I loved The Monkees when I was like twelve or so and even had all their tapes (I know - big dork). So I had to take this quiz:

Take the Hey Hey, Which Monkee Are You? Quiz.

.: 38 words at 06:29 PM in Quizzy Stuff, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (0) :.

Show comments here »

I found a site the other day that gives the world's flags letter grades based on their design. Kind of neat to see all the different flags, but some people have way too much time on their hands.

.: 39 words at 06:06 PM in Entertainment Value, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

It's Saturday and I haven't done much but rip CDs to our mp3 server at work so I can have my tunes in both places. I messed around with Oddsock's DoSomething Winamp Plug-in (it's supposed to generate an HTML playlist for your site so people can see what you're listening to) last night, but no luck with making it work yet. I think after I finish ripping files, I'll make some compilation CDs for the car. Nothing like having all your favorite tunes in one spot.

.: 86 words at 06:03 PM in Daily Ramblings, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (1) :.

Show comments here »

I was just reading Neil Gaiman's blog (he's a fabulous writer; go read his stuff). He's currently reading for an audio book and had this in his blog:

My friend Tori swears by a drink of chopped up fresh ginger and honey before she sings. I'll try it tomorrow morning before reading round two.

He is referring to Tori Amos. Tori's music has had an amazing influence on me. Her songs have helped me learn to love myself, learn how I don't need someone in my life if they're bad for me, and many other of life's lessons. How amazing it would be to have friends like that.

.: 109 words at 04:01 PM in Entertainment Value, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (4) :.

Show comments here »

I just walked Christine out to her car so she can begin her journey to SXSW. Have fun, Christine! Now, what will I do without a lunch buddy for two days? :-)

.: 33 words at 03:52 PM in Daily Ramblings, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (0) :.

Show comments here »

I read the most appalling news story today. In Fort Worth, a woman hit a homeless man and left him to die on her windshield. The story goes like this:

This evil bitch, who had been drinking and taking Ecstasy, hits a homeless man who becomes lodged in her broken windshield. He begs her to take him to a hospital. She ignores him, drives home with him still stuck in her windshield, parks in her garage, has sex with her boyfriend, and then waits two days for him to die. Her and three friends then dump his body. The kicker: he wouldn't have died if she had taken him to a hospital.

What gets me is that her attorney actually said, "She is not the monster that police and prosecutors are making her out to be. She was simply a frightened, emotionally distraught young woman who had an accident, panicked and made a wrong choice." I don't think this constitutes as a wrong choice. This was murder, plain and simple. To do something like this you have to be completely soulless. She said she went out to the garage and apologized to him, so I guess that makes it okay. He's begging with her not to let him die and to please take him to a hospital, but because she apologized, she's not a monster.

Stories like this make me sick to my stomach. How can people have such a disregard for others? What the hell happened to people? It seems that things like this happen all the time. I feel like we're headed for hell in a hand basket. She's in Texas where we have the death penalty, but I hope they don't give it to her. I hope she spends the rest of her life in jail and it's hell on earth for her. Fucking evil bitch.

(Link courtesy of Robyn)

.: 315 words at 02:11 PM in Rants, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »

And now, time for today's Friday Five!

1. What makes you homesick? I never really get homesick. We go to Vegas once a year, but I never really miss being away while we're gone. When I went to the UK with my aunt and uncle for six weeks when I was fifteen, thinking about my mom and dad made me homesick. I guess this question doesn't really apply. Maybe if I traveled more.

2. Where is "home" for you? Is it where you are living now, or somewhere else (ie: Mom & Dad's house, particular state/city)? Home for me is the condo that I share with Steven, but I still refer to my parents' place as home sometimes. I'll ask my brother, who's currently living up at Sam Houston State University, "Are you coming home this weekend?" meaning, "Are you going to mom and dad's?" I guess people probably always have a tendency to think of home as the place they grew up, especially if they still have family there.

3. What makes it home for you? People? Things? Steven and our fish make it home for me. Also, I've pretty much moved all of my things from my parents' house to the condo, so my belongings also time me there.

4. Where is the furthest you've been from home, miles-wise? According to How Far Is It?, 4559 miles. That is the distance between Houston, Texas and Inverness, Scotland. We went all through the UK, but since that's about as north as you can get, I would think it was the place I was the furthest from Houston.

5. What are your plans for this weekend? Tonight it's to do nothing except play on the computer - surf the Net, maybe make a spring skin that I've been wanting to do all week, possibly play in a poker tournament, and probably play some Civilization: Call To Power. Tomorrow we might go to a country and western club with our friends Perry (the guy) and Terri (the girl). Sunday will be spent catching up on shows on the Tivo and playing around on the computer.

.: 357 words at 12:33 PM in Friday Five!, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (1) :.

Show comments here »

I absolutely love leather boots that come up to your knee and zip up the side (go-go boots, hooker boots, whatever you want to call them). I had bought a pair from Nine West last October but took them back since I didn't know if I would ever have anything to wear them with. About two weeks ago Christine and I went shopping at Parade of Shoes in Willowbrook Mall at lunch. They had a pair of those boots on sale and they were cute, so I bought them. They've been sitting in the computer room ever since while I've tried to decide if I should return them or not. Wednesday night I finally got around to taking them upstairs to see if they would go with anything in my wardrobe. I got out one of my black skirts and put on the left boot. I reached down, picked up the other boot, and put it on, but something felt decidely wrong. I then notice that I have a left boot on my right foot. I look at the boots and call Steven in to confirm what I'm seeing. I am indeed holding two left boots in my hands. I know I make jokes about "being full of grace my ass," but I certainly don't have two left feet! I am taking it as a sign that I am just not meant to keep these boots. I hope the salesclerk doesn't look at me funny when I try to return two left boots that I've had now for almost three weeks. :-)

.: 262 words at 12:18 PM in Fish Tales, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »

It is now time to go and vote for the new M&M color. The choices are purple, pink, and aqua. I voted for the purple since it's one of my favorite colors and it just goes better with the existing mix. The aqua one just looks funky to me. While you're there visit Colorworks and mix and match your own bag of colors. Kind of fun (if you're a geek like me)!

.: 73 words at 01:08 AM in Entertainment Value, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

I went through last night and put all of my entries into categories. Today I figured out how to edit my MT index template and add a category link to each entry. Yeah, me! :-) Anyway, I'm not sure if I like the category titles, so if anyone has any suggestions, please speak up!

Update: I also figured out what was wrong with the new category archives and now they are using the style sheet like they're supposed to. Isn't it a nice feeling when you fix something on your blog?

.: 91 words at 03:35 PM in Daily Ramblings, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (1) :.

Show comments here »

I've been using CuteFTP to upload files and to make edits to the code. A few days ago, for whatever reason, the thing has slowed to a crawl whenever I do anything in it. It takes forever to refresh a window, open something up in the editor, upload a file, absolutely anything. Has anyone else had a problem with it or messed with the settings and know what the issue might be? It's driving me crazy! Thanks!

.: 77 words at 09:57 AM in I'm Looking For...., ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »

I found another petition that just may interest you. It's to oppose the SSSCA (government policeware on your PC) Petition. The proposed "Security Systems Standards and Certification Act" (SSSCA) would force all new consumer electronics devices and personal computers to have government-mandated "policeware" built-in. Can anyone say Big Brother? Anyway, go take a second and sign.

(Link courtesy of Lyndsay)

.: 62 words at 01:13 AM in Take Action!, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (1) :.

Show comments here »

Stories like this are the reason that I love Michele's blog and read her daily.

.: 15 words at 04:25 PM in Linky Love, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (1) :.

Show comments here »

I found the 50 Greatest Movie Moments from TV Guide today and it was so wonderful to find movies on here that I hadn't seen in a while. Some of them, like Singin' in the Rain, bring tears to my eyes just thinking about them. I think the D-Day scene from Saving Private Ryan was an excellent choice for number one. I had no idea what D-Day was really like and watching it with Steven and him explaining to me why it had to be that beach and how, despite the grim loss of life, it was an amazing victory for the Allies really brought home what WWII must have been like. Great list.

(Link courtesy of Sparrow)

.: 119 words at 04:06 PM in Media Consumption, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

This test was just too good to pass up:

Which Evil Criminal are You?

Hailing from sunny Transylvania, your first blood-related incident was when you stabbed a servant girl in the face with a pair of scissors for underperforming. Some of the red spray landed on your hands, and as you washed it off, you noticed that it left your skin fresh and young looking. From then on you were convinced that the blood of young girls was the secret to eternal youth.

Rather than killing girls outright by stabbing them or slitting their throats, you enjoy torturing them for weeks on end by pricking them with needles or prodding with sharp spikes - all to bathe in their blood. You've killed over six hundred women, all without raising a peep from the authorities.

.: 135 words at 03:29 PM in Quizzy Stuff, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (9) :.

Show comments here »

When I was fifteen, I went with my aunt Susan and my uncle Michael to the United Kingdom. My aunt's brother was a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force and they offered to let us stay with them at RAF Bicester. While in the UK we saw all kinds of things - Loch Ness, the natural baths in Bath, Westminster Abbey, the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Oxford, and lots of stone circles. My uncle sent me this link - Stone Pages - A guide to European megaliths - and it was great to go and see pictures again of these wonderful places. Of the ones listed, we saw Avebury, Long Meg and Her Daughters, The Rollright Stones, Stanton Drew, Stonehenge, and The King Stone. The one I have the fondest memory of visiting is Long Meg and Her Daughters. The stones are situated on top of a bluff overlooking a valley near an air force base. When we were visiting the stones, the RAF were doing maneuvers in the valley and it was just so cool to watch the planes so up close. It was an amazing overlap of the ancient and the modern. I need to find all of the pictures I took and scan some of them in. I loved every minute of that trip.

.: 220 words at 03:07 PM in Fish Tales, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (0) :.

Show comments here »

Steven and I watched the season premiere of Six Feet Under last night. Unfortunately, we got the pixelation you sometimes get with digital cable and I missed what Rico's cousin said to him at the funeral home. They were arguing about her picking up the $600 that was left on the tab of the funeral and she said to him, "I just gave your wife $500 for d...." She gave her $500 for what? Diapers (my first guess)? Drugs (my second guess)? Donkeys (just making things up at this point)? Did anyone see it? Can you please tell me what she said? Thanks!

.: 103 words at 10:45 AM in Media Consumption, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

Kristine had suggested FontLister when I was looking for a font preview program a couple of weeks ago. I installed it on the dinosaur of a machine I have at work and it promptly killed it when I tried to get it to preview 600 fonts. I finally got around to installing it at home and all I can say is, "Wow! This program rocks!" Not only can you view fonts that you have installed, but you can also browse folders where you have other fonts stored to see what they look like in preview mode. That saves you from having to have all 1000+ fonts that you have installed at all times. It's $5 shareware, so I'm sure I'll be coughing that $5 up soon. If you're looking for something to help you manage your fonts, give it a go. I'm sure you'll like it.

.: 146 words at 11:19 PM in Geeky Things, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »

A few years ago I bought a great book - An Exaltation of Larks : The Ultimate Edition by James Lipton. It's basically a big list of over a thousand terms for groups of things. Now, we all know a bunch of lions is a pride and some of us may even know a murder of crows, but would you know a goring of butchers? What I would like to do is put up a term, maybe a couple of times a week, maybe just once a week. I found the book just fascinating and wanted to share it with you. Without further adieu, here is today's term:

An Ostentation of Peacocks

Very fitting, wouldn't you say?

.: 117 words at 09:31 PM in It's a Group Thing, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (0) :.

Show comments here »

Here's a great article on Dennis Hwang, Google's "art department," and how he decorates the Google logo for holidays. I remember the first time I noticed the decorated Google logo: it was Bastille Day about two years ago and ever since I love checking Google out and being surprised by a new logo. Here is a list of several of their decorated logos.

(Link courtesy of Kristine)

.: 70 words at 03:55 PM in Notable News, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »

‹rant›I have a Tyfolio on Ty.com that allows me to keep a database of what Beanie Babies I have (I've got over 260. I'm sick; what can I say?). When I registered almost a year ago, somehow I must not have clicked on the "I'm over 18" link that was included in the registration e-mail so my registration has never been completed. I wanted to send someone a link to my Tyfolio, but since I'm not fully registered, I can't. I e-mailed Ty to let them know that I'm having problems with this and can't find a place on their site to update my registration info. I get an e-mail back saying it's in the e-mail they originally sent, go click there. I e-mail them back explaining that I no longer have a copy of the e-mail, could they please send me another. They e-mail me back to say that the e-mails are automatically generated and they can't do that. I can re-register, though, if I like. I politely explain to them that re-registering would mean entering my extensive collection again, and they basically say, "Tough shit." How annoying that they didn't plan this out better from a usability stand-point. I work at a web development company, so this is something that someone should have noticed. It just bugs me that I can't just have my registration changed. Grrrr!‹/rant›

.: 229 words at 02:07 PM in Rants, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (0) :.

Show comments here »

Time for Ashley's This-or-That Tuesday:

• Train or boat?
This is kind of a tough one. I rode in tons of trains when I stayed in England with my aunt and uncle for six weeks and completely loved their train system. On the other hand, I love water. I guess I would have to say boat, if I had to pick.
• Lake or ocean?
Definitely the ocean. I love the beach and I love watching the surf.
• Thoughtful or perceptive?
Probably a little of both, but I would have to pick perceptive. In school I was always the person who knew how people felt about things and people without ever having to be told.
• Observant or participative?
It depends on the situation. If it's something I enjoy or want to try out, definitely participative. If it's something I'm ambivalent about, I'd rather watch others and see what they do. I like to people watch.
• Line or curve?
Curve. They look so much nicer.
• Capitalize or lowercase?
Incorrect grammar drives me absolutely crazy, so I only capitalize words that are supposed to be capitalized. I even use correct capitalization in my IMs. I know. I'm a dork.
• Giraffe or zebra?
Giraffes are so funny looking, especially when they run, so giraffes.
• Shiny or matte?
Depends, but probably matte.
• Oil or vinegar?
Oil. Especially with bread. :-)
• Sand or clay?
Definitely sand. I love to play in the sand. When I was a senior in high school I was an art aide (read "slave to the art teachers") and I used to love to go hide in the supply closet and play in the bucket of sand they have. I love just touching it.

.: 281 words at 11:44 AM in This-or-That Tuesday, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

Does anyone have a good, easy-to-use birthday counter that I can stick on my page? Thanks!

.: 16 words at 09:40 PM in I'm Looking For...., ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (1) :.

Show comments here »

Well, since I cuss like a sailor, it's only fitting that I get this rate (though I think I was *this* close to being banned).

.: 61 words at 07:34 PM in Quizzy Stuff, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

Here's another good link to let you voice your opinions to policy makers. This one is Oceans at Risk.com - The Campaign to End Destructive Fishing. Please take a minute to go sign their petitions.

.: 36 words at 07:04 PM in Take Action!, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (0) :.

Show comments here »

Here's a little update on how the doctor's visit was:

I was a little nervous this morning once I got there, but not too anxious. They started the IV and wheeled me into the room and the whole time I'm thinking, "Shouldn't I be feeling drowsy by now? Why the hell isn't the medicine working?" They sprayed some stuff in my mouth that puts your mouth completely to sleep and tastes awful and then made me bite down on this plastic ring. It had a hole in the middle, so I guess it was to help guide the scope. I'm really starting to get anxious at this point because they're bringing equipment in, turning the monitors on that show what the camera is seeing, etc. My motto when it comes to medical procedures that are being done on me is, "Ignorance is bliss." I don't want to know a damn thing that you're getting ready to do to me. The nice nurse then comes in and says the magic words, "We're going to start your medicine now. This should make you sleepy. It will sting a bit." The last thing I remember is thinking, "That does hurt. Ow ow ow o...." and then I woke up as they were wheeling me out. Ah, the miracle of modern medicine!

I got home around 11:00 and did a few things like checking e-mail and making sure there were no work emergencies that needed to be handled and I went to sleep. I slept almost four hours, but I still feel a little tired. I'm developing a headache, too, which totally sucks. Anyone know if you can take Excedrin after an endoscopy?

They did find some minor gastritis, which is basically an inflammation of the stomach. They gave me some guidelines (don't eat before you go to bed, take your medicine, etc.), but none of it wasn't anything I expected. I believe they are doing a biopsy on their findings, so we'll see if that turns anything up. I go see my GP on the 21st and they want me to schedule a follow-up with the scope doctor (I just like calling him that) next month. I guess until then it's business as usual. Thanks to everyone who wished me well. I really do appreciate it! :-)

.: 384 words at 06:36 PM in Daily Ramblings, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »

Here's PromoGuy's Monday Mission 2.9:

1. What domain names (if any) did you think up, only to find they had already been registered? Or, if you don't have a domain, what's stopping you?
The only one I tried to register and couldn't was somethinginteresting.com. Instead, I registered somethinginteresting.net. In addition to neuroticfishbowl.com, I also have kymberlie.com. How cool is it to have your first name registered?

2. Name one of your favorite memories of dancing with someone (the person, the song, the feelings...)
When I was a freshman in high school, we had a band trip in Corpus Christi. They had a dance and I ended up dancing with Doug Ball, this cute tuba player who became out drum major the next year. He was a year ahead of me and I still remember slowing moving around the floor with him to "How Can I Fall" by Breathe. He was so cute, I was so nervous, but it was really wonderful.

3. Any elderly relatives you should be visiting, you know, before it is too late?
Well, maybe my grandfather on my mother's side, but he's in good health, so it's not a dire thing.

4. What is your Instant Messaging program of choice?
Trillian, but they've had such a hard time lately keeping AOL on, that it's become a real pain in the ass.

5. How many names are on your Buddy list? Care to share your username?
When I first started getting into the Net, my ICQ list had over 400 people on it. Now I only use AOL to talk to my brother and one or two friends very rarely and MSN for work. I just don't use it anymore.

6. What is the longest you've had to hold it before you could get to a bathroom? What's the story there?
We were leaving a friend's house in Atascocita and were going to a club located near 290 and the Beltway which was maybe about an hour's drive, give or take. I kind of had to pee when we left, but by the time we were getting near the club, I thought I was going to die. We parked, I ran in, and made it. Whew!

7. Describe the prefect date night.
The perfect date night would be raspberry piña coladas followed up by a lovely dinner somewhere (probably seafood, but maybe some place really nice like The Old San Francisco Steak House), and then hot sex. :-)

BONUS: Who's Bad?
Because I'm bad, I'm bad - come on. You know I'm bad, I'm bad - come on, you know. And the whole world has to answer right now just to tell you once again who's bad.

.: 452 words at 12:08 PM in Monday Missions, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (2) :.

Show comments here »

The doctor's office called today and confirmed my endoscopy procedure (basically they stick a scope with a camera in it down my throat) for tomorrow morning. I have to be there by 8:15. The procedure itself is only supposed to be about fifteen minutes or so, but I have no idea how long I will be there since they told me to "allow for a couple of hours." I'm hoping that the anesthia knocks me WAY out since I do not deal well with medical procedures. I'll probably be out for most of the day, but I may be back around in the afternoon. Wish me luck!

.: 107 words at 11:28 PM in Daily Ramblings, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (5) :.

Show comments here »

Last night we went out to dinner with Steven's brother Alex at Chinese Cafe (excellent Chinese food) and afterwards decided to see a movie. We went to TheCount of Monte Cristo, and let me tell you, it was incredible. It was everything a movie should be - characters you care about, beautifully shot locations, excellent dialouge, and an amazing plot. Sadly, I have never read any Dumas (I believe I started The Three Muskateers in middle school, but I don't think I finished it), but this movie makes me want to rush out and get the book. It was one of the better movies I've seen in a long time and I highly recommend it if you're looking for something to see on a Saturday night.

.: 127 words at 02:55 PM in Media Consumption, ";print substr($entry_cats, 0, -2); ?> :: Link :: :: All the Voices Say... (3) :.

Show comments here »