Quote of the Day

"And you look at the table across from you, and a woman is sitting there in too tight low-rise jeans and SERIOUSLY? You can see her entire butt and thong. And I guarantee you what happens next: every girl at your table reaches back to make sure that her own derriere hasn't made a break for it, everyone then quietly wonders if she can't feel the draft, and then everyone can't stop looking at her thong, but not in a hot way. In, like, a 'should I TELL her that her thong is hanging out, or is she doing that on purpose?' kind of way. And then she leaves and everyone is relived [sic]."

Jessica at Go Fug Yourself

Like taking candy from a baby

A note to my gentle readers: Please be aware that your humble correspondent, the GGB, uses some very coarse language in the following post. I normally don't throw f-bombs around, and I don't think that ranting and cursing equals insightful commentary or intelligent discourse. However, some days some stories just make me furious and -- perhaps -- too off center to be exactly rational. Nevertheless, I stand by my comments and hope that the reader will understand my frame of mind when I wrote down these words.
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I can't tell you how furious this makes me.

Michelle Malkin: Abusing kids for "art"

In a nutshell, a kook photographer took a series of photos of toddlers in tears to express her feelings about the "helplessness and anger" she feels "about our current political and social situation." She deliberately made the kiddies cry by snatching away lollipops and then photographed their distress.

I have a two-year-old niece who is the light of my life. Few things make me happier than to see her sunny smile or have her climb into my lap for storybook time. And few things distress me more than to see her upset. It's one thing to take away the lollipop because she doesn't need candy; it's quite another to give her a lollipop then take it away to deliberately upset her!!

WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE TO BE AN UTTER AND COMPLETE ... pardon my French and my shouting ... FUCKED-UP ASSHOLE TO THINK THIS IS ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR, MUCH LESS "ART."

If you can stomach it, go to Malkin's Web site and watch the actual slideshow. I only made it halfway through before I had to shut the damn thing off because I was about to cry. Tears of rage and empathy. Not tears over some self-absorbed lunatic's "helplessness and anger."

Good God help us all.

UPDATE: Although it's been pointed out that the taking-away-the-lollipop trick is a common method used in Hollywood to get a baby or toddler to cry on cue, the photographer in question also made the kiddies strip and had to usher parents out of the room on a few occasions to get the reaction she needed. This is straight from the horse's mouth -- you can listen to the interview on Malkin's blog.

I'm still big-time uncomfortable with provoking a child to tears for any reason, and especially provoking a string of them while they're nude for the purpose of making a political statement.

Lord, I need to avoid these kinds of posts. I'm getting a headache.

Blingblogging, part 3

The fabulous Rich and I went bling shopping again Tuesday. Let me just say one thing:

When the $10 Wal-Mart huge-ass peach crystal doo-dah I'm wearing right now feels more substantial than some of the rings I've tried on at high-end jewlery shops, something is definitely wrong.

Considering the fact that the wedding industry pulls in billions per year, it's a shame that so few jewelry stores cater to the bride-to-be. Rich has one more bling shop to pre-clear, and if that doesn't pan out, it's Zales all the way, baby!

Another thing I've noticed as a future bride: People getting married do scary things. Like this.

"Being delicious is not everything."

If you say so.

Engrish.com

Blingblogging, part 2

Rich and I did Round 2 of The Great Engagement Ring Search on Saturday morning. Let me just say that if you happen to be in search of wedding bling, I highly recommend Zales at the Riverchase Galleria.

Rich is planning to pre-clear a few other bling vendors, but if none of those pan out, then we have a winner at Zales, and not just because they had beauties like the one pictured here.

• The salespeople knew the difference between a princess cut and a hole in the ground.
• They gave me a place to sit. (Okay ... that might be diva-esque of me, but I'm shopping for an engagement ring, not a pound of sirloin.)
• The display case actually had useful information besides the names of the designers.
• The rings all had their center stones mounted in them. I understand that you might not want your best diamonds on display for the general public to get their grubby hands on them, but looking at a setting with empty prongs and trying to visualize the final product is like looking at a house with the roof missing.
• Their settings were the prettiest I'd seen and distinctly lacked that glitzy, cheap-feeling, overdone "Superbowl Ring" look, as Rich so aptly put it.

And the GGB is starting to rethink her idea of adding emeralds to the mix. Perhaps they weren't the best stones at one place we visited, but Rich's comment on the color: "Lime Kool Aid."

Love shouldn't get you arrested

Maybe there's a reason she's 45 and not married. If I were a man, I wouldn't want to take up with this idiot, either.

Woman asks 911 to send 'cutie pie' deputy

Blingblogging

And now for a more uplifting topic ...

As faithful GGB readers know, yours truly and Mr. Brain Squeezings himself, Rich, are knee-deep in wedding talk. As far as the engagement goes, it's all over but the shoutin'. Rich and I took a first stab at ring shopping last weekend, and we're hitting several stores in the morning. I'm still entertaining the idea of including colored stones in the design, but this little beauty I tried on was a favorite:









Not "The Ring" but a strong contender.

Phrase of the day

"Abu shakah dah."

Arabic literally translated as "this guy with the pee." Refers to a "grownup" who hasn't yet managed potty-training. Used by an Egyptian in reference to Hezbollah leader Nasrallah. Check it all out on "Israelly Cool," a blog by an Israeli in Australia.

http://www.israellycool.com/blog/_archives/2006/7/14/2115843.html

Mythbusters reject

Hot off today's Little Green Footballs:

9/11 conspiracy nut on Democratic Underground tries to debunk tower collapse with burning rabbit coop

I would just love to see Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman take on this goofball. (And, in all fairness, the commenters at DU were pretty merciless, too.)

Conspiracy theory #723: BUSTED!!

Back in the saddle soon

The GGB is on Day 10 of a 12-day hiatus from work, blogging and regular life in general. Rich and I have spent some time on the road and are looking forward to a wonderful Fourth of July in the 'Ham.

Blogging shall resume post-festivities. :)