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First off, can you believe we only have 8 weeks left of 2009!! Where did the year go??  Now I find myself asking that question a lot these days??  Makes me wonder if that’s how my parents felt. It seems that time flies as we get older or is it that we are just busier?? Needless [...]

Pondering which wine goes well with Candy Corn...

Thoughts?


Happy Halloween!


(This message brought to you by The Wine Whore)

FIRED UP RIGHT NOW !! ---
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Damn if College Football Saturdays aren't the best 13 or so Saturdays of all the 52 Saturdays you get in a year.
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This PARTICULAR Saturday is just a little bit different. This is the Saturday that Florida Plays Georgia. Herschel Walker doesn't play there anymore so I feel like the mighty Gators have a chance. Okay, Honestly, I believe this is the week they hold on to the football and execute the way we all know they can and Tebow not only gets his 50th but also his 51st rushing TD of his career, along with throwing a few for good measure.
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THIS Saturday is running a deep route, breaking wide open down the middle on a perfectly beautiful Fall day.
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This is such a beautiful Saturday that they are going to give us an EXTRA HOUR. (technically that won't happen till Sunday but its at the point where Saturday night is bleeding into Sunday.)
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Gonna have some fun today!

If only we had been able to get away the weekend prior it would have been a perfect day. Just because it would have been a lot cooler. Nevertheless, we managed to stay in the shade as much as possible and the kiddos had a blast.My daughter found out about a Pumpkin Festival down in Manatee County so she and I loaded up the kiddos and headed that way last weekend. We don't have any thing like

WHERE:  St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, Florida
WHEN: 3:00 PM EDT
MEDIA:  Sun Sports TV (Cable ), 620WDAE (Radio)

The New Jersey Devil's will take something from this game, if they like it or not:  That Halloween just does not feel right when the weather is bright, sunny, hot (we're talking high near 90) and humid...  But then again?  Halloween parties when the sun is still high in the sky (3 in the afternoon, for example) just doesn't feel right either...

And that's what we have to endure today -- matinee.  The horror, the horror...

But lets forget the sideshow because that's got no bearing on the game being played this afternoon (well, unless goalie Martin Brodeur is a late scratch with nausea caused by eating too much Halloween candy way too early in the day).  The Lightning are not only looking to build on Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators but they are also out to redeem themselves after their last-minute-loss to the Devils on October 8th....

It'd be nice to close out the month with 13 points in 11 games...  ooh, 13?  Halloween?  Scary...

Antero Niittymaki is due to start between the pipes for the Lightning this afternoon while Martin Brodeur will be starting for the Devils.  Devil's d-man Johnny Oduya will not be playing today after sufrering an injury during the Devils 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday night.

The Devils have a perfect record on the road (6-0-0) and are in third place in the Atlantic division with 14 points in 11 games...  They also can boast a perfectly even Goals-for and goals-allowed average of 2.46.  How many other teams can boast this?   The Devils also have a respectable 80% rate on the penalty kill and a 16.4% conversion rate on the power play.

 

 

Other Previews

Tampa Bay Lightning official game preview

SB Nation Devil community In Lou We Trust -- featuring a Q and A with our very own Cassie McClellan

TSN.ca's Preview

3:50 p.m. - Jeff Hi Pea 3:51 p.m. - Brian sup pa 3:51 p.m. - Jeff Are you cleaning your Facebook? 3:51 p.m. - Brian yes sir 3:51 p.m. - Jeff Thank you. Think you could make your bed while you're at it? 3:52 p.m. - Brian ugh is this the new way of ordering me to do something??? 3:54 p.m. - Jeff Take your phone number off Facebook, Pea. Not safe. 3:54 p.m. - Brian i need it for my freinds 3:54 p.m. - Jeff It's not safe. Take it down. 3:55 p.m. - Brian my profile is private 3:56 p.m. - Jeff You're certain of this? 3:56 p.m. - Brian absolutly possitive 3:56 p.m. - Jeff That's not how you spell either of those words 3:57 p.m. - Brian i kno 3:58 p.m. - Jeff No you didn't 3:59 p.m. - Brian can you prove it beyond a reasonable doubt? 4:00 p.m. - Jeff Based on your history of spelling, I would have no problem taking this before a judge. 4:00 p.m. - Brian fine. i will consult my associate Miles Massey PREVIOUS MOMENTS WITH ANDRE: Asian dinner with Andre. Godfather-themed breakfast with Andre. Waiting in car line with Andre. Renaming Andre. Driving with Andre. Watching TV with Andre. Breakfast with Andre....

Not to sound too corny, but after seeing REO Speedwagon live for the third time in about 12 years, the only words that come to mind are: " When I said that I love you, I meant that I love you forever."

And I do still mean it. It's impossible not to still love REO. Even on nights when Kevin Cronin and the boys are a little off.

REO Speedwagon and Styx were the co-headliners Friday night in Tampa at the Ford Amphitheatre, but REO drew the short straw and went on first (well, after a short set by Night Ranger.) All three bands seemed to struggle a little with a sound system that left them sounding muddy and a little light on guitar. Here are the highlights:

STILL ROCKING AMERICA: Give Night Ranger credit. They seem to enjoy every second on stage, even with a 7 p.m. start time (and even if a few of their stories and bits seem a little rehearsed or stale.) "Every band has a na-na song," Jack Blades explained to the crowd after Secret of my Success. Yep, I heard the same schtick word for word a few years ago in Clearwater. Given their short allowance of time on stage, NR used it efficiently, rolling through the hits including Sing Me Away, When You Close Your Eyes, Don't Tell Me You Love Me and Rock in America. Tommy Shaw from Styx came onstage to sing along with Sister Christian, a song that has lost none of its magical powers over the years. If you can't sing along, then your soul is dead.

STILL MISSING DENNIS: I know founding lead singer Dennis DeYoung has been gone from the Styx lineup forever. But they're just not Styx without him. Case in point: Would the Chicago-bred band EVER have been forced to open with Miss America (James Young on vocals) in the old days? With only Young and Shaw remaining in the lineup, the band just feels like a really good tribute band.

TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS: There's absolutely nothing wrong with Styx's musicianship. But it feels like they're trying just soooo hard to make fans like them. "Look! We're having fun! We love being on stage! We're happy! We're energetic! You can still like us! Please still like us!"

OBLIGATORY PDA WHINING: It's not a concert review without complaining at "that one couple," right? In this case, it was the heavily boozed up 45-year-old and his 23-year-old date two rows in front of me. By the time Styx got to Grand Illusion, they had broken out some naughty moves I haven't seen since Johnny Castle and Baby Houseman mixed it up in Dirty Dancing. And just like the movie, you get the feeling the night's gonna end with Baby needing to ask her dad to borrow some cash. 

ONE LAST COMPLAINT .. OKAY TWO OF THEM: Styx keyboardist Lawrence Gowan is irritating. Big time. His keyboard is on a swivel so that he can spin it around 360 degrees. Why? So he shake his butt at times Bon Jovi-style. And so he can play the keys -- with his hands behind his back! Again, why? Plus, and I know I'm being a real ass here, but I can't get over the impression that he sounds too much like the Monkees' Davy Jones.

REO GETS REVVED UP: REO opened with Don't Let Him Go, an excellent choice. But they've reworked the song a little -- and not in a good way. It's a few beats slower and less frantic. But "frantic" is what makes the original so much fun. It's a screaming plea, not a plodding anthem. The new version sounds like it's on cold meds.

HEARD IT FROM A FRIEND WHO....: REO, Kevin and the boys seemed to really suffer from the sound system. The guitar just disappeared at times, leaving songs to be carried by the bass and drums. On top of that, REO seemed a beat too slow a few times. Was it intentional? One of the only songs to benefit from it was Take It On The Run, which always sounded too weepy to me on Hi Infidelity. A step slower, it's perfect, transforming itself into the ultimate public kiss-off to a cheating, heart-stomping woman. Who knew that nearly 30 years after hearing it for the first time -- I hated it back in the day -- today this would be the song I'd feel most personally.

MOST CHILLING MOMENT: A huge video screen behind the band worked its best magic when showing clips of REO through the ages. But nothing could top the moment when it turned the clock back to July 13, 1985 -- Live Aid. Hearing news reports of the event, and then a commentator say, "REO Speedwagon is about to play its No. 1 song." And then Can't Fight This Feeling starts. I still get chills thinking about it.

I KNOW IT HURTS TO SAY GOODBYE: Time for Me To Fly sounds as perfect today as it ever has. Can't we sing this before sporting events instead of the national anthem? I'd happily put my cap over my heart and cry like a baby. If I were REO, I'd have made this the final song of the night rather than the now-plodding Riding the Storm Out.

MOST PERFECT SONG EVER: This is going to sound like the ripest of hyperbole, but I want to make a case for Roll With The Changes being perhaps one of the most perfect songs every conceived. It's like a world-record, Olympic relay race, which each band member effortlessly handing off solos to each other. And seriously, when was the last time you found yourself playing "air keyboards" at a concert? Wow. If I had to pick just one REO song to listen to the rest of my life, this is it.

THE CROWD: Looked like a pretty full house at the Ford Amp last night, even though it was a "pavilion-only" show (no lawn seats open). I think I can safely say almost everyone there was in their 40s. As my companion so brilliantly observed at one point, "I think the entire audience is having a mid-life crisis." Hey, present company included! We're not that stuck up!

Despite its flaws, the REO, Styx, Night Ranger tour is still a great night of hits and seriously worth every penny for a ticket. Besides, it'd cost you serious coin to get this lineup of anthems off of iTunes. And what fun is it playing air keyboards alone?

Two little tricksters.................. Aren't they scarey?............................

Current Standings

BucWild 38-17   .691    -

UNFnole 38-17   .691   -

BF Dave 8-5        .615   .076

Niko 25-30    .451  13

Paul 0-0         .00      -

Catch the detailed predictions after the Jump!

BucWild

Seattle at Dallas - Though I'm not sold on Dallas, I'm even more unsure of what to make of the Seahawks.  DeMarcus Ware has been on fire the last two games notching 2 sacks in each game and with 3 running backs that can deliver, Dallas should take it at home.

LA Rams at Lions - My heart says go with St Louis, my brain says I'm an idiot to go with them.  Detroit may be without Megatron, which could spell trouble.  I also may be changing my pick around game time depending on injury report.  Ah, screw it, I'll go with the Rams now and change it later

Miami at NY Jets - The Jets are pumped up for this and the Dolphins are coming off a devastating loss.  At home, with their backs to the wall, the Jets take it. 

Niko

San Francisco at Indianapolis- The Colts look better than their SuperBowl year, and with a much younger team, and they will host probably the best 49er team in over half a decade if not longer. But unlike the 49ers, Indianapolis is set at the QB position, which will be dominated by the team in blue today.

Cleveland at Chicago- Last week Chicago was simply dumped on by an improved but hardly a world-beater Cincinnati team. Cleveland is in chaos with its QB quandary, and is looking for someone, anyone, it can beat up. They will keep looking…

Denver at Baltimore- Just three short weeks ago, both teams were 3-0. Baltimore looked like it, Denver beat no one. Since then, the Broncos have beaten Dallas, New England and San Diego. Baltimore has lost 3 straight close ones. I’m sorry did I say three?

UNFNOLE

NY Giants at Philadelphia - Battle of the over-rateds. I'm not going to get into how Filthy is overrated again, just look at who theyve beat and who they have lost to. Combined with McNabbs DYAR being well below some mediocre - bad quarterbacks in the league. The Giants are also overrated. Their best win came against Dallas. I will give you a minute to catch your breath after being so impressed. They also have wins against US, KC, Washington and Oakland. They lost the last two weeks to above average teams (NO, Arizona). NYG win this game, but only because I have to chose and I hate Filthy.

 

Houston at Buffalo - Houston proved how they could dismantle defenses. San Fran has a much better one that does Buffalo. Buffalo however, can take away some of their passing game forcing Houston to rely on the run. On the flip side of it, Houston’s defense is terrible. I will put you on upset alert here, but will still go with Houston because of the talent in place.

 

Jacksonville at Tennessee - I fully expect Jacksonville to have all 11 guys in the box. Neither Collins nor Young have the ability to hit open WR, and their WR have no ability to get open (even against 0 DB's). I am only slightly kidding. I also think Tim Tebow should just forego his Senior Year right now and enter the NFL as a FA. After which, Wayne Weaver will sign him without ever giving him a tryout or interview. Tim Tebow will run rampant on Tenn. MJD will have to create some holes, but they will be there. Another tough one to pick, but  I will go with my gut and say Tim Tebow.

 

BucsFanDave

 

 Oakland at San Diego-  Ah, November, when the season usually begins for San Diego.  After taking September and October off, the Chargers seem to like to spot Denver three games each season.  Oakland, however, has neither a starting, nor backup quarterback capable of completing a pass.  San Diego 24-9.

 

Minnesota at GreenBay-  Green Bay played well against Minnesota on the road, but committed killer turnovers.  This time, they'll have a better left tackle, and that increased time to throw is the difference here.  I can already see that the Vikings are going to Peterson less and Favre more.  This is good news for the Packers.  Green Bay 24-17.

 

Carolina at Arizona- Arizona's defense looked awesome against New York.  Arizona's ability to stop the run will force Carolina to the air.  However, look for Delhomme to break out of his slump.  Panthers upset the overconfident Cardinals 21-17.

 

Mon- Atlanta at NewOrleans- Great matchup, but the Saints are too good.  Atlanta's defense has not improved from last year, and the Saints' defense has.  Brees will throw for 400 yards and 3 touchdowns as fantasy owners rejoice.  Saints 42-21. 

 

Every Year USF Bulls seem to go 5-0 then go on a 4 game slide and end up in a bowl game with the words Pizza or .com in it. This was a very big win for the USF Bulls to snap that and beat a ranked team to go 6-2, and it was a Big East win. Congratulations to coach Leavitt and his Staff and students on the win. 

FUSE BALL TABLE MAKES A GOOD CHRISTMAS GIFT (DAVIS ISLANDS TAMPA FLORI http://bit.ly/31xTuL

FUSE BALL TABLE MAKES A GOOD CHRISTMAS GIFT (DAVIS ISLANDS TAMPA FLORIDA): Fuse ball table in great shape, even.. http://bit.ly/4u4Oce

%*@)%#!$

i’m trying to change the position of the shelves in the kitchen. easy peasy, right? you just remove the shelf, move the shelf supports — usually metal right? — and valhalla!* — the shelf has magically been repositioned.

But with modern cabinets, they are making them with these plastic shelf clips that, on the bottom, are like the old metal clips. But there is now a top to the clips and it rests on the tops side of the shelf. I suppose this gives it more stability, yah?

Well, my question is: how the FUCK do you remove those suckers. A search on google yields lots of plastic shelf clips in catalogs and shit. but a search on how to remove said clips yields ….. de nada! zip! Zero! zilch! in terms of useful information!

Update: aha! here’s the trick. At the same time I found the answer online, R happened to have gotten up and figured it out. Because he’s handy like that. Because he carries around tools in his pocket constantly which means right in his pocket was the equivalent of a flathead screwdriver also know as a leatherman. fuck me. I want one of those tool belts to wear around. If I stick thing in the pocket of my shorts, I look like a pack mule.

Speaking of which, this guy at the parking garage where I lock up my bike was getting a gander at me strapping on my helmet yesterday as I left for home. He asked how far I ride, 1.7 miles or so. He said something about my thighs. Oh yeah, I said, solid as rocks man. And then I thought last night,as I climbed the stairs in this high ceilinged town home: and my freakin ass is harder too. It was already hard enough — my mother used to smack my butt playfully and comment about its unusual solidness. Well, now with the biking and climbing, Ima gonna turn into a freakin’ wrestler or something.

Also, how do you care for those glass, flat top stoves? I finally have one and I’m discovering, like granite counter tops, they are sometimes more work than you realize. Like with a conventional countertop, you can wipe up with a cloth that isn’t in the best condition. Not so with granite! Granite shows every little freakin’ streak. And if you use any kind of cleaner on it, fuhghedaboudit! Streaky and maybe even a little sticky or something, like there’s residue. This place? No granite, just faux granite which is a great solution, frankly. The busy pattern hides a lot of lazy assness on my part.

So, if you have tips on cleaning glass stove tops and removing those fucking plastic clips, I am forever in your debt.

speaking of: thank god i have none — debt that is. Although slightly boo hoo event recently. Household income is likely to take a dip in two months. Thank god we have two months of grace period to hit the job market.

I hem and hawed about moving to this place, wishing we could just move to a nice one bedroom with an office and big living room and spend less in monthly rent. So, I compromised b/c R wanted a garage and, true, I don’t mind one because I have some furniture refinishing projects I’d like to do. But truth also be told? I could have lived had I sent that unfinished furniture down the road, let someone else play with it, and saved 300-400 a month. But no, we ended up signing a contract to plunk down $225 more a month than we had been.

And, because the gods I don’t believe in hate me, R lost the gig with that lefty publishing outfit that has allowed him to afford half the bills. Of course, I’ve been nagging him about getting a real job since forever. He’s dragged his feet when times were good and dragged ‘em even more when they’ve sucked. it drives me batshit because, well, I’m a bitch. And I’m a go getter, and I could never, ever sit around and not have full time work. I would be forever terrified that, without saving money, even a lousy $50/month, that I would end up eating catfood living under a brdige.

But R has been able to afford this because he has a monthly retainer from a career in the navy. It’s not much, but between that and a 10 hr a week gig working from home, he can pay half the bills and have some left over for beer and buying shit that we don’t need to work on projects in the garage that will never get done because … he’s drinking beer in his spare time!

fuck me.

so meanwhile, what to do? we can live. I just won’t be able to save as much money which terrifies me because, as it stands, i do not have nearly the savings people i work with have. people younger than me too! grrrrr. and i don’t have that because, well, you know the rave. and i wonder: how will I live when I get old? will i be bagging groceries or greeting people at walmart? i’d do it, of course.

bah.

it just irks me that R will not see the situation as one in which he’s got to work full time to find a job. yes, i know lefty friends, i’m a cunt who should know about the structural factors that make it a fruitless endeavor. And you know what? I say bullshit on that. there are jobs out there and if you want one, in the economy, you bust your ass to get it. that means that you apply for every job that seems like a reasonable option. you sit at your computer, every day, and apply apply apply. you write cover letters. you compile a list of companies you could work for within a 1 mile radius, a 5 miles radius — and you inquire, in writing, about jobs. You hustle. You go to user group meetings. You put together a list of all your contacts and pick up the phone or email them to see if they know of any jobs.

this is how I landed this job. I’m no idiot: I know it’s depressing. I remember spending my entire day, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. sometimes later, filling out nothing but one job app after another, creating one tailored resume after another, crafting one cover letter after another. I spent Christmas Even of 2006, applying for jobs. IN fact, I got a call on one of those apps where the in house recruiter noticed that I’d applied Christmas Eve. Whatever.

So, you can imagine with my history of experiencing job loss, studying it, and being forever terrified of having no income. oh my god. do you know what it used to be like? when the bills would come and i would be terrified of this stack of paper? R would have this habit of standing there with the mail, reading it off. I felt like I was in line for the guillotine. And we’re not talking anything but the bills: the rent, the electric, the water/sewer/trash, the cable, the phone. No credit card debt. No car debt. Just car insurance. Not even a fucking cell phone bill! I would get this terrified, panicky feeling. I had to tell him to stop doing that.

I told him a couple of weeks ago, that he was doing it again. he came in from the mailbox at our new place and started reading off the mail. I looked up from my desk and said, “You know what? I’m not terrified! I’m not panicking. I’m not sitting here wanting to flee. I’m not having thoughts of suicide and how sonshine would be better off with the social security money he’d get from my death.”

I was amazed.

So, I will probably just get another job. I’m thinking of waitressing. Or maybe something at the mall over Christmas. Anything, really.

and in the meantime, I’m not sure what to do. Should I nag? I know what it’s like. He’s been moping around all depressed. I know the desire to sit and feel sorry for yourself, feel overwhelmed. But I can never just sit there and I have no tolerance for someone who does.

anyway, i guess these are better problems than feeling terrified and panicked when the bills come, eh?

so, i don’t know what to do. I see what R’s problem is. He’s overwhelmed. He doesn’t know how to manage all the things he wants to do. he doesn’t like to plan. He says that, when he sits down to do stuff, he starts thinking about how he’d like to scuba dive again, build shelves, paint the el camino himself, fire up the lathe, weld this piece to that part and make some whammy dine this or that, learn Java and C+, and master four different javascript libraries, learn how to cook, and go pan for silver and gems in some river in Idaho and then make homemade wedding bands, AND get a good job making beaucoup bucks doing what he likes to do. And then he thinks about his lack of college degree, his feeling that he lacks official, real experience, yadda.

and then he realizes he will never get half of that list done before he dies. and the depression sets in and, end of story, he either sits in front of the computer all day reading email debate lists, maybe hammering out a job app or two, flipping through a book on programming languages and drinking beer. which of course does not help.

whatever. I’d go to the gym, come home eat, and read a book. Sometimes, I’d just get pissed and yell awhile. He knows now to just sit there, listen, and it will all go awhile. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

I went to a therapist for awhile — not a real one, someone with a social work background because i’m a tightwad. she yammered on about co-dependency and how I attract men who treat me like shit beause I have no self-esteem. So I like having men around who are shits so I can feel superior to them. Of course, she never once asked me about the tenor of past relationships. Were they all like this? She never asked.

so, she’s yammering about how I’m a co-dependent and I should go to Al-anon, and I said, YOu know, I know all about the co-dependency literature. And sure, I see some of that controlling thing in me. But here’s something else. I’m a sociologist. I have friend who was abused by her church deacon when she was a kid. She grew up, had bad relationships, went to therapy and got told that it was because she had some inner problem that meant she attracted people who were bad for her. We apparently send out signals to bad partners: they throw themselves at us like moths to a flame. Then, one day, taking sociology classes, she had an epiphany. She said, “You know what? Maybe it’s because society produces some shitty men! Maybe it’s not just *me* but about the social production of shitheads!”

LOL

So i told this woman that and said, sure I’d take some responsibility for the situation. But you have to wonder: why wasn’t the first husband that way, huh? The ex-beau — not that way. The only other person who was abusive, my first girlfriend, before I was married. I didn’t go out with any alcholics in high school, nor did I date any between the wasband and the ex-beau — men or women. If I did date anyone who turned out to be that way, I dumped them.

So, WTF?

anyway, just ranting about something I’d forgotten about. Maybe I’ll also rant about the sexism and religious bullshit at the Al Anon meetings I went to because I figured I needed something and secular alternatives .. fuck. So, I thought; maybe I’ll at least meet some other women. Oh. My. Dog. AA? It’s ridiculous. The sexism in the Big Book. Holeee Fuckliotta!

so, if i’m a controlling bithc and that is why I’ve attracted an alcoholic then it would be bad form to actually expect that some effort — as in treat it like a full time job — be put into finding a job. yepper. that’s what they’d tell me. they’d tell me that what he does shouldn’t affect me. that i should set boundaries and shit. get a job by X date or else move out. right. So, then I get to find a new roomate. Fun! And shove my life through some more upheavals. If he wants to drink all day and not look for work, whatever. i shouldn’t respond to the behavior. Just ignore. I have my own life and do my own thing. Do not ever step in and try to help the guy find a job, don’t offer advice, don’t proofread the resume. He’s a grownup. You’re not his mom.

Right. But in the meantime, as I told this counelor last year, if I get controlling, it’s not because I need someone to feel superior too. it’s not because I think I’m so selfless and giving and kind. It’s because I’m selfish: I want my life to be a little more predictable, with a steady second income coming into the house because I’d like to get back to saving whatever I can for retirement. So, maybe I am a controlling bitch and, therefore, ripe for co-dependency. But it sure is shit is not about my selflessness. it’s because I’m freaking selfish!

Yeah. So about those clips and the freakin glass topped stove cleaning tips…. ?

* it’s valhalla! because a conservative dude on a general political discussion list had a terrible case of ….what’s the word for it when you use the wrong words all the time and sound like a doofus. like, you say “mute point” instead of “moot point”? Anyway, instead of voila! he’d write valhalla! HA

Just watched the sunrise with Anyhony on Davis Islands after my run. he saide look dad God is showing off. Awesome http://twitpic.com/nnuod

Doctors are slicing and dicing this morning.

Not at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center. They’re operating for a couple of hours Downtown at the Farmer’s Market.

This isn’t a gruesome Halloween-inspired surgery, but a pumpkin cutting contest to benefit VISTE.

Starting at 9:30 am, area doctors will use their mad medical skills to turn benign gourds into menacing works of art. Sponsored by the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority, the event is spectator friendly. Friends, family, and interested onlookers are encouraged to cheer on their favorite mad doctor. At the end of the contest, the carved pumpkins are auctioned to raise funds for VISTE. The younger fans (3-10) can work on crafts, and everyone can join in the costume contest.

It’s three hours of pumpkin carving madness for a good cause.

•The Particulars

Dr. Scissorhands is 9:30 to Noon, October 31st at the Downtown Farmer’s Market at 200 North Kentucky

Photo (C) 2009 by LDDA

Area stories at Lakeland Local or Metro I4 News for regional articles.

Originally Published as Dr. Scissorhands

Don't think Amazon is resting on its laurels, what with all the e-reader competition. Amazon announces Kindle for PC, a program that will allow PC users to download Kindle editions.

In the market for a good dictionary? Grammarphobia highlights the differences among three of the most popular versions.

Plan on participating in NaNoWriMo this year? Today's your last day to prepare. For those who don't know, National Novel Writing Month, now in it's 10th year, is a challenge to write a book in November. A whole 50,000 word book, starting with a blank page. I'm not doing it because I'm knee-deep into my wip, but I'll again use the energy of the month to see if I can propel myself toward the end by attempting to write everyday.

For those who are participating and in search of tools to help you move forward, rather than stopping to edit or revise, look into Momentum Writer. Author Kristi Holl provides some additional forward-writing tools for your review.

And, because they need donations to help underwrite the behind the scenes work, NaNoWriMo suggests that participating writers get sponsors to sign up to support NaNo's writing programs and help encourage you to meet your goal. Just as people who participate in walk-a-thons do.

Remember Miss Snark, an anonymous agent who gave unrelenting, harsh critique to those writers brave enough to submit a query to her blog? Well, Miss Snark's First Victim, has her own blog where she sponsors a monthly Secret Agent contest. Up to 50 submitters post 250 words of a completed manuscript for critique by an anonymous agent. At the end of the month, the agent, who provides a comment on each submission, is unveiled and the contest winners announced. Grand prize and runners-up receive requests for a full or partial from the agent. October's Secret Agent was Rachelle Gardner.

I've never taken one of her classes but should I ever have the opportunity, I'm there. Margie Lawson offered this mini-workshop on the use of three rhetorical devices in writing: anaphora, epistrophe, and symploce. If you don't know these terms, check out her lesson. I guarantee you'll learn something!

Finally, author Suzannah Freeman gives us "8 Nasty Writing Habits You Should Quit".

Enjoy the weekend. To you NaNo'ers... On your mark, get set, WRITE!

Peace & Blessings,
Patricia
Tampa Bay Writing Examiner

Stay focused. Be deliberate. Believe.

   If you are a fish and wildlife officer, taking an alligator to your daughter’s school for show-and-tell might sound like a good idea.

   Unless the alligator escapes.

   That’s what happened in Panama City, when a 5-footer jumped out of the officer’s car shortly after he left  Breakfast Point Academy, according to newsherald.com. He didn’t know that the critter had escaped until a driver flagged him down and told him that his “passenger” had jumped out of his vehicle.

   When last we heard, wildlife officers were looking for the gator. Luckily for students at the school, its mouth is taped shut.

Celebrating autumn and winter holidays down here in the semi-tropics is always a little unconvincing because the temperatures are still in the upper 80s to mid-90s. But, many here are transplants–temporary or permanent–from climates that have actual seasons so we bring our traditions with us. We even relish the dissonance of seeing a carved pumpkin next to a palm tree as in the photo above (be sure to click it for a better view).

And, yes, we can grow pumpkins here. There are huge fields where you can go pick your own. But…you’re more likely to find a field of watermelon!

Or a pile of coconuts!

And, instead of stalks ready for a hayride, you’re much more likely to find a passel of sugar cane. (I remember my father teaching me how to cut and chew sugar cane when I was a tiny little boy…a fond memory, and I can actually remember the grainy, sweet, sweet, sweet taste.)

Have a Happy Halloween everyone!

Most images in Inkwatu link to larger images of themselves in Flickr.
Also, be sure to visit Hilton’s photoblog, zhongheting.

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Kevin Schultz of FANHOUSE has singled out Lightning coach Rick Tocchet as his number one coach to be pink-slipped this season.

"The lame thing about NHL coaches this season is that there’s no one you can point at and yell ‘DEAD MAN WALKING!’ A lot of thought-to-be-crappy teams are good. A lot of good teams are mediocre. A very small handful of teams are very bad. The Lightning are not very bad. But the Lightning are off to a bad start (3-3-3) and are led by a coach who was interim for most of last season and was hired by the previous coach. That latter is the coaching kiss of death, which is why I believe Tocchet will be the first to go this year. And also because anything goes at Cirque du SoLightning."--Kevin Schultz, October 30, 2009, FANHOUSE--

The article does make some good points, but Schultz is misguided and simply wrong about Tocchet. Get the facts straight, Mr. Schultz...Read more at Hockey Independent

Alex and Nate started YMCA basketball this week. Here, Alex tosses up a shot.

(Posted on Flickr)

You've just found out the name you want for your brand is owned by somebody else. So, the temptation is to say, "Let's move on."

Not so fast. Names are property, and can be bought and sold (or leased) like real estate.

Coors licensed the name of its upscale beer Irish Red from a long-defunct brewery. Yves St. Laurent bought the name of its Opium fragrance for only $200 from two elderly perfumers.

The 1999 relaunch of National Airlines came about after the new owners paid $175,000 to buy the name at a bankruptcy sale from defunct Pan Am. (Pan Am had acquired the carrier in 1980.)

Not that long ago, we helped a Fortune 100 company acquire the rights to an automation software name from its Japanese owner. One week of phone calls and faxes produced a letter of agreement.

When the name you covet is owned by somebody else, go after it. Use an intermediary to open a channel of communications. Have a valuation in mind. Make sure the assignment of rights is perfectly clear. (For which countries, for what period of time are you acquiring the name?)

Sponsored By: The Brand Positioning Workshop