Grammar Guide

You know those certain things that keep you up at night? You swear you're going to remember to look them up in the morning...and then you don't.

This time, I remembered to look them up - putting to bed two of my sleep stealers.


Pled vs. Pleaded

Internet consensus? Either is correct. It's simply a matter of preference. "Pled" seems to be more old-fashioned, however. The AP Stylebook, on the other hand, condemns "pled" saying that it is colloquial.

Which one do I prefer? I've always preferred "pled" - but, then again, I've always been an old-fashioned kinda girl, I guess.

Hung vs. Hanged

Hung apparently refers to something you would hang on a wall. People dangling from ropes, however, are always hanged.


Interesting, huh?


Oh, and did you hear about this? Literally, stuck on the toilet. Gross.

New $5 Spot Issued

It's pretty cool looking, I must say. Apparently, they hit today. You can find our some/all of the features of the new bill here. Let me know if you get one!

Apoligies and the Like

But I have come out of hiding.

I have done so because of recent news regarding Governor Spitzer's announcement that he, shall I say this lightly, had an affinity for ladies of the night.

You know what? That's fine and well. Same ol' sob story...same ol' tune. Whatever.

What is biting my ass right now....what is really twisting my panties in a knot is the media's reactions to his wife.

Seriously?

We're going to start judging people's reactions to terrible news moments after they hear it? So she stood by him? So, what?! Does that make her less "feminist" to you? Not as "strong"?

Well, it shouldn't.

While I cannot stand up for what this jerk off did, I can also not stand by the media persecuting women for "choosing" (and I say "choosing" very lightly) to stand beside her husband of God knows how many years and the father of her two (edit: three) children - at least for their sakes.

She doesn't have to do it forever....and judging by what I've seen, she obviously didn't like it. Put yourself in her shoes just for a moment.

Imagine your spouse, who you were (maybe) happily married to that morning, decided to break this terrible news to you. Would you love him/her any less than you did that morning? You may hate him/her - you may find that person and their actions absolutely despicable, but do you really love that person any less than you did 4 or even 8 hours ago. I hope that you say "no". And I hope that you maybe can understand her "willingness" to stand up with (not for) her husband.

If you're going to nail anyone to the cross - let it be MR. Spitzer.

Did y'all hear about this??

New York Girl of My Dreams

He's all over the internet and TV. Just Google him, you'll see... :)

Also, as an aside - he's from Nashville and went to Hume Fogg....

Cop sues family of drowning victim

Ridiculous.

Cop Who Fell on the Job Sues Family of Baby Who Almost Drowned

There are some bizarre people in this world...

MAIDEN, North Carolina — A man who bought a smoker at an auction of abandoned items might have thought twice had he looked inside first.

Maiden police said Tuesday the man opened up the smoker and saw what he thought was a piece of driftwood wrapped in paper. When he unwrapped it, he found a human leg, cut off 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 centimeters) above the knee.

The smoker had been sold at an auction of items left behind at a storage facility, so investigators contacted the mother and son who had rented the space where the smoker was found.

The mother, Peg (wow....her name is Peg - hilarious) Steele, explained her son had his leg amputated after a plane crash and kept the leg following the surgery "for religious reasons" she doesn't know much about.

"The rest of the family was very much against it," Steele said.

Steele said her son, John Wood, plans to drive to Maiden, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) northwest of Charlotte, to reclaim his amputated leg, police said.

I'm back! Well, sorta...

I'm coming out of my blogger silence and hiatus with this story to share:

Minnesota Toe Licker Napped

Please (I beg you), please read this. The picture for the article is worth one million (that's right, million) words...and uproars in laughter.

Gaining Perspecitve

Ever noticed how something horrible can happen a world away...and "it sucks", "gosh that's terrible".

But if this event were to happen, say in your own country, it would occupy the minds and hearts of all citizens...thousands of newscasts...countless of hours of television...and journalist efforts devoted solely to what happened...

Big or Small.

Let's take, for example, the floods that are currently happening in India. Gosh, that sucks, doesn't it? Millions are marooned and the current death toll is over 1,000.

1,000!

But in Minneapolis, 4 people are dead and 20 are missing. Let's just assume for a moment that all of those 20 missing will turn up dead (that sounds callous, I'm sorry). Even still, that makes the death toll from a bridge collapse possibly 24 people.

24!

Can we gain a little perspective here?!

Technoriti is telling me that 170,529 people linked to this one article about the MN bridge collapse. That's just one article of the thousands that have been published, printed and reported.

One person, one, linked to the article from ABC World News about the floods that are currently killing thousands in India.

Me.

The bridge collapse is also mentioned three times in Technoriti's top searches.

But there's not one mention of the devastation in India, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Now, don't get me wrong. I feel for the families that have lost loved ones in the bridge collapse and I know the reason we obsess over needless tragedies such as this is for the simple fact that they are close to home.

And maybe those countries, so far away, don't seem real to some. But they are very real. Those 1,000+ people included in that death toll were mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and children...just like the ones in Minnesota.

Sometimes, I just feel that we, as Americans and as inhabitants to the world, need to gain a little perspective.

Internet Stalking

No work required.

PC World Magazine has compiled some of the best sites/sights on Google Earth. Peruse, enjoy, stalk in complete anonymity.

In Pictures: The Strangest Sites on Google Earth

What a "Bass"inine Thing to Do!

Ha. Ha. Ha. "Bass"inine! Ha. Ha. Ha. Get it?! Like asinine?! Only with a bass?! Oh, keep reading, you'll get the correlation in a minute.

Oh, it's early...and sometimes...when I'm tired...I crack myself up.

Anywho.

Well, I read an article this morning, while sipping some java and perusing my Google Reader, about Albert Gore.

Good ole Al.

His efforts at environmental conservation and reducing carbon footprints - when his is incredibly large - are well intended. And his Live Earth celebration stirred up much criticism regarding all the air travel and waste that was produced because of the concerts.

It's just, well...you've got to walk your talk...or well, you'll reap what you sew.

Anyway, he's in a new hot-bed of environmental hypocrisy.

Apparently, at his daughter's wedding over the weekend he served Chilean Sea Bass. What's the big deal, you ask? Well, it's only one of the most endangered fish in the world. (Although, you can read this article for a dissenter's opine).

Why do I care? Well, my dad's a fisheries biologist/conservationist...and I, well...dislike hypocrites very much.

Oh well. I just want Gore to be a real conservationist. A real giant for the green. A green giant...if you will.

Happy Wednesday. That's what I've got for this morning. Will be in touch and hopefully not bitter later. :)

Flugtag - Don't Miss It!

Flugtag's free...fun...and well, free. What else do you want from me??

Gates open at 11:00.
First flight is at 1:00.

See you there!

Never wonder about a song's meaning again...

Browse by song title and artist...it's pretty much awesome and it's made my day.

Ruth Graham passes away

Now, I haven't followed her life and I don't know much about her; however, watching her story this morning and listening to who she was and how she will be remembered touched my heart.

Watch the story here and here.

Billy Graham - "I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together. We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Ruth was asked in an interview with Diane Sawyer back in the 90's about the secret to her marital success. She responded that a Chinese writer once wrote that "In the West (America), marriage starts at a boil and gradually cools. In the East, marriage starts cool and gradually reaches a boil."

Perhaps that was their secret.

It might be the best day of my life...

A screaming Paris was sent back to prison today to serve her original 45-day (minus the "five" days she has already served) sentence.

Praise be to the LA court system; my faith has been restored!

Here's a round up for your reading pleasure -
The Superficial
I Don't Like You in That Way
TMZ
MSN
Yahoo
CNN

Did you know?

"Bonobos share 98 percent of their DNA with humans -- they also apparently share a love of decaf caramel machiatos."

Oh yeah, and they can also communicate clearly...

There's a video after the jump from the interview with John Berman (ABC reporter) and Kanzi.

Awesome.

Scary!

Google can see you and so can everyone on the internet...

Are you kidding me?

Two stories that infuriate me:

First - A lawsuit brought on by a woman that slipped in a puddle of vomit at Wal-Mart. She's suing the company because she allegedly "suffered serious neck and upper back injuries in the fall and has undergone several surgeries and is unable to work."

Puh -Leeze! She slipped in vomit. I'm not doubting that Medema wasn't injured...and I'm not doubting that the fall didn't hurt her ego. But come on...surgery! To repair what exactly?! And unable to work? Come on...

Two - Some people just don't learn. A New Mexico man is charged with his 28th DWI offense. 28th!! He had 27 DWI offenses with 14 convictions before this current arrest. Someone please tell me why this man is still on the road and not behind bars? Ha - well, I guess he is behind bars...but I mean the bars of the steel/prison variety.

He parked his car, fell out of his truck, failed to complete the field sobriety tests and, consequently, refused to take the breathalyzer.

I think the criminal court system has failed the citizens of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I just...well, there are no words...

A Wichita Falls woman sold her 15 year old daughter for a meager $3,000.

$3,000.

That's all this little girl's life was worth to her own mother.

Apparently, the 35 year old man (who was already in trouble for possession of child pornography and indecency with a child) took the girl to Mexico. The mother told police that her daughter had run away to look for her father...and even forged a note saying as such.

The poor little girl is back in TX and will be placed in foster care.

I just...well, what are people thinking?! Am I the only sane one left here?

Hold Me Close, Tiny Dancer

This is just ridiculous...

There aren't words...

And if there are, I'm not sure I care to look for them right now.

The numbers keep rising in the Virginia Tech shootings. Right now the toll is 33 dead and 20+ injured.

What provokes this kind of behavior? I read an article that said the gunman, now deceased, was looking for his girlfriend...but this early in the game, that could be hearsay.

I just don't understand it. I just don't.


More Links:

"Everyone started panicking and jumping out of the windows..."

A student's account.

Cell phone clip of shooting

Injured student describes shooting.