Okay, keeping on the Christmas theme, I thought I’d write this for knitters to carol to. ^^

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

a glass of my favorite wine.

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the third day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

ten big blue yarn totes,

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

eleven fiber dyes,

ten  big blue yarn totes,

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

twelve skeins for a sweater,

eleven fiber dyes,

ten big blue yarn totes,

nine skeins of cashmere,

eight bamboo needles,

seven new stitch markers,

six skeins of sock yarn,

five DPNs,

four knitting books,

three hat patterns,

two point protectors,

and a glass of my favorite wine.

Happy Holidays!

My idea of the meaning: somewhere that fish are kept, such as a fish tank or anywhere that fish are kept in large quantities.

Actual meaning: a submerged net used in commercial fishing for capturing fish.

Feelings: Aw, I was so close. Nor do I have anywhere normal to use that word. Maybe I can tell people its real, get them all worked up and then prove them wrong.

My idea of the meaning: To do, to begin (?)

Actual meaning: Upon, on the basis of

Feelings: Well, that’s an odd word. I guess its meaning can kind of make sense… not really.

Christmas TV specials make an excellent family tradition. Growing up, I remember watching shows like “Rudolph,” “Frosty,” and the “Grinch”—the original episodes, not the remakes. These timeless classics were fun and innocent. Most of the specials on this list were created before the invention of DVDs, the Internet and 100+ cable channels. Only two shows on this list were made in the past thirty years. Unfortunately, newer Christmas TV shows have lost the charm of the TV shows of old.

Here, I present the 12 Best Christmas TV Shows:

12. Olive, The Other Reindeer – The title of this 1999 show, starring Drew Barrymore, comes from a common misheard song lyric, called a Mondegreen.

11. A Christmas Carol (1984 w/ George C Scott)

10. Claymation Christmas Celebration – This 1988 special features the California Raisins singing “Rudolph” and other songs.

9. Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol

8. Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (1976 – Rankin-Bass) – A Rudolph spinoff.

7. The Muppet Christmas Carol

6. The Little Drummer Boy (1968 – Rankin-Bass)

Heat Miser

5. The Year without a Santa Claus (1974 – Rankin Bass) – Arguably the best of the Rudolph spinoff featuring Heat Miser and Cold Miser, who create the summers and winters, are the sons of Mother Nature. I love the song, “I’m Mister Heat Miser, I’m Mister Sun…”

4. Frosty the Snowman (1969 – Rankin-Bass)

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas – This could easily be in the first or second spot. That poor little tree is certainly endearing.

The Grinch

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas – The Who Pudding, the Who Roast Beast, Little Cindy Lou Who, and Max the dog are adorable.

1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 -Rankin-Bass) – This timeless classic takes the top spot due to its creative plot, numerous classic songs, a memorable cast of characters. Rudolph and his band of misfit toys save Christmas.

Rudolph

*WARNING VIOLENCE AND STRONG LANGUAGE, BRIEF NONSEXUAL NUDITY* The US Renditions, The Guyver with original voices not like the set out now redone. NOTE, The Original tapes were dying so sorry for the glich areas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS_trHPVZrY&hl=en

Tags : tw-wight tw-washington http://mackie-reviews.co.cc/ http://gabriella-mew.co.cc/ http://shiseidoeblog.co.cc/

Lyda here. I took the day off today, which is why I’m writing this in the middle of the day. 

The plan was that I was getting ready for the garage sale and cleaning for tonight’s guests. Some friends were going to come over tonight for a potluck, but they’ve all cancelled, so I cleaned the bathroom for nothing. Oh, except for us, I guess.

Yes, I’m supposed to be searching for an apartment / preparing for the garage sale tomorrow come one come all / packing everything I own / pushing the Resident Sith Master to pack up the stuff on his shelves so that we can sell the shelves in the garage sale.

But hey, I did talk to one guy about an apartment. And I did clean the bathroom. So I deserve a break. It’s almost lunch time, and I have a friend from work coming over after her off-site meeting to pick up some items she’s buying for her grandkids.

——-

So, now it’s later. RSM did clear off the shelves, and the coworker picked up her goodies. I packed up the desk area, although not the computer obviously. The desk being sold is cleared off, so the rest can wait.

Now we’re taking a well-earned break. RSM has a friend coming over soon and I need to go run some errands – get some small bills to make change tomorrow, and post signs. Shit, have to make signs.

I was going to go look at apartments, but it looks like that will have to happen after the sale. Or Sunday. Sunday is good for apartment hunting, right?

Meanwhile, here are some random items I’ve been thinking about posting, which have nothing in common except the pig-licking. Y’all know I’m all about the random.

Wow, I must be tired. I haven’t digressed once.

A couple of blogs to check out:

• Small Dog Syndrome – funny post about pregnancy scares, with illustrations as well as funny office posts
• The Bloggess – tons of funny posts

And then there’s this, which just has everything a Pollyanna could ask for in a pig-licking link:

• Deep fried butter & the competition for outrageous fried food recipes at the Texas state fair – priceless quote by Abel Gonzalez Jr. (inventor of deep fried butter): 

“It’s funny, because being at the state fair is the total opposite of being a computer analyst,” he said. “I finally kind of figured out that I was in the wrong field. …”

And then there’s this:

• From the May 2009 “Country Living” magazine:  “For just $92, you can spend the night inside the world’s biggest beagle” which is in Idaho.

Is it just me, or do you enter the beagle through his… uh… rear?

I guess that’s the end, folks.

Hey, I couldn’t have resisted for all the deep-fried butter in Texas.

From the wacky and zany to the boring and brainy, today I present the 12 Days of the Tackiest Christmas Gifts. You know what I’m talking about—the gift that we just hate to receive. But as gracious recipients, we try to apply our best fake smile and say “thanks” to gifts like these:

12. Anything “regifted,” although a talented regifter can cover his secret.

11. The Carpenter’s Christmas Album—Yes, it was nice in the 70’s and early 80’s. But now it’s just plain cheesy.

10. Anything domesticated (small appliances) – Husbands should already know this by now. A blender will offend her.

9. Neckties—especially if they are Christmas ties.

Hanukkah Harry from SNL

8. Socks—If you ever have seen Hanukkah Harry from Saturday Night Live, giving socks is not cool.

7. Anything Plaid or with Argyles—No offense to Andy Bernard from “The Office.”

6. Fuzzy Dice—to hang from the rearview mirror on my 68 Mustang.

5. McDonald’s Gift Certificates—what’s up with these? The food is crappy, but the shakes are OK.

4. Fruit cake—I don’t care how much the English love their Fruit cake. Over here, stateside, it’s hard to find a good one.

3. The Pocket Fisherman—Thank you, Ronco!

Andy Bernard from "The Office"

2. The Clapper—I’m not sure what’s worse, the jingle or the gift! But the jingle is a Brainworm™.

1. The Chia Pet—the pottery that grows seems to reappear every year about this time. Are these guys still in business?

So, I got on the bus today. Right at two oh eight. And upon sitting down in a seat, I realized that there was absolutely nothing I could get done at home. I’d be lazing around the house for four hours, accomplishing nothing. And eating.

So, I stood back up and walked off the bus. And back into school.

So, here I am, seated at Mrs. Propp’s computer, blogging and yearbooking and thinking about food.

I really want an Olympia salad. That would be fantastic.

Anyway. There’s a basketball game tonight, at home. I really want to go, but I have play rehearsal.

Come on, it’s not like I do anything at play, anyway. Until I know all of my (twelve) lines, there’s not really much I can do but observe where I move. And how to jump when my leg gets shot. Ha.

I’d need blue clothes, anyway. Maybe my mother will come to the game and bring me some. And some of Olympia’s salad.

On another note, I got a hug today. I passed this kid that I think I like walking in the hallway during twelfth. He said, “Hey, you,” and I honestly almost turned around to see who he was talking to. But it was me, ha ha. So I gave him a hug and he mumbled at me politely and then we went our separate ways.

I think I make him nervous. I know I make him awkward.

Whatever, though. I’d like a guy I can talk to about anything, who argues with me, and who knows when and what I’m feeling. I’d like a guy who doesn’t expect me to be experienced in everything sexual. I’d like a guy who can text me and have more to talk to me about than sex.

But for now, well. I guess I’ll settle with the one I have in mind now. The one with silly shoelaces and flippy hair who I never see to talk to. The one everyone says is so sweet. The one that doesn’t make any sense for me to be crushing on.

Yep, I think I’ll stick with him, regardless of the senselessness. As Katie is fond of quoting, “It’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years.” And my years have been pathetically lacking in life lately.

Christmas music is one of the most fundamental elements of a joyful season. Without music the celebrations would be tame and our spirits dim, not bright. Joined with colorful lights, decorations, and other holiday lore, music can bring out the best in us—memories, charity, and joy.

Since Christmas music can be very personal and different for everyone, this is probably the most subjective list you’ll ever see. Out of hundreds of artists and thousands of variations of classic Christmas songs and carols, these songs speak differently to everyone.

The 12 Best Days of Christmas Songs are:

12. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – This is a very good song beginning with the title. It states the entire emotion and feeling of the piece with a positive and dramatic eloquence. The melody line has such a recognizable hook that can be played on practically any instrument—even a sitar. This most wonderful song secures it’s place in history.

11. Walking in a Winter Wonderland, by Eurythmics – Annie Lennox’s soulful voice is captured beautifully in this timeless classic. Originally written in 1934, this song was been covered by more than 20 different recording artists. This version by Eurthymics strays away from the predictable.

10. Last Christmas, by Wham! – This George Michael love-lost Christmas song is an 80’s Pop sensation. The allure of the stereotypical 80’s sound is fully ensconced in synths and electric drums.

9. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow – This truly delightful song has one of the peppiest melody hooks with a very recognizable lyric. This Brainworm™ is truly timeless, regardless of who sings it.

8. White Christmas – Truly a beautiful song—even for this life-long Floridian. That’s right, I hate the cold. However, a cool, crisp and cloudy day can get me into a Holiday mood.  What I like the most about this serenade, it is centered beautiful Holiday imagery and tradition.

7. The Christmas Song – This Nat King Cole classic is a true Holiday favorite.

6. Jingle Bells – “O what fun is to ride in a one horse soapin’ sleigh. Hey!”

5. The Little Drummer Boy by Jars of Clay – By far, the best rendition to this long-time classic. Very refreshing.

4. Mary Did You Know? – This beautiful song about Mary is laced with deep questions like “Mary did you know that your baby boy, will one day walk on water?” You can view the rest of the lyrics, written by Mark Lowry, here.

3. The First Noel – It’s easy to envision the original Nativity Scene in Year One, AD with this melodic masterpiece. One of the most captivating elements of the song is the fact that the melody ends on the third note of the scale—giving it flow and continuity into the following verses.

2. Silent Night by Special EFX (GRP Christmas) – Silent Night is by far, one of the best Christmas songs ever. The GRP Christmas Compilation Album features my favorite version of this hymn by the Jazz band, Special EFX.

1. O Holy Night – This 1894 Christmas carol is famous for its flowing melody, beautiful lyrics and climatic finish, perfect for a dramatic public performance. The combination of beauty, grace and power personifies the humbleness of a baby born in a manger with the supremacy of a Savior and King.

O Holy Night

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of Our dear Saviour’s birth.

Long lay the world In sin and error pining,

‘Til He appear’d And the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope The weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks A new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O, hear the angels’ voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born;

O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

(Special thanks to Michael Van Gelder, Cheryl Letner, Jennifer Moore, Lee Elliot, Sharon Langford, Laurie Heibert, Nancy Rees, Mike Lilley, Dawn Harris and Nancy Wilkins for their suggestions.)

Tomorrow’s blog for “The 12 Days of Brainworms™” is the “12 Days of Memorable Movie Lines.” Please feel free to send me your favorite movie lines via Twitter >> http://Twitter.com/JohnWeeden.

Thinking of You.

Congratulations! You are sitting at table eight!

Here is some late breaking news that Mrs. Abyss failed to share the first time she told me about her company’s Christmas party.

Woot. It’s an unexpected and serendipitous chance to talk about Christmas and dice again!

As a dice lover myself, even I thought this was outrageous. When employees arrived at the party a 12-sided die was rolled. The number shown on the die determined where the employee would be seated.

Now let me try to understand this. First the company told employees they could bring their spouses and significant others to the party but they would be charged $25. Now the company cruelly twists the friggin’ Christmas party and makes it serve double-duty as a bullshit touchy-feeling human-resources-style training event.

It’s the holiday season. Peace on Earth and goodwill towards people. To celebrate and show how much we care about you we’re going to randomize the seating to make your Christmas party meal as awkward and unpleasant as possible.

There is a time and place for that sort of thing and it is decidedly not the Christmas party! They are lucky I didn’t go. Would I have been forced to roll a die of my own and have a one-in-12 chance of sitting at the same table as my wife? I can only assume that yes, they’d be just that sick in the head.

Merry Christmas, ho ho ho! Whatever! Now roll them bones!

Algo que me gusta de estas casas, es lo increiblemente llamativas que son… digo al menos ya tendras cierta reputacion por ser el dueño de ese lugar y nadie te ignorara en el resto de tu vida por esos vecindarios o ciudad. Esas casas tambien pueden ser utilizadas como puntos de referencia, como aqui en juarez “La casa del sol y la luna”, la “Casona” o la “Casa de Juan Gabriel”… bueno esas casas pasaran a ser algo igual, en el link vean el resto de las demas casas.

[12 casas extrañamente pintadas]

Still wondering what to get your favorite people for the holidays? I’m thrilled to bring you shopping tips from some of our – and your! – favorite authors! Today I’ve got the inside scoop on what Melissa Walker, Lauren Myracle, and Jessica Lee Anderson are gifting this year.  Enjoy!

Melissa Walker is one of the hard-workingest girls in the YAlitosphere. She runs/writes for seemingly a jillion blogs, from her own at melissacwalker.com to readergirlz and iheartdaily. Her Violet on the Runway series – three books about a newly-discovered fashion model – has captured the hearts of many Austin readers, so we were thrilled when her latest book,  Lovestruck Summer was set right here in our home town! Melissa is a savvy shopper for sure, so you know you’re getting good advice from this lovely lady!

Here’s Melissa’s shopping list:

I’m grabbing Matt de la Peña’s We Were Here for my 15-year-old nephew. I love main-character Miguel’s authentic voice and tangled emotions. Lots of conflict will keep my nephew entertained, and lots of heart hooked me! [Emily's note - it hooked me, too!] I’m also giving him Gentlemen by Michael Northrop–hilarious and dark with lots of dramatic moments and a mystery.

For my best friend’s daughter, I’m picking up Lorie Ann Grover’s Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish. She’s still tearing up paper books, but a board book with fantastic illustrations and a soothing goodnight message is just what she needs.

My 10-year-old niece is getting the latest Allie Finkle book–she’s hooked already and Meg Cabot always makes me laugh, too!

Lauren Myracle, reigning queen of reader advocacy and writerly courage, is one of my absolute favorite authors of books for young people. From ttyl to Luv Ya Bunches, with books like Eleven, Bliss, and Peace, Love & Baby Ducks in between, you can bet she’s written something you’ll just adore.

A fab idea from Lauren:

I’m giving Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins to all of my third grade son’s friends, because he loved it so much when we read it together, and because everyone I’ve ever given it to loves it, both kid and parent. (It’s pretty much my standard gift for anyone, boy or girl, between the ages of 6 and 10.) Toys Go Out reminds me of the old-fashioned Raggedy Ann and Andy stories, and also the classic Wizard of Oz stories, but Toys is funnier, quirkier, and utterly more-delightful-er.

Local Author Jessica Lee Anderson is garnering great reviews with her latest book, Border Crossing, an edgy story about a Mexican-American teen battling schizophrenia and issues of his own identity. Trudy, her debut novel, is both heartwarming and heart-breaking and the winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children’s Literature. Jessica’s big heart and warm smile brighten our day whenever we see her in the store, and I’ve loved every book she’s recommended to me. Her recommendations are delightful!

Jessica’s notes for holiday shopping:

I love the holidays, and I especially love giving books to my nephews and niece.  I also love shopping at BookPeople as the selection is fantastic, and a large number of books have been signed by the authors.

Here is what is on my list so far:

Nephew #1, infant:  All the World, written by Liz Garton Scanlon and illustrated by Marla Frazee.  My nephew is especially young, but I couldn’t resist getting him a signed copy of this timeless picture book.  The language is so beautiful and soothing, plus the illustrations are stunning.

Nephew #2, toddler:  Stanza, written by Jill Esbaum and illustrated by Jack E. Davis.  This picture book is such a fun and clever read aloud, and it will really appeal to my nephew’s sense of humor and artistic sensibilities.  He’ll love exploring the details found on every page.

Niece, middle-grader: Confetti Girl by Diana Lopez.  This novel suits my niece’s personality as it is a story filled with friendship, heart, and charisma.

Nephew #3, middle-grader:  The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin.  The adventure and the puzzles will engage my nephew’s inquisitive and imaginative mind.

This list will be much longer by the time I finish shopping! Happy reading to all!

In the midsts of reading Douglas Coupland’s latest novel, Generation A, which I’d been struggling with for a time but closing in on the end it’s really coming together, I discovered two more GenX authors.

Well, I didn’t so  much discover them as stumble across them, which is one of the advantages of working in a library. You’re constantly surrounded by books, and even those that escape your notice when the first enter the collection can suddenly present themselves again. That’s what happened in the case of the first author.

Vanessa Jones (b. 1970), author of the slim novel, The Kindest Use a Knife, which I noticed only because I happened to be passing through that section and Thom Jones’ collection The Pugilist at Rest caugth my eyes. Pugilist is kind of special book for me; I was new to the MFA program at Western Michigan and Thom Jones was perhaps the first big author that I got the chance to meet. Anyway, V. Jones’ book was next to his on the shelf. I don’t know why I picked it up, perhaps because it was slim and black and the title was intriguing. In any case, a quick glance made me want to read it. And further investigation put this young Brit writer firmly with in Generation X. Of course, whether she considers herself a GenX writer or not is another story. But if she doesn’t like the label, she’s welcome to contact me with her displeasure. I like displeasure. It’s at least part pleasure, right. Knife is not Jones’ first book. Her first was entitled Twelve. Check the description posted on Amazon.com for it:

The dullness of repetition and nonimaginative yearnings define the complacency that permeates the lives of the aimless young Brits in Jones’ debut novel. Though seemingly well-employed and decently housed with a nice enough housemate, Lily, her protagonist, can’t seem to shake her restlessness long enough to decide on a general direction for her adulthood, let alone a specific one. She wonders when she started to identify with the company employing her so much that she thinks of herself and it as “we.” Passively, she goes though the surface motions of living as though rehearsing for the real thing, waiting for some recognizably decisive incident to give her past clarity and her future a roadmap providing the direction and purpose she lacks. This ennui verging on anomie is prevalent in a number of recent writings about bright, thirtyish Brits. Can this be the result of England’s post-Thatcher stable growth, where good jobs and comfortable lives are taken for granted? Where did the rebellion and passion go? Whatever happened to England’s beautiful Angry Young Men?

It just drips GenX. She’s the right age too. Of course, the proof will be in the pudding, i.e. the reading, although some chocolate pudding would be nice right now…mmmmmmmmmm. Of course, I have to get a copy to read it; library doesn’t own it.

Knife is different, a darker tale about friendships and rivalry, but it still seems to fit the GenX ethos, at least that is my instinct. I have to read it still too.

The other author is Lydia Millet (b. 1968), who has many more titles to her credit. I’m particular interested in her recent short story collection — Love in Infant Monkeys. Dig it. What really drew me to this particular book was that the stories are, in part, about famous people. I’ve had a few story ideas that perhaps are similar. Again, I’ve yet to read it. But I’m confident that I’m not jumping the gun. And it isn’t just her age, which is pretty much the same as mine, which makes me feel…lacking to put it mildly, since Millet has a half a dozen book out there already, and I’ve yet to have one. More than her age, it is Millet’s unconventionality that makes her a GenX author of GenX Lit. She’s shelved in regular fiction and yet she was a short-listed for the Arhtur C. Clark Award. Reminds me of Jonathan Lethem, whose writing is bends from conventional human drama to sci fic to noir.

My hope is to quickly finish of Coupland’s latest effort and then dig into these two books, see if my intincts are correct.

After I broke up with Zac Efron, I don’t think that I can fall in love with someone else. I’m still love him you know. It’s hard to forget him after what happen in our life. I can’t stop thinking about him. His blue eyes always haunting me everywhere I go. His shadow always around me and make me feel uncomfortable to do anything. It’s killing me softly.

Stop it!!!! Stop right there okay…. It’s over…. No more drama….

Okay.. so what do you want from me?

Nothing. I just want you to know that everything it’s over now and you have to forget about that and making a new step in your life.

Of course I will… and I think I’m gonna take one.

Really… Are you sure? So what is it?

I don’t know… I just… I think… Emmm…. Emmmmmm……

Come on… just tell me okay… stop playing game with me.

Okay… okay…. I think I fall in love again.

What????!!!

Yes… definitely ….

But… With who? Do I know him?

Yes, of course you do. He is so famous right know.

Oow really? So tell me what his name?

Chace Crawford.

Chace what? Who is he?

What?? Don’t you know him? What kind of person do you? Where are you living lately? Are you living on Antarctica or wherever that no TV and internet at all?

I really don’t know him. This means that he doesn’t famous enough, right?

All right. I’ll tell you a little bit about him. Listen to me carefully and don’t stop it before finish okay?

So first time I know him when he played as Nate Archibald in The CW’s new drama “Gossip Girl” in 2007 ago. His full name is Christopher Chace Crawford. Born on July 18th, 1985 at Lubbock, Texas, U.S. His tall 1.84 m and very match if he standing in my side. He’s got everything that is on a gorgeous man. The face. The hair. The perfect smile. He’s so debonair. Not to mention those gorgeous blue eyes and that stunning six pack. And I think he is much better than Zac Efron. Yeah Zac Efron have a beautiful eyes too… but still Chase Crawford is hotter all around. So it’s not surprising that In 2009, Chase Crawford was named “Summer’s Hottest Bachelor” by People.

What??? No way. There’s no one can beat Zac Efron.

Whatever. Just wait until you meet Chace Crawford. You’re gonna say different thing. Just trust me.

O yeah one thing more, he signed on to play a lead role as a drug dealer named White Mike in the upcoming film Twelve, directed by Joel Schumacher. The film, based on Nick McDonell’s novel Twelve, is scheduled to be released by winter 2010. I can’t wait to see him on that film.

And you know what, it’s make me surprised that Chace was in the video for the music “I Will Be” from the British singer Leona Lewis, playing her boyfriend. The video was released in January 2009. I really love this song.

So if you still thinking that Zac Efron more hotter than Chace Crawford, just take a look at his pictures and the video below, after that tell me what do you think about him.

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Calculated Power Rankings, Unit Strength, Strength of Schedule, and Estimated Final Record following week 10 of the NFL season. I use an engineering method of iteratively solving for best fit to the data (scores) to create the ranks and related applications that corrects for opponents played.

 Everything is based on correcting the scoring offense and defense of each team for opponents, by calculating the expected scoring against an average opponent, instead of averaging the points scored against the actual opponents played. This allows all teams are evaluated on a level plane. Power is defined as scoring offense minus scoring defense, the list sorted by the net difference.

I run a full season calculation, and a most recent 4 weeks calculation and blend them (4:1) to acknowledge change and teams that are hot/cold.

Power Rank:

New Orleans reclaims its spot at the top with a dominating win over the Patriots. The rest of the top 6 remains fairly static, with only the Charges and Ravens trading places. The Chargers continue their march toward the top. They have had a warm fire burning in the change indicator the bulk of the season, showing strong sustained growth week after week.

7 to 14 is a densely packed group of above average teams. Only 1.8 ppg net separates #7 from #14. Green Bay strongly moves up in this group this week, from where it was last week right at the bottom of it. Each team in that group has the power to get hot and make some waves. Houston and San Francisco are withing striking distance of joining the group. We’ll see a team or two rise above the group shortly.

#29 to #32 is a block of 4 almost equally awful teams that have been shifting around much of the season.

This is becoming a season of offense, at the top of the ranks the top offenses are rising up and clumping together much moreso than the top defenses, a reversal of last season.

Tennessee remains the hottest team in the NFL again this week. They are simply on a terror. Again though the change is showing a trend of declining teams at the top and rising teams at the bottom, really all it is doing is making the field denser. The teams near the bottom in change are predictable, each has declined significantly from where they began the season.

Net = Projected net scoring agaisnt an average opponent (PPG)
Off = Projected offensive scoring against an average defense (PPG)
O Rk = Rank of offense
Def = Projected scoring by an average offense against the defense (PPG)
D Rk = Rank of defense
Chg = Difference between data run of most recent 4 weeks and full season (hot/cold) (PPG)
C Rk = Rank of change.

Strength of Schedule:

Instead of using points, or quality opponents, etc, the method that I chose to rank the strength of schedule is the average power rank of opponent played. The current power rank is used and each week the full season recalculated.

Seas = Average power rank of all opponents all season
Prev = Average power rank of teams played thus far
P Rk = Ranked difficulty of past schedule
Fut = Average power rank of teams yet to be played
F Rk = Ranked difficulty of future schedule.

Estimated Final Record:

I use the power rank, current record, and future opponents to estimate the final record for the team. The net scoring against an average opponent for one team is subtracted from another to determine who is favored and by how many points.

If a team is favored by 14+ points, I assumed that they win 100% of the time.
If a team is favored between 7 and 14 points, I assumed that they win 80% of the time.
If a teams is favored between 0 and 7 points, I assumed that they win 60% of the time.
If a team is not favored between 0 and 7 points, I assumed that they win 40% of the time.
If a team is not favored between 7 and 14 points, I assumed that they win 20% of the time.

Very little change this week in order. In the AFCN, Baltimore and Pittsburgh trade places, the rest of the field remains the same. The AFC wildcard race seems to be a 3 horse race, with Baltimore and Denver currently leading the pack, and Pittsburgh a game back threatening, the rest of the teams will need to get extremely hot, the only team that appears to have the heat on their side is Tennessee. In the NFC, the wildcard race is starting to become clear. Green Bay and the NFCE 2nd place are the current favorites, with Atlanta a game back. All the other teams will need to get hot immediately, with no teams showing signs of igniting.

Power Ranking Performance:

Week 1 record – 14-2
Week 2 record – 11-5
Week 3 record – 12-4
Week 4 record – 11-3
Week 5 record – 7-7
Week 6 record – 9-5
Week 7 record – 9-4
Week 8 record – 7-6
Week 9 record – 8-5
Week 10 record – 8-7
Week 11 record – 12-4
Week 12 record – 12-4
Total – 120-56
Missed Last Week – NYG-Den, Mia-Buf, Tn-Ari, NO-NE

Overall a pretty good week. Missed on the 2 predicted upsets (NO-NE, Tn-Ari), also missed the two upsets while picking the favorite.

Enjoy

Lyda here. This post title makes me laugh in a snarfing and unattractive way. Snarfing is important.

So, here are just some odd bits that are floating through what for the lack of a better word I call my brain. Just some curiosities from my strange world.

1.)  I’ve been doing a bit of catching up on my blog reading (though obviously not my blog writing). As a way to escape the uncertainty of my life. Where the hell am I moving? What’s it going to be like without my son living with me? On my 50th birthday, what state will I be living in? And what will be the state of my mind? But I digress.

I just read Laurie’s post about her Procrasticleaning. I usually am right up there with that. Have a big decision to make? Clean the bathroom. Need to confront someone? Clean out a closet. Of course, when what I’m procrastinating is actually sorting and packing, the cleaning does not help. But that’s what TV is for.

In that post, Laurie also talks about wanting to look into other people’s spaces as a window into their life. I totally do that too. So often she writes stuff like this and it sounds like it is coming out of my head. But funnier, and with a higher ratio of cat-hair-mentions. Not that I don’t have a similar amount of cat hair in my life. I just don’t have funny ways to talk about it like Crazy Aunt Purl does.

2.) With the impending Move of Doom Exciting New Possibilities, I’ve been clearing stuff away. I actually went through the boxes in the garage, and got rid of most of my vast collection of holiday stuff. And I mean vast. I had four huge bins of Yule stuff alone. It’s almost all going – I kept what amounts to a third of a bin, and the Resident Sith Master kept about the same. The rest is going to the garage sale.

3.) How I dread the garage sale. It would be fun if y’all could all come and hang out with me. Anna-Liza could pour sweet tea for the customers, and Knitting Sprite could sit in the shade and take the money, and Marin could talk people into buying all my crap  stuff  inexpensive treasures. Instead, it will be me and RSM and there is so much stuff to drag down to the street and if it doesn’t sell, I’ll probably leave it on the lawn with a big old “Free” sign and if no one takes it I’ll have to haul it off to Goodwill. It just seems like it is going to be an exhausting day and I’m not sure it’s going to be worth it. I’d be willing to sell it all to one person for $20 at this point. But I really need money, and I need to get rid of this stuff, and we did make $75 at the last sale and this time there will be furniture so maybe we’ll do okay.

Argh! No wonder the TV beckons.

4.) So, I was reading Enchanting Juno and I came across this post which is about not buying stuff, and other things - I love blogs where people wander about a bit in the posts, it feels like a real conversation. Or like what goes on in my own head.

But I digress.

And she has some interesting observations on how her own not-buying has shaped what she will consider buying in the future and how it has changed her relationship to things.

I myself dabbled these last two years with the not-buying. I have a bit of experience in this area.

A big bit of experience.

A huge ocean-liner-smashing iceberg of experience.

A massive planet-killing asteroid of experience.

Sorry. Digressing there. Yeah.

Anyway…

It’s given me some time to look at my spending, and what I want to have in my life.

I got tired of all the plastic and paper junk, and I decided to cut way back. I am switching over to more natural materials. Wood boxes and woven baskets. Fabric napkins (bought on sale of course) and real plates. Rags for cleaning instead of paper towels except in the bathroom; because of the whole germ thing I am kind of OCD about when it comes to the bathroom cleaning, you really do not want to hear about it, oh there I go digressing again.

And as I sort through my possessions, I realize that I am tired a lot of my stuff. I want to get rid of it all and start over. I want quality things that fit my taste now. I still have possessions from when I set up my first home at 18, and none of those things were intended to be lifelong possessions. I have lived with them all this time because they were “good enough.”

Good enough for now. Good enough for a college student / newlywed / struggling single mom. Good enough for a person who thinks she doesn’t deserve better.

I’m tired of that. I’m tired of my own poverty mentality, my own addiction to thinking of myself as poor. I want to change that. I want “good enough” change to “good for me”.

Wish me luck. This is uncharted territory for me.

5.) And I have to go now and get turkey and etcetera because I promised RSM a feast tomorrow. He is used to two Thanksgivings – he had one with his dad yesterday – and I love to do it all. We’ll have turkey, stuffing (I was never great at making my own, so I used  Mrs. Cubbinson’s for years. Now we do Stove Top – it’s faster and easier and we actually like it better. Stove Top, you can send the thank-you check to…), mashed potatoes (hugely important), gravy (from a jar – sometimes I make my own, but not this year), cranberry sauce (canned), and my famous Cranberry-Cherry Pie. Oh, and maybe a non-starchy vegetable. Possibly something green.

6.) I’m thankful to be able to make a feast and enjoy it with my son. I’m thankful that we have food, shelter, and lots of love. I’m thankful that even with the changes happening in our lives, my son will be safe and cared for, and I have so much support and love. I’m thankful I have Anna-Liza and all you out there.

And I’m thankful for the help I get writing this blog.

"I think you split an infinitive."

This is drawing twelve.I think your spiritual perception will appreciate it. 

I am currently reading “Twelve Quakers and Faith”. I like it and want to read more in the series.

Apparently it is Pamphlet 8, makes it sound like some arcane government document from the 1950’s.  Pamphlet is good, pamphlet means short, it is only 36 pages long.  This means it was cheap (£2.50 plus £1 postatage from the Quaker bookshop) and it is easy to read if you have kids running around.

Having said it is short and easy to read is perhaps doing it a disservice. Many of the ideas take time to digest and I rather think the point is to read and consider each point of view rather than race to the end like an express train.

I read it in a oner and raced to the end like an express train. Oh well.

When reading about other peoples personal experiences, I find I am always comparing them to mine, do I agree with their views? Is their world viewpoint the same as mine?  Do they use language I like or does it turn me off? I’m not necessarily sure this is a good thing, but it is what I do.

Personally I find too much mention of God, Jesus and long quotes from the bible just don’t do it for me. I turn off. I feel like I am being preached at.

So as always I found myself comparing my views to those in the book and unusually, I found myself agreeing with  “1″.

“so much of my belief was cultural as much as theological; implicit in it was church architecture, music and literature.”

This is true for me, I was brought up in the Church of Scotland. I love church music, the architecture. When I first heard of Quakers, I dismissed them out of hand as there was “no music”.

I now realise that I can enjoy religious music in all it’s forms but this does not have to be an integral part of meeting for worship. Anyway the whole Quaker idea is that your whole life speaks, not just the bit you do in church, so I can still enjoy religious music.  All this is a wordy way of saying is that my early belief was as much cultural as it was religious.

It was a great relief to become a Quaker and not have to say things like “he descended into hell…”

I agree. How can you recite the Apostles Creed if you don’t believe in it? Surely that is the worst form of hypocrisy? I have never taken Communion as I do not believe I am eating the body of Christ. I also fail to see how doing so would make me a better person.

I was a regular attender at a meeting in England. One week, a lady explained how she had been at a Church of England church. They were having communion and she had not taken part. She had been encouraged to go forward to the altar for a blessing. Again she had refused. I felt such relief when I heard this.  Here was a woman who I admired and seemed to share my same uneasiness at taking part in communion. Maybe my views aren’t so heretical after all.

In meeting, not all vocal ministry is directed specifically at me. So when someone speaks and it doesn’t hold any meaning for me, I remember the relief I felt when, one sunday the ministry did speak to me and I hope that someone else in the meeting is gaining the same benefit from the ministry that had no meaning for me. For me, that is the essence of how a Quaker meeting works.

Anyway, I have enjoyed reading this booklet and I will probably consider some of the other views in more depth. After all, how else do you learn?

I had to go for my injection today. Every twelve weeks the same routine. Down to my local health centre to see the nurse, who warms the precious phial before injecting its contents slowly* into my buttock. Perhaps you wince at the image but it has long since become as ordinary to me as praying five times a day is to a devout Muslim – and, let’s face it, compared to five times a day, once every twelve weeks isn’t onerous.

The injection used to be required more frequently  – once every three weeks – and in those days i used to do it myself at home. This had the advantage of autonomy. I didn’t have to depend on someone else or worry about getting through on the (perpetually jammed) health centre appointment line. On the other hand, it was also nerve-wracking. I never came fully to terms with sticking a needle into my body – it wasn’t the pain, of which there’s very little due to the lack of nerve endings in that part of your body; but more an anxiety, an awareness that if something did go drastically wrong there would be nobody there to help me.

It was also lonely. As a trans man i get by in the world via a mixture of bravado and silence; yet inevitably there are times when i become anxious or depressed. One of the things i appreciated when i switched medications and had to return to attending the health centre for my injection was the chance to chat with the nurse. It’s funny: on the one hand i resent the way in which transitioning has permanently medicalised my life, but on the other i quite enjoy the attention. Nurses, especially the ones attached to health centres, are almost always a joy to talk to. There’s something about the job of nursing which self-selects the most positive, practical and pragmatic individuals; and just being in the company of such people is uplifting.

My nurse today was called A. It was the first time I’d had an appointment with her and I had thought from her name that she might be from francophone Africa. As it turned out she is indeed African, but South African – an Afrikaner to be exact – with a lovely, lilting accent which blew all my assumptions about Afrikaans-speakers (harsh, guttural, etc) out of the water. Accents aside, what struck me about A was her warmth, energy and good humour. You would think working at a busy health centre would reduce even the most dedicated nurse to a drone but not so; she was the most enthusiastic person i’ve met in a good while.

After just ten minutes the injection was over and done with and i was on my way to work. The leg on the side where i’d been injected was aching slightly as usual but my tolerance for the rest of the human race was much improved. One person speaking to you kindly, smiling at you when they greet you, asking you how you feel: these things really do make a difference.

* Over a period of one minute to be exact. Apparently, if it goes in too fast it can cause an asthma attack.

Paul Mero

In a press release last night, Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero announced a special event taking place tomorrow night where he will address the relationship between Mormonism and conservative thought.  Back-peddling much?

Since Sutherland Institute’s statements following the LDS / Mormon church’s support of SLC’s Fair Workplace and Housing ordinances, Paul Mero has been under some pretty heavy fire from Sutherland’s constituents, opponents and even the LDS / Mormon Church itself.

Jeffrey Holland of the LDS / Mormon Quorum of the Twelve (12) Apostles followed up the Church’s support of the city-wide gay rights ordinances with a call for the rights to be passed state-wide, saying, “Anything good is shareable.”

Unfortunately for Sutherland Institute and Mero, their entire organization and base of power is derived from their stance on gay rights aligning with the Church. So what happens now that the Church has gone ever-so-slightly more liberal?

The tile of Paul Mero’s speech for tomorrow night, Why I am a Conservative: The Relationship Between Mormonism and Conservative Intellectual Thought is pretty telling actually. Now I’m going to at least attempt to be nice and not point at the generally pompous title, which just drips with Mero’s usual “harrumph harrumph” as my family would say, but focus rather on the subject matter for the night. According to Sutherland insiders (who requested not to be named), the speech has a few different goals, but the primary goal is to assuage the mind of those supporters who are now upset with Sutherland Institute’s apparent break from the LDS / Mormon Church. “We have to try to stop the bleeding,” our source said.

As usual in any “sermon” given my Mero, the actual words coming out of his mouth mean little to nothing, just a hidden message coated in smarmy oil, wrapped in a deep voice and disguised in faux intellectual prose. But what is he actually saying? Well Paul really only has 3 ways to go here, he can either admit that Sutherland Institute was wrong and the LDS / Mormon Church has it right and support Fair Workplace and Housing ordinances for the LGBT community; Explain that Sutherland Institute cannot support these issues, but because of their beliefs in their religion they cannot continue to operate publicly; or the most likely of them all, try to convince their flock that they can still be good Mormons even if they’re fighting against the Church itself.

Hmmmmmm, tough decision for Paul I’m sure..

Lyda here. Wow, yesterday’s post was a bit of a downer. Sorry about the unmitigated whining.

Today, only fun stuff! And how better to have fun than to Lick the Pig – which we haven’t done in way too long.

So, in no particular order, here’s some pig-licking:

1.)  Did you know it’s Movember? Check out this post of cool moustache-related silliness from Fashion in Motion. Check out her Fashion Faux Pas posts – we get to vote on what we like and what’s a fashion disaster. Fun!

2.) Several blogs mention that today is Button Day. Like this blog, and Button Floozies (cool name, yes?!). Who came up with this? I suspect someone just invented it one year. And who am I to quibble? Button button, whose got the button? The National Button Society, of course.

3.) My mom had a round blue tin full of buttons. I played with it as a kid, and “borrowed” buttons for my doll clothes. A few years ago when we were all together, Gorgeous and Available Engineer Brother pulled it out from a box of her stuff he’d been saving. When we pried it open (the box had rusted shut), inside was a big rhinestone belt buckle. Not a cowgirl belt buckle, but a buckle that would have been on the belt of a cocktail dress. I grabbed it and I have it where it reminds me of my mom and her glamorous and fun style every time I look at it.

And now I’m out of time, so today’s pig licking is done.

More soon.

Really.