Clarkietron welcomes you to this super special Sunday post!

Well, would you look at that? Another Sunday has rolled around before I even realised it was Friday. Which it isn’t, so I guess that didn’t really make sense.

Anyway, it seems I haven’t actually done a proper blog award shout out in ages. This was brought to my attention recently by Wiggy, who was so kind as to include me in a list of his favourite blogs and also nominate Retro Yakking for a Best Blog Award. To him, I am grateful in more ways than one; firstly, it’s a pleasant reminder that some people actually do read Retro Yakking; secondly, for being such an awesome blogger and providing some much-needed entertainment.

Now it’s my turn to nominate fifteen of my very favourite weblogs for the very same award, so here we go…

(more…)

Individuals who are gifted enough to rise above the rabble will eventually better the cause of those below them. Not maybe to the same level that they occupy, but at least to the extent that basic human necessities are no longer strived for.

All social development hinges on how much time a society has to devote to addressing its most basic needs. The more time this consumes, the less a society will be. The freedom to pursue more esoteric interests marks the boundary between the haves and the have nots, and those that strive to create wealth (invariably, on most occasions individuals striving to accumulate wealth will have to spread some of it around) offer exactly such opportunities to other who are less endowed by providing income generation opportunities which address basic needs.

You and I are under the new covenant where God’s answers are yea and amen. He wants to be intimately involved in our lives, and because of that covenant that intimacy is now a possibility! Jesus was the promise fulfilled that turns the world–our world upside down! Wow! Praise you, Lord!

We have it all. Do we see that? Do we grasp the depth of what we have? Would to God that we get this, and not waste another moment.

The Old Covenant said, “Go away.” The New Covenant says, “Come near.” Will we draw near to God, spend time in the secret place, basking in His amazing love?

The story of the Prodigal Son brought out something I had never realized before. The Prodigal found himself eating pig food when he realized he would simply get better, kosher food at his father’s table. The son didn’t even return because he realized he had sinned. Rather he went because of a meal ticket. But he had practiced a speech of apology that, in the end, he didn’t even get to finish because his father said, “I don’t even want to know why you came home, I’m just thrilled that you’re here.” And we know the end of the story–the father treated him like a king, poured out love on him, and restored what he had lost. And He does the same thing with you and me. He doesn’t care why we left, He just wants us back, wants to crown us with glory and grace. Will we respond to that kind of love? And will we love others as He loved us?

God is a God of restoration rather than condemnation. So let’s start looking at others the way God looked at us, as those with great potential, those who God loved enough to die for. Grace has a name–Jesus!

Jesus is not just our provider, but our very provision! He is not the giver of peace, but He IS our peace. He doesn’t just give us victory, He IS our victory! He doesn’t just give us healing, He IS our healing! He is everything to us if we allow it.

The Soul Survival speaker said Jesus had a “yes face.” Instead of condemning people, He offered them grace. He told a story of a man who asked President Thomas Jefferson for a ride on the back of his horse to cross a flooded stream. And Thomas Jefferson said yes, took the man across and let him off on dry ground on the other side. At that moment Jefferson’s grandson asked the man, “Do you know who he is?” The man said no. And the grandson said, “Why did you ask him for a ride?” The man said, “Because he had a yes face.” Do you and I have a yes face? Do you see people out of the eyes of love or of condemnation? Will we look at others, no matter who they are and have yes faces that refuse to condemn them? Let’s love others with the same love with which He loved us!

Let’s bless God in all we say and do!

Because of His great love,
Nancy

You should do some research before choosing the products that you are going to promote. It is better if you have adequate knowledge about the product that you want to promote. Then you should have your own website.

You should create blogs regularly on your affiliate products. You should drop your seller’s  link at the end of the blog so that any one who reads your blog would follow the link and land into your seller’s website. If the buyer make s a purchase you will get affiliate commission.

In my opinion it is possible to make handsome money   if you know the techniques of promoting affiliate products. good luck.

Back in the old days, when the world was new and before angst had been introduced to our everlasting fight, things were simple. We were evil, probably insane or twisted, and that was all there was to it. They were Good, purity of heart was pretty much a job requirement, and while no amount of blandishments could turn them from their duty, they were so Good that most of them didn’t have the heart to kill us. But the conflicts were too great for that flat, two-color world to hold, and it began to swell, and to grow, and to push itself into three dimensions. And when it did, motivations of each side leaked onto the other. Conversion from Evil to Good had always been possible, but now, with flawed heroes who weren’t Doomed, and honorable motives within our ranks, we had a shot at converting them. And the first thing we learned to use was weaponized psychology.

The principle behind weaponized psychology is simple. It’s an offshoot of ‘know thine enemy’: to be exact, “Know thine enemy better than thine enemy doth know himself.” And, of course, exploit it (but that goes without saying, right?). In most cases, the goal is to cause the target to shut down, or possibly to cause him to join us, though most of us go into a weaponized psychology session fully aware that various constraints both narrative and non-narrative make that one something of a pipe dream. But it’s worth trying, and let’s face it, a good bout of weaponized psychology is fun. So how do we do it?

First step: Know. Thine. Enemy. I don’t care how good your speech on a hero’s suppressed daddy issues are, it’s not going to work if the hero doesn’t have daddy issues. He’ll just laugh at you. So pay attention. Do research. If you don’t have spies, or scrying magic, or whatever, get some. Learn whatever you can about him, then learn to apply it to reach other conclusions, and make sure you stay current. The one thing more embarrassing than picking on a common flaw that he happens not to have is picking on what was a significant weakness when you first met but that he’s already arced through. This also means knowing the kind of conversational style to take. Inexperienced heroes still drunk on their own goodness may respond better to a direct reaming out, but the worldly wise who know your tricks are going to need a subtler, more allusive touch, and if you’re confident enough to challenge a deceptive protagonist, you will need to make sure that you’ve got the same mastery of allusion and metaphor and giving him just enough information to let him come to the rest of it as he does. The ones I’ve met have all been far likelier to play the game for the game’s own sake, so they might stick around for the discussion just because it’ll be a challenge. See below for why this is useful.

Second, make sure you’re dealing with the right kind of hero. He needs to be at least a bit introspective, or else he just plain won’t care about what you have to say to him. On the other hand, he can’t be so introspective that he’s already independently reached your conclusions and found a coping mechanism. Weaponized psychology, particularly when used to paralyze, requires a certain amount of shock/revelation to be truly effective. Perception also bears a relation, but it’s iffy: people who are perceptive about themselves are very hard to surprise, but the ones who understand other people quite well are often vulnerable, particularly if you lead off with a few observations about their teammates that mirror theirs. That establishes you as knowing what you’re talking about, making it likelier that they’ll realize there’s some truth to what you say when you start in on them. Truth is an important element to weaponized psychology; to make it work, we have to counter our reputation for lying.

Of course, weaponized psychology isn’t going to do you a jot of good unless you can get the hero to listen, now, is it? Some people deal with that the obvious way, by giving literal meaning to the captive audience. And yes, that works, but being restrained and stuck listening to what they see as a classic monologue makes some heroes a bit oppositional, which gives extra barriers. I find that it works better if the hero is coming to you in the first place. Maybe you know something he doesn’t and needs to. Or you’ve managed to project the image of someone who despite the whole evil thing could be admirable, interesting, worth working with, and they just can’t get enough of talking to you. Either way, set up a situation in which it’s the hero’s choice to leave or not, and it just happens that it’s more in his interest to stay.

Weaponized psychology is a difficult, individualized science. But when it works, giving heroes logic errors at critical moments is the least of the things it can do for you. Consider it, and if you choose to do it, learn it well. Whether Good is dumb or not, be smarter!

Iowa’s perfect record was shockingly ended when the #4 Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1 in the Big Ten) were upset at home by Northwestern (6-4, 3-3), 17-10. Sixteenth-rated Ohio State (8-2, 5-1) is tied with Iowa atop the Big Ten after winning at Penn State (8-2, 4-2), 24-7. Eighth-ranked Oregon (7-2, 5-1) dropped its first Pac-10 game, 51-42, at Stanford (6-3, 4-2). Twentieth-rated California (6-3, 3-3) couldn’t keep pace in the conference, losing 31-14, at home against Oregon State (6-3, 4-2).

Phil Mickelson won the WGC Champions in Shanghai. Mickelson claimed his second Champions in three years by one shot over Ernie Els, who fired a 63 Sunday. Tiger Woods managed only an even-par 72 in the final round to finish five strokes behind Mickelson.

Bo Bae Song won the LPGA tournament in Japan. Lorena Ochoa, Brittany Lang and Hee Young Park tied for second, three strokes behind Song. Chicago defeated visiting New England, 2-0, in the second leg of its MLS Eastern Conference semifinal and won the aggregate, 3-2.

Kyle Busch won the Nationwide Series race in Fort Worth today, one day after he also won the truck series race. Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) knocked out Brett Rogers (10-1) in the second round of their Strikeforce heavyweight bout Saturday.

David Haye (23-1, 21 knockouts) won the WBA heavyweight championship by majority decision over champion Nikolai Valuev (50-2, 34 KOs) in Germany tonight. One judge scored the bout even, 114-114. The other two judges awarded the fight to Haye, 116-112, who was in his third heavyweight fight after a career as a cruiserweight.

Saskatchewan routed visiting Calgary, 30-14, in a CFL game. Both teams finished the regular season 10-7-1 and tied atop the Western Division. However, Saskatchewan’s 2-0-1 record against Calgary this year means the Rough Riders are the division’s number-one seed. Meanwhile, Montreal (15-3) hammered host Toronto (3-15).

Here’s a recap of the scene where Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) crowns Jenny Humphrey (Taylor Momsen):

Anyways, the much sought after Queen B headband is by Jennifer Behr, a padded headband done by hand AND covered with Swarovski crystals that are stitched on one-by-one (with cotton thread Behr waxes herself!).

This Queen B headband retails at $725 and can be purchased from jenniferbehr.com

The bill must still be passed by the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) has publicly fretted that legislation may not be approved by his chamber this year. The House will be off next week for Veterans’ Day. Thanksgiving and Christmas are also on the horizon.

Therefore, there likely aren’t many legislative days left in 2009. Each day that ticks off the calendar before next year’s midterm election makes approving a bill a little less likely. Even if the Senate passes one of the two bills that has survived a full committee vote, reconciliation with the House version must be done.

Both chambers must eventually approve an identical bill. That process will take more time. Opponents are surely counting on time and electoral prospects to stop action.

Cao is considered the most vulnerable incumbent in Congress. He is a freshman representative who was elected in 2008 because then-Rep. William Jefferson was under federal indictment for corruption. He has since been convicted and is serving a prison sentence.

Cao’s district is heavily Democratic so he seems to have voted in his district’s interests. That’s clearly what the 39 Democrats who opposed the bill did, even after President Obama addressed Democratic House members this morning. He told them in part not to be worried about Republican threats of retribution should they vote for the bill. Being Democrats, the President warned, is enough to draw their fire.

It was Howard’s first game since undergoing operations on his left ankle and wrist on May 22. The former All-Star didn’t participate in contact drills until mid-October. He scored 13 in the first half and finished with 16 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists in 24 minutes.

The Raptures were led in the game by Chris Bosh, who had 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds and Bargani who had 22 points.

Boris Diaw led Charlotte with 20 points, but the Bobcats were outrebounded for the first time this season, 44-38. Besides watching his team give away a nine-point lead, coach Larry Brown made it clear he didn’t like what he saw from the officials, either.
With Chicago up 92-87 with a minute left, the Bulls’ Luol Deng missed two free throws, and the Bobcats’ Tyson Chandler converted two to make it 92-90 with 21 seconds left. Salmons had a chance to make it a four-point game, but made just one of two free throws with 19.8 seconds left. However, the Bobcats couldn’t take advantage.

Salmons led the Bulls with 27 points in the game. Noah had 21 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulls.

Diaw led the Bobcats with 20 points in the game.

The Nets, who are still winless this season actually played a good game with the Celtics for three quarters and actually led by 2 points entering the final quarter. The Celtics pulled away with an 8-2 run midway through the fourth quarter, with a Terrence Williams turnover leading to a Rasheed Wallace 14-footer and giving Boston a 74-67 lead. The Nets failed to score in the final 2:58 of the game.

For New Jersey  Brook Lopez had 23 points and Rafer Alston had 20 points. Rondo and Pierce each led Boston with 16 points each. Garnett had a terrible game, scoring only 9 points on 3-13 shooting.

After a crummy game in the Hawks loss against the Charlotte, Jamal Crawford bounced back in this game by scoring 25 points off of the bench. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith also each chipped in 22 points a piece for the Hawks.

This game was basically two teams that had just come off of disappointing losses and needed to get that confidence boost back. Good thing for the Hawks they were soaring high in this game and for Denver, well, back to the drawing board.

It was quite a game for Evans who replaced Kevin Martin in the Kings stating lineup as the injured Martin will soon be getting surgery to repair a fracture in his right wrist which will keep him out of action for 6-8 weeks. Evans sonsinstantly drew fould in the game and ended up hitting 16 of 19 free throws in the game.

The Kings had the game under control in the fourth with a 20 point 4th quarter lead but then Deron Williams went to work for the Jazz. Deron Williams had a great game scoring 29 points and dishing out 15 assist in the game. An assist by Williams to Okur’s three pointer sparked a comenack by the Jazz with just under a minute left in the game and the Jazz were down only by 5 points 97-92.

The comeback came to a halt though as the Kings grabbed two key rebounds at the end and secured the victory.

The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are $10.

At the clubs

• Al’s Wine and Whiskey Lounge (321 S. Clinton St.) – E.S.P., 9 p.m.
• Burritt’s Café (8914 N. Seneca St., Weedsport) - John Spillett Jazz Duo, 1 p.m.
• Cascade Grill (2846 Route 38, Moravia) - Nancy Kelly Trio, 4 p.m.
• Castaways (916 Route 37, Brewerton) - The Country Castaways featuring George Leija, 2 p.m.
• Empire Brewing Company (120 Walton St.) - Los Blancos, 12:30 p.m.
• The Mill (1417 W. Genesee St.) – Johnny Rage and Rhythm Method, 1 p.m.
• Moondance Tavern (2512 Route 20, Marcellus) – Joanne Perry and Friends, 5 p.m.
• Pastabilities (311 Franklin St.) – Kanjira, 6 p.m.
• Red Rooster Pub (4618 Jordan Rd., Skaneateles Falls) – Donna Colton, 4 p.m.
• Rooter’s Tavern (4141 S. Salina Street) – Open Mike Night with Down ‘n Dirty, 9 p.m.
• ShamROCKS! Rock and Roll Irish Pub (109 E. Taft Rd., North Syracuse) – SIM with Sara, 9 p.m.
• Sherwood Inn (26 W. Genesee St., Skaneateles) – Mike Sims and Stan, 4 p.m.
• Singer’s Karaoke Club (1345 Milton Ave.) - Karaoke w/DJ Octane, 9 p.m.
• Shifty’s (1401 Burnet Ave.) - Just Joe, 7 p.m.

My mind wanders to Holy Scripture to places like Genesis when the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the water in the process of creation, or to the start of John when the Word “became flesh and dwelt among us,” or to many places in Scripture when Jesus really connected with people; the woman at the well, the woman who was “caught in the act” or the teacher who came to Him late at night with questions. How intimate and wonderful these times must have been. While my mind is wandering, my heart is longing. My heart does not wander. It simply longs to connect with God so that I am satisfied in some deep way that I no longer will seek out what people in Christian circles call “worldly pleasures.”

I was recently hit hard with the concept of the Trinity in a way that I had never taken the time to think about and as I began to mull it over, some things began to sink into my being that give me a glimmer more of hope than I had before I thought about it. The idea is simply that God is not and was never lonely. He always was God, the Father, God, the Word and God the Spirit. These are things I kind of already knew (basic Christian theology) but never really pondered deeply. God didn’t make man because He was lonely. God chose to be creative and chose to relate to His creation in a loving way, but it was a decision cast out of perfect love and holiness, not desperation or some kind of weird longing for a relationship. Encompassed within the Trinity is everything God could want or need for perfect relationship.

Here’s the thing that is gripping me. In Peter’s teachings in scripture, he refers to us christians as partakers of the divine nature, you know, a people who are actively involved in Christ. So I think what the Bible is saying is that we can actively participate in life in the trinity now. It blows me away that it could be possible to have a day where I don’t get lonely or don’t allow fear of what others might think into my frail little head. Where I don’t say stupid things to get attention at a party. I want more of Him. I am desparate to know more of this kind of satisfaction. Even in my desparation for Christ, there is a hint of self centeredness. Am I desperate for more of Him so I won’t feel lonely or do I want this “nature” solely to glorify God.

While I know who I am in “Christ” b/c I stand on Him as my foundation and know and identify with Him completely as my Father and Friend, I also long to have this fulfillment and to know that thing which Jesus knew, that perfect satisfaction, that perfect love which compelled Him enough to take the road of suffering. I want to know that I am satisfied in and with God and, in that moment, to only glorify Him.

Please God, plant this stuff in my being, deeper, in eternal places. Let stuff get born out of your truth in me.

I have officially moved here, but I am in no way a citizen. I am nothing more than an American on “extended holiday”, therefor I have only three months to get all my paperwork in order if I want to stay for any longer. I came across my first hurdle this week, and I feel the need to talk about it for a while.

Proper Immigration procedure, This differs in Croatia from other Countries in Europe that I have visited. I’m not sure why but they do things a bit different here. Last year when I traveled to the UK, and Germany, I had to fill out an entrance card on the plane before landing with all my pertinent information… where I would be staying, how long I would be there, and how much money I was bringing with me. I had the same experience when I went to Australia back in 2000, so this is not strange to me even though I didn’t quite understand it all.    This time, however, no card was required… I thought It was just because Croatia was a new Independent republic and wanted more tourism, or foreign money so they wanted to make things easier on outsiders. Silly me!! I know I’m in a lot of ways a “stupid American”, but I really didn’t even give it a second thought. Well I was stupid… It turns out here in Croatia they have a different system to deal with the same issues.

The issues are that any Country you visit wants to know that you have enough money to pay for your time there, and where you are just in case something happens to you ( God forbid ).  well Croatia does it a bit different, They don’t have you fill out the card, They expect you to physically check in at the local police station if you’re going to be staying more than two days, and you only have 48 hours to do this or you get fined anywhere from 500kuna-5000kuna for not doing it on time. talk about stress!!!! Plus if you put this off for more than a month, you can and most likely will get deported. Not a good vacation!!!

I was fortunate enough to figure it out, well my friend figured it out for me and we ran down and got it taken care of, but it was a long and stressful day for us both. Don’t take me wrong the police were very friendly and helpful, however there was a lot of waiting in line and much more paperwork than the other method, but it wasn’t ( over all ) a bad experience. I just wish some one had explained it to me before I was on the ground.

This is why I guess I felt so compelled to write today, I just wanted to help some one else if I could to not make the same mistake I did, and follow the laws of the land…. And if you have any questions ASK FIRST!!!! It could save you a lot of money, as well as headache!!

The comic festival is this weekend along with the “new wine festival “, boose and books all over Zagreb! what could be better?

Until later, just remember to read the fine print!!!! and enjoy your travels!!!

“you are mean> Miley Cyrus is a very good artist/person and she did not react like that when she couldn’t met them. i was her back up dancer and she is one of my good friends so if you’re going to hate then don’t make a websit just to be an asshole! and as for twilight sucking…you are once again WRONG, it is a wonderful book and movie and i can’t wait for New Moon to come you. you are a very hate filed person!”

This made me giggle.

Pictured: Me upon reading this comment.

There are so many things I could say about this comment, so I’m going to start from the beginning.

“you are mean>” What’s with the punctuation? Am I greater than mean? I suppose Anonymous would say yes, I am, because who could possibly insult Disney’s cash cow?

“Miley Cyrus is a very good artist/person and she did not react like that when she couldn’t met them.” If she didn’t behave like that, then why would Radiohead bother to issue a statement telling her to grow up? Also, I think we need to have a chat about verb tenses. It should say “meet”, not “met.”

“i was her back up dancer and she is one of my good friends so if you’re going to hate then don’t make a websit just to be an asshole!” Right, I’m sure Anonymous really is one of her backup dancers and is friends with the pop tart. If Anonymous is actually who they say they are, then it’s a good thing they have another skill such as dancing because they sure as hell can’t formulate a coherent sentence. As for my “websit” and being an asshole, I can’t really argue with that. If calling out Miley Cyrus on her bad decisions when her parents won’t makes me an asshole, then so be it.

Good job, Mama Cyrus.

Also, I’m not the only one who thinks Miley Cyrus is on her way to being Britney Spears during her going commando in a pink wig with British accent phase. Miley Cyrus was voted to be the worst celebrity influence by nine to fifteen-year-olds in an online poll done by AOL. Now it’s not just concerned parents and celebrity junkies like myself; even her fans think she’s a pole dancing hussy.

On to the rest of the comment:

“and as for twilight sucking…you are once again WRONG, it is a wonderful book and movie and i can’t wait for New Moon to come you” So she can’t wait for New Moon to come to me? Sorry, I’ll be passing. Do you know what message the trailer tells young girls? After Edward dumps Bella, she starts throwing herself into life threatening situations to get his attention. After he thinks she’s dead, he goes to some vampire council to die to be with her. Great message, girls. If your emotionally abusive and creepy boyfriend dumps you, repeatedly try to kill yourself to get his attention. Then he might try to kill himself to be with you, just like Romeo and Juliet! How romantic!

Suicide isn’t as sexy as Hollywood would have you believe.

Anonymous, Twilight does suck .  I’m sorry if that ruins your little prepubescent fantasies about Robert Pattinson, but this actually makes sense. If you like Twilight as much as you say you do, then it’s no wonder you can’t write a coherent paragraph.

“you are a very hate filed person!” Hate “filed”? Hey, Anonymous, maybe read through your comment to avoid looking like a dumbass. I may mock Miley Cyrus, but at least I can put together a grammatically correct sentence.

Pictured: Anonymous

The unnamed executive is firmly convinced of his own superior workplace abilities and business and people management skills, despite the huge weight of evidence against such conclusions. His wife also testified as to his unsubstantiable belief in his superior musical taste and his faith-based dress sense. In a rare concession to reality, the man is under no illusion as to what little shits his children are.

Judge Michael Burton laid down a series of tests regarding such beliefs:

• The belief must be genuinely held;

• It must be a belief and not a mere opinion or view related to anything substantiable;
• It must relate to a weighty and substantial aspect of human life, despite a total lack of evidence;
• It must appear at least slightly coherent on the surface;
• It must not be mere odious fuckwittery;
• It must be obviously gibbering bullshit to anyone not already agreeing with it.

Humanism was given as an example meeting the criteria, while belief in a political party, except the Liberal Democrats or Ukip, were offered as ones that do not.

“It is clear,” he said in summing up, “that if firms started firing their executives for the mere fact of utter blithering incompetence, business as we know it could not go on. If such a criterion hit the banking sector, it could lead to a complete collapse of the financial system as we know it. Oh, wait.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson has said he will shortly be suing Professor David Nutt under these rules if the entire scientific population of Great Britain does not cease and desist immediately from oppressing him with mere facts.

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I have discussed here and there how some of the traded divas have done on their new shows, as well as how the credibility of some of the rumors surrounding their moves has held up. What about Mickie James? She lost the Diva’s Championship and was traded to Smackdown. There was more controversy and rumors flying around about her move than any other diva’s a few weeks ago. Smackdown was supposed to be a punishment for her? Really?

Since coming to Smackdown, it is true that Mickie James has had only one official match, not counting house shows. But she has also gotten things in these past few weeks that she rarely saw on Raw all year. She is getting meaningful backstage segments. She is not talking about the weather with Cody Rhodes. She is actually getting to interact with the other divas to build a storyline for her coming feud with Michelle McCool. It will not be a typical “you have title, me want title” feud. Moreover, these segments she is getting are actually letting her show a bit more character. I like that she is not being used only to wrestle every single week on Smackdown. I still cannot wait until she does get more matches, but I hope she does not lose the chance to still have segment time.

How was sending her to Smackdown a punishment? Some can argue how it is, but I am looking at things in another way. The WWE took both Eve and Melina off Smackdown. They knew Maria would not be around for a while. That leaves Mickie James as the sole face of Smackdown. That is a huge responsibility. Even if they are turning Beth Phoenix into a face, that turn will not happen overnight, and neither have they even gone very far in that path yet. And even if she does turn face, there is no guarantee how well Beth will last like that. Mickie James would still remain vital to the women’s division on Smackdown. I have also already explained how Smackdown is offering her more backstage segments to develop actual storylines for her and let her show some kind of character. I still wish the WWE did not leave most of their divas generic, but it is still good to have Mickie go out there and do the talking for herself. The reasoning the WWE had for sending Mickie to Smackdown, if you believe the rumors, may be seen as a punishment. The farewell loss they gave her on Raw may be seen as a punishment, but I can write a longer rant than this to show that treating Mickie James badly is nothing knew for the WWE. In the end, the actual act of having Mickie on Smackdown is no punishment. I cannot imagine why she would be crying for having escaped guest-host mania on Raw, and the other problems there.

Switching gears, I want to talk about Kofi Kingston. During one of my usual complaining sessions about Mickie’s last title reign lacking meaningful feuds and all that, I said the WWE were doing the same thing with Kofi Kingston. I am not going to retract my statement, but after Kofi did his solid job with what he had to do, the WWE actually rewarded him. After he lost the United States Championship to The Miz, and correct me if I am wrong, I do not recall him getting an official rematch on Raw. However, he did find his way into a Bragging Rights match. He pinned Chris Jericho the next night. He has entered a feud with Randy Orton. And here is the kicker, he has actually gotten some meaningful segments. He is actually showing character. Ironic how they had to kill his Jamaican gimmick to finally let him show some attitude the fans will like, but he is actually being used very well now. No title needed. Draw the connections back to Mickie James. She never got her rematch for the title she lost. She is still in a position where she has to be pushed and treated well (only face diva on Smackdown). And she is getting the time to show character. I am not saying these two are being treated the same exact way for the same exact reasons, but it is something to think about. Their recent title reigns did not do for them what their treatment post-reign is doing for them.

So where does the credibility of the rumors surrounding Mickie’s move to Smackdown lie? If it was meant to be a punishment, the WWE failed. Mickie escaped the show with guest host crap. She will not run the chance of having to face Rosa as often. She is getting segment time. Even if Mickie did not “shape up”, as some rumors put it, she would still have had to be pushed as the sole face for a little while longer. Maria would still be gone. It would still not be possible to properly turn Beth face so fast. The WWE put Mickie in a position of great responsibility. They had to have had faith in her to do that. I do not think all this amounts to an environment of punishment. As far as the other rumors concerning why she was traded, I have already talked about that weeks ago. My only point here is to say I honestly believe the WWE did a bad job of punishing Mickie James, if that really was their intention. You do not do it by putting her in a tough position, such as being the sole face of a brand. They put her in a spot where it would be easier to put focus on her, and they have been putting the focus on her. That is a punishment?

Switching gears one last time, how about Melina? She took Mickie’s spot as top face on Raw. The top face diva of the WWE works Raw? Really? The top diva gets 4-minute tag matches? 2-minute title matches? Gets overshadowed by a midget in green? In almost every match Melina has had on Raw since returning, there has been either sloppy spots or the match was just boring overall, in my eyes at least. If this keeps up, Melina’s reign will be a lot worse than Mickie’s. And has Melina said two words since coming to Raw? Has she ever touched the mic? Has she had backstage segments where she opened her mouth? Her feud with Jillian, if you can call it that, resulted in nothing but Jillian losing three times and Jillian teaming with Chavo regularly now. As I said during Mickie’s reign, the WWE is just tossing matches to th Diva’s Champion until Maryse returns. Melina’s presence on Raw did not change that. If anything, it only refreshened some match possibilities until Maryse does return. To end, I am pretty much saying Melina has been doing poorly on Raw, while Mickie James has been doing better on Smackdown. What’s that? Blame the WWE for not treating Melina better? Blame Jillian for not doing her part in the matches very well? I sang that same song when Mickie James had the title. All people wanted to do was say Mickie James deserved to be punished, was boring, and heap the criticism on. I do not hate Melina. I see what is going on clearly. You still have to admit, things have not gotten better for the divas on Raw that much, beyond Rosa getting off.

It may not take long for the WWE to change their focus again and treat Mickie James badly on Smackdown. Until then, I like how she is being treated. I have always said that Mickie should get a meaningful storyline outside of the title scene. This is not that, but it comes close. She is not wrestling every week. She is getting time to talk. She, along with the other divas involved, is getting the chance to actually show more character. There is no way I can call all this a harsh punishment. Things are turning out well so far.

I went to high school, and yes I remember the torture of having to be up to date on all the gossip. I was hoping that once high school was over we all would have moved on. Apparently not.  I have been tearing my hair out the last few weeks trying to deal with all the stress and unintended self-deprication that comes with being a non-paid therapist to the world. I’ve been flipping through my year books, remembering what people look like, what they have gone through since graduation and how their lives change. The more I think about anyone else, the worse I feel. I guess I just want to protect everyone from getting hurt and from doing things the hard way. Even though that was what helped me get to where I am today.

Maybe I just want to help without getting involved. I don’t want people to stop feeling like they can rely on me to listen. I just wish I could figure out a way to stop empathizing. Because truly, I think I will die of a heart attack. What will cause the heart attack though I’m sure will be all the drama. I’ve always had a type A personality. Lately I’ve been looking pretty hard at myself and I’m not so type A anymore. I still watch clocks, I’m still terribly impatient, I still hate standing in lines, but for the time being I am taking a break from being stressed out. I have tried so hard to learn how to relax. Something I never fully understood how to do until after I got married. The book I just finished was talking about how Americans really don’t know how to relax. We get home from work and end up vegging on the couch with the TV, the stereo, the laundry running, kids screaming, thumping, and we never get a chance to breathe. It’s like we’re suffocating in all the busy. I don’t want to die prematurely, and I’ve heard that heart attacks can be quite painful, so obviously there is something I need to change. The drama won’t ever go away, so I guess my attitude needs to adapt or I will drive myself crazy.

The former Venom host is very much alive, and is busting heads in a mini-series as Anti-Venom.  This is similar to his old Lethal Protector series, but with a bit more religious influence.  He’s alright, I guess.  The writing isn’t too stellar.  But no matter how well written this mini could be, I don’t think anything could top Venom as a villain.  He’s one of the best.  So I’m going to take a moment to think of how we can get back that experience, but in a natural way.

 The most obvious solution is to bring back Eddie himself as the main host.  I’m not a fan of this.  He’s had his character development, and has moved away from the darkness and villainy.  This was one of the most compelling parts of the character.  Despite all of his rage and hatred, he overcame that and is now trying to do good.  Of course, as a do gooder, he’s not quite as interesting.  Eddie probably should have died in some form of self sacrifice, to end on the highest possible note.  This is kind of what they did in the 90’s animated series, and I thought it was a great concept.  So, don’t bring back Eddie as “the” Venom.  Rather, I would say they might want to introduce a new host for Venom.  It doesn’t have to be a new character, just someone with a personal connection to Peter Parker.  Let Gargan go back to being the Scorpion after some kind of failure (ending of the Dark Reign would be nice timing), and introduce a new Venom more in line with Eddie’s vicious predator.  The last option is to see Mac Gargan deeply shamed by Spiderman in Dark Reign.  But this time, rather than lose the symbiote, he’s cut loose by Osborn and the higher ups, and goes on kind of a rampage.  I think either of the second two choices could work with a good writer, but alot of it depends on how Dark Reign ends.

This is part of why I now want to see a Venom movie.  Spiderman 3 left such a bitter after taste, where Venom was given a grand total of 5 seconds on camera.  And I never wanted to see a Lethal Protector movie.  But I do want to see the Eddie Brock we all know given proper treatment.  Even if we can’t get a classic Venom back in the comics right now, we could see a well done movie.  The movie could be awful, but I think it deserves a chance. 

I loved all the blood and guts. “I loved beating up all the boys and biting them. Despite what people seem to think of me, it’s never fun kissing people you don’t know. But killing them? I loved it.

Check out the Rolling Stone outtakes below. What do you think? Hot or not?

For those of you with children, remember safety comes first. Adequate and really continuous supervision of children in the kitchen is of the utmost importance. As a child’s mobility and curiosity increases, appropriate supervision becomes essential and necessary.

Remember to always keep all hot items at a safe distance from a child. Use highchairs, child safety gates, playpens, etc. when you are working in the kitchen. Create a safe zone for children. Keep them out of the path where everyone walks and remember to always check their location before moving any hot or heavy item around.

It is a good idea to remove tablecloths and placemats when toddlers are present. Those of you with children know they can easily, and always will, tug and pull on everything they can reach. They run the risk of pulling hot and heavy items on top of them. I know when my children were younger we would give them pots and pans to play with. However, looking back this probably wasn’t a good idea because children may reach for these “toys” when they contain hot liquids or foods. It is also a good idea to always remember to turn the handles of pots and pans on the stove inward so they are not hanging over the edge for children to grab.

Also, be mindful of an open oven door. It can easily burn a child who might fall or lean against it. It can be particularly dangerous for a child just learning to walk who may use the door for support and is unable to let go before suffering a burn. It really is a good idea to keep small children out of the kitchen when the oven is in use.

Thanks for caring and taking the time to read and consider these few suggestions where our little ones will stay safe. God Bless and Take Care.

Read Part 1 to this series on Kitchen Safety by clicking here.

However, now it seems the American Idol winner Kris Allen is catching up. On Friday, he released his first music video for the first single off of his record due out November 17th. The video is for Live Like You’re Dying, and apparently this was his first ever music video. An exciting life since he won American Idol, but the runner up isn’t doing too bad since the series ended.

American Idol returns this January to Fox with all new judge Ellen Degeneres taking over for Paula Abdul. Check out Kris Allen’s video below.

For more on American Idol, check here.

The fact that I’m an afficionado of mock combat is, quite honestly, something I tend not to mention in the company of others. As you can imagine, among friends, it’s something I keep to myself at times. But an article that was recently published in the Village Voice picqued my interest and awakened something that has been laying dormant in me for a long time.

Recently, it analyzed a recent ROH show and claimed it was perfect for gay men because of the latent homerotic undertones inheent in its matches. For those who are curious, you can read it yourself and make up your mind here: http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-03-11/voice-choices/blood-match

Quite frankly, I woulda have expected better than hem than this ciched rubbish. But then again, they’ve always had a reputation of being elitist high-culture snobs, in my opinion. By now, I am quite frankly tired of all the criticisms and insults lodged against wrestling: “It’s fake!” “It’s gay!” “It’s so lame!”

I will not deny that it is pre-planned and choreographed. This fact is indesputable and beyond common knowledge. So, yes, in that sense, it is fake. What’s not fake, though, is all the injuries these brave souls go through. Tell me, how is Edge’s recent torn Achilles tendon false? Watch the guy at the local high school gym promotion bleed from his head and ask him how cartoonish it feels.

I think a good majority of fans are, by now, aware of its rather theatrical style (at least, I hope). In fact, this becomes part of the spectacle. We passionate and hardcore fans have become like patrons at a play production: aware of its expectations, always critiquing the substance in an effort to improve it.

If the whole “don’t watch it because it’s fake” argument holds merit, why even bother with most forms of popular entertainment? Should people stop watching South Park because it’s animated and doesn’t involve three-dimensional flesh-and-blood protagonists? Should I turn off the television when House comes on because I possess the knowledge that in real life Hgh Laurie is not actually an acerbic doctor? There does exist this little concept called suspension of disbelief, ya know.

And speaking of South Park, there was recently an episode dealing with professional wrestling. Quite frankly, I didn’t find it that entertaining. Then again, South Park hasn’t really held my interest lately, what with its reactionary and reducto ad absurdum attacks on liberal ideas. Regardless, it went for the obvious route of viewing wrestling as a male soap opera.

In contrast, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, a superb show if I must say so myself, handled in a much more mature and thoughtful way (as mature and thoughtful as they get, that is). What we nay be seeing here is a slight resurgence in the business’s popularity. As us inside fans know, the industry is cyclical, experiencing periodic ups and downs. Now we see a thourougjly postmodern fanbase; aware of its often cheesy limitations, but with a nostalgic reverence tied to childhood experiences with it.

Those who charge that it’s a bit discomforting to see two half-naked men roll around in a ring seem to be projecting their own latent homosexual feelings into the matches. If you see Triple H facing Randy Orton and the first thing that comes to mind is penis on penis, that tells me a lot more about you than it does the nature of wrestling. Not to get all Freudian on you or getting wordy with the old “no u” defense, but that’s how I feel. It’s just more projectile homophobia from people who can’t let that sort of thing rest.

So, with all this said, and all these arguments, let’s get down to the susbstance of my argument. Just why am I a wrestling fans? It’s hard to say, and I find myself gasping for even a muttering as I think about it. Perhaps WCW and WWF WWE got me when I was young. My brother exposed me to an episode of Nitro as a young kid in middle school, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Time went on and I stayed tuned, through the worst of times (yes, I suffered through Brock Lesnar as champion and Katie Vick….oh, what a loyal fan I am). What occured to me is that, as far-fetched as this argument is, is that wrestling is art, in a sense.

Think about it…..it’s pre-arranged, it tries to make a point, it’s performed in front of a group of people, and it often strives to elicit powerful emotions from the audience. So perhaps there is some merit to the “male soap opera” theory. Oftentimes, the storylines revolve around common themes we all encounter in life. Being betrayed by a friend, striving to compete to be the best, running up against arrogant blowhards, striving to be righteous and virtuous in a world rife with corruption. When Batista recently attacked his now former best friend Rey Mysterio, who couldn’t feel Rey-Rey’s pain, having been there before?

Wrestling combines the best of both worlds: playing on the testosterone-fueled desire for violence and bloodshed, with the public cathharsis we’ve come to expect from Shakespeare. In this gritty and bare release of pent-up agression, we fans feel either exhilirated or outraged, depending on whether the face or heel has come out on top. So, basically, RAW is theater with baby oil.

Is it true that some former fans are wandering away in something more raw, more athelic, more, dare I say it…..realer? I thik there actually is some credibility to this argument. MMA, specifically the UFC, has probably stolen away some disgruntled Attitude Era-bros. Even I’ve slightly wandered ove and have began viewing The Ultimate Fighter, without abandoning Vince McMahon’s baby. But even yo have to contend that the UFC is slightly over-the-top. The entrances, the hype, the PPVS, even how they’re building the Rashad-Rampage feud (so much for that, though, what with Jackson straight-up walking out on them). So even they’re not immune from pop culture producton values.

So, in closing, I hope you now see professional wrestling in a different light. As dorky as it sounds, we fans are a passionate bunch, and our fanatacism is not something to be taken lightly, and we are tired of the usual childish taunts levied against our favorite televsions shows. If it persists, we may have to take a steel chair upside your head.

The design of the blouse has what I would typically think of as the outer fashion fabric on the inside, with a sheer fabric overlay.  The sleeves are made of the same sheer, synthetic fabric, with heavy embroidery and sequin trim.

To maintain the design and keep the trim I removed one inch of fabric above the trim and a few of the embroidery motifs, moving the trim upward.  I reattached it with a straight stitch.

Then I trimmed it a little and folded it open, pressing on a very low heat.  And then sew again over the joined fabric with a narrow zig-zag, creating a felled style seam.  It looks natural on the finished garment.  (First photo.)

Sewing Tips and Notes:

•  When working with embroidered garments, plan carefully where to cut and how much embroidery will need to be moved, or removed.
• Press synthetics on very low heat, or not at all.
• Do not cut or sew too close to sequins or they will snag, jam the sewing machine, or fall off.
• Tension may need adjusting to accommodate special fabrics.
• Use a brand new needle to avoid snags and pulls.
• Sew as straight and perfectly as you can. When you are finished, step back and see how it looks.  If you use a machine, this sort of alteration will not line up exactly if you examine it up close.  You’re looking for it to blend in with the design.  If it must be perfect and invisible, do it by hand.