PIT v HOU
27-7, PIT - I didn't get to watch this game but I imagine that the majority of it was somewhat boring since it was 20-0 at the half.

SAN v DEN
17-20 - Depressing but not surprising... My only upset was that the game was not televised and I actually had the time to sit and watch it this weekend. Figures...

KC v OAK
23-17 - This was awesome for two reasons: (1) KC is starting out pretty well, (2) As a Chargers fan, I simply must hate the Raiders ... so I love to see OAK at 0-2 right now.

WAS v DAL
They play tonight and quite frankly I only care because WAS is the 'home team.' But I'm not from here...and I hate living here...so I only half way care... and its only out of some odd sense of obligation that I do. Screw it... I'll catch them in next week's NFL update.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:10 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Ladies and Gentlemen, we appear to be experiencing a little turbulance at the moment. The Captain has turned on the seatbelt sign so please return to your seat and secure your seatbelt low and tight across your lap. The Captain will turn off the seatbelt sign when it is again safe to move about the cabin.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:26 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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I was inspired by this post over at The Cheese Stands Alone and feel it is ok now... no, I feel I have an obligation now to admit one of my deep, dark, horrible secrets...

Hi, I'm Princess Cat and I am a reality TV addict.

Not the Survivor kind or the Fear Factor kind... the Real World, The Apprentice, the Punk'd, and the Hell's Kitchen kind...

And my newest addiction is A&E's Inked.

It is a reality series that follows the shenanigans of a high end, Las Vegas based tattoo shop (started by Hart of motocross fame) and its employees that just keeps me fucking entertained. The smile does not leave my face for a full 30 minutes (minus commercials cuz those blow) Why? Soothes the inner goof, I suppose...

Give it a try - Wed, 9p EST/PST or hit me up and I'll email you an episode.

Yes, I said I could e-mail an episode. I don't get home from class in time to watch it so I have my computer record it for me. I already told you I was an addict... what more do you want?

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:40 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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1 Back at ya. Thanks.

Posted by: elliott at September 16, 2005 02:46 PM (XlQVK)

2 From one Reality TC addict to another: PLEASE don't tempt me with a new show Isn't it enough that I have to admit to watching Whitney & Bobby (on crack), Nanny 911 (while I was naughty) and Fear Factor (while eating pig uterus) ARGGHHHHHH!

Posted by: scoop at September 18, 2005 11:16 AM (dNLO6)

3 The only reality tv I can stomach is the extreme makeover home edition and American Chopper.

Posted by: bryan at September 19, 2005 07:06 AM (uWAIp)

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Kenny and Renee are breaking up.

I told you that you shouldn't have married her, Kenny...

But NOOOO... don't listen to me...

Now she's calling you a fraud in public. Nice.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:45 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Turns out I'm being watched. That's right, Mr. Op/Ed Professor has himself an evil, nasty, bottom feeding, scum sucking, bitch snitch keeping watch over those that dare speak out against him.

I received an email from Mr. Op/Ed Professor today protesting that he does in fact have the ability to be objective in the classroom. So did that make my experience to the contrary just a case of simple unwillingness? Since he so clearly states he has the ability...

I'll keep you updated - and if I suddenly don't graduate, I think we'll all know why...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:49 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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There have been a lot of rough and dramatic patches over the last year of my life. In fact, I've come to be known as a drama magnet by my friends. Some days it gets to be too much and I just sit in the dark and cry. Some days I forget to cry and just sit there numb. But when it comes right down to it, I will not be broken. If you too are having a tough go of it and need the same reminder, Bonnie Raitt has it for you on her new CD released Tuesday.*

*Hear it on CMT's listening party (not firefox friendly)

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:17 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Through all of the bullshit I've waded through in my past relationships, I still have one thing I can thank the men I have dated for giving me - greater cooking skill. Each one had different tastes and I did my best to cook what they liked. One taught me to appreciate sushi so I worked to make it myself. Another was a freak for anything Italian but then again, most of them loved my lasagna. One of the recipes that always won points with an ex and friends alike was my fettucine with smoked salmon & dill. Go give it a try...

Fettucine with Smoked Salmon & Dill
• 1/4 c Butter
• 1 1/2 c 35% Real Whipping Cream
• 2 tbls Vodka, optional
• 8 oz Smoked salmon, diced
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 ts Pepper
• 2 tbls Fresh dill, chopped
• 3/4 lb Fettuccini noodles
• 1/2 c Parmesan cheese, grated

Melt butter gently in a large deep skillet. Add cream. Bring to a boil. Add vodka. Reduce heat and cook on low 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add smoked salmon, salt, pepper and dill. Remove from heat.
Cook fettuccine in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain noodles well.
Reheat sauce. Place drained noodles in the pan with the hot sauce. Toss gently over low heat until sauce coats noodles and is thick and creamy. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

IMHO, don't leave out the vodka.
And be sure to check for bones in your salmon!

Posted by: Princess Cat at 08:52 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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After sitting through two class meetings I am ready to say that this semester, Wednesdays are going to SUCK...

As I dread going back for a third session tonight, let's take a moment to revisit last week's gathering:

**scene: 20 students seated in individual chairs with desk arms, chatting to their neighbors about various topics**

**enter instructor - think Dr. Nick from The Simpsons**

Instructor: Ok, everybody... lets put our chairs in a circle...

WHUAA?

I couldn't help it, my reaction just spewed out...
'you've got to be kidding me... what, did I just fall back into pre-school or something?'

If he heard me, he didn't let it show. My classmates just laughed and rolled their eyes at how annoying the next two hours were bound to be.

The only thing that got me through the evening was the joy I found in my classmates all ganging up on the instructor for his irritating nonsense. You see, he spent an hour and a half discussing whether or not there was a transnational space. Not like outer space, not like a building, not like a country, but as an abstract concept. We grew bored of his blathering early on and tired of his metaphors that fell apart mid-sentence. The truth is, in order to have the course we have to take on faith that there is a transnational space. Without that assumption, there is no course. Therefore, Mr. Blah Blah Blah was wasting our time instead of dropping the discussion at the point we all agreed with each other and disagreed with him.

From now on, its Whiskey.Tango.Foxtrot Wednesdays...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 03:02 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I was supposed to be spending the week with Dad while he was in town on business but life seems to have gotten in the way. I did manage to get an update on step-mom from him last night though...

Following a scary call Monday night rushing them to the hospital first thing the next morning they got good news and bad news.

Good news: They believe they got the whole tumor in the surgery.

Bad news: They want her to go through six cycles of chemo.

Good news: She should be able to do her treatments on an outpatient basis instead of being hospitalized like a couple of years ago.

I guess that works out to more good than bad, but still not much fun...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 08:59 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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The guys over at The New Editor have picked up the same op/ed I commented on last week (check it out here). Go check out their brief take on what the professor had to say.

I think it is important to make clear that I believe this professor is entitled to his opinions - freedom of speech and all that - but I argue that it is his position that requires greater discretion. While he is free to write articles expressing his beliefs outside the classroom, the problem lies in the fact that this man does not leave those expressions outside the classroom. That is not an estimation, that is personal experience talking.

At the risk of incurring his wrath or being struck by the force of his vengeance, I shall continue my rant...

Actions such as this article are inappropriate in a professional setting, especially one in which this gentleman is tasked with training the security/intel personnel of the future. His students, as practitioners, need the tools to build a better tomorrow, not a scathing vocabulary capable of hurting the opponent's feelings. It is his responsibility to equip them with the critical thinking skills necessary in order to deal with a crisis, before or after it occurs.

Moreover, threats to our security are blind to party lines and it is important for those working to ensure that security to be as blind to them as possible, as well.
In the end, regardless of their party membership, government personnel need to be able to respond to security threats of all types. By pushing politics instead of developing the skills necessary to do that this professor is robbing our country of a class of professionals more savvy than those that came before them. Whether he is on the left or the right, he should recognize that he is moving the current problem into the future instead of working to solve it. Moreover, by engaging in these tactics, he is simply working to ensure that genuinely bi-partisan government remains a pipe dream. His unwillingness or inability to teach in a non-partisan manner does nothing less than undermine critical aspects of America's future security.

What's more, it is unimportant which side of the aisle this article's author stands on when his op/ed was nothing more than an attack on individuals. It was not constructive toward the future he claims his party can provide or even a useful critique.

Katrina is tragic, without question, but he should be using it as an opportunity for people to learn how to do things better the next time. Partisanship and personal feelings are not part of that.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 03:40 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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McGill University Health Centre in Canada is using Botox to treat excessive drooling in young children. I don't have children myself but I'm really not so comfortable with this...

I understand that some of these children are literally drowning in their own saliva but Botox? Aren't there some pretty significant risks to Botox users?

Check out the story and decide for yourself. Maybe I'm just one of those curmudgeons all averse to change and stuff...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 11:22 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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So Pakistan is offering a wall to be built along the border with Afghanistan because the administration is "fed up with accusations it allows Taliban fighters to cross into Afghanistan." The wall was formally proposed to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice in a meeting Monday as a method for keeping terrorists and drug dealers from crossing into Pakistan at will. (Read the full story here).

Well, you know, that is all well and good President Musharraf but half-ass is still half-ass. Pakistan is going to be more a part of the terrorism problem than a solution so long as there are militant madrasas within its borders. Stomp your feet, stick out your lower lip, whine and cry, dance around it all you like, thems the facts. And they ain't goin away... no matter how many fences you build.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:22 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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Mr Torres, the man who sat by his wife's side each and every day of the three months she was in a coma, only to lose her when life support was removed following the premature delivery of their daughter, has now lost his young daughter as well.

AP has published a story carried by most major networks.

I can't even imagine the pain this man has gone through. To watch them both slowly slip from his life must have been a torture I cannot even fathom.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:55 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Little did you readers know, I am a closet football fan. And this week, I was a moderately happy one at that. Only one real disappointment among the 4 teams I follow.

PIT vs TEN
34-7, PIT - ROCK, ROCK ON!

WAS vs CHI
9-7, WAS - Good news for the home team...

NYJ vs KC
7-27, KC - well, HOT DAMN!

DAL vs SD
28-24, DAL - sad news for my babies... But the Raiders losing on Thurs was enough to keep my spirits high for my team next week.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:47 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Yesterday, to remember that day, the people who died, those who have and continue to suffer, and those who have fallen in the name of what came following 9-11, I visited the Pentagon. For a few brief hours the damaged wing of the Pentagon that has been rebuilt was open for public tours.

Before we left the metro station there was a Sailor to greet us. He directed us toward the path to the tour that was dotted by additional Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, and Marines placed to guide people in the right direction. My purse was searched, our wristbands placed securely on the left, and we were on our way.

Just outside our starting point lies a single remaining brick from the attack. Blackened by the raging fires, it stood out as a reminder of what had been. It is engraved with the date of it's injury and behind it lies a capsule filled with various personal artifacts. Inside there is a memorial alcove with black, engraved, wall like dedications to the people that lost their lives. There is a display explaining the purple heart awarded to the military personnel that died and a display explaining the defense of freedom medal that was awarded to the civilians whom also died along side them. Adjoining that room was a small chapel, something the Pentagon lacked prior to 9-11. At the front is a pentagon shaped stained glass window filled with symbolism. 184 pieces of red glass form a ring around an eagle, one piece of red glass for each innocent victim. The remaining elements of our tour of the new E-ring contained glass wall cases filled with handmade offers of condolences and support - from cards of young children to blankets and quilts - not only from our nation but from around the world as well.

It was an honor and a privilege to be part of such a dignified memory to what so many lost at the Pentagon four years ago today.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 10:50 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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That's right, he's 2 years old today....

Usually that would mean he has magical powers of dissapearance and his favorite word is no ... I think this guy only managed one of the two, and his favorite word isn't no. Instead he's one of the kindest, most thoughtfully entertaining bloggers I can think of.

So head on over to Straight White Guy and help Eric celebrate the anniversary of his fame, or infamy ... depending on which stories you have to tell ...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 09:28 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I forgot to mention the other day that in the midst of all the trauma and drama going on with the family out in LA that Dad got a promotion!

That now makes him ... drum roll please ...

a Director

He was promoted from Associate Director of the same department I didn't even know he was up for a promotion. And apparently neither did he until a few weeks ago.

Good news for Dad, great news for everyone right now.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 08:37 AM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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If anyone ever has a question as to why I don't get along with the administrators of my department, all they have to do is read this op/ed piece one of them wrote in the Baltimore Sun today.

Headline: After Katrina fiasco, Time for Bush to go.
(The article is posted in its entirety below the fold)

God forbid this academic institution employ people capable of putting their personal partisanship aside for a few moments (or in the classroom). We couldn't possibly exhibit a sense of professionalism that focuses on solutions to the current problem and preventative measures for the future. Oh no, we most definitely couldn't have that. more...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 12:08 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Maimed bodies dotted the landscape ...

Makeshift piles formed as they were tossed aside, not to be forgotten ... but saved for later.

Some missing part of their head, some the whole thing...
Others lost the top half, while still more lost the bottom...
A few were nothing left but middles...

Their kin continued to scurry about, part to avoid the carnage, part oblivious to the turn of events, part out of sheer terror...

... the monsters were still lurking in their midst ...

Feeding day in the cichlid tank ... what a beautiful moment of animalistic agression ... the struggle to survive ... a microcosm of the entire food chain, front and center in my living room.

The rosie reds don't stand a chance against the Jaguars.

Posted by: Princess Cat at 02:18 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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I'm officially creeped out now.

First, I woke up experiencing a panic attack this morning. Yeah, that was fun. Squeeze ... pound, squeeze ... pound, squeeze ... pound... Just what I wanted to wake up to this morning - my heart trying to leap out of my chest. To make matters worse, I have no idea what the panic was about or how it was triggered.

Then, after I had calmed down, my condo started vibrating. I laid on the bed and felt a gentle vibration get stronger, then the windows kicked in. It lasted for close to 45 continuous seconds. It stopped rattling for a few seconds before there was another jolt and a little more vibrating. It really felt like a minor earthquake. It lasted too long and there wasn't enough noise for it to have been a truck outside. On some level it made me feel better, like I had a little piece of home keeping me company. But then I just felt like a crazy psycho when USGS didn't have any earthquake data in the area.

Next I opened up my e-mail to a message from an ex ... saying things weren't so good in his life and that hearing about my new life would cheer him up. He's random like that. At least once a year or so he is good for a 'why do I continue being such a dumb asshole' message sent my way.

I tried to get on track for the day and I didn't get too far before I was interrupted again. I was expecting a phone call... but not from him...

That's right, another ex. He 'thought I had left a voicemail last night' that said I needed to talk to him. Convenient how he was just bitching about his drama with the psycho chicks in his life.

I think I need to crawl under a rock for the rest of the day. I'm not sure I want to know what random life-test is lurking around the corner. This time it is a conspiracy for sure...I just know it...

Posted by: Princess Cat at 01:45 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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1 Rocks can be fun. I'll hide with ya!

Posted by: Ogre at September 07, 2005 02:04 PM (/k+l4)

2 NEVER talk to strangers, or ex's...even if they bring candy

Posted by: ArmyWifeToddlerMom at September 08, 2005 10:00 AM (iySL4)

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