The Power of Words

There is a saying that says words only have the power that you give them. This is a saying that for the most part, I believe. For me there is one word in all of the world, in every language, that has it's own power, no matter what you put into it, it still maintains its power...

Last night at the concert, the band, Sugarland, opened up with a song that I have really enjoyed, below are some of the lyrics:

Is it the face of a child
Is it the thrill of danger
Is it the kindness we see in the eyes of a stranger
Is it more than faith
Is it more than hope
Is is waiting for us at the end of our rope
I say it's love, I say it's love

Is it a veil or a cross
Is it the poet's gift
Is it the face that has launched over thousands of ships

Is it making you laugh
Is it letting you cry
Is it where we believe that we go when we die
Is it how you were made
Is it your mother's ghost
Is it the wish that I'm wishing for you life, for your life, for your life the most
I say it's love

Can you guess the word?

Concert Night

So yeah, I'm pretty excited. Tonight I am going to a concert....for all of you that are wondering, yes it is a country concert! It's a band called Sugarland, who are my favorite country band! I am going with my cousin who lives here in Jacksonville (not the ones I live with), so it should be a fun night!

I have great seats on the floor, which will be a lot of fun! Anyways, if you have a chance, look up Sugarland and listen to some of their music, it's really good!

New Favorite Saying

So, tonight I just watched my Tivo-ed episode of The Big Bang Theory from Monday and now I have a new favorite saying...

Holy Crap In A Cracker

The End of an Era

Ever since daylight savings ended on Sunday morning, I have been waking up even earlier than usual! But in the days up to todays election it has given me the chance to watch some of the early morning news and this morning I head something that made me optimistic, no matter which way this election goes. On the Today show they were interviewing Tom Brokaw, who said:

"No matter who wins this election, I think this will bring an end to the apathy in this country."

So, think about that today, no matter who is victorious tonight, both have done something remarkable!

The Highlight of Election Season

So I have been watching all the news shows (real and fake) and enjoying the election season (with the exception of those damn campaign ads!) But there has been one thing during this election that has stood out:

Tina Fey! Yes you read that right...the breakout star of this election season has definately been Ms. Tina Fey. I mean, she was a big celebrity prior to this, but now that she has portrayed Sarah Palin, in what might be the best SNL impersonation ever, she has gone into the stratosphere of celebrity-dom!

Congrats to you Tina Feylin - This Election is For You!

I Cast My Ballot

That's right! This past Thursday I went and voted early! I had heard numerous complaints of long lines and people waiting for hours....but not me! I got to the early voting area at around 5:30 PM (after work) and found a parking spot, went inside, stood in line for about five minutes, and then was sent on my merry way to a voting booth, where I had to connect the arrows!

I honestly felt like I was back in Kindergarten. They have two halves of an arrow, and in order to cast your vote, you had to complete the line, using a special marker. My only problem was, do I draw a single line, or do I create a thicker line the size of the rest of the arrow. Oh well!

Anyways, if you have not already gone out and voted, Tuesday, go to your local precinct and vote!

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It's Been A Long While

Well, it has been quite a while since I have posted a blog. Actually, it has been two months! And what an eventful two months it has been....in fact I will slowly be catching everyone up on the life of The Scribbler, over the remainder of the month.


You might be asking yourself....why over the rest of November, it just started....Well, November happens to be NaBloPoMo, and I am trying my hardest to participate this year and post a post once a day. So, here's some of the things you will be hearing about over the next month:

• The New New Used Car (long story)
• The Old New Used Car
• The Home Show
• Everything You Wanted to Know About Closets, pt II
• The Hunt
• and much much more!

Pay attention over the next month for some fun and interesting posts!

Something New!!!

I took the plunge and made my first big purchase...all on my own! Out with the old and in with the semi-new!

I traded in my 200 Chevy Blazer yesterday and walked out of the dealership with a 2005 Jeep Liberty! It drives great, it gets much better gas mileage than my old car...and it's 4 doors!

My parents were excited as were my aunt/uncle and cousins! Once I take some pictures of it, I will post them.

Jacksonville Fay Advisory 2.0

Now she is just taunting us! Last night we look at the NOAA website to keep an eye on this "blustery woman" and see we are no longer under a Tropical Storm Watch (YaY!). Instead we are under a Hurricane Watch (figures!). And then this morning we are under both a Tropical Storm Watch and a Hurricane Watch (huh?). We are probably going to close the office tomorrow and move all of our appointments to next week. However, we are not sure about Friday. It looks as though Fay will be out of the area by Friday morning, but it seems she likes to take her time...so anything is possible!

Anyways, we can't help but laugh because we are getting the storm up here. It seems that when my Aunt & Uncle moved up here, everyone assured them that the hurricanes very very rarely hit up here, and they haven't had a hurricane in years! HA! HA! HA! Looks like Jacksonville is getting a good laugh! It's a good thing we are laughing with them!

Anyways, Fay aside, the past two weeks have been pretty eventful. Mom and Grandma left, but that last weekend the cousins and myself went to the movies. We saw Mamma Mia on Saturday and The Mummy: Curse of the Dragon Emporer on Sunday. Both movies were good. Mamma Mia is just fun and easy going. The story is kinda weak, but the fun factor and the songs make up for it! The Mummy was good as well. Done in the same fashion as the other ones, a good dose of humor for every dose of action.

This past Sunday, I took the cousins to the Jacksonville Zoo. It is a small zoo (especially compared to the moster that is Miami MetroZoo) but it is a really nice zoo. They have "loops" that are designed by geographical region. The best one had to be South America where they had a jaguar range and a black jaguar who was just georgous. If you are ever in the Jacksonville area, I suggest visiting the zoo.

Besides that all is well. I got a new computer for at home. The old one slowed down to a standstill and many times decided it didn't want to boot up. I tried all different solutions, including wiping the drive and starting over.

Anyways, thats about it. What's happening in your neck of the woods?

An Open Letter To Fay

Dear Fay,

I know that you are stalking my family and I! Just yesterday morning you were heading for Lake City, not Jacksonville. Then by the end of the day we were at the center of the cone of doom! And then late last night, we were safe! You were going to hit around Daytona and go into the ocean to be a happy hurricane...but no you weren't satisfied with that, were you? You just had to loop around and come back to Jacksonville! Well I hope you are happy! We will be seeing you on Thursday.

LOL Cat

I find humor in my day sometimes by looking at the LOL cats! Some are very funny, some moderately stupid, but this one just made me laugh:

It's Been A Long Time Coming

That's right everybody...it's a post! I know I haven't been posting as often as I would like, or as many of you would like (based on the comments in my last post). But I promise, I will be posting more often now that things are beginning to flow at work!

So here is a brief rundown of how things have been since the last post!

• I have begun to dislike air travel even more than before! Now I know I shouldn't complain because my mother is a retired Delta employee and I travel on standby for a very very very reduced rate, and I am happy about that. What I am tired of is having to run from concourse to concourse because the TSA agents or the people who work at the airport are not where they are supposed to be or the lovely airline has given me a connection that is exactly .235 seconds after my arrival (exaggerated for the purpose of this post, they actually give you .237 seconds). Anyways, let's just say that my day trip back to Miami, consisted of a lot of running through the Atlanta airport!
  
• I did go home! I went to Miami for roughly 20 hours back at the beginning of July. I had a Toastmasters meeting that I just could not miss! It was a great meeting, seeing my friends prior to the "final move" up here. It was nice to go and visit. I will be heading back to Miami in October and November for various events. I will let you know when I am back in Miami though!
• Work is going well. We have 6 designers who we are taking appointments for on a regular basis! This week has been our biggest sales week yet, bringing in over $14K since Monday! Other things with work are well too. We are in the process of getting a spot for the Jacksonville Home & Patio Show in October, which should boost business even more! If you want to see an article about us you can go here: The Jacksonville Business Journal And you can see our website here: Closets By Design
  
• Went to the movies a couple times last month. My cousins and I saw Hellboy 2, which was good, but not as good as the original. We also saw The Dark Knight, which was simply amazing. It is one of those movies that if you get the chance to see it, take it! It will knock your socks off!
• Mom and Grandma are up here this week. They are helping out at my Aunt's house. We have had many many different appointments for people to go to the house to fix it up. Who would of thought that a brand new house would have so many things wrong.
  
• Planning on staying with my Aunt & Uncle for probably another month or two. But in the meantime I am on the hunt for (1) a realator -- even though I will probably just use my Aunts and (2) a good deal on either a condo or a forclosure, somewhere in the area. One of the condo places near my aunt has new construction 2/2's for just under 100k, so I will be talking a look there, and thing about purchasing rather than renting!
• Outside of that all is well. Nothing new to report. How are all you doing in the wonderful world of blog?
  

My Ad Idea

I got inspired so here it is:


Wouldn't that make a great Chik-fil-a ad?

Jacksonville in Bullets

Hello everyone in the Blogging World! Well as I had said before, things with the move to Jacksonville and St. Augustine has been smooth. I have lots of cleaning to do in my room this evening, as none of the gaming systems have been hooked up yet! But, in my 5 short days of being in North Florida, I have managed to find everything that might be useful! And I have learned some very interesting things! Let's review:

• Jacksonville has stand alone Chik-fil-a! Back home in Miami we either had to go to the mall or take a 10-15 minute drive up to Doral to get some of this yummy delicious fast food chicken! I also decided that Chik-fil-a should create a new advertisement campaign in the style of the LOL catz! It should have a cow with the headline "You can haz chik'n!" I also learned something else, even in North Florida, you still tend to crave Chik-fil-a on Sundays! So sad!
• Driving anywhere north of West Palm Beach is entirely different than South Florida! Driving up on I-95 was a breeze, in part because my windows were down...but also because all the other drivers were actually polite and curtious on the road! There was not too much traffic coming up here, but there were a good number of Big Rig trucks!
• When driving on I-95 North, once you hit Daytona Beach, you can play the License Plate game quite easily. I was, safely glancing, at the many different tags that had passed by, or that I had safely passed! There was Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Connecticut, Kentucky, and more!
• Everything is relative! Over the past couple days I have done the basic move things: (1) Changed license (2) Changed banks (3) Visited local retail stores to purchase what I had forgotten, etc. Everyone here is so nice, yet the one complaint is the rush hour traffic. I finally experienced their "rush hour" traffic on Wednesday, and let me tell you! I love this "rush hour" traffic. In their "rush hour" traffic I went 25 miles in about 20 minutes!
  
• I am slowly getting to know everything I never wanted to know but asked about custom closets. I know the different levels we offer, the different add on's, etc. And I'm not even a salesperson/designer!
• I got to drive a fork lift today! It was amusing. I have to get used to having the tires that create your steering in the rear of the vehicle!
• I had a comment to a previous blog from Erick, who gave me the location site link to Sonny's BBQ! I thank you Erick! For those of you who don't know...I like Sonny's, in fact many of my blogging friends in Miami like Sonny's and we would regularly (2x month) drive 20 miles each way to go to our closest Sonny's. Well, now I only have to drive less than 5 miles each way! Yay!
  

That is mostly it for everything this week in the good ole North Florida area! Catch up with y'all next week!

All Moved In

Well, yesterday was the big moving day! I packed up my car, and left my house in Miami at 7 AM! I got at my Aunt/Uncle's house in St. Augustine at 12 Noon, and enlisted my 2 cousins to help the removal of my life from the car. We got everything up the stairs into what will be my bedroom.

After. we drove to the office, which is in Jacksonville. I got to start my list of To Do's for the week, and for the next few days. It is an easy drive into the office, which I got to try today.

Oh, speaking of driving, my grandmother got me a shiny new GPS for my car and for getting around the new surroundings. I have named her Eileen. There are a few reasons I choose this name too! For two and a half years, I worked at the Go Kart Track down in Homestead, where there was a co-worker who was extremely annoying and had a loud loud loud voice! Well, if you have heard the GPS voices, they are loud and annoying! The other reason, is that when she decides to slow down a little, which she does sometimes, I can just tell her "Come On Eileen."

Anyways, I will be keeping this blog updated from the Northern parts of Florida. So keep an eye out for more adventures!

The BIG Announcement

That's right everybody, I have a fairly huge announcement. It's one that I haven't told very many people yet, in fact right now, before this blog post, only my parents, grandmother, and 5 other people know. But it is something that I have thought about for a while.

I have talked on here, albeit briefly, about the discouraging job it is to find a job, especially in Miami. Well, I found a job...and...it's not in Miami! That's right, my BIG announcement, is that I am moving.

Well, where are you moving to Matt?

That is a good question, I am moving on up, to the east side...wait that's The Jeffersons, even though I am moving up to the East Coast of Florida, in St. Augustine. I am going to live with my Aunt/Uncle and cousins until I can save up some money for rent and find my own place. I will be starting out as an Office Manager, for their company, and once we have a large enough staff, I will begin to work as the Sales Manager.

Yes, it is a risk, but with risk can come reward. So it's a risk I am willing to try! For everyone that is here in Miami, you will be missed, but I will be talking to all of you on the phone! I do have a 20 minute drive to and from work every day! And, of course I will be down now and again for special events and to visit.

Of course, I will continue to blog no matter where I am!

The Top 10: Suspense/Mystery/Thriller Movies

It's Monday, which means an all new Top 10 Movie List. Last week I had to chance to list my top ten animated movies. This week, I am going to go in a completely different direction and list my top 10 Suspense/Mystery/Thriller movies! Now, to me, this category is completely different than Horror movies (those will come another week). So, now here is the top ten!

Top 10 Suspense/Mystery/Thriller Movies

10. The Craft
9. When A Stranger Calls
8. The Village
7. Memento
6. The Manchurian Candidate
5. Fight Club
4. Rebecca
3. The Sixth Sense
2. Vertigo
1. Donnie Darko

The AFI Lists: My Own Top Tens

So this is something that I don't know if it is out there somewhere, but I am going to start my own kinda of meme, top ten lists! Last night the American Film Institute presented its 10 Top 10, the top ten films in ten different genres. So, for the next ten weeks, instead of the usual Monday Morning Mix-Up, I will have my top ten films in ten different genres!

I am not going to tag anyone to participate, but if you do choose to do the same, please leave me a comment and let me know you are playing along!

The Top 10 Animated Films

10. Aladdin
9. Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland
8. Finding Nemo
7. 101 Dalmations
6. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas
4. The Secret of Nimh
3. The Lion King
2. Toy Story
1. Beauty and the Beast

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The I Heart REO Speedwagon Edition

So this week there was a tie, and I could not decide between Heart and REO Speedwagon, so instead I will do a mix of both! So, please enjoy!

Heart

• Surrender To Me
• All I Wanna Do Is Make Love To You
• I Didn't Want To Need You
• Magic Man
• Will You Be There (In The Morning)

REO Speedwagon

• Lightning
• Say You Love Me Or Say Goodnight
• Can't Fight This Feeling
• Building The Bridge
• I Don't Want To Lose You
  

My BFF

This past Wednesday was my most recent Toastmasters meeting. I had the opportunity to prepare a speech for this meeting and took the chance to try out a newer style of speech and speaking. Many of you have commented and shared your stories when I had previously posted on topics such as Faith, Dreams and Imagination, so I took this new found confidence on fairly vague yet inspirational subjects and used it!

In my speech, I talked about my BFF...best friend failure! Yes, I talked about failure! But I talked about it in a positive light. Now, when I teach classes I always emphasize that no matter how much my students might learn from me or from each other, it isn't until things go wrong that they will truly learn the lessons. I point out how failure can be turned around into success and how I have learned many things through failure.

It was a great speech, and now I have to work on actually writing it out. You see, when I create a speech, I tend to write out my opening and my conclusion, but everything in the middle are bullet points that I expand upon. But now, I think this might become a contest speech and I would like to have it written out...

Anyways, once I write it I will post it here, but until then...how to you get past failure? Do you pick yourself up and try again, or do you just leave it behind you and not look back?

Pure Imagination?

As kids, we read all sorts of books and fall in love with all sorts of mythological creatures. We read about the ancient greek creatures such as the Pegasus, the minotaur, and the cyclops. We read fantasy tales that revolve around far off lands and fair maidens being saved by their knight and sometimes with the help of a wizard, or even fighting off the evil witch. (Which is another question, why was the evil villan always a woman or step-mother figure while the savior was always a man, and the maiden was in distress...but that's another post.

Well, one of the most beloved creatures, might not be too much of a figment after all. There were people who have found evidence of single horned creatures and fossils from the dinosaur days. But none were ever consistant with the true unicorn lore. But now, something miraculous has occurred...or at least a genetic mutation might be occurring! In Italy, a deer was born with a single horn that appears to be twisted in the center of its head.

So, for those of you who always believed in unicorns, and for those of you who continue to believe in these mythical creatures, here it is:

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Sheryl Crow Edition

So, we've got a brand new mix up this week! I added Neil Young again this week, after the tie the previous week, but no one voted for it so it is gone next week! In fact the poll for this week, is a bit more themed...think 80's Rock (if you can call it that)! Anyways, here is the Sheryl Crow version of the Monday Morning Mix-Up:

• It's So Easy (from the album C'mon C'mon)
• Always on Your Side (featuring Sting) (from the album Wildflower)
• You're An Original (from the album C'mon C'mon)
• Sweet Rosalyn (from the album Sheryl Crow)
• Oh Marie (from the album Sheryl Crow)
• No One Said It Would Be Easy (from the album Tuesday Night Music Club)
• There Goes The Neighborhood (from the album The Globe Sessions)
• Wildflower (from the album Wildflower)
• Love Is Free (from the album Detours)
• First Cut Is The Deepest (from the album The Very Best of Sheryl Crow)
  

Books, Books, and more Books!

Well, as some of you know, or remember from one of my New Year's posts back in January, I am trying to read 40 books in 2008. So far I have finished 10, and am currently working on 3! But I have yet to write my reviews of the previous two that I had finished! So, here they are, the genuine Matt Reviews of Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture, and Chuck Palahniuk's Snuff.

The Last Lecture

So, this book actually started as a lecture that was given. Traditionally, the last lecture is a series that is done on universities and colleges, where the professor is asked to hypothetically consider his demise, and if he/she were to leave (either the college or the planet) what has he/she learned or want to impart on their class. Randy Pausch was asked to give one of these lectures, right before he was diagnosed with advanced stage pancreatic cancer. The lecture quickly turned from hypotheticals to reality.

He delivered the lecture, which was filmed by Carnagie Mellon University and placed on You Tube, where it became an internet sensation, garnering over 15 million views to this day! The lecture was approximately 75 minutes, but created a 10 minute version that he delivered on Oprah. The next step was to turn this lecture into a book, so that everyone could read the important things that were being said. And that is what was done. The book was written directly based off the lecture. The book is full of wisdom and knowledge that obviously seemed to take Randy years to learn, yet is in plain view.

One of the stories that stands out, is talking about getting a brand new convertible, and going to pick up his neice and nephew for the weekend. Their mom told them to be careful not to get Uncle Randy's new car dirty. As she was saying this, Randy, with his neice and nephew watching, opened a can of soda and proceeded to pour it all over the backseat of the new car. He didn't care what had happened to the car, or how clean or dirty it was, rather it was all about spending the time with his family.

And while, more than 15 million people have seen the lecture, and probably 5 million people have the book, this was all done for only two people. Randy's two daughters, so that they would be able to learn life's lessons, without daddy around.

Snuff

A very, very, very, very different book from the one I described above! This book is by Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, Choke, and many others. This however, might be his most odd work yet!

The basis behind Snuff is that Cassie Wright, aging porn star, decides to break the record and go for 600 sexual acts in a single day. The story is from the point of view of 3 men in the waiting room and Cassie's assistant. Of the three men, one is a man who is a stalker of porn stars who thinks he might be gay, one is a former porn star who got Cassie pregnant, and one is a young man who thinks he is Cassie's son who was put up for adoption. So, all together now: WHAT?

The book is crafted so well that the transition between point of views is smooth and fluid. Chuck creates characters that have both good and bad sides to them, and that is seen in this book as well. The best part to the book though, are the massive collection of made up porn movie names! They are hysterical and fun to read. Some examples include:
- The DaVinci Load
- To Drill A Mockingbird
- World Whore One: In The Trenches

It is a fun book, it makes you think, but not to the point where you head explodes. It makes you laugh, and it even makes you blush from time to time. Another great novel by Chuck! One of the greatest oddball writers of our time!

Ladies & Gentlemen I Present To You...

The Democratic Nominee for the office of President of the United States of America

So, last night, Senator Barak Obama, gained enough delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination for this years presidential election. Congratulations to Senator Obama! Even though, I have been rooting for Senator Clinton, I do think that Senator Obama, will be a worthy candidate, and if elected will do a world of wonders for this country!

So now the question comes down to, who will be either parties Vice President? I personally, think that this is something that should be declared, prior to primary season. In an election this huge, I think that either nominee can "make it or break it" based on who they choose as their running mate.

Either way, again congrats to Senator Barak Obama, for making history, and for getting the democratic nomination!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Carly Simon Edition

Well, it was a tie again this week, with one vote going to Carly Simon and one vote going to Neil Young. I have choosen that this weeks mix-up will be all about Carly Simon, but Neil Young will be left in the polls for next week. So if you want Neil, get your friends to visit the blog and vote for him! Anyways, here it is, the Carly Simon Mix-Up!!!

• Legend In Your Own Time (from the album Anticipation)
• Summer's Coming Around Again (from the album Anticipation)
• Devoted To You (from the album Boys In The Trees)
• De Bat (Fly In Me Face) (from the album Boys In The Trees)
• Oh! Susanna (from the album In White)
• All The Things You Are (from the album Moonlight Serenade)
• Hola Soleil (from the album This Kind of Love)
• Sangre Dolce (from the album This Kind of Love)
• The Right Thing To Do (with Megan Mullally) (from the soundtrack to Will & Grace)
• Mockingbird (with James Taylor) (from the album For The Children Too!)
  

Coming Soon to a Scribbler's Nook Near You

• The Monday Morning Mix Up

• Book Reviews: The Last Lecture, Snuff

• Movie Reviews: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Sex and the City, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
  

• Lots of fun & reflection
  

A Little Storm Never Hurt Anybody

So, it takes a lot to scare me, or get me freaked out! Yet, this was accomplished this past weekend. In fact, it happened for many many many people this weekend. You see, this weekend I had to work at the professional go kart track. We had a double race, so I was there on Saturday and Sunday. Now, many of the racers, are older, big, burly, men, and it's not often you hear a large number of these men get together and start saying things like, "That really freaked me out" or "Yeah, that was scary." So what was it that did this you might be asking yourself.

It was a storm!

Now this was no ordinary storm. No, this was a massive, beast of a storm. I am lucky as my cell phone has radar on it, so I would occasionally check the weather. We had a severe thunderstorm warning put on us, that was to last through the day. It didn't worry us too much. We have survived many a storm in our little 12'x6' trailer. Well this one started to come through the track and it was heavy rain. But it wasn't too long until that heavy rain turned into the monsoon from hell! The rain was no longer falling down...it was just whipping sideways! The trailer was shaking in every single direction imaginable! The two of us in there took opposite sides as to even weight if we could! Then as we look out the window, we see one by one the portable toilets falling over! (Ewww, but I don't use them, I have a regular bathroom there). And then the call!

My boss who was in the trailer with me, got a call on her cell phone. She answers and it is one of our clients, who is just shouting, "Move your car now!" She hesitated going into the mouth of the beast to move her car, but was glad she did. Right after moving her car, a large tent, complete with its steel poles came crashing down where car was once resting! After about 20 more minutes of this rain and wind and thunder and lightning, it slowed down. Enough that everyone came outside (much like at the end of the hurricane or tropical storm). Everything was just piles of mangled metal from tents being play toys for the storm. The storm had made perfect semi-circular arcs from some of the steel poles...STEEL POLES!

So after it was all over I figured I would check the radar to make sure nothing else was coming. There wasn't anything else coming, but the massive storm from Hades, on the radar, was oddly purple! I have never, ever, ever, seen purple on the radar before...usually the power goes out before purple shows up! But this was purple! (The purple I saw is the upper left hand of the picture below, follow the orange arrow. I couldn't find an actual radar picture with purple in it!)


We all survived, thank goodness, but it was scary!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Mika Edition

Well, it seems as though more than just Troy and Hilda know about Mika because I had three people vote for him! He has quickly become one of my favorite British imports here in the states. And since he only has one album there won't be much of a traditional mix-up, so instead I will just go through the CD! Here it goes:

• Grace Kelly - A great song, his first single both in England and here in the States. Just a fun song, really shows off his vocal range!
  
• Lollipop - A fun song that depending on how you interpret it, could be either childish and fun, or be full of sexual innuendo.
• My Interpretation - One of my top four songs on the CD! It just talks about how everything is different for everyone because it is up to their interpretation!
• Love Today - A fun and optimistic song, with a great message, that everybody should love everyday, in any way, just love.
• Relax (Take It Easy) - Again, fun song. Everyone needs some sort of a break at some point in time.
• Ring Ring - It's a good song, probably my least favorite on the album, but it is still a good song.
• Any Other World - A great song about the freedom in some places that are not always allowed in certain places.
  
• Billy Brown - Another of my top four from the album. About a man who is married and has kids, and decides to have an affair, with another man. Then goes on vacation by himself and hooks up with a woman.
• Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) - Another one in the top four...a song that says everyone is beautiful, no matter of shape or size!
  
• Stuck In The Middle - A good song, again, one I sometimes skip over, but it is about not knowing exactly where to go, which side, etc
• Erase - The last of my top four! This is the power ballad on the album, about a guy who calls his ex who he still loves, and leaves a message on her phone, and wants her to erase the message before she listens to it.
• Happy Ending - Because all albums should have a happy ending! And this one literally does...a very fun song, complete with choir!

Well that is the debut album from Mika, Life In Cartoon Motion! He is currently working on his second album, which should be out late this year or early next year!

Showing My Feminist Side

Okay, so for a long time now, I have had a moderate feminist side to me. Maybe it was being surrounded by females all through school, maybe it is the certificate in Womans Studies that accompanies my certificate in Linguistics and my BA in English. Who knows what it is...but my feminist side definitely showed this week.

I had the opportunity to listen to two of the nations most groundbreaking women speak. That's right, both of them are groundbreaking in their own ways....but both either have or are paving the way for women in power positions.

Tuesday, May 20:

On Tuesday I got to listen to and meet the woman who:
- Interviewed every president since Nixon
- Got not just one, but two huge interviews with Fidel Castro
- Has won numerous Emmy awards, along with tons of other journalism awards
- Was the first female co-anchor of a nightly news show

Thats right ladies and gentlemen, I got to listen to a very interesting conversation with Barbara Walters!




She gave a talk, working with our local bookstore, that was actually a conversation between Ms. Walters and a local TV Personality, Laurie Jennings. The night was fun, it was great to hear the stories that she told, and lessons that she has learned in her 78 years! Then she signed books and I got to meet her. Very interesting, very inspirational!

Wednesday, May 21:

So, as we all know this presidential race is like the energizer bunny...it keeps going and going! Well, on Wednesday, the main Energizer Bunny was in South Florida to talk to the people. That's right, the first female presidential candidate to ever win a primary, and to come this far...Hillary Clinton:



She talked about getting the Florida and Michigan votes to count. She focused on the many things that need to get fixed come January 20, 2009. She focused on not necessarialy getting herself into office (even though she did though in a female reference every now and then) but just getting a democrat into office!

She was a phenomenal speaker, and an inspiration to watch. She even used someones sign to make her point!

The Dreams That You Dare to Dream Really Do Come True

Dreams...so powerful, so mesmerizing, so visual, yet hardly remembered, and I am not talking about the dreams you have when you lay your head on your pillow at night. I am talking about the dreams you have for you, for your future, for your life. We make these dreams for ourselves, but how often do we proceed with them.

Let me start with a question, of everyone who reads this post, please in the comment section answer these questions: (1) When you were a child, what were some of the many careers or jobs you "wanted to do when you grew up" and (2) Are you doing that job now?

If you answered question two with a YES, then congratulations. You have met at least one dream in your life, but now what...Are you done? Is there nothing left...no! Keep making dreams, don't let dreams fade in and out. If you have accomplished a life long dream and have the dream job, great...you still have more of your life to live...so get a new life long dream to work towards!

Now, if you answered the question with a NO, shame on you! What are you doing now that is keeping you from that dream job? Sure many people have a "situation" but more often than not those "situations" are more like excuses in disguise. There is always a way around a situation, but many of us, myself included, get to a roadblock and then give up. Some of us give up temporarily, and some of us give up for good, but many of us give up.

This needs to change. Find a way to get back up, focus on the dream and keep going.

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Police Edition

Well, thanks everyone for getting out and voting this week! The winner was The Police, in a 75% victory over The Rolling Stones. So, here it is, the Police mix!

• So Lonely
• Message In A Bottle
• Bring On The Night
• Don't Stand So Close To Me
  
• Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
• Every Breath You Take
• Wrapped Around Your Finger
• Walking In Your Footsteps
• Synchronicity II
• Roxanne

So, it looks like my iTunes decided that the best way to shuffle through the Police is via their greatest hits! I hope y'all enjoyed it! Now go vote for this weeks "newcomer" edition!

Today's the Day

Yes that is right, as of today I can

1. Rent a car without having to pay any sort of premium price or insurance rate
2. Call my car insurance company and say, I'm 25, drop my insurance price!

So yeah, today is my birthday, I am 25 today! A quarter of a century! Wow, but today has been a really fun day. My mom made sure that she got me whatever I wanted for lunch. My parents and grandmother both gave me generous gifts as did some of my fellow Toastmasters!

Oh yeah, it was birthday, and what did I choose to do? I went to my regular Toastmasters meeting, and I gave a speech. It was really nice, because even though I wasn't with my "immediate" family, I was still with family, just a different type!

Oh, and this is the birthday that keeps on giving! I am going to dinner with a friend on Friday, dinner with parents on Saturday, and then dinner with some other friends on Sunday!

So, thanks for everyones birthday wishes...let's see what adventures I get into this year!

"Why Are There So Many Songs About Rainbows...

...and what's on the other side. Rainbows are visions, but only illusions, and rainbows have nothing to hide. So we've been told and some choose to believe it, I know they're wrong, wait and see. Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection. The lovers, the dreamers and me. All of us under it's spell, we know that it's probably magic..." (The Rainbow Connection)

Such a simple thing, rainbows. Simply the sun shining on small droplets of moisture in our atmosphere. Yet, they stand for so much more...they really are, almost a realization of dreams and imagination.

You show a kid a rainbow, and more than likely that either from school or from stories, their first instinct is to search for the end of the rainbow, looking for that pot of gold. It becomes an adventure, trying to figure out where it ends, where it begins, and why it's even there. It allows kids to dream this big adventure, to imagine everything that could happen.

A kids imagination is far bigger and more expansive than yours or mine I am sure. They come up with ideas that are far more incredible, far more magical and their dreams are far more fantastical and phenomenal. Yet it seems that there comes a point where this never ending imagination just ceases. Sure we all have brief moments of an insane genius imagination, but the are few and far between.

Why is that? Personally, I think a lot has to do with the boundaries that are placed on us. Boundaries and restriction and limitations, set by everyone from government to management to parents to advisers, etc.

How many of you out there remember being a young kid, and every week you wanted to be something completely different when you grew up? A veterinarian, a firefighter, an actor, a dancer, and list can go on and on. When we were six, seven and eight, that was great! Or how many of you, when you were asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" knew the answer plus every other detail of your future life.

But as we got older we started to hear the "What are you planning to do with your life?" and "What do you really want to be when you grow up? questions. These are the questions that begin to limit our imagination. And now, "grown up" how many of you, when planning a project at work, or planning at home, are limited by restrictions put upon you. It's these limitation that hinder us. They don't allow us to use imagination to our full potential.

I guess what I am saying with this post, is try not to lose that inner child. Find ways, to keep the imagination and creativity alive. Granted, this is much easier if you have kids, but if not there are ways to. I don't have kids (yet) but I find ways, whether through hanging out with my friends kids, or cousins, or just occasionally going to the toy store, just because.

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The U2 Edition

I can't believe that in the three months I have been doing poll based Mix-Ups that U2 has never been polled or won. So, anyways, the iTunes have mixed and picked its own mix of 10 U2 songs, present and past, so here we go:

• Even Better Than The Real Thing (from the album Achtung Baby)
• New Year's Day (from the album War)
  
• Love and Peace Or Else (from the album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb)
• Bullet and the Blue Sky (from the album The Joshua Tree)
• I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (from the album The Joshua Tree)
• Pride (In The Name of Love) (from the album Rattle and Hum)
• When Love Comes To Town (from the album Rattle and Hum)
• Beautiful Day (from the album All That You Can't Leave Behind)
  
• Mysterious Ways (from the album
• Like A Song... (from the album War)
  

I Am Speeching On Wednesday!!!

So, some of you out in the world of blogs, might know that this Wednesday I will be giving a speech at my Toastmasters club. Some of you might even know that this Wednesday I will be turning a quarter-century old! That's right the big 2-5! The big car insurance break...(except mine is already the cheapest in the house)!

Anyways, I have to give a speech that night, and I know the idea of the speech, but I would love to have some imput and stories from you all! The title of the speech is "Another Year Older, Another Year Dumber" and the idea is that, as you get older, your parents get smarter. The reason behind the parents getting smarter is actually you realizing their advice was the "good advice" or the "right advice" from the beginning.

So, what are some of the situations where you got advice from your parents that you didn't take that ended up going wrong, and you realized years later, if you had only taken your parents advice?

I'm Back...For Real This Time!!!

Yes, it has been a while since I last posted, trumpeting my win over the nasty cold that held me hostage for days on end! So, what has been going on since my last post that was oh so long ago...well a whole lot of Toastmasters! I am an Area Governor (AG) for a local area in South Florida, and so this past week I got the rest of my visits over. As an AG I have to visit each club in my area (7 clubs) twice during the Toastmaster year, which ends at the end of June. So this past week I finished that and was pleasantly surprised to see that many are farther along in their recognition plans that I had thought.

Anyways, with that out of the way, I can focus on my speech for this Wednesday (see the above post). I can also focus on Mother's Day and the unending number of birthdays that go on in May!

With that, the mix-up last week (where U2 won), will be put up tomorrow, as well as a new poll. Besides that:

Happy Mother's Day

to all mothers out there in the blogosphere!

I'm Back and Better Than Ever

That's right folks, the cold is gone! The congestion is completely out of my system. No fever, no nastiness, just a whole lot of stress and preparation! Why so much stress you might be asking? Well this Saturday I have to facilitate a seminar on How To Conduct Productive Meetings...no problem right? Well, it is a 30 page presentation that is "pre-written" for me and estimated at a 1 hour presentation. On top of that they give you a prepared Power Point presentation, which for a 30 page presentation, you are lucky if you have 5 slides...so I am in the process of making my own power point! Thats just a little bit as to why I am stressed. I am also in the process of trying to find a full time job, trying to clean and organize everything, and just get back to the ease of life, pre-cold.

Anyways, there is a new poll up, so please vote! There will be no mix-up this week, but here's what you can look for throughout the week:
1 - The 5 Meme
2- Book Review - The Last Lecture
3- Maybe some more "inspirational" posts

This is Cold That Would Not End...

Does anyone remember the song from Sherri Lewis' Lamb Chops Play Along, that went "This is the song that doesn't end/yes it goes on and on my friend/Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was/And they'll continue singing it forever just because/<>"

Well that is what this cold that I have been fighting has felt like! It kinda started a couple weeks ago when I got a scratchy throat. Didn't think much of it, drank a bunch of hot green tea, took airborn, etc. The sore throat went away. Then on Thursday of last week it hit me like an Acme Anvil in a Wylie Coyote cartoon. I woke up with a fever of 100.6. Not to bad. But, by the end of the day it had felt as though my throat had completely closed up and my fever had gone up to 102.6. So Friday I called the doctor at 11 and said I need to get there as soon as he was leaving at 12. So I got to the office and got looked at. I knew something was odd when everyone in the waiting room was fanning themselves, yet I was sitting there with a sweatshirt and freezing! He gave me antibiotics and sent me home for rest and fluids. So I rested.

Then on Saturday, things got no better! Throat still closed, body still emitting enough heat to fry a small egg. In fact at one point on Saturday the fever spiked up 103.3 degrees! I franticlly searched for remedies online, only to find one odd one having to do with egg white drenched material on the bottom of you feet. The one positive thing though, and the bright point of the whole sickness was on Saturday morning, Lil Phez called to see if I wanted to go to the park. I politely said I couldn't. So yesterday, things stayed pretty bad, fever again spiking to 103, but by the evening it was 102.4...WOO HOO!!! It went down!

Then this morning I woke up and I was cool to the touch, so I took my temperature, and it was 99.7! Yay! Well this cold is finally on its way out, even though I still have 14 more horse size antibiotic pills left to take! But I feel so much better.

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The ABBA Edition

Well, this weeks winner was ABBA! It should be a fun and high energy way to start the week off, right? Plus, if you are a real ABBA fan, then you should go this summer and see Mamma Mia in theaters! Anyways, here it is:

• When I Kissed the Teacher
• Dancing Queen
• Happy Hawaii
• Fernando
• Knowing Me, Knowing You
• Take A Chance On Me
• Voulez Vous
• Money, Money, Money
• Chiquita
• The Name Of The Game

So, the new poll will be up by the end of the day or first thing tomorrow. Please, please, please make recommendations for future polls.

Have A Little Faith

Faith...it really is a funny thing. What exactly is faith? Is it purely religious, or does it know no boundaries?

Faith, can be defined as many things, but the form of faith I am talking about is the ability to believe and rely on things that are not tangible, not proven, not necessarily able to even be proven.

This whole year, I have been reading books and listening to seminars that have helped me to reflect on myself and the way I live and the world around me. It has been a journey that has been rejuvenating and welcomed. I have began to discover things about myself that I hope to change for the better. One of those things is to begin to have more faith. Not necessarily faith in myself or faith in others, but rather, faith in the sense of the definition above.

I have always prided myself as being fairly optimistic about almost anything. But I want to take it a step further. There is more than just looking "on the sunny side of the street." There is more than seeing the glass as half full. I want to begin to believe in what is not seen, not just in terms of spirituality and religion, but in the world. I want to look and believe in the good that is there in everyone. I want to be able to believe the way a child does, that anything you tell them is possible and that all dreams are obtainable.

Somewhere between being born and becoming an "adult" we seem to lose that faith in dreams and in the impossible. I am taking a leap here, but I bet, if more of us were to "find" that faith that we lost, or we can encourage the youth of this world to keep that faith, then this world would be a better place and so many things could be different. If we believed in the dreams and the impossible would there be such a thing as cancer or AIDS, or would we have found a cure already? Would we of had a Woman or African-American president prior to now possibly? What could be?

Please, feel free to comment on your ideas of faith, and anything that I have said above....all is welcome!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Cover Edition

Well since it was a tie, I decided that this weeks mix-up would be devoted to cover songs. And in the light that Carly Simon did tie, one of the cover songs will be a song originally sung by Carly! It will be the only song not to be "shuffled" into the mix...so lets get on with the show:

• Anticipation (sung by Mandy Moore, originally Carly Simon) This CD of Mandy Moore's is a great collection. All cover songs from the 70s and 80 and this Carly song is one of the many standouts!
  
• Begin The Beguine (sung by Sheryl Crow, originally Cole Porter)
• I Only Have Eyes For You (sung by Jamie Cullum, originally Peggy Lee)
• Over The Rainbow (sung by Catherine Britt, originally Judy Garland) I have come to the conclusion that there could possibly be no bad version of this song. It's all about dreaming and being able to dream!
  
• Mockingbird (sung by Toby Keith & Crystal Keith, originally James Taylor & Carly Simon) So we got two Carly Simon references in! This one was shuffled in!
  
• Heartbreak Hotel (sung by Willie Nelson & Leon Russell, originally Elvis Presley)
• The Way You Look Tonight (sung by Rod Stewart, originally Fred Astaire)
• Wanted Dead or Alive (sung by Chris Cagle, originally Bon Jovi) A great country rock version of the song. I remember when the album that it is on came out, they were interviewing Chris and he had sent the version to Jon Bon Jovi, who replied that it was possibly the best version of that song he had heard, and he included his own version!
  
• Stairway to Heaven (sung by Dolly Parton, originally Led Zeppelin) I absolutely love this version of this song! The original is fantastic, but this understated and simple take is just beautiful.
  
• Missing You (sung by Alison Krauss, originally John Waite)
  

Well that was a little more difficult than I had anticipated, since my iTunes doesn't have a "covers" category, but it was fun! Until next week!

A Change Can Do You Good

Over this past weekend, I read The Last Lecture, a book by Professor Randy Pausch, based on the lecture he gave at Carnegie Mellon. Over the next few weeks, I plan to change things around on my blog. I want to begin to post more blogs that are open for interpretation, allow for more reader interaction, and so forth.

So in the next couple of days, you can expect the usual Monday Morning Mix-Up, as well as a book review of The Last Lecture. But in addition there will be other things that I look forward to hearing from you about!

The Things That Come Out Of A Toddlers Mouth

I don't know how many of you out there know this, but TroyBoy over at Pheasantly Fascinating is a real close friend of mine! In fact I hang out with him, The Lady Pheasant (Mama Phez) and the two little Pheasants at least once a week. For the sake of naming and labeling, lets call the two little Pheasants, Lil Phez and Baby Phez!

Well, about a month ago I was over at the Pheasant residence when Lil Phez declared he was hungry. The conversation between Lil Phez and TroyBoy went something like this:

Lil Phez: Daddy, I would like a snack please.
TroyBoy: Okay, what would you like?
Lil Phez: I would like something cold daddy.
TroyBoy: Okay.
Lil Phez: Ice cream is cold daddy.

Well, he did not get the ice cream that night (this was before dinner). Instead I believe he got apple sauce. At least that was cold!

A Meme, A Dinner, & A Movie

So this meme was started with a fellow blogger friend TroyBoy, and I figured I would take a try at it! Here is the premise...(1) Think of you favorite movie, but don't post it! Then (2) create a meal (as many or as few courses as you wish) around that movie. And finally (3) write down your meal of choice and let us out there in the blogging world figure out your favorite movie! (Recipe for meal not necessary).

So here is my meal:

• Black & White Duo: Caviar on White Italian Crustini
• Yellow Corn Salad with a Technicolortini: Cold yellow corn salad with ruby red and emerald green peppers. Served with a layered martini featuring a rainbow of liquors.
  
• Cow of a Different Color: Beef three ways
  
• No Place Like Homemade Apple Pie - Served on a blue gingham tablecloth

So there is my meal...now what movie does it relate to?

Just a Thought

Last night I watched a special on ABC entitled, The Last Lecture. This was inspired by a lecture that was given by a professor at Carnagie Mellon University, Randy Pausch. The idea behind a last lecture, is that the professor is asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, the audience cannot help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

Well, Professor Pausch, didn't have to think hard about this topic. He had previously been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer, and a month before the lecture he was told that rather than responding to treatment, the cancer had metasticized and spread to the liver and kidneys. He was told he had between 3 and 6 months of good health left. This was in August 2007. Luckily, he is still in good health today.

In his own words, even with everything that is going on in his life, "I don't know, how to not have fun. I'm dying and I am having fun."

Think about that...

If you want to download the last lecture you can download it through iTunes (for no charge). Also, they allow the use of the lecture without authorization for any non-commercial use.

Concerts!

So, there have been posts previously about favorite movie quotes and meeting celebrities, which made me think, what concerts has everyone out there gone to? I'll start by listing the concerts I've been to, if you want to play along, just leave me a note and let me know!

• Styx/REO Speedwagon/Def Leppard - Okay, so this is my most recent concert experience (last Saturday night) and I realized one thing...It seems that I am a bigger REO fan than I thought...I new the words to every song, except their most recent, a song from last year! Good concert! I also had the experience previously about 10 years ago when I saw just Styx and REO Speedwagon!
  
• Billy Joel - A legend, who puts on such a simple yet fantastic show! It was just two hours of hit after hit after hit!
  
• Ozzfest (featuring Black Sabbath & Marilyn Manson)
• Green Day (with My Chemical Romance)
• Tim McGraw & Faith Hill (Soul2Soul Tour & Soul2Soul II Tour) - So special I had to see it twice! These are two of my favorite country superstars, and it just happens that they are married and toured together, three times! They put on a great show!
  
• Shania Twain (Up! Tour, Come On Over Tour, & Television Special Taping with Backstreet Boys and Elton John) - So I went through a Shania obsession period for a while...but it was fun! I still love her music (if she ever puts anything new out?) and my last concert experience was great...I was on the floor and got to go up towards the stage and she signed my program and 2 CD covers, and gave me a high five! Very memorable!
  
• Backstreet Boys
  
• Jo Dee Messina (Burn Tour (2x), Delicious Surprise Tour (2x)) - My favorite country artist of all time! She mixes rock with country and is so energetic! Always a great show and whenever she is in a town I am in...I will be there!
  
• Y-100 WingDing (featuring Destiny's Child & Jessica Simpson)
• Madonna (The Re-Invention Tour) - This was kind of a fluke concert...I went to get tickets which sold out immediately, and figured I wouldn't go. A couple days before the concert I looked on a broker site who had 2 upper level tickets for only $25 each! I grabbed them and had a blast. Oh, and the seats, were really good too!
  
• Kelly Clarkson (Breakaway Tour & Independence/Truth Tour with Clay Aiken) - Kelly puts on a great show and it was a lot of fun! I took my mom to the one with Clay because she likes him so we both had a good time!
  
• Duran Duran (The Astronaut Tour) - So much fun! This was for their previous album and it was fun...I was on the floor, about 10 rows from the stage, and with 2 close friends. All fun!
• American Idol Tour (Seasons 2, 4, & 5)
  
• Spice Girls (The Spiceworld Tour) - Okay, enough said...I was 10, first tour ever...went with friends...
  

Upcoming Tours I Plan on Going to:

• Reba McEntire

So what are the concerts you have gone to? Are planning to go to? What is your ultimate dream concert? If you want to reminisce with me about the music we've seen, just let me know in the comments!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: The Week of Rest Edition

So, as many of you might have noticed, there was no poll this week for the Monday Morning Mix-Up! Well I will be skipping the Mix-Up this week, and instead, come back later today for an all new post about Concerts (a post that all of you out there in the blogosphere can take part in.) Once that post is up, the new poll will be up with it!

Catch ya later!

The Soundtrack of Your Life

I was over at The Mind Wobbles, who was over at The Geek Inside and read a comment from Seven that mentioned a meme. Of course Sari was the one being tagged, not me - Seven's never heard of me, but I don't care - you know me and memes!

So, here are the instructions per Seven:

1. Open your music library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod, whatever)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question below, type the song that’s playing
5. New question — press the next button
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool

• Opening Credits: The Longest Time by Billy Joel
  
• Waking Up: Let's Hear It For The Boy by Deniece Williams
  
• First Day At School: Human Touch by Bruce Springsteen
  
• Falling In Love: Smile by Lonestar
  
• Breaking Up: Lost Unto This World by Emmylou Harris
  
• Prom: Wasted by Brandi Carlile
  
• Life's Okay: Nobody's Hero by Bon Jovi
  
• Mental Breakdown: The Hard Way by Faith Hill
  
• Driving: Some Things Never Change by Tim McGraw
  
• Flashback: Run To You by Bryan Adams
  
• Getting Back Together: Without You by Harry Nilsson
  
• Wedding: Some Things Never Get Old by Vince Gill
  
• Birth of Child: I'm Alive from the soundtrack to Xanadu
  
• Final Battle: How Long Is Forever by Willie Nelson
  
• Death Scene: A Perfectly Good Heart by Taylor Swift
  
• End Credits: Try Again by Keane

And that my blogging friends is my life set to music! Enjoy!

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: A Jazzy/Rocky/Country-Folky Edition

Well, this week there was a three way tie! And instead of breaking the tie this week, I decided, since many of these are my favorites, to put all three into the Mix-Up! One of them will have four songs, and I haven't decided which one yet...that will be a bonus! Anyways, here it is, the Mixed Up, Monday Morning Mix Up:

Jimmy Buffett

• Only Time Will Tell (from the album Banana Wind)
• Delaney Talks to Statues (from the album Fruitcake) - Very pretty song, somewhat family oriented...sweet song, very beachy!
  
• Conky Tonkin' (from the album License to Chill, featuring Clint Black) - Such a great song with so many great references for us Miami (some of them many people will know, like the loacations) folk! Lets list them all: South Beach, US1, Key Largo, Dadeland Mall, and Key West.
  

Queen

• Somebody to Love (from the album A Day At The Races) - I know this might be mildly sac religious but, this song almost sounds something that Disney would of come up with! I like the song, but it is kinda cheesy!
  
• Mother Love (from the album Made In Heaven)
  
• Headlong (from the album Queen Rocks)

Diana Krall

• Exactly Like You (from the album From This Moment On)
• Frim Fram Sauce (from the album All For You) - One of my favorite Diana cover songs (originally performed by the Nat King Cole Trio). It's a fun, cool, jazz song that is fun to sing along too!
  

Harry Connick, Jr.

• He Is, They Are (from the album Blue Light Red Light)
• A Spoonful of Sugar (from the album Songs I Heard) - This is one of my all time favorite albums! It is Harry singing all the songs you might remember from when you were a kid! He does songs from Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Sound of Music, Annie, and others. It is a great CD! And of course, this song is great too!
  

The Week-End Wrap & Review: The Two Week In Waiting Edition (Part II)

So it has been a long while since I have done a week-end wrap up. So there is somethings to catch up on, but nothing to major. So here it is...

What I Saw: Over the past few weeks, I have been watching many different things between TV and Movies! Lets see, I saw I Am Legend with Will Smith. It was a good movie, lots of action and high octane. However, I had two issues with the movie: (1) it seemed as though we have seen this movie before and (2) the "zombie" creatures could of been computer created a little better than they were. I also watched Syndey White, which was a cute high-school/teenager romantic comedy. It was silly, but entertaining. I also watched the first season of The X-Files. I remember when this show started on television, and my mom would watch it weekly. I never really got into it back then, but now I love it! Working on Season 2 now!

What I Heard: Been listening to the Beatles lately...well ever since American Idol had their contestants singing the songs. Speaking of American Idol, that is something else I have been watching...my favorites are Brooke White and David Cook! I have also been listening to Reba McEntire and her latest album, Duets. I am really excited because I have tickets to go see her at the Hard Rock Live in April!

What I Read: Right now I am completely involved in Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It is just so unabashingly honest and sincere that you want to read more and more. So hopefully I will finish that in the next week.

So that is it! Let me know what everyone out there has been up to this week?

I Cannot Make This Stuff Up!

So, while reading the Washington Post online, I have stumbled onto another "fantastically" wonderful article talking about John McCain's daughter Meghan. It seems she is trying to show everyone she is not the stereotypical blonde, and she has this to say:

"Because I love shoes, and who doesn't want to know what kind of shoes Dr. Kissinger wears?"

and

"I'm so sick of being called dumb because I like, you know, movies and music and fashion."

I can't make this stuff up!

What The???

So everyday I read through the news at various online news sites. I check many of them throughout the day to remain abreast on what is going on. Well, earlier today I went to CNN to see the daily news when up above the site, with a red background was a Breaking News bullitin, that read, and I kid you not:

Non-Nuclear Ballistic Missile Parts Sent to Taiwan by Mistake

Okay, who's getting fired or resigning over this one?

The Monday Morning Mix-Up: Soundtracks Galore

Well, this week there was more votes (Yay!)! Which means there was a little competition, and the winner this week are songs from soundtracks! So, here we go!

• Camellia (sung by Bette Midler, from the soundtrack to The Rose)
• Work It Out (sung by Beyonce, from the soundtrack to Austin Powers: Goldmember)
• Leaving on a Jet Plane (sung by Chantal Kreviazuk, from the soundtrack to Armageddon)
• You're The Top (sung by Cole Porter, from the soundtrack to De-Lovely)
• Mack the Knife (sung by Kevin Spacey, from the soundtrack to Beyond The Sea)
• Razzle Dazzle (sung by Richard Gere, from the soundtrack to Chicago)
• Science Fiction/Double Feature (sung by Richard O'Brien, from the soundtrack to Rocky Horror Picture Show)
• Old Plank Road (sung by Robin & Linda Williams, from the soundtrack to A Prairie Home Companion)
• Murder He Says (sung by Tori Amos, from the soundtrack to Mona Lisa Smile)
• My Generation (sung by The Who, from the soundtrack to Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me)

Okay, so it kinda turned into a mix of soundtracks and cover songs, but thats the way the iTunes wanted it! Don't forget to vote for next weeks Mix-Up and offer suggestions!

So Long, Farewell...

So, last year both Troyboy and Hilda kept talking about a little show called Jericho! How great it is, you have to watch it. Well, I finally got the Season 1 DVD's and went through them all in about 4 days! After Season 1, the show was cancelled, and because of fan support brought back for another season.

I've watched all of Season 2 and the final episode airs on Tuesday night. Well it looks like it will be the FINAL final episode!

(article taken from USA Today, Friday March 22)

Nuts!: 'Jericho' canceled again

This just in: Despite the efforts of devoted fans and its groundbreaking resurrection from the dead, CBS has decided that Jericho will be no longer. Producers have been told that the season finale will air Tuesday, with an ending that will give fans some closure, but not the cliffhanger that was anticipated. Can fans save the show again? How many more nuts will it take this time to keep the show on the air? Maybe upgrade to macadamia nuts? Get more details on the show's cancellation.

UPDATE: CBS Entertainment president Nina Tassler has issued a statement. In a nutshell, the show is over.

"The March 25th episode of Jericho will be the series finale. Without question, there are passionate viewers watching this program; we simply wish there were more. We thank an engaged and spirited fan base for keeping the show alive this long, and an outstanding team of producers, cast and crew that went through creative hoops to deliver a compelling, high quality second season. We have no regrets bringing the show back for a second try. We listened to our viewers, gave the series an opportunity to grow, and the producers put a great story on the screen. We're proud of everyone's efforts."

Throwing My Hat Into The Ring

Well, since many of my blogging friends have shifted focus into politics, I feel iI might as well get my opinion heard! Now, since this campaign has started I had flip-flopped my views and favorable candidates more times than John Kerry in Congress! There were many candidates on both party lines that I have like, some that I have disliked, and some that have no business running (Mr. Nader)!

So, you might be asking now, who is your choice for the Democratic nominee? Well, I am so glad you asked, because, my choice is not the "usual 24 year olds choice" in that I favor Hilary Clinton! After researching much of what she has done and the committees that she has worked on I feel that she is best suited at this time to be the next president. She seems as though she has the power needed and the gumption to get this country back to where it needs to be.

Now, I do like Obama. I think he is a wonderful man, an exquisite speaker, and will make an exceptional president...in 8 years! I have always enjoyed hearing this man speak, and yesterday's race inspired speech was no different. However, I believe that the introduction of race as a major point in this election could be what brings him down. Since this has occurred, his 14 point lead over Clinton has dwindled to 3 points, statistically insignificant. And today, it is being reported that Senator Clinton has a 7 point lead over Obama, something that while it was recorded prior to his March 18 speech, did not change after the speech.

Initially, I felt that the race issue was actually in Obama's favor. In America it seems as though we are more willing and accepting of being called sexist, and therefore more people would willingly attack Hilary Clinton's character as a woman. However, we are still extremely afraid of being called racist, and therefore there were no attacks to Obama's character (weather or not there is call for it).

Another idea that has irked me, is that it seems Obama was constantly saying that the election results were not about race, even though many time exit polls showed it was. In Mississippi 91% of African-Americans voted for Obama, and 72% of Caucasians voted for Clinton! If that is not a racially divided election, then what is?

Finally, is the newest of the Obama issues. Recently, his church and Reverend have been in the news, for issues and things that have been said. Now, I greatly respect Obama for the ways in which he has handled this issue. I think it was commendable that rather than attacking the messenger of these words he attacked the message that they bring. On the other hand, these comments that have been made, have not been a one time thing. In fact, this Reverend is known for some of the controversy he has stirred up in the past. In fact, many of the sermons that contained these "controversial" messages, is available as a DVD sold at the church. However, can you honestly tell me that after 20 years of going to this church, of being a member, being married by this Reverend, and having your children baptized by this Reverend, that you don't subscribe to some of what he has to say?

Take this example, I am a member of Toastmasters International. I joined to improve my oral communication skills and I have been a member for almost 5 years now. If I were to say that all of my oral communication skills and improvements were not due to this organization and denounce Toastmasters, I would be lying. There are things that are learned and followed from that program, just like there are things that are learned and followed from years in church. Now, I am not calling Senator Obama a lier, I am just saying that it is hard to believe that by denouncing Reverend Wright, the Senator does not still subscribe to the beliefs and doctrines that he has listened to in church for 20 years.

Please let me know your feelings on this subject!