Info Stuff

This link is the best thing I've found on the web to date! It's a wonderful find. You will thank me.

The page shows how to get past the recordings for many companies and get to a customer service rep without using up your whole lunch hour wading through their systems.

Ta-dum! www.gethuman.com

Share it with someone you love.

Game Stuff

Where's jali?

I've been playing trivia EVERY SINGLE DAY - all day at this addictive website. I'm not listing the addy yet, I want to give you a chance to back away and run from the room.

The site is amazing! If you like music there are quizzes on every type of music you can imagine. do you love movies? There are literally thousands of movie quizzes. Literature, humanities, science, geography, history, celebrities, people, sports are just some of the other topics available.

I thought I knew alot about my "Friends". I clicked the "TV" link, then went to the listing for the letter "f" and found a page with a listing of "Friends" quizzes which blew my mind!

I've joined the page and I play in tournaments daily - I look at it as brain exercise for the brain addled. I was invited to join a trivia team and I'm having a ball hanging with the cool kids.

I decided to star my own trivia tournament thing which you can find at Play our Daily Trivia Game! New Questions Daily!.

If you don't like my general quiz, then click the top of the page in the left corner where it says "fun quiz". That's the main screen and you can choose from there.
I'll paraphrase Paula Dean, "Come on y'all, let's play!"

Wedding Stuff - Sonia and Tai

I don't know if any of you remember me mentioning, a few months back, that I was honored by a couple getting married and asked to do a poem as part of their wedding ceremony.

The wedding was held in a gorgeous old mansion in town (Atlanta) on a Friday night. The actual ceremony took place in the garden - the evening was beautiful - and we happily assembled outside, preparing for the formal rites.



This is the beautiful couple.





The gentlemen (I call the photo "The Usual Suspects) to the right ROBBED me the night before the wedding.

I was invited to hang out with the crew after the rehearsal and the groom's mother cooked up a storm. Homemade fried rice - noodles - homemade eggrolls - much better fare than any restaurant and I felt right at home at the couple's gorgeous house. Ater dinner the guys 'generously' invited me to hang out with them in the basement. I should have known that they were pros - they had a real poker table set up just like at the casinos. I innocently anted up my hard earned money and was taken to the cleaners in the first couple of rounds.


Since the wedding was held in a lovely old mansion, I expected a sedate reception with chamber music playing discreetly in the background. Instead the crowd partied like it was 1999. The bride and groom made sure that there were no strangers at their reception. We all hung out together like old friends and I had a blast!

I'm looking forward to the first anniversary party!

You Pick 'em Film Festival Stuff

Pick your top 5 from the list below. (Yeah - I know your personal favorite may not be listed - but just do it MY way)

Snatch
Lock, Stock and 3 Smoking Barrels
Trainspotting
A Walk In The Clouds
Babe
Clueless
Tombstone
Monsters, Inc.
Finding Forrester
Disney's Beauty and Beast
Men of Honor
The Color Purple


Now add 5 movies that are your favorites - it's okay if they're duplicates of some of mine.

I want to hold an online film festival - the top movies here (and on your blogs if you want to participate) will be viewed in the month of October and we can discuss them.

To particiapte: post your favorite films and ask your readers to pick 5 of yours and add 5 of their own. We should be able to come up with the top 5 films from all participants based on list duplications. Please drop me a line if you want to do this and I'll count your blog's results. We'll post the names of the movies at the end of September.

Holiday Weekend Stuff

I had a ball this weekend folks!
On Saturday I attended the Decatur Book Festival in Decatur, Georgia. I took MARTA (public transportation) from my home in Riverdale and the ride was great. It seems that the crazies follow a regular workday schedule and no one offered to sell me DVDs or gum or tried to convince me to give my life to Jesus on the ride.




DragonCon was held in Atlanta this weekend too and there were a few interesting looking characters from SciFi/Fantasy land on the train that morning. I was tempted to get off the train and take a quick peek, but one of my favorite authors, Terry Brooks was scheduled to speak at 12:30 and seats were limited so I stayed on my train.

I'm an early bird (I HATE being late!) and I was in Decatur by 9:30 and I had time to look around, get some coffee and attend a seminar.

I live in an apartment and I've killed every plant I've ever known, but I decided to see what Walter Reeves (a locally famous gardener) had to say. He has a radio show and writes a weekly column in the newspaper. He's written quite a few books on gardening. (I paid attention during the intro)

The audience was mainly white haired southern ladies in pearls with a few husbands in attendance but just about everyone was friendly and I sat way in the front of the auditorium next to a sweet faced elder and her boyfriend (they acted as if they were on a date - I decided they were a new couple)

His talk was a lot of fun! He spoke of the reasons he got into gardening and related the story of how his parents met (a set up) and and how his mother was health conscious way back in the 50s.

He had the crowd sing along with a song about gardening. We had to stamp our feet and bang on the benches. I had a ball!

After he spoke I had time to look around downtown Decatur - I walked over to the Children's Pavilion and listened to a story for a few minutes, strolled through the Food Court, had a another coffee, and then browsed through a great little shop that sold imported home accessories. I love stores like this although most of the items are waaaay out of my price range. I just had to buy myself a souvenir of the day and I chose three delicate glass bracelets that were on sale (unbelievably cheap). The owner wrapped them very carefully, gave me a gorgeous gift bag to carry -and treated me like a valued customer. Whenever I run into some cash, I'll make it a point to patronize her shop.

Terry Brooks (author of the Shannara series, the Landover series and more) is an attorney who started writng just for the love of it. He's a New York Times bestselling author and I'm sure he's pretty wealthy, but he was down to earth and genuine. He took time to speak to all of us who waited for autographs - I even met his wife. he talked about his early career, what inspires him, how he developed his characters and his love of the craft. I was charmed by Mr. Brooks.
Tina Mcelroy Ansa (author of the series of books set in the fictional Mulburry, Ga.) spoke in the late afternoon. She read us the first chapter of her new novel and she inspired me - she started a publishing company, DownSouth Press in the spring of this year and I was so moved by some of the things she spoke of that I had to give her something. She was busy signing autographs, so I asked her husband to give her the glass bracelets from the little store for me. He took my hand and led me to the front of the line, introduced me to his wife and Tina was gracious enough to put on the bracelets immediately and she gave me a hug.
The day was perfect! I started writing as soon as I got home, and I didn't stop until maybe two the next morning. I wrote all day on Sunday (I didn't bathe until after 5pm) and then went to a cookout.(future post - I had a ball!)

I spent all day writing on Monday and I'm proud to say that I'm on page 86 of my novel, Granny and the story is getting better and better. I'm learning that my characters have things to say, and that I have to craft the story around the points they need to make. I was crying with Geneva (my star) as I was writing and I think this is going to be really good.

http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2007/index.html
http://www.walterreeves.com/
http://www.tinamcelroyansa.com/
http://www.downsouthpress.com/
http://www.terrybrooks.net/archive/index.html
http://www.dragoncon.org/


How was your weekend?

Hormonal and Other Stuff

Yesterday was a bad day.

I argued for over an hour with strangers on line about the PETA protesters. I was very annoyed with a coworker (still a bit pissed) over stupid shit. I was frustrated by my slow moving programs - all of them! I was hot as hell! You know that feeling that if one more thing happens you just might cry?

Yesterday was no different from my average Tuesday. People are argumentative online every day. My coworker hasn't changed. It's actually cooler in Atlanta this week than it's been for the last month.

Why the grouchies yesterday? I forgot my patch - my hormonal patch that I'm supposed to stick to my belly on Sunday. I was distracted after my shower by a computer game calling me (effing Zuma - can you believe it?) and I forgot all about it. I made it through Monday without incident, but yesterday I was the bitchiest nice girl you'll ever meet.

I rented a movie over the weekend and watched it last night, "March of the Penguins." I want a penguin for my next boyfriend! I'm not kidding! Penguin love is so charming and sweet. I'm sure you've all seen this movie - I just happen to have a "contrary gene" - if EVERYONE goes to see something, I won't - I don't like to jump on the bandwagon, but I really made a mistake in missing this on the big screen.

Who of you still haven't rented Snatch? Did you hear me last time? Follow my instructions now and take thee online to Blockbuster.com and rent this movie - or you can go old school and go to the store. Guy Ritchie is my dude!

There's a Ritchie film that I can't get my hands on: Revolver. Please send me a line if you have a copy - I NEED to see this. I'm willing to give...um...just contact me.

I want to get serious about an Atlanta Metro meet/greet. Who's down? C'mon, it'll be fun: food, drinks, jali talking about herself... good times.

Where's Mike Stuff

Does anyone know what happened to Mike of "Nonsense Served Almost Daily"? There are posts in Japanese on the site now. I really miss him.

Memory Stuff

I had a great childhood. My mom was an avid reader and would forget about the chicken and rice on the stove (pre-smoke alarm days - she invented "blackened" food)and travel to Europe or Africa or outer space while sitting at the kitchen table. She would literally lose herself in a novel.

I wanted to be just like my mother and I couldn't wait to learn to read. I remember that special moment when those odd squiggles on paper made sense to me and I was thrilled to be able to read all by myself. "See spot run" may not seem to be the most exciting sentence ever written, but I proudly read it aloud at the dinner table to my parents and sister (who was a baby and couldn't read - ha-ha) every night for about a week or so.

A couple of years later, my parents subscribed to "The Happy Hollisters" series of books for kids. We'd receive 2 per month - my sister and I would each grab one, go to our respective corners and devour the new stories. I'd use the night light after bedtime to sneak in a couple of extra chapters - these were detective stories and a chick needed to know 'whodunnit' as soon as possible!

By 4th or 5th grade the nuns wanted to expose us to Newbury award winners so we read "A Wrinkle In Time" and "From The Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" - amamzing stuff for a kid. I borrowed my first "Narnia" from the school library and at around the same time snuck peeks at an "Iceburg Slim" one of my friends found. We were shocked and titillated by the graphic language and sexual situations in the Slim novels. We all pretended to understand much more than we actually understood (something I've done through the years, unfortunately).

My parents gave me a Reader's Digest Young Adults subscription for my birthday when I turned 13 - one book by mail per month with 3 or 4 novels condensed in each. I read "Little Women", "The Good Earth", "The Grapes of Wrath", "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer", "The Call of the Wild', and my favorite novel ever written, "Pride and Prejudice" (which I re-read every year.)

As a young teen, armed with a library card, I spent hours choosing new worlds to explore and new authors to love. I read "Portnoy's Complaint", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Native Son", various Agatha Christie mysteries and "The Hobbit".

All this book talk is the result of someone asking me what was the greatest gift my parent gave me. The love of reading is my immediate answer.

What do you read?

Quiz Stuff - this is easy!

Match the pet to the TV show:


Freeway
Married With Children
Marcel
Brady Bunch
Astro
Frasier
Buck
Hart to Hart
Tiger
Jetsons
Eddie
Friends

Brief Complaint Stuff

On the news:
Early today, one of the morning show newscasters actually said, "Good news, the hurricane won't be coming to the US or even to the Cancun area so vacation areas won't be affected."
WTF? Good news?
What about the rest of Mexico? Are they celebrating the gulf coast's good fortune as they fight to preserve their own lives and property? The "me" attitude kills me.


On media coverage:
The newspapers and TV reporters are a bit too gleeful in reporting the Michael Vick story. After being convicted by the media, PETA and the public, then thrown to the wolves by 3 co-defendants, I don't see how he could have done anything other than plead guilty. I don't know if he's guilty or innocent of the actual crimes since allegations are all I've heard - it seems that some are quick to judgement - with or without facts.

On PETA:
The PETA marchers in Richmond, Virginia showed their love for their animals by dressing their dogs in #7 shirts in the HOT Virginia heat. I'm sure the dogs were thrilled to leave their air conditioned homes and wear cotton shirts over their fur to stand in the hot sun. What fucking hypocrits!

On language:
Why is the removal of the uterus called a hysterectomy? Why not a uterectomy? My very charming hysteria remains intact despite the hormone patch I wear. Embarrassado: why should we be embarrassed to be pregnant? If men had babies the word in Espanol might be something like "perfecto" or "gusto" or something positive. Oh - am I a man now? I don't have a womb so how can I be a wo(mb)man? At least I don't have to have another "happy period."

On marketing:
Those brats on the AT&T commercial that want their parents to switch phone, cell and internet services or "they'll be at the Wilson's" are the most annoying children on TV these days. I'd tell them, "see ya." No non-wage-earning individual has any say in utility choices in my house. Any negative comment would lead to loss of use of said utility.

What A Fool Stuff

I ran across the lyrics to this, one of my favorite songs of all time today, and the truth in these words still amaze me. I had a long conversation with someone back in my long ago just last night, but the difference is, that what we had (back in Delaware) was real. I never imagined we would talk about the good times the way we did last night, or that I would be moved to tears. I hope to speak with him again soon.


I've run into a couple of PP's (partners from the past) who these lyrics really DO apply to. My memory might be of my escape from their clutches - they remember the "good times."

What A Fool Believes - The Doobie Brothers

"He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life

She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize
It never really was

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes ... he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems ... to be
Is always better than nothing
And nothing at all keeps sending him ...

Somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere, she will return

She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go

But what a fool believes ... he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems ... to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
What seems ... to be
Is always better than nothing
There's nothing at all
But what a fool believes he sees ...
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems ... to be
Is always better than nothing"

I'm Back Stuff

The name of this photo is "sick jali" - stuff like this happens when I have time on my hands and NOTHING to do. This is a camera phone shot of "sick jali" looking bored and grouchy. The hair is artistically arranged (heh-heh-heh)

Hi Everybody,

I have tears in my eyes from reading all the womderful notes you guys sent me. Thanks so much all!

I'm back at work today (finally) and will spend the time visiting all of your pages instead of writing. I REALLY missed you blogland family!

I Love U Guys Stuff

My beautiful daughter Dalerie just read me all the comments, and I am so touched. Everything went fine...Although I am still trying to fart so that I can go home(wish you were here smile). I love you guys!!

Medical Stuff

The answer to last week's movie quiz is Snatch. If you haven't seen it, get to steppin' and rent the DVD immesdiately.


I'll be out of here for 4 - 6 weeks folks. I'm having "use it or lose it" surgery, otherwise known as a hysterectomy tomorrow. I don't have the 'net at home so I won't be able to visit with you guys until I come back to work.

Please KNOW that I love you guys!

Movie Quote Quiz Stuff

All the quotes below are from my new favorite film of all time. The dialogue is so well written and performed that I'm going to watch it again tonight. Do you guys know this outstanding movie?

(Hint: the director of the film uses one of his wife's musical hit's during a long scene involving a neck and a window.)

(Hint: The star of the film also appeared in a film where adrenelin was very important)

"Why the *beep* do I want a caravan thats got no *beep* wheels!?"

"For protection against what? Zee Germans?"

"Would you like to claim anything?"
"Yea. Don't go to England."

"You been using dog *beep* for toothpaste, Mullet?"

"I *beep* hate pikeys!"

'what do you mean look inside the dog, he aint a tin of baked beans is he??'

"You mean Boris the Blade... Boris the Bulletdodger?"
"Yea"
"Why do they call him the Bulletdodger?"
"Because he dodges bullets, Avi."

"The fact that you've got "REPLICA" written down the side of your gun, and the fact that I've got "DESERT EAGLE .50" written down the side mine, should precipitate your balls into shrinking, along with your presence."

BIG HINT BELOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This should make it easy!

Weekend Stuff

Oh, the exciting life I live!

I think most people look forward to the weekend so that they can attend fabulous parties, do cool stuff I've never heard of, and generally just have a ball beginning Friday night and lasting until the late hours on Sunday.

I, on the other hand, leave work on Friday evening smiling, ever hopeful that I'll be a part of the weekend fun, but knowing that since I have nothing planned, the chances for excitement are slim to none.

Slim to none. Damn.

I imagine myself a party chick, a fun person - maybe even one of the cool kids.

Nope.

On Friday, immediately after work, I went to the first meeting of the Science Fiction Book Club that I started. There were five of us there discussing the book, Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein. We talked for about two hours and parted, secure that every single point made in the novel was discussed repeatedly from every angle. I only drank sweet tea (unlike others and you know who you are!) so I can't blame gin for my geekiness this time. I guess I just love gatherings like this with other sci-fi lovers. (Anyone is welcome to join - send me an email.)

After an exciting ride home on public transportation I began my Friday evening ritual: I turned on the TV and watched crap until Adrian got home from work and took over posession of the remote so that he could righteously take over the control of the crap we watched until I went to bed.

Saturday morning held the promise of possible excitement and I suppose fighting for a dryer at the laundromat might be considered excitement by some. I get pissed when people wash their clothing elsewhere, and try to grab up all the dryers so that we suckers with clothes in the wash get stuck waiting in the non airconditioned space for a lot longer than needed. I'll admit it: I'm a snitch sometimes. I asked the attendendant to limit the dryers the "washed my shit elsewhere" lady could use and she was pissed with me. Pissed probably doesn't really cover it. The young chippie threw me a few looks of death and mumbled under her breath, but I stood firm in my righteousness and used the very dryer she had her cold little heart set on. Ha!

After all the excitement (cue crickets) it was time to take my 15 year old son to get his weekly braids. He uses a different hairstylist or salon every week, so I never know where we need to go and how much the braids will cost me. He likes to surprise his old mom, not with gifts, but with situations. He was the kid who would tell me in the car, on the way to school that he needed exactly $3.27 (no checks) in a legal envelope that very morning so that he could go on the trip with his class, "it's the last day, Mommy!".

This week, my wonderful (dripping with sarcasm) ex-husband decided to put his spin on things so that I learned AFTER I drove to his house and waited in the Atlanta heat and humidity for days it seemed, that in celebration of Father's Day, he would be taking our child to the hairdresser although my participation in payment was still required. He'd call me later to let me know.

Hot and annoyed I decided to stop for gas on the way home. There were lines since the price for regular was only $2.89. I finally made it close to a pump - the guy in front of me had a mid-sized car, so I didn't anticipate a long wait.

Wrong!

Dude decided to wash his windows with the convenient squeegie and the free inky water (that's NEVER changed) at the side of the pump. Usually it's cool, since it takes time to fill up a tank. The only problem was that dude wasn't gassing up. He was window washing. Yup - On one of the hottest, sweatiest days of the year, this fine young cannibal decides to wash his windows KNOWING that there was a long line of hot and sweaty people waiting to buy gas.

Once he finished his car hygeine he begins his STROLL to the convenience store and cash register.

After a wait that seemed like forever, he finally returned to his car (that I was beginning to think he abandoned) with a 64 ounce fountain soda and what looked like nachos. He spend a ridiculous amount of time placing his food and drink in the car then sidled over to the actual pump and finally started filling his tank.

As he pulled out I beeped my horn and stuck out my tongue. He pulled around the pump area and into a regular parking space in front of the store. He strolled back over to me and asked, truly mystified, why I stuck out my tongue. Clueless isn't just a movie.

I explained that watching the car wash ritual and then waiting for someone in the brutal Georgia heat wasn't as much fun as it sounded.

He was truly apologetic and offered to take me out as a peace offering. Since he was humble, cute and available...








Did you guys think I'd go out with a selfish dude like that? (those of you who are saying, "begger can't be choosers", need to quit!)

Of course I declined. For someone with no other offers on the horizon, I just may have blown a good thing, but insensitivity and lack of empathy aren't really that high on my list of qualities in a man.

I was pleasantly surprised that the braids were a mere $25 this week and that my son was actually ready to leave for home by the time I arrived. Since it was "defer to him, shut up and just be nice" weekend (Father's Day) I dropped Jack off with his dad and went on to explore bigger and better things.

(Adrian left the house early that morning to help a co-worker with his fledging landscaping business. This guy worked every Saturday for a couple of hours and needed a

little extra help

and offered Adrian $60 or $70 to go with him. He neglected to share some pretty pertinent information with Adrian. He was doing a new Senior's complex and anticipated the work to last the whole day. $60 to work in the sweltering heat for a whole day isn't cool.)

I had an afternoon of unlimited opportunities ahead of me so I went home and watched more crap on TV.

I sent Adrian encouraging texts during commercials like "don't be a doo-doo head" and "I forbid you to sweat" to help his torturous ordeal pass more quickly. (He calls me annoying for very legitimate reasons).

Adrian has a very light complexion, and was a brighter red than "Larry the Lobster" when he got home that night. Adrian was pissed and we spent most of the evening cursing the demon that spawned his coworker who paid Adrian a measly $70 for more than 12 hours of hard labor in the hot sun.

Following that special brand of excitement I went to bed and slept restlessly until my Tylenol PMs kicked in. I take the Tylenol so that my bad dreams last quite a bit longer than necessary.

Sunday was so eventful that the day passed by in a blur. Grocery shopping and hair washing were the main two fun activites of the day.

Last night as a special treat, A and I went to Blockbuster to return tapes and pick up a few. Of course none of the recent releases were available, so we picked the best of the worst (after Adrian checked EVERY SINGLE FUCKING TITLE in the store).

We watched the beginning of a truly awful film and decided to just quit and go to bed.

How was your weekend?

Bloggity Blog Hater Stuff

It always amazes me that most of the people I know in RL don't read blogs at all. I send out links to wonderful pages and great information by outstanding writers, but they're just not interested. I'm surprised by the number of people who have never heard the term "blog" before and who ask me exactly what's the point. I generally go into the shortened "from the word 'weblog' " explanation and give them a quickie on some of the types of pages I've seen - I've offered links to different blog hosting services and waited for the announcement that there's a new kid on the block out there.

I've watched people's eyes kind of glaze over sometimes when I'm discussing blogging, and I realize that this phenomenon just isn't for everyone. (My head realizes it - but my heart still doesn't get it).

I've been warned not to give up too much info about the wonder that is jali - if I do, the "internet stalkers" will get me. I've been told that my online family members are actually nuts who type with one desperate hand while naked and masterbating and that it's impossible to make real friends online.

I've met some of you guys - and you're as perverted as me - and I loves ya.

Are your RL friends and family members bloggers? If not are they supporters?

Sexy Stuff

Justin didn't have to bring sexy back. Sexy's been here for a while!

Bunch 'O Stuff

Are you in the mood for some rambling on and on, with no real main point?

Here ya go:
I'm a walking, talking (well sometime mumbling) racial stereotype - so I've been told by unnamed family menbers. I love fried chicken and watermelon is my favorite fruit. I'm an embarrassment to some. (sidetrack" I hate the words "embarrasado" and "hysteria" because of they seem to imply that pregnancy is an embarrassment and that hysteria is a women's thing) back to our story

I have family members that don't want me to order these delicious treats when out in public. They want to keep my behavior a secret. These family members would probably try to "pass" if they were a little lighter in complexion and anything that points to "non-mainstream" as one cousin calls it is taboo to them. (sellouts!!!)

These are the same family members who looked at me in disgust when I first started loc'ing my hair and my head was covered in the little baby nubs. (you cut all processed or relaxed hair off so that your hair will loc and the new growth is twisted into little baby dreads which I call nubs). One relative started calling me "Whoopie" (for Ms. Goldberg) - another asked if I were a gay radical since I "wanted to look like one". Yet another would hum the "Roots" theme music when I'd walk into a room. These are college educated people with ingrained self hatred I suppose.

I didn't realize how closed minded my own family could be - or how much some of them judge a persons's worth by their appearance.

I can be cruel sometimes, so if I find myself out and about with one of these pretentious biddies, I'll always be sure to order my chicken fried and my watermelon cool. The horrified looks on their faces is always worth it.

I don't dislike Paris Hilton. If paparazzi followed me 24/7, I'll bet they'd find some dirt to publish. I don't run around "commando" style (except possibly on laundry day) so there wouldn't be interesting snatch photos, but I'm not as sweet as I used to be. (can anyone name the movie the bold face quote is taken from?) and I'd probably be caught doing something embarrassing.

It's true that Paris has been a bit of a media hound, but I think that it's gotten way out of her control. I didn't laugh when she was sent back to jail last week. I tried to imagine the feeling of being confined even just for a week and I hope she's okay. (I just got stopped for tags and could have gone to jail myself - the officer was pretty cool in just writing me a ticket.) If her mother had given her more than just an appreciation for material things then she may not be in this situation. If I can have empathy for others without home training, then I can feel concerned for Paris Hilton too.

Confession time:
I've been watching quite a bit of Far from reality TV. I'm fascinated by the girls in "Charm School". Fascinated. No one I know speaks the way they do, dresses like them or fights so easily. It's like watching a National Geographic special on hyenas or tarantulas - they're ugly but interesting.

I've also been watching the "Real World Reunion" of the Las Vegas group. Oh. My. God. (this time TV character quote). The two black chicks, Alyssa and Aryanne (however you spell it) are such dramatic little twerps. They're either crying, shouting or doing that black girl neck thing. I can't seem to look away.

Saddest confession - I watch "My Sweet Sixteen" in horror, but I keep tuning in. Total lack of class or kindness and these are children. The parents (loosely using term) are idiots with too much money.

In the last month or two I've also watched Australia's Next Top Model, America's Next Top Model, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, and Top Chef.

I think I need to step away from the television.

Game Stuff (Must be a TV person from the 80's and 90's)

Match the characters to their partners. Then Name their shows.

Thomas S. Magnum
Mel Sharples
Sonny Crockett
Heathcliff Huxtable
Kate McArdle
David Addison
Insp. Steve Keller
Laura Holt
Carol Kester Bondurant
Dr. Robert Hartley
Felix Unger
Jonathan Quayle Higgins
Oscar Madison
Alice Hyatt
Rico Tubbs
Lt. Mike Stone
Remington Steele
Clair Huxtable
Allison Lowell
Maddie Hayes

SPOILER BELOW SPOILER BELOW SPOILER BELOW SPOILER BELOW SPOILER BELOW SPOILER BELOW


answers:

Thomas S. Magnum and Jonathan Quayle Higgins - Magnum P.I.

Mel Sharples and Alice Hyatt - Alice

Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs - Miami Vice

Heathcliff Huxtable and Clair Huxtable - The Bill Cosby Show

Kate McArdle and Allison Lowell - Kate and Allie

David Addison and Maddie Hayes - Moonlighting

Insp. Steve Keller and Lt. Mike Stone - The Streets of San Francisco

Laura Holt and Remington Steele - Remington Steele

Carol Bondurant and Dr. Robert Hartley - The Bob Newhart Show (original version)

Felix Unger and Oscar Madison - The Odd Couple