are you an adult?
Legally I am

29) Who is your best friend?
Chris

30) Do you have a tan?
No

31) Are you a television addict?
No, but I use to be hard core, I kicked the habit last year.

32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother?
She died. But when she was alive I did.

33) Are you a sugar freak?
No, I'm a salt freak


34) Do you like orange juice?
Yum

35) What sign are you?
I'm a Pisces.

36) Have you kissed anyone in the past week?
Yes and then some.

37) What are your plans for the weekend?
Birthday party

USELESS FACT: I have been a MySpacer for 5 1/2 months! Time flies...

LINKS:

Block Posters - Creat large wall posters from any size image. (We tried it, just make sure you have plenty of ink!)

Top ten foods for a good night's sleep --Get a solid 7-8 hours sleep.

Extreme Makeover Family May Lose House - Great show

Squirrel Fishing - New approach to fishing

Teacher Arrested For Snorting Cocaine in Front of Students


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Your 2005 Song Is

Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day "My shadow's the only one that walks beside me My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating" In 2005, you bummed everyone out. Like you care.

What Hit Song of 2005 Are You?

This weekend I found out that little Cortney can really smash a ball. On Sunday which was cloudy I began to feel better and Jim has been wanting to hit up the batting cages, Cortney was smacking the hell outta the balls so this month we're signing the kid up for baseball. Make us proud Cortney...your gonna be a star, in the hall of fame, have your picture on a cereal box of Wheaties and pay for your good ole parents to retire with a house on the lake, but hey, no pressure honey.

I hate colds and slept through most of Saturday. But I did manage to get the messy refridgerator with grape Kool-aid stains cleaned out.


Food Gone Bad

THE GAG TEST
Anything that makes you gag is spoiled (except for leftovers from what you cooked for yourself last night).

EGGS
When something starts pecking its way out of the shell, the egg is probably past its prime.

DAIRY PRODUCTS
Milk is spoiled when it starts to look like yogurt. Yogurt is spoiled when it starts to look like cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is spoiled when it starts to look like regular cheese. Regular cheese is nothing but spoiled milk anyway and can't get any more spoiled than it is already.

MAYONNAISE
If it makes you violently ill after you eat it, the mayonnaise is spoiled.

FROZEN FOODS
Frozen foods that have become an integral part of the defrosting problem in your freezer compartment will probably be spoiled - (or wrecked anyway) by the time you pry them out with a kitchen knife.

MEAT
If opening the refrigerator door causes stray animals from a three-block radius to congregate outside your house, the meat is spoiled.

LETTUCE
Bibb lettuce is spoiled when you can't get it off the bottom of the vegetable crisper without Comet.

CANNED GOODS
Any canned goods that have become the size or shape of a basketball should be disposed of. Carefully.

CARROTS
A carrot that you can tie a clove hitch in is not fresh.

WINE
It should not taste like vinagerette salad dressing.

POTATOES
Fresh potatoes do not have roots, branches, or dense, leafy undergrowth.

CHIP DIP
If you can take it out of its container and bounce it on the floor, it has gone bad.

GENERAL RULE OF THUMB:
Most food cannot be kept longer than the average life span of a hamster. Keep a hamster in your refrigerator to gauge this.

LINK OF THE DAY-- PaperBack Swap

Aussie shampoo in my hair

Not feeling good, I woke up from my NyQuil induced coma not being able to breath through my nose. So I took a hot steamy shower hoping that it would clear up, but SOMEONE who was making coffee turned on the kitchen sink AGAIN making the water cold and sending me scurring to the far corner trying to avoid the icy water. Of course as usual there was Aussie shampoo still in my hair. This cold water bath occurs on a monthly basis *grumbling*, I've blogged about it before. Then I made some eggs with Tabasco and that did the trick! I was clear....for awhile. I can't keep eating Tabasco sauce all day. Next I used Vicks Vapor Rub.

So, I'm sick. I feel chained to the PC because I can't rest until I close a couple deals on EBAY. I just finished one and have two more within the next 3 hours...one is doing better than I anticipated, I'm making a great profit. I wish I could be more excited about it, but I'm feeling so blah.

I can't wait to just lay down with some magazines and chamomile tea!

RIP - Anna Nichole Smith 1967-2007

15 Geek Movies

Top 15 geek movies to see before you die - by Dwight Silverman

• Brazil -- There are some geeks who'd argue you should just list "any film directed by Terry Gilliam," but I'm only putting three on my list. Brazil tops it, though, for the ultimate in skewed sci-fi dystopia. Geeks relate to its themes of freedom, longing and getting the girl, despite being quite dorky. Oh, and Robert DeNiro as a subversive air-conditioning repairman rocks, too.

• The Matrix -- Yeah, the second two in this series almost ruined the legacy of the first, but The Matrix remains an icon of geek culture. A fun mix of sci-fi, cyberpunk lit and sociopolitical commentary, it extends the notion of machines run amok further than any previous film. And after seeing it, I dare you not to wonder whether we all are, indeed, jacked in to some cheesy simulation of reality.

• The Fifth Element -- The best Terry Gilliam film he didn't make, The Fifth Element has some cheap special effects but makes the list for its vision of media, society and art. If the vocal performance of the tube-headed alien doesn't give you goose bumps, you're not alive. Oh yeah, and Bruce Willis is pounds of fun, too.

• Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan -- William Shatner's cry of "Khaaaaaaaaaaan!!!" has entered the Geek Movie Scene Hall of Fame, as has Chekov's getting an earful of a space worm. Lines such as "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or the one," uttered by Spock as he sacrifices himself to save the Enterprise, have entered the lexicon.

• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home -- The next-best film in the series makes the list for two wonderful scenes. The crew of the Enterprise comes back to mid-1980s Earth to save the future planet from destruction by a whale-loving alien. At one point, engineer Scotty confronts a Macintosh and tries to talk to it. Someone points out he should use the mouse, which he then picks up and says into it: "Computer!" Next is the scene in which Spock gives the Vulcan death grip to a rude, boombox-toting punk on a bus. Audiences still cheer that scene.

• Serenity -- Even if you've never watched the Firefly TV series, you owe it to yourself to see Serenity. It's easily the best Star Trek movie that's not a Star Trek movie, and you don't need to be versed in the characters to get what's going on. In fact, even if you didn't follow the series, you'll still weep when one of the major characters dies. This movie is smart, funny and hits the right balance between serious action and fun camp.

• Dark City -- There are those who hint, eyebrows arched, that The Matrix got its best ideas from Dark City, even though the latter was released just one year before the former. A city is reworked each night, people's memories are rewritten and those who begin to guess the truth are reprogrammed. This film owes a lot visually to earlier works, such as the films of Fritz Lang, F.W. Murnau and Robert Wiene.

• 12 Monkeys -- A Terry Gilliam/Bruce Willis pairing, 12 Monkeys is a little less serious in its dystopian vision. Willis travels back in time in an attempt to prevent a virus from ravaging the future. The film is worth it for Brad Pitt's best performance ever, as a crazed environmental terrorist. A review at the Internet Movie Database offers a grammatically garbled warning to take to heart, though: ". . .this movie needs your attention the forthcoming two hours and you better not miss some minutes for getting a coke as there is a danger you can't follow." I think I agree . . .

• Shaun of the Dead -- This is both the best parody of a zombie movie ever made, and the best zombie movie ever made. All zombie movies are political commentary -- the masses are mindless and dangerous, yada yada -- but few of them have as much fun with it as this one. In Shaun of the Dead, the heroes are misfits and geeks who bust through the conventions of zombie filmdom. It will be hard to make a zombie movie with a straight face from here on out.

• Darkman -- Sam Raimi does a comic book movie, pre-Spider-Man. It's an updated version of Batman with a darker heart and more attitude, in which a scientist is horribly disfigured by thugs and uses his brains to outwit their brawn to wreak vengeance. In other words, geeks harassed in high school by jocks for being science nerds will relate.

• Army of Darkness -- More Sam Raimi, this time capping off his Evil Dead series with a more mainstream and approachable film. Bruce Campbell, arguably the king of geek actors, reprises his Ash role as he's sucked back in time to the Middle Ages. Ash is both brilliant and brilliantly dumb, playing a geek who succeeds in spite of himself. Best scenes -- Ash assembles a replacement for the arm he hacked off in Evil Dead II, and he does battle with a demon in the aisles of an "S-Mart".

• War Games -- Possibly the first film to give mainstream audiences a taste of hacker culture -- sanitized though it was -- War Games is both a period piece and a source of geek lexicon. The term wardialing, the practice of dialing random phone numbers until you find a modem to connect to, came from this film. That later morphed in to wardriving -- cruising the streets in search of unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Geeks will also have a great time watching for the techno-mistakes, which are legion.

• Monty Python and the Holy Grail -- I occasionally run into geeks who say, "I've never seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but I feel like I have." I think it's fair to argue that the Pythons invented geek humor, and this movie is its pinnacle. Note to serious geeks: You shouldn't just have seen this movie, you should pwn it.

• Office Space -- No film has captured what it's like to work at an "enlightened" high-tech workplace as has Office Space, which bombed when first released but has become a cult hit on DVD. Who among us hasn't wanted to smash the office fax machine with a baseball bat while profane hip hop plays in the background?

• Repo Man -- Directed by Alex Cox, this movie is best known for having been produced by former Monkee Mike Nesmith (the smart, talented one). Emilio Estevez plays a punk who takes a job as a repo man. "Repo man is intense," Harry Dean Stanton tells him, and that's an understatement. Geek alienation and the blanding down of mainstream society are the themes here. Those who missed the 1980s may not get the references to black-and-white generics -- Estevez dines from a can marked simply "Food" -- but a little history lesson never hurt anyone.

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Dwight has a pretty good list, but I would take out Brazil, Dark City, Darkman and Army of Darkness and replace them with:

BladeRunner: I can't believe it wasn't on his list.

Planet of the Apes: Apes ruling the world, doesn't get much better than that.

Star Wars: It's Star Wars, need I say more?

Tron: I played that game everyday during the summer at the 7-Eleven. That video machine probably ate $300 worth of my quarters, so you bet I was first in line for the movie.

Independence Day and The Terminator would be my runner-ups

Those are my favorites, what are yours?

Link of the day: Your Name on Toast

Super Bowl Hype

Last year Jimmy and I went shopping for home appliances during the first half of the Super Bowl game. For the last half I watched the Sea Chickens lose while eating appetizers and drinking Long Island's at Joshua's.
While out running errands I couldn't help notice how deserted the streets were. At 2 of the stores they kept the customers updated on the score over the intercom. What? If I'm out shopping, it probably means I don't care about the score or the Super Bowl. If I cared I would be at home, a party or a sports bar with Jim high fiving, yelling at the big screen, stuffing our faces with chips, gorging on food and pounding down beer while being sucked into the most over-rated TV event of the year.

At this point I would like to say that I like football, hell we play Madden Football 2006 on the PS2 all the time. Heated games that we bet household chores on. But lately I've had this creepy realization that the Super Bowl and the commercialism surrounding it is all about corperate greed.

So this year instead of watching the Super Bowl, the hyped commercials and Prince at half time, we painted Andrew's room. We bought some paint, a coat rack and some trim at the almost empty HomeDepot. Andrew's room turned out terrific! Still needs work, but we got a lot accomplished.

Afterwards we rewarded ourselves with pizza at Gordy's



This is the best pizza place ever, we had a coupon which tremendously drove down the price. They also had the daily buy one chicken fettucine get one free. So we took advantage of that too. I couldn't finish mine as the sauce was very rich.
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And for laughs........

Porn star Ron Jeremy as Mario!