Wipe the brow...

So I'm not as apprehensive today. I got an email late yesterday saying that my financial aid had gone through, and with the school willing to work with me about the food I think I'm almost ready to get back to school.

With those worries out of the way I can focus on the book again. I downloaded a press release template this moring and I have it in another person's email right now pending review before I send it out. Granted it is only going to two newspapers right now, my hometown paper and the school paper, but it is something.

Onto other news... I still haven't sold a thing through my cafepress shops, but late last night I did get some comment spam telling me to go somewhere else. Oh boy!!! let's do all that work again so I can not make money on two POD apparel places. Yeah right. I'd much rather keep my work and inability to make it sell in one place thanks very much. And I'm so willing I'm considering more work and another shop... just to take up my time. :-)

I also have to schedule a time to get over to the bridal shop in one of the malls. Yes, I have to buy a dress, joy... I've never been a bridesmaid before, and I don't know how I feel about it. It'll be almost $200 between dress and shoes, and the bride says that is a good price. Now if I spend that much money on clothes I usually end up with several bags. So that much for one outfit is kinda painful.

Ok that's enough for now.

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Where are the parents?

So I'd been debating the subject of the Grand Theft Auto game on a message board. My argument was that we didn't need government involvement, because the parents should be paying attention to their own kids.

And then this morning I see this article. Oh boy, talk about making my point.

So quick rundown. A grandmother is sueing the makers of the GTA line because of the notorious sex scene, after she bought the game for her 14 yr. old Grandson.

SO a couple of questions here. Since when do we totally ignore rating systems? She probably wouldn't have bought an R rated movie for him, so why does she think that the equivalent game rating is safe?

Anybody who hasn't been living in a video game hole knows how violent this game is to start with. I remember hearing people brag in the first or second GTA how they managed to run over whole lines of Elvi. And being able to pick up prostitues was one of the open features of this incarnation of the game. You just didn't get to see the sex.

So this leads me to my real point. Where are the parents? Why are they ignoring a rating system that was set up just to prevent this type of problem? Since when has a child's desire for something become more important than parental responsibility?

There's a fundamental problem with assuming video games are safe, but that's not always the case. Parent's, grandparents, and relatives need to be just as stringent with games as they are with movies. You would be laughed at if you bought an R movie for your child and then tried to sue the moviemakers because it was inappropriate, why shouldn't we be laughing at this grandmother. I mean it was her own fault, she bought something that was rated above her grandson's age.

So I say that the government needs to get out of complaining about the video games. It always has and always will come down to parental responsibility. And parents need to realize that these ratings are just as serious as those of movies, if you don't want your child having this kind of exposure... DON'T BUY IT.

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Questions...

SO I've noticed that my traffic is horribly slow the past week or so. Now I've also noticed that some other bloggers are complaining about the same thing.

But I've also noticed that comments from my regular visitors have dropped off as well. SO I'd like to know why. Am I boring, or do you just not have anything to say? I'd like to know that I'm not scaring everybody off with my trying to get some other things going on over the past week.

Now with that said... I'd like to move on to the shield of happiness that corporate media imposes on us.

I was watching nightline last night, and it was a special about the famine currently ravaging Niger. Now I had seen short blips about this before, but only on the BBC never on American Corporate Media.

So they showed the BBC clips and then started to talk to a representative from the UN about why the aid was so slow in coming to people that desperately needed it. It pretty much boiled down to our ability to take natural disasters. While the UN had been warning the world that aid would be needed there even last year, the tsunami and Darfur and the recent slum burning in Kenya(?) had diverted our attention.

In the meanwhile they said that 2.5 million people are at risk in Niger, 800,000 of them are children.

For those of you who haven't seen some of the footage coming out of there. The children look like grays, you know... the little gray aliens that kidnap people in their sleep. Huge heads on top of tiny bodies.

They showed one family preparing dinner, one small rat... for six people. And they considered themselves lucky that night.

At the end of the program the UN rep said that they wished that they had a rotating food fund, so that they don't have to fundraise while people are dying. So that they could feed these people before it gets to this stage. Right now that only have about 1/4 of the estimated money needed to feed these people, and that's in Niger alone not the surrounding countries.

Now my question is why don't we have a rotating fund like what is needed? We're spending tons of money on these wars, but we can't spend a miniscule amount in comparison to feed people who are starving to death.

Where is the morality of killing our children in a war over oil and letting innocent people die because mother nature rolled them the wrong numbers? Why isn't the "moral majority" screaming about the lag in helping people who desperately need it?

I hope, that if nothing else, this entry informs those who weren't aware. And hopefully it can help in some small way.

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writing

Just because I've been slacking lately, and not getting my posts up until late in the morning...

I'd like to post the link to some of my short stories, and share my favorites.

Fright

Diary of a Female Assassin

Now I know that some of you may think that Assassin is similar to a recent movie, but I actually had it published over last summer and fall. So it is merely coincidence.

What do you all think?

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rainy day

Yeah, it's raining.

That's a big deal out here in the desert. I think that we are finally starting to see some of the effects from Emily.

In other news... I am getting a little bit of positive feedback concerning my cafepress stores. But positive feedback has not been enough to generate even one sale. Of course that's a little disappointing, but I figure I may just not have found the right niche yet.

But I would like to ask everybody out here for feedback. Right now what I'm getting is from other shopkeepers.

So I have four stores right now. They Are:

Desert Photography

Stuck In the Political Middle

Bumper Sticker Rant Store

Torn Novel Gift Shop

Moving on... I am starting to wonder if I will be able to make my own deadline for DS. The slow time really wholloped me, and I actually don't know how much I have to write. It could be ten thousand words, or twenty thousand or more. I actually don't know. I'm also probably spending too much time trying to promote my shops and figuring how to promote Torn than time I could be spending writing.

Next up... I am still waiting for my financial aid information. It's less than a month before school starts, and I haven't heard anything in over a month. All I know is that the Fafsa and my GPA are good enough to get aid, but I have no idea if I've been awarded any. I emailed somebody in the office, but I haven't heard back yet. If I don't hear back in a day or so I'll probably email somebody else.

Finally, no repeat of the pains from the other day. Which means that it was the food and not stress. That makes me feel better, I would hate to be so stressed that I'm getting pains so close to school.

Ok enough of my ramblings for today.

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promised a better bee picture. Here it is, with an added bonus... another bee 

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sun peeking through a break in the clouds at sunset 

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rays of sunshine cutting through the clouds at sunset 

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Took this one a few days ago. Wonder where the pot of gold is. 

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I was trying some of the other modes on my camera when I took this pi. This is my mother's cat, who has been spending more time sleeping outside since my brother's dog is currently spending time with us. 

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Pain...

So I had a flareup of my stomach problems last night...

I had eaten at a place that I thought was safe, but I hadn't eaten there in years. I paid the price. I was in pain last night, and ended up taking medicine that I hadn't been forced to take in nearly 2 years.

Luckily I'm feeling better this morning.

On to other news...

I added some more designs to Stuck in the Political Middle. They are just simple text, but I'm hoping that since i didn't see any other moderate sites this will fill a void. Also in answer to friday's question... the design I thought needed work was the mudslinging victim. It's just rough, and my art isn't too good. But it was nice to see that someone else liked it. If you check out the store though you'll see that the other design was almost completely replaced.

I also managed to figure out where I am headed for the next few pages in DS. I'm having a hard time because I know where the story is going, but I don't want to rush getting there. I'm hoping that as I figure out this section it leads right into the next without the huge gap in writing time that I experienced lately.

I also have more landscape pictures, and bees. I'm condsidering putting some of them on some of the things in my photography store. I'll probably post my favorites a little later today, and would like feedback on how to place these, fave products etc. Also I'll probably put one on a stamp when they are released next month, at a price I have concernes about, but it's worth the shot.

I also recieved my business cards on fri. Now I just have to give them away. I got cards for both BSRant and Torn.

Ok enough of this for now. Watch for pictures, if I get around to it today.

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cafepress shop

SO I opened up another cafepress store

Stuck in the Political Middle

I only have 2 designs in there right now, and one I think i will have to play with more, but it's up.

So in the comments section let's play the guess which image needs tweaked game? Middle or victim?

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Ugh.

So I really don't have anything to say right now, but I figured that I might as well get a post in.

I guess I'll talk about how bad an artist I am.

So I'm considering opening another cafepress store, not for any better reason than I might as well. And this one would be dedicted to those of us in the political middle.

Here is the problem... I have some cute ideas for artwork, and I think the designs would sell. But I have no artistic talent when it comes to drawings. I can do stained glass, jewelry, fabric stuff, but if you hand me a pencil I think you want me to take notes. This means that some really neat ideas sit in my head.

But I'll probably try to prove it to myself again. I figure that since my ideas are cartoonish this time instead of realistic I may be able to do it.

I know better... I guess it's just been so long since I tried to draw anything that it's woth the disappointment again.

oh well, I'll let you know. And since I already have one simple design I'll probably post the url later today.

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Little birds

My birds have been especially loving the past few days. I have no idea why. Teioh kept flying over while I was reading the other day, and Tigger kept flying over while I was working on my laptop last night.

This is strange, not as much from Tigger as from Teioh. Ever since I bought Tigger, Teioh has been happy with his birdy friend. He will still give me attention, but usully goes right back to Tigger. But before I bought Tigger, Teioh was extremely loving, he was an attention slut.

SO maybe it's just a bird getting back to normal, but I got used to the other way.

It's kinda nice getting attention from my pets, but they have this timing... Like they'll visit when I'm working on something, but when I try to get their attention they aren't interested. Also since their only way of learning about the world is by beak, they chew on anything and everything. Of course this means that they try to pull up laptop keys and books taste oh so good.

Oh well, I guess I'll deal with the bad because the rest is so good. I get pets that are entertaining and loving, and of course the feather smell. And they get free food and shelter.

Plus they picked me, I mean you can't turn down a pet that says it wants to live with you.

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Luckily I'm not scared of bees. took forever to get a picture that wasn't blurry, and wasn't washed out from the flash going off when I didn't want it to. Now to get one that is closer so that you can actually see the bee. 

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The Bloodstained Rabbit

So I recived my copy of Sean Kennedy's The Bloodstained Rabbit yesterday. I had been waiting for this book since I pre-ordered it back in may.

Of course I just ate the book up. I think I managed to read it in just under 6 hours. Sacricficed a little bit of sleep, but I feel that it was well worth it.

So if you are a fan of horror I highly recommend this book. It seems small when you first hold the book in your hands, but it is packed with a powerful punch.

In a quick nutshell the book is about the horrors of using forgotton science.

Now the hard part. Right now it appears that this book was a limited run. There may only be 250 copies printed, ever. It will probably be available as a pdf later, but if you like printed books now is probably the time to pick it up. If I remember right, as of monday there weren't quite 100 left. And they were expecting the supply to run out this week.

If you're interested, click here to be taken to the info page for the Bloodstained Rabbit.

Why did I do a review like this? Because for me to be really held in a horror book it has to be well written and original. Genre cliche's and tacky monsters just can't hold me as well. And there has to be a certain amount of imagery. This book covers all the bases.

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ok, this was the best picture I got last night. I ended up randomly pointing my camera and just taking pictures sometimes. But after the lag it was the best thing to do if I was in nighttime mode. 

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Lightening

So we had an absolutely beautiful lightening storm last night. I tried to go out and get some pictures, but I realized that the lag on my camera is probably a little too much for that kind of photography.

But I did turn on the continuous shooting function. It may have caught something that I haven't seen yet as my batteries died and I haven't seen the pics.

Even if I didn't get any good pictures I was able to enjoy nature's fireworks.

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A little bit of work done

So my word count for the weekend was dismal. But I finished cleaning my room, spent some quality time convincing my birds that my fingernails belong to me and if they need the minerals that have a perfectly good mineral block, and spent some time with my mom and grandmother.

I also managed to get some business cards ordered. Paid more for the shipping than the cards. I ordered both for Torn and Bumperstickerrant. so I ended up pying for the Torn cards, but with a hefty discount it wasn't so bad.

I also got my first copies of Torn on Sat. Strange feeling. It was a 'wow, it's really happening' feeling. So this thing is still sinking in, but it's going a little better with something physical to look at.

So I can't think of anything else to say right now, so I'll stop.

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I was bad, in a good way

So I got home yesterday thinking that I was going to write. Nope, not a word last night in Dark Sys.

Instead I cleaned. I took one look around my room and decided to pick up a little.

Then while I was at it I decided to find a better place for some stuff. Then since I had to make room I decided to go through some old paperwork and throw out stuff that was useless.

In the end I had done more cleaning than I had in months. Now all I have left is to clean the bird cages, vacuum and dust.

Unfortunately this means another day gone by with nothing to almost nothing done in Dark Sys. I might really have to crank it now if I still want to meet my goal of completing book 1 before I go back to school.

In Torn news I have had decent success in raising awareness of the book by posting in forums. I frequent a couple of online circles and by just letting those people know I have had more hits to the site in the past few days than I had in entire months past. I'm hoping that I can maintain this level of online interest while I figure out exactly how I am going to generate real world interest.

I'm also trying to figure out exactly how I want to do the business card thing. I would like some cards to hand out, but I think that putting them through an inkjet just won't look professional enough. I've been looking at vistaprint, but I can't bring myself to place an order yet. I also don't know if I want to upload the 'logo' because it's just a word in a scripty font. It costs $5 just to upload, and I don't know if a scripty font is worth it.

So I guess that's enough for now.

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Whoah.

So it's finally started to sink in. I'm published.

I do wish that I would have had that other month, however. Where on Monday I thought I had until August to get ready for promoting this thing I now know that I could easily fall behind in promoting.

Ugh.

There is a good side though. I won't be fighting the beginning of school with the release of the book as badly. But right now I don't even have but a scrap of a plan. And I don't even know how to approach book store owners/managers or how to get them to listen to me.

Ugh.

So while I wait for my copy to arrive I need to figure out where to start.

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Where'd the money go?

So as we were bumping along the dirt road leading to my house the other day, I asked my mother why the county just didn't go ahead and pave the road. They have to grate it probably once every month, and it is still horrible.

She told me that last year the state legislature passed something that included $35000 for road improvements on that very road. And the road had been oiled not long after, but there has been no improvements.

So where did the money go? I mean oiling a road can't take that much money. And why couldn't they have asked the residents to chip in for paving and just have got it done?

I asked my mother this, and she said that before the measure was passed, years before, the residents were told that they would each have to contribute between three and five thousand dollars to get the road paved.

But why didn't they try again when they had some money to offset the costs to the residents?

Now the road is dangerous. When somebody travels down it the cloud of dust is so thick behind them that you cannot see if there is anything behind them. Also because one side is slightly better than the rest of the road drivers have taken to driving on the wrong side of the road. Impenetrable dust and drivers on the wrong side of the road, joy. Also pickup trucks and SUV's tend to speed down the road at insane speeds while cars must take it slower so as not to fall into one of the ruts. Oh, boy, speeding large thing into back of slower car.

So at what point does it become more cost effective to actually pave the road? Right now I think they are paving once every 2 months, when the road gets so bad that it should be once every 2 weeks. And I think that the condition of the road is actually getting to the point where it's doing damage to my car. I mean, cars have suspension for a reason, but if the road itself is so bad that the suspension is worthless what kind of damage can you do?

So why do I have any right to complain? Because I'm willing to chip in to get this road paved. I'm poor, and my contribution would be only one... maybe one and a half hundred dollars. But I feel that this would be cheaper in the long run than constant regrating of the road. And there are other people in my household who would probably be willing to contribute if the costs were offset with the money that was appropriated for use on this road.

Unfortunately, in this state... somebody will have to die on this road before anything happens. It's been proven time and time again. And even then the family(s) will have to petition and become political to even get enough money to offset costs.

Ok, enough of my daily rant.

In other news... Torn is available for sale. Found out yesterday when curoiusity took ahold and I plugged my ISBN into amazon to see if it even acknowledged the existence of the book. Not only did it acknowledge it but had it for sale. Yippee!

Ok enough for today.

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What to write about?

So yesterday I thought that I might write about the cop on a power trip who pissed me off. Or that I might write about the gal I saw while dancing who I could just tell was high maintenance and was flirting with one of the guys. I even thought I might complain about ongoing car problems.

But I won't.

Instead I'm going to say Happy Birthday to my mother.

My mom is a hard working person. She has been a waitress since before I was born, and I think that at this point that's all she will admit to being able to do without a computer (which she will not touch).

She raised two kids, and always tried to keep our goals simple. Do good in school and keep out of trouble. She had no ambitions of sports stars or world known lawyers. She just wanted us to do better than she had.

So for my Mother's birthday I want everybody to know how great she is. I think that admitting that to the world is probably one of the greatest gifts that she will probably never know about.

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Ouch

So late last week the gas prices in Santa Fe hit $2.49/gal for regular unleaded.

The news out of Albuquerque reported that it was $2.35. Who are they kidding? It hasn't been that low for about three weeks unless you buy your gas at sam's club. Luckily I try to buy there.

But here's the point. I have a fsixteen year old car, gets great mileage. But at the going rate it would cost me in the realm of thirty dollars to fill up.

Who else sees a problem with this?

I drive a mid-size family sedan. I remember a time when I would have had trouble forcing ten dollars in a tank that size. SO thirty dollars?

By now I think most of us has come to accept the fact that part of the reasoning for the Iraq war was oil. He said WMD's, he meant oil. So where is it, and what oil company(s) paid to get the war voted for.

Why are we not working more on fuel efficient cars? I mean at these prices you'd think that everybody would be wanting to get the best fuel efficient car on the market. It would sell great to those who could afford it.

And what happened to the Ev series that GM was making? I wanted one of those cars. Fully electric. Fortune in batteries, but I can see where it would still be cheaper. But I heard a rumor that they didn't sell well and the entirety of the stock was destroyed. Please tell me that was a false rumor. I still want one of those.

And please... nobody tell me that these companies are working as fast as they can on the problem. I know better. If a new diesel long haul truck can be expected to make eight miles a gallon, then surely they already have technology in place for more efficient engines.

And nobody tell me that it only applies to diesel tech. I can tell who is doing better with fuel efficiency just by how the cars in front of me smell. It sucks to get behind a new car and feel like you're going to be sick from the unused fuel that comes out in the exhaust. Talk about burning money. If I can smell the gas, then it's not being used.

Oh well... I am rambling. SO I'll leave the debate for the comments section.

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New Torn web site

Ok... nobody liked the red on black. So last night I revamped the Torn web site.

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Update

ok, rudicus made a good point in the comments about the torn web page.

But I like the red on black... So I increased the font size and it is easier to read. I also realized my horrible, horrible mistake, and got the link to Word thunder Publications on the page. Word thunder, I apologize, I was so worried about the actual code I forgot about some content.

SO don't forget about the camera/cel phone post. I do need opinions. And check out the updated Torn site.

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To buy or not to buy

So yesterday I got off of work early. I, of course, used my suddenly freed time to go shopping.

SO I had a few things in mind.

1. laser printer

2. check out the new cell phones

3. look at a camera that I heard about at radio shack

4. browse the clearance section of lane bryant

Amaingly I didn't spend a dime until I was at home again, where I bought a new laser printer from hp (and it had a rebate) and I decided to toss in a cheapy inkjet that I can take when I go back to school. Total: less than $200

So after looking at phones and cameras I still cannot decide what the solution is to a little dilemma of mine.

So out to the internet for everybody else's vote.

The situation is thus. I like my camera, it does pretty well. But it cost me nearly three hundred dollars after I added the mem card. Considering that I am wary of taking it everywhere. It also doesn't fit into my purse, so I either have to leave it in the car or look like a tourist.

The problem is Bumpersticker Rant. I need to have some sort of camera with me to get pictures, and I am having a hard time because I often do see good stickers when I don't have my big camera with me. Thus the search for cameras and cell phones.

My requirements are a camera that fits easily into my purse, and is inexpensive. The one at radio shack is nearly flat, and after a mem card would only run about $100. At 3 megapixels I consider it a good deal. Lens is small, but I don't think it'll be an issue for what I'm doing.

On the other hand... my cell phone is old, real old (star-tac) and I could probably get a camera phone for free. But my phone still works great and I see no point in replacing something that isn't broke, especially when I don't text, and don't need games and crappy midi ring tones. I also see people constantly screaming at the new phones because they get so cheaply made that they have problems and don't last as long. I also have heard some people say that the pictures from camera phones are lousy, and there is always that chance that it won't be just bumpersticker use.

So what should I do? Camera, or new phone? right now my mother says camera, but I'm still undecided (I think she's finally getting used to my old phone, which she occassionally borrows).

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Promoting Torn

So Torn is my first book, I've never done this whole promotion thing before. I have some ideas, but maybe some of you have other ideas that I never even considered. So I figured I'd run some of my ideas through here, and see what I forgot.

1. website- good, at the end of a geocities string, but being poor free is all I can afford right now. Finally got some of the html worked out the way I like it. Check it out, see what you think. Lemme know.

2. Appearances- I need more info on dates and what nots, but I figured that the appearance goes with the territory. Any input on streamlining the process, especially since I may (most likely) be having to do this around a school schedule.

3. promotional goodies- another cafepress store anyone? They've got a decent supply of options, any favorites?

4. shameless self promotion- business cards, and at least letting newspapers know of my existence. I figured that at least the student newspaper at school would blurb it.

So anybody else have any other ideas, or ways of streamlining or implementing what I already have? I figured I might as well be thinking about it now rather than in the middle of homework.

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One of my favorite pictures. This one is prominent in my cafepress store right now.  

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calm

I'm tired this morning.

I stayed up last night to watch nightline, I figured that it would be a good program. I wasn't disappointed.

We all know what that topic of discussion was. But instead of body counts and the horror of it all they discussed why things like this were happening. They had a former IRA member, a political scientist and Richard Clarke. It was pretty good. One of the guests said flat out that we don't have a clue. We've been misled with the whole " they hate our freedoms" bit. He said what those of us who watch what;s going know. It's all in the policy... the foreign policy. He said as long as we continue on the path we're on stuff like this will comtinue to happen.

Go dude.

The program was ended with a live shot from London, where they were already saying "business as usual"

Go London.

Hopefully I can write today.

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I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

I was bad, and I was an internet junkie all day.

I really should have been doing something else, like writing. But whenever there is big news I turn into an info addict. I refresh news pages every few minutes even though know that nothing has changed, and I move from one page to the next in an attempt to get as much information as possible.

Not good for somebody who was already on the fringe of overload. Therefore if any of you notice me overinflating your counters tomorrow give me a slap on the wrist. I don't need to check for updates that often, and whatever you say will still be there later.

So to occupy the comments section of this post... If you were given one wish, and you could do anything except ask for more wishes what would you use it for? Would you do something for yourself, or would you do something for somebody else?

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I really should get up earlier...

I didn't find out about the London attacks until I got to work this morning. Most people around me knew before they came in because they watch the news in the morning.

So I'll admit that I'm not a praying person... but I do send my prayers out to the victims and their families. This was an atrocity and terrorists should realize that acts like this only strengthen our resolve, not make us cower.

On the flip side... we need to make sure that we don't lose more of our freedoms because of this. I read that the color on transport was raised in response to this attack.

Allowing our freedoms to be taken away in response to these things only lets the terrorists win. We hear the spin that these terror tactics are an attack on our freedoms, but when the freedoms are taken away in the name of "national security" we let them win.

Pray for the recovery of the living, and for the families.

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ugh.

somehow when i hit my snooze button this morning I ended up turning the volume all the way down. So of course I only had enought time to throw on some clothes and get out of the house.

In other news... I watched that new reality show 'fire me... please' last night. I'm not huge into the reality show thing, in fact the only other one I've ever watched was "He's a lady'

I laughed my ass off. These people were pulling the most insane stunts in an effort to get fired. I think that if last night's episode is at least average then it may be a good show to watch while everything else is summer reruns. And with the sitcom nearly dead it is good to at least have a laugh.

SO I have a dentist appt. this afternoon. And I can't think of anything else to say right now.

Bye.

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update

the toilet rant has been uploaded. If you want to know my feelings about a certain type of toilet feel free to read it.

Toilet Rant

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I forgot to mention.

So while I was going through my computer this weekend I came across some really nice pictures, and I decided to put them up on cafepress merchandise.

So the store is still new, but if you want to check out what I've got in there the address is:

www.cafepress.com/desertphoto

I also came across a nice rant about toilets, and I may put that up later. I just need to figure out when I wrote it since some of the specifics have changed.

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Black shakes

I'm feeling the first signs of technology overload. Maybe it's fighting the code for the new torn info page, maybe it's because I don't unplug anymore.

I thought that getting a laptop would allow me to write more, and it has. But with wireless access I end up spending all day waiting for email and surfing the blogosphere.

Unfortunately I think that I am starting to get information overload, and I find myself getting irritable when information doesn't flow as fast as I would like it to.

I've decided that I need to slow down. I need to unplug for at least a few hours a day. I don't know exactly how I am going to do this yet, but I need to bring myself back down to earth before I burn out.

wish me luck. The internet is an addicting thing, and while I'm not going cold turkey It'll be hard to resist the urge to surf.

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Genius. 

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Happy 4th

Went to the flea market and Mr. and Mrs. Smith with mom yesterday.

Good movie.

The flea market sure is different. While it used to be like a giant yard sale it is now mass commercialism. Stands decorated with ornate things to entrance the buyer inside, and not a cheap thing in site. when I was young it was a place to take kids, you could usually find a toy or something to keep them entertained. Now I would take a kid as punishment.

And then the people... gone are the days when bargain hunters would roam the aisles. I swear they should almost ask your net yearly income before allowing you in. I heard one person come out and declare that they got a deal on something (a rug I think) at $500.

Whoa. I don't have that kind of money. and that seemed typical. Maybe the merchants are still paying for stand decoration.

We found one seller in a back corner selling odds and ends like the good old days. Those ladies were bored. What's worse is that they seemed to know how hopeless the situation was. They were watching the traffic, and I heard one use the word yuppie. The really sad thing was the undercurrent in the tone. It told me that they already knew that the person wouldn't even glance at the stand.

I think I may stick to the flea market in Albuquerque from now on. It's mass commercailism, but different. At least you'd be willing to take your kids and buy them a cheap toy. It's also just more interesting anymore. There is cheap crap from china next to neat hand made stuff. and of course the yard sale stuff. It's not designed for tourists... and that's the way I like my flea markets.

So trader joes... good luck with the tourists, because I doubt that this Santa fe resident will be back anytime soon.

In other news I have a picture of a genius for you. Now the only way that I have altered the pic is to blur out the plates. The genius is not in the turn lane, and was not creeping up on the light. No he really did sit there the whole time. If you look at the bottom left corner you'll see the stop line for that lane.

And I was safe while taking the pic, I was the passenger.

The sad thing is that this is common. Oh and the person in the car on the right came from behind us and stopped up there... we had been sitting on the stop line for some time when genius no. 2 decided that he is willing to risk life and car to get ahead of a faster car. (Yes, we had passed him earlier)

Finally... these train tracks are in use. At least one train per day, and not always at the same time.

Picture is above this, had to make a seperate post for it since the add image button wasn't working for me. Probably because my connection speed today is slow.

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Of cats and thorns

Have you ever tried to stare down a housecat? Lemme tell you, it ain't easy.

I had to do that earlier today as I was de-thorning the cat. she wasn't happy with the whole process, neither was I.

Let me explain. Out here it is weed season, and that means prickers, tons of them. Of course the cat can't help but just about cover herself in them just by walking around outside. Now it wouldn't be a big problem except for a couple of things. One is that you can't hardly touch the cat without slicing your hand. The other is that she likes to sit on my chair, and leave prickers all over it.

After about the millionth time you sit down and encounter pain from all of the thorns in your butt is about the time you decide to de-thorn the cat.

Now both the cat and I know that she doesn't like the thorns, and she sure doesn't want to deal with them, but she doesn't like the inevitable fur pulling of me getting them out either. That, of course, means that every time I sit down to pull thorns out of her fur is a showdown.

I think I probably got about 50 off of her today, she's lucky she ain't bald.

what makes the whole thing worse is that all the work is only good for a few hours. After that she goes back outside and gets covered in the things again.

For now I'm not letting her out. That's up to mom. I'm not going to let the cat undo all of that work.

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Bumperstickers

So I'm sure by now that most of you know that I also run Bumper Sticker Rant.

So today I will answer the question that I'm sure you ask whenever you check out the rant...

how many bumperstickers does phoenix have on her car?

None, nada, zero.

Strange isn't it? Here I run a blog dedicated to bumperstickers, and yet have none myself. Now I did have two bumperstickers at one time, but that car is long gone.

So the question is now why...

Did you ever read the Steven King book Insomnia? I did, and even though the thing that scared me off of bumperstickers was merely a sidenote in the book it got me thinking. Now for those of you who haven't read the book or forgot since you last read it... one of the subplots is the is the debate over abortion, and the citizens of derry get really nasty about it. Nasty to the point of vandalizing private property that expressed an opinion different than their own.

Now I need my car, I live half an hour from work and without any benefit of public transportation. With the great divide in the country right now I do not express my opinion on my car.

The other reason is trade in value. We all know that bumperstickers decrease the value of the car.

With that said, I really do like seeing bumperstickers on other people's cars. Especially the funny ones.

So today's questions is do you have bumper stickers on your car? Why or why not?

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