tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90731782655281577882024-03-13T19:06:31.441-05:00It is a big deal, it is to me!IT IS A BIG DEAL, IT IS TO ME!
Thoughts from my overly-opinionated (and occasionally ridiculous) mindLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-56296536613713704572013-04-26T06:40:00.000-05:002013-04-26T06:40:01.320-05:00W is for Witches and Wizards I don't claim to be an expert on movies of the magic persuasion. I certainly haven't seen all witch and wizard movies out there. However, I have seen enough to have a few favorites. Here are mine.<br />
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<b>Minerva McGonagall (Harry Potter)</b></div>
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Seriously. She can turn into a cat (or anything else if she wants to). </div>
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She's a bad-A old lady. Plus, I'm just a big Maggie Smith fan. </div>
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<b>Merlin (The Sword in the Stone)</b></div>
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I loved this kooky old dude, especially when he flew in wearing Bermuda shorts and high tops. Awesomeness. </div>
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Turning himself into a squirrel and then being harassed by a desperate lady squirrel was pretty funny, too. </div>
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<b>The Sanderson Sisters (Hocus Pocus)</b></div>
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I watch this movie every year at Halloween. I love these three!</div>
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<b>Gandalf (Lord of the Rings)</b></div>
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He's Gandalf. Dude died and then came back. </div>
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<b>Hermoine Granger (Harry Potter)</b></div>
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If it weren't for her, Harry and Ron would have bit it halfway through the first book. </div>
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I love a strong, beautiful female character.</div>
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<b>Severus Snape (Harry Potter)</b></div>
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Bad guy turned good guy pretending to be bad guy. Honestly, I didn't love Snape until Alan Rickman brought him to life. </div>
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Fantastic character, but Rickman just made him complete. </div>
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<b>Louise Miller (Teen Witch)</b></div>
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Who doesn't love a teenage girl with the power to make herself beautiful and popular? </div>
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<b>Mad Madam Mimm (The Sword in the Stone)</b></div>
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She scared me as a kid. She was psycho. Still creeps me out a bit. </div>
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I didn't pick Albus Dumbledore because I was often frustrated with him. For one, he let children do stuff that was WAY too advanced for them. Also, if you're going to let a child fight evil on a regular basis, you could at least keep him in the loop instead of being all mysterious and withholding information. </div>
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I also didn't pick the Wizard from Oz because, well, he wasn't really a wizard. </div>
Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-12207910118168980092013-04-25T16:18:00.000-05:002013-04-25T12:57:02.421-05:00V is for Villains<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Scarface. Hannibal. Darth Vader. Jack Torrence. Principal Rooney. These are just a few of the baddest dudes in the history of villains. Some are evil enough to give even the manliest man nightmares, and others are just hysterically awful - or awfully funny. <br />
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These are the best fictitious villains EVER, according to me. <br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EJWWijvvw54/TXzk34qIO3I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/h3TF_Nf9s7A/s1600/joker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EJWWijvvw54/TXzk34qIO3I/AAAAAAAAA0Q/h3TF_Nf9s7A/s200/joker.jpg" width="136" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Joker (The Dark Knight) - Heath Ledger</span></strong></div>
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Ledger was so disturbingly convincing in this role that no one was surprised to learn the actor had trouble sleeping after portraying the Joker. <br />
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Favorite evil act: Doing the "magic" trick to the mafia guy with the pencil. Eww.<br />
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Favorite evil quote: "See, I'm not a monster, I'm just ahead of the curve."<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BF_q2TFBb_k/TXzk4qob8EI/AAAAAAAAA0U/8F-kyRgWwzI/s1600/megamind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BF_q2TFBb_k/TXzk4qob8EI/AAAAAAAAA0U/8F-kyRgWwzI/s200/megamind.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Megamind - Will Ferrell</span></strong></div>
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This dude was hilarious. He wanted to be evil so badly, but he just couldn't pull it off. His only goal is to defeat Metro Man and run Metro City.</div>
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Favorite evil act: Walking down main street in Metro City blaring "Back in Black" on a boombox.</div>
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Favorite evil quote: "Uh, yes, the spyiiiiiider. Even the smallest bite from...arachnis deathicus... will instantly paralyze... ARRGH! GET IT OFF!"<br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CLVcmCXPB14/TXzkyjyByKI/AAAAAAAAA0E/yujVljQ4Vo0/s1600/dr-evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CLVcmCXPB14/TXzkyjyByKI/AAAAAAAAA0E/yujVljQ4Vo0/s200/dr-evil.jpg" width="178" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Evil (Austin Powers films)- Mike Myers</span></strong></div>
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The most ridiculously funny bad guy ever. Spends all of his time either frozen in space or trying to take over the world by defeating Austin Powers.<br />
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Favorite evil act: Busting out of prison with Mini-me after rapping with the inmates. <br />
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Favorite evil quote: "I'm one crazy mofo. I had to pop a cop 'cause he wasn't giving me my props in Oaktown. No? I heard that somewhere..."<br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KiQ_ef9SNkU/TXzkw9s0bEI/AAAAAAAAA0A/c1CVH3n14jI/s1600/annie-wilkes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" q6="true" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KiQ_ef9SNkU/TXzkw9s0bEI/AAAAAAAAA0A/c1CVH3n14jI/s200/annie-wilkes.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Annie Wilkes (Misery) - Kathy Bates</span></strong></div>
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Psycho single lady who "rescues" injured author then holds him prisoner because she loves him so much. <br />
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Favorite evil act: Hobbling Paul after he tries to escape. I can't even watch that scene. Once was enough. <br />
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Favorite evil quote: "Now the time has come. I put two bullets in my gun. One for me, and one for you. Oh darling, it will be so beautiful." </div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5AjT59GLXcE/TXzk2X2D8UI/AAAAAAAAA0M/FdFHF5FK5t8/s1600/john+doe.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-5AjT59GLXcE/TXzk2X2D8UI/AAAAAAAAA0M/FdFHF5FK5t8/s200/john+doe.bmp" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">John Doe (Se7en) - Kevin Spacey</span></strong></div>
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A killer obsessed with the seven deadly sins. I could only watch this movie once. The scenes are so disturbing and the ending so awful I just can't stand to go through it again. <br />
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Favorite evil act: *SPOILER ALERT* Well, none of them were "favorites" but the worst thing he did in my opinion is the last thing he did: Tracy's head delivered to Mills in a box. </div>
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Favorite evil quote: "I admire you. I don't know how you found me, but imagine my surprise. I respect you law enforcement agents more everyday." <br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fZw6jTGI0cQ/TXzk40xdSTI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/v6xMtLiiXRE/s1600/michael-myers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fZw6jTGI0cQ/TXzk40xdSTI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/v6xMtLiiXRE/s200/michael-myers.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Michael Myers (Halloween)</span></strong></div>
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Psychotic boy murders sister, spends years in a mental institution, escapes and decides to take it out on young folks everwhere. For twenty-something years. That's dedication.<br />
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Favorite evil act: Well, the dude just never dies. What freaks me out the most by Michael is when he does that head-tilt thing, as if he's considering. CREEPY. <br />
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Favorite quote (since Michael didn't talk, I'm going with Dr. Loomis): "I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the <em>devil's</em> eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply...<em>evil</em>."<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n_TihO_0LeU/TXzkzguPgCI/AAAAAAAAA0I/2oNUBH3aNPA/s1600/jessup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n_TihO_0LeU/TXzkzguPgCI/AAAAAAAAA0I/2oNUBH3aNPA/s1600/jessup.jpg" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Col. Nathan Jessup (A Few Good Men) - Jack Nicholson</span></strong></div>
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Yeah, he ordered the Code Red. What about it? The ultimate B.A. himself, Mr. Nicholson. <br />
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Favorite evil act: His five minute rant during the trial. <br />
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Favorite evil quote: "I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post."<br />
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sAgPXcPr1NM/TXzk6IgJD6I/AAAAAAAAA0c/vVcgl3PGs5o/s1600/Mommie-Dearest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="130" q6="true" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-sAgPXcPr1NM/TXzk6IgJD6I/AAAAAAAAA0c/vVcgl3PGs5o/s200/Mommie-Dearest.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Joan Crawford (Mommie Dearest) - Faye Dunaway</span></strong></div>
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The first time I watched this momma I decided I would never complain about my Mom. Ever. <br />
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Favorite evil act: The entire wire hangers scene.<br />
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Favorite evil quote: "NO WIRE HANGERS!!!" Duh. <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Stu and Billy (Scream) - Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich</span></strong><br />
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I figured out Billy right off, but Stu was a surprise. He was so funny you hated to see him bite it at the end. <br />
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Favorite evil act: Opening scene. Brilliant.<br />
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Favorite evil quote: "My mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me!"<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) - Anthony Hopkins</span></strong><br />
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Quite possibly one of the most terrifying characters ever, and he's not even the main killer in the film. THAT's talent. <br />
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Favorite evil act: Stealing the guard's face to escape. <br />
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Favorite evil quote: "I do wish we could chat longer, but... I'm having an old friend for dinner."<br />
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N0n6ENRZRrU/TXzk8qbGkDI/AAAAAAAAA0k/yYCMzVfnD30/s1600/sue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="137" q6="true" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N0n6ENRZRrU/TXzk8qbGkDI/AAAAAAAAA0k/yYCMzVfnD30/s200/sue.jpg" width="200" /></a><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Sue Sylvester (Glee) - Jane Lynch</span></strong></div>
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She has the best one-liners and is always primed for a fight with Will. Honestly though, I much preferred her in seasons 1 and 2. Now she's a softie. What a bummer. </div>
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Favorite evil act: Marrying herself. Because she would never love anyone else as much as she loves herself. </div>
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Favorite evil quotes: </div>
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"By the way, you cry more than Michael Landon in 'Little House on the Prairie' during sweeps week."</div>
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"Santana! Wheels! Gay kid! Asian! Other Asian! Aretha! Shaft!"</div>
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"Oh I will bring it, William. You know what else I'm gonna to bring? I'm gonna bring some Asian cookery to wipe your head with. Cause right now you've got enough product in your hair to season a wok."</div>
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"Your resentment is delicious."</div>
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"It is my strong recommendation that both of these students be hobbled."</div>
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"I'm gonna take your house, your car and your extensive collection of vests. I mean, seriously, you wear more vests than the cast of Blossom."</div>
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"If that list is one minute late, I will go to the animal shelter and get you a kitty cat. I will let you fall in love with that kitty cat. And then on some dark, cold night I will steal away into your home and punch you in the face." </div>
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Well there you have it. Did I miss any totally awesome villains? Hubs is currently mad at me for not picking Darth Vader. I told him to write his own blog. </div>
Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-90157201605540506202013-04-24T09:55:00.000-05:002013-04-24T09:55:20.847-05:00U is for UnusualI'll be honest with y'all, I'm not feeling particularly inspired today. This week has been SO long, and it's only Wednesday. My kid has four - count 'em, FOUR - t-ball games this week, I have a paper due next Monday, my in-laws are coming to visit this weekend, and I have a cold. On the plus side, we're getting our rescue puppy Sophie this week, so there's something to smile about. <br />
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So what I did today in my laziness is google "unusual". This is some of what I found:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nqiAPaJSFZw/UXfwVEg5EFI/AAAAAAAABPE/Cqaj8jl9UDU/s1600/19apr16-oddly-unusual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nqiAPaJSFZw/UXfwVEg5EFI/AAAAAAAABPE/Cqaj8jl9UDU/s320/19apr16-oddly-unusual.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you ever see me like this, call 911, because I'm broken.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8lDwguKyu5E/UXfwUcgO42I/AAAAAAAABO8/uyvED5y8s1I/s1600/unusual_animal_adaptions_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8lDwguKyu5E/UXfwUcgO42I/AAAAAAAABO8/uyvED5y8s1I/s320/unusual_animal_adaptions_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is just adorable.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itcVddB07yA/UXfvckmxZmI/AAAAAAAABOU/ZOYyr8AAEZ0/s1600/eletri1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itcVddB07yA/UXfvckmxZmI/AAAAAAAABOU/ZOYyr8AAEZ0/s320/eletri1a.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>
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Yeah, that's a tad unusual.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RRdf5C-d-r4/UXfvcMy5OII/AAAAAAAABOE/RlKFxKHGOsg/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RRdf5C-d-r4/UXfvcMy5OII/AAAAAAAABOE/RlKFxKHGOsg/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
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We all know nobody's touching that. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mtlrjLIusGo/UXfvcudDY9I/AAAAAAAABOM/JEjhCUOL8wY/s1600/stripedbasspugburtonphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mtlrjLIusGo/UXfvcudDY9I/AAAAAAAABOM/JEjhCUOL8wY/s1600/stripedbasspugburtonphoto.jpg" /></a></div>
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Is this that dorkfish Bill Engvall was talking about?</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IT_4CcJrx3M/UXfvc4ucpgI/AAAAAAAABOQ/RF5X6Q919_Y/s1600/unusual-animals-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IT_4CcJrx3M/UXfvc4ucpgI/AAAAAAAABOQ/RF5X6Q919_Y/s320/unusual-animals-12.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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Straight out of my nightmares.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l4OGqMsPXNg/UXfvdp1jwHI/AAAAAAAABOo/iC2bcwJR-Vw/s1600/unusual-pic-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l4OGqMsPXNg/UXfvdp1jwHI/AAAAAAAABOo/iC2bcwJR-Vw/s320/unusual-pic-6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I don't think that's how you wear it....</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b973IF_Q4RE/UXfvdmQ_dyI/AAAAAAAABOk/i4zJ4uSLuHg/s1600/unusual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-b973IF_Q4RE/UXfvdmQ_dyI/AAAAAAAABOk/i4zJ4uSLuHg/s320/unusual.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Um...I don't even....</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-axuwHlVVbx0/UXfvePgTw2I/AAAAAAAABOw/A1nSCNMtyVc/s1600/unusual_hair011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-axuwHlVVbx0/UXfvePgTw2I/AAAAAAAABOw/A1nSCNMtyVc/s320/unusual_hair011.jpg" width="272" /></a></div>
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Why?</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yW9bOnUMb7Y/UXfxyaHYU0I/AAAAAAAABPQ/4qZsyvxDzjc/s1600/Unusual-Chair-Designs-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yW9bOnUMb7Y/UXfxyaHYU0I/AAAAAAAABPQ/4qZsyvxDzjc/s320/Unusual-Chair-Designs-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This makes me uncomfortable.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8YtpwpzLV8A/UXfxzdNm5dI/AAAAAAAABPY/X0J6DjYWlzE/s1600/Unusual-and-Weird-High-Heels-Hoof-High-Heels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8YtpwpzLV8A/UXfxzdNm5dI/AAAAAAAABPY/X0J6DjYWlzE/s320/Unusual-and-Weird-High-Heels-Hoof-High-Heels.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've always wanted a pair!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7_9AE4cyxQ/UXfx0Mxsq5I/AAAAAAAABPg/X2g6CepVDYk/s1600/unusual+houses+(87).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7_9AE4cyxQ/UXfx0Mxsq5I/AAAAAAAABPg/X2g6CepVDYk/s320/unusual+houses+(87).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is awesomely cool.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vY4MLHWnOps/UXfx06EzmkI/AAAAAAAABPo/H39YZFFaWe0/s1600/unusual_trees9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vY4MLHWnOps/UXfx06EzmkI/AAAAAAAABPo/H39YZFFaWe0/s320/unusual_trees9.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Neat tree.</div>
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That's it for today, folks. Happy Hump Day!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-89350443331602786022013-04-22T12:53:00.000-05:002013-04-22T12:53:59.759-05:00T is for Tearjerkers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNVlzeYFRnI/AAAAAAAAAuU/iMZsuTSOdCU/s1600/Toy-Story-3-Photo1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="111" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNVlzeYFRnI/AAAAAAAAAuU/iMZsuTSOdCU/s200/Toy-Story-3-Photo1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
The hubs and I were watching Toy Story 3 recently with our daughters, and at the end he looked over to see me bawling my eyes out. Hubs proceeded to start laughing at me, which provoked a loud "WHAT?!" from me. He replied that I cry over nearly half of the movies we watch. I argued, of course. He insisted that any and all movies that have the slightest emotional content cause me to end up sniffling and surrounded by kleenex. Of course, I set out to prove him wrong.....and was shocked to learn that there are, in fact, a ton of films that reduce me to tears.<br />
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Honestly I shouldn't have been surprised, I cry over everything. I still can't watch the last episode of Friends without sobbing for a good ten minutes. There are even some Hallmark commercials that make me cry. <br />
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Blog law states that I'm required to share such a realization with you guys, so here it is: <br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">The Moves That Make Me Cry</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;"> No Matter How Many Times I Watch Them</span></strong></div>
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<strong>Steel Magnolias</strong></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1opEytvI/AAAAAAAAAts/4wXPzXSvAfs/s1600/1.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1opEytvI/AAAAAAAAAts/4wXPzXSvAfs/s200/1.bmp" width="135" /></a></div>
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It doesn't matter that I've seen this movie more times than I can count. I always find myself completely hysterical at the end, until the comic relief kicks in, which then leaves me half sobbing-half laughing. Ridiculous.</div>
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<strong>Fried Green Tomatoes</strong></div>
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Okay, I cry a little bit when Buddy dies. When Ruth gets sick, though - sobs. Heaving, shaking sobs. It's just so sad. That stupid pond story.</div>
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<strong>A Walk to Remember</strong></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1rE_IXNI/AAAAAAAAAt0/cGvb4iFBZ1s/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1rE_IXNI/AAAAAAAAAt0/cGvb4iFBZ1s/s200/3.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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The book made me cry so much more than the movie, but it did still wrench some tears from me at the end. Shane West crying would make any woman tear up. </div>
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<strong>Armageddon</strong></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1tWIB1jI/AAAAAAAAAt4/c6dmvMIQQAg/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1tWIB1jI/AAAAAAAAAt4/c6dmvMIQQAg/s200/4.jpg" width="142" /></a></div>
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Okay. First off, let me just say that whoever decided that BRUCE WILLIS would die should have been fired. Immediately. That scene with him and Ben Affleck - so sad. I get so upset over it that I usually just skip the entire scene. Seriously. I haven't watched that scene in over four years. </div>
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<strong>Independence Day</strong></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1twjMHZI/AAAAAAAAAt8/64LUytErTYQ/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1twjMHZI/AAAAAAAAAt8/64LUytErTYQ/s200/5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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"Is mommy sleeping now?" "Yes, mommy's sleeping now." ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!</div>
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<strong>My Best Friend's Wedding</strong></div>
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Aside from the awesome speech Jules makes after the wedding, this movie is near and dear to my heart for various reasons, and I always cry. Every time. </div>
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<strong>Stepmom</strong></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1wFeE-oI/AAAAAAAAAuE/TVhM_XhX-lM/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1wFeE-oI/AAAAAAAAAuE/TVhM_XhX-lM/s200/7.jpg" width="139" /></a></div>
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On Christmas morning when mom and kids have their own Christmas upstairs, and when mom and stepmom have dinner together.....so sad. I think this one makes me cry more because of my grandmother, who passed away from cancer when I was a child. </div>
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<strong>Forrest Gump</strong></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1whxCAJI/AAAAAAAAAuI/J3DdWm43ZkU/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1whxCAJI/AAAAAAAAAuI/J3DdWm43ZkU/s200/8.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>
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First bubba dies, then momma dies, then Jenny dies. When he's talking to Jenny's grave, the tears just start and won't stop. </div>
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<strong>Marley and Me</strong></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1xB3elPI/AAAAAAAAAuM/L4G2xVlOKH4/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" px="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/TNS1xB3elPI/AAAAAAAAAuM/L4G2xVlOKH4/s200/9.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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Hysterical sobs at the end of this film. Completely unconsolable. If you've ever loved a dog, this movie will make you cry. Even the hubs was crying big 'ol alligator tears during this one!</div>
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<strong>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2</strong></div>
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Yeah, Dobby died at the end of Part 1 and it's sad and all. But when Fred Weasley dies (FRED?!?!?) I'm a sobbing mess. It was way worse when I read the book. I was so upset about this. I'd rather they killed Luna Lovegood off. </div>
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Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-69652307584261893102013-04-20T12:35:00.000-05:002013-04-20T12:36:48.817-05:00S is for Sanrda Bullock<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/THXYb4uU-1I/AAAAAAAAAbM/YyV4aNGRtcE/s1600/sandra-bullock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/THXYb4uU-1I/AAAAAAAAAbM/YyV4aNGRtcE/s1600/sandra-bullock.jpg" /></a></div>
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Women love her because she's down to earth and funny. Men lover her because she's beautiful. Basically, everyone loves Sandra Bullock.<br />
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In celebration of Sandy (and because I CAN'T WAIT to see her new movie with Melissa McCarthy this summer) I'm giving y'all my list of her best films -according to me, obviously. In no particular order, here they are:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/THXYcFEsJPI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/i11N66V62k8/s1600/speed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_knkvaxcxu7Q/THXYcFEsJPI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/i11N66V62k8/s200/speed.jpg" width="200" /></a><b><span style="font-size: large;">Speed</span></b></div>
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First time I saw Miss Bullock in a movie, and she had me captivated. It can't be easy to star in a film that has you on a bus for the majority and still be interesting, but she pulled it off. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Miss Congeniality</b></span></div>
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I thought she was hilarious in this film. Rude, dirty, mannish FBI agent-turned beauty pageant contender. Awesome. Michael Caine is also a plus as pageant trainer Victor Melling. (Plus Benjamin Bratt is HOT.)</div>
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Although this was one of her first films, I didn't see it until I was in my late teens (circa 2000ish). I LOVED it. Sandy showed off a bit of her comedic talent, and Tate Donovan was adorable. Can't beat this kind of cheese.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Net</b></span></div>
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This is one of her not-so-well-known movies, but it's on my list of all time favorites. Think back to the time before computers were in every home, and most people had never even heard of the internet. It's suspenseful conspiracy theory stuff. Greatness. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Proposal</b></span></div>
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I love Sandra Bullock. I LOVE Ryan Reynolds. Put them together in a rom-com and add Betty White, and I'm there. There wasn't <i>anything</i> I didn't like about this movie. </div>
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First time I saw this one, thought it was just okay. Watched it again, and it got better. By the fifth or sixth time, it was one of my favorites. Hugh Grant's sarcasm mixed in with Sandra's makes for great comedy. Heather Burns is an entertaining supporting role (you'll remember her from Miss Congeniality). Oh, and I love to hate Alicia Witt's character June. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Blind Side</b></span></div>
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I didn't think I'd like this movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. Sandra definitely deserved the Oscar she won for this one. Tim McGraw was another surprise in this one. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hope Floats</b></span></div>
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Sandra as the scorned wife forced to move home to momma's house with smart aleck kid and readjust to smalltown life. How could you not like that storyline? Plus, Harry Connick, Jr. Aahhhhhhhh.</div>
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Honorable Mentions:</div>
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Murder By Numbers, Crash, 28 Days and While You Were Sleeping</div>
Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-74245141762656938302013-04-19T21:17:00.000-05:002013-04-19T21:36:29.424-05:00R is for Rescue We're getting a puppy.<br />
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It's something Hubs and I have discussed on and off over the past year or so, and while we're both animal lovers, we wanted to wait until we felt the girls were old enough to handle having a dog (ie: not torment and/or kill it). About a month ago our oldest started asking for a dog every few days. The asking then turned to begging. Hubs and I talked about it, then decided to think about it for a few days. I went on <a href="http://www.petfinder.com/">Petfinder</a> to see if there were any sheltered animals in our area that seemed to be a good match for our family. Of course, after looking at the poor little things, lonely and in need of a home, I <i>had</i> to have a dog. I used my skills in persuasion to convince Hubs that there are so many animals in need of a home, and all kids need a dog, and he and I both had dogs as children...needless to say, after a day or two he caved.<br />
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I found two puppies at a shelter near us, so I emailed the contact to inquire about the status of the dogs. In the meantime a friend of mine shared a photo on Facebook of a puppy a friend of hers was fostering until it could be adopted. When I saw the picture, I knew she was meant for us. I immediately messaged the woman and asked her about the puppy. After a week of texting and phone calls, Hubs, the girls and I went to meet the foster and the puppy this afternoon. <br />
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The foster lady is such a nice woman, and she has SIX dogs, one cat, a horse and a chicken! I don't know how she manages, but she seems to do so nicely. The dogs were all friendly, and the girls had a fantastic time playing with them. Our puppy, Sophie, was a bit timid at first, but after about five minutes she was over it. She was jumping up to lick us, letting us pet her and play with her. She's a precious, sweet little dog and we all just fell in love with her. <br />
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So it's been decided that Sophie will become a part of our family as soon as she's spayed next week. We are so excited. We can't wait to bring her home! I had to go straight to Pet Smart and spend way too much money on everything I thought Sophie might need (as well as some extra stuff). When we got home I went online and ordered Sofie's personalized dog tag. <br />
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We're ready for you, Sophie!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-45449187433560191282013-04-18T21:18:00.001-05:002013-04-18T21:18:26.992-05:00Q is for Quotes<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Hasta la vista, baby." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know we've all found an occasion to use this famous quote from the Governator (well, anyone over 20, for sure). Life is full of opportunities to insert a favorite line from a film, song or brilliant mind. Some of my most favorite quotes are from our Founding Fathers. I love the way people spoke in the old days, with passion and fluidity. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here are some of my favorite (and probably overused) quotes from various sources, and be forewarned- there's a bunch of 'em!</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific." ~Lily Tomlin</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers; and once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it." ~Bill Cosby</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The Lord loves a workin' man; don't trust whitey; see a doctor and get rid of it." ~Steve Martin as Navin (The Jerk)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Faith is a gift from God, but it's also a responsibility. It's not enough to have it. You've got to live it out, even when times are tough." ~Drew Brees</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on." ~Robert Frost</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination." ~Albert Einstein</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It's amazing the clarity that comes with psychotic jealousy." ~Rupert Everett as George (My Best Friend's Wedding)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Are you crying? There's no crying! THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL! No crying!" ~Tom Hanks as Jimmy (A League of Their Own)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">"I do the very best I know - the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end." ~Abraham Lincoln</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I don't condone fascism. Or any -ism, for that matter. -Isms, in my opinion, are not good." ~Matthew Broderick as Ferris (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit." ~Bill Cosby</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it." ~P.J. O'Rourke</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"In case I don't see ya: good afternoon, good evening and good night." ~Jim Carrey as Truman (The Truman Show)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You're not getting jiggy with some boy, I don't care how dope his ride is. Momma didn't raise no fool." ~Larry Miller as Walter (10 Things I Hate About You)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"We must all hang together, or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately." ~Benjamin Franklin</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"A hickie from Kenickie's like a Hallmark card." ~Jeff Conway as Kenickie (Grease)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You can't handle the truth!" ~Jack Nicholson as Col. Jessup (A Few Good Men)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I'm your Huckleberry." ~Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday (Tombstone)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">"I'm telling you the devil gypped me for a hamburger!" ~Brendan Fraser as Elliot (Bedazzled)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Mama Cass. Ham sandwich." ~Mike Myers as Austin (Austin Powers)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;">"Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God. I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!" ~Patrick Henry</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Yo, my brethren. What up with thee?" ~Jim Carrey as Bruce (Bruce Almighty)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You are too twisted for color TV!" ~Shirley Maclaine as Ouiser (Steel Magnolias)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Hello, Clarice." ~Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal (Silence of the Lambs)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"You're gonna need a bigger boat." ~Roy Scheider as Martin (Jaws)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"It's not that I'm lazy, it's that I just don't care." ~Ron Livingston as Peter (Office Space)</span><br />
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<span style="color: purple; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Who knows where thoughts come from? They just appear." ~Rory Cochrane as Lucas (Empire Records)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">"Don't mess with the bull, young man. You'll get the horns." ~Paul Gleason as Richard (The Breakfast Club)</span></span><br />
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<br />Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-65383821799389524132013-04-17T13:54:00.000-05:002013-04-17T13:54:26.661-05:00P is for PropagandaPropaganda was initially employed as an effort to raise public health awareness and for various other attempts to influence the public to support one cause or another. It soon became a tool of war, as governments used detailed images and persuasive words to urge citizens to do their part to aid war efforts. During World War II, the Allies spent a considerable amount of time using propaganda to promote enlistment, war bonds, rationing, "victory" gardens, safe sex and patriotism on the home fronts. <br />
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These are some of the best, most creative and/or witty propaganda I've come across in my time as a History major:<br />
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And this is not propaganda, but I saw it in a WWII class a few months ago, and I LOVE it:<br />
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Cheers!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-29883546055996684382013-04-16T19:39:00.000-05:002013-04-16T19:39:25.338-05:00OO is for obstacle. Opposition. Oppression. Objection. Offense. <br />
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What happened yesterday in Boston has plagued me. My first reaction was shock and disbelief. Then anger, followed by extreme sadness and frustration. Why does this keep happening? Why are people being attacked in movie theaters, malls, churches, schools, and now on city streets during marathons? People's entire lives are drastically altered for no apparent reason. Families losing loved ones, people losing life and limb. People losing all sense of security. We aren't safe anywhere, anymore. <br />
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While thinking this current crisis over again and again, I came to the realization that my little "Breaking News" app on my phone goes off all day long about bombings in places in the middle east. Cafes, schools, buses, restaurants, weddings - bombings on a daily basis, killing dozens at a time in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Libya, Pakistan and other middle eastern areas. "7 killed, dozens wounded in blast at school," "19 confirmed dead in car bomb explosion," "bomb attack in restaurant leaves 16 dead, 27 wounded." Those are the headlines I see almost every day as I scroll through news topics. I rarely even stop to consider those stories, other than to shake my head at the state of some nations and give thanks to God for allowing me to be an American citizen. <br />
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What Americans and citizens of other "safe" countries are starting to realize is that we are seeing an increase in attacks like this. Massive shootings, bombings, acts of terrorism committed by our own people in our own backyards. After the Newtown shooting my husband and I seriously debated homeschooling our children because the thought of sending them back to school had us gripped in fear while government officials repeatedly assured us that the schools were the safest place for children to be (tell that to the parents in Newtown). Luckily we had two weeks of Christmas break to think it over, absorb the tragedy and let our doubts and fears subside. <br />
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The thing that I think is a major contributor to this increasing violence is that we have been desensitized to this type of violence. I'm not knocking the gaming or film industries, but if we're being completely honest, games and movies have grown increasingly violent and graphic over the past two decades. Even television shows portray horrific scenes of death and violence on regular occasions. We've been slowly numbed to the images of terror. Our media is a prime example of the numbing: in yesterday's news coverage, photographers at the scene were leaning over the railings, taking shots of the victims instead of HELPING those injured. I wanted to scream at them "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" They were doing everything they could to get the most gruesome shot. If you google "Boston marathon bombing" there is an unedited photo of one injured man being carried, and both of his legs are missing below the knee. That photo should never have been taken, especially a full shot of the man's injuries. Where's the respect for the victims? Where's the respect for their families? If I had my legs blown off (or some other equally horrifying injury), the last thing in the world I would want would be for my children to see or have access to images of it. I think we can imagine the injuries without seeing graphic photos of them. Now, if they're getting a shot of people going above and beyond to help someone, or of rescue workers running toward the carnage while others are running away, I'm okay with that. We should celebrate heroes and people who help others. Just edit the photo to not include the severed limbs, alright?<br />
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With the increasing - and increasingly large and devastating in scale - attacks here on American soil, what concerns me the most is knowing that there are a growing number of radicals living here who are adamantly opposed to some governmental action, law, a certain group of people, government itself or are just crazy, who have access to knowledge, information and weapons that enable them to carry out massive acts of terror and violence in their quest to educate the world or teach someone a lesson. I'm not saying ban guns, because I believe firmly in our rights as American citizens, and if I want to own a gun then by God I'll own a gun. It's just upsetting to know the violence is increasing and there really is very little we can do about it. <br />
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O is for overcome.<br />
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Despite the horror that was inflicted upon so many people yesterday and in the previous attacks on innocent lives. Despite the knowledge that it really can happen to anyone, anywhere. Despite the fact that we just don't know when or where the next attack will happen (and we can all assume there will be another one eventually). Despite all of that, we are resilient. We were resilient after September 11, 2001 when people all across the country donated money, blood, supplies, firetrucks and themselves to aid the rescue effort. We were resilient when we saw people suffering after the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine High shooting, and Aurora theater shooting when we sent prayers, support, and financial aid to victims and victims' families. We ARE resilient. We will come together as a nation and lift up the people of Boston as they deal with the tragedy that occurred there yesterday. We will offer our prayers, our love, our encouragement and any other help we can provide. <br />
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We do this, I believe, because the same feeling of unity that formed this nation over two hundred years ago is reignited whenever one of our own suffers a great loss. The passion that led men and women to fight valiantly for our independence is fueled when we see our fellow Americans hurting. We have overcome, and we will overcome. We will hold Boston's hand, give it a squeeze and assure them that they're not alone. <br />
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Prayers for Boston.Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-61472743359576591442013-04-15T20:35:00.000-05:002013-04-15T20:35:35.362-05:00N is for NerdsMovie nerds, that is. If we were talking real-life nerds, I'd spend most of this post talking about Hubs. (He's a major Star Wars/Star Trek nerd. For reals.) I adore films that have an endearing, can't-help-but-love-'em nerd (or group of nerds). They give you somebody to rally behind and root for, or someone to laugh at, or someone to relate to, depending on who you are. Personally, I believe we all have a little bit of nerd in us. Today I'm tipping my hat to my 20 most favorite film nerds, in no particular order:<br />
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<b>Ned Gold (17 Again)</b></div>
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Played by the talented but fairly unheard of Thomas Lennon. </div>
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He played Star Wars/Lord of the Rings obsessed like nobody's business. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "Are you now or have you ever been a Norse god, vampire or time-traveling cyborg?"</div>
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<b>Ronald Miller (Can't Buy Me Love)</b></div>
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Patrick Dempsey before he was McDreamy.</div>
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Who doesn't love a geeky guy who convinces the most popular girl in school to pretend she's dating him?</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Cools, Nerds, your side, my side, man it's all bull. It's hard enough just trying to be yourself."</div>
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<b>Lambda Lambda Lambda (Revenge of the Nerds)</b></div>
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Robert Carradine, Anthony Edwards, Timothy Busfield, Curtis Armstrong and other brilliantly-cast guys playing the ultimate nerd collection.</div>
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Their act at the talent show is nerd-tastic. I love it!</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Just join us, 'cause, uh, no one's gonna really be free until nerd persecution ends."</div>
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<b>Ichabod Crane (Sleepy Hollow)</b></div>
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The genius, ridiculously talented Johnny Depp.</div>
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I love him, even when he plays weirdos (or probably more so when he plays weirdos)</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Kill it! No, no! Stun it!"</div>
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<b>Josie Geller (Never Been Kissed)</b></div>
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Delightfully awkward Drew Barrymore.</div>
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You just feel SO bad for her that you can't help but be thrilled when she gets the (super hot) guy.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Yes, you are a guy. Quite a guy. Oh my. Hey, that rhymes! Yikes. Bikes!"</div>
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<b>Jim Levenstein (American Pie)</b></div>
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Nobody does humiliation like Jason Biggs.</div>
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This poor guy's life was nothing but a collection of <i>really, really</i> awkward moments. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "I kind of super-glued myself to... uh... myself."</div>
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<b>Hermoine Granger (Harry Potter)</b></div>
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Insufferable know-it-all, Emma Watson.</div>
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She was precious, even if she started out as super obnoxious.</div>
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Favorite Quote: " Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon..."</div>
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<b>Anthony Michael Hall (Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Sweet Sixteen)</b></div>
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I didn't pick just one of his characters because this guy was the epitome of nerd in the 80s.</div>
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Also, he basically played the same character in all three films. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "Sincerely yours, the Breakfast Club."</div>
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<b>Randy Meeks (Scream 1 & 2)</b></div>
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Jamie Kennedy</div>
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Ultimate movie nerd. This guy knew his horror films - and their rules. Randy is the guy I would have been best friends with in high school, if only so we could quote movies together. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "If you were the only suspect in a senseless bloodbath, would you be standing in the horror section?"</div>
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<b>Dr. Egon Spengler (Ghostbusters)</b></div>
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Super-talented writer/actor Harold Ramis.</div>
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He co-wrote Ghostbusters and other films. Born to play nerdy. </div>
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My favorite line from Ghostbusters was his: "Why worry? Each of us is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on his back." </div>
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<b>David Levinson (Independence Day)</b></div>
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The brilliant Jeff Goldblum, saver of Earth.</div>
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For years I had a total crush on Jeff for both this role and his character Ian in Jurassic Park.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Forget the fat lady! You're obsessed with fat lady!"</div>
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<b>Dr. Frankenstein (Young Frankenstein)</b></div>
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One of Gene Wilder's best roles. </div>
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Crazy, oddball scientist in a Mel Brooks film. What else do you need? </div>
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Favorite Quote: "Hearts and kidneys are tinker toys!"</div>
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<b>Data (The Goonies)</b></div>
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Ke Huy Quan</div>
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Data and his gadgets saved the day more than once.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "It's a booby trap!"</div>
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<b>Doc Emmett Brown (Back to the Future)</b></div>
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The awesome Christopher Lloyd (hello, Uncle Fester?!)</div>
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He plays a great goofball scientist.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Well, there are plenty worse places to be than the Old West. I could've ended up in the Dark Ages. They probably would have burned me at the stake as a heretic or something."</div>
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<b>Cameron Frye (Ferris Bueller's Day Off)</b></div>
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Alan Ruck</div>
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Perfectly cast as best pal and sidekick to Matthew Broderick's Ferris. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "When Cameron was in Egypt's land....let my Cameron go."</div>
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<b>Andy Stitzer (40 Year Old Virgin)</b></div>
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The hilarious Steve Carell</div>
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Another one of those "oh-my-gosh-he's-so-awkward" characters you just feel SO bad for.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Kelly Clarkson!"</div>
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<b>Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones)</b></div>
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Yes, indeedy, Mr. Harrison Ford.</div>
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Being a nerd is totally fine when you're also a sexy adventurer with a whip.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Nazis. I hate these guys."</div>
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<b>Benjamin Gates (National Treasure)</b></div>
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Nicholas Cage</div>
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I'm 99.9% sure it's the history buff in me, but I totally have a crush on Cage's Ben Gates. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "A toast? Yeah. To high treason. That's what these men were committing when they signed the Declaration. Had we lost the war, they would have been hanged, beheaded, drawn and quartered, and - Oh! Oh, my personal favorite: had their entrails cut out and <i>burned</i>!"</div>
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<b>Edward Nygma (Batman Forever)</b></div>
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One of my favorite comedic guys, Jim Carrey.</div>
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Nobody plays obsessive nerd-turned-villain like Jim.</div>
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Favorite Quote: "Caffeine'll kill ya!" </div>
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<b>Hooper (Jaws)</b></div>
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Richard Dreyfuss</div>
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I like a nerd who's not afraid to get his hands dirty and kill a giant, terrifying shark. </div>
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Favorite Quote: "Haha. They're all gonna die."</div>
Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-57647960320160608742013-04-14T08:00:00.000-05:002013-04-14T08:00:01.443-05:00M is for Musicals <br />
Who doesn't love musicals? Folks dancing around, singing about everything. It's greatness. Unless you're Madonna and the musical is Evita. I'd rather tear my eyes and eardrums out with forks than watch that crap again. The first musical I ever saw live was "The Wedding Singer", based on the film of the same name starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. It's one of my favorite Sandler movies, mostly because of the soundtrack.<br />
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Although The Wedding Singer isn't actually categorized a musical (most usually contain some singing and dancing by the actors), it is one of the best music-oriented films ever, right up there with Empire Records, Dazed & Confused and Almost Famous.<br />
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In honor of this most fantastical genre, here are my top-ten favorite musicals!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">10. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Wizard of Oz</span><br />
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Everyone with a television has seen Dorothy and company fight the wicked witch at least once. (Remember being a kid and looking for the man hanging himself in the forest?)<br />
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Young Dorothy is caught in a tornado that carries her to the land of Oz, where she hooks up with scarecrow, tin man and cowardly lion to search for the great and powerful Oz. The wizard is the only one who can send Dorothy home, but along the way she has to fight the wicked witch, who's pissed because Dorothy dropped a house on her sister. Much singing and dancing is ensues along the way. Throw in some munchkins and flying monkeys and you have yourself musical.<br />
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It wasn't until my late teen years that I realized the parallels between Oz and Dorothy's real life. This story is really much more psychological than originally thought, which is one of the things I love about it.<br />
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If I only had a brain.....<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">9. Chicago</span><br />
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Chicago is one of the best musicals in regards to plot and music. The film stars Richard Gere (one of the sexiest men alive), Renee Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones, but Queen Latifah and John C. Reilly are scene stealers throughout much of the film.<br />
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Aspiring singer Roxie Hart's affair with a smooth-talking furniture salesman ends in murder, and Roxie finds herself on murderess row alongside a plethora of women with anger management issues, including jazz singer Velma Kelly. Enter Billy Flynn, smooth-talking lawyer. Kelly and Hart fight for Flynn's attention, which in turn gets the attention of the press.<br />
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The film has great song and dance numbers galore, and a plus is Gere singing and dancing in his skivvies. Rawr. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">8. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory</span><br />
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Poor Charlie Bucket lives with his mom and grandparents in a tiny little hovel, working a paper route to help feed his family. News of a worldwide contest breaks out, with five lucky children winning access to the local factory of candy-maker Willy Wonka (portrayed brilliantly by Gene Wilder). Charlie finds a golden ticket along with spoiled brat Veruca Salt, German boy Augustus Gloop, gum chewing Violet Beauregard and television-obsessed Mike TeeVee. As they tour the factory with eccentric Wonka, they learn life lessons and are disqualified one by one for various offenses. (Am I the only one who missed the symbolism for the deadly sins until my mid-twenties?)<br />
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If this movie contained only one scene, and it was of Veruca Salt in the goose room, I'd still love this movie. The film is visually impressive, as well as witty and fun. A few songs are a little trippy (especially on the boat ride), but still good. <br />
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Even as an adult, whenever I watch this movie, I feel an overwhelming desire to move into a candy factory.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">7. The Sound of Music</span><br />
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Julie Andrews, I adore you. Young nun Maria just can't seem to get into the swing of things at the convent, what with her daily frolicking through fields of wildflowers and singing about the hills being alive. Fed up, the nuns suggest Maria go work as a governess (aka nanny) at the home of Captain Georg Von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) and his seven children. Through patience and charm, Maria wins the affection of the children, and eventually, Captain Von Trapp.<br />
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This film is full of beautifully written, fantastic musical numbers, and the children are all adorable. Plummer is also pretty charming as the grumpy, softy-at-heart Von Trapp. And who doesn't love Julie Andrews?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">6. Grease</span><br />
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<i>(Note: I know I just wrote about this film a few days ago, but I can't NOT include Grease in the musicals post!)</i><br />
It's 1958 and music rules for this mega-hit starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.<br />
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Rydell High School is all about being cool, and the leaders are gang the T-Birds and their girls, the Pink Ladies. Danny Zuko, one of the head guys, runs into his summer love Sandy after her family moves from Australia. Danny hurts Sandy's feelings by trying to be cool in front of his pals, then realizes his mistake and pursues her. Heartbreak, singing and dancing ensues as Danny tries to re-win Sandy's affections.<br />
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Great music and a young John Travolta in tight clothes. Win. This movie also provides one of my most favorite movie quotes: "A hickie from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card." Love it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">5. Mary Poppins</span><br />
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Every kid loves this movie. Even if Dick Van Dyke weren't so completely swoon-worthy back then, this film would still be great thanks to Julie Andrews.<br />
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Spoiled rich kids Jane and Michael have gone through every nanny in town, frustrating grumpy banker father Mr. Banks and women's rights activist mother Mrs. Banks. The kids make a list of the qualities they wish for in a nanny, which Mr. Banks promptly rips up and throws in the fireplace. Magically, the list flies into the air, repairs itself and lands in the hands of Mary Poppins.<br />
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Miss Poppins takes over as nanny - after much confusing of Mr. Banks - and takes the children on wonderful adventures with chimney sweep and street performer Bert (played by Van Dyke). There's a little bit of animation mixed in with this live-action musical, but you get so wrapped up in the story that you almost forget to notice it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. White Christmas</span><br />
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I didn't see this 1954 jewel until I met Hubs. This film is his favorite musical, and his second-favorite Christmas movie, after Christmas Vacation (of course).<br />
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Singing post-war buddies Bob and Phil meet charming singing/dancing sisters Betty and Judy at a nightclub. After Bob becomes smitten with Betty, boys follow girls to an inn in Vermont. The inn is deserted, but after realizing the owner is Bob and Phil's old army general, the four stay to help the inn get business.<br />
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An entire show production, romance, communication mix-ups, a pretend engagement and a Christmas show all unfold amid great music and wintry backdrops.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Cry-Baby</span><br />
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One of the best John Waters films (my other favorite is actually number one on this list), Cry-Baby stars a young - and devilishly handsome - Johnny Depp. Along with Depp are Ricki Lake, Iggy Pop, Tracy Lord and Amy Locane.<br />
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Drape Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker has the hots for square Allison Vernon-Williams, much to the dismay of her wealthy grandmother and boyfriend Milton. Cry-Baby's friends take Allison in and show her how to be a bad girl. After a night of singing together, the drapes are attacked by the squares, sending Cry-Baby to a juvenile detention center and Allison back into the arms of Milton. The drape crew plan hijinks to get Cry-Baby out of jail so he can win Allison's affections once again.<br />
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As with any John Waters film, this movie is hilarious and dirty. The music is comical and wonderfully entertaining. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Little Shop of Horrors</span><br />
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Pitiful Seymour Krelborn (Rick Moranis) lives a sad and pathetic life, staying in the basement of the flower shop where he works. One day Seymour is plant shopping and happens upon a strange-looking plant, which turns out to be an alien. He brings the plant back to the shop and names it Audrey II, after the abused blonde he works with and has a crush on.<br />
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Seymour learns that Audrey II prefers blood to water and sunlight, so he feeds it accordingly and it grows into a massive plant. Business booms, and Seymour is suddenly famous. Audrey II keeps getting more demanding, making it hard for Seymour to make a move on the now-interested Audrey. A confrontation with Audrey's dentist boyfriend (played by Steve Martin) ends in murder, and Seymour finds himself on the brink of destruction.<br />
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The songs are ridiculous, but fun. Steve Martin and Rick Moranis, while not the best singers, are delightful and amusing to watch. Bonus: Bill Murray as a pain-obsessed dental patient of Martin. Win.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Hairspray (1988 version)</span><br />
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This film by John Waters is not just the best (in my opinion) musical ever made, it's one of the best movies ever made, as well. Cast includes a young Ricki Lake, Jerry Stiller and Divine.<br />
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Tracy Turnblad loves to dance, and she knows she's good at it despite her large size. After attending a hop hosted by Corny Collins, Tracy is invited to be on The Corny Collins Show, which features teens dancing to the newest music. Although her homebody mother (a hideous Divine) is against it, she gains support from her jokester father (Stiller) and joins the show. She falls for hottie Link Larkin and becomes the enemy of the show's self-proclaimed star Amber von Tussle.<br />
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While race issues are the backdrop to this film, great music and old-school dancing take center stage.<br />
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Honorable mentions: Annie, Auntie Mame and The Rocky Horror Picture Show<br />
Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-81952808012503528692013-04-13T17:58:00.001-05:002013-04-13T17:58:16.999-05:00L is for LaughterLaughing is good for the soul, and it's good for your health. For real, it's good for you!<br />
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Here are some of the things that never fail to make me laugh:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a60j718pZdQ/UWnhXEn79WI/AAAAAAAABHE/_Jrk2LzHk6w/s1600/SNL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a60j718pZdQ/UWnhXEn79WI/AAAAAAAABHE/_Jrk2LzHk6w/s200/SNL.jpg" width="166" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;">Saturday Night Live</span><br />
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We all know the new SNL has its moments of hilarity, but for the most part pales in comparison to the days <br />
of old with Steve Martin, Dan Akroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, and then the not-so-old-but-still-old-school days of old with Will Ferrell, Chris Kattan, Ana Gasteyer, Molly Shannon and Chris Farley. I was even a fan of Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey and Maya Rudolph's day. <br />
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Anytime I need a good laugh, I pop in my SNL: Best of Will Ferrell, SNL: Best of Chris Farley or The Women of SNL. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Jim Carrey</span><br />
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I don't care if it's Ace Ventura, Liar Liar, Dumb & Dumber, The Cable Guy or Bruce Almighty. If it's Jim, it's all good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Bill Engvall</span><br />
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I LOVE this dude. He is so funny. I think the thing I appreciate about him the most is that he's hilarious without being vulgar. Nowadays it's rare to find a comedian with the ability to make you laugh without being disgusting or dropping f-bombs every other second. I have all of his comedy albums, and I frequently listen to them on my school commute. One day I WILL see him live!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Craig Ferguson</span><br />
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Since we're on stand-up, this guy is another one of my favorites. He's also on my List, so that's a bonus. I watch Craigyferg every night before I go to bed. Win!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">National Lampoon</span><br />
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Christmas Vacation. Vacation. European Vacation. Animal House. Van Wilder. Doesn't matter, if it's National Lampoon, I'm laughing. Unless it's the more recent attempts at comedy/soft porn/obscene nonsense. Those aren't funny. Give me Van Wilder or Cousin Eddie any day.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Friends</span><br />
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We all know I love Friends. I've seen every single episode of the much-beloved series at least seven times now. Every few months Hubs and I start watching them again from start to finish. It doesn't matter that I've memorized the episodes; I still laugh my butt off when I watch them. I'll be there for you, 'cause you're there for me, too.<br />
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This man is pure genius. Every film of his I've seen has been comedy gold. Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, History of the World, Blazing Saddles - all fantastic. Slapstick is a gem.<br />
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<br />Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-48375303767668219642013-04-11T21:48:00.002-05:002013-04-11T21:48:42.612-05:00April's A-to-the-Zizzle: KK is for King. Of the royal variety, that is.<br />
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History is chock-full of famous monarchs - good guys, bad guys, crazy guys, guys who went missing only to be found hundreds of years later under a parking lot (true story). British history provides a plethora of juicy scandals revolving around the royal families, as well as some disconcerting tales. Some monarchs gained fame for their benevolence and good deeds, while others did so by mass murder and all-out tyranny. People ruling with complete power went by other titles besides king and queen; there were Tsars (or Tzars, or Czars - those crazy Russians are too indecisive), Emperors and Kaisers (which is really just the German word for "emperor"). Let's cover some of history's most famous absolute rulers.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">King Henry VIII (I am, I am), Tudor</span><br />
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Everybody knows about this guy. You know, the one who invented divorce. Henry is credited with separating the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church. He only did it because the Pope wouldn't annul his marriage to Catharine of Aragon, and he only wanted an annulment because he desperately wanted to shack up with his mistress Mary Boleyn's younger, hotter sister Anne, and she wouldn't put out until he married her. Tease. Unfortunately for Anne, Henry had a wee bit of a temper, and later had her beheaded. Throughout his lifetime Henry married a total of six times. Talk about commitment issues.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tsar Nicholas II, Romanov</span><br />
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Poor Nicholas didn't have a chance, what with his wife being totally, hopelessly devoted to that creepy, dirty skeez Rasputin. The Tsar was actually a pretty good guy (despite his nickname "Bloody Nicholas"), and the last years of his reign were spent in constant worry and stress over his son and heir, Alexei, who suffered from hemophilia. In the March Revolution of 1917, the Tsar and his family (Empress Alexandra, daughters Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and young tsarevich Alexei) were taken prisoner after Nicholas abdicated his throne and the right of his son. Eventually sent to Yekaterinburg, the Romanovs were executed in a horrific manner, then their bodies were burned, covered in acid and buried in an attempt to cover up the murders. Their remains weren't exhumed until 1991. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">King Richard III, House of York</span><br />
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Hide-and-seek World Record holder.<br />
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Richie was the last king of the House of York, and after his death in the War of the Roses the Tudor line rose to power. So we can blame him for Henry VIII. The last English king to die in battle, Richard was buried in 1485, after which his grave was lost (bet somebody got fired over that. "Where'd you bury Richard?" "It was....uh.....I...I'm not sure."). He was missing for over FIVE HUNDRED YEARS. He was finally found this past February underneath a parking lot. What a bummer. Five bucks says he's been haunting cars and making tires go flat. And before that, making carriage wheels fall off. And before that, possessing horses. Wow, five hundred years. Sucks for you, Richie.<br />
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Lastly, because I'm all for women's equality and feminism...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Queen Elizabeth I, Tudor</span><br />
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Liz was the last ruler of the Tudor dynasty. Daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth is known as one of the greatest monarchs in British history. She was nicknamed "The Virgin Queen" for her refusal to marry, and though she had several suitors throughout her life (ie: booty calls), her virginity was celebrated throughout Britain. <br />
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Her reign is designated the Elizabethan Era or the Golden Age, due to the flourishing of poetry, literature and theatre. William Shakespeare was a major player during this time. World exploration was also a priority for the British Empire. With all of the positive goings-on, poor Liz had a major bummer to deal with: she was constantly threatened by plots to have her killed and replaced with Mary, Queen of Scots. Being a queen sucks sometimes.<br />
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<br />Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-89003251988244806512013-04-10T19:29:00.000-05:002013-04-10T19:29:59.589-05:00Aprils A-to-the-Zizzle: J<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">J is for Jess.</span><br />
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Let's be honest, most of us who blog think we have something interesting to say, which means we think we're interesting people. Some of us are mistaken, but hey, we can't all be winners. As such, I figured what better way to prove how interesting I am than by dedicating an entire post to the awesomeness that is me? (Humor me, guys. I need the confidence boost.)<br />
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So, for the post ALL ABOUT ME, I decided to share with you guys some of the things that make me, well, me.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Louisiana</u></span><br />
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Ah, the southern state in all of its country, backward, deep-fried glory. Born and raised here, I have spent many a day swimming in the creek, sucking the heads of crawfish (because that really is where the good stuff is) and parading down Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras (and yes, it's a ridiculous celebration, but we just can't seem to grow out of it). <br />
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As a teen I swore that someday I'd get the flock out of dodge and see the world. Get away from the rednecks and their pickup trucks and rebel flags. I was so serious about moving away that anytime a relationship got to the point where the guy started talking about the future I was like, "Later." I wasn't planting any roots, no sir. So what happened? I turned 19 and moved to Tennessee. Because it's SO different from Louisiana. Ha ha ha. Truth: the only differences between Louisiana and Tennessee are that the food is more bland, cars are MUCH worse and people say you'ins instead of y'all. Oh, and Tennessee has hillbillies while Louisiana has rednecks (I have no idea what the difference there is).<br />
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Seriously though, I love Tennessee. It's one of the most beautiful places in North America that I've seen. I lived there for a year, and I never got tired of the view. I did get tired of snow and ice on the roads. Daredevil, I am not. Plus my Dad lives there with my stepmom and my two baby half-sisters, so I enjoyed spending some actual time with them instead of a measly two weeks in the summer and week at Christmas. I made some great friends and gained some experience, but about seven months in I realized that - gasp! - I missed Louisiana. What?! What was wrong with me? I couldn't figure it out, but I couldn't deny it. The 'ol bayou was calling me home. <br />
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The older I get, the more I appreciate my home state, and I notice more things now that are beautiful and unique about Louisiana. The trees, for example. Louisiana has some of the most whimsical, beautiful old trees. We all know the food is better here. Basically I could talk about Louisiana and how great it is all day, but eventually you'd get bored. If you just crave more, check out a previous post about Louisiana and the myths surrounding it <a href="http://bigdealtome.blogspot.com/2010/10/forget-what-youve-heard-about-louisiana.html">here</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Family</u></span><br />
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Mine is big, loud, obnoxious and full of some of the most crazy and fun people I know. My mother's side of the family is the side I've spent the most time with in my life. My grandmother was one of 13 (<i>thirteen!!)</i> children of a poor preacher/sharecropper and a full-blooded Seminole Indian. They had an outhouse and almost never had meat to eat and spent a LOT of time at church. My grandfather is one of 5 children, and although my great-grandmother is still living at 95, I have no idea what she or my great-grandfather did for a living. I do know great-grandpa collected tennis balls and sent them to children in Honduras. His entire legacy is tennis balls. <br />
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My family on my father's side spends a great deal less time together. My dad has three brothers, one of which lives in Tennessee near my dad, one in Oklahoma and the other in Maryland. My uncles are great, and I wish I could see them more often. (Long-distance family is one reason I'm thankful for Facebook. Otherwise I'd never get to talk to them. For real. Like, ever.) My dad's parents passed away in 1996 and 1998. They had a doll shop and made porcelain dolls. It was the coolest place, and my grandparents would take me with them to the shop and teach me how to use the kiln, how to paint the faces and dress them. I always considered myself their favorite grandchild, and I suspect I was right because they called me Miss Priss, and the doll shop was called Miss Priss. My dad and uncles gave me the stained glass shop sign after my grandfather passed away. It is one of my most treasured possessions. <br />
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Altogether (counting step-family, because they're awesome and I consider them real family), I have eight uncles, eight aunts, twenty-one first cousins, seven second cousins, two brothers, four sisters, my mom, my dad, my stepmom, four grandparents, and one great-grandmother. Whew. <br />
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Then you have MY family; that is, my husband, me and our two daughters. I blogged about them the other day, so you know they are my whole world. Hubs is my Prince Charming, my rock, my supporter, my sexy stud muffin He's also a wonderful father. My kids are hysterical, frustrating, sweet, beautiful, precious little fascinating people. Their personalities are so completely different, but they're best friends and are so much fun. It's such a joy watching them grow and start to figure out who they are, what they like and don't like, what their interests are. I love every moment of it.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Faith</span></u><br />
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Like I said, my great-grandfather was a preacher, and my family has always been very involved in church activities. As a child I probably spent more time at church than anywhere else. Now, as an adult, my faith is extremely important to me, and I am actively involved in my church. It is also important to me and Hubs that our kids are raised in church and know about faith and God and heaven. <br />
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My oldest child, at 5, is super-curious about where exactly Heaven is, and why do people go there, and what do they do there, and on and on and on. It started when my stepfather passed away in 2011. It was very sudden and she had a difficult time with it. She was Papa's girl, so when one day he was there and the next day he wasn't, she felt very frustrated and confused and sad. She reminds us frequently that Papa was sick and Jesus made him better, which makes her happy. That happiness helps the rest of us to deal with it. <br />
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Each person is entitled to their own personal beliefs, and I would never force my opinions on anyone else. If you want to know what I believe, ask me and I'll be more than happy to share it with you. :) <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>History</u></span><br />
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My major. My hobby. My future career. It's all wrapped up in History. I love it, I can't get enough of it, and I can't shut up about it. It's like this gigantic collection of stories - romance, war, comedy, mystery, drama - all rolled up into one book called<i> Us</i>.<br />
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There were so many fascinating characters throughout History: some leaders of nations, others seemingly insignificant people who contributed to the world in some way or left their words to help us better understand an event. An everyday Joe who happened to be in the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time could change the course of history. A guy who put his 99 arguments against the Catholic Church on the door of the church because nobody was home, forgetting the next day was a national holiday and EVERYBODY would be attending church....(led to the Protestant Reformation, btw. Just in case you missed that day of class). A little Jewish girl whose family was hiding from Nazis during WWII and kept a journal of what was happening around her... The son of a candle maker who went to work with his older brother at a printing press and learned to write, only to later be named one of the founding fathers of a nation...<br />
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Each example of one person who made a contribution to our world's history is a story, and each story is available to us to study, to learn and appreciate. My hope is to share that love and excitement, so that others will develop an affection as well. <br />
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So, Louisiana, Family, Faith and History - four things that play a major role in who I am. Of course there's a great deal more to me (my love for comedies, Aerosmith and vanilla oreos, for example), but you guys don't have time for that. Neither do I, for that matter. You'll just have to settle for a sneak peek of Jess. For now....<br />
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<br />Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-59008934689597493822013-04-09T18:11:00.004-05:002013-04-10T12:00:25.767-05:00April's A-to-the-Zizzle: I<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>I is for Ian.</b></span><br />
Ian Somerhalder, that is. <br />
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Yowza.</div>
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I have a serious, full-on, drive-Hubs-crazy crush on this handsome actor/do-gooder/animal lover. I'll admit, when I first heard of him via The Vampire Diaries, I didn't pay his looks much attention other than to despise him for being such a pain to Stefan and Elena. I couldn't <i>stand</i> Damon Salvatore (which is a credit to his acting skills. He plays bad SO good). Then, weirdly, about halfway through the second season I was watching and suddenly thought <i>dang, he's hot.</i> After that I was smitten kitten with one Ian Somerhalder. <br />
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Of course I had to Google him, and imagine my delight when I found out HE'S FROM THE SAME TOWN AS ME! It was a sign from God. Well, maybe not, but still. How awesome is that?! Then as I was researching I discovered that Ian is a hardcore philanthropist and animal lover. He founded the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, or ISF. ISF makes efforts to educate people around the world about energy conservation, animal protection and other awesome projects. Their mission statement is: "The IS Foundation aims to empower, educate and collaborate with people and projects to positively impact the planet and its creatures." You can check out his website <a href="http://www.isfoundation.com/">here</a>. What's hotter than a guy who loves animals and is trying to save the planet? <br />
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I mean, really, how can you not love this?</div>
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After drooling over Ian for a few weeks I informed Hubs that I was adding him to The List. He objected on the grounds that Ian is from here and his family still lives here, and as such visits the area often. Hubs says I'm more likely to have a shot at meeting Ian and thus be within my rights to engage in flirting and/or making out per the rules of our List Agreement. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, see my post about The List <a href="http://bigdealtome.blogspot.com/2010/08/freebies.html">here</a>.) I also tried to talk Hubs into letting me become a volunteer at the St. Tammany Humane Society, but he vehemently refused to let me because Ian is a financial supporter and frequent visitor to the shelter. I pouted for a few days, but I haven't completely given up. <br />
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Of course, once I had a bonafied crush on Ian, I had to find out what else he's been in. I never got into the whole Lost hooplah, so I had no idea he played Boone. I want to watch it just to check out his character, but at the same time I don't because rumor is he dies in it. Not cool, ABC. Not cool. He also had parts in a short-lived Dawson's Creek spin-off, multiple television series, The Rules of Attraction, The Tournament, Pulse, and various other films. He also worked as a model in his early teens and twenties. (There's a super hot picture of him in nothing but skivvies, but I didn't want to put it on here for Hubs' sake. Google it. It'll make your day.)<br />
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Word on the interwebs is that Ian is currently working on a new film and is up for several other roles, including the much-anticipated Christian Grey in 50 Shades of Grey. The book series was crazy kinky, and I wasn't really all that interested in seeing the films, but if Ian is playing Grey, I'll be watching them for sure! <br />
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He's just....I don't even....what?</div>
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Now that I've probably weirded most of you out and made the rest of you uncomfortable, I'll wrap it up. <br />
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Happy "I" day!<br />
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<br />Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-55570615310045940252013-04-08T21:02:00.001-05:002013-04-08T21:02:52.804-05:00April's A-to-the-Zizzle: H<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>H is for History.</b></span><br />
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In this crazy world we live in, some of us are more interested in the past than the present. Seriously, who wants to hear <i>more</i> about how any day now North Korea will attempt to fire a weapon at the U.S. (only to have it shot down into the ocean before it gets even remotely near us, by the way)? Not me. <br />
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I started college as an English major. I love stories, I love reading, I love writing. English seemed like a natural choice for me. I soon discovered, however, that with each new English course I took, my love for it dwindled a bit more. Such a disappointment. There were exceptions, like American Literature and English Literature. I could take those courses over and over. <i>Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</i>, anyone? Anyhoo, from that I switched to Education because deep down I've always known I wanted to be a teacher, no matter the subject. After one semester I decided to take a "break" which turned into six years. <br />
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When I returned to college in 2010 I picked up with the Education major, but deciding to go ahead and get the prerequisite courses over with, I scheduled two History courses and a Political Science. I LOVED those three classes. I never missed a day. I showed up every day, excited to hear what the professors were going to share. The stories captivated me, the people enthralled me. After rambling to my husband for the seven millionth time that semester, he said, "Why aren't you a History major? You obviously love it." I stared at him for a moment, then the little lightbulb came on and I realized Hubs is a genius. After spending a few days letting it marinate, I realized Hubs was absolutely right, and felt like a moron for not figuring it out myself. I went to the university and changed my major. I have never had a single moment of regret or uncertainty since. History is my niche.<br />
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Think about it. Studying History can take you anywhere in the world, to any time period, or any specific <br />
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singular moment that had great significance. You can find hundreds of books on a single topic, such as the JFK assassination, or a single war, or even a single battle. You can find dozens of books on a single significant person. You can learn what made people who they were, you can read about why people made the decisions they made, why someone took that extra step that made them greater than the average person. <br />
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My favorite History topics are Colonial American, the American Revolution, World War II and British History. I'm always amazed that while I cherish American history so deeply, it is such a considerably short period of time when compared to most other nations. When I was in England and France, it repeatedly struck me that many of the homes and buildings we saw were centuries older than my own country. Such a bizarre realization to have. <br />
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I've been driving Hubs crazy with the construction on my new home office, because before the room was even framed up I had already purchased replicas of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, various paintings of the American Revolution and famous historical characters, a Lincoln bust and other historical knickknacks to decorate my office with. I just couldn't help myself. I'm obsessed. I also drive Hubs crazy whenever we watch anything with historical references because I'm always like, "That didn't happen like that. That's not right. No, he didn't say that." Don't even get me started on Disney films...<br />
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My hope is to someday be a professor that, while lecturing students taking prerequisite courses, one of the stories I tell will captivate a student so much that he or she realizes their own love for History. I've been so fortunate to have several professors who are so enthusiastic about what they teach that it's contagious. They make you want to learn more. <br />
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Moral of the story? Find something, anything historical that interests you, and study it. Read about it. Check out multiple books about it to get different viewpoints. Talk about it with others. And for God's sake, please don't believe everything you see in "historical" films. It still pains me to let my children watch Pocahontas. She married John Rolfe, not John Smith, Walt!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-49252673405038705062013-04-07T17:03:00.001-05:002013-04-07T17:03:07.045-05:00April's A-to-the-Zizzle Challenge: GSo, word on the street is that during the April A-Z Challenge people are not posting on Sundays, because by cutting out Sundays you end up with exactly 26 days. Bunch of geniuses. Me, though? I'm a rebel. I like to live dangerously. I once went an entire flu season without getting vaccinated, and sometimes I even use the 5 second rule when I drop food. I'm wild. Thus, the show must go on!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>G is for Grease</b></span><br />
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No, not the yucky stuff in fried food that sticks to your arteries and makes your stomach expand. The other Grease. Ya know, the one with a bunch of 30-somethings pretending to be high school students, dancing and singing their way through a semester at Rydell High. <br />
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I'm going to go with the assumption that everyone on earth has seen this film at least once in their life (or, like me, somewhere around 697 times). However, if you've been living under a rock and have somehow failed to make time to see it, here's the short version:<br />
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Guy (Danny) and girl (Sandy) meet on vacation at the beach and fall madly in love. In front of crashing waves, they pledge their love and bid each other adieu before leaving for their respective homes. Cue cool animated movie intro with music. Fade out to Rydell High, where Danny is the leader of the T-Birds, the coolest cats in town. They even have the black leather jackets to prove it. Their counterparts are the Pink Ladies. In an odd coincidence, Sandy has just moved to town and finds that Danny is in fact not the sweet, gentlemanly hunk she fell in love with, but a fake and a phony and she wished she'd never laid eyes on him.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gvh5giAVXgU/UWHql7xY2QI/AAAAAAAABD0/GtmXHalaA5s/s1600/Grease-7-006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gvh5giAVXgU/UWHql7xY2QI/AAAAAAAABD0/GtmXHalaA5s/s320/Grease-7-006.jpg" width="320" /></a> Cue dating and jealousy and sleepovers with singing and smoking and more dating and a slut named Cha-Cha and a really ugly, pockmark-faced dude who has it in for Danny and the T-Birds - especially Danny's best bud Kenickie (Jeff Conway - my favorite character in this film). There's a dance-off and some mooning, more singing and dancing, a pregnancy scare, pink hair (which leads to a vision of singing beehive-haired girls with Frankie Avalon), a car race and, finally, a resolution which leads to the fantastic ending to the movie, filled with more singing and dancing, lots of black leather, a carnival and a flying car. <br />
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Whew. <br />
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The thing I love the most about Grease is that it is a film that has been passed on for generations. My mom <br />
loved this film when it came out, which she passed on to me, which I have passed on to my daughters who now love it, too. I know that someday they'll pass it on to their kids, and the magic will continue.<br />
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It's so obnoxiously awesome in every way. I love to hate Rizzo, and then find myself feeling sorry for her, then realize by the end that she's not so bad (and yes, I repeat this cycle every single time I watch it). I love that at first I don't think Sandy really deserves Danny, because he's awesome and she needs to get over herself, and by the end of the movie I'm pleased that she finally got a clue and bought some leather. I love that these people are obviously too old to be playing high school students, but we buy it anyway. I love Kenickie and his one-liners. "A hickey from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card." <br />
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I love the songs. Every single one. Even the drive-in song, which is admittedly really bad. I don't care, I still sing it at the top of my lungs. "Sandy.....can't you see....I'm in misery.....Why-e-y-e-y-e-yyyyy. Oh, Sandy."<br />
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I HATE Cha-Cha. I always get angry at Danny for dancing with her. Every time. He's too cool for her. <br />
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She's such a slut. <br />
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I love Frenchie and Jan, and how awkward and weird they are. I LOVE the school secretary, Blanche, and how she constantly annoys the principal. I love the football coach and his description of how the team is going to beat their opposition at the pep rally (Blanche is also funny in that scene). <br />
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As a kid, what I loved about Grease was how these people were all friends, and it didn't matter that they fought and went out and broke up and had all of these problems, at the end of the day, they went to the carnival and sang about going together like wham-balam-abama, dinky-dingy-dong. Friends forever. <br />
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On a downside, I was super disappointed when I reached high school and there weren't any T-Birds or Pink Ladies, and nobody sang about their feelings or had dance-offs. Bummer. <br />
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So, people, the next time you're hanging with your pals, break into song and see if they'll join you. If not, there's always flying cars....<br />
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<br />Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-68730382150404790412013-04-06T15:10:00.000-05:002013-04-06T15:10:44.007-05:00April's A-to-the-Zizzle Challenge: A-F (playing catch-up)Apparently April is the month for the A-Z challenge. This confuses me because there are 30 days in April, and only 26 letters in the alphabet. Or are we using the Spanish alphabet, what with the double l's and r's and the n with the little curvy dodad over it? Maybe the challenge just ends on the 26th? Either way, it's 26 days of predetermined post requirements, and who am I to go against the masses? Plus, since I'm just now getting back into the blogging habit, I figure it'll do me good having to post every day. Practice makes perfect, they say. <br />
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Since it's already the 6th, I guess I'll have to do letters A-F today to get caught up. Here we go....<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A is for Adolescence</b></span><br />
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Oh, the misery of it all. The acne, the hormones, the new hair growing everywhere. Boys start smelling <i>really bad</i> when they sweat. For girls, Shark Week (that's what Hubs calls it) shows up and becomes a regular occurrence. Also, Mother Nature, being the mean old hag that she is, decided to play a joke on girls by making most of us grow faster than the boys our age, so we're taller than them for at least two years. So. Awkward. <br />
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Aside from the body changes and the challenges of being unable to wear heels to school dances because you're already three inches taller than your date, I loved those so-called awkward preteen years. I enjoyed my youth in general. School, sports, dances, romance (remember spending an hour coloring a note and then folding it in those weird ways? I couldn't do that today if I tried), sleepovers. I loved it all. Every moment. I especially loved being twelve because that's when N'Sync came on the scene and my love for Justin Timberlake was born. There I was watching Carson Daly on Total Request Live (you know, back when MTV actually played music) when suddenly there were five dudes in color-coordinated outfits, dancing and crooning about wanting some girl back. Before long my walls were covered with posters of JT and his crew (next to posters of Leo DiCaprio and Ben Affleck, of course).<br />
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I gotta say, for me, adolescence wasn't all that bad. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>B is for Bacon</b></span><br />
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The obsession with bacon has me completely bumfuddled. I mean, what's the big deal all of a sudden? Why is everyone so infatuated with fried pig? It's not like this is a new invention. The hooplah is absurd. Bacon socks, bacon wallet, bacon band aids, I heart bacon t-shirts? You can even buy bacon flavored toothpaste. Disgusting. And then there's the memes. My God, the memes. They're <i>everywhere</i>. I can't even go on Facebook anymore without seeing some bacon-related photo. I'd blame Lady Gaga for starting it with that hideous dress, but I don't think she can take full credit for the fad.<br />
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STOP THE MADNESS. <br />
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People, don't you know this greasy food made from a nasty animal is a major contributor to heart disease? <i>It's bad for you</i>. Bacon = bad. I think we need to apply some Pavlovian techniques and do negative association with bacon for people. Maybe taser them every time they eat bacon, or poke them with needles each time we show them a picture of a bacon platter. I'd head this operation up. I'd start with my teenage cousin and her best friend, who lead the pack in bacon debauchery. They have bacon tube socks, earrings, shirts, wallets and bacon flavored popcorn. I think I'll use the taser on them...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>C is for Craig Ferguson</b></span><br />
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I've mentioned this good-looking Scottish funny man previously because he's on my List. You know, the list of celebrities I'm allowed to hook up with without Hubs divorcing me? Yes he's a bit older, but I think it just adds to his attractiveness. The man is fun to look at, and even more fun to watch. He's hysterical. I watch his show every night. Some people don't get it, and I understand that. You either love him or you hate him (kind of like Jim Carrey). Hubs and I went and saw him in Gulfport, Mississippi last year. He puts on a fantastic show. He's a little dirty, but what Scotsman isn't? <br />
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I also love the fact that he lends his voice to animated films. Guys who are children at heart are even hotter to me. That's why I love Hubs. He's just an overgrown child. (Don't tell him I said that, though I suspect he already knows.) <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>D is for Degree</b></span><br />
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As much as I desperately wanted to go straight for the obvious, easy topic - Downton Abbey - I would really rather dedicate an entire post to this most beloved series. As such, I chose to go with something a little more personal. <br />
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I will graduate in May (42 days to be exact) with my Bachelor of Arts degree in History. I am SO excited to finish this degree. After a 6-year hiatus from college, I feel so proud of myself for going back and completing it. Many people doubted whether I'd be able to do it with two small children, a husband, a house and a job to keep up with, as well as the many duties I have with my church, but I proved the naysayers wrong, and have managed to do fairly well; I've made the President's List every semester. Mostly I'm thrilled to end this chapter because I will be beginning a new one in the fall: Graduate School. My new goal is a Master of Arts in History, along with certification to teach. With that degree I'll be able to teach high school level or college courses while I go on to complete my Ph.D. later on. Here's to progress!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>E is for Europe</b></span><br />
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I went last summer on a study abroad trip, and loved every minute of it. Our trip was called "Operation Overlord," and was an 8-day adventure beginning in London and ending in Paris. We followed the path of the WWII Allied forces from London down to Portsmouth where we crossed the English Channel into Normandy, toured the beaches and cemeteries, then made our way into Paris.<br />
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I plan to give y'all a full recap of the trip in the near future, so I won't divulge too much right now, but I can say that it exceeded every expectation I had, and I made some fantastic friends on the trip. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>F is for Family</b></span><br />
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Mine is crazy, frustrating, hilarious, ridiculous and the most precious thing in my life. Hubs is my Prince Charming, for sure. He and I have a marriage that many of our friends envy. You always hear horror stories about marriage, and the list of marriage jokes is endless. We truly do have a fantastic relationship, though. Of course I nag him here and there, but the man has the patience of a saint. He just says, "Okay, sweetie," then goes back to whatever he's doing and does whatever it is I was fussing about later. Sometimes he drives me crazy because he leave his dirty clothes and towels on the floor of the bathroom and I'm starting to think he actually forgot where the dishwasher is, but other than that he's golden. He's always kissing me, and we laugh together all the time. We're best friends, and I know that's a lot of why we're so solid. Also, I'm pretty hot. Who wouldn't want this? <br />
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My daughters are a handful. They're loud and hyper and so demanding of my time, but I treasure every moment of it. I love every hug and kiss, especially since I've noticed that the older they get, the less inclined they are to voluntarily give them out. The sweetest words in my world are, "I love you, Mommy." They get along really well, which is odd for me because my older sister and I fought constantly as children. For real, like 24/7. It was awful. My girls are always playing together, and though they do get into little arguments here and there ("Don't touch me! Mom, she's touching me!"), for the most part they have a great time together. <br />
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Alright, enough of the sap. Moral of the story: my family is precious and I am blessed to have them.<br />
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Well there you have it. Days 1-6 of the April A-Z challenge rolled into one. Later taters!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-57861532340806294162013-04-05T09:26:00.000-05:002013-04-05T09:29:08.825-05:00Fantabulous Friday Long story short: I'm back. And what better way to return than with a chicka chicka yeah...<br />
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FANTABULOUS FRIDAY! Whoop!<br />
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My current obsessions (because they're fantabulous, obviously):<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors"</span></b><br />
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I would so cheat on Hubs with this dude. Although technically it wouldn't be cheating because he's on the List...<br />
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JT's new album The 20/20 Experience is a funky, fun, cool bunch of musical gems, but "Mirrors" has me captivated. I've been listening to it on repeat for two days. The man has a voice like melted buttah!<br />
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(Side note: If you haven't seen JT's episodes of Saturday Night Live, make some time to watch them. He's hosted 5 times, and he's <i>brilliant</i>.)<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Downton Abbey</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf4gLzCnCHs/UV7blzjAeEI/AAAAAAAABCQ/Rv_-SP_ZGNA/s1600/DowntonAbbey1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf4gLzCnCHs/UV7blzjAeEI/AAAAAAAABCQ/Rv_-SP_ZGNA/s320/DowntonAbbey1.jpg" width="320" /></a>I know, I know, I'm always the <i>very last</i> person to jump on a bandwagon (think Twilight, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones), but when I do finally jump on I'm gung-ho about it.<br />
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I just LOVE this series. It's beyond fantabulous. The characters are brilliant, the storyline is captivating and I cannot get enough of that adorable Matthew Crawley (yes, I know, but not everybody does, so hush). I especially love how soap opera-ey the servants are. Those people have some serious issues. Except for Anna and Mr. Bates. Swoon. <br />
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If you haven't caved in and watched this series, DO. IT. NOW. I'll wait. <br />
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Not really, because three seasons is like 30 hours of tv. I ain't got time to wait for you. Do it later.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Smash</b></span><br />
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Yes, it's getting some bad reviews. People either love it or hate it. I LOVE it. Seriously, who doesn't love <br />
musicals? If you don't, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? Granted, the first season had some not-so-good characters (Ellis - yuck. Dev - skeez. Frank - boring sap), but the story line was, for the most part, pretty good. <br />
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Season two has proven much more interesting. The introduction of Jeremy Jordan's angry, defensive character Jimmy and his insecure pal Kyle was a pleasant change. Also, I think Katharine McPhee is just adorable. Plus Derek (Jack Davenport) is kinda hot. Hello, British accent!<br />
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Well those are my fantabulous obsessions! Happy Friday, y'all!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-66195943485437243622011-07-29T09:30:00.000-05:002011-07-29T09:30:30.111-05:00Fantastic FridayI just discovered this video (although I'm sure it's not new to many people), and decided to share it with y'all because it's FRIDAY baby!<br />
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Look for Kenny G, Debbie Gibson, HANSON and Corey Feldman in this video. Also in it is Artie and Blaine from Glee! Awesomeness!<br />
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Happy Friday, y'all! :)Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-61935300119305349822011-07-26T09:56:00.000-05:002011-07-26T09:56:12.770-05:00Why watch?Every so often a movie will come out to mostly bad reviews, and several people tell you they saw it, and it was awful. Still, you have some ridiculous urge to watch it for yourself. Why? Maybe you love the cast, or maybe one preview caught your attention. You argue with yourself: <em>it would be ridiculous to waste two hours of my life watching a film that </em>multiple<em> sources have called terrible!</em> Why even bother? You know you're going to hate it. Urge wins out over logic, though, and you find yourself sitting on your couch with a bowl of popcorn, prepared to hate the movie you're about to watch. <br />
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But then, surprisingly...... <br />
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YOU LOVE IT. <br />
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You try to tell yourself you're not completely caught up in the storyline or with the characters. Somewhere during the film, though, you finally cave and admit to yourself that hey, this movie's not so bad after all. It doesn't matter if other people hate it. Right? <br />
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Afterwards you feel guilty. You're supposed to be an intellectual. You're one of those people who only cares for the best of the big screen. (This is for you people who <em>claim</em> to love every film nominated for an Oscar. Puh-leaze. Most of them are ridiculous. Give me Dumb & Dumber any day.) Eventually you decide to love the film in secret, but bash it in front of your more sophisticated friends. This is where the problem lies.<br />
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We've got to stop being embarrassed for enjoying films -and music artists as well - considered cheese by others. If you like something, like it! Don't be ashamed to say, "Hey, I <em>like</em> the Biebs!" (I don't. Just to clarify.) or "As a matter of fact, I think the Twilight films are fabulous, and I'll be at the midnight premier of the next two!" (I do and I will.) It's time to stand up and be proud of our cheesiness, people! <br />
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What brought this on, you ask? Well, the above dilemma happened to me just days ago with a little film called Burlesque. I've heard how bad it is. I've read the reviews. I decided to watch it anyway. Not for Christina, because I don't particularly like her. Or Cher, for that matter. I wanted to watch it because the previews had me interested, and I wanted to see it. Simple enough, right? Wrong. Ten minutes into it, watching scantily clad gals gyrating around a singing Cher, I was hooked. I loved this film. Absolutely, completely adored it. <br />
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I don't know why. Yeah, it is extremely similar to Coyote Ugly (motherless small-town gal heads to the big city to make it big and ends up shaking it and singing in scraps of clothing under the tutelage of an older, hard-as-nails woman), but that's not why I like it. Maybe the songs are catchy. Maybe I love Alan Cummings as a mascara'd freak, or Stanley Tucci as a gay assistant to Cher. Or maybe it was that Cam guy naked but for a box of cookies. Who knows? The point is, I loved it, but then didn't know if I should share my opinion with my pals. What if they thought I had poor judgment in films? What if - GASP - they stopped reading my blog because I <em>obviously</em> have no idea what I'm talking about? <br />
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I debated for all of twenty minutes, then decided it didn't really matter. I've openly admitted my love for other things of a cheesy nature. N'Sync. Spongebob Squarepants. Cap'n Crunch. Britney Spears. Toe socks. You guys still love me anyway, right? So why not add one to the list? Burlesque. <br />
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So now that I've joined the Cheese and Proud gang, I hope you'll join me! Cheeseheads, unite!Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-22105226868200740932011-07-23T09:30:00.001-05:002011-07-23T09:30:29.356-05:00Vacation timeBeginning tomorrow, for an entire week this will be me: <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A preview of me, only my toes will have aqua nail polish. ;)</td></tr>
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Tanning, reading a few good books, playing in the sand with my kids, laughing with my family and having a fabulous time. <br />
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I've got a single post scheduled for next week, just in case you miss me terribly. Later taters!<br />
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Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-85802111829276533762011-07-20T11:54:00.001-05:002011-07-20T11:54:40.955-05:00Abnormal News Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Okay, we've heard about the heat wave sending everyone indoors for the comfort of A/C, and we've heard all about every miserable piece of news there is right now in the world. Instead, I'd like to take a moment to enjoy the news that doesn't make front page, but is worthy of watercooler chat in offices everywhere. First up:<br />
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<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43732006/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Lorena Bobbitt Meets Kitchen Appliance</span></a><br />
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Here's the scene: Bob and Jane are getting a divorce. Jane calls Bob to invite him over for dinner to discuss how they'll divide the assets. Bob agrees, but about halfway through dinner he starts feeling odd. He passes out, then awakens a few hours later, tied to a bed. Before Bob can panic, Jane reveals a 10-inch knife, which she uses to CUT.OFF.HIS.PENIS. <br />
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Ouch.<br />
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Then, for good measure, she throws the severed member into the garbage disposal and turns it on. <br />
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Apparently she suddenly developed a conscience, though, because she called 911 to aid the bleeding man. Her reason? "He deserved it." <br />
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Now, I've said to Hubs on more than one occasion that if he ever decided to put his vehicle in another woman's garage I'd go Lorena on him, but we both know I could never do something so disgusting. Break it, maybe. But sever it? No way. <br />
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According to the article, pieces of the penis were removed from the disposal and taken to the hospital, though it was unknown if doctors had been able to put humpty dumpty back together again. Poor dude. <br />
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Today's lesson: Don't marry crazy. It will eventually turn on you. <br />
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Next up:<br />
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<em>(Note: Most of the stories in MSN's <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4429957/ns/us_news-weird_news/">Weird News</a> section today are about sex for some reason, so don't blame me.)</em><br />
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<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43744222/ns/us_news-weird_news/"><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Deadly Bear Owner Chokes to Death on - you guessed it - Sex Toy</span></a><br />
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You can't make this stuff up.<br />
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So dude made the news last year after one of his bears mauled a caretaker to death. A very sad event which troubled dude greatly. Unfortunately, his grief could not ebb his extra-curricular urges.<br />
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A teenage employee found dude face down in his water bed (people still have those?!) with a leather mask over his head, eyes and mouth zipped shut, bound to the bed by chains and padlocks. Further investigation revealed a sex toy lodged in dude's throat. Cause of death: asphyxiation. Unfortunately that's not what most people will remember about him. Sure, they'll say "Yeah, dude suffocated." But what they'll discuss in greater detail is the fact that dude was a FREAK. <br />
<br />Chains? Padlocks? Leather mask with zippers? Water bed? Sheesh. This dude made the cross-dresser from Silence of the Lambs look almost normal. (<em>It puts the lotion in the basket!)</em><br />
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Obviously dude had help getting into those padlocked chains. No assistant has come forth, however, so police are trying to figure that one out. <br />
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I think that's enough abnormal for one day, don't you? Now go out and share these with your friends. They'll thank you for it. Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-45352483827116750022011-07-19T09:50:00.000-05:002011-07-19T09:50:56.686-05:00Blahbety blah.Hey guys. It's Tuesday, which means we've gotten past Monday, and Hump Day lies before us. Tuesday is kind of like Switzerland: nobody loves it, but nobody hates it. Unless, of course, Glee and American Idol are in season. Then it becomes a holiday of sorts. Personally, I can't wait until September, when Saturday will become my favorite day for the next four and half months. Football baby, it's all about the football. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tjw_jgyUpo/TiWZlag9I3I/AAAAAAAAA_I/Y_G1a3y4Hbo/s1600/twitter-facebook-225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" m$="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_tjw_jgyUpo/TiWZlag9I3I/AAAAAAAAA_I/Y_G1a3y4Hbo/s200/twitter-facebook-225.jpg" width="200px" /></a>Anyhoo, I don't have any brilliant thoughts to share with y'all today, nor any witty lists or tales for you. Just wanted to say hi. So hi.</div>
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P.S. I'm on Twitter now. Yep, I'm a twit. Come find me! <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/Jess_bigdeal"><span style="color: #990000;">@Jess_bigdeal</span></a></div>
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Also, as I mentioned the other day, Big Deal now has a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/It-is-a-big-deal-it-is-to-me/101498089949387"><span style="color: #351c75;">Facebook page</span></a> as well. Come like me so I can pretend I'm one of the popular girls at school. Not Molly Ringwald in Breakfast Club popular, but somewhere between Patrick Dempsey in the beginning of Can't Buy Me Love and Judge Reinhold in Fast Times at Ridgemont High. That'll do. Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9073178265528157788.post-46096881428775694892011-07-18T12:28:00.001-05:002011-07-18T12:28:25.328-05:00Movie Delight MondayThat's right.<br />
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This devil of a day has returned for vengeance.<br />
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Unbeknownst to manic Monday, we have an antidote to her hellish ways. Yes, indeedy, it's time for <br />
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MOVIE DELIGHT MONDAY!<br />
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I know, you're ecstatic.<br />
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In accordance with my rebellion, I have popped myself a bag of movie butter popcorn (it's so good!), and will now share with you one of my most favorite 80s gems:<br />
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Just One of the Guys<br />
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The first time I ever saw this movie, I thought Joyce Hyser was quite possibly the coolest chick on the planet. Not only was she brave enough to chop off her hair, but she also went into the BOYS' BATHROOM! Eww. (Think 12-year-old mentality.)<br />
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Summary: hot chick Terry wants to be a writer, but her sexist journalist teacher chooses a boy over her for a piece to be published in local paper. Anger provokes hot chick to cut off hair, dress like a boy and attend a separate school in order to have her piece published. Uncomfortable situations and hilarity ensue.<br />
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Lead Hyser isn't the greatest actress, but you'll get surprising pleasure from watching shy guy Rick ("male" Terry's only friend) morph into confident cutie throughout the film. His sarcasm is pretty entertaining as well. Another one to watch is Terry's little brother Buddy. He's the average horny teenage virgin, only witty. <br />
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WARNING TO PARENTS: Adult language, content and one scene of nudity. <br />
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Movie treat: Character Greg Tolan is none other than badass Johnny Lawrence of The Karate Kid films. <br />
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That's all for today, kids! <br />
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Happy Monday. Heh.<br />
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Leighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17834434737356199955noreply@blogger.com3