Lessons learned from Hallmark

• Good always triumphs over evil
• Bad guys smoke (usually cigars, but sometimes cigarettes)
• The daughter of the bad guy will inevitably be used to frame the naive, attractive son/brother of the protagonist.
• The protagonist will win, and the antagonist will admit he needs God.
• The conflict will be resolved in 15 minutes
• Bad guys always have an evil chuckle and use words like, "Sonny"
  
• OH! But the daughter will return and cry and the Bad Guy will be hurt and surprised!
• Young love conquers all
  
• The Friend/Friend's Wife will go into labor within the last 5 minutes (Happy Addition)
  

Accent

Here are "my" results

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The West Your accent is the lowest common denominator of American speech. Unless you're a SoCal surfer, no one thinks you have an accent. And really, you may not even be from the West at all, you could easily be from Florida or one of those big Southern cities like Dallas or Atlanta.
The Midland
North Central
Boston
The South
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

But I embarrassingly have to admit that I took in really fast last night (and I KNOW that's why) and I came out...

Minnesotan!

NOooooo, oh, the horror!

What American accent do you have? Your Result: North Central "North Central" is what professional linguists call the Minnesota accent. If you saw "Fargo" you probably didn't think the characters sounded very out of the ordinary. Outsiders probably mistake you for a Canadian a lot.
The West
The Midland
Boston
The South
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Exactly.

Dennis Miller: So I see that Hilary has thrown her hat into the presidential ring for 2008.
Jay Leno: Yep
DM: Some People like her. I don't know. I read her book - I got to the part where she says she didn't know Bill ran around on her. Alright. Then I'm pretty sure you're not smart enough to be my president!
Because that was a Macy's-parade-balloon-sized tea leaf you couldn't read there!

New Blog

I've started an additional Blog - My Movie Blog (www.movie-expression.blogspot.com). I still haven't decided whether I should just merge it under Soul's Expression, and label the reviews, or if I should keep it as a seperate blog. I'll make that decision as time goes by.

Check out my new review of Casino Royale, which LSG, GPB, BLB, LSG's doubles tennis partner, and I viewed on Black Friday.

Hopefully the short comment format is helpful (vs. an overview of the plot, blah blah blah, which you can check out on various websites and in newspapers)

With Or Without You. But mostly "With."

Another Bono moment. Again, this man is NOT a fundy American Christian. I'll post a quote from him later on.

And yes, I'm just the littlest bit jealous of the girl.

{Napoleon: "Luckkeey!"}

Thanks, ItsaJoy!

Andrea, I'm stating for the record: your fiance rocks! Thanks for the countdown code. :)

I'm a

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Literate Good Citizen You read to inform or entertain yourself, but you're not nerdy about it. You've read most major classics (in school) and you have a favorite genre or two.
Dedicated Reader
Book Snob
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

It's not you, it's me

I hate Monday mornings. Today's was especially atrocious. This morning was the kind that makes you feel that washing your face is a feat of humanity that ought to be submitted for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

There was no alcohol involved, no late night last night. Just the Run-of-the-Mill-More-Difficult-Than-usual Monday morning.

And when these days come, I hide in my gopher cubicle. I do Database work. I copy and Paste things. I do as little logical thinking as possible. Talking makes my head hurt, and blood runs from my ears. Please don't talk.

I'm sure I offended a few people with my less than enthusiastic monotone replies to weekend questions. BUT, I could truthfully say, It's not you, it's me.

"Never wear mauve to a ball." "Or Pink." "Or open your mouth."

We pulled out a movie we hadn't watched in almost a decade: Into the Woods.

The title of the post are quotes from Cinderella's stepsisters and stepmother

I have no idea what a dosha is

Your Dosha is Pitta

You have a quick mind, a gift for persuasion, and a sharp sense of humor. You have both the drive and people skills to be a very successful leader. Argumentative and a bit stubborn, you have been known to be a little too set in your ways. But while you may be biased toward your own point of view, you are always honest, fair, and ethical. With friends: You are outgoing and open to anyone who might want to talk to you In love: You are picky but passionate To achieve more balance: Be less judgmental of those around you, and take cool walks in the moonlight.

What's Your Dosha?

Bono Saturday

Amanda loaned me her copy of "Bono," the set of interviews he did. I've been a little preoccupied, looking up U2 trivia and videos since then. So, for your listening pleasure, here's U2's tribute to the victims of 9/11 in 2001. U2 and Dave Stewart perform Walk On for the America: A Tribute to Heroes concert in the days following Sept 11th.

Dear goodness that's cute!

Last night, I should have gone down to Job#2 and picked up boxes to pack some of my stuff away.

Instead, I checked out the 2006 Bloggies for new and interesting blogs. Like most other blog lists, you've got to wade through the blech blogs to find the funny and good ones.

The two new ones I've found are Waiter Rant (rated PG--16) and Cute Overload. Now, in thinking about a blog called Cute Overload, you'd expect that you'd be sickened at the cuteness factor, but you'd be surprised at how addictive it is.

And then Manolo, (whose blog could EASILY win the best blog award based on humor alone) posts this really great picture, combining the cuteness factor and the shoe factor.



AND they named him Elvis. Gotta love it.

Mission Impossible III, in which

Tom Cruise wears way too much pink lipstick.

Even Phillip Seymour Hoffman looks more manly.

Rated R

for "Frenetic Violence and Menace."

"Really, did they mean to write that? 'Ooh, that was menacing.'"

From one of my favorite "Theologians"

You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff.

~Bono

hoh my gosh!!

I just pulled a Desmond! I honestly blogged "nail in the coffin" before Ben said it!

AND I was going to say that "It surprised me too. If I were a betting man I would have thought she'd choose you," was the best BenSnark of the night.

Ooohhh, Dark Jack comes out to play. Kate screws Sawyer, Jack's got all the power. Maybe TLPTB aren't as obvious as I thought two seconds ago.


(and, yeah, I know that Andrea and Amanda are going to be the only ones interested in these posts.)

Nail in the Coffin (Live Blogging Lost)

Well, Sawyer and Kate just ... you know.


So, I guess that means that Jack will fall in love with Juliet.


Stupid Kate. Is that that the sound of a shark jumping?

It's the most wonderful time of the year

....for the main stream media.

Last night we were muting the political commercials (ok, we were muting all of the commercials) but it was said that "well, at least we won't have to watch/listen to the commercials anymore" and "I hope there are some good movies on tomorrow."

Someone at the dinner table looked at surprise at the one who said the movie comment, and the response was, "Well, I'm going to vote for him, I just don't need to listen to the play by play." (Especially not from whiny Brian Williams, say I!)

This is the most WONDERFUL night of the year, the MSM think. You can feel the giddiness. It's the equivalent to Christmas, almost. Or maybe it's the holiday that kicks off the holiday season. It's where they genuflect.

It's where I genuflected for a year, too.

November 5th, 2002. The day I remembered I was a Christian first and a republican second. And maybe even "A republican 34th." That politics are a good way to be bitter and angry. That politics are all about "in-your-face," "justice" and never about grace. A big fat popularity race.

bleh. I used to live and breath these things, and I'll tune in toward the end to see what the returns are like, and I'll hope that John Tester loses.

My blood pressure still rises at times, but, I really hope that I'll act the way I want to be viewed: remembering that there are WAAAYYY more important things in life, like a sister's bridal shower, a brother who's growing SO much in the Lord, and a Mom and Dad that are still faithful to each other, through the hard times. That God speaks quietly but consistently.

And that Prayer, not a fat print-media budget, has more power to determine the end of the political game.

Proverbs 21:1 - "The king's heart is in the hand of
the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes."

Quote for Tuesday Election Day

...What is even more of a mystery is why they [the 2004 exit polls] all erred in the same direction, dramatically favoring the Democrat. I’ve offered theories in the past why this is so, and I’ll briefly summarize them for those with better things to do this fine Saturday than thumb through my archives: Liberals are bigmouths who can’t wait to share their opinions with strangers. Conservatives have lives.

Dean Barnett

Hat Tip: The Banty Rooster

Only a matter of time

Until he checks himself into rehab.

Or gets himself SERIOUS amounts of therapy for his overinflated ego.