what's in my fridge?

best cities for singles

i was perusing the list, going to think up some smart remark about my town as to why it wasn't included. i didn't think it would be, nor do i think it should be. and then i found it! #39 is Norfolk (out of 40, last is Greensboro).

look at that 'Cost Of Living' rating, 39. that's next to last.

Perfect Date: The perfect date would be to go to another city, because there's nothing to do.

Singles Scene: It's terrible. The people here are usually in the military, and the places that you can go to are pretty crappy unless you're in the military. Or you're a frat dude.

that's the commentary listed! i'm not sure why Norfolk was rated so high (compared to all the other cities in the nation).

star trek fun

these are two of my faves. see all of them here.

this is a neat story

for the front page of the paper. certainly better than something about homicide or war.

Former sailor takes responsibility for $1 debt, 60 years later

The sailor was annoyed to find a parking ticket tucked under the windshield of his 1935 Ford Coupe, the one with the rumble seat, after taking his wife to the theater.

But a debt is a debt. William D. Fogarty, a Connecticut native who was stationed in Norfolk in 1946, headed to the post office and purchased a money order for the $1 fine, payable to the city police.

Fogarty put the money order in his wallet. And then he forgot all about it.

Until now.

it's all right if you love me, it's all right if you don't

14 Classic Tom Petty Opening Lines

the neighbor's yellow truck

this is the color i want my corvette to be.

yum.

i'm watching you

tax free weekend

i went out today to purchase just a few things, taking advantage of the tax-free weekend here in VA. how much did i save? i'm not sure. in all fairness, i did not make major purchases, that's where the real savings would be.

receipt #1: $66.50 + $1.62 tax = $68.12
receipt #2: $21.17 + $0 tax = $21.17

again, i'm not sure what it would add up to. something tells me i saved about $5 anyway.

and speaking of taxes, how much is the tax on food, for crying out loud? i stopped and picked up a chicken sandwich on the way home. the subtotal on that receipt is $2.79 plus .32 tax. what happened to the .08 tax on food? and where is it all going? [but i guess that's another story altogether.]

adorable photo of the day #12

teacher's pay

is now normal. did you know?

Public school teachers used to earn less than just about everyone else with a college degree. No longer ... Throughout the nation, teachers' hourly earnings rival the paychecks of accountants and engineers. As state employees in Virginia, teachers receive retirement and health benefits that surpass many professions in private business. Plus, teachers work almost two months less a year than most other college-educated workers ... The Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Compensation Survey, pegged the nationwide public school teachers' average annual salary at $46,629 in 2004. That was more than the average worker and $8,700 less than the average for all occupations requiring the equivalent of a college degree.

$46,629 is not enough. but it's certainly better.

how many laws has the bush adminstration broken?

answer.

throwing it out there

self-esteem boost

even the most confident of women do sometimes feel, even if only for a brief moment, doubtful or a bit down on themselves from time to time.

this video of britney spears [though widely known as trash nowadays was once considered, and may still be in some circles, a very beautiful woman] will make you feel wonderful. it's hard to believe that people can even be that dumb. regardless of how much you are sick of britney, this is worth it, to make yourself feel good at the least.

bonus: ha ha ha.

atheist quotes

from here.

I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. - Stephen Roberts

The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. - George Bernard Shaw

If God exists, I hope he has a good excuse. - Woody Allen

and my personal fave: I refuse to believe in a god that would send me to hell just for not believing in him. - Bob Snuka [via j-walk]

it's august

how did that happen?

Burt Bacharach

"A synonym is a word you use when you can't spell the word you first thought of."

may i direct your attention

to this week's forecast. it seems this is the record-breaking temperature week for the summer.

with the humidity, the heat index will be at least 110.

damn this state

hi

charming

a treat for music fans

from Stylus, the top 100 music videos [with videos].

#33 is interesting. and #1 is awesome. i had never seen or heard them previously.

cutest kitten ever

watch it here.

screenshot: people magazine

celebrity news: Lance Bass is gay [it was only a matter of time], Pam & Kid get married [she calls him Bob, how normal], Mel Gibson is arrested [i'm sure no jail time here], and Lindsay Lohan Blasted for 'Heavy Partying'[more stuff no one cares about].

in case you need to know

here's how to make homemade slime.

ewww.

three unseen tv characters

maris
vera
carlton

* oh, and a bonus: stan

found a vancouver pic

lindsay, it saddens me so that i'll never have the others.

if you ever want to know

Top 100 Least-Educated Cities (pop. 5000+)

most in CA [and TX].

a nice combination

Are You More Cat or Dog?: You Are: 40% Dog, 60% Cat

You and cats have a lot in common.
You're both smart and in charge - with a good amount of attitude.
However, you do have a very playful side that occasionally comes out!

lock and load

i've been watching boston legal all week. i believe i have said this before, but this is the best show on television. it's brilliant.

my favorite story

last week i was delighted to see my neighbor drawing this shirt. i think he did a great job. for the sake of anonymity, i cut off his face.

sometimes you win, sometimes you lose

get this. yesterday, i brought home a bookcase from the shelter [purchased with a donation to the organization]. i left it outside for a few and someone stole it. a bookcase! it's not an easy item to slide in your pocket when no one is looking.

then, when i was scoping around for aforementioned piece of furniture, things got a teensy bit better. between an order i had placed and one that was sent by surprise, i got presents via the mailman. nice.

kitty ball

two years

i'm re-reading the davinci code. interestingly, i remembered that reading the book the first time was the subject of my first blog/journal post.

sixth-best US city

can you believe it? it's our own virginia beach.

Money magazine has named Virginia Beach the sixth -best 'big city' in the country ... In ranking the nation's largest cities, the magazine looked at weather, education, crime, air quality, purchasing power and such things as the number of restaurants, golf courses, museums and movie theaters. Described in the magazine's August issue as 'an up-and-coming military town,' Virginia Beach scored best in the safety category, which looked at violent crime, and education, based on student test scores, said Tara Kalwarski, the magazine's special projects editor.

54.65% of pilot readers did not agree with the rankings in their web poll. i wonder if they thought it should have a higher or lower ranking.

this is always how concert pics

end up. but we did go to the huey lewis/chicago concert at the beach last night. it was very nice. and heuy covered one of my favorite songs: i thank you.

a few things

did you realize that Jack the Ripper was identified? his name was Aaron Kosminski, according to the detective who investigated the crimes. the story here.

the hot fat girl manifesto is interesting. an excerpt:

Because men like John Goodman and Bernie Mac get to have careers on television but sitcom-moms-of-three still have size-two waists ... Because the doctor who said that there were 30,000 "obesity-related" deaths each year received over $2 million in research funding from Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers ... Because I am tired of being ignored, invisible, de-sexualized and told that I have such a pretty face.

advertising on eggs?? CBS will have ads etched on 35 million eggs. like, that you eat for breakfast.

Some of the ovum-centric bon mots will include "CBS Mondays: Shelling Out Laughs", "CSI: Crack the Case on CBS."

have you tried BK Stackers? you know, the one with four slices of cheese and 8 pieces of bacon. the quadruple burger with fries and a drink is 1590 calories, 86 g of fat, and 2490 mg of sodium.

rest assured. you can get a triple for only 74 grams of fat.

and for my friend who likes her, here's pics of pamela anderson falling out of a boat.

you think so?

[quiz] Are You A Control Freak?: You Are 40% Control Freak

You have achieved the perfect balance of control and letting go.
You tend to roll with whatever life brings, but you never get complacent.

gotahoe.com

the top 10 unintentionally worst company URLs

yeah, we're still alive.

redundant?

on six tv channels

there were four reality-competition shows.

i am not amused.

the witch of pungo no longer a witch

gov. kaine pardoned grace sherwood, who had been convicted of witchcraft, 300 years ago.

With 300 years of hindsight, we all certainly can agree that trial by water is an injustice," Oberndorf read from the governor's faxed letter. "We also can celebrate the fact that a woman's equality is constitutionally protected today, and women have the freedom to pursue their hopes and dreams ... I am pleased to officially restore the good name of Grace Sherwood.

free association #32

Face it :: and deal
Healthy :: food
Cartoon :: character
Device :: nuclear
Raider :: tomb
Closer :: to me
Admission :: of guilt
Culture :: ideas*
Stakes :: high
Heartbroken :: :-(

* okay, so ideas wasn't exactly the first thing to pop in my head. it was the second. 'culture of poverty' was first. but i don't want to look like a nerd.

just when i was looking for something

to share with you all, i came across this:

songs that make the movie.

awesome. it's worth it for the tom waits song and the memories of 'say anything.'

taken by accident

i thought about

updating the movie list, but i can't think of any good movies i've seen recently.

attn: soap fans

soap operas, that is. i'm not a fan, but i grew up watching the CBS soaps [thanks, mom]. benjamin hendrickson of 'as the world turns' [hal munson] committed suicide last week. wow.

busy day at TDP

we got new furniture at both houses.

i know my memory is bad

four quizzes from tickle:

Jessica, you remembered 59% of the information in the Memory Test.

Jessica, your strongest sense is Humor: Always good for a laugh — that's most likely how friends describe you. With your quick wit, you can easily bring a welcome smile to someone's face or lighten a situation with some much-needed comic relief. You've got an ability to laugh at yourself and help others not take things too seriously.

Your instincts tell you that nothing does a body good quite like a hearty laugh. That's why having fun is your number one priority when it comes to parties, vacations, and even the daily grind. Injecting a little humor into each day keeps you and everyone around you smiling. Nice job!

Jessica, you keep secrets about your Social Life : Hello, social butterfly. You're a mover and a shaker who loves to be in the limelight. From the hottest parties to the coolest restaurant openings, you enjoy being out and about at all the A-list places. But that doesn't mean you want to wind up in all the gossip rags. Why have everyone talking about your weekend?

After all, if everyone knew where to go, the hot spots wouldn't be hot anymore. That's why you like to keep your whereabouts on the down low. Why go and ruin your fun, freewheeling image by telling people that you have a boring day job and live in your parent's basement? Your secret is safe with us, hot stuff!

Jessica, you're less sinful than the average person.

another joke via email

Q: How many women with PMS does it take to screw in a light bulb?

A: One. ONE!! And do you know WHY it only takes ONE? Because no one else in this house knows HOW to change a light bulb. They don't even know the bulb is BURNED OUT. They would sit in this house in the dark for THREE DAYS before they figured it OUT. And once they figured it out they wouldn't be able to find the light bulbs despite the fact that they've been in the SAME CUPBOARD for the past SEVENTEEN YEARS. But if they did, by some miracle, actually find the light bulbs, TWO DAYS LATER the chair that they dragged from two rooms over to stand on to change the STUPID light bulb would STILL BE IN THE SAME SPOT!!? AND UNDERNEATH IT WOULD BE THE CRUMPLED WRAPPER THE STUPID @*!#$% LIGHT BULBS CAME IN! WHY?! BECAUSE NO ONE? IN THIS HOUSE EVER CARRIES OUT THE GARBAGE!!? IT'S A WONDER WE HAVEN'T ALL SUFFOCATED FROM THE PILES OF GARBAGE THAT ARE 12 FEET DEEP THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE. THE HOUSE!! IT WOULD TAKE AN ARMY TO CLEAN THIS...

I'm sorry...what?

x-files actor news

david duchovny to star in a movie with halle berry. gillian anderson says no the second x-files movie.

update: this source says GA is still in. it's been so long anyway [due to legal battles] i'm already not holding my breath.

this really did make my day

you have to see this: Funniest Whose Line sketch ever

happy fourth

happy fourth of july

celebrate our nation's 230th birthday today.

completely unrelated, but look at these kitties.

advice for my daughter

Brush your teeth every day. - Respect yourself. - Respect others. - Listen to your mother. - Always keep learning new things. - Pay attention when you are driving. - Listen. - Do the right thing. - Don't cut yourself. - Don't kill anyone. - Question everything. - Forgive and forget. - Be nice. - Be funny. - Vote. - Smile as often as you can. - Go to college. - Think positively. - Don't run with scissors. - Don't be homophobic. - Remember Mommy loves you. - Don't be racist. - Don't be sexist. - Try to get a full night's sleep every night. - Be honest. - Keep your promises. - Remember that the Bible, however noble, was written by a man. - Listen to music every day. - Have a pet, you'll live longer. - Believe in yourself.

has anyone played

a game called 'smarty party'? i've never even heard of it before.

it looks like lots of fun.