10 reasons NOT to go to the beach

Like I really needed a reminder of why I can't go to the beach....but here are ten good reasons why you should NOT go to the beach. If you keep going to the beach your skin could look like this:



Or there is the possibility that you could run into the mankini:

officially afraid of Madonna

OK it is now official, Madonna's arm scare me!!! Geerroossss. Look at this:

billy mays would hate this one

I would like to think that Billy Mays was a little more classier than to promote this product:

the jury is still out

Is this added to my cute kid list???? Hmmmm, I'm not sure what Johnny would think of this:

add this to the cute kid list

a lupus update

So there has been much happening in the world 'o Lupus lately. Mostly all good too:

1. The New York Times released an interactive segment documenting the many voices of Lupus patients. This was sort of a cool part to their health guide!
2. So we have now had weeks since the passing of MJ, and there are still much speculations out there about his death. People also starting examining his strange behavior more closely. People in the Lupus community have known that there was a good chance that MJ had an autoimmune disease of some kind. The glove he wore, the umbrellas, and the changing of his skin....it's all related. In this report they talk about Lupus and how it was linked with MJ: Understanding M.J.'s Ailment. Friends of mine commented how this might be good for people with the disease, and I had multiple people ask me about it as well, but I don't really think having MJ as a spokesperson adds much crediability to the disease. I mean he didn't even have a nose people!
   
3. As I mentioned in passing previously, this week HGS announced some preliminary success with a clinical trail investigating a new drug to treat Lupus. The evidence still doesn't give me too much hope knowing something about the scientific findings, but if anything it got Lupus into the news. All news outlets were covering the story and the drug company's stock rose significantly. So if anything it is keeping the conversation going and at a minimum it is some hope that there might be success in the 3rd EVER FDA approved drug to treat the damn disease.
4. There were some new people at my support group this week, of interest was a 85 year old guy. Yep I said guy! He was representing the 10% of patients in his gender category, and being a minority because he was white and older. He had an interesting story and is much a newbie that he was just trying to take it all in still. It was good to be up with those folks again, and listening to their stories as a reminder for me and my lifestyle.
   

BO's fashion

So apparently I've been out of the loop these last two weeks, too busy to keep up with the day to day gossip and news stories and no extra time to blog.....but this week there was some talk about BO's fashion (yeah this really isn't news, but it still makes me laugh). BO threw out the first pitch at the all-star game and he wore some old jeans. Apparently people didn't like the leader of the free world dressing down and looking all frumpy. Hells bells I wear worse jeans than that, some of mine have holes in them, and I bought them that way! I personally think he looks fine:

Crap, who give three shits what type of jeans he has on! He is right, keep an eye on Mrs. BO for fashion sense, as I've mentioned, she is fabulous!

where is this note?

So I was learning through some Passive Aggressive Notes, and saw one submitted from Cville. I can't figure out where this is at!!! Pipes, there are pipes in the background. It is a sandwich shop in Cville???? And they have lemons, and filtered water apparently. Who knew that there were places that did put drugs in their filtered water!

alice in wonderland is coming!

I'm sort of excited to see Tim Burton's new film, Alice in Wonderland. I've said previously that some of the pictures are alittle scarey coming out of the film, but in typical Tim fashion. Now they have released the trailer and I think it looks good....plus I love Helena Bonham Carter:

More Alice in Wonderland (2010) News & Previews

cankles awareness

So Gold's Gym is sponsoring national Crankles Awareness month right now, and offering a customized "cankles-busting workout" at its gyms. For those of you that don't know, and I had to explain this to Sneaky Pete about 4 years ago, cankles are when your leg does straight into your foot, thus not allowing any type of ankle. Apparently Gold's Gym is trying to make people feel even worse about themselves by pointing this out. Do you really think cankles is something you work off????

But I've learned that if you don't want to attempt to work off your cankles, you can always get liposuction to slim down your ankle bones. What if my feet are always swollen and not necassarily fat??? Yikes. There isn't much we won't do to our bodies anymore.....and that reminds me to get my ass to the gym this afternoon, gotta burn off that cankle fat :)

recycling castles, way to stay green

So Russel Crowe has been filming the new Robin Hood movie, and there has been these pictures of him riding horses and such. Well apparently, they are going to recycle the castle which was built specifically for the Robin Hood movie for the new Harry Potter movies. Way to go producers, being all green and recycling. I wonder was castle it will be in the last book??? Perhaps it will turn into Luna's home??? Or the Malfoy's home??? We will just have to wait and see!

music of the moment

How about a little Blue Foundation:

a wedding I could get on board with

This is great!!!! And of course it is from St. Paul, MN where we know how to through a wedding! Way to represent.

national hot dog day!

So today was national hot dog day, and I was able to attend the big lunch event on the hill! It has be guessestimated that at least 1000 people showed. I was pimped out in my business casual, which Betty was right was not really business casual DC style. But I generally fit it, even though Betty threaten to change the last name on my name tag so people wouldn't know we were related.

I took the metro in, followed some guy with baseballs to the correct location. The event was in a big courtyard with fountains, picnic tables, bars, and hot dog stands. It was a good time. I think I ate 2 hot dogs and a sausage....ohhh and some bake beans, and some chips, and a rice krispe treat. Damn what a heifer. Who the hell eats that much? Oh and I had 2 beers and 2 pops. Alright apparently I got my money out of the free event.

The surprise of the event was there were baseball players there. I just didn't know that I should have brought some balls to get signatures. I don't really know these people, but apparently there was Vince Coleman, and Barry something or other, and some other old dudes. Ask Betty, because I don't remember.

I got to see alot of Betty and my friends from AMI, and meet a bunch of her business contacts from the private side of the meat industry. There were people who introduced themselves to me from knowing my dad and betty, and boy were these folks proud of the big B. She was meeting and greeting and just breaking hearts. I was one proud sis.

Catch her out in action:



Get me a hot dog....

business casual?

I'm taking a vote and I'm hoping that you will consider leaving your thoughts in the comments....

What is your definition of business casual?

Would black pants and a peach collared shirt count?

VOTE! (it's your duty)

representing Cville

So I've been loving the new Parachute disk....which I've spotted as a music of the moment previously. And it wasn't until recently that I found out that these guys are actually from Cville!!! Well holy balls we may just have ourselves another DMB. Too bad I didn't pick up on these guys before they got more popular.

I'm still digging them and now even more that they are bringing it back to my new home.

A cat lady documentary

This makes me throw up a little in my mouth:

The Cat Lady Documentary.

Yikes!!!! God please help me if that is ever me. I would much rather be the candle lady....the knitting lady....the old lady with her tits in her shoes pinching asses in the nursing home? All much better than the cat lady (still aiming for them on the road).

qoute of the day

"Death is peaceful....easy, life is harder."

No judgment please, but sometimes applicable.

news of the last couple days....

1. I just got to DC this afternoon, broke into my sister's apartment only to discover that her refrig is stocked with wine, fruit, and there is some type of bird in the crockpot. Am I really that easy to figure out and please???? I was one happy girl.
   
2. Internet and cable rocks, even if only for a short 2-day trip to DC.
3. For those who don't know, I had a weekend encounter with a bee and my eyeball, which resulted in a 2-day event of swelling, doctors visits, and steroid shots in my ass.
   
4. Operation KTDB (kill those damn bees, thanks Jeff) has commenced and my landlords are now doing secret nightly missions to kill the yellow hornets building a home in my patio wall (that means no walking around naked in my apartment).
5. I sent around pictures of my swollen, shiner of an eye to my close friends and family, and had multiple email laughs. Good thing I can laugh at myself, and everyone feels like they can laugh too. That makes me happy. And yes one of the pictures did look like Nick Noltes mugshot (wait isn't that what I look like when I'm home over the holidays), and yes I did consider wearing a pirate patch over my eyeball.
   
6. Two of my best friends work in a lab at CASTL whose boss/leader's husband passed this week after a 5-6 year battle with lymphoma. It is a sad, stressful, and busy time in their lives. Many many positive thoughts your way.
   
7. Although sad things are happening, so are really happy things. Again, congrats to my dear friends A & M.
   
8. We have had some major successes recently in the fight to find a new drug to treat Lupus. One of the clinical trails, through HGS, recently met it's primary endpoint in the first of two phase 3 trails. This isn't a solution but is a big big BIG step in the right direction. A couple months ago I attended a seminar where they were thinking this wasn't going to pass the requirements (it is very difficult to isolate symptoms and control for the environmental factors). THIS IS GOOD NEWS!!! Makes me positive. This new drug might soon be up for FDA approval. It's been over 50 years coming.
   
9. Tomorrow I'm proudly attending the American Meat Institute's national hog dog day on the national mall. Yep, I'm on the VIP list and my sister is rocking the house. There has been over 1000 people invited, including baseball players and congressman. There's hoping I see someone important. I'll be the one all covered up from the sun with an umbrella.
10. Hold onto your butts, but I've been reading more books lately....nothing too exciting, but I did read my friend's entire book on Sunday. Next on my list is Helga's gift.
    
11. Why am I addicted to British and English singers or bands? If it isn't Duffy, Adele, or the Nosiettes, it is now Muse....this song is soooo unlike me but I love it.
12. Amy is leaving this week and it makes me sad. My 2 years in Cville is coming to an end, which in the world of academia that means things are bound to change.....let's all take a moment and be thanksful for the time we've had together.
    

my D is famous

My good friend D saved this guy's life last summer...he pulled him out of some massive rapids in the Grand Cranyon and lost his wedding ring while being a hero.

He should have mentioned you:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Robert Glennon
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

CONGRATS to M & A

A big CONGRATS goes out to my good friends A & M, who got engaged this weekend!!! It's been 10 years in the making and I'm soooooo happy for you both. I'll have a couple throughout this week in your honor. Good job M, it was a surprise and you should have seen A glowing today.

YEAH!!! CONGRATS!!!!

starsucks moving up in my book

So Starsucks just announced that they will soon be offering booze with their overpriced coffee and crap pastries. Yeah!!! Now that is way more up my alley! I bet the first thing that is going to be problematic is all those teenagers will start selling to their friends without checking IDs and most stores will loose their licenses. I'm just saying....

Do you think I can now order Bailey's with my espresso???? That would be great!

funny HP/twillight skit

picture of the day

nuff said:

MJ is selling record

So since MJ's death he has sold over 9 million worth of records. In just a month that guy is going to outsell most other artists this year alone. Interesting...but apparently good because he has enough debt to pay off :)

damn you brett favre

So there has been all this talk about Brett Favre coming out of retirement AGAIN to play for his former cheddar head's big rival, the MN Vikings. Well apparently, Brett has given himself a deadline for letting the Viks know there business and it is on July 30th. Oh Brett, I'm so over you.

You all know I'll have more to say about this business later, but for now all I have to say is damn you BF.

Emmys were just announced

The 2009 Emmys were just announced and the normals are there....30 Rock with 22 nominations, Mad Men with 16, the Office with 9, etc.

HP is great!

Yep, I saw HP last night and have tickets bought for Saturday too! I guess I was helping with that opening night 59 million made. Transformers grossed more on opening day last month, but all time record holder is still the Dark Knight. And apparently, the HP series may take over all time grossing film series, surpassing James Bond. I'm not sure how I feel about that, I bet I'm OK with it.

Last night in the new HP, I caught 3 official scenes that were in the movie that weren't in the book. Did you figure out which ones?

news of the last couple days...

1. I have no internet stealing happening at home + no free moments at work = less blogging
2. Tequila rose makes a wonderful nightly wind down, I'll have another for you now
3. I read the entire second book of the Twillight series yesterday, yep that's like 500 pages....It was a good excuse to relax and avoid work
4. I threw my friend a BBQ on Saturday and it was rockin fun, besides the fact I was sweating my balls off over the grill....but I was a frisbee champion.
   
5. Friday night I drank too many basal/cucumber martinis, which lead to lots of laughter, testicle tossing, and some board games (again my idea of winning is just slowing down the other teams).
6. I had lots to celebrate after last week: my first publication was officially out in hardcopy and printed, our first publication from my job (the psychometric properties of our measure) was accepted for publication in a tier one journal which I was a second author, and I officially hired a full-time undergraduate student and kindergarten teacher for the next 3 months who are definitely smarter than me (they should be excellent additions to our team).
   
7. I did some amazing cooking this weekend, including a potatoe salad that was sooooo good it had to have some crack in it and a wicked bean citrus salad.
   
8. I worked on my garden some which included laying down new soil, and staking the crap out of those now 5 foot tomato plants. They will now growing more upright and away from the peppers. I also killed 2 new bee nests....I'm like martha facher and the devil all in one.
   
9. I am painting old ladies nails tomorrow, and a night of HP madness is on the schedule for Wednesday. Go HP!!!
10. I'm considering submitting my last poster from my WSU thesis to SRA next month. We will see if that happens but I officially put me in the symposium assistant system.
    
11. I got asked to do a local training in two weeks, so I can chalk up a good amount of extra money from the CLASS foundation without having to travel! That goes towards my tinted windows or my retail therapy addiction.
12. Gail, my kind sister, bought me a new iPod/radio/alarm clock so that I can listen to NPR and other local radio stations at my apartment. It rocks! Thanks lady!!! I'm enjoying it now.
    

HP NYC

Looking alittle better for the NYC premire.....so excited I'm even missing some gym to go in 2 days:

And in case you didn't hear....people are loving the movie, even say the Vatican and God!

Oscar Mayer died

Sad day in the meat industry, as the original Oscar Mayer passed away. I mean the guy was almost 100 years old!!! Holy balls, some good hot dogs does a body good apparently (PS, it is national hot dog month and I'm on the VIP list to get some wieners in 2 weeks on the national mall in DC). He worked for the company for over 40 years, making hot dogs and building wiener-mobiles. In honor of the great meat man, let's all take a moment to hum or sing his song:

"I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener....." Or just watch this

HP coming

So we are a week away from HP and I got my tickets for opening night, and I may have to see it again over the week (well at again at the end of the month in IMAX). The movie premiered in London last weekend and it rained!!!! People were soaked but Emma looked amazing. I'm completely addicted to Emma Watson, she is so glamorous and smart (did you know she was accepted to Yale?). As Helga said the other night, the boys keep getting fulgier and she is more and more beautiful. Case and point the London premiere:

And on the HP point, I mentioned that Transformers was all bent out of shape that HP might take there thunder in IMAX, and it turns out they were right!!! Pre-sale tickets for HP NEXT WEEK are already outpacing the sales for Transformers. So so so many people are ordering their tickets online and in advance that it is going to beat out Transformers before it even opens. That is just amazing. I can't WAIT!!!!!!!!!!

Oh B can be around me in this euphoric HP state.

sequel to Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown's sequel to the Da Vinci Code is coming out soon and the book cover was just announced.....can't wait to buy it:

a t-shirt I would wear

green screen hero

Yeah I'm a green screen hero. Today I filmed 1 of 5 parts of an online training we are creating for teachers across the country. We have been writing the content and designing the module for months. A colleague took a picture of me performing and forwarded on to folks. Here some of the many comments I received:

1. You look like you lost weight
2. You need more makeup on, you are pale
3. Those holey jeans look like shit.
   
4. Next step, the weather channel

You can even put in an honest day's work anymore.....but it went really good and although we were planning for 3 full days, I pulled that shit off in 3 hours. I'm amazing, I know!

poor andy

Well crap, Roger Ferrer has done it again. In a historical match at Wimbledon this afternoon, which I've been glued to watching, Roger pulled it off again. Poor Andy....that guy just can't catch a break! Roger now has 15 slams, and the commericals afterward were pretty cute. That was an epic epic 5th. Amazing :)

I want to give Andy a big hug.

music of the moment

Bringing it back, you love it:

Gov. Palin resigns

Since betty won't let me play this out loud:

more sex = better sperm

Attention male friends, just in case you are slow in the swimmer's department, apparently you should be having more sex. According to new research, having sex every daily improves the quality of men's sperm and is recommended for couples trying to conceive. I'm not sure what else I have to say on this topic, but I just though I would pass this nice correlational and sensationalized story along.

no more dancing babies

I'm soooo over all these dancing and talking babies. It all started back in the late 90's with Ally McBeal and those stupid hallucinations...you know the ones were that damn 3D computer generated babies were dancing around. Then we started getting those horrifying E-Trade talking babies commericals. And now water bottles are making skating babies....I swear I might have to kill myself. I don't like animated babies:



OMG that shit is disturbing on multiple levels. That vid will continue to horrify me tonight. Yikes!

MJ's last performance

Here is footage from MJ's last performance/rehearsal in LA for his London shows....still got it:

new EM

Well this is different than first couple releases that were back to the old days. Diggin it but still rapping about himself....

Bring it back to MI, filming this vid straight up in DTW:

the plastic pinto is one zexy machine

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garden update

Alright folks, everyone can get off my balls because I have a garden update for you all. Yep I'm still an amazing Martha Facher, growing my own veggies and tree hugging the crap out of mother nature. I mentioned at the end of May that I planted a garden...well actually most of the credit goes to Brian who really dug the damn thing while I drank beer. But I've been loving it and giving it lots of TLC since then, and I'm proud to announce that I've birthed a cucumber, three red tomatos and lots of cilantro and basil. I've made a batch of homemade pesto, and some decilious basal martinis (with muddled cucumber). I got 4 peppers on the vine too. Things are going well!

Now I'm aware that I've been competing with all you master gardeners (you are probably master debaters too) in MN, MI, WA and VT, but I'm happy to report, I'm a big weiner. Yep, I win and I don't care if you get pissed that I give my plants steriods. I'll juice them right up, I don't give two shits! My tomato plants are about 5 feet high. Winner winner, chicken dinner.

And the best thing is no cats, groundhogs/beavers/gophers, skunks or pirates have tired to break though my fence. I repeat, winner winner chicken dinner.

I blame you

Well I'm blaming you....yep tonight it thunderstormed, lightening, and was raining cats and dogs. I'm not kidding, it was really coming down, and of course I had no idea it was going to happen. I've mentioned in the past that I leave it up to my friends and family to let me know when it is going to rain in my area since I don't watch TV and don't have internet. And frankly I don't pay attention to those type of things....but tonight I got burned.

I had to run onto campus to drop off some equipment in the education building after training, and of course it started down pouring. Yeah I'm not talking about a little rain, I'm talking like flood the streets, LL is wet type of rain. I mean I was soaked all the way down to my knickers.....yeah I'm using the word knickers.... it just seems to fit! My hair was dripping and I had to remove every piece of clothing when I got home.

Someone call me next time and buy me some wellies.

DTW does not need more scandals

I grow tire of the scandals and shady politicians in Detroit. If it ain't Kwame Kilpatrick having sex with tax payer money, than it is their city council members taken bribes. Monica Conyers, the wife of a MI congressman and someone fairly outspoken on the council, resigned this week after allegations of taking bribes from some local businesses. What an idiot.

The FBI has been all over her business and she apparently only took $6000 in bribes. Well crap lady if you are going to go to jail and get caught, at least pull a Bernie and make it worth your time. You just ruined your name and your career for a 6 grand, when your husband could probably fart that much money in one day. Seriously, you're a dumbass.

You better stay off the streets of DTW because people are tired of your loud mouth:



"You ain't my daddy"
Oh shit she just called hime "shrek"

transformers cock blocking HP

Sooooo we are officially t minus 2 weeks from the new Harry Potter movie. I'm sort of lost some of my excitement which has been bursting from me for months. I'll still see it at least once or twice the first week it is open, but I was slightly disappointed that I won't be able to see it in IMAX or 3D until the end of the month. Although the actual movie comes out on July 15th (which btw was moved up so that we can make the most out of the weekend blockbuster....stupid hollywood), the IMAX productions are only available in major cities at that time. Why is this you ask???? Well because damn Transformers doesn't want to give up their IMAX run that soon. Although they would have already had 2-3 weeks under their money-making belts, they won't allow HP to take over nation wide in IMAX until the end of the month.

Damn you movie gods!!! Although, I did see Transformers 1 1/2 times last weekend and laughed my balls off. I might have wet my pants just a little. "It's like hogwarts in here" Funny shit.

franken is finally official

Well it is official....well except we thought it was official multiple times before....but now good old Norm has officially conceded to funny man Al Franken. This is a glorious day for MN politics, right up there with confirming Gov. Ventura. Al is now in and who knows what will happen now. It only took about 7 months to make it official. Many are beginning to speculate what this will mean for BO's agenda. Still a fillibuster party but I'm not that is really doing those donkey's any good at this point.

Alright Al, you just take your Arvin Sloan-like glasses and get yo ass to DC. It time to represent my home.

something to make you poo your pants

Sooooo the Sear's Tower recently opened a new space on their 103rd deck, which will probably make you crap your pants. I know my ma would shit a freakin brick if we took her up there. These children have balls of steel! I think might even get alittle nervous about this:





Chi-town is getting creative and trying to bring in some new interest and new tourist. I would go check this out. It is pretty cool!!! I've been on top of the London Eye, the Effiel Tower, the Gateway Arch and other such tall places so I think I could handle this....

best all time safety briefing

Air New Zealand has the best new safety briefing for their passengers to watch. They are all naked and body painted, and play off of words like "take a closer look" and "we have nothing to hide." Those aussies are soooo smart. Pretty damn clever, too bad we don't get to see anything beyond PG.



Jesus sometimes I can't understand what the hell they are saying.....but I did thoroughly enjoy it!