Friday Wrap-Up

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First things first! I don't get awards - all of those warm, fuzzy blogger awards with pictures of little kittens and heart shaped clouds never seem to find their way here (imagine that!). So, when I get an award - even if it is one that required nothing from me other than leaving a comment - I celebrate!

How many of you know Tink? My guess is that if you haven't been to her blog, you've seen pieces of her on other blogs. She hosts the Weekly Words Challenge - the weekly photo meme that generates some wonderful creativity. If for some silly reason you haven't visited, you need to get over to Pickled Beef and visit - I know you'll go back again and again!

Every year, for the past three years, Tink has given out Golden Spork Awards. This year, "nominations" were done on Delurking Day. Here is what is required to receive a nomination (read closely ... the requirements are pretty stringent)!

So comment here (there and everywhere), even if you don't normally. In fact, I'll make it easy on you.

Copy and paste the phrase below:

Hi, my name is (insert name here). I think you're very (adjective). My favorite animal is a (type of animal). My favorite movie is (movie title). When I grow up I want to be a (job title). I have a sick obsession with rubbing (first thing you see) on my (random body part). Please come visit me at (blog address).

Not only could you gain new friends, but you'll also receive a super awesome Golden Spork Award! Yup, it's that time of year again. Cutoff time for comments is 8am (Eastern Standard Time) tomorrow. If you don't comment, you won't get a spork, and everyone knows that shiny utensils ROCK. Awards will be handed out next Monday.

... and that's exactly what I did! And look! It's a shiny SPORKY! This year I found myself with a "Clever" Spork Award (Tink calls this category "The people that give me pause.") Go visit the list of winners and find yourself some new blogs to stalk read!

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How do men handle gas and ... well ... poop, #2, pinching a loaf, SHIT in public restrooms? Let me tell you how women's' public restroom etiquette for "gas and more" works.

First of all, under no circumstances should other women know that you fart and shit. Really! You must hold all gas and more inside as long as there is anyone else in the public restroom. This is even more critical should you be in a workplace restroom where everyone knows you.

Now, should you slip and make noise (fart or plop) you must remain locked in your stall until everyone who heard your blunder has left the restroom. It would be a double blunder should you let others hear your "gas and more" noise and then actually let them see who it came from!

Somehow, I can't imagine men having such stringent bathroom rules.

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Nicey in his HNT comment yesterday said, "Work it baby, cracking photo, so gotta ask this but who takes them for ya ??? Laters"

Some of you may not know that with the exception of THIS HNT, I've taken ever single photo myself. I've got a tripod and a 10-second delay timer on my Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120. The lighting in yesterday's shot? A task light I bought at the dollar store.

In other words, nothing fancy in my photos. Just a regular point and shoot digital camera (under $150), a $10 tripod, household lighting and a lot of imagination. It's something I really enjoy doing from a creative standpoint, and it's been fun watching the progression from where I started.

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One more quick thing ... stop laughing ... I should be able to say this in less than 1000 words!

If you have a chance, go visit Siren today. Why you ask? Well, once in a while you come across a blogger with an amazing amount of integrity. One who could just as easily have created blogger drama on her first visit here, but instead chose to honor what I consider the "true spirit" of blogging and kept her mind open instead. She may never visit again, but just in case she does, I wanted to say, "Thank you!"

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Cult or Religion?

There's a new blog I've been reading regularly called Apathy Lounge written by Anastasia. I found her through Tink's Golden Spork Awards (yes, I really do try to hit the blogs you all find worthy of reading). I like the Apathy Lounge, primarily because Anastasia's views are quite different from mine (read that as far more liberal leaning - generally - than mine). I always find reading well written opinions that are quite different than mine thought provoking.

Yesterday, she wrote a post asking her readers if they could ever vote for a political candidate who was a Scientologist (you can read the post HERE, but pretty please come back when you are done). Now, I've read some of L. Ron Hubbard's stuff, and although it's not my cup of kool aid tea, I didn't find it offensive or WAY off the deep end. Apparently I'm the exception (why does that always happen to me?).

My comment on the post was that religion doesn't factor into my vote. Little did I know that most everyone else was operating out of the mindset that Scientology is not a religion. Just for shits and grins, I looked up definitions for both "cult" and "religion" (both listed here are from www.dictionary.com and are the first definition listed):

RELIGION - a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs

CULT - a particular system of religious worship, esp. with reference to its rites and ceremonies

I don't know, but I'm seeing very little difference in these two definitions. Not only that, but I'd even go out on a limb and say that most (if not all) religions, at least loosely, fit in to this definition of cult.

Before anyone gets their panties up in a bunch here, I'm not knocking anyones belief system. If you go to church/temple/synagogue, and that makes you happy, by all means have a great time, just don't come knocking on my door on Sunday morning because I might just answer it naked!

So let me pose theses two question to all of you. In your opinion, is Scientology a religion or a cult? Why do you define it that way?

The End of an Era

Tomorrow is the day that I voluntarily end my child-bearing years. I do this with mixed emotions.

On one hand, the thought of sex without concern for an "OOPS" baby (if I conceived today, I'd be almost 45 years old with a newborn - can't think of anything much more terrifying) is almost orgasmic. On the other hand, it's kind of sad to finally make that decision that I'm just too damn old to be birthing any more babies.

My "baby" will be TWELVE in a little over a month. Six more years and he'll graduate from high school. Ninety days after that he'll either be heading off to college, or getting a job and moving out. Those have been the rules since day one and all three kids (one of whom is already in college) have heard it at least weekly all of their lives. Six years and I can sell the house, buy a motor home and travel the NASCAR circuit *gigglesnort*! Now why would I even consider another eighteen year obligation?

The truth is that I wouldn't - but knowing that I wouldn't, and knowing that I couldn't, even if I wanted to, are completely different things. I don't know, maybe it's a little of that good old chick logic, but it makes sense to me!

Anyone want to toast my fallopian tubes before they are severed??? I have until midnight to partake in the fine, distilled spirits!

Oh, one more really important thing ('cause this other thing isn't really important)! I "won" a Golden Spork Award! Now, I'd like to say that this has something to do with my profound wisdom and amazing writing abilities, but if the truth be known, Tink has pity for those of us new to her blog and gives us the "Great New Find" Spork Award just for showing up! Thanks Tink!!