Friday, October 11, 2013

TTOT: I Thought We Won The War?

Lizzi has been with me this week.

Well, not in a physical sense, but in a omnipotent sort of way.

When I awake in the morning, I hear, 


"YOU WILL PARTICIPTE IN TEN THINGS OF THANKFUL THIS WEEK!"

When I'm at work,


"CAN'T YOU HEAR WHAT I'M SAYING?  YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN 
TEN THINGS OF THANKFUL THIS WEEK!!"

Before I fall asleep at the keyboard each evening, 


"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?  DON'T YOU GET IT?  YOU WILL PARTICIPATE IN TEN THINGS OF THANKFUL THIS WEEK!!!"

Even when I'm cutting my toenails, 


"YOU CAN DO THAT LATER!  WELL, NOT MUCH LATER ... GOD, THEY'RE GROSS!  WHEN YOU FINISH THEM REMEMBER YOU WILL DO TEN THINGS OF THANKFUL THIS WEEK ... AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR TEN UGLY TOES!!!!"

So, here I am ... I've worked five thirteen hour days this week, written five blog posts, and am completely exhausted.  However, my back is sliced to pieces by the whip that cracks against it from across the big pond.  


I thought the United States 
won that damn war!

Coming up with Ten Things of Thankful may be more that I can muster this week.


"DAMN IT!  I SAID YOU WILL DO TEN THINGS OF THANKFUL THIS WEEK! 
 GET TO IT!!!"


She's such a ... well, wonderful lady (with a damn whip!).

So, here we go, Ten Things Of Thankful is underway!


I'm Thankful For:

1)  Ignorance without guilt.  The United States Government is still shut down, displaying the fact that none of them truly have no idea what the hell they're doing.  Both sides need to sit in a corner wearing a Dunce Hat, after writing 100 times on the chalkboard, "I'm stupid and I know it, I'm ridiculous and I show it, so, you'll think the next time you vote for me, won't you?"

2)  Pandora Radio.  Finally, a radio network made for my taste in music.  Stick in an artist's name and out comes songs that make me listen to the radio for a change.  Damn!  I wonder if Pandora Congress is on the horizon?

3)  Faletame and Gabriela, my two cats.  Every morning they meet me at my bedroom door wanting to give me love (although lately they've been run off by some booming English voice screaming about writing).  I used to look at it as they just wanted me to pet them.  Then, like a lightening flash, it hit me!  Why, they're coming to me to give me their loving!  They must really care about me to arise up from their slumber and have only me on their minds first thing in the morning!  Of course, after feeding them, they're back to sleep, but it's a nice thought anyway!

4)  My wife's retail schedule.  I love my wife, but I love her working a couple of hours later than me even more.  It gives me a little bit of "me" time.  A time to relax.  A time to get the work out of my mind.  A time to write!  A time to go to porn educational sites and learn new positions mind expansion subjects.

5)  Dancing With The Stars.  Thank goodness for this television program.  I can't stand it, but my wife loves it.  So, I now have her DVR'ing it in her bedroom.  That gives me another couple of hours a week of "me" time while she leaves me alone and goes to watch it there!  (Now if I can just get her to record, "Gray's Anatomy" in there ...)

6)  Music Downloading.  Yikes, you mean in the last month I've purchased 34 albums from Amazon.com?!?!?  Holy Toledo!  Oh well, I am officially a music reviewer now, so maybe I can claim them as a business expense on my taxes.  Wait a minute, if the Federal Government is shut down, why am I still paying taxes?!?!?   Who's getting my money if most everyone is furloughed?  I'll be damned, the senators and representatives are still getting paid!  Those bastards!!!!  

7)  Real Readers.  No, not those that simply scan a blog, but those that actually read the blog.  They're the ones that recognize the underlying themes and jokes that are thrown in time to time.  They get to see the wonder of not only what I attempt to write, but what others struggle to perfect.  They are the few, the proud, the intelligent, that are more concerned about content than making a comment that makes no sense whatsoever.  They are treasured to anyone that pounds the keyboard seeking to please others.  (Let's see how many caught this one by the comments they leave, lol.)

8)  The planet Earth.  It's a beautiful place if you only take the time to view it.  From a single droplet of morning dew to the magnificence of the French Alps to the irony of Ayers Rock to the humor of a Colorado Medicinal Marijuana Clinic, the planet is filled with surprises, natural wonders, and life giving properties.  And, just think, if it wasn't here, we'd all be floating around wildly in space!

9)  Payday miniatures.  You know, Payday candy bars in bite size.  Nuts upon nuts upon a creamy caramel inside.  Cause, sometimes you feel like a nut, and that's when Payday pays off!  It's a diabetic's nightmare food and so freaking fantastic!  Plus, the nuts and caramel stay in your teeth for hours so you can enjoy them all evening long!  I imagine, if you didn't brush your teeth, you could probably even enjoy them at breakfast with your pancakes!  Yum Yum!

10)  Friends.  Yeah, friends like Lizzi and Kristi and Terrye and Kerri and Michael and so many of you that I could get a name book and copy it from A to Z.  Friends that give advice, take time to help you learn, come to your rescue when you're down and no one is commenting on your current posting.  Friends that will send you every dollar in their bank account just because they like you.  Well, a guy can dream, can't he?


* * * * * * * *
And that, my pennyless friends, is my posting for Ten Things of Thankful.  Don't blame me if you didn't like it.  I was forced into it by ... well, you know who.  If you really hated it, contact me and I'll give you her physical address.  Just remember, you've got a long way to row!
Okay, Lizzi, just joking!

Ciao!

74 comments:

  1. Forget the miniatures...I'm thankful for the king size Paydays, they are the best candy bar...like ever.

    Thank God Lizzi doesn't like me as much as she likes you, because I know I couldn't handle it, I would be sitting in the corner sucking my thumb and talking myself out of drinking Drano.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh but I DO like you, Mike - I'm just concerned that all the "Ouch! It hurts (do it again)" would end up in your Drano situation far too soon! :p

      Delete
    2. MJM - Hello, my friend! Good to see you return! I love the big Paydays, too, but I have to watch my calorie intake. (Like you, I've got to get ready for bikini season which will be coming before you know it ... wait a minute, did I say that?) I understand that Woolite goes down much smoother and doesn't have as much of a bite.

      Lizzi - Share the love, lady ... share the love! :)

      Delete
  2. Rich, I love how thankful you are for the earth. If you've never come across it, you should totally read 'Lives of a Cell' by Lewis Thomas (in all that spare time you have, yaknow) because there's a glorious chapter in there about the earth.

    Can you withhold your taxes? I wish that were a thing that was possible. It's absolutely disgusting how your government is carrying on. Time for those riots you've been blogging about lately, methinks!

    Also, I LOVE that you put me as a pirate, though surely a matador would've been more suitable, given the whip connection ;) But beggars can't be choosers, and I have no dollars in my bank account to send you, so I'll take it. Pirate it is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lizzi - Deja vu! Oh wondrous lady of the grand isle of weird talkers, how art thou? :) I will add your recommendation to my continual growing list of publications I need to read before my eyes go completely bad! (I wonder if it's on Goodreads?)

      Anyone and everyone can refuse to pay taxes. In fact, I wish everyone would refuse to pay taxes. I can waste my money just as good as the government does, and believe me, I wouldn't give a politician a dime if he had an "I will work for food" sign (He'd just be lying as usual!) Now, if everyone held back paying, the jails wouldn't be large enough to hold everyone, and the government might realize people were getting a little pissed off at its incompetency. I don't push for riots, though. They only hurt the small businessmen. I'd like to see 10 million people converge upon the Capitol building and take all the seats of Congress away from those who currently think they hold them. Damn, if they had to stand up, they'd wilt away in no time! lol

      Actually, that was supposed to be a sexy English Officer outfit. However, if you like the pirate concept, more power to you. Just keep the whip in its holster, PUHLEASSSEEEEE! Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. I'm pretty sure if you Google it you can get it as a free pdf, which is nowhere near as lovely as an actual BOOK, but will suffice.

      I'd take that non-riot as a good idea. Care to set up the task force? But I see what you mean about the actual riots causing more problems than they'd resolve.

      *penny drops*

      Ahhhh. Sexy. English. Officer.

      NOW I get it. But our uniforms have taken a few updates since then! That said, if I was a pirate, I'd be dressed as a Somalian (wait, what?....did I just...? Nah.)

      Whip will be kept where I say it will...

      Delete
    3. Yes, Missy Lizzi. Whip will remain. Please, no Somalian pirates please ... stay as you are .... wonderful!

      Dyanne ... I hope you don't have a whip too!!!!

      Delete
    4. Oh, no, I'm kind of the anti-Lizzi. Just ask her how I am when a deadline is hovering. Makes her insane, I believe, that I am so mellow about it.

      Delete
    5. Aha! Now I know how to get back at her! lol

      Delete
    6. Aye, but I've cut my teeth (as it were) on my earlier co-host Kristi, who's so laid back she's horizontal, and is well used to the *whooooooosh* as another deadline slips past. You have a way to go before you can out-do her, and she's still in my awesomerockin' books, so you'll both have to try FAR more dastardly things to get on my bad side ;)

      Delete
    7. Damn, Dyanne! We've got to try another path! lol

      Delete
  3. I HAVE to say love #7... ya kinda held my feet to the flames on that one! Y'know Lizzi calms down after you stick with it a few weeks... although you may miss the whip.

    Just discovered Paydaýs this year...marvelous little bars of goodness! Welcome to the TToT ( ***WHOOSH***CRACK***....uh gotta go... I'm coming, Lizzi!)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Zoe - Really good of you to stop by! I'm going to do my hopping tomorrow as another 13 hour day at work has now passed. I thought I'd throw that one in to see if I could catch somebody. So far, none have fallen prey to it. But, the night's not over. lol

      I think I can do without another whipping. I will return when I can, but this week has really been just too much. I feel a month burnout coming on! lol Many Thanks!

      Paydays are a great candy bar. One must remember moderation, but they make it particularly difficult, to say the least!

      Delete
    2. *checks under thumbs* Just how many people are under there? Zoe? Fascinated to see you there, too :p

      Beginning to kinda like being 'Me With Whip'...

      So then, I demand that you do NOT enter the TToT next weekend, Rich, unless you're truly up to it. Don't want you to burn out - yer no fun then!

      Delete
    3. Thank you, again, Mistress Lizzi ... oops, that slipped! We'll just have to see how much time is available. I'll do what I can, seriously.

      Delete
  4. Seriously, I do hear Lizzi all week, too, but in her defense it is only in the best way possible and do love her so for getting me involved in this linkup. An the government shutdown is a complete joke and loved how it was #1 on your list! Thanks Rich for the Saturday morning laughs here and seriously can always count on you for more then a few! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janine - Lizzi's voice is loud and strong ... kind of like Roseanne Barr on crack at times. Still we all know she means well ... or is that she's well mean? :) I'm going to make my rounds Sunday as I'm bushed right now. Really glad you enjoyed this! Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. Rosanne Barr on crack? You git! I like to think my voice is much more like the lady on the M&S ads (I could only find a spoof, but it's pretty awesome nonetheless http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKDn216B2NE)

      Delete
    3. Was there a voice in that ad? ROFLMAO

      Delete
  5. Seeing how this is 'paraphrase Saturday' (motto, "we thought of it so you won't have to!") I will Comment paraphrasistically,

    " Who is your perfect guy? Reader/Commenter

    First of all, he's too humble
    to know he's perfect.

    That's me.

    Me, me, me.

    - Me also.



    This is a man, right?"


    Source: Groundhog Day ( screenplay: Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Clark, my very good friend. Tis good of you to stop in. I must say, I love your commenting, but this time, I have absolutely no idea in hell what you're talking about! lol Don't be offended, please. Perhaps I'm simply brain dead after the week I've had. Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. lol
      (...trouble is, I don't remember what part it was that convinced me that the paraphrase joke set up would hold up...)

      Hey, you're old! remember a book back in the 60's titled something like, A Child in a Garden of Grass (I think it was supposedly a story of a person's exploration of the world of realities altering drug), in any event the one thing I remember is that the protagonist recounted a story about frantically searching for a pen and paper to write the most amazing insight into life and the universe and all (this during a trip)...the next day he found the paper and he had written, 'there's a funny smell in the room'
      so, no your brain has not died! lol
      I actually was trying for a too clever way to respond to Item #7 and on the way to writing a comment, a line from 'Groundhog Day' got in my head which then lead to the quote from the script.

      can I please stop typing now?

      lol

      glad to see you here at the TToT good to have another Citizen of Y Chromeville round these parts

      Delete
    3. Clark - In going back to analyse, I think I see the problem. The sentence "They get to see the wonder of not only what I attempt to write, but what others struggle to perfect." was put together ridiculously. What was meant is that was that scanners really don't get the whole story on my blogs or on others by scanning. But as it literally reads, it makes me sound like mine writing is perfect and others try to reach my standards. What a goof!!! I'm red faced at that one. I think you know me well enough to know I don't have any thoughts of that nature in the least. Hell, I'm a novice in comparison to so many, including yourself. That, my friend, is probably the most embarrassing sentence I've ever written. My only excuse is that I was really rushing through this, as I was entirely wiped out and knew I had another 13 hour day staring me in the face Saturday.

      I remember many of the stories about the "Don Juan" character and drug experimentation. I'm not sure if the "Garden.." one is in that group or not, as I was experimenting during many of the readings. lol Tis a good lesson, though! I'll do my best to return to TToT, though, after the goof I made here, I may have to do them when I'm in a more rested state of mind. Many Thanks!

      Delete
    4. don Juan Mateus! damn!! I loved those books... hell I still read them, great secret of the universe/metaphor/read-into-it-as-you-would stories

      we were talking about that very topic somewhere (part of the fun/aggravation) of this hop is that there (can) be so many different places to start a thought... and even back in my prime I would have had to have struggled to keep tabs...never mind today, ("what? oh yeah! I must have meant.... who did you say won the Players?") lol

      Delete
    5. I know it's crazy, but most of my posts start with whatever thought occurs at the moment. It's fairly obvious I don't think them out in advance, so they just seem to grow as the words are typed. Sometimes it works, and other times, well, thank goodness I have some loyal readers. lol Many Thanks!

      Delete
  6. Rich, I think you should still be thankful for the toes. ;) And a great list of thankful indeed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MIchelle - Long time no see! I do appreciate you coming by! I am very thankful for my toes. If I didn't have toes, what else could I use my toenail clippers on? :) Glad you enjoyed. Many Thanks!

      Delete
  7. I'm thankful for video games in the same way you are thankful for Dancing with the Stars. Keeps my husband happily occupied for hours! As for winning the war and the US Gov shutdown - there is a lovely picture of the Queen going 'round the Internet with the caption "Now is the time to take back the colonies!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Louise - Hello again! Thanks for coming by! See, there is another person in the world who likes to have "ME" time and will admit it! Fantastic! Now I don't look like the only selfish person in the world! lol I can almost agree that it's time for someone else to take over. The ones in office for the last couple of decades have done nothing but screw things up. Just because a person is wealthy doesn't make them capable of making quality decisions. They've proved that many times over, and are still proving it today! Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. Ah - as far as "me time" goes, it's pretty sacred. I love me the people (my husband, my kids, my family, my friends, and my general cup runeth over posse), but I'm the upper left-hand corner of the Myers-Briggs test (if that means anything) - so pretty much as "relaxes as introvert" as they come. I need "alone" to unwind.

      As for government, and what's happening with yours - well, at this stage I'm just standing by and watching. And my cubicle mate is pretty excited about stock possibilities. But it's pretty straight up crazy. I don't know enough about US politics to weigh in on what's happened, but I know I've had a number of "If I were Prime Minister" moments up here, equally tempered with "Thank God I'm not Prime Minister" moments. If you feel strongly and have solutions maybe you should run for office?

      Delete
    3. Louise - I completely understand. I was an only child for many years, so I, too, treasure that time to myself. I don't blame you for standing there watching ... we all are. At one time in my life, I really did want to get into politics. Finally, the reality of not having been born with the silver spoon could keep that from occurring, so I took another path I thought I'd enjoy more. Nowadays, there is no chance for a common man to afford to run, especially on a ticket to change everything. Plus, I'm afraid the current game is too far engraved in every politician's mind to change anything on a solo run. Even the President has found that out, and he's one of the favorite sons of his party. From what many have expressed in comments in the preceding weeks, it's really somewhat a world event in the making. It's a scary thought. Many Thanks!

      Delete
  8. Hahaha Rich, your post was so funny and entertaining! I love Lizzy for forcing you to join us! She did such a good job with that!

    However, I have to say that I am slightly disturbed by your obvious obsession for toenails... ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joy - Love seeing you here! It makes me smile to see you smile. Am very happy you enjoyed it. Yeah, Lizzi's a bi, eeer, Lizzi's a wonderful person. :) I love her to death ... really! (Better to do that than die at the lashings of her whip! The toenails worked in a previous posting, so I thought I use them as a "comedy callback." They seem to have worked for those that have been with me for a while! lol Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. *rolls eyes*

      I'm NICE really...

      Delete
  9. I can proudly say I've never had a payday bar.. But I love my 3pm full-size Twix bars at work, to bridge the last 90 minutes until I jump up and race to my bus...

    I think you're still paying taxes, even though this money is not beign used for a budget, but for some people to play the "I don't play with you any more" game ad nauseam. But I still doubt that you can write it off.. I tried to write off my computer, cell phone, internet cost, desk, and some squarefootage of our apartment as an "office" as I am a trained translator. Unfortunately, they didn't take it as I have not generated any income from my freelance profession.. crap..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephanie - OMG, you've got to try a Payday bar! If you like peanuts, and you like caramels, then there's no better candy bar. I dare you to eat just one! It's impossible! You'll be hooked! I guarantee it.

      I would love to see everyone stop paying taxes. Just think, if everyone did it, what could the government do? What? They're going to put the whole country in jail? Let the 1%'s take care of everyone for a while and do what they've been promising but ignoring for decades. It's like the congressman that said yesterday to furloughed federal employees, "If you need money take out a loan!" That's what their philosophy is. Even if you don't have the money to pay it back, go ahead and go in debt. That's what they've been doing with our tax dollars for years! Scary, isn't it? :)

      That's lousy that you weren't able to claim anything. Perhaps a government grant for specialized small business ventures need be investigate! Well, when they get back to work, that is. Did I say "when?" Maybe "If" is a better word. Many Thanks!

      Delete
  10. Pandora is the best. Where has it been all my life?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda - Thanks so much for stopping in, my new found music loving friend! Pandora and I have only just become acquainted in the last couple of months. However, it joins me during every break I take anymore. The playlist provided when you put "Cream" as the main band is absolutely fantastic, as is the one with "The Temptations." I have to admit, the "James Taylor" one is a little slow at times, but perfect when I get a little ticked off. Glad you joined in! Many Thanks!

      Delete
  11. I so enjoyed your post. Feel free to come and read mine!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Since everyone was writing such nice, detailed comments, I thought you might appreciate a vague, "I didn't read your post" comment. I hear you like them. :)

    I'm liking your idea for what to do with the government folk. Only thing you're missing is a headmaster smacking their knuckles with a ruler.

    My kids introduced me to Pandora, and it is awesome!

    The planet is a wonderful thing for which to be thankful. Always something new to see if we just take the time to look.

    I've never had a payday. Butterfinger is my candy of choice.

    Welcome to the TToT! You're hooked now, aren't you? If you just write the lists each week, Lizzi will stop whipping you. Probably. If you want her to. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Christine - I loved you first post! I will be around Sunday, as I'm totally exhausted right now after another 13 hour day at work and more comments than I've had in a while. (That's what I get for #7, I guess! lol)

      The more you experience Pandora, the more you'll love it. It's great! I've always been a kind of Green freak. I hate to see our natural resources wasted just so someone can make a buck. Those are the type of folks that need to be sent into space with a one way ticket.

      OMG, you either! I'm amazed at the folks that haven't tried Paydays. Those have been around longer than I have ... I think! Butterfingers are good, but you really have to give Paydays a shot.

      I've always enjoyed coming around to TToT, it's just hard for me to write with my schedule. With my FTSF hop, which I've been a part of since the start, and now that I'm doing Twisted Mix Tape Tuesday, as well as having a weekly guest post every Wednesday on Raised on Radio, I really have limited time. I promise to get back more often ... if nothing more than to escape Lizzi's wrath and fury! :) Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. The wrath is well controlled, believe me!

      This Payday things sounds an awful lot like a Snickers bar. And Butterfinger just sounds rude.

      Delete
    3. They are NOTHING like a Snickers bar, Lizzi. It's very un-American to state this, but I HATE Snickers bars. Paydays are caramely goodness surrounded by salted peanuts. Snickers are disgusting peanut butter-flavored nougat with a layer of caramel and peanuts and dipped in chocolate. Need to add Payday to the list of stuff I want to send to you.

      Delete
    4. Bite. My. Head. Off!

      That's some passion for a candy bar there.

      And meh - I'm sure I can find them here if I care to, but chocolate's not really my thing.

      But one day I hope that you feel confident enough to come outta your shell and tell us how you really feel...

      Delete
    5. Lizzi - There's no chocolate in a Payday. Imagine a stick of caramel being rolled in salty peanuts so there's no bare caramel showing. Wrap it, and you've got a Payday! Me thinkest that Dyanne loveth them aseth I doeth!

      Delete
    6. Sounds incredibly sweet! Hmmm. Well if I ever come across one, I won't be afraid to try it :)

      Delete
    7. I don't think those Payday bars are even sold here. I will have to stick with Snickers (which I really like, BTW).

      Sorry, no offenso to anyone preferring Paydays! ;-)

      Delete
    8. Joy, No offense taken! Snicker are right up there in my top five. Payday is first, Hershey's Nuggets with Almonds second, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups third, Snickers fourth, and Peanut M&M's fifth. Just what a diabetic needs, right? lol Many Thanks!

      Delete
  13. you know, i think my definition of "non essential personnel" and the elected officials definition is not the same. you can imagine my puzzled surprise when i looked to the CDC website (about west nile virus) and found a huge label at the top saying that the info wouldn't get updated with the government shutdown. this situation is just crazy.

    can you really opt out of paying your taxes? i've been sitting here trying to imagine what would happen if Englad did come over and do a hostile takeover, or take back....

    i find it amazing that americans sit by and accept that the only solution to a money problem is to shutdown parts of the government. walmart manages to stay open 24/7 with only one or two cashiers in the entire store. maybe the walmart folks should buy the government and see what they can do with it.

    bill maher says we americans are all idiots and there's no way to inform us about the things that are going on in government. do you think government would be doing things differently if they actually had to provide a copy of their deeds to each and every american citizen? i'm imagining a weekly "sales flyer" kind of thing with non-biased coverage of what everyone is up to in washington. it'd probably read like a rag mag, as my mom in law used to call them. but, seriously, government likes the people to be stupid and oblivious, it helps them get away with shutting down the government, while getting paid to do it.

    it must have been a very fullfilling time to be a young adult in the 60s and 70s when people disagreed with government and it showed. maybe shutting down the monuments and parks was meant to deter anyone from doing a march on washington?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oh, a typo! i also wanted to add, kmart manages to send me a sales flyer almost every week and i know they don't make as much as the government, so i really like the idea of the government having to send me a weekly play by play of what's going on. of course, something that costs kmart a nominal price would cost our government a trillion dollars....

      Delete
    2. I'm pretty sure England has enough to worry about without trying to consider any kind of 'hostile takeover' of your sorry asses :p

      Delete
    3. Misty - So nice to see you coming back! I honestly don't know that "hostile" would be the thing. Our government officials seem to be inept in doing their jobs. Now, in most positions, you're fired for this. However, these folks continue, with pay, at our expense, as we continue to pay for it. That is what is totally ridiculous. They thing the only way to pay for things is to take out more loans from the Federal Reserve Bank (which is privately owned I might add, not a part of the Federal Government as they'd like you to believe) and go further and further into debt. They've enacted so many laws in favor of big business and allowed state governments to do the same (making labor unions illlegal, etc.). They've proven themselves not to represent the people that elect them, but the corporations that pay for their campaigns. I really believe it's time to clean house, revise the campaign trail process with mandatory free television time for all candidates and no individual ads being posted. The rich love the way it is now, as it will only ensure the upper 1%'ers getting elected and keeping things going in the direction they have for decades. Change is a must if we are to survive. I agree that the more stupid Americans are, the easier it is to control them. That's why I've been against politicians controlling the press (as they are now doing in the political arena), the politically correct concept (which does nothing to inspire individual thought), and the "no child gets ahead" mandates the government has installed in our school system (and gives no child a reason to excel in effort or motivation.) Think about it, if the law mandates teaching be leveled towards those that lag, than the whole system lags. No wonder the U.S. is so far behind most of the world markets in education quality! Many have said for years that a business could take over the Post Office and make it profitable. I think it could be done with government also, once the slush funds and stupid grants to political friends were eliminated. We've got to do something as we all know it can't continue the way it's going. This weekend, the vets were to have a million man march on Washington D.C. The news hasn't covered it at all, just like they didn't cover the million bikers ride there a couple of weeks ago (except for the one attack incident put out to make every biker in the world look like a thug). The only trouble with a "play by play" report is that no one really knows what's in the bills they pass, even those that pass them. As most are lawyers, they've learned to complicate the bills in so many ways, no one can decipher them correctly. Yep, it's a real mess right now. Thanks so much for commenting!

      Delete
  14. What's the deal with all these people who have never had a Payday? I had one last week, and I most certainly did get to enjoy it for several hours afterwards. I'm also partial to those little bitty Heath bars.

    We've all suffered the wrath of Lizzi. That's how she shows her love....

    Speaking of which, I think I have a little crush on you, based solely on this post. Had a twinge of it when you guest posted for Kristi, but now seem to be on the verge of a full-blown blog crush.

    Cats are complete whores.

    Hope you'll do another TToT, with or without Lizzi's whip. But if you LIKE the whip, well, I'm not one to judge....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whip or no whip, I sense that my expressions of love are beginning to get a bad reputation - what's up with THAT?!?!

      Must be my icy, English exterior...

      Delete
    2. Ah! Another lover of Paydays! I knew I liked you the first time we met! But, crush? OMG, my wife has now got out her radio tracking devices and installed them on my Ridgeline! I'm afraid we'll have to manage via postings! lol I think Lizzi lives by the expression, "you always hurt the ones you love", literally! She does have that whip cracking down to an art, I will admit! And no, there's no partiality to whips or the wounds they open. I'm a gentle type of guy! :) However, Faletame, my male cat, isn't caring for the "whore" comment a whole lot. I won't tell you what he just said since this is a family blog! lol I'll do my best to return! Many Thanks!

      Delete
    3. I have two cats, one a complete and utter attention whore. He's all over us when he wants to be petted, nowhere to be found when you're in the mood for a lap cat. He's sitting on the floor next to me, licking his butt, as a matter of fact.

      Delete
    4. Faletame just told me to relay that cats are giving us a chance to give the love they give us. If he didn't think you needed to feel as though you were needed, he wouldn't bother coming over and giving you a chance. Please excuse Faletame, he's an opinionated ass at times. I really don't know why I put up with him. :)

      Delete
  15. A great list - although, being a fellow UK Blogger to Lizzi, I can't understand how you could feel that she has been hounding you all week - after all, she is such a shy, wallflower type of person, and wouldn't say Boo to a goose! :)

    (Was that OK, Lizzi? Did I set the tone just right for you?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Katy - Thanks so much for stopping by and chatting! I know, "Lizzi is a wonderful person with so much love in her heart that humanity could benefit worldwide from only a small portion of it packaged up and given out to brighten up the lives of all who reside in this crazy world of ours." Why do I feel like a conspiracy has just taken place here? Actually, she is a great friend and I love her to death. (That being said just in case we all do become part of the British Empire again!) Many Thanks!

      Delete
    2. Katy, that was perfect - thank you :D

      Rich - I shall make sure that if we ever perform that hostile takeover, you're not up in front of the firing squad...

      (and back atcha, but not out loud in case anyone sees and my reputation goes to pot...)

      Delete
  16. Oh, the pressure of commenting after reading #7!

    Have you watched "Gravity"? Your #8 brings to mind Sandra Bullock floating around in space.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kristi - Please don't sweat the small stuff, lol, it's really easy to tell who reads and who doesn't. No, I usually wait until movies come out on BluRay before watching them. I can't sit still for two hours ... not without falling asleep. :) So, I buy the BluRay, put it in, and sit at my computer working while it's on. If the movie holds my interest at all, I might put it in again to see what I've missed, again, while I'm working at the computer. I find myself listening more than watching these days. However, getting back to topic, that comment was something I just came up with. I have found several posts in this hop talking about the movie, though. So, in putting together what I've read, and the TV promos, I've got a pretty good idea what happens. Still, I'll purchase it when it comes out and listen to it a couple of times! :) Many Thanks!

      Delete
  17. The shutdown is crazy isn't it? Our kids had this week off for fall break and we had talked early summer about taking them to DC or to the Grand Canyon. THANK goodness we didn't spend that money. I had no idea this was a possibility and that would have been terrible. And good for you spending your extra time writing. I need to be better about that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jamie - So good to see you here! The government is out of control. They're finally showing their asses this time and allowing the populace to see how stupid and selfish they truly are. I say impeach each and every one of them from the bottom to the top, and let the people select representatives from the common man. Things might get done faster, more efficiently, and with a hell of a lot more care and concern. It is definitely a good thing you guys held back from going somewhere. What a waste and disappointment that would have been. I don't have much spare time to speak of, but try to push myself whenever I can. I have a feeling next week may be somewhat less as far as posting is concerned. Many Thanks!

      Delete
  18. I love Payday minis and all your music downloads. Dawes was great in concert. Thoroughly enjoyed them. Jason Isbell (the guy who opened for them, who used to be with Drive-by Truckers) was amazing. Do yourself a favor and download his Southeastern album, if you haven't done so already. You won't be sorry!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jennifer - Ah, someone after my own heart with Paydays and music! Where were you when I was single 33 years ago? lol Good to hear that about Dawes and Jason Isbell. I'll definitely give Jason a chance. Now, here's one for you that I've found to have finally grown into a tremendous band. The album is simply "VII", and the band is Blitzen Trapper. It's a band that combines the sounds of Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, and Bob Dylan all into one. This album is ten times better than their last, and I consider it their swan song. Give it a shot by sampling it at Amazon.com's MP3 store before you buy it. I do think you'll love it! Many Thanks!

      Delete
  19. I am thankful for most of the same things. I am thankful for November 1 because then all those miniature candies are on sale at a big discount! I wanted to go to Salem to explore a bit of the witch trial stuff, but unfortunately, most of the sites are National Park related- shutdown sadness!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kate - Thanks for stopping by! I've got to be especially careful this time of year with all the sweets available. Limiting myself to two of those little Paydays seems to be okay right now. I'd love to go to Salem, myself. Although, I recently read that the entire trial process was set in motion by the minister who was simply looking to get his congregation attendance up. At least, that's what the minister's diary is implying. Maybe we'll find out for sure one day. Many Thanks!

      Delete