Moved..

Because I am a dork and didn't put the link in here before... Uprightsimian has moved :)

If you still give a rat's ass about my stupid ramblings:

Marbles Behind the Sofa

they have more options for me... and besides Trace told me all the cool kids are on Livejournal.

Happy Xmas

Xmas shopping almost complete. The earliest I have ever been ready!

And this was just too good not to post! I wonder what is wrong with our driving? - Thanks Amanda!

The incomparable Jack Black!

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones

Frickin Brilliant!!

Blah blah blah

I have been trying to get my feet under me in my new job. So far so good :)
The last month has been a bit stressful and I haven't had time to really post much. Between starting the new job, having panic attacks that they will fire me (stupid insecurity must stop) and dealing with family health issues (Grandma is quite ill, Mom has more blockages in her heart and may need another bypass, Sister has neurological damage in her spine which affecting her hands, StepMom falling and hurting her knee -results of the MRI and decision about surgery to come -, da Finn needing an MRI and possible surgery on the left shoulder - damned rotator cuff ) and just general change of seasons crap..I have been up to my eyeballs in stress.

I must apologize for being out of contact with my dearest friends lately. I have no excuses just the explination above.

So shout out to SUG, Mel, K, D, Pia, Ange, Donna, Shawn, and all my other peeps.

Radio Silence

Okay..so I took a month off from blogging. Not because I was exhausted or had nothing to contribute to the world (which is usually the case), but because i had so much bottled up inside me and I couldn't let any of it out without jeopardizing certain pans in certain fires.

End Radio Silence -

I officially gave notice at my firm on Monday. I was hemming and hawing about when to do it due to the potential giant karma doggie bite (which may still nip my patootie) by not telling them BEFORE taking advantage of a certain employee benefit of a week of lodging on the French Riviera in the company apartment. The debate was: If I tell them now - will they revoke my week in the sunny French South with 4 friends and da Finn thus causing 5 people to have spent some serious dosh on plane tickets to a place with no where to stay and thus making me dig around for a hotel room/house would have cost an astronomical amount of money and they would have all either beat me about the head and neck or made me pay them the money that they spent on their transpo??... With the fear of the karma pooch firmly in my brain (thanks K), I decided that I would not tell them until I came back from my holiday..

When I told K that my company didn't know, she warned me of the karmic payback on its way eventually..UNTIL I informed her that the reasons (aside from the primo offer I got) I had NOT told them were:

1. My fully paid summer holiday which was promised to me when I signed my contract never happened - thus the 1 week in June and 1 week in September - holy back to the US system Batman...save me
2. The position I was hired for I am STILL not doing
3. The emergency "short term" customer engagement I was asked to take (and being the good company girl I stepped up to the plate) which was only to last for 2 months tops.. - I AM STILL DOING
4. The 50% allocation that I have for that project is actually 5 people at 100% allocation worth of work and the customer will NOT pay overtime but expects me to get everything done.
5. After telling my boss I wasn't happy and this was not good (6 times I might add) - I was told that "I can't say No to the customer." and then proceeded to "sell" the other theoretical 50% of my open time to ANOTHER customer...which I shouldn't be in project work to BEGIN with!
6. Have I mentioned that I HATE being spoken about like a frakin horse? You don't "sell" me to anyone damn it!

After informing her of the 6 items above she assured me that the possibility of karmic chomping is minimal :)


So..I have accepted the offer officially from my soon to be new employer and I sign my contract this week. I am officially free from my current employer as of 24 September and start at the new joint 1 October. I have it in writing that my full summer holiday is guaranteed to me next summer and I can even take some winter time too! Did I also mention that this new job has Z-E-R-O project work and I am entering management? I will give more details on the job when I officially start as I don't want to tempt the gods into having something bad happen before then.

Okay..so the trip..


Ya know..I thought that when we landed in Nice that the part of my froggy heritage would come screaming to the forefront and I would have some sort of epiphany or swelling of familial pride...yeah..didn't happen. I kept waiting for it..and waiting for it...and...nada.. However! - some highlights:

- French people on scooters are frakin insane...and so are italian ones..Sure pass me on the left while I am taking a left turn..go right ahead you FREAK!

- NEVER have a 3 burner ceramic topped stove...ugh

- 2 balconies is ALWAYS a good thing

- When in the Cap Martin/Menton area - go to Italy for cheap wine..hey it is a 5 minute drive to the border

- The Mediteranian ocean is amazing

- French people in the area we were in are REALLY nice

- My french language skills are crap - and finally K and D believe me...I have been saying it for years..but now it is proven - thanks papa..

- K and D are really good cooks - despite a 3 burner ceramic topped stove

- In France poop is le poop...in Italy il poopo .... not really..but we had fun saying it

- Never try to get a car the size of an army tank into a parking spot in France unless you are parallel parking...oy vey

- We really ARE that funny

- The A8 is NOT as easy to find as you think when exiting the Nice airport - okay it probably is..but not for me...Look kids Parliment..Big Ben

- Dudes named Christophe who are waiters in Au Grand Inquisiteur rock

- DON'T drink the desert wine..unless you have NOTHING else

- K doesn't really like going down winding roads on the side of a mountain

- Finns have NO sense of distance and a freakin crazy if they expect me to walk up over 2000 steps in 29 degree Centigrade heat and 80% humidity..freaks ALL OF THEM!

- 7 euro for a beach chaise lounge all day is AWESOME

- The countryside and views in the area of Cap-Martin, Menton, La Turbie, Eze...all fabulous

- We are a curse to K and her ankles

- I haven't laughed that hard for that many days in a very long time

- The French Riviera in September is still H-O-T

I am sure there are TONS of things I am leaving out..but that is the general summary...

Absurdity

Ya know when you were a kid and they told you never stare directly at the sun because you will go blind...

Well..I am not blind..but I have a lovely yellow dot right now in my field of vision. Silly me decided it would be a great idea to use my mobile phone as the reflective service for viewing the eclipse today...um..yeah..not gonna do that again. .

I am sure the dot will fade...however...I wonder how my eye doctor would react to me coming back and saying .."umm...er...I burned my retina..."

Then again..could I sue Nokia for making their N82 reflective and there by causing my "dot"?... Something absurd to ponder..

And on a lighter note..

Since I went on a rant in my previous post, I figured I would lighten it up a bit.

Streakers hit Charles polo match

Three male
streakers invaded the pitch being watched by the Prince of Wales during an annual society polo event. The naked trio emerged from the grandstand during a match between England and Australia at the Cartier International event in Windsor.

Two returned to the stand but the third was cheered as he fled stewards and hurdled two metal barriers to escape. Prince Charles, who was overseeing the event in place of the Queen, watched the spectacle from the royal box.

The Cartier International, held at the Guards Polo Club within the
grounds of Windsor Great Park, is one of the most glamorous dates in the social calendar. Some 25,000 people attended the event, which took place on the hottest day of the year so far. The intervention of the streakers, who stripped off during the final chukka, temporarily halted play.

However, England went on to win 10-9 and lift the trophy.
England team captain Luke Tomlinson later said it was not the first time he had played in a match interrupted by naked intruders.

"You are so focused on the game you hardly notice. It brings a bit of
humour in and the crowd seem to enjoy it," he said.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the club said: "I think it is the hot
weather and the Pimms to blame. These things happen."

I love Pimms..and it has been known to release some of my inhibitions as well.

I just love the British sense of humour.

The American Dream

My ass!

I was just reading how the minimum wage in the U.S. is going up to a whopping $6.55 (2.81€) an hour and ultimately in 2009 (yes 2009) it will be an astounding $7.25 (3.11€) an hour. The idea that this amount of money will even support 1 person let alone a family is beyond me!

For example:

In 2006, the median monthly rent in Massachusetts was $933 per month. Now, MA is 5th on the list of rents (Hawaii, California, New Jersey, and Maryland are higher). However:

6.55 X 40 hours of work = $1034.90 BEFORE TAXES
Factor in State and Federal Taxes, FICA and let's just chop about 30% off that which leaves you a total of: $724.43

Of which you need to:
Pay rent
Buy Food
Utility Bills (electric, gas, etc)
Transportation (T pass - metro card for you Finns) - don't even THINK about a car
Health insurance - yeah like you can afford THAT..

Now..if the AVERAGE rent is $933 a month in the great state of MA, how can one even remotely expect to live on that minimum wage?Let alone feed themselves, clothe themselves, transport themselves to that job which doesn't even allow them enough to pay their rent?

Oh and then the the economists and small business state: "But if we raise the minimum wage, we will be forced to pass on the added expense to the consumers.."

BITE ME!

The 2007-2008 poverty threshold was measured according to the HHS Poverty Guidelines:
Persons (in the family unit) Annual Income threshold
1 $10,400
2 $14,000
3 $17,600
4 $21,200

so for each additional person add $3600.

The richest country in the world and they are saying that 1 person is in poverty if they make less than 10,400 bucks a year...well with the minimum wage hike, that lovely 1 person is now not in poverty!

WHAT A JOKE!

Simplicity -

This song has just captivated me lately. It is deceptively simple..but sheesh..i love it..

RIP Funny Lady

Sadly, the entertainment industry lost the great comedy actress Estelle Getty today.

As Sofia:


Out of the makeup:

Lesbo Lesbo Lesbo Llllllesbo!!!

Let me say that again..LESBO! (now that I won't be banned from saying it)

This just was too precious NOT to post (thanks MSNBC):


Greek court rules lesbians not just from Lesbos
Island residents asked for a ban on use of 'lesbian' to describe gay women

ATHENS - A Greek court has dismissed a request by residents of the Aegean island of Lesbos to ban the use of the word lesbian to describe gay women, according to a court ruling made public on Tuesday.

Three residents of Lesbos, the birthplace of the ancient Greek poetess Sappho whose love poems inspired the term lesbian, brought a case last month arguing the use of the term in reference to gay women insulted their identity.

In a July 18 decision, the Athens court said the word did not define the identity of the residents of the island, and so it could be validly used by gay groups in Greece and abroad.

The ruling ordered the plaintiffs to pay court expenses of $366.2.

"This is a good decision for lesbians everywhere," Vassilis Chirdaris, lawyer for the Gay and Lesbian Union of Greece, told Reuters. "A court in Athens could not stop people around the world from using it. It was ridiculous."

He said the plaintiffs were free to appeal the decision in a higher court.

Lesbos, which lies just off the Turkish Coast, has become a gathering spot for gay women from around the world, especially at the village of Eressos which is regarded as the birthplace of the poet in the 7th century B.C.

Several residents testified during the trial that the use of the word lesbian had brought recognition to the island and boosted its tourist trade.

Conversations with my SUG leads to..

..random photos being shown to me by my Finnish workmates.

So Sug and I were chattin' last night and in our unique way of communicating through diggs and jibes, I actually told her that I could contain myself and not be star struck around major hollywood movie types if I were to ever get a chance to be on the set of a movie she is producing at any time in my life. She then brings up one of my favorite actresses. I extolled my virutes of patience and decorum...yaddayadda...she wasn't buyin'

Flash forward to work this morning - my workmate asks if I have seen a particular picture which was in the newspaper on Wednesday. I reply no I haven't.

I must now state with absolute certainty, I would never be able to not be gobsmacked if I ever met this woman... SUG..you were right..

If this is 63...HOLY WOW!! And not 1 stitch of plastic surgery..

Go Spy Daddy!

Okay, I know I am a geek. I also have a penchant for seriously loving corny stuff. Yes, I cry at Hallmark commercials - however not recently as Hallmark isn't in Finland..

There is just something that warms my heart seeing Spy Daddy do this..



Oh..and for the record, I actually like this show.

There I said it.

The wheels on the bus go round and round.

I don't know why I am slightly surprised by this:

Rove ignores subpoena, refuses to testify
The former White House adviser could face contempt charges as a result




You can click on his ugly mug to get the story.. UGH!

Slippery Slope

As most of you who know me are aware, I am an unashamed, bleeding heart, tree hugging, liberal in most senses. In other areas it can sometimes seem to me that a mini-republican has invaded parts of my thought processes and I have to actively struggle against those tendencies. Lately, I have heard myself utter words that I never thought I would hear come out of my mouth. Things like:

"Those damned alcoholic bastids need to stop using their unemployment, which my tax money pays for damn it, to by booze. Cut them all off! Make them get a job and contribute to society for crying out loud!"

"Stupid people who live off unemployment need to get off their asses and get a fucking job already. I am tired of paying taxes out the ass to support a family of 435 people who are fully capable of working!"

It brings such a disturbing level of shame to myself to hear my own voice utter such broad statements of intollerance and well...conservativism.

And then I come across something like this:

New Police Chief Wants Everyone's Fingerprints
Published 09.07.2008, 07.14
Source: YLE

Finland's new National Police Commissioner Mikko Paatero wants police to have access to a controversial national fingerprint database being planned for passport identification purposes.

In an interview with the newspaper Aamulehti, Paatero said that the planned fingerprint database would be an excellent investigative tool for the police.

Current plans call for all passport applicants to be fingerprinted no later than as of next June. If implemented, this means in practice that the fingerprints of nearly all Finnish adults will be on record within the next ten years.

An Interior Ministry task force is in charge of formulating the details of the new database. Plans already do include its use in the investigation of serious criminal offences and in the identification deceased persons and disaster victims.

Finland's Data Protection Ombudsman Reijo Aarnio is opposed to the establishment of the fingerprint database. He says that potential mistakes and misuse could cause serious problems for citizens. Aarnio believes that criminals will still be able to mislead the police by leaving fake prints at the scenes of crimes.

A final decision on setting up the fingerprint database will be taken by Parliament.


There are those people who say that if you have nothing to hide, then you have nothing to worry about. What about personal privacy?!? What is next, a Finnish version of the Patriot Act??!

Ouch..

That would be the sound my wallet screaming in pain. Getting older suxors. Suxors to the tune of (as of today's exchange rates)611buckaroos to you the faithful masses who read my blog (all 6 of you most likely).

I finally found glass frames (sort of). Of course they are framelss bendable jobbers which will hopefully extend their lives in my treacherous care, but jesus h. christ on a pogo stick!

So in 3-4 weeks, my glasses/not glasses will be ready and I will be able to go get them..

they look someting like this...

At last..

and I am not talkin about Etta James.

2 1/2 years after moving into our flat and after saving some serious dosh, these are finally in..

Talky or no talky?

Okay..so I have been debating something in my head - and sometimes out loud with myself which really freaks people out - about whether or not I might start putting talky blog posts on here.

Now..this is a very delicate subject. A talky blog requires I can and will actually be able to speak coherently and also will kind of remove my "anonymity" and actually lend a voice to my rantings.

It may also open me up to all kinds of stalker types. I am not so sure I am ready for that. I do fully expect the slamming flames and the usual cracks about my Rick Springfield hair (still growing it out SUG)and nasty comments on the virtues or lack there of regarding my looks, fashion sense (or lack there of), and what overall makes me me. However, it would actually allow me to explore the whole video making/editing thing on my phone and also my webcam.

...ugh..indecision is killing me.. I wonder if I can do a talky blog without actually using MY face...oooohhh..now THAT just brings up a whole Conan-esque thing...

hmmmm...thoughts?

HA!

more cat pictures

RIP FUNNY MAN

The world lost a true genius. The following 10min video is his famous 7 words you can't say on TV. He always pushed the the envelope and made people really take a look at how we can take ourselves WAY too seriously.



and additionally...