Misadventures of a transplanted New Yorker

Cricut Expression with Your Story Bundle

2009-09-28T11:34:00.017-05:00

I've been scrapbooking since July and have quickly accumulated a bunch of stuff - embellishments, punches, paper, etc. But no matter how much stuff I buy, it seems like I always need something else.

I've had my eye on the Cricut Expression for a little while now, but it's so expensive that I really couldn't justify spending so much money on a hobby - until now. Those who know me understand that I am a borderline compulsive shopper easily tempted by HSN and Ebay, so I guess it was just a matter of time before I finally got a Cricut. Sure enough, HSN had a sale last week including flex pay and free shipping, so I decided to go ahead and buy one.

I cannot wait to get this machine because it does everything from cards, to scrapbooking layouts to home decor. The bundle that I ordered comes with a separate machine that laminates pages and binds books, and it comes includes three full content cartridges: Storybook, Doodlecharms, and Paper Dolls Dress Up. These cartridges are expensive and can retail for up to $89, so I definitely got a good deal. This will be my last big purchase for the year. For real. Okay, unless the after Christmas sales are really good....

Michael Steele is a jackazz

2009-09-21T17:18:00.004-05:00

It's one thing to have legitimate criticism of President Obama and his policies, but this shameless jackal is only cooning and buckdancing to try to get the Republicans to see him as one of the good ones with his willingness to go after the president. He first made an azz of himself with his clumsy attempt at using slang to entice youth to the GOP talking about how it was going to be "Off the Hook."

Now he's implying that President Obama a racist because he supposedly doesn't want David Patterson to run for Governor of New York when his term expires due to his high disapproval ratings. According to Steele, Governor Corzine of New Jersey has the same low poll numbers as Paterson, yet Obama is not asking him to stand down, however what this dissembling coon doesn't acknowledge - if this story about Obama attempting to interfere in Paterson's choice is even true - is that Governor Corzine was elected to be governor whereas Paterson was the lieutenant governor who became governor after Eliot Spitzer was found to have patronized a hooker. There are greater differences between the two governors than race, and it's disingenous of Steele to insinuate otherwise.

With the election of a Black President, many networks and political groups have searched high and low for Black talking heads to oppose the President at every turn, but the Republicans really hit the jackpot with this loyal lap dog of theirs.

I can't stop shopping!

2009-03-05T12:52:00.003-06:00

I am a reasonably intelligent person, and I understand that with the volatility of the economy, it is probably a good idea to save money rather than spending it. Still, I can't resist a good deal. Just last week, I purchased a $350 coat for $79 on J. Crew.com. That is the best deal I've scored so far, but I've also been racking up on cashmere sweaters and other winter items that have been marked down in some cases by as much as 75% because folks just aren't shopping as much. I've kept my spending under control so far, but I know that I am easily tempted and need to be careful.

One good thing to come out of this is that I am back to hunting for coupons online. I had gotten out of that habit because for a long time there weren't any decent coupons available. I was able to save $10 on groceries last week with a combination of coupons clipped the Sunday paper and those that I printed online. I also buy some on Ebay.

Yes we did!

2008-11-05T12:12:00.006-06:00

I am feeling downright patriotic today. The American people rejected fear mongering and divisive politics in an unmistakable way, and although I was hopeful, I had my doubts that I would ever see this day. May this be the beginning of a new era and better days for all of us.

People who live in glass houses....

2008-10-10T09:37:00.002-05:00

Well, you know the rest of it. I found this video today and had to share it in light on the latest attacks on Obama's patriotism. This clip speaks for itself.

Signs of Desparation

2008-10-09T10:53:00.004-05:00

Sen. McCain really needs to muzzle the hockey pitbull in a skirt because not only is she trafficking in lies and innuendo, but she is whipping crowds up into a frenzy with dangerous rhetoric. She dares to bring up William Ayers when her own husband has ties to a secessionist group - a group for which she prepared a video statement this year?

Since his campaign is so worried about judgment and associations, how about asking ole Johnny to explain his membership on the board of the US Council for World Freedom - a group that helped fund the Contras in Nicarauga through the illegal sale of arms to Iran? McCain claims not to have been aware of their activies, yet he was on their board for several years during the early to mid-eighties. This group was the US chapter of World Anti-Communist League which has been linked to Nazi sympathizers. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100700234.html

Also, Cindy McCain really needs to tone down the vitriol because she is far too imperfect a person to fling mud at anyone. She had the nerve to claim that Obama is running the dirtiest campaign ever. Really? Is she unaware of what her husband's campaign operatives have been doing? I saw that clip of her carrying on about Sen. Obama's vote against troop funding and noticed that she conveniently forgot to mention that her husband also voted against a bill to fund the troops because that bill had a timeline for withdrawal. Obama voted against a similar bill because it did not have a timeline. So how is Obama any worse than McCain in this case?

And finally, what kind of man sends women out to do his dirty work? He lets the pit bull and the ice princess go out on the stump making false and reckless allegations while he stands back and grins. But Cindy better realize that the more she is out there spewing lies, the more people are going to look into her background, and she really cannot withstand the scrutiny.

Brown Man Thinking Hard: Yes They Can: Purging Voter Rolls

2008-09-08T12:07:00.000-05:00

Brown Man Thinking Hard: Yes They Can: Purging Voter Rolls

You need more people

2008-09-04T09:15:00.010-05:00

I watched Sarah Palin's speech and found her to be snide, sarcastic, dismissive, obnoxious and dishonest. For all her mocking of Obama as a community organizer, she fails to realize that the man is a U.S. senator with more and better credentials than she has who has represented far more people than she has ever governed. She was elected mayor by 600 votes. There are more people in my subdivision.

True enough, Obama started off as a community organizer working with poor folks from Chicago's south side, but he also graduated from Harvard Law school, was a constitutional law lecturer ( does she even know what that document means), a state senator and a U.S. Senator. As a state senator, he sponsored more than 800 bills and cast 4,000 votes for a district that had nearly as many people as her entire state. And he has sponsored legislation in the U.S. Senate addressing ethics reform and nuclear proliferation. So much for her theory about him not authoring anything other than his books -books which she probably would have had banned from her city's library since she was into that sort of thing.

Meanwhile, this Hockey Mom newcomer is embroiled in ethical scandals http://www.mahalo.com/Sarah_Palin, has a an unwed pregnant daughter that no one is supposed to discuss even as Palin trots her and the babydaddy out for photo ops, has ties to a secessionist group that wants to have a vote on allowing Alaska to be its own country, claims to be a reformer and yet hired lobbyists to get $27 million in earmarks for the city of Wasilla (population 5,500) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103148.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2008090103340&s_pos=which she also left Wasilla with $22 million in debt. Mind you, the city had no debt when the Hockey Mom took office. Also, for all her talk about her special needs child, as governor, she cut funding for special needs children AND pregnant teenagers. And I just read in the Washington Post that she was a director of disgraced Sen. Ted Stevens' 527 group http://voices.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/09/01/palin_was_a_director_of_embatt.html

I am not impressed by her ability to be bytchy while delivering someone else's lines because she didn't say much about her ability to govern. While she gets high marks for reading a teleprompter, the job of Vice President of the United States requires a broader skill set.

So Hockey Grandmom, in the words of that great American philosopher Sean Carter "We don't believe you- you need more people."

That John McCain?

2008-09-03T13:35:00.012-05:00

This post was inspired by a rant that I left in response to a video on youtube from someone agreeing with Traitor Joe (Lieberman) that John McCain is the best candidate in the presidential race.

Does anyone honestly think that McCain, the hothead who admits to knowing nothing about the economy, would be a better President than Barack Obama?

McCain whose slogan is "Country First" yet who in his first executive decision selected a wholly unqualified woman to win over disgruntled female voters - passing over qualified and better known Republican women like Christine Todd Whitman, Kay Bailey Hutchinson and Elizabeth Dole in the process.

Mccain whose VP pick has more baggage than Delta Airlines and was not even properly investigated before being selected as his running mate. That John McCain?

McCain the 72-year old cancer survivor who would be the oldest president to start a first term if he were to win the election.

The same McCain who is suddenly aghast at the Old Boys Network, of which he is a long-time member, for daring to question Sarah Palin's qualifications.

McCain who has a newfound appreciation for Hillary Clinton and her supporters after having made many sexist remarks notably calling his own wife the C word and making a tasteless joke about rape. Is that the McCain you want to be our President?

McCain who did nothing but laugh when a woman at one of his rallies referred to Hillary Clinton as a beeyotch earlier this year.

The one who thinks that being a former POW insulates him from all criticism? The one who is being called out by fellow veterans and POWs for cheapening that experience by citing it for political points when it's not even relevant? Is that the McCain that some claim is the better candidate - or is there some other McCain running for office that I don't know about? That must be it.

The Truth About Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T17:13:00.006-05:00

Doesn't this look like a check cashing joint?

Downtown Wasilla, Alaska

I just read some interesting stuff about Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin on a blog written by someone from Alaska who has been following the self-described Hockey Mom's political career. As it turns out, the bulk of this executive experience that the Republicans are touting comes from some podunk little town with a population of 5,500 - not 9,000 as has been reported. She has only been governor for 20 months.

She is embroiled in a few scandals, favors shooting animals from helicopters for sport, believes in creationism, is pro life, opposed to teaching sex ed in school AND she has an unwed pregnant teenager. She just got her passport last year, has ties to a secessionist group that wants Alaska to be its own country and tried to have books banned in her town's libary. Is this the most qualified Republican woman that McSame could find for his ticket? Maybe he just likes to be around former beauty queens.

Read all the details here: http://mudflats.wordpress.com/2008/08/29/what-is-mccain-thinking-one-alaskans-perspective/

Anne Price Mills- Overwrought Clintonista

2008-08-27T08:09:00.002-05:00

So, I went back on my word and watched CNN again after Hillary Clinton's speech. Actually, my fiance was watching it and I happened to walk by when I heard this woman boo hooing and carrying on over how poor Hillary in all her brilliance was being passed over for Obama. I was in another room and couldn't see this person, but she kept on for so long that I finally had to see her face. Man, was I ever shocked to see this Black woman standing up there making an azz of herself. She would be the one that they interviewed after Michelle Obama's spectacular performance.

This woman had the nerve to talk about Obama's resume and implied that he was straight out of Harvard and had no experience. Does she not know that he was an Illinois state senator for 7 years, a community organizer and a Constitutional law professor? Was she not listening to Hillary when she asked her supporters if they were just in it for her? Enough already with all this whining and hand wringing and talking about Obama needing to earn their votes. What has McCain done to earn any of their dayumned votes? This is what happens when people start worshipping people and personalities rather than supporting causes.

Let me stop now before I get all riled up again. Watch this clip for yourself and see if you can remain calm.

I can't take it!

2008-08-25T11:38:00.005-05:00

The presidential election coverage is giving me high blood pressure. It’s so bad that I find myself talking to the tv when they have these bitter Hillary Clinton supporters on complaining about how Obama is treating her. Whatevs. He’s the winner. And if she’d had enough votes to be the presumptive Democratic nominee does anyone really believe that she would be bending over backwards to accommodate him and his supporters?

And it is really irking me that these Repug morons keep calling Obama an elitist. How the hell can a man raised by a single parent, who had been on welfare at one point and who only recently paid off his student loans (at 47!) be considered an elitist? Meanwhile McCain’s old azz is the son and grandson of Navy Admirals, married an heiress (leaving behind his disabled first wife), wears $500 Ferragamo shoes on the regular and owns at least 7 homes – so he’s supposed to be a man of the people? Yeah, and I’m the Sugar Plum Fairy.

I wish that the folks who can’t bring themselves to vote for a Black man would just admit it and stop making up excuses to justify their positions. It’s like one of my neighbors who dared to say something negative about Obama around me. Now I don’t normally discuss religion or politics with people I don’t know that well, but if you bring it up I will not hold back - especially when you are saying something outrageous. She said that he was arrogant in how he went on that overseas tour acting like he was already President, and even compared him to Hitler! I was like how the hell can you make that leap to compare this man to Hitler? Hitler was a deranged dictator who ordered the slaughter of millions of Jews. That is not something to throw around lightly.

This is an old White woman who lives behind me, and I have been pissy with her ever since. When she saw how mad I was getting, she brought up some negatives about McCain and about politicians in general, but I wasn’t buying it. I told her that McCain was an old war monger with a history of cancer and who would be no better than Bush.

Another thing that’s making my jaws tight is how people keep on talking about Michelle Obama’s hatred of America. When exactly did this woman express those feelings? Just because she’s intelligent and outspoken these commentators and clueless people want to portray this woman as some kind of militant Black supremacist. It's ridiculous.

Taimak is still fine

2008-08-21T07:14:00.007-05:00

I discovered this last year when I found his myspace page
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=27730569

The Last Dragon was released in 1985, but broman doesn't look all that different. A lot of this is probably genetic, but he also follows an excellent diet and exercise program.

Ladies, can you believe that this gorgeous specimen of a man is 44 years old?

I'm about to order his workout video because he is his own best advertisment. I haven't hit the big Four Oh yet, but I plan to be 40 and fabulous when the time comes.

RIP to the Shogun of Harlem

2008-08-21T06:24:00.006-05:00

Actor Julius Carry III passed away on Tuesday at the age of 56. Carry, a film and tv actor, is best known for his portrayal of ShoNuff, the Shogun of Harlem in The Last Dragon - a cult classic for all of us 80's babies. Who can forget this scene?: Am I the meanest? ShoNuff! Am I the prettiest? ShoNuff! Am I the baddest mofo low down around this town? Sho Nuff!

The Cheat Team

2008-08-12T16:58:00.002-05:00

I have been laughing about this video all day! The best part is when R. Kelly comes in to give advice on how to handle the "Code Blue."

Keith Olbermann tells em why he's mad

2008-05-23T22:53:00.004-05:00

Hillary Clinton really stepped in it today and all of the political pundits have been ripping her to shreds, but Keith Olbermann really let that miserable wretch have it during a special comment. He got her trifling azz for the old and the new and let her know that not everyone is being fooled by her games. Shame on you Hillary Clinton.

First Mike Huckabee makes stupid joke about Obama ducking for cover and now this. Surely these people cannot be this clueless about how wrong it is to even think this evil shyt about a man who has done nothing but seek political office- never mind how wrong it is to speak on it in pubic. It's like they are wishing him harm. Some White folks are quick to say that African Americans are too sensitive, but crap like this is why many of us have a short fuse.

Hold on Sweetie

2008-05-16T09:10:00.003-05:00

Obama has been catching flack this week for referring to a female reporter as "sweetie." Normally, I hate when strange men use terms of endearment towards me, but can I just tell you that this fine, suave fugga could call me sweetie all day, and I wouldn't be mad. Now if he was some worthless troll, then trust that he would have gotten a good cussing. But Obama? Chile please. I would only hope that his wife wasn't around to give me the side eye of death for cheesing all up in her man's face.

Obama Apologizes to WXYZ Reporter

Last Update: 5/15 9:21 am

Stir crazy....

2008-05-15T11:18:00.010-05:00

I am so sick of being in the house. I had surgery on both feet two weeks ago, so I have to take it easy for the next few weeks. I cannot walk or stand for an extended period of time and have just been sitting around with my feet propped up. Sure it was fun at first while I was taking those painkillers and floating on a cloud somewhere over the rainbow, but I couldn't keep taking those things and risk winding up like Amy Winehouse - Beehives and crack mouth are not a good look. When I started twitching in my sleep one night, I realized that it was time to switch to extra Strength Tylenol.

My big adventure yesterday was going to Kroger and riding around in one of those little motorized carts while grocery shopping. I wanted to see if I could do donuts, but people were already staring at me, so I didn't. The other folks in the motorized carts, mostly senior citizens, were giving me the broman nod while rolling past me like we were in some kind of clique. I could see the others staring trying to figure out what (if anything) was wrong with me. Their eyes dropped down and I could tell when they spotted those hideous surgical shoes that I am forced to wear. Then it was like awwww. Hey, I don't need pity from a bunch of bored housewives. I felt like saying sure, I'm having some mobility issues right now, but I'll be back on my feet in a month and you'll still be ugly!

Being housebound is causing me to do strange stuff like watching QVC, the Home Shopping Network and Gems TV. I ordered a Bissell Steam Mop and am actually excited about getting it. How pitiful is that to be excited over a dayumned mop? But in my defense, I have a pissy dog and need all the help I can get with keeping the floors clean. I can't stand a nasty house, or a house that smells like dog.

Speaking of cleaning the house, a Merry Maids representative came over to give me an estimate. That woman said that it would cost $630 for two ladies to give my house a "Spring Cleaning." That's dayumn near the mortgage on my rental house, and it would only cover the ground level! If I wanted to just hire them by the hour, that rate is $79. Who knew that maids were making that kind of scratch? Shoot, I'm about to start scrubbing toilets in my spare time.

Other folks around here have people that clean their houses, and I know they aren't paying that kind of money. I'll hire a day laborer before I go out like that. One of those workers will probably do the whole house for $20 and a sandwich.

Where is our day?

2008-04-24T17:03:00.005-05:00

Mother's day is coming up, and these desperate retailers want to make sure that you remember the woman who brought you into this world by giving her some stuff - flowers, a coffee mug, or maybe a lap top computer. My mother passed away a long time ago, so I feel kind of disconnected from this particular holiday.

I was just talking to one of my friends about this, and we both agree that there needs to be some kind of Aunts or Godmother's day. I am not trying to take anything away from you mothers because that's a hell of a job. Still, as an aunt, I have changed plenty of diapers (not recently though) and have been dispensing a fair amount of love, advice and cash. Where's my day?

I am single and childless, and for a long time me and my friends who had similar backgrounds would talk about how we were spending all this money on bridal showers, baby showers etc., and how we weren't likely to get an opportunity to have some of those things for ourselves. Think about it. When you're single and childless, the only recognition you get is on your birthday - if you're lucky.

I'll take the last Friday night in June. That's right around the beginning of summer and as good as time as any for a celebration. All we need now is an official drink and a spokesperson. Any ideas?

Dresses I like

2008-04-01T09:32:00.021-05:00

I'm getting married this year. I have no idea where, and I'm not sure of the date since we keep going back and forth with our plans. I was going to have a small wedding in my new hometown in the fall, but now I am leaning more towards tying the knot in Las Vegas. I just don't feel like it makes sense to spend a whole bunch of money on a wedding and reception in this lousy economy. Vegas will be significantly less expensive, and I'll still be able to wear a pretty dress.

I've been keeping an eye out for dresses, but I can't buy anything until we decide on a venue. Plus, I need to lose some weight. I am leaning towards a sheath or an A-line dress in ivory. Anything more is really going to depend on where we get married. The designers I like the most are Maggie Sottero and Casablanca. They have a variety of price points and styles, and the destination dresses are very affordable.

Here are some that caught my eye:

Ines Di Santo Rohmy- Expensive and gorgeous. This is my dream dress.

Casablanca 1827. This is a very pretty dress and one of the first that I considered.

Maggie Sottero Gillian: Simple and pretty. It's fitted, but has some flare at the bottom.

Maggie Sottero Mandy (Destination) Maggie Sottero Jessica

Maggie Sottero Viera: I don't love that color sash, but this dress is very pretty. There are other colors available.

Maggie Sottero Kiri: This is a gorgeous dress, but I am not crazy about the spaghetti straps.

Maggie Sottero Phillipa: A gorgeous trumpet style sheath dress. Definitely not for the bootylicious.

I'm going to try start trying dresses on in the next few weeks and hope to make some progress with my plans by May. The whole process has been more stressful and involved than I ever expected. Sigh. I need a fairy Godmother with deep pockets and plenty of free time.

Man arrested for having sex with picnic table

2008-03-31T08:40:00.004-05:00

At first I didn't see what the big deal was because it was his table and he was on his own property, but apparently this furniture lover lives near a school and children could have seen him. But a felony for poking a table? Unless some kid actually did see it, they need to give him a warning and leave the man alone. And the neighbor who taped the act is an even bigger freak.

Ohio man facing charges for having sex with a picnic table

Bellevue man facing charges for having sex with picnic table

Art Price / Courtesy Bellevue Police

News

Full Story >

BELLEVUE, OH) -- Police say a man in Bellevue, Ohio was caught on tape having sex with a picnic table.

Bellevue Police Captain Matt Johnson says Art Price, Jr., 40, was seen on four occasions between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and noon having sex with his picnic table. What makes this a felony, Johnson says, is that it took place in close proximity to a school, which made it likely that children could have seen Price.

The neighbor -- who wishes to remain anonymous -- saw Price walk out onto his deck, stand a round metal table on its side and use the hole in the umbrella to have sex.

The most recent instance took place March 14, we're told. A neighbor videotaped Price.

"The first video we had, he was completely nude. He would use the hole from the umbrella and have sex with the table," Johnson says.

Police say Price admitted to the crimes -- four charges of public indecency. Usually these sorts of things are misdemeanors, but in this case, they are felonies.

"What boosts it up to a felony is that the statute says if it's likely to be viewed by a minor," Johnson explains.

The Price family did not want to talk with us, but neighbors did. Some are not happy Price was released on his own recognizance.

"He shouldn't be allowed just for the fact that he could do that again -- and nude that close to a school. That should be zero tolerance," says Brice Jacobs, a neighbor.

Price is married with three school-aged children. Neighbors tell us they're now worried about the kids.

"Hopefully it stays between the adults and the kids don't get a lot of the information so they aren't so cruel to the little kids," says Emily Grote, a neighbor.

This case has police in this small town shaking their heads. "Once you think you've seen it all, something else comes around," Johnson says.

Report: WTOL, Toledo

Happy Saturday!!!

2008-03-29T13:40:00.000-05:00

Saturday is my favorite day of the week because I can do whatever I want in my own time, or I can do nothing at all. Today, I've been cleaning and listening to music and am about to head out to the park for some cardio since my doctor told me that my fat azz "could stand to lose 20 lbs." Gee, and here I was thinking that I was underweight.

Here are some videos to check out on this relaxing day. The first is Mary J. singing Just Fine live on the Today show with David Gregory performing on the sidelines. That's how I'm feeling today.

Rude people suck

2008-03-28T17:20:00.000-05:00

There are few things that I hate more than self important people who think that their time is more valuable than anyone else's. These morons are often so blinded by their sense of entitlement that they don't even realize that they're being rude. I am not usually deliberately rude, and it irks the hell out of me when people are inconsiderate.

I was in CVS this morning picking up a couple of prescriptions. I didn't have my CVS card with me, so I asked the cashier if she could just look up my telephone number to find my account. She tried the number three times without success, so I asked if I could just sign up for a new card. The whole time that I was at the counter, I could tell that the woman behind me was getting impatient, but I didn't care. Then this broad had the nerve to ask the cashier "Can she just use my card? Because I am in a huge rush." I didn't say anything, so the cashier asked me if I wanted to use this stranger's card, and I said, "No. I don't want my purchases going on her account." I didn't even bother turning around to acknowledge this nervy broad.

I don't know what would make her think that I gave a damn about her time constraints since I was in line first. And I was really taken aback by her condescending tone like she just knew that I would go along with it. This wasn't about doing me a favor, this broad wanted me to get out of her way. The cashier was all flustered like she didn't know what to do, but all I knew was that this woman was going to have to wait her turn.

Long story short, someone else came over to help me while the original cashier stepped over to the next register to help impatient Sally. And wouldn't you know it, there were problems that held up her transaction. She still wound up waiting and got out of the store maybe two minutes before I did.

After Sally left, the cashier said she thought the other customer was rude but decided to ask me in case I wanted to accept her offer. I told her that it was fine because I was not in a rush, and life is too short to be obnoxious. Now the old me would have cussed this chick out, but I am mellowing in my old age. I was all too happy to let this old jerk look like a fool all by herself.

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