Gobble Gobble !!

Hey Y'all! Sorry it's been so long. On Nov. 21, I spent an hour putting together what I considered to be the perfect blog entry, only to have an internal error within blogspot occur before it was published, thus losing it all. Should I have saved it to a text-file as Winter encouraged me to do after the fact? Indeed, but I did not and lost everything causing me to become furious and hate all things blog-related.

But today, I've had a revelation, it's Thanksgiving...I should be thankful that I have fingers to type with, a computer with which I use to keep in contact with all of my loved ones, and freedom of speech so that I can trash a Pixar/Disney movie if I choose to do so (Nov. 7). I've decided not to give up yet, "youtooandstuff" will continue...

As for today's entry...here goes:

If you're are trying to preserve the taste of Thanksgiving long after it's over, Jones Soda has just the thing you need: Turkey and Gravy flavored soda. This year's Holiday Soda Pack includes other Thanksgiving Dinner-themed flavors such as Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potato and Butter, Green Bean Casserole, and Fruitcake. All utensils included! As disgusting as they sound, Jones' 2004 Holiday Soda packs are flying off of the shelves. If there aren't any bottles left in your area, you can try Ebay. They have plenty of bottles still available!

Excited about biting into your favorite dessert later today? While you wait, check out this pie that is still under heavy analysis years later.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Then here's a health to all of you

Who're glad that you're a-living,

And may you see much cause for which

To celebrate Thanksgiving.

Springfield, USA

Springfield, Illinois is known for a lot of things, Abraham Lincoln probably being the most popular. However, I'll bet you didn't know that Springfield, Illinois is home to other non-Abe related trivia as well. We definitely have bragging rights.

• The very first "Drive Thru" in the U.S. is still operating at Maid Rite restaurant
• The NAACP was founded here
• The man who invented the universal symbol for "handicapped" was from here
• Bobby McFerrin's wife is from Springfield. Bobby even attended the university here for a short while.
• Andy Richter has grandparents that live in a nursing home here
• All of the scenes in the movie "Legally Blonde 2" where Reese Witherspoon is addressing congress, were filmed at the Illinois State Capitol building because it was most similar to the Capitol Building in DC
• Local band, NIL8, has its sticker hanging in the window of John Cusack's record store in the movie "High Fidelity"
• Roy Gulley, one of the 2 youngest pilots to fly in WWII, lives here. The other pilot was George Bush, Sr.

There is still one braggin' right that we're still fightin' for...I was once talking to a man who was from Liverpool. I, of course, mentioned The Beatles. He laughed and said that when he told his friends that he was coming to Springfield, they automatically mentioned The Simpsons. Could it be possible that we are the official "Springfield, USA", home of The Simpsons? Was the Springfield in Illinois the place that Matt Groening was thinking about when he created the series?

Check out this "indirect evidence" and come to your own conclusion...

Oh, and as promised, here is your Saturday drinking game and cocktail...Enjoy!

You Say It's Your Birthday...

Happy Birthday Gale!

I just want to take this opportunity to wish my beautiful cousin Gale a happy 29th birthday! (yes, it's really her 29th...for the first time, anyway)

"Another candle on your cake? Well, that's no cause to pout. Be glad that you have strength enough to blow the damn things out."

Am I A Slacker??

I suppose I'm either a slacker, having too much fun, or too busy doing productive type things to keep up daily with my blog...what the hell, maybe it's a combination of all three. I know that you've missed the blog, I've gotten mail, oh yes, I have fans... Don't worry, I'm baaaack!

Today's feature is a list of new trendy words that I found quite interesting...Would any of them count in Scrabble?


beighborhood: n. Area populated by good-looking people. ("Let's go downtown. Fifth Street has turned into a total beighborhood.")

DIZO: n. Acronym. Describes (busy, working, all-too-typical) couple: Dual Income, Zero Orgasm.

Earnest Hemmorrhage: n. A man who is oppressively forthcoming with every thought and feeling. Autonym: Ernest Hemingway, linguistically stingy author.

foxymoron: n. One who is incredibly dumb but incredibly cute, who simultaneously attracts and repels. ("I'm so ashamed. I hooked up with that foxymoron last night.")

GHaG: n. Acronym. Girl-Hating Girl. The one whose only friends are guys.

hobeau: n. A less-than-hygenic-boyfriend. ("Better open the window. Here comes Gloria and her hobeau.")

nontourage: n. A group of undesirable sycophants. ("The party was fun until Justin showed up with his nontourage.")

pharmasecrecy: n. The secret bond one has with her pharmacist. ("Only Mr. Myers knows the truth about my little Klonopin/Paxil/laxative habit.")

showflake: n. Person who chronically misses every appointment (e.g., haircuts, dinners, doctor visits). ("Is Louisa going to show, or is she pulling a showflake again?")

staremaster: n. Gym dandies who constantly check themselves out in the mirror. ("If that staremaster touches his pecs one more time...")

got nexts: n. The act of procuring the rights of playing the game in question, once the current party has departed. Most often used in arcades. ("Hey, it's a Ms. Pac-Man machine!" "Hey, I got nexts!")


Do you have any new trendy slang to share?

The Answer...

The answer to the trivia question for those of you who care, "anonymous", you know who you are...

"In Hong Kong, they eat 80,000 of these every year."

The answer is: Pigeons

I don't like to make promises I can't keep so here's your drinking game (in honor of the planning of UA's class of '95's upcoming 10 year class reunion) and cocktail recipes (in honor of Flint) for this week.

GUILTY

It is a time to celebrate...to celebrate the closure that the Rocha family will now gain, to celebrate the event that proved to the world that justice can prevail, and to celebrate the hope now renewed by family, friends, and others who have lost loved ones to domestic violence, that those deaths were not in vain. Yesterday's decision reminded me why my job is so important. Justice has been served.

"Peace, like charity, begins at home." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Fascinating Friday

Do you know how frustrating it is to know lots of stuff that you really don't need to know? I am a sucker for useless trivia. My friends and I have even taken our enthusiasm to new heights by competing in trivia tournaments on a regular basis. Let me tell you, my friends, my life really doesn't get any more exciting than this. The point of my disclosure?

As I was driving to work this morning, I was listening to a radio talk show on an FM station...coincidentally, but not at all relevant to my tale, the letters FM were also in the call letters. See people, I notice shit like this...all the time. It's sad. Anyway, I was listening to the show and they were playing a game called "Impossible Question," a regular feature during the weekday morning drive. I live for these events. The "Impossible Question" is my enemy, not only because it made me very late for work, but also because it had power over me. It dared me to conquer it. I hadn't even heard the question, but I felt as if it were necessary that I take a guess, as if I had been offered a personal challenge and the world's fate depended on my answer. Of course I couldn't get through. There were others like me, frantically trying to dial the phone and then being faced with the tourturous busy signal, or "monkeys chatting" as I've always called it for some unknown reason. (I also kiss my palm and hit the ceiling of the car while driving through yellow lights for good luck, but that's another lame blog entry I'll save for later.) To the average listener, trying to answer the "Impossible Question" was something fun to do, for me, it was a mission offered to me by "John and Michele in the Morning" that I chose to accept.

At some point while I was trying to figure out how to use the re-dial button on my cell phone, the "Impossible Question" was read. "In Hong Kong, over 80,000 of these are eaten every year." What in the hell? My mind started reviewing all of the facts that I knew about Hong Kong. Lots of repeat answers were given by listeners...tons of rice, cockroaches, dogs, cats, rats, egg rolls... When I realized how late I was running, I drove to work, ran straight to my office while dialing and telling others "Good Morning" at the same time. I got a ring twice, but each time, the phone rang for so long that it eventually stopped and gave me a message stating, "No Reply." Cell phones aren't convienent in situations like these. They can save your life but not always your self-dignity. I was left to wonder if I have a chance to be the one who could provide the winning answer, the answer that I would pull out of my ass when a DJ asked for it. The prizes for winning were 2 coupons to Bob Evans to try their new stuffed French toast. I wasn't a big Bob Evans fan, nor was I a big fan of French toast, but that wasn't the point. If I got the answer correct, I felt as if my inner "gators" would be fed and I really would have accomplished something that day. To myself and only myself, I would be the Trivia Master...a hero, a genius, and certainly worthy of the Masters Degree that I worked so hard for... "In Hong Kong, they eat 80,000 of these every year."

I never ended up actually making it on the show, but I did stick it out the half-hour that it took to find the correct answer from a man, whom I automatically despised. It was a conspiracy. I saw the movie 'Quiz Show", I know how those plots work...

Think you know the answer? Leave a comment and give it your best shot...I can't offer you a tasty breakfast delight from Bob Evans, but I will give you my admiration because now I know the answer and I've been in your position.

And why is knowing the answer so important? I'm sure it will come in handy someday when I least expect it whether it will be the answer to the winning question in a trivia competition or will get me the winning slice of "pie" in a marathon Trivial Pursuit game. Until then, I will wait patiently for another "Impossible Question." When I am fast and clever enough to call in with the correct answer, and I will, I'll hold my head high and make it known to the French Toast providers that I am the Trivia Master...

In Remembrance...

(The New York Times, Nov. 11, 2004)

Veteran's Day honors those who have served in the military - in peace, in war, at home and abroad, living and dead. Today is the 50th anniversary of the holiday renamed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954 to "solemnly remember the sacrifices of those who fought so valiantly, on the seas, in the air, and on foreign shores, to preserve our heritage of freedom." Before 1954 the holiday was called Armistice Day.

Observation this year of Veterans Day comes as about 130,000 troops - 102,000 active military and 28,000 reserves - remain on duty in Iraq. As of yesterday, according to the Pentagon, 394 have died in war.

Read excerpts from among the final letters home of some soldiers who died there.

Music! Music! Music!

Music. It's my favorite thing in the world. I have cut down to listening to it only on the days that end with the letter "Y." If it were my last hour on Earth and someone said to me, "Jodi, we have a box of brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tarts and a copy of Milli Vanilli's 'Girl You Know Its True' CD. You can choose one, that's it." I'm proud to say, that even though I don't necessarily like "Girl You Know Its True" ("Blame it on the Rain" isn't that bad, though), I would choose the music. It could bring me more feelings, other than those of being less hungry, than the Pop Tarts could ever touch. Yes. I said Milli Vanilli. I love music that much.

Online Karaoke - Great selection of songs to sing along with...yes, "Copacabana" is an option. Consider it preparation for the shower...

Gospel Dog - Wolfy sings the best in Christian Contemporary Music. I've heard it. C'mon, he sang at Silver Dollar City, he's good.

Internet Radio - For $5 a month, you have access to thousands of stations you won't find on the dial, with amazing sound.

Second Spin - The Internet's largest buyer and seller of used Cds. You can get the newest music and the lowest prices.

Art of the Mix - This site celebrates the art of the mixed tape. You can post your favorite mix or get some ideas for a new one.

Nerdy Kid - You have to check out this clip...does the song he's playing bring back memories?

Song Facts - A searchable database of song information compiled by radio professionals, music enthusiasts, and site visitors. (Did you know that the "Milli Vanilli" is actually Turkish for "positive energy?")

Song Quotes - An online reference book of over 12,000 song quotes. Search by category such as "Kiss Offs", "Politics," and "Philosophy." ("Blame it on the rain, blame it on the stars, whatever you do, don't put the blame on you." - Milli Vanilli)

My friends love music too:

Andrew - An incredibly talented friend that I went to school with...he now performs with the Washinton National Opera and is a certified instructor of the Alexander Technique!

Skippy - Another friend from the old days...he's great!

Anything But A Blue Monday...

It's 2:00 am on Tuesday morning. I just returned from an eventful evening celebrating a new weekly tradition. It's called "Blue Monday."

Abraham Lincoln lived in Springfield, IL. He was a great man, but, being from Spfld (as we like to spell it), everything is about our friend Abe, so much in fact that we sometimes forget to appreciate the treasures in town. One of those treats that I recently discovered was the weekly "Blue Monday" concerts sponsored by the Illinois Central Blues Club. Every week a group of "regulars" gather at The Alamo, located very close to the multi-million dollar brand new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library actually, to listen to some of the most talented blues artists from all over the country. For $1 cover charge, I get to hang out among greats, new friends, old pals, and the interesting. Forget the weekend, I'm working for Mondays! Get involved with the blues scene in your area. You won't regret it. (By the way, thanks to "Rockstar Steve" for always saving us a table and being a gracious host!)

(Me with Andrew Duncanson, the lead singer of Kilborn Alley Blues Band...photo courtesy of Steve Truesdale)

Not-So Incredible...

Having finished my duties at the chili fundraiser for work, I was trying to decide what to do. I had a plethora of options for this Saturday night, none too exciting, all replacing sleep that I knew I should have succumbed to but, myself, never wanting to miss out on anything, decided that retiring early wasn't possible.

It was determined by those that I was spending the evening with that we would go to see a movie. Interestingly enough, after slight debate, we would either go see the light-hearted "Saw" or we would take an adventure with Pixar's new movie, "The Incredibles." Majority ruled on this one so we headed off to see the latter.

It was dazzling, of course, as all Pixar productions are. It didn't have quite the "over the kids' heads" humor that I was expecting and the should-have-been-simple mission was confusing to me...take that anyway that you would like. "The Incredibles" was also suprisingly more violent than I was expecting. Working daily with women and children who are escaping abusive relationships, I found a scene in which "Mr. Incredible" picks a female character up by her throat and begins choking her and another scene in which the villian, "Syndrome" punches one of the "Incredible" children in the face, concerning.

The film did have one saving grace. One of the natural things to do while you watch anything animated is try to figure out who is providing the voices of the various characters. As soon as I heard the "Incredible" daughter, Violet, speak, I became enthralled and began clapping as I usually do when I get excited about something. One of my favorite authors and NPR contributors, Sarah Vowell, was supplying Violet's voice. Of course, if you have ever heard Ms. Vowell speak, you would immediately recognize the voice, no matter how out of place it seemed.

(Pictures courtesy of Disney/Pixar, copyright 2004)

I thought of Ms. Vowell as a feminist so to hear her scratchy, wavering voice match the body of a flawless, perfect-bodied teenage girl, was disappointing. They could have at least given Violet some acne, a bad haircut, big feet, or uneven adolescent breasts. It's kind of like seeing Janeane Garafalo, Jean Kilbourne, Ani Difranco, hell, even Gloria Steinheim, playing the role of "Barbie" in her big screen debut. At the same time, I was excited to see that Hollywood had seeked and obtained an extremely talented, educated, and intelligent female, relatively unknown to many households, to play a feature role, and in this movie, one of the films' heroes. The lingering message celebraing young powerful females was important enough to prevent me from leaving the theater totally disappointed. However, I still wanted to pass out flyers to all of pre-pubescent female movie-goers making them aware that they could save the world, even with wide hips and braces.

Sarah Vowell is an amazing writer and I think that I probably have everything she's ever written saved, stashed, or shared. Listen to one of my favorite Sarah Vowell autobiographical stories at this site or on "This American Life" thanks to the 300 local NPR stations across the country. Check her out...you might learn something or at least become amused...

Saturday Night Fever!

Whew! I made it through another week. I feel as if I'm cheating though because I spent 3 out of those 5 work days at home sleeping and sick. Today I have to help out with an agency fundraiser at the FireFighter's Club (there is nothing like a man in uniform...unless I suppose he's out of uniform...yikes!). Tonight I'm heading out for a music marathon...seven bands in seven hours...we'll see if the blog entry tomorrow is comprehendible.

In honor of Saturday being my second favorite day of the week, I've decided to regularly add a "cocktail of the week" and a fun drinking game. Be safe!

John Kerry walked into a bar and the bartender asked, "Why the long face?"

(John Kerry could give several answers to this one this week...)

Need a friend tonight? Check out "PluggedOut Pen Pals." You join and then send e-mail whomever you find interesting. If they e-mail you back, an alert message is sent directly to your inbox. It's a free website for anybody to reach out and make friends with anybody else in the world. By "plugging out", you're put something back into this crazy thing we call the Internet.

Good & Bad News

Today I've got a bit of bad AND good news. Which do you wanna hear first? The good news? Okay, here goes...

Apparently, Canada has been waiting for Bush to win the election. They have set up a site for those American liberals, who they call a "threatened species", who are ready to flee the country and looking for a Canadian mate to cuddle up to in the sub-zero temperatures. This matchmaking site allows Canadians to "take the pledge" to "liberate, through the legal and binding act of marriage, a willing citizen from the United States of America...to helpmy new Yankee spouse to adapt to life in the great white north...and to provide him/her with a reasonable supply of Timbits."

And the bad news? It's not recent news, but something that I was unaware of and it made me sad none-the-less. Get your tissues ready, It's Keiko's "Last Whale and Testament."

(illustration by Barry Blitt)

What's Next?

I'm not pessimistic, but I am wondering what else could possibly go wrong? I have bronchitis and Bush was re-elected...I admire Kerry for putting up a great fight and conceeding so elequently. I would not have expected anything less from him.

As a reminder of what we are again about to face, I encourage you to watch this short film created by my friend, Daniel Dunnam, one of the best advocates for a better country that anyone could ever know. Thanks, Dan! (the film may take a couple of minutes to download, but the eye-opener is worth the wait...hang in there...)

"What you did made a difference, and building on itself -- building on itself, we go on to make a difference another day. I promise you, that time will come. The time will come, the election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world, and it's worth fighting for." - John Kerry's concession speech, November 3, 2004

And the Winner is....

At the time of this post, it's still "too close to call" or "TCTC" as Tom Brokaw said repeatedly during the election coverage. I was trying to follow the coverage on as many channels as I could flip through and, as you can assume from the 2000 experience, every station had different stats. I decided that I would stick with CNN because not only did it have the fewest commercials, but it also had the best non-election related entertainment. The reporters' desk was sitting in front of a window filled with spectators waving and holding up signs supporting their candidates. Suddenly, I saw a man acting very serious, wearing a Members Only jacket and a T-shirt reading "Fuck This Shit." As the camera tried to sway to get him out of the shot, he stepped from side to side to get back in. I think that his shirt was expressing what we have been feeling about this election...Fuck This Shit! Let's get someone responsible in the White House already...geez!

In case you're tired of serious reading about the election, check out this news site. Betcha didn't know that Osama Bin Laden and Paris Hilton were an item....

The Final Countdown

This is it my friends. The day that we've all been waiting for: Election Day 2004. Hopefully I've caught you before you've headed out to the polls. If not, make sure that you've studied up on this year's candidates from your area.
Enjoy and Good Luck!

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. - Andrew Lack

http://www.getofftheinternetandvote.com/ - This contest is sponsored by the coolest artist from a swing state. Take your camera to your local voting spot today and document your trip...lots of fun prizes are waiting!

(photo courtesy of AP)

Happy Monday!

The title of my blog comes from a Brian Regan bit. He's one of the funniest guys on the planet who is excellent when it comes to pondering why we do the stupid things that we do. I find that the "You Too" challenge is always present...I make the mistake almost daily. The "and Stuff" part in the title refers to all of those other things whose purposes are also unknown, but amusing none-the-less.

"Just trying to go through life without looking stupid, it's not working out too well. Sometimes you'll say the right thing but at the wrong time and feel stupid. Something like "You too!" I was getting out of a cab at the airport and the driver says, "Hey, have a good flight!" and I say, "You too! You have a nice flight in case you ever fly someday. Don't everybody look at me, I'm a moron. Don't know when to say the 'You Too' phrase!"
I can't handle it, I never learn. A waitress will bring my meal, "Hey, enjoy your meal!" And again I say, "You too! Wait, you don't have a meal do you? I'm a doofus. If you do eat a meal, enjoy it when you eat it if you have a break or somethin'. I mean later, if you get the opportunity, that's all I'm trying to say. That's all that I'm driving at, really, if you think about it. That's all." - Brian Regan

Check Brian out in a venue near you if you get the chance...I guarantee you'll get a few good chuckles!