inaugur...blah blah blah blah... day

Yeah, so technically, it's January 20th following an election year, and so this is Inauguration Day. I don't so much like to refer to it as that since a complete moron and a danger to our nation is being sworn in again. I just don't understand the 51% of the people that actually thought this would be a good idea. I know, I know.... i know all the different reasons someone might have voted that way. Anything from being brainwashed about GWB's take on Iraq to the religious factor down to the i-don't-really-care-and-i-didn't-like-Kerry factor. It just baffles me ... still.

And besides all that, the whole $40+ million going towards this "party" to swear the idiot in just absolutely disgusts me. Never, in any climate of our nation, does that kind of money need to be spent. But especially now, when we are losing money by the second to this war and when the rest of the world is in turmoil over the devastation of the tsunami ... why would someone so arrogantly lavish themselves in celebration this way? What a message. Yep, rest of the world ... you're gonna keep on hating us, aren't you? sigh.

At least I can take comfort in another completely capitalistic gala: the North American Detroit Auto Show. Sad thing is, I work for the industry. Ah well... at least I'm still a struggling peon here, so I have an excuse for staying and needing the money. ::gulp:: right? Anyways ... about 8 of us are about to head out of here, down to Pegasus for lunch and then to the auto show. Should be a good, albeit way too warm, day. (the auto show is always excruciatingly hot). Perhaps I'll have updates about the show later ... unless it's just way too boring. hah - more likely i'll have updates on the mullets and bling i see down there instead. later...

a bit of good luck

As I went through my pile of receipts that I racked up over the long weekend and entered them into my checkbook ledger, I came across my receipt from Whole Foods and realized (a little too late) that the cashier didn't ring up my Hemp Seed Oil, which was $12.99! Here I was pissed because I forgot to give her my $2 off coupon for the hand-soap I bought, but really I saved a lot more. Which is nice, since i's a broke-ass-ho.

Not sure if this will karmically come back to haunt me - but it was a nice treat to find, nonetheless.

making mental notes

For those of you out there interested in seeing the delightful Tori Amos on tv, here is an upcoming list of scheduled appearances. Much thanks to The Dent, as always, for the gads of information it provides (dates and pic).

Letterman -- Tues. Feb. 17th
MSNBC Weekend Today -- Sat. Feb. 19th
Regis & Kelly -- Tues. Feb. 22nd
Last Call w/Carson Daly -- Thurs. Feb. 24th
A&E's Breakfast w/the Arts -- Sun. Feb. 27th
CNBC's Big Idea w/Donny Deutsch -- TBD

Tori-time¹ is fast approaching! There's the new album on Feb. 22nd (although, some of us have a leaked copy), a NYC live interview/show (keeping my fingers crossed that Trent & I will be there!) on Feb. 24th, all kinds of Tori TV, and soon a TOUR! wee! I can't wait ... you think I blab on now? Wait til I'm fully immersed in Toriland again! PLUS, I finally heard the new single, Sleeps With Butterflies, on WDET this afternoon!


¹ Tori-time is the term I'm using to refer to the part of the year when Trent and I go a little off the deep end: talking, emailing, blogging, going to midnight sales, dual attacks on ticketmaster to be sure we're getting tickets to every show possible in the best seats possible, cutting out of work early to go to a meet & greet to get one small glimpse of the Goddess (and some stuff signed), relishing in the afterglow and talking nonstop about other Toriphiles and the show and the cd and ... well, you get the idea.

the last meow

I suppose that 20 years is about nine lives in cat years, right? Well, even so ... another punk/goth/kitsch store bites the dust in Royal Oak. The Cat's Meow will close it's door at the end of this month. It didn't spent all it's 20 years in Royal Oak; it started as a small vintage clothing store in Ann Arbor before opening another store in Madison, WI and then finally coming "home" to Royal Oak in 1996. They outlived others such as Cinderella's Attic and I can only wonder how long stores like Incognito and Noir Leather will last? I only shopped at the Cat's Meow a couple times, but it's kind of like saying goodbye to your youth, in a way...

You can read an article about the closing of Cat's Meow and if you'd like to stop in one last time for farewells and fishnets, they are having something of a wake on January 30th from 1-9pm. (There are also big sales going on!)

downloading hope

After my excited post about the Tsunami Aid: Concert of Hope telethon that was to air on NBC, I went ahead and forgot all about it and missed it all. So as I was hunting around on the internet today, trying to see if I could get some part of it, I found an area where you can download the performances from the evening and the money is still going to the charity. In fact, you pay less than what is donated since the funds are matched! For instance, if you want one specific performance from that evening, you will pay $0.99. But the funds donated for that download will be $1.98! Similarly, you can download the entire event's performances as one album for $13.99 (with $27.98 being donated)!

This seems worthwhile to me ... plus you get a cd out of it! In case you're interested, you can visit the site here.

mlk day the lazy way...

Being that Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, we get the day off at work and I generally try to find something humanitarian to do that day. You know, be of service somewhere for something. I had talked with Angi a couple weeks ago about maybe going out to Ann Arbor to recycle our junk that our curbside doesn't accept (we're avid recyclers) and then possibly volunteering somewhere out there. But with her midnight schedule and the fact that I had to reschedule a dentist appointment to that afternoon at 2pm, it didn't work out. So instead I met my mom for lunch at Olga's (one of our favorites!) and then quickly got my filling on at the tooth doctor before heading out to Angi's. We recycled, we ate at Seva (yes, i love eating) and then actually WALKED AROUND in the 0°F weather! But we went to Urban Outfitters and to Acme Mercantile before calling it a night and letting the blood back into our bodies in the warm car.

Earlier in the weekend I was able to hang with Trent (stayed in watched Mean Girls - funny!) and then, accompanied by Trent & Mark, took my 16 year old cousin to see Coach Carter. Pretty good movie - and it made #1 at the box office this weekend.

The rest of the week - between the cold and the fact that I'm broke - is going to be spent INDOORS. I need to stay warm and figure out a way to pay my $430 gas bill! (shhh... I "only" owe half)