React

I thought this story from WUWM was very timely, informative and emotional. Go have a listen.

Coco Before Chanel

Who wants to go see this with me?

The Vampire Diaries on the CW

Can you say "rip off". Because it is. A total rip off of the Twilight Saga. The weak attempts at changing the setting can't hide its complete lack of originality. That is all.

A mustang for me...

What does it take

So, a man in Milwaukee was finally arrested and charged with several of the murders he had committed. He is suspected of killing 9 women total. Since 8 of them were prostitutes, the city definitely had to wait until a non-prostitute was murdered to actually work the case....

Bliss

It's very much starting to look like fall. I'm listening to NPR. And I'm doing math. Could life be any better?

Ashlee's Yummy Potato Soup

2 tablespoons butter
Some Green Onions chopped up
A Leek chopped up
5 potatoes peeled and diced
16 ounces chicken stock
8 ounces heavy cream
pinch sage
black pepper

Melt butter in large pot. Add green onions and leek. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring. Add chicken stock. Add potatoes. Simmer on medium -low heat until potatoes are tender. Add heavy cream, sage and pepper to taste. Simmer an additional 15 minutes or until mixed and creamy.

Good to Know

Going into my 7th Holiday Season in retail, I'm still excited to celebrate Christmas!

Dear Sir,

I don't know you, I've only observed you while you were in the grocery store parking lot. However, I wanted to warn you about what I saw. Your yellow Pontiac solstice is a girl car, and would be cuter in just about any other color. The personalized tag ACES HI tells me that you wish you played poker professionally. I know someone making a crap-ton of money off of you. Furthermore, motorcycle boots are impractical and restrictive when not being used as foot protection on an actual motorcycle. Levi's 501's should be a few sizes larger than yours are, and muscle shirts falling off of the shoulder..... I can't even make an intelligible remark about that.

In short, you are trying so hard to be cool. It's just not working.

Sincerely
ashleethequeen

My First Job

I've been pretty blessed in the whole job experience. I've never worked food service as a job, though I have done concession stands for charity. I'd say I've really only had one truly crappy job.

The job of telemarketing is actually below food service for me. Considering that I think touching other people's used food is one of the most disgusting things on the planet, you might wonder how telemarketing ranks lower. I took the job with a small firm ran by the man the summer I had planned to go to France. I needed money to spend while I would be in France. We didn't actually sell anything, we offered trial packages of things like water coolers. I'm sure there was a catch, but being the 15 year old grunt worker of a contracted telemarketing firm, I didn't know what it was.

We would call a company, and ask to speak with an office manager. If the receptionist was smart, she would leave us on hold for a LONG time. We had goals for the number of accepted water coolers per hour, and we got yelled at for not making goal. So there wasn't time for being on hold. One time, the office manager actually answered the phone. At least he said he was. He started talking really low. I asked him to repeat what he said, and it was something really pervy. So I hung up on him. I got yelled at for that.

After about a month, I realized I couldn't stay at this place. I requested to speak with the man and told him I was quitting. I gave him a specific date. He got really mad. He didn't say anything to me. However, my parents had to report him to the chamber of commerce before he paid me my last check.

Interview

NPR interviewed Michael Steele this week about healthcare reform. Both Steele and the NPR reporter are very intelligent individuals. However, read or listen how the conversation moves to a cat fight that rivals 12 year old girls quibbling over who can be let in to the lame tree house club.

Looks like the inappropriate behavior was not limited to pick up lines Friday night.

I am outraged that this happened. I am more outraged that it more than likely would not have made news if the mayor had not been the victim.

INAPPROPRIATE

Last night, I went out dancing with Kari. I hadn't been out dancing on a Friday night since..... You know, I can't remember when I went out last. Kari is staying this weekend in Riverwest so she can dog sit, which made it easy to walk to The Mad Planet for good times. The club was a lot of fun. However, the men were very inappropriate all night long. Hanging out of windows and cat-calling. Honking the horn on the Jeep that sounded like La Cucaracha. Asking me what my relationship with Kari EXACTLY was (?). And finally shouting an off color comment about breasts.

Men of the world,
It is nice to know that you have finally grown a pair and are not afraid to talk to women. Now it's time to learn what might be more effective when you speak to the women.
Sincerely,
Ashlee The Queen

San Antonio Pictures

I've posted my vacation pictures from San Antonio.

The new Mercedes E Class warns you if you drift into the next lane and stops your car if you're too distracted to do it yourself.

Seriously people, just stop texting/emailing/blackberrying and drive.

$400 Million

NPR is reporting that MJ had over $400 Million in debt that his upcoming 50 shows in his 50th year would alleviate.
a. I cannot fathom $400 Million in debt
b. I cannot fathom the tour that would eradicate that debt
c. I don't know anyone who was planning to see a show on the tour

I'm so confused

Mighty Thesaurus

You may think that the thesaurus is a place of seriousness, and should only be used for serious activities like resumes and term papers.


You would be wrong.


Take effective: Use "playing hard ball", "wicked" or "trenchant" today instead of "effective". What results did you get? I predict that "playing hard ball" will not adequately convey your message. "Wicked" will convey the wrong message. And people won't know that "trenchant" could be quite insulting because people are generally dumb.


But when it's all said and done and people ask you "What's with you today?" Just tell them that the thesaurus made you do it.

I've been very interested in a series of stories on race relations in milwaukee produced by www.wuwm.com. They have interviewed a lot of community members and there's a lot of very healthy discussion, particularly about the city's segregation. Check it out.

Just because you are in charge does not mean you have power. And when you make assumptions about your own power, you find yourself digging a deep hole of impotence. It makes me wonder how miserable life is going to be in our region for the next 2 years or so.

Why are people such knobs

I don't understand why people think murder solves anything. I certainly don't understand why one would choose to murder in a church, a historical place of refuge from violence.