Version 7

New layout...took me a little while to figure it out, but hopefully it looks good. I'm working on trying to do a massive URL update to my joined fanlistings if I can find enough time in the day to do so.

Social Commentary

Sorry, but I just had to comment on something that's been a kinda local event for about 3 weeks now. Nine year old Jessica Lumsford was found missing from her grandparents' house in late February. However, due to the fact that only here in her nightgown and a stuffed animal was missing, police were unsure whether or not it legally counted to be used for an Amber Alert. However, at the same time, the local sheriff's department tried to keep searching for the missing child whether or not she would classify for that special abducted child classification. Well, the week the sheriffs dept. said they were looking to talk to a "person of interest" in the case which, when translated, means they think he might have done it, but since they have no legal proof, they're saying they just wanna talk to this guy so that his lawyer doesn't try and sue them. Anyways, said person of interest apparently decided that escape was the better part of valor and hightailed it to Georgia, and when police caught up to him, he was in the process of trying to buy a bus ticket to Tennessee under a different name. Now, that in and of itself would make me suspicious, but when you add in the fact he violated his parole/probation and got a felony charge for leaving the state without notifying his corrections officer (he was on probation for a sex offense charge, I believe), that all adds up to pretty damning evidence that, if he wasn't guilty, it at least looked VERY suspicious. Well, while in custody in Georgia, he admited under oath and took a polygraph attesting to the fact that he kidnapped and killed Jessica. Not only that, but he lived not 200 yards from her grandparents' house. But, since she wasn't registered as having a permanent residence at her grandparents' house (she lived with her father, I believe, and was being babysat by her grandparents), then the standard regulation that he not be within a certain distance of small children was null. I mean, I understand that the system cannot always be foolproof and catch all the bad guys who try to slip through the cracks, but I feel so much for her father, who, through all of this turmoil, still tried to keep himself sane by insisting that his daughter was still alive somewhere (autopsy will probably prove that she was dead no more than 2 days after she was abducted, which is what's typical for this kind of abduction). I mean, I think how I would feel if my child was lost and all I had to hold onto was the belief that she was still alive somewhere. But why does this kind of thing happen so often? I mean, I understand that there are all kinds of evil in the world, but what kind of evil is it to think that children are well, nice like that? It just boggles my mind. I'm sorry, but when they reported in the paper today that they found her little body behind the guy's house (where he told investigators they could find her), it just made my heart ache. Not only that, but, by all reports, this fucking bastard has yet to show remorse for what he's done. I'm sorry, but in my personal opinion, he should be sentenced to a medium length sentence, and then set loose in the general prison population, because, as anyone knows, child molesters are really not liked very much in prison (honor among thieves, I guess), and I'm sure no guard would bat an eye if he suddenly turned up with a skiv in his ribs.

For Love of a Good Book

I have always loved the way that a good book can take you away from life and troubles for a little while. Two of my favorite "guides", as it were, are J.D. Robb (otherwise known as Nora Roberts) and Laurell K. Hamilton. J.D. writes the wonderful futuristic series In Death, of which I believe I am about halfway through at this point. Below is a list of her stories, in chronological order, with the one's I've already read crossed out:
Naked in Death
Glory in Death
Immortal in Death
Rapture in Death
Ceremony in Death
Vengeance in Death
Holiday in Death
Conspiracy in Death
Loyalty in Death
Witness in Death <---am in the process of finishing it!
Judgement in Death
Betrayal in Death
Seduction in Death
Reunion in Death
Purity in Death
Portrait in Death
Imitation in Death
Divided in Death
Visions in Death
Survivor in Death <---new in hardback this year

But, I have to say that, though I enjoy the futuristic aspects of her series, I also enjoy the more supernatural feel of Laurell's two series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter; and Meredith Gentry. First I'll give you the Anita Blake series list and then the Meredith Gentry one, which is shorter.

Guilty Pleasures
The Laughing Corpse
Circus Of The Damned
The Lunatic Cafe
Bloody Bones
The Killing Dance
Burnt Offerings
Blue Moon
Obsidian Butterfly
Narcissus in Chains
Cerulean Sins
Incubus Dreams

A Kiss of Shadows
A Caress of Twilight
Kissed by Moonlight
Stroke of Midnight <---out April 2005

And, except for the latest Merry Gentry story, and only because it's not out yet, I've read every one of both series. But, the one main similarity between the two authors is that all three series showcase strong, take charge, brassy, no-nonsense women in law enforcement (if you take a broad scope of it). Anyways, I simply wanted to showcase two of my favorite authors.

Four New Fanlistings

Big bunch of fanlisting acquisitions: the WS FTP Pro fanlisting from Kay, "The Power of Love" from Joey, "Where Does My Heart Beat Now?" from Heather, and Billy Crystal from Akasha. In exchange of "The Power of Love" fanlisting, I gave Joey the Leann Womack fanlisting.

Me and Drink Don't Mix

Although, I think I should clarify that a little bit- me and drink don't mix whenever I try to do it on an empty stomach! Now that it's been about a week and a half since I've done it and I can talk about it without cringing...too much, I thought I would explain why people should not attempt to drink a concoction of Bailey's Irish Cream and vanilla vodka when one has not eaten since about 4 pm or so...and I started mixing/drinking at around 9. So, was wallowing in a snit about Dusty (what else right now?) and had apparently forgotten that I hadn't eaten any dinner yet. So, there's me, my boyfriend Rich, Johnathan (a friend of ours who's not a swinger), Mark & Denise, and Tony (all of whom are swingers like me and Rich). Well, I was in my usual uber flirty mode after having a few, and Rich, of course, was telling me to knock it off and calm down. Please! When I'm in this kind of mood, I'm nothing but horny. So, I end up in the bedroom with a couple of the guys, though I don't remember much beyond me enjoying myself quite a lot. I remember (after Mark reminded me) of blubbering on his shoulder for about ten minutes muttering some apology about being such a rookie. (Don't exactly know what that was about, but anyways...) All I truly remember beyond the sex was me blabbering in Spanish for what I needed as I voided all I'd drunk that night into the convenient trash can. Well, I woke up the next morning all fine and all, no hangover to speak of, per se, but at the same time, I didn't think my stomach could hold up to too much food, so I brought some chicken noodle soup with me to work, and basically treated my body like it was getting over the flu, and I think I got through it all okay. All I can say, even though all my friends keep having the "yeah right" expression on their faces, is that I NEVER want to have to go through that kind of hell again. So, ever since, I've tried to cut back on the amount of alcohol I drink, though I did succumb to the two-for-one special on Tequila Sunrises at Applebee's this past week, but, for some strange reason, tequila seems to agree with me when vodka or rum doesn't want to. Go figure!

Work Can Be Odd

Had an interesting week so far- never more than 2 girls for most of the day for most of the week. Yeah, it means I generally have to work my ass off to make my money, but it's worth it, and, when it's only two or three girls, we all do good, so that means everyone leaves work happy. Well, everyone that is, except the day manager, because, for some strange odd reason even I cannot seem to comprehend, when the day girls leave at 8 pm, there is very rarely one, if any night girls that have yet to show up by 8 pm. Now, granted, there's usually plenty by 8:30 or 9, but, last time I checked, night shift started at 8 p.m., not 8:30, and certainly not 9. What ever happened to a case of work ethic? I see it all the time with the day girls, but it seems conspicuously absent with night girls, for the most part. Take yesterday for example. It was basically me and Precious from noon to 8 pm, and we had a couple of rushes during the day, so by 8 o'clock, we were both gunning for the door. Well, as par for the course this week, there were no night girls and, come to find out, three guys in the club walking in as we were walking out. Well, if it weren't for the fact I'd a) already made my money and b) was really tired and footsore by this point, I would've stayed. But, then the night manager comes in and askes why the day girls are leaving already when there's no night girls. Excuse me?!? Since when is it our duty to stay past the eight hours we've already put in just because night girls can't get up off their asses and get into the club in plenty of time to get ready and be on the floor by 8 o'clock. I sure as hell hope my boss doesn't yell at the two of us today for leaving when we did, cuz that would be beyond unfair. Don't blame the day girls for wanting to leave when it's time for us to go, and there are guys walking out because no girls are ready. Put the blame where it belongs- on the night girls. Personally, I think that those girls ought to be either put on a schedule or fined if they can't be dressed and on the floor by the beginning of shift. Just my two cents on the subject; had to get that out of my system because this has been going on for about two weeks now, and, personally, I'm sick and tired of it already.

New Layouts

A couple of new layouts for fanlistings: Take Me Away, the Fly album fanlisting, and also a new one for Just Fanatics. Am still tweaking the css coding for my new blog, so if you see anything unusual, I'm just doing a little trial-and-error to find out exactly what works and what doesn't.

Funny Cat Anecdotes

I've had a various number of cats living with me between 1996 and when I went off to college for my third year in 2001. I found this lovely little book while at Barnes & Noble tonight (where I got an advance copy of Harry Potter VI, which was cool). Anyways, here's some of the funny things I found in there:

I purr and your blues fade away.
I snuggle close
and frowns turn to smile.
I play chase
and your world fills with laughter.
And in return,
all I ask, is two meals a day...
...and all your love.

I'm a little confection that will melt your heart.

Cats sleep because it is their sole purpose in life.
Humans sleep so that they have the energy to serve their cat.

My human thinks that I'm arrogant, selfish, lazy, and huffy. She's right, and I have many other fine virtues too.

What are little kittens made of?
30% cuteness
29% mischief
28% purrs
10% soft fur
3% innocence

There are many secrets to getting out of trouble when you have done something bad:
Look indignant
Purr sweetly
Pretend to be injured
Blame the dog
Run like Hell

CAT DICTIONARY
Insomnia- The inability to get more than 20 hours sleep in a day.
Loyalty- Staying with the one human for more than 6 weeks.
Stress- A condition only observed in other creatures.
Bird- Canned food with wings but no can.
Dog- A large hairy overgrown flea.
Consciousness- That annoying time between naps.
Box- A possible portal to utopia which must be explored and guarded.
Work- An activity carried out by mankind to maintain catkind in comfort.

Quantum Cat Theory: Upon hearing the sound of a can being opened, it becomes possible for a cat to travel faster than the speed of light.