Please, for the love of eating choices, please, stop using meat dishes as gauges for how "good" a restaurant's food is. PLEASE! I am BEGGING you on bended knees with clasped hands and tears in my eyes!!!!!
When you suggest a place to eat, and go on and on, and rattle off a grocery list of stuff that you've eaten, it does no good whatsoever for you to say, "The lamb was DELICOUS! So tender! We've also had the broiled chicken, and it was some of the best chicken we've ever eaten. The rib roast was also very good, very juicy..."
Why the HECK would someone who doesn't eat meat, and is repulsed by it, give a good God damn about the meat dishes? What we want to know is how the VEGETARIAN dishes are. If we ask, "OK, but how is the vegetarian food there," and you say, "I don't know, we don't have to eat vegetarian food so we've never ordered it," please consider what you are really saying.
What you are really saying is that you think we live a life deprived of culinary goodness, and that you are really super closed minded.
Now, if you want us to agree to your choice of restaurant with enthusiasm so we can avoid still yet another trip to Fresh Choice---and BTW---I DETEST a buffet because if I'm paying $13 a plate for something, I do not want fucking SALAD and do not want to have to clean up my own table, or worse, someone else's mess so I can sit down--then give the vegetarian fare at your favorite restaurant a try, and let us know if THAT was any good.
Can you do that, please? Please???? And guess what? You MIGHT just discover vegetarian food isn't so bad afterall, and you MIGHT discover you have a new favorite entree in that establishment!
And since I'm here---to all you omnivore restaurant workers, if someone says, "I do not eat animal products. What comes in this dish," do not say, "Chicken, veggies, um... avocado... umm... do you want chicken? You can get it with beef or shrimp, too..." Chicken, beef, and shrimp are all animals. OK? We do not care about the damn CHICKEN, we do not want the damn CHICKEN. I've had the chicken conversation no fewer than 5 times this month, and will have it again before the month is through. I'm over the damn 'getting it with chicken' conversation, and have to have it EVERY time we eat in a non-vegetarian restaurant, and in my city, there is only one of those.
And since some of us detest things like onions and raw bell peppers, don't say, "veggies." TELL ME WHAT IS IN IT! Either that, or talk your manager into offering menus with more detailed descriptions so I don't have to ask you anything and fry your brain. Looking at a menu that says, "Chopped salad," does someone with my eating habits NO GOOD whatsoever.
If I order something that contains "veggies," am I going to have to suffer through a plate of sauteed onions and peppers, or what? Does it come with ANYTHING exciting? What kinds of vegetation do you have in the building so that I can, perhaps, create my OWN dish? I promise I'll be nice about EVERYTHING and smile, and scrape, and bow, and act like you are the Queen of England, just GIVE ME DETAILS!!!
Thank you.
Let's eat.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Dear Stupid Parents @ Ikea
I would LOVE to extend my sympathies to you for having such a rotten daughter, but I cannot for I fear your daughter is the way she is because of the two of you.
Oh, am I catching you off guard? Do you not remember who I was? I'm the mother of the little girl your daughter slapped for no reason whatsoever today. To be more specific since your bratty kid so clearly does this all the time---my daughter was wearing the pink and green dotted dress with the flower on the front, and pink ladybug Crocs. Remember us now?
My child is not perfect and I have no illusions about her behavior, but one thing she is not is hateful and aggressive. She is also not a hitter, and does not aim to hurt anyone.
Sometimes kids are just little assholes. There is no delicate way to put it---they just are. We all have days when we daydream about setting our kids free in the park to be raised by the pond ducks, and in your case, the pond ducks would probably do a better job of parenting than you seem to be. The point is, I get it. Your kid COULD have been having a bad day today, however, something you said, and your reaction to her action, explained things pretty well.
When your butthead little girl struck my child, completely unprovoked, you never offered an explanation, or an excuse, or an apology. In fact, you refused to look at me or my husband and acknowledge what your child did at all. And then, when she approached Miss Muffet again, and Miss Muffet began crying again, all you said to your child was, "See? Now she's afraid of you." This statement told me you have gone through this with your kid before, and that you've come to expect it.
What have you done to try and change the behavior? Anything? Nothing? I'm guessing nothing. I'm also guessing she learned this behavior at home. Either you hit her all the time, or an older sibling does because, generally speaking, kids who are not struck will not hit other children, especially for no reason.
My daughter was having a really great day until she came across your demon spawn. She put on a new dress, she had her Tiana hairstyle going (well, MY version of it since I've no hairpins and no hairstyling finesse whatsoever), we'd just finished having lunch at Rubio's, we were talking about her playdates this week, and when we got to Ikea, she couldn't WAIT to go hang out in the kid's area. Mind you---it was her FIRST VISIT to the kid's area, so THANKS for fucking it all up. Miss Muffet is exceedingly cautious due to being a highly sensitive child, and sometimes with these kids all it takes is one unsavory experience to turn them off of something for the foreseeable future, and it takes lots of patience and dedication to get them ready to even consider trying again. She wanted to go do her own thing today, and "play like the big kids," while we shopped. Going to the kid area had been HER idea, and we felt it was a very brave, mature choice for her to make.
All we were doing was standing in line. Miss Muffet and your child weren't even speaking or interacting, and then your child just hauled off and SLAPPED mine right across her face!! I gasped audibly, and after the moment of shock wore off, Miss Muffet began crying, and it wasn't just from the physical pain of being slapped. She was insulted and her feelings were deeply hurt. And you stood there and watched every single moment of it and said and did NOTHING!
In the time that we were in line behind you, I had a premonition. If you keep "parenting" your child the way you are, guess what she's going to grow up to be? Don't worry, I won't keep you in suspense: girl gang member. Doesn't it sound like FUN? Won't you be so PROUD?
You know how girl gang members get initiated, don't you? If not, you may want to read this right here, and then see if you would like to arrest your daughter's behavior and regain control now, or if you'd like the penal system to do it. Oh, sure making such a large leap from slapping an innocent bystander to gang member may SEEM like a slippery slope argument, but your attitude about what happened was really telling. If my daughter had committed and act such as this, I would have been MORTIFIED. My child would have been told to apologize, and I would have apologized profusely on her behalf, and blathering like an idiot, trying to make it better. There is no excuse for what your child did to mine.
And I'd also like to say there are days when I feel there is no point in trying to raise my kids to be respectful and friendly. For Edgar, it's not such a big deal anymore, he's 19, he can call a dick a dick--and he does, but for Miss Muffet, who is still learning, her nature is to be friendly and outgoing. She likes to meet new people and make new friends. When we come across children who refuse to engage, won't say, 'hello,' after she's tried to introduce herself, or SLAP HER FACE for no reason, I really want to throw up my hands and go around telling everyone what I think of their kids, using strings of bad words to do it, and then give her carte blanche to be as rude and bitchy as she wants to be, punching, kicking, biting, and hitting everyone in her path.
Every time we experience some other fucked up child who REFUSES to even TRY to be nice, I just want to throw up my hands and say, "What is the point? Why do I bother? Surely there are OTHER nice kids out there with parents who care about TRYING to get their kids to do the right thing? Are we ALONE? Are there NO other nice families out there? Has there been a zombie apocalypse, only instead of being overrun by zombies, the planet has been overrun by dicks, bitches, and assholes raising fucked up, cunty kids?"
All the fucked up, cunty kids we come across on a daily basis are changing my daughter in ways that I dislike. Her spark is fizzling. Her desire to meet new kids and play with them is dying. In play places, she keeps to herself, rather than try to engage.
It's all because of parents like YOU and your aggressive children and their unchecked behaviors. Pull your heads out of your asses and be more pro-active. Take charge of your children's behavioral issues and at least make the effort to churn out decent human beings.
And in the future, when your devil-possessed daughter slaps someone else for no reason at all, offer some kind of acknowledgement, excuse, or SOMETHING. MAKE! THE! EFFORT! And if you choose to take the lazy way out, just like the one family who used to live up the street from us, all I can tell you is, "Best of luck." Cuz the kids in that family didn't turn out so well, and they were a lot like your daughter. So, have fun with your future gang member. You might want to start looking up parole agents and bail bondsmen now because you'll need the information in about 10 years.
To anyone else who stumbles across this entry:
Are you trying to raise your kids to be decent people? If so, I want to hear from you. You can relay a story if you want, or just leave me a one-liner that says, "I'm trying to teach my kids right from wrong."
Seriously, I need to hear from you because I'm losing hope. I really am.
Oh, am I catching you off guard? Do you not remember who I was? I'm the mother of the little girl your daughter slapped for no reason whatsoever today. To be more specific since your bratty kid so clearly does this all the time---my daughter was wearing the pink and green dotted dress with the flower on the front, and pink ladybug Crocs. Remember us now?
My child is not perfect and I have no illusions about her behavior, but one thing she is not is hateful and aggressive. She is also not a hitter, and does not aim to hurt anyone.
Sometimes kids are just little assholes. There is no delicate way to put it---they just are. We all have days when we daydream about setting our kids free in the park to be raised by the pond ducks, and in your case, the pond ducks would probably do a better job of parenting than you seem to be. The point is, I get it. Your kid COULD have been having a bad day today, however, something you said, and your reaction to her action, explained things pretty well.
When your butthead little girl struck my child, completely unprovoked, you never offered an explanation, or an excuse, or an apology. In fact, you refused to look at me or my husband and acknowledge what your child did at all. And then, when she approached Miss Muffet again, and Miss Muffet began crying again, all you said to your child was, "See? Now she's afraid of you." This statement told me you have gone through this with your kid before, and that you've come to expect it.
What have you done to try and change the behavior? Anything? Nothing? I'm guessing nothing. I'm also guessing she learned this behavior at home. Either you hit her all the time, or an older sibling does because, generally speaking, kids who are not struck will not hit other children, especially for no reason.
My daughter was having a really great day until she came across your demon spawn. She put on a new dress, she had her Tiana hairstyle going (well, MY version of it since I've no hairpins and no hairstyling finesse whatsoever), we'd just finished having lunch at Rubio's, we were talking about her playdates this week, and when we got to Ikea, she couldn't WAIT to go hang out in the kid's area. Mind you---it was her FIRST VISIT to the kid's area, so THANKS for fucking it all up. Miss Muffet is exceedingly cautious due to being a highly sensitive child, and sometimes with these kids all it takes is one unsavory experience to turn them off of something for the foreseeable future, and it takes lots of patience and dedication to get them ready to even consider trying again. She wanted to go do her own thing today, and "play like the big kids," while we shopped. Going to the kid area had been HER idea, and we felt it was a very brave, mature choice for her to make.
All we were doing was standing in line. Miss Muffet and your child weren't even speaking or interacting, and then your child just hauled off and SLAPPED mine right across her face!! I gasped audibly, and after the moment of shock wore off, Miss Muffet began crying, and it wasn't just from the physical pain of being slapped. She was insulted and her feelings were deeply hurt. And you stood there and watched every single moment of it and said and did NOTHING!
In the time that we were in line behind you, I had a premonition. If you keep "parenting" your child the way you are, guess what she's going to grow up to be? Don't worry, I won't keep you in suspense: girl gang member. Doesn't it sound like FUN? Won't you be so PROUD?
You know how girl gang members get initiated, don't you? If not, you may want to read this right here, and then see if you would like to arrest your daughter's behavior and regain control now, or if you'd like the penal system to do it. Oh, sure making such a large leap from slapping an innocent bystander to gang member may SEEM like a slippery slope argument, but your attitude about what happened was really telling. If my daughter had committed and act such as this, I would have been MORTIFIED. My child would have been told to apologize, and I would have apologized profusely on her behalf, and blathering like an idiot, trying to make it better. There is no excuse for what your child did to mine.
And I'd also like to say there are days when I feel there is no point in trying to raise my kids to be respectful and friendly. For Edgar, it's not such a big deal anymore, he's 19, he can call a dick a dick--and he does, but for Miss Muffet, who is still learning, her nature is to be friendly and outgoing. She likes to meet new people and make new friends. When we come across children who refuse to engage, won't say, 'hello,' after she's tried to introduce herself, or SLAP HER FACE for no reason, I really want to throw up my hands and go around telling everyone what I think of their kids, using strings of bad words to do it, and then give her carte blanche to be as rude and bitchy as she wants to be, punching, kicking, biting, and hitting everyone in her path.
Every time we experience some other fucked up child who REFUSES to even TRY to be nice, I just want to throw up my hands and say, "What is the point? Why do I bother? Surely there are OTHER nice kids out there with parents who care about TRYING to get their kids to do the right thing? Are we ALONE? Are there NO other nice families out there? Has there been a zombie apocalypse, only instead of being overrun by zombies, the planet has been overrun by dicks, bitches, and assholes raising fucked up, cunty kids?"
All the fucked up, cunty kids we come across on a daily basis are changing my daughter in ways that I dislike. Her spark is fizzling. Her desire to meet new kids and play with them is dying. In play places, she keeps to herself, rather than try to engage.
It's all because of parents like YOU and your aggressive children and their unchecked behaviors. Pull your heads out of your asses and be more pro-active. Take charge of your children's behavioral issues and at least make the effort to churn out decent human beings.
And in the future, when your devil-possessed daughter slaps someone else for no reason at all, offer some kind of acknowledgement, excuse, or SOMETHING. MAKE! THE! EFFORT! And if you choose to take the lazy way out, just like the one family who used to live up the street from us, all I can tell you is, "Best of luck." Cuz the kids in that family didn't turn out so well, and they were a lot like your daughter. So, have fun with your future gang member. You might want to start looking up parole agents and bail bondsmen now because you'll need the information in about 10 years.
To anyone else who stumbles across this entry:
Are you trying to raise your kids to be decent people? If so, I want to hear from you. You can relay a story if you want, or just leave me a one-liner that says, "I'm trying to teach my kids right from wrong."
Seriously, I need to hear from you because I'm losing hope. I really am.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Even MORE on the New Vegan Family
Mr. Guillotine had a long talk with his doctor friend yesterday. This doctor friend is as by the book as they come, and he is now questioning all the medical knowledge he was taught.
He no longer has to take insulin on a daily basis, and when he does, he only needs 2 units of it. His cholesterol numbers have improved and he has lost weight. His blood pressure is also lower and more regular. He feels so much better, and he has been looking into the idea of food as medicine.
He said he should have began eating a vegan diet 10 years ago! He really didn't think food had any impact on health, that whatever happened was going to happen either through environmental impacts or heredity. He says he is living proof that eliminating meat and dairy from the diet will do WONDERS for a body. Mind you, he's only been eating this way about a month, or so, and he is ALREADY seeing improvements.
People, he's just one person. There are many, many others who have decided to eliminate animal products from their diets and who have experienced improved health. Veganism WORKS! The reason why it is not promoted, and is frequently refuted as being healthful, is because our government and big pharma make money when people continue living on the products of slaughter animals.
In short---if you really want to stick it to the government, stop eating animals and their products! Seriously! And you'll feel better!
To quote our doctor friend, "I'm never going back. I had no idea my health would improve THIS much by simply eliminating certain foods. I'm eating this way for the rest of my life."
Love yourself enough to give yourself a belated Valentine's Day gift---go vegan, or at the very least, vegetarian. Your body will thank you.
He no longer has to take insulin on a daily basis, and when he does, he only needs 2 units of it. His cholesterol numbers have improved and he has lost weight. His blood pressure is also lower and more regular. He feels so much better, and he has been looking into the idea of food as medicine.
He said he should have began eating a vegan diet 10 years ago! He really didn't think food had any impact on health, that whatever happened was going to happen either through environmental impacts or heredity. He says he is living proof that eliminating meat and dairy from the diet will do WONDERS for a body. Mind you, he's only been eating this way about a month, or so, and he is ALREADY seeing improvements.
People, he's just one person. There are many, many others who have decided to eliminate animal products from their diets and who have experienced improved health. Veganism WORKS! The reason why it is not promoted, and is frequently refuted as being healthful, is because our government and big pharma make money when people continue living on the products of slaughter animals.
In short---if you really want to stick it to the government, stop eating animals and their products! Seriously! And you'll feel better!
To quote our doctor friend, "I'm never going back. I had no idea my health would improve THIS much by simply eliminating certain foods. I'm eating this way for the rest of my life."
Love yourself enough to give yourself a belated Valentine's Day gift---go vegan, or at the very least, vegetarian. Your body will thank you.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Time For A New Skyrim Game?
Sparkleshine, my character in Skyrim, is now level 57. She got her achievement for obtaining 100,000 gold, and owns three homes. She would like to own a fourth, however, the quest to obtain it, Blood On The Ice, is glitched no matter what she tries to trigger it. It's just bugged, and that's that. She cannot fulfill her desire to be thane all over Skyrim because she cannot own the house in Windhelm.
And speaking of Windhelm, I know it's a ghetto and Ulfric doesn't care about anyone but Nords, but he's way sexy, don't you think? Sparklesine likey!
Speaking of the sexy men of Skyrim, a friend from Ravelry pointed me in this direction. It's called FuckYeahSexyMenOfSkyrim, and it needs to be seen. The game's got some HOT men! One of them, who resembles The Bean, as in Sean Bean the Badass, is named Brynjolf and when he pulls that, "Sorry, lass, no time to talk," nonsense on her, Sparkleshine just wants to slam him up against a wall and say, "MAKE TIME," and jam her tongue in his mouth while feeling him up. Yeah, yeah, she's married to Stenvar, and he's hot, too, but he's too noisy when she's sneaking through caves so she has to leave him home all the time. Brynjolf is a member of the Thieves Guild so he knows about shadows and sneaking. And did I mention he reminds a girl of the Bean?
Anyway, Sparkleshine is nearly done with her quests. You should see how busy she's been! There are still several achievements to get, but one of them, Oblivion Walker, cannot be attained with this character because I blew the Merunes Dagon quest. I refused to kill this dude on a mountaintop altar, so Mehrune sent some daedric goons after me. They killed the dude I was supposed to whack, and then I had to snuff them out and now Mehrune's Razor is forever lost, and to get Oblivion Walker, you must collect several daedric artifacts with one character. Soooo.... my next character can do all that. Which means there is no point in making Sparkleshine go through all of that.
She also needs to finish the main quest, but since the other character will finish that one, there is no point in making Sparkleshine do it.
In short, there really is no reason to keep playing Sparkleshine except that she's uber powerful now in her dragonscale armor and use of daedric bows and daggers. She can bring down a dragon in no time, and she's had to kill a few giants, and they come down with three arrows. She never has to go near them.
I may start playing Oblivion first now that I'm better with weapons and combat and then when that's about finished, start another Skyrim character.
What I'm really eager for is new content from Bethesda. Can't WAIT for that. It will be good, I'm sure.
And speaking of Windhelm, I know it's a ghetto and Ulfric doesn't care about anyone but Nords, but he's way sexy, don't you think? Sparklesine likey!
Speaking of the sexy men of Skyrim, a friend from Ravelry pointed me in this direction. It's called FuckYeahSexyMenOfSkyrim, and it needs to be seen. The game's got some HOT men! One of them, who resembles The Bean, as in Sean Bean the Badass, is named Brynjolf and when he pulls that, "Sorry, lass, no time to talk," nonsense on her, Sparkleshine just wants to slam him up against a wall and say, "MAKE TIME," and jam her tongue in his mouth while feeling him up. Yeah, yeah, she's married to Stenvar, and he's hot, too, but he's too noisy when she's sneaking through caves so she has to leave him home all the time. Brynjolf is a member of the Thieves Guild so he knows about shadows and sneaking. And did I mention he reminds a girl of the Bean?
Anyway, Sparkleshine is nearly done with her quests. You should see how busy she's been! There are still several achievements to get, but one of them, Oblivion Walker, cannot be attained with this character because I blew the Merunes Dagon quest. I refused to kill this dude on a mountaintop altar, so Mehrune sent some daedric goons after me. They killed the dude I was supposed to whack, and then I had to snuff them out and now Mehrune's Razor is forever lost, and to get Oblivion Walker, you must collect several daedric artifacts with one character. Soooo.... my next character can do all that. Which means there is no point in making Sparkleshine go through all of that.
She also needs to finish the main quest, but since the other character will finish that one, there is no point in making Sparkleshine do it.
In short, there really is no reason to keep playing Sparkleshine except that she's uber powerful now in her dragonscale armor and use of daedric bows and daggers. She can bring down a dragon in no time, and she's had to kill a few giants, and they come down with three arrows. She never has to go near them.
I may start playing Oblivion first now that I'm better with weapons and combat and then when that's about finished, start another Skyrim character.
What I'm really eager for is new content from Bethesda. Can't WAIT for that. It will be good, I'm sure.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Whitney Houston, RIP
Another singing legend is gone. In the words of Neil Young, every junkie is like a setting sun, and in Whitney's case, this used to be true. She used to be great. This is a woman who could come into a recording studio and nail a song in one take, and it would turn into a zillion seller. It's really sad what became of her life and how she threw her gift away, while giving us lots of material to parody like, "Crack is wack," and "I want to see the receipts from the drug dealer," when trying to say she never bought $730,000 worth of drugs from someone.
And who could for get my favorite Whitney line ever? She should have never done that reality show. It's possible if people hadn't seen what she really was at home she could have stayed a bit closer to the top of the musical food chain.
This kind of thing is EXACTLY why I think famous people should just show up, recite their lines, or sing their songs, and go home. We don't need to know every little thing about them, or get their input on the issues. Who cares what Tom Hanks thinks about the war in Iraq? If his opinion differs from your own are you suddenly going to change sides because it's Tom Hanks? If he agrees with you, are you going to feel validated for thinking the way you do? Please.
It was really interesting for me to watch the Grammys last night. I haven't watched them in years, but here we had Whitney's death casting a pall over the show, while Adele was the new rising star, as if Whitney was passing along the torch. While I think Adele has a really neat voice, she is nowhere near what Whitney used to be, and I say this as someone who never owned a Whitney record, and who had actually been sick of her overexposure for a great many years.
And since we're gathered here together, I'd like to say LL Cool J was a GREAT host last night! After not watching the Grammys for at least nine years, maybe more, to tune in and see him bring class, and taste, and charm to a function that had become a low rent circus, I was more than impressed, and if he's the host next year, I will absolutely tune in again! LL Cool J was perfection! I liked him anyway, but now I just adore him.
Anyway, while Adele seems sweet, and it was endearing to watch her say 'thank you' with an 'F', and she is obviously grateful for winning seven awards last night, I really sat down and paid attention to her performance. She was flat and sharp all over the place---something Whitney would have never been at the peak of her career. After seeing Adele's performance, I went in search of others online, and found pretty much the same thing---she doesn't have the gift. She's got appeal, and she's got luck.
For the record, I don't hate Adele, but if she is the new standard it just makes me sad. At least she can MOSTLY sing live. So many new artists can't and they don't even try, and they're not really good at lip syncing either. The other thing I dislike about Adele is that her songs are amateurish. They're just these rants set to music and she crams too many lyrics into too short a space. She's got some good lines, but those lines are paired with bad writing. It will be interesting to see her maturation as a lyric writer.
Whitney had an advantage since she was singing material written by established songwriters who do nothing but write songs for others to sing. She was given material by some of the best in the business. The songs she penned herself didn't sell so well. Her mega-hits were all written by someone else. So, I give Adele credit for writing her own material.
Getting back to Whitney's death, the night before she officially died, someone in her hotel was complaining of water leaking into his room from the suite above. She wasn't "found" until close to 4 p.m, but the leaking tub happened at 2:30 a.m., so what was really going on in that room?
The other curious thing is how quickly the autopsy took place. How decomposed was that body? How long had she really been in that tub? Water will cause a body to decompose more quickly, so a few things aren't adding up.
And poor Bobby Kristina. She's freaked out by her mother's death because she was in one of the nearby suites as her mother was ODing on prescription drugs and booze, and drowning (or being drowned) in a tub. She will blame herself for not "saving" her mother for the rest of her life, and wonder what she could have, or should have, done.
The answer is: nothing. A junkie has to love herself enough to stop using and get help. Loved ones cannot save an addict.
At any rate, someone who used to be truly great is gone now, and that's a shame. What really sucks is that instead of going out on top, she's going to be remembered for her trashy behavior on TV with her ex-husband, and for delivering substandard performances. Right now, she's just another substance abuser who turned herself into a laughingstock before leaving the world. No one will remember that she won over 400 awards throughout the course of her life.
And what does a person do with that many awards? They sound like a dusting headache. Do you display them? Put them in storage? Having never won anything except a radio giveaway for being the 8th caller (tickets to see Animotion, no less--not much of a prize, wouldn't you agree?), this is one problem with which I've never had to deal.
Really, what DO celebrities do with their awards? I can see displaying some of them in a special awards room, or something, but over 400? What do you do with THAT many? What would you do with that many?
Anyway, goodbye, Whitney. It's a shame your sun had to set the way it did.
And who could for get my favorite Whitney line ever? She should have never done that reality show. It's possible if people hadn't seen what she really was at home she could have stayed a bit closer to the top of the musical food chain.
This kind of thing is EXACTLY why I think famous people should just show up, recite their lines, or sing their songs, and go home. We don't need to know every little thing about them, or get their input on the issues. Who cares what Tom Hanks thinks about the war in Iraq? If his opinion differs from your own are you suddenly going to change sides because it's Tom Hanks? If he agrees with you, are you going to feel validated for thinking the way you do? Please.
It was really interesting for me to watch the Grammys last night. I haven't watched them in years, but here we had Whitney's death casting a pall over the show, while Adele was the new rising star, as if Whitney was passing along the torch. While I think Adele has a really neat voice, she is nowhere near what Whitney used to be, and I say this as someone who never owned a Whitney record, and who had actually been sick of her overexposure for a great many years.
And since we're gathered here together, I'd like to say LL Cool J was a GREAT host last night! After not watching the Grammys for at least nine years, maybe more, to tune in and see him bring class, and taste, and charm to a function that had become a low rent circus, I was more than impressed, and if he's the host next year, I will absolutely tune in again! LL Cool J was perfection! I liked him anyway, but now I just adore him.
Anyway, while Adele seems sweet, and it was endearing to watch her say 'thank you' with an 'F', and she is obviously grateful for winning seven awards last night, I really sat down and paid attention to her performance. She was flat and sharp all over the place---something Whitney would have never been at the peak of her career. After seeing Adele's performance, I went in search of others online, and found pretty much the same thing---she doesn't have the gift. She's got appeal, and she's got luck.
For the record, I don't hate Adele, but if she is the new standard it just makes me sad. At least she can MOSTLY sing live. So many new artists can't and they don't even try, and they're not really good at lip syncing either. The other thing I dislike about Adele is that her songs are amateurish. They're just these rants set to music and she crams too many lyrics into too short a space. She's got some good lines, but those lines are paired with bad writing. It will be interesting to see her maturation as a lyric writer.
Whitney had an advantage since she was singing material written by established songwriters who do nothing but write songs for others to sing. She was given material by some of the best in the business. The songs she penned herself didn't sell so well. Her mega-hits were all written by someone else. So, I give Adele credit for writing her own material.
Getting back to Whitney's death, the night before she officially died, someone in her hotel was complaining of water leaking into his room from the suite above. She wasn't "found" until close to 4 p.m, but the leaking tub happened at 2:30 a.m., so what was really going on in that room?
The other curious thing is how quickly the autopsy took place. How decomposed was that body? How long had she really been in that tub? Water will cause a body to decompose more quickly, so a few things aren't adding up.
And poor Bobby Kristina. She's freaked out by her mother's death because she was in one of the nearby suites as her mother was ODing on prescription drugs and booze, and drowning (or being drowned) in a tub. She will blame herself for not "saving" her mother for the rest of her life, and wonder what she could have, or should have, done.
The answer is: nothing. A junkie has to love herself enough to stop using and get help. Loved ones cannot save an addict.
At any rate, someone who used to be truly great is gone now, and that's a shame. What really sucks is that instead of going out on top, she's going to be remembered for her trashy behavior on TV with her ex-husband, and for delivering substandard performances. Right now, she's just another substance abuser who turned herself into a laughingstock before leaving the world. No one will remember that she won over 400 awards throughout the course of her life.
And what does a person do with that many awards? They sound like a dusting headache. Do you display them? Put them in storage? Having never won anything except a radio giveaway for being the 8th caller (tickets to see Animotion, no less--not much of a prize, wouldn't you agree?), this is one problem with which I've never had to deal.
Really, what DO celebrities do with their awards? I can see displaying some of them in a special awards room, or something, but over 400? What do you do with THAT many? What would you do with that many?
Anyway, goodbye, Whitney. It's a shame your sun had to set the way it did.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
It's No Skyrim, but it's Fun!
For Christmas, my housemales went in halvsies and got me a red Nintendo 3DS and a copy of Nintendogs + Cats. The price of the system came wayyyyyyyy down to a price more in tune with what Nintendo should have charged for it in the beginning, but I'd still planned on picking up a used one when Animal Crossing is released.
Still, it's been nice to have this gizmo. Anyone who knows me, knows how I adore the DS. It's the best invention EVAR. I just love it. That said, I don't really give a rat's ass about the 3DS since I never use it to go online because the browser sucks so much ass, and never use it to watch Netflix for the same reason. Also, I never use the 3D feature because it makes me terribly "seasick".
Also, I resent, as I've said before, a company making a game that cannot be played on an older console, such as Nintendogs + Cats on the regular DS. The 3DS will, however, play older DS games just fine.
Anyway, Nintendogs + Cats is darling. The first thing I did was go get another schnauzer since I'd adored the one Miss Muffet deleted. Miss Muffet wanted a kitty, so we got one. Then we got a basset hound. Then, someone had to go to the dog hotel so we could get a dalmatian and another kitty.
And then, it happened. Miss Muffet had the 3DS on the couch, and was talking to a kitty named Jasper. She was trying to teach him his name and said, "I fink I confusing him." Oh, well, don't worry, just keep trying and he'll learn his name.
And suddenly, what she said registered---she was trying to teach a new kitty his name. Wait a minute. We had three animals at home, and two in the dog hotel. How did she manage to get another kitty when we can only have three in the house at a time?
I took the 3DS from her and said, "Where are my puppies?" She said, "I don't know..." Ohhhhh SHIT, shit shit shit shit! I opened the dog hotel and tried to swap and was told, "We don't have any of your pets..."
WHAT????? Ohhhhh, Miss Muffet, what did you DO???? Oh, little baby, what did you DO? Where are Mama's doggies? "I don't know..."
I couldn't get too mad at her since I knew it was inevitable that she would eventually delete my animals, but inside I was FUMING! Just FUMING! I was mad at myself and at her. So, rather than just get more doggies like the ones she deleted and move on, I deleted the ENTIRE game.
So, here are some of the previous pets, now deleted:
L-R: Panda, Ladybug, and Cupcake.
I now have two new doggies, and the 3DS is totally and completely off limits to Miss Muffet. She has deleted far too many of my games over the years, so we are done sharing. She can play our regular DSes if she needs portability.
As for the game itself, it's really cute, and the likenesses of the dogs is spot on. The behavior of the basset made me think of Bonnie Mae back when she was still young and healthy. The mannerisms and sound of the bark were exact.
I really like Street Pass, even though I take the 3DS everywhere I go and never street pass with anyone. I've been able to do it four times since Christmas.
What happens with street pass is your data gets exchanged with someone else's, and you can trade presents and when you get to your house, you can hook up with this person's pets and visit the park. Then, when your dog is on a walk in-game, you will bump into your street pass people and you can choose to spend time in the park together or in the cafe. Their data stays in the game, but their information only stays in your trainer journal for 30 days. Even though I deleted the game and began anew, I still meet up with the two people I street passed with on December 26th in a Game Stop. It's all in-game, of course.
It has a built-in game where you trade puzzle pieces to complete murals and another built-in adventure game, in which the people you street pass with help further your quest. They are both designed to encourage people to get out there and mingle, rather than stay home and game on the couch.
The 3DS has a pedometer in it, so I can tell how many steps I've taken in a day. For good health, everyone is supposed to take 10,000 steps each and every day. Up until four years ago when I was still roaming a college campus, I could do this in my sleep. Now that I'm home with Miss Muffet, I'm not doing anywhere NEAR that number anymore! hahaha It shows. My clothes are shrinking. Shhh. They're getting smaller, I'm not getting bigger!
If anyone lives near me, please take your 3DS with you. You may be leaving it at home because you never found anyone to Street Pass with, but there are still some of us out here waiting to street pass with you! We visit parks, Target, restaurants, Game Stops, record stores, Jo-Ann, Michael's, indoor play places---you name it. My 3DS goes with me EVERYWHERE, and I can't possibly be the only one hauling it around! Let's Street Pass!
Still, it's been nice to have this gizmo. Anyone who knows me, knows how I adore the DS. It's the best invention EVAR. I just love it. That said, I don't really give a rat's ass about the 3DS since I never use it to go online because the browser sucks so much ass, and never use it to watch Netflix for the same reason. Also, I never use the 3D feature because it makes me terribly "seasick".
Also, I resent, as I've said before, a company making a game that cannot be played on an older console, such as Nintendogs + Cats on the regular DS. The 3DS will, however, play older DS games just fine.
Anyway, Nintendogs + Cats is darling. The first thing I did was go get another schnauzer since I'd adored the one Miss Muffet deleted. Miss Muffet wanted a kitty, so we got one. Then we got a basset hound. Then, someone had to go to the dog hotel so we could get a dalmatian and another kitty.
And then, it happened. Miss Muffet had the 3DS on the couch, and was talking to a kitty named Jasper. She was trying to teach him his name and said, "I fink I confusing him." Oh, well, don't worry, just keep trying and he'll learn his name.
And suddenly, what she said registered---she was trying to teach a new kitty his name. Wait a minute. We had three animals at home, and two in the dog hotel. How did she manage to get another kitty when we can only have three in the house at a time?
I took the 3DS from her and said, "Where are my puppies?" She said, "I don't know..." Ohhhhh SHIT, shit shit shit shit! I opened the dog hotel and tried to swap and was told, "We don't have any of your pets..."
WHAT????? Ohhhhh, Miss Muffet, what did you DO???? Oh, little baby, what did you DO? Where are Mama's doggies? "I don't know..."
I couldn't get too mad at her since I knew it was inevitable that she would eventually delete my animals, but inside I was FUMING! Just FUMING! I was mad at myself and at her. So, rather than just get more doggies like the ones she deleted and move on, I deleted the ENTIRE game.
So, here are some of the previous pets, now deleted:
I now have two new doggies, and the 3DS is totally and completely off limits to Miss Muffet. She has deleted far too many of my games over the years, so we are done sharing. She can play our regular DSes if she needs portability.
As for the game itself, it's really cute, and the likenesses of the dogs is spot on. The behavior of the basset made me think of Bonnie Mae back when she was still young and healthy. The mannerisms and sound of the bark were exact.
I really like Street Pass, even though I take the 3DS everywhere I go and never street pass with anyone. I've been able to do it four times since Christmas.
What happens with street pass is your data gets exchanged with someone else's, and you can trade presents and when you get to your house, you can hook up with this person's pets and visit the park. Then, when your dog is on a walk in-game, you will bump into your street pass people and you can choose to spend time in the park together or in the cafe. Their data stays in the game, but their information only stays in your trainer journal for 30 days. Even though I deleted the game and began anew, I still meet up with the two people I street passed with on December 26th in a Game Stop. It's all in-game, of course.
It has a built-in game where you trade puzzle pieces to complete murals and another built-in adventure game, in which the people you street pass with help further your quest. They are both designed to encourage people to get out there and mingle, rather than stay home and game on the couch.
The 3DS has a pedometer in it, so I can tell how many steps I've taken in a day. For good health, everyone is supposed to take 10,000 steps each and every day. Up until four years ago when I was still roaming a college campus, I could do this in my sleep. Now that I'm home with Miss Muffet, I'm not doing anywhere NEAR that number anymore! hahaha It shows. My clothes are shrinking. Shhh. They're getting smaller, I'm not getting bigger!
If anyone lives near me, please take your 3DS with you. You may be leaving it at home because you never found anyone to Street Pass with, but there are still some of us out here waiting to street pass with you! We visit parks, Target, restaurants, Game Stops, record stores, Jo-Ann, Michael's, indoor play places---you name it. My 3DS goes with me EVERYWHERE, and I can't possibly be the only one hauling it around! Let's Street Pass!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
UPDATE: New Vegan Family
Remember the post from a few days ago about some friends of ours going vegan? I need to make this update because it's just the coolest thing ever.
The husband in that family has battled diabetes for a long time. Years. This family has been vegan a total of eight days, and today is the first time his blood sugar has been below 200 without medication in ages, and last night he said, he ate more food at dinner than he had in a long, long time. The quote from my own husband was, "Last night, I ate my ASS off." He never used to do that because of the affect on his blood sugar.
The vegan diet WORKS, people. If you are suffering with diabetes and other health problems, give veganism a try. Start slowly, one meal per week, and build your repertoire of dishes from there. The standard American diet and meat, cheese, eggs, and other foods that are supposed to be "good for us," are actually killing us.
The health issues of this nation; heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, et al, can all be attributed to processed foods and animal products.
HCFS is something else, we should all work to eliminate since it's been tied directly to diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, but one thing at a time. Start with one vegan meal per week. You won't be sorry. Who knows? You may even lose a few pounds in the process! Bikini season is just around the corner, you know!
UPDATEY UPDATE 2/11/12-----------------His new dose of insulin is now 2 units, and he does not need to take it every day. If memory serves, his previous dose was 5 or 6, each and every day.
He has dropped 13 pounds, and his cholesterol numbers have begun to improve, as well.
If you are not trying to eliminate animal products from your diet, you are really missing out on some FABULOUS health benefits, people.
The husband in that family has battled diabetes for a long time. Years. This family has been vegan a total of eight days, and today is the first time his blood sugar has been below 200 without medication in ages, and last night he said, he ate more food at dinner than he had in a long, long time. The quote from my own husband was, "Last night, I ate my ASS off." He never used to do that because of the affect on his blood sugar.
The vegan diet WORKS, people. If you are suffering with diabetes and other health problems, give veganism a try. Start slowly, one meal per week, and build your repertoire of dishes from there. The standard American diet and meat, cheese, eggs, and other foods that are supposed to be "good for us," are actually killing us.
The health issues of this nation; heart disease, stroke, diabetes, obesity, et al, can all be attributed to processed foods and animal products.
HCFS is something else, we should all work to eliminate since it's been tied directly to diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, but one thing at a time. Start with one vegan meal per week. You won't be sorry. Who knows? You may even lose a few pounds in the process! Bikini season is just around the corner, you know!
UPDATEY UPDATE 2/11/12-----------------His new dose of insulin is now 2 units, and he does not need to take it every day. If memory serves, his previous dose was 5 or 6, each and every day.
He has dropped 13 pounds, and his cholesterol numbers have begun to improve, as well.
If you are not trying to eliminate animal products from your diet, you are really missing out on some FABULOUS health benefits, people.
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