New Year's Resolution

I just saw a woman on TV who said that her New Year's Resolution is to help her boyfriend stay out of jail and to lose weight.

LOL

December 31, 2005 2:48am

Talk about burning the midnight oil. I've been working on a homework assignment all day. I've been reading the chapter that goes with it all week. The assignment was due by midnight on December 30. I was 2 hours 48 minutes late. But I guess if I weren't late, then I wouldn't be me. The truth of that statement saddens me in ways that I can't fully explain.

Now I have to get started on the next assignment. I committed to doing a research project about using blogs on college websites. I really think that we could use them at HCC, but the trick is going to be convincing the powers that be that blogs can be used as a business application. I've already seen blogs used on the McDaniel College website. I'm still looking for other colleges that use blogs effectively. Some offer blog space to their students, but I'm looking for blogs that help in recruiting or blogs that are used to announce campus events. I need some concrete evidence 1) for my paper and 2) to use for my real sales pitch.

Well, I'm past tired. I have to get some sleep now. Shelby is going home tomorrow and I want to make sure that I'm awake when her parents get here.

Seven Things

One of those annoying surveys

Seven things that scare you:

1) Heights
2) Bridges
3) Having to be confrontational with someone I love
4) Getting older
5) Being on boats
6) Mental Illness
7) Having people hear me sing when I have my headphones
on.


Seven things you love:

1) God
2) My family
3) My best friends
4) My computer
5) Snow days
6) Music
7) Discovering something new all on my own


Seven things you hate:

1) People who lie
2) Laziness
3) People who are not empathetic to other people's needs
4) Paris Hilton
5) Telemarketers who call and say "This is not a telemarketing call"
6) Paying Bills
7) Not having money


Seven things in your room:

1) Bed
2) Dresser
3) Ironing Board
4) Clothes
5) Pug
6) Tiger
7) A photo of Italy


Seven random facts that nobody knows about you:

1) I want to be in a play
2) I want to be on the Price Is Right and win fabulous prizes
3) I never wanted to move to Columbia, but now I can't imagine living any where else.
4) In the eleventh grade, a skate punk guy told me that he gave up smoking so that I would date him... I never did go out with him.
5) Even though I was relatively successful then, I hated high school.
6) I only applied to one college during my senior year because I was scared to death to leave home.
7) Austin Powers makes me sad.


Seven things you plan to do before you die:

1) Get out of debt
2) get married
3) have kids
4) Work with Carol Burnett
5) Be in a play
6) Own my own home
7) Try a bloody Mary


Seven things you can do:

1) Give a recursive answer to most people's questions at work
2) Design Web Pages
3) Give great advice even it's not asked for
4) Be righteously indignant when the situation calls for it
5) Defend my family to the death
6) Keep my inner feelings inside
7) Give way too much of myself to others


Seven Things You Can't Do:

1) Eat carrots or celery
2) Pick out shoes for myself
3) Share my food
4) Delegate tasks to others
5) Walk by the $5.50 bin at Walmart and not look in
6) Take criticism well
7) go into blockbuster and leave out empty handed


Seven things that attract you to the opposite sex:

1) A belief in and dedication to God
2) Looks
3) Personality
4) Sense of humor
5) Intelligence
6) A cute butt
7) A job...ain't nothing going on but the rent!


Top Seven Favorite Movies:

1) Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood
2) Imitation of Life
3) Beaches
4) Napoleon Dynamite
5) The Color Purple
6) Miracle Worker
7) Back to the Future Trilogy


Top Seven Things You Say The Most:

1) "You know what I mean?"
2) "Come on, now"
3) "Did that not sound sincere? I meant it to..."
4) "Not going to happen my friend"
5) "I was like...", Instead of saying "I said.."
6) "Not my problem"
7) "Do you see concern on my face"


Seven Places You Would Love To Visit:
1) Coeur d'Alene
2) Florida Keys
3) Canada
4) Cuernavaca Mexico
5) Pasadena, California
6) Ireland
7) Papua, New Guinea

Seven TV Shows You Want To Star In:

1) Facts of Life
2) Gilmore Girls
3) Star Trek Voyager
4) The Carol Burnett Show
5) Lost
6) Reba
7) Kim Possible


Seven things you admire most in people:

1) Honesty
2) Friendship
3) Confidence
4) Mutual Respect
5) Empathy
6) Sense of humor
7) A quiet understanding... being able to know what the other one is thinking or feeling without a word


Seven of your all time favorite bands/artists:

1) Reba McEntire
2) Boyz II Men
3) Keith Urban
4) Van Halen
5) Erin Hamilton
6) Michael Buble
7) Alison Krauss and Union Station


Seven Things you like most about your life right now:

1) The people I call friends are really supportive and caring.
2) I can cook well - Thanks Rachael Ray!
3) That I'm beginning to learn to live for me.
4) That I have people in my life who love me (both near and far)
5) That I finally realized that I am worthy of a good man (now I have to wait for him to show up)
6) The fact that I work in education despite the fact that I never thought I would.
7) That I am able to take care of myself with minimal supervision.

Seven things that you don't like about your life right now:

1) I'm still not married.
2) That there are committments that I'm not fulfilling
3) That I watch too much tv
4) That my grandmother is sick and there's nothing I can do about it.
5) That there are still things in my life that I haven't finished.
6) That I don't have unlimited funds to do the things I want.
7) That I have gained so much weight.

I'm not good at this

Some one remind me again why I decided to go for my Bachelor's Degree? This class is so hard. I've never done so much reading in my life. We're reading about writing... go figure.

At what time exactly, do the adult beverages get served?

Restraining Order Against Letterman Tossed

From: http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20051227/113572494000.html
Tuesday December 27 3:09 PM ET

A state judge has lifted a restraining order granted to a Santa Fe woman who accused talk-show host David Letterman of using coded words to show that he wanted to marry her and train her as his co-host.

Judge Daniel Sanchez on Tuesday granted a request by lawyers for Letterman, host of CBS' "Late Show," to quash the temporary restraining order that he earlier granted to Colleen Nestler.

She alleged in a request filed Dec. 15 that Letterman has forced her to go bankrupt and caused her "mental cruelty" and "sleep deprivation" since May 1994.


Nestler requested that Letterman, who tapes his show in New York, stay at least 3 yards away and not "think of me, and release me from his mental harassment and hammering."

Lawyers for Letterman contended the order was without merit.

"He is entitled to a protection of his legal rights and a protection of his reputation," Pat Rogers, an Albuquerque lawyer representing Letterman, told the judge Tuesday.

The New Mexico court doesn't have jurisdiction over Letterman, who is a resident of Connecticut, Rogers said.

Nestler appeared in court without a lawyer and represented herself.

Responding to a question from the judge, Nestler said she had no proof of the allegations she had made against Letterman.

She also said that if Letterman or any of his representatives came near her, "I will break their legs" and establish proof of her allegations.

Nestler said after the court hearing that "I have achieved my purpose. The public knows that this man cannot come near me."

She also said that her comment about breaking legs "is not a threat."

"I appealed to the court for a restraining order to keep this man away from me, but now that's been denied me," she said. "He has access to me. He can actually come for me or send people. He has many accomplices. I know this sounds crazy. I was crazy to have listened to him in the beginning."

Nestler's application for a restraining order was accompanied by a six-page typed letter in which she said Letterman used code words, gestures and "eye expressions" to convey his desires for her.

She wrote that she began sending Letterman "thoughts of love" after his show began in 1993, and that he responded in code words and gestures, asking her to come East.

Nestler said Letterman asked her to be his wife during a televised "teaser" for his show by saying, "Marry me, Oprah." Her letter said Oprah was the first of many code names for her and that the coded vocabulary increased and changed with time.

http://tv.yahoo.com/news/ap/20051227/113572494000.html

Carrie Hamilton

"Every day I wake up and decide: today I'm going to love my life."


I know I wrote about Carrie Hamilton a few days ago. But I can't seem to get her off my mind. I can't explain it, but it's like mourning the loss of someone you never met. It's funny because had I not been a fan of Carol Burnett's, I probably wouldn't have ever heard of Carrie. But her life, her struggle always seem so intriguing to me. She was an actress, singer, writer and director. Athough she was the child of famous parents, she worked hard to forge a good life herself.

From my website

Actress, writer, director Carrie Hamilton was born into television royalty on December 5, 1963. Her mother, legendary comedienne Carol Burnett and her father producer Joe Hamilton gave Carrie and her two younger sisters the best life had to offer. They tried to protect their girls from life's hardships. However at age 13, Carrie faced the most difficult time of her life and her parents felt powerless to help her. Carrie struggled with drug abuse for most of her teenage years. But when she recovered, with the help of her family, she worked hard to put her life on the right path.

As an adult, Carrie gave many memorable performances on such shows as Fame, 90210, the made-for-tv movie Hostage (in which her mother co-starred), X-Files, Touched By An Angel and A Mother's Justice. Carrie also became widely known for playing the role of Maureen in the first travelling company for Broadway's Rent. Most recently, Carrie turned her interest to writing and directing. her directing skills were recently recognized when she was awarded the "Women in Film" award in the 2001 Latino Film Festival for her film "Lunchtime Thomas". Carrie was the first non-Latino to win the award. Before her death, Carrie and mother, Carol, collaborated on a play based on Carol's memoir One More Time. Carrie approached her mother about the project and continued to work on it until her death on January 22, 2002. The play, which was eventually called Hollywood Arms, premiered on Broadway on October 31, 2002 and ran through January 5, 2003.

The Carrie Hamilton Theatre
The Pasadena Playhouse is dedicating the Balcony Theatre to Carrie. The Carrie Hamilton Young Artist Outreach Program will help young people develop and nurture their artistic talents. Carrie had courage and always tried to push the envelope and try new things. This same spirit will be encouraged in the new outreach program.

I wish I had the resources to support this theatre. Like I said before, it so strange that this is so near to my heart. As a teenager, I would watch the Carol Burnett show and try to imagine what it would be like to be her daughter. In a way, that made Carrie, along with her sisters Jody and Erin, my sisters. I know it was childish and unrealistic. But it did introduce me to a very talented person.

December 5th would've been Carrie's 42nd birthday. From what I have read about her, I know she would've liked to been involved with this theatre project. If you can, please donate to this theatre at http://www.carriehamiltontheater.com/about_carrie_theatre.htm - Click on the Donate link.

Lucy and Ethel - Best buds forever

If you're ever in a jam, here I am
If you're ever in a mess, S-O-S
If you ever feel so happy, you land in jail; I'm your bail.
It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.
When other friendships have been forgot,
Ours will still be hot.
Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle dig, dig, dig.

If you're ever up a tree, phone to me.
If you're ever down a well, ring my bell.
If you ever lose your teeth, and you're out to dine; borrow mine.
It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.
When other friendships have been forgate,
Ours will still be great.
Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle, chuck, chuck, chuck.

If they ever black your eyes, put me wise.
If they ever cook your goose, turn me loose.
If they ever put a bullet through your brrain [sic]; I'll complain.
It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship.
When other friendships have been forgit,
Ours will still be it.
Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle, hep, hep, hep.

My Date with Drew

From Amazon.com

Storyline

Genres: Documentary
Tagline: 30 days, $1100, For an Ordinary Guy to Get a Date with Drew Barrymore
Plot Synopsis: "If you don't take risks, you'll have a wasted soul." - Drew Barrymore. Ever since the second grade when he first saw her in E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Brian Herzlinger has had a crush on Drew Barrymore. Now, 20 years later he's decided to try to fulfill his lifelong dream by asking her for a date. There's one small problem: She's Drew Barrymore and he's, well, Brian Herzlinger, a broke 27-year-old aspiring filmmaker from New Jersey. But that doesn't stop Brian and his film school pals from doing everything they can think of to convince Barrymore to go out with him - and documenting their quest along the way. Equipped with a video camera they have to return to Circuit City in 30 days and the $1,100 Brian won on a game show (where the winning answer was, prophetically, "Drew Barrymore"), they've got one month to accomplish their mission. To succeed, they'll need to negotiate an army of publicists, agents, producers and assistants who surround the star so Brian can pop the question. My Date with Drew is the award-winning, inspirational story of an ordinary guy who, despite incredibly long odds, puts everything on the line to pursue his lifelong dream. It's also an astute and often hilarious look at contemporary dating rituals, the culture of celebrity and the power of passion.

************************************************
After reading the negative reviews on Amazon.com, I have to say, I'm still glad I rent this movie. It was funny and sad and interesting. And even though it was a documentary, which I don't normally like, it was a fun time. Some people on Amazon complained because they didn't realize that it was a documentary. Duh, read the box when you pick it up. It said it was a documentary!

Drew Barrymore is quoted in this movie, "If you don't take risks, you'll have a wasted soul." That's what this movie is all about. Brian took a risk in trying to get a date with Drew, in getting this documentary made, in going after his dreams and sticking with it. Say what you want about his choice of dreams, but when it's all said and done, he didn't waste a soul.

Oh the pain

Just for the record, my head hurts. It's been hurt since this morning. I took some Advil and it's only gotten worse. It's just below the minimum requirement for a migraine.

WHY OH WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME?

Evolution vs. Intelligent Design

There's been debate over whether or not Intelligent Design should be taught as an alternative to evolution. Those against the Intelligent Design theory say that ID isn't scientific and can't be proven. They say that is it a way to introduce religion into the classroom because by nature ID is faith based.

Supporters of evolution want our children to accept a theory aka guess that everything in the universe just happened. They can't prove it, there is no evidence to prove that we started as single celled organisms and slowly changed into human beings. No one recorded it, snapped a picture with their cellphones to capture that all important spark that started evolution going. We only have the conjecture of Charles Darwin. Believing evolution takes more faith than believing Intelligent Design.

At least the bible has proven scientific facts in it. The Mosaic law contained hundreds of laws about hygiene that protected the ancient Israelites from diseases now commonly known by scientists. Now if God gave them these laws, why is such a stretch to believe that He also created the universe.

Now I will admit that people who don't want to believe in God are the ones behind this anti-Intelligent Design campaign. I understand that they don't want to be "preached" to about a god they don't know or want to know. But at the same time, as a Christian, I don't want to hear someone tell me that the work that my Creator did millenia go just happened by chance. By teaching evolution, it seems like atheism is being forced on me.

So here's what I'd like to see. Stop teaching evolution all together. They don't have to teach Intelligent Design because in the long run, Intelligent Design recognizes that someone created the universe. But it never goes as far to say who did it. It stops just short of creationism.

The fact of the matter is that we will never agree.

Dry Spell

I'm having a creative block... a designer's version of writer's block. Nothing looks good to me. I have no ideas. My brain has been sucked dry...

And if I see that Jesse McCartney commercial one more time !!!!!

Jesse: "I'm gonna be home for the holidays"
Me: "Go home already!!!"

On a lighter note, I did find a site that I really like and that is near to my heart:
http://www.carriehamiltontheater.com/index.htm

Blast from the Past

This is what I want...

Flashback to the good old days with the Atari 2600 Console.
Features:

• All in 1 TV compatible gaming system
• Wood grained updated console case, approx 2/3rd the size of the original 1977 release of the Atari 2600 console
• 40 Atari Games [20 original classic 2600 games (Pong, Missile Command, Asteroids, Centipede, Breakout, etc.) & 20 new Atari games]
• 2 Atari 2600 joysticks
• Power supply & A/V cable
• Single player and Dual player head-to-head
• All in 1 TV compatible gaming system

Who are they kidding?

Ok, first we had Garth Brooks, then Jesse McCartney. Now we have Martina McBride, Destiny's Child and Queen Latifah. All these folks are shopping at Walmart for Christmas presents?

Umm... Yeah... Ok...

Check out the commercials

We watched a movie see!

My sites

Not much to report today. I'm still preparing for my advanced internet final. This class was a challenge for me. I had to hand code html for three and half months.

Using Dreamweaver feels so foreign to me now. I still want to redesign my Carol Burnett site, but now, I'm not sure if I'll go the hand coding method or Dreamweaver. Knowing me, I'll find some happy medium and do partial hand coding.

I have been thinking though... It has been next to impossible to keep updating this site. I get yahoo news alerts for Carol Burnett, but not enough relevant info comes through to keep my site current. There's another website out there that always seems to have a ton of information. And it looks like it's updated fairly often. I already have the domain name until next September, so it seems a shame to leave it the way it is.

The other thing that I have to do is move my class project to my web hosting site and update it for real world use. I created a site for web design consulting and I really want to give it a go. I have a domain name already set for that site as well.

The only other thing that I need is to find some new message board software. I'm currently using Maxwebportal for my portal needs, but I need something that is a little more flexible. MWP is flexible, but not to the extent that I need it to be. I'm going to keep looking.

Make your own joke

Stuck in my head

I have this song stuck in my head:

I feel no shame
I'm proud of where I came from
I was born and raised in the boondocks
One thing I know
no matter where I go
I keep my heart and soul
in the boondocks.

-Boondocks
by Little Big Town

Listen to the whole song

A riddle

What's better than a snow day?

A snow day that falls on a Friday :)

Change of heart

Ok, so maybe this week isn't so bad.

I feel better today about life. I am movin out of my dark place and finding a new perspective about how I view things. Everything is going to be ok. I've got a real good friend who doesn't scare easily.

i can't say i'm happy but i aint too blue
i know i'm lucky to have a friend like you
we'll share some laughter on that you can depend
long as i'm living you got a real good friend

Next week is my final exam in Advanced Internet. I have so much reading left to do.

Snow is coming...it's a good thing :)

Getting there

I don't want you to think I'm all gloom and doom because I'm not. But this week needs to be over. I'm tired of being tired and sad.

It's suppose to snow tomorrow night. I hope it's enough to get a day off from work.

I like snow. It's so pretty and cleansing.

Later that day...

So what do you say in a moment like this
When you can't find the words to tell it like it is
Just bite your tongue and let your heart lead the way
Let's get out of here
Oh what do you say

Sometimes you gotta listen to the silence
And give yourself a little time to think


artist: Reba McEntire
title: What Do You Say
album: So Good Together

(Michael Dulaney/Neil Thrasher)

New to my CD collection

Little Big Town - The Road to Here

---

Alison Krauss and Union Station - Lonely Runs Both Ways

---

Nickel Creek - Why Should the Fire Die?

UMUC Student ID

I'd like to thank the UMUC Registrar's office for sending me not one, not two, but three student ID cards. The three cards didn't come together. They sent them in three separate envelopes with three copies of the exact same letter.

Once of the last sentences reads, "If you lose this card and need a replacement, please feel free to request one through the student portal: http://my.umuc.edu".

Now I could do that, or I could just use the two replacements that they already sent me. The funny thing is that I'll probably never use these cards because I haven't been on campus yet. My degree program is completely online.