Tuesday Two for 11/29

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: CHARITY

QUESTION A: Many charities are concerned about "donor fatigue," a phenomenon that occurs when there are a series of natural disasters that increase the need for donations (and thereby increase the number of appeals from charities for help). Do you think "donor fatigue" really exists, or do you believe that only a small percentage will give no matter what, or do you believe something in between?

or

QUESTION B: Are there any charities that you regularly donate to, and if so, did this past year's disasters change how much you gave to which organizations?

I'm going with B. I donate a small amount out of my paycheck each week to the Central Florida United Way. They support a lot of positive programs in the community, and everything I donate STAYS in Central Florida...which makes me feel like a real part of the community. After hurricane Katrina, Scott and I evaluated our funds and did make a donation to the Red Cross. A drop in the bucket? Sure. But since neither of us is Bill Gates, I'm proud that we tried to help. (and I'm still giving the same amount to the United Way that I gave last year)

I also look forward to doing my part for the Girl Scouts every February...during cookie season. ;o)

Life Quiz

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.4
Mind:	6.5
Body:	6.1
Spirit:	6
Friends/Family:	5
Love:	9.1
Finance:	7.5
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Your Life Analysis:

Life: Your life rating is a score of the sum total of your life, and accounts for how satisfied, successful, balanced, capable, valuable, and happy you are. The quiz attempts to put a number on the summation of all of these things, based on your answers. Your life score is reasonably high. This means that you are on a good path. Continue doing what is working and set about to improve in areas which continue to lag. Do this starting today and you will begin to reap the benefits immediately.

Mind: Your mind rating is a score of your mind's clarity, ability, and health. Higher scores indicate an advancement in knowledge, clear and capable thinking, high mental health, and pure thought free of interference. Your mind score is not bad, but could be improved upon. Your mental health is not weak, but you are not achieving full mental clarity and function. Learn how to unclutter your mind. Keep learning, keep improving, continue moving forward.

Body: Your body rating measures your body's health, fitness, and general wellness. A healthy body contributes to a happy life, however many of us are lacking in this area. Your body score is fairly average, which means there is room for improvement. Keep a focus on your physical health. Protect your body as it is your most valuable physical asset. Nutrition, stress reduction, and exercise are key.

Spirit: Your spirit rating seeks to capture in a number that elusive quality which is found in your faith, your attitude, and your philosophy on life. A higher score indicates a greater sense of inner peace and balance. Your spirit score leaves room for improvement. Consider making a concerted effort to redefine your attitudes and focus your beliefs. Boosting your spirit will lead to greater life satisfaction.

Friends/Family: Your friends and family rating measures your relationships with those around you, and is based on how large, healthy, and dependable your social network is. Your friends and family score is not bad but can be improved. Maintain your current social net, while you try to expand it. Try new things and form new friendships. You will be rewarded greatly.

Love: Your love rating is a measure of your current romantic situation. Sharing your heart with another person is one of life's most glorious, terrifying, rewarding experiences. Your love score is very high, which means you are in a very happy situation right now. Do all you can to keep it strong.

Finance: Your finance rating is a score that rates your current financial health and stability. You have a rather good financial score, which is not all that common these days. Keep doing what works. Avoid common pitfalls and save for the future. You will be glad you did.

Goin' BACK Down to South Park

Scott wanted to create his own South Park Jamie and South Park Scott. Enjoy version 2.0!

Goin' Down to South Park...

Oh the joy I have had creating South Park Jamie and South Park Scott. Really, I think I hit both of our animated personas right on the head! Interested in making your own? Just visit here! (found at by the way...)

Sunday Seven for 11/27

Here's your chance to suggest great gift ideas. Take a quick inventory around your home and select up to seven things that you'd hate to be without or that have made your life easier. They can be technological gadgets or unique spins on old mainstays, but they should be things that might just make good gift suggestions for people trying to come up with just the right idea. (You'd probably want to avoid ultra-common things like "computers" and "televisions," which most people would already have, although if there is a specific kind or something unique about the version you have, then it might make a good response.)

Really, my list isn't all that technological. Why? Because technology is expensive! Oh yeah - and because I don't have a lot of electronics to recommend! But here's my list of gift ideas based on stuff I have in my house:

1. Netflix subscription - perfect for the movie lover...even better for the movie lover with a DVD burner (not me...don't send the Feds to my door!)
2. Digital camera
3. Coffee maker with timer
4. Personalized coffee table book from MyPublisher.com
5. Digital thermometer with probe (one of Scott's favorite kitchen gadgets)
6. Sink-based water filtration system - ours is pur, but the filters are more expensive than the new version so we don't actually use it anymore.
7. GameFly subscription - Scott's contribution to the list - for the man who wants to quit his job and play video games all the time!

Granted, this isn't my wish list. Aside from GameFly, I stuck with the rules of the game and came up with things that are in the house already. And I really do think that if you know your audience that any of these would make a pretty decent gift.

By Popular Demand...

Jamie's 2005 Christmas Wish List

• Disney Mix Stix - classic chrome
• Penn State t-shirt (like this one - nothing tacky with big graphics!)
• Rosie the Riveter lunch box
• Chronicles of Narnia (Special Edition hardcover, with color illustrations - it's an heirloom thing - I'm not interested in paperbacks)
• Phantom of the Opera DVD
• Batman Begins DVD
• Wicked Soundtrack CD (I think there's only one edition -- key names to look for: Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel)
• RENT soundtrack CD (movie preferred, but original Broadway cast is ok too)
• CD storage that attaches to the sun visor in my car

Jamie's 2005 Necessities List

• knee-high stockings in nude
• unmentionables (sizes available to non-creepy people upon request)
• things I can wear to work, especially cardigans or 3/4-sleeve sweaters (solids or stripes only - refer to dislike of tacky above), size XL or 2X depending on tightness
• hair dryer with more than two settings, preferably of better quality than the $8.50 Wal Mart model I bought myself

Scott's Wish List

• Pocket Knife-Gerber Assisted Opening, number 58 on the big list o' knives at Wal-mart
• The Matrix, Path of Neo-Playstation 2 game
• Small Bar-b-que grill - leaning towards charcoal

Saturday Six for 11/26

1. Have you ever had a dream that you felt was a message from some "higher power?" Do you think it's possible to receive such messages through dreams?
Nope...I also don't have dreams forecasting the future. I don't believe you're any more likely to get a message from a "higher power" in a dream than in any other state.

2. How much does a person's musical preference tell you about them?
I think mine tells you quite a bit - I don't want to listen to anything I can't sing along with. I never want to be left out of anything...unless I choose to be left out.

3. What time did you get up Friday morning? Were you part of the shopping madness?
I got up around 11:30. Sounds late, I know, but I didn't get to sleep until about 3am. And I'm sick. As for shopping - HECK NO!!! I hate crowds, I hate aggressive people arguing over the last XBox, and most of those stores were offering the same prices online during the crazy-early hours.

4. Take this quiz: What religion do you fit in with?
You fit in with:Spiritualism
Your ideals are mostly spiritual, but in an individualistic way. While spirituality is very important in your life, organized religion itself may not be for you. It is best for you to seek these things on your own terms.
60% spiritual.60% reason-oriented.

5. Is the answer you received the religion you feel you really do fit in with?
This is really a spot-on definition of my beliefs. What irritates me about it is that if you look at the graph (if you don't take the quiz for yourself, it's on Patrick's site), I'm apparently the polar opposite of Christianity. Oh well...at least I was far away from Scientology too!

6. Do you have any special nicknames for your significant other when you're annoyed or irritated with them? If so, give us a few of them (NO PROFANITY, please).
Who says I'm ever annoyed or irritated with my significant other? lol...ok... Usually at that point there are no pet names - just the First-Middle-Last-Name combo reserved for special occasions.

Angel Eyes? Not Quite!

You have the eyes of an alligator in the water.
It's hard to tell who you are and how you feel.
You could be a crocodile, alligator, or just a
big lizard. You keep certain things hidden
about yourself, and that's what makes people
see you as mysterious. There are some who know
how you really are, but those are the people
you enjoy being around with and who are close
to you. You enjoy alone time, but being with
others is okay to you as well. People don't
really pester you because they really don't
know what you're capable of doing. Hmm...could
be a good thing.

What Animal Eyes Do You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

I found this over at Patrick's Place. I rather like what it said - I'm cool with being an alligator!

Blogging Quiz

wow...I guess I don't know Jack! How wrong they were about blogs boring me...I guess I care more about what people write than Internet History 101. (bitter, party of one...)

Well, You Know What a Blog Is...

You got 4/8 correct! But, truthfully, most blogs probably bore you.

How Much Do You Know About Blogging?

Tuesday Two

THIS WEEK'S TOPIC: THE COURTROOM

QUESTION A: Do you believe the current "jury of one's peers" system is the right way to go, or should local citizens be elected or appointed to serve as "professional jurors" to hear criminal cases, and why.

or

QUESTION B: If a simple, painless and foolproof "lie detector" system could be developed that could be applied to the accused in criminal cases, removing the possibility that an innocent person could possibly be convicted, would you be in favor of that system being used universally in all court cases to determine who is telling the truth, and why?

I'm going with Question A here. I think that if "professional jurors" were elected, the jury would be skewed. In my area here, the jury would probably be made up of ultra-conservative retirees. Considering that ultra-conservative retirees aren't really "peers" to those commiting crimes, I can see a big problem right off the bat.

Besides, I had to do jury duty once and it was an interesting way to spend a day. Even John Kerry enjoyed his day on a jury!

Ugh...Science test!

I found some typos in the test...which makes me feel smart. I got one wrong though...which makes me feel not-so-smart. Thanks for the link, mom!

You Passed 8th Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 7/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

Coffee Talk

You Are a Frappuccino

At your best, you are: fun loving, sweet, and modern At your worst, you are: childish and over indulgent You drink coffee when: you're craving something sweet Your caffeine addiction level: low

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

found at Patrick's Place

Sunday Seven

Name the top seven stores where you are most likely to do the majority of your Christmas shopping this year. If you can't name seven, name as many up to seven as you can. You can also include online retailers, too.

This is so hard because at the moment, everyone on my shopping list is getting Frances' $1900 transmission for Christmas. Assuming that I get the December top-out bonus and have money to buy Christmas presents, I'll be doing my shopping at:

1. Wal Mart - right across the street, and the price is right
2. World of Disney - and any other shop on Disney property
3. Barnes & Noble (.com)
4. DisneyDirect.com
5. eRollTide.com - for my Bama fan
6. eBay - the world's junk shop
7. somewhere I can get a new pocket knife for my crazy redneck husband

But really people...if you're on my gift list, don't be surprised if you get a card with a picture of my car in it. Between that and the wedding anniversary, I'm actually glad we don't have any kids -they'd be awfully disappointed with the lack of toys.

Big Ten Champions!!

The boys of Happy Valley sealed their fate as Big Ten champs yesterday with a victory over old nemesis Michigan State. And since Miami forgot to show up for their game, PSU has moved up to #4 in the nation. I only wish that Bama hadn't fallen apart...I was starting to enjoy the idea of playing them in a bowl game. And now, please join me in singing Fight on State:

Fight on State
Fight on State
Strike your gait and win,
Victory we predict for thee
We’re ever true to you, dear old White and Blue.
Onward State,
Onward State,
Roar, Lions, roar:
We’ll hit that line, roll up the score,
Fight on to victory ever more,
Fight on, on, on, on, on, Fight on, on, Penn State!

Audio clip courtesy of fightmusic.com, and lyrics courtesy of blueband.com.

Saturday Six

1. What was the last movie you watched at a theater completely alone? Would you have enjoyed it more or less if you had gone with someone to see it?
I saw Just Like Heaven one afternoon by myself. I don't like seeing comedies alone, because I laugh really loud, but romantic stuff and cry-movies I think I'm better off by myself!


2. What was the last non-sexual thing you did around the house completely naked?
blow-dried my hair


3. How well do you know your neighbors? Would you like to know them better or not know them?
I don't know my neighbors at all. Well, I know that the people across from us leave their garbage bags out in the hall (in all fairness, I do that with the bag-o-cat-poop too), and that the people downstairs had a knock-down-drag-out fight at 4:30 yesterday morning, complete with door slamming. Really, perhaps it's best that none of us knows eachother!


4. Take this quiz: How much of a conspiracy nut are you?

You are 37% Conspiracy Nut

You are a little bit of a conspiracy nut. You know about the big conspiracies - but it doesn't take up too much of your time. You have accepted that people lie, and get away with everything - so you don't dwell on the Loch Ness Monster too often.


5. Of the following "conspiracies" mentioned in that quiz, which single one would you most like the "truth" about and why?
Gee...probably aliens. After all, who did build the pyramids?


6. If you had to create a slogan that defined your life, what would it be?
well, the first thing that popped into my head was, "You aren't the sun. The Earth doesn't revolve around you. And anyone who tells you otherwise is probably your mother." But that's really more of a slogan that defines what I think about everyone else's life. Perhaps a line from Toy Story 2: "I packed your angry eyes...just in case." Again, it doesn't define my life, but I don't like to take myself too seriously.

Right or Wrong?

You are right. People like you make Richard Nixon proud.

Are You Right Or Wrong?

Quiz stolen from Janette, who is also right.

Baaaaa

You Are A: Lamb!

Peaceful and gentle, lambs have been used in religious imagery for millennia. Lambs are baby sheep, an animal tended by shephards since the dawn of history. As a lamb, you tend to stay together in a flock and graze on grassy land. Lambs don't mind being led and tend not to go off on their own.

You were almost a: Pony or a Bunny
You are least like a: Squirrel or a ParakeetWhat Cute Animal Are You?

Found at Erika's World, which I found browsing through my new blog community

IQ Test

Your IQ Is 115

Your Logical Intelligence is Below Average Your Verbal Intelligence is Exceptional Your Mathematical Intelligence is Exceptional Your General Knowledge is Above Average

BELOW average? gee...I'm a little bitter. C'mon Scott...step up to the plate!

A Quick and Dirty IQ Test

Photo Shoot

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Display a picture you've taken of a famous man-made landmark. Significant buildings, big statues, great walls (particularly in China) -- if people put it together, it counts.


It's probably cheating to use a picture of Cinderella's Castle. If my mom lived closer, I would have been able to scan some pictures of British landmarks from our family vacation when I was 8.

On the bright side, there's probably no one out there who couldn't immediately identify this as a Disney castle...probably even more people than could identify the Tower of London.

I took this picture in May, right at the beginning of the current Disney marketing scheme, The Happiest Celebration on Earth, celebrating the 50th (golden) anniversary of Disneyland in California.

Want to see some other people's landmark photos? Visit Scalzi at By The Way...

The Move

I, along with most other AOL journalers I regularly read, have left my AOL Journals space and am starting fresh here. Hopefully I'll have something fun and interesting to post soon. :o)