Link: http://godslilworkinprogress.blogspot.com

Why I Love It:

If you’ve been around the church or “church folk” at all in your life, you’ve probably heard that God places everyone in your life for a reason.  On MySpace, where friend requests from artists get sent to you on a fairly consistent basis, one that stood out to me four years ago was from a talented singer/songwriter/musician, Trisha O’Keefe.  It has always been great commenting back and forth with Trisha, who now resides in Nashville, TN. 

Trisha and I have since become friends on Facebook, where I saw a note she wrote about starting a blog where she will put her “heart for counsel to practical use.”  The blog is called The Baggage Claim, and the first post as well as the “About Me” section really delves into a beautiful transformation that has taken place in her life.  I recommend checking it out and adding this one to your favorites.

Trisha, I’m glad that God has placed you in my life, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!

My old rugby friend (and one-time vodka buddy, oh God, that was a night) Kat has decided to run a marathon to get back into shape. She used to be one hell of a prop, but never much of a runner. I’m so excited she’s decided to come over to the dark side.

She’s starting a blog, so I just wanted to welcome her to the running world and officially add her to my blog roll and recommend her to my (few) readers. Her goal is the Lake Placid Marathon in June. Good luck, Kat!

(Everyone, please tell her how important it is to get fitted for shoes.)

Brokey McPoverty: christmas carol spotlight: ‘baby, it’s cold outside’

this is the most date rapinest ass christmas song ever invented!  YOU listen to the song and hear, ‘aw, how sweet, this guy really likes this girl and doesn’t want her to leave, so he’s using the weather as an excuse for her to stay with him!’  *I* hear this song and think, ‘OH MY GOD, THIS MAN IS A PREDATOR.’

Bitch Blogs: Bah humbug! Or, why holiday movies aren’t really a gift to women

A few years ago, my husband and I decided it’d be amusing to riff on the twelve days of Christmas with twelve different holiday-themed movies culled from the Lifetime and Hallmark channels…Two movies in, I thought I noticed some invidious little jabs at a certain stereotype of woman. Six movies in, definite themes were beginning to emerge. By movie number nine, I had to admit defeat.

i09: When Will White People Stop Making Movies Like “Avatar”?

Whether Avatar is racist is a matter for debate…it’s a fantasy about race told from the point of view of white people. Avatar and scifi films like it give us the opportunity to answer the question: What do white people fantasize about when they fantasize about racial identity?

Poise: Crafting + Racism + Hipsters + Bacon = Hot Mess

cultural appropriation happens all the time, but is it ever okay? Is it okay for an Austin-dwelling, crafting, educated, white woman to adopt and adapt a term used by and against a more urbane and hip-hop centered culture? Is it okay for an educated, urban-dwelling, pork-eater to base their identity off of a cut of meat that was created by and for people who couldn’t afford to throw away any part of an animal?

Shakesville: President Obama Is Trying to Make My Head Explode

I’m sorry, is that the same “President George W. Bush’s White House” in which key staff avoided using email and/or used outside domains in a transparent attempt to avoid compliance with the Presidential Records Act, in which nearly a year’s worth of email went missing, in which government laptops were professionally wiped, in which an email archiving system was never established…

More links after the jump

Like a Whisper: Last Minute Gift Guide for the Social Justice Set

Riverdaughter: The abortion “compromise” doesn’t make the health care reform bill good

Sociological Images: The New York Times Gift Guide for People “Of Color”

Jezebel: This is the face of a “crazy cat lady”

Feminist Law Professors: Passive-Aggressive Holiday Gift-Giving

Isis the Scientist: Why no, Virginia. I’m Not a Mexican…

The Voracious Vegan: Sticky Fingers Gingerbread

Two different takes on Brittany Murphy’s death:

• The Unfprofessional Critic: Brittany Murphy Dies. What the Hell, Hollywood?
• FWD/Forward: On Speculation and Boundaries…

And finally, some sad news: Ann Nixon Cooper passed away at the age of 107.  I note this because one of my grandfathers passed away at that same age (except I was about a year old when it happened), and I would have loved to hear him talk about his life experiences.  Here’s a clip of Ms. Cooper reflecting on Obama being elected to president (via Jezebel):

Did you (or someone you know) ever get ticked off about seeing the word “Christmas” written as “Xmas”?  Then check out this article from R.C. Sproul (via Tim Stevens) about the TRUE meaning of “Xmas”.

Love it.

Dear Quickie readers and romance aficionados,

“It is better to give than to receive.” Or so they say. This doesn’t meant that you can’t give gifts that are even more fun to give than they are to receive. Muhahaha.

Obviously, I’m biased, but I have always thought that personalized romance novels are the perfect gift. Especially to your sassy best friend who has a thing for pirates or your significant other.

Here are  links to a couple of sites where you pick a template and they change some details for you to make it, well, personalized. I think putting their picture on the cover is a nice touch. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!

www.yournovel.com

www.bookbyyou.com

http://www.torridromance.com/

Edited by Dramatis Personae

The countdown has begun–not only until the end of the year–but until the end of the first decade in the 21st century.  That’s kind of amazing to think about.  Styletastic and Sway, Sway, Away! both look at fashion from the Oughts with two distinctly different visions. [the3st] interviews the founder of ModCloth, while Wicked & Whimsy reviews Closet Confidential (by the hilarious Winona of DaddyLikey fame!).

Since this will be my last edit of links a la mode for this year, see you all in 2010!

Links à la Mode : December 17th

• 39thandbroadway.com: – How Brands Get Burned By Celebs
• A Typical Atypical: – Suffering from Buyers Remorse: The Real Deal
• Brunette and Pink: – Makeup Tutorial: Leighton Meester Inspired Winged-out Smoky Eye Look
• DailyDivaDish – Create a sparkling New Year’s look with the Tarte Treasure Chest Giveaway. Enter to this limited edition kit.
• Friend in Fashion – Sugar and spice and all things nice – Unearthing the unique designs of the fabulous, Arizona based designer Monique Martinez, through the captive lense of Galaxie Andrews.
• Grit and Glamour: – The Trend Conundrum–rends are a tricky thing; what makes some women look so pulled together is not a wardrobe full of the latest styles and trends, but the ability to know which ones to avoid.
• i’m the it girl: – My Love Affair With Hermes and the Great Debate: Kelly or Birkin?
• Idiosyncratic Style: – 12 Great Holiday DIY Projects – give something special this year (even if you are short on time and money)
• kaKofonie Of si(gh)lenS: – My most amazing (and green!) find this year: Denim Therapy, a company who will restore your tattered favorite jeans to like-new condition. Seriously.
• La Société de Mode | The Fashion Society: – Combats are stomping their way back into style
• Pursed Lips: – Thoughts/quotes on Lady Gaga as a powerful tool, if a difficult one to reach, for designers.
• Style on a String – Getting down to the wire: Gifts for the Stylish Geek who is kind of Girly too
• Styletastic: – As the 00’s are coming to en end, we look back at the fashion memories that will define the decade. Ah the memories!
• Sway Sway Away!: – Sway Sway Away! presents Caitie’s bitching and moaning on the worst trends of the Aughts.
• THE COVETED – Love it or Leave it : Rodarte for Target
• The Fashion Planner: – The Fashion Planner shows you how to make a jaunty beret.
• The Working Wardrobe: – Beware of “business casual” being too casual for the workplace.
• tick tick heart: – A focus on the varying fashions of some of our quirkier leading ladies in film.
• White Rabbit: – Pros and Contras of Artificial Nails
• Wicked Whimsy: – Closet Confidential: A Review
• [the3st]: – Success & Getting There: Interview with Susan of ModCloth.com

PLEASE READ IF YOU’D LIKE TO PARTICIPATE:

If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

The Hater: James Cameron Says, “This One’s for All the Females.”

Mmm, you like that, girl? That’s how James Cameron…will do anything to entice you. Did you know that James Cameron, director of Titanic, made a new movie for you, girl? Mmmm, yeah, made it just for you. You won’t be able to resist it.

New America Media: Shenandoah Police Protected White Perpetrators

Pennsylvania police officers, including the police chief of Shenandoah, Pa., abandoned their duty to uphold the law and instead aided and abetted the teenagers who brutally attacked Luis Ramirez. We welcome the federal indictments of these officers and those responsible for beating a man to death for little other reason than because he was Latino.

Jane Kelly Kosek: Women Need to Make More Movies and Network More

I keep hearing about all of this outrage that exists over women not being hired to make movies, either as screenwriters or directors or producers. As a female producer, I am certain that I am discriminated against whether or not it’s on purpose. There is a boys club that exists in Hollywood, no doubt about it.

Womanist Musings: Chuck Norris: ObamaCare, The Virgin Mary and Slut Shaming, Wow That’s A Trifectar

What’s a little holiday slut shaming between devout Christians right?  Perhaps, if womens bodies were not stigmatized, being an unwed mother would not be problematic?  It seems like a reasonable assumption to me.

Muslimah Media Watch: Divorce, Egyptian Style: Divorcee Radio Breaks Stereotypes

“When security disappears in married life, and serenity is not accessible, then it is time to do the thing most despised by Allah.” With these words, Mahasen Saber opens her blog, I want a divorce , and then later her online radio station, Divorce Radio.

More links after the jump

Racialicious: It Was Racist

Alexa Kolbi-Molinas: “There Are No Coat Hangers in Iraq”

Echidne of the Snakes: Putting On The Mask

Joanna Dolgoff, M.D.: University Requires Obese Students To Take Fitness Course To Graduate

PostBourgie: Finally Free

Feministe: Abuse of Pregnant Prisoners Goes Beyond Shackling During Labor

Sociological Images: Disability Symbology

The Unapologetic Mexican: Juan Felipe Herrera Awarded PEN/Beyond Margins Award for Latest Work

The Transcontinental Disability Choir: I Promise You Haven’t Heard This One Before

baftaboo: Ageism, Intersectionality, Etc.

Video Love: On not being Hispanic, and on being Native American (h/t A Radical Profeminist)

Annise Parker wins for Houston mayor. Houston is now the largest city to elect an openly gay candidate for mayor. [Houston Chronicle]

Firedoglake calls for Susan G. Komen for the Cure to fire spokesperson Hadassah Lieberman for her connections to big PhRMA and her senator husband. [Salon]

200 green business ideas. [Fast Company]

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry dies in what authorities are calling a domestic dispute with his fiance. [ESPN]

Senate passes historic funding for violence against women programs. [The Baynet]

Abuse of immigrant workers (women, many underage) by a meat plant – SHOCKING! [Women's eNews]

Top 5 green jobs stories of 2009. [Mother Nature Network]

Brazen Careerist and PayScale release study on best companies for Gen Y workers. [PR Web]

Kurt Vonnegut is now an HR professional [Punk Rock HR]

Employers more worried about brain drain than delayed retirement, says MetLife study. [Insurance Broadcasting]

Debunking generational differences at work. [Nonprofit Quarterly]

Plenty of women are up for the 2009  Eater of the Year, including Rachel Maddow, Meryl Streep and Michelle Obama. [Endless Simmer]

Chronic discrimination in the workplace against women and children still endemic. [HuffPo]

Man who punched Jersey Shore’s Snookie in the face apologizes. [Jezebel]

Hearing on rape kit backlog legislation is step in right direction. [Human Rights Watch]

Should working caregivers as a protected class? [SEIU blog]

“But grandma, I don’t get what the big deal is with you being Secretary of State — aren’t all women secretaries?” —Madeline Albright’s four-year-old granddaughter [AAUW Dialog]

Men against rape: Sen. Franken’s anti rape amendment survives in Senate committee. [HuffPo]

Women reshaping union agendas to stress work-life issues. [Human Resources Executive]

Now women’s success is a negative: civil rights panel names 19 colleges it will investigate for gender discrimination. [The Chronicle]

Finding help for women vets with difficult problems including homelessness [Post and Courier]

I wanted to say thank you to some new and some old readers for just a minute. I kinda fell off the blogging band wagon there for awhile because a) I felt I had nothing to say and 2) I felt no one was listening. (not you Dana- I know you’re always listening) But lately there have been a crap ton of visitors to my blog and altho few have left any comments, just the simple knowledge that someone somewhere out there read it on purpose makes me grin. So I’m going to try and get back on the ball here with things.

 While visiting Dana’s site (and if you haven’t been there you should go right now…. well after you read my post but soon, kay) I read about a blogger who makes big bucks off of dog vomit and kid crap (or was it kid vomit and dog crap…) and I couldn’t help but be amazed. I know of many talented bloggers out there (several of them are on the sidebar but there are more that just haven’t been updated yet) who right about much more important stuff than that and they don’t make any money at all.

And then I thought, where’s my money- my dear husband let Pepper in the house the other day, she wandered around for a bit then came into the living room, looked up at me, squatted and began to pee. I scooped her up as best I could- no mean feat as she is a 35 pound basset-lab mix- and she stopped til Jarell could get her outside and then he cleaned up the mess, but still. Shouldn’t I profit off that? Pepper wouldn’t mind- a few extra helpings of dog food and she’d be ecstatic. Throw in dog treats and she’d be over the moon. But no- you have to be in the right place at the right time for that sort of dough.

Oh well c’est la vie, n’est ce pas? I had a good return from the post where I taught people how to cuss in French and Spanish, and the post where I likened my sister in law’s ren fest costume to the Michelin man brought in unheard of numbers of visits from all over the net. Maybe its all in the random search words. I probably cuss to much for some crowds and not enough for others. I craft to much for some and not enough for others. I haven’t quite figured out what category I fall into. Random at best with pictures when I remember to post them. But I think I’m okay with that now.

Life these last couple of months has been pretty crazy. I know I’ve mentioned that, but its the truth. One thing tho that I can’t say is that its been boring. Happy, sad, frustrating, confusing, hot, cold, but never boring. And honestly? For the most part I wouldn’t trade any of it. Okay maybe not having to fight to keep the house clean would be good, but that’s about it. I’ve gotten to know a couple of old friends really well in the last couple of months and I’m glad for that. I’ve also become much more comfortable with myself which I can’t complain about at all.

So since this has been a long mostly under-illustrated post I think I’ll share a few shots of random Christmas stuff to round out the post.

Jarell loves Zombies and this year I had a much smaller than usual budget to work with for his gift so I came up with this fella.

With hand embroidered eyes and panty hose brains I’m feeling pretty proud of him.

Then last but not least there’s my grandparent’s Christmas card based on one givent to me by a friend a long time ago. For some reason the idea stuck and I decided to make it 3-dimensional instead of two as it was on the card I got.

Its a bad pun but it always makes me laugh.

Bonne nuit for now folks

What Tami Said: Are there no prisons? The value of little black girls or a modern Christmas carol

What would so enrage an adult who is sworn to assist in the growth and development of children to make her lure a sweet-faced little girl with the promise of candy then hack off a piece of the child’s hair with sharp scissors, sending her back to her desk with a smug, “Now, what are you going to go home and say to your mama?”

Feministe: That’s some “conscience”

A nurse at Mt. Sinai hospital in New York was reportedly forced to assist in an emergency second-trimester abortion, and is now suing…Details are spare, but according to the article — which only gets the nurse’s side of the story — the nurse was told that she had to assist in the abortion or she would be charged with insubordination and patient abandonment.

Feminist Peace Network: CEDAW Turns 30, U.S. Senate Has Yet To Ratify

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) celebrates its 30th birthday on December 18. President Carter signed CEDAW in 1980, but the U.S. Senate has yet to ratify it, making it one of the few countries in the world not to implement this important platform for women’s rights.

Sepia Mutiny: “The big river they have there that sounds like a disease”: Glenn Beck on India

I’m looking forward to the day this guy falls back into obscurity. A few months ago, left-leaning activists launched a campaign to get Beck’s advertisers to pull back from his show. While they were successful, it hasn’t done anything to slow him down. Beck’s provocations are working: his rating continue to be high, no matter how many times he’s mocked by comedians and spat at by bloggers.

The Transcontinental Disability Choir: Pride & Prejudice & Ableism

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and the recently released Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters both keep much of the original text intact, adding in new elements which are designed to spice things up a bit…Which makes it all the more unfortunate that clear notes of ableism were introduced into both of the monster mashups released in 2009.

More links after the jump

Jezebel: “Fuck Them”: Times Critic On Hollywood, Women, & Why Romantic Comedies Suck

Nom! Nom! Nom! Blog: Fudgy Wudgies!

Feminists for Choice: Of Sterilization and Birth Control: A Rant

Angry Black Bitch: A quizzical about the “sex talk”…

Feminist Law Professors: From the NYT: You Dumb Women are Opposing the New Mammogram Recommendations Because You Don’t Understand Science or Math

First World Feminism: What the Feminist Movement Needs

Racialicious: Why are Black Americans Playing Roles Meant for Africans?

TeamCharlsie: “You Have Herpes” … Just Kidding

Calls for Submissions:

Feminist Review: Call for Submissions: Carnival of Feminists (Theme: Reviews)

The F Word: Call out for guest bloggers

Esmeralda: A Transgender Immigration Detainee Speaks Out (h/t Nezua):

• An interesting (and funny) thought about Santa’s motives… (via Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal)
• A UNICORN! OH MY GOD (via The Discovery Blog)
• These look uncomfortable, but kind of awesome. (via Pipeline?)

Via F*ck Yeah The Beatles!

• I wrote my major report in Legal Studies on this. Interesting topic. (via An Onymous Lefty)
• I really love Eye on Springfield, for stuff like this. (via, well duh)
• Priest baiting! Woohoo!
• Why women need women (via Smaggle)

• Nail polish company ESSIE now has a blog! Have you seen it?
• The first issue of Forever 21’s magazine…make a $40 purchase and its yours!
• Rachel Zoe’s assistant Brad holding a Chanel briefcase - “I DIE!”
• The Olsens have a new clothing line coming out @ JC Penny – everything is under $50

It’s that time of year again, holidays are looming, people are reflecting on their achievements or contemplating their goals for 2010. Life does not exist in a vaccuum, different things matter to different individuals yet wholistically we’re all reaching for the things that matter to us. We’re hoping for happiness and success, wealth and even the different levels of self actualisation.

There are so many avenues to the ’self’  from education to dignity, social elements and even our actions and consequences.

Seth Godin’s blog features a freebie ebook:

Here are more than seventy big thinkers, each sharing an idea for you to think about as we head into the new year. From bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert to brilliant tech thinker Kevin Kelly, from publisher Tim O’Reilly to radio host Dave Ramsey, there are some important people riffing about important ideas here. The ebook includes Tom Peters, Jackie Huba and Jason Fried, along with Gina Trapani, Bill Taylor and Alan Webber.

I would recommend this ebook for everyone. Direct pdf download here.

It is brilliant reading topped with motivation, inspiration and some awesome ‘aha-moments’ … the type of book designed for everyone to gain benefit from. Be sure to share it with your friends

Over the summer I had a rather embarrassing, smelly clothing problem. The underarm area of most of my shirts and bras had collected a build-up of deodorant that was harboring body order. I tried everything to get the smell out. I scrubbed and soaked and scrubbed and soaked. In the mean time, I had to go and buy a couple new shirts and bras. It was, in my opinion, an unneeded expense on an already strained budget. And if I couldn’t get the smell out, I would have to get more. I was devastated and really stressed out.

Then as I searched the internet one more time for yet another way to eradicate the odors, I read something in a blurb somewhere that suggested using powdered dishwasher detergent. I pulled out my dishwasher detergent and set to work, scrubbing and soaking.

And it worked.

I had hope.

It seems really silly to be hopeful about such a thing but I learned something about the power of hope. I had been so worried and upset and forlorn about the possibility of not being able to remedy my stinky situation. When I finally found something that would work, the relief, the joy, the hope I felt was utterly indescribable. My entire outlook changed.

Hope, no matter what it’s about or where it comes from, is like dawn breaking through the darkness and making your whole world light and functional again.

Hope is powerful.

Hope heals.

It’s ironic that my simple story of hope revolves around laundry. The folks at Tide have a program called Loads of Hope. The Tide Loads of Hope trucks travel all over the country loaded with washers and dryers and laundry soap. They go to areas affected by natural disasters, hurricanes, floods, weather torn areas where electricity hasn’t been restored; and they let people do laundry.

It’s so simple yet so profound. When you’re having to deal with what nature has handed you, the last thing you want to worry about is how to get  your laundry done and yet there is, stinking up your already stinky situation. Sometimes, people just have the clothes they were wearing left and we all know how long each of can go in one set of clothes before we can’t even stand to smell ourselves!

Life feels much more hopeful when you can put on clean, non smelly clothes. I’m glad Tide knows that.

This week, my friends Megan, Deb and Mishelle are heading down to New Orleans to assist the Tide Loads of Hope people as they set up, once again, in an area that is still recovering from natural disaster. You can join in by posting your story about hope and linking it on the Loads of Hope blog carnival hosted by Blog Nosh and by following the stories on Twitter (follow @TideLoadsofHope and the #loadsofhope hashtag, they will be live updating tomorrow, 12/13 and Monday, 12/14). You can also click on the banner below to find other ways to help out.

{I wanted to end this post with Zane Williams’s song “Hope is a Flame” but I can’t find a way to post it here. Oh, well.}

Jezebel: Commenting About Race Is Complicated

The Curvature: Watching the Wheels

slb: In Praise of Lucille Clifton

49 percent: Thoughts on neutrality, the everybody-does-it defense, and reciprocation

Think Progress: Sotomayor’s opinion marks the Supreme Court’s first use of the term ‘undocumented immigrant’

Geek Feminism Blog: Questioning the merit of meritocracy

DarkPersephone: The male gaze as enemy of women’s freedom

Flip Flopping Joy: too stupid…

More links after the jump

A Spark of Wisdom: I am a homophobe

I Blame the Patriarchy: I got yer rape prevention email forward right here

Feministing: Notes from a bitch – pondering being prepared to be wrong…

The Black Snob: A Love Worth Dying For

Immigration Impact: ICE Transferring Detainees Impedes Their Access to Counsel and Limits Their Right to Present a Defense to Deportation

Racialicious: What Sarah Palin Taught Me About Beyonce

The Pursuit of Harpyness: Gender Studies for Kindergarteners (and the Kid in All of Us)

McDonald’s manager leaves voice message to trans woman: “We don’t hire faggots.”

I can’t believe I didn’t post this sooner- I am so flippin’ excited to share this news- however small- but my design company, JessLehry Designs and this little blog BSB were mentioned on the uber fab and famous wedding blog Style Me Pretty! JLD is credited with designing the programs for the fab wedding of Tosha and Will, which I’m hoping to feature here as a BS-WOW sometime very soon.

Check it out: the mention:

The programs weren’t pictured, but here’s a pic I snapped before I delivered them to the lovely bride:

It’s the little things that make my day. Too cool!

Like everyone else I have my go-to blogroll list I peruse daily. Today I thought I’d share the love.

A Daisy Chain Dream

Her blog highlights her wonderful daily outfits. We share an affinity for tights and she just hosted her first giveaway. Cheers!

Location: UK

Beauty Standard

Her blog has the most delicious looking food photos, but is mostly about her daily life and personal fashion taste. A lot of her posts are listed in both English and Spanish.

Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina

style bubble

She’s got a great eye for color and all things stylish.

Location: UK

le blog de Sushi

She showcases some great outfits she puts together and I love how she has a tab on geeking.

Location: Australia

blushing ambition

Annabel takes some great outfit and food photos. I really like her layering style – a must in the Bay! (my hometown too =)

Location: Bay Area, CA

the cherry blossom girl..

Her photos always have a dreamlike feel. She posts in English and in French and always lists all the items she wears.

Location: France

Coleen Rowley: New Warnings to New War President

Daisy’s Dead Air: Can I ask for my vote back, Mr President?

Tonight, as President Barack Obama makes a mockery of his Nobel Peace Prize and decides to escalate the Afghanistan War, I take formal leave of the Democratic Party.  I am now, officially, out the door.

Reclusive Leftist: The presidency as performance

Why do we still go through this pretense of voting?…The military-industrial complex trundles along as ever, forging the path of Empire. The only difference is who’s on TV. Flight suit or sober business attire? Weighty tomes or fresh-faced cadets?

Amy Siskind: Obama’s Misogynistic Associations Haunt Him

If we are to judge our president by whom he surrounds himself with, then what do Obama’s selections of Warren and Summers tell us? That Obama’s version of diversity does not include gay and women’s rights.

The Sanctuary: Quiet Raids, Slippery ICE and Grinches

The Bush administration favored dramatic, SWAT-like raids, but the Obama administration is taking a non-confrontational route. As Rosa reports, ICE has announced the latest wave of audits ahead of time, though specific business are not being named “due to the ongoing, law enforcement sensitive nature” of the audits.

Jezebel: The Audacity of Help

Critics are complaining that President Obama’s Tuesday night address lacked analysis of the situation facing women in the region, which appears to contradict Hillary Clinton’s pledge to make women’s issues a cornerstone of national security strategy. Was the omission intentional?

To all of you who may have read this and put out some good thoughts in our direction, I’m overjoyed to report that The Mister has been approved and received his green card. This means a lot of things, but mostly I’m happy that my irrational fear of the cops coming and busting into our apartment and carting him away to some unnamed, unlocated detention center that popped up every time I heard a siren is gone. My heart will thank me for this later, I’m sure.

In other news, I’ve had a terrible cold for the past week, but I’m now feeling much better. I suspect that one stress was having a negative effect on my ability to sleep and heal, and they both left me on the same day. Again, overjoyed.

We have done a bit of celebrating, but today has been a gross, rainy day so we’ve been inside vegging. We watched Terminator Salvation which was surprisingly good until the end (as I’ve realized I feel about many recent action films) and the series finale of Monk and we ate pizza and cookies. Then we got into action mode and now we’re both lying on the day bed, laptops propped open, headphones in, working on our own projects. This is pretty much exactly how I imagined married life to be. Recently The Mister was in an art auction for the Manhattan Graphics Center and we ended up purchasing some prints. So my little writing nook now has some awesome art up on the walls, my writing desk, a window with a plant, the daybed, and a pseudo-wall made of a bookshelf. This is my definition of happy.

___

Said the Gramophone normally has an amazing round-up of the best songs of the year. I haven’t listened to 2009’s yet, but I will soon. You should check it out if you’re looking for something new to listen to.

Frank Lloyd Wright Lego Sets? YES!

List of vegetables I’ve tried and found out that I love this fall: collard greens, kale, brussel sprouts

It’s nearing Christmastime, when all your family’s traditions come out to play. My family is mostly Irish-German (which explains why I like beer so much), and we’ve always hung a glass pickle ornament from our Christmas tree. The story goes that it’s an old German tradition that the parents hang the pickle deep in the tree’s boughs on Christmas Eve, and whoever finds the pickle first the next morning gets a special prize. Isn’t that nice? I mean, aside from the fact that it may have caused Lil Bro and I to knock over the tree in an effort to find the dang pickle.

But it’s fake.

I just had what Mum described (when I told her) as a “balloon > pin > psssssss” moment. It was like finding my letters to the Tooth Fairy and Santa and maybe even the Easter Bunny in the top of the medicine cabinet when I was young (true story).

According to these articles I’ve found on Google, the tradition is American and somehow got pinned on the Germans. From what I’ve read, the German tie comes from a town in Germany that’s famous for its blown-glass ornaments, many of which are in fruit or nut shapes.

I immediately emailed Mum to ask her what other pseudo-cultural traditions we observe might be fake (wearing green and drinking Guinness on St. Patrick’s Day immediately came to mind). She gently asked if I knew St. Paddy’s Day was a bigger deal here than it is in Ireland, which I knew. But she was, in her words “verklempt” that the pickle tradition was a fake.

Naturally, I bought a few of the dang pickles to give as gifts this year, so writing the “tradition” behind them will be an exercise in creative storytelling.

Have you ever had a “balloon > pin > psssssss” moment about one of your traditions or beliefs? What was it?

So I got some lovely link love from Syrana over at sideshowandsyrana.com so I am sending you back over there.  I really enjoy their blog and I think everyone should be reading it.  So go read .

Most mornings I get breakfast from the deli downstairs.  There is a guy who works in the building next door who also plays WoW.  When we see each other we start talking about the game, naturally.  This is quite some amusement to the owner of the deli, who just doesn’t get it.  He usually teases us about being “nerds” and “geeks”, *sigh*.  Anyway Curtis told me this morning that he was thinking of transferring over to my server and joining my guild.    He has an 80 of every class, seriously.  He uses the guides to level them so he should get along with my sweetie.  The downside is all of his toons are horde, and my guild is alliance.  He said that wouldn’t be a big deal.  He just wants to be in a guild that does stuff.

I am quite excited that he is thinking of moving to come play with me.  In fact if there is anyone else who wants to come play with us, you are more than welcome!  The more the merrier.  In fact, the more people we get, the more I can push us to be able to get more raiding nights.

Tonight is the continuation of our 8 man Naxx run.  I am kind of looking forward to it.  It was a lot of fun when we went in a few weeks ago, and I think everyone involved had a blast.  Saturday is another Ulduar run.  We didn’t extend the last raid ID, and since it was just a fail run for the most part, I am glad we didn’t extend it.  Hopefully this week will be much better.

My sweetie is coming to visit me next week, in fact a week from today, so I most likely will be a tad bit distracted.  There have been several great blog posts that I have read over the last few weeks and I am going to try to link them over the next few posts and “discuss” them, or at least attempt to talk about them wherein I will end up getting off topic and rambling onto another topic.  But you all know this and still keep coming back, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it is in fact endearing and not just irritating.

I really do <3 my readers.

Except when you don’t comment.  I mean seriously what is up with that?  Comment people!  I get 40-50 hits a day, and maybe 4-5 of you comment regularly.  I know you are out there and are reading this!  So return the favor!

Brats :-p