Hmm…

Weird.  I am on the featured page.  How did that happen? 

Well, to those who are visiting – hi!  Thanks for stopping by.  In answer to some of your comments, the Eagles album is truly only available at WalMart.  Not on iTunes nor on Amazon.

To my regular buds – ok, this is funny.  How the hell did I get featured?

Yesterday was Halloween.  My favorite holdiday.  One of the partner’s wives and I stood outside the front door of the firm and handed out candy.  Small town, cute & historic downtown corridor = community trick-or-treating.  It was great fun.  I dressed in my evil high priestess costume complete with skull on a staff.  I scared a whole bunch o’ little kids.  It was great! 

This was my first Halloween with the firm & apparently the families here are just used to Deb handing out the candy.  They kept commenting that “one of the lawyers should be out here.”   Deb would just smile and point at me.  I got a whole lot of “oh!  You must be the new lawyer!”  A couple of people even asked for my business card.  That was kind of weird.  Here!  Have a business card!  And if you think this costume is scary, you should see me in a suit!!

I did buy some of the Peeps Spooky Friends to hand out last night.  Those are SO cute.  Not nearly as tasty as regular Peeps though.

Not much else going on.  Just the usual.  Ready for the weekend, though!

The new Eagles album is out.  It came out yesterday.

I LOVE the Eagles.  They are my favorite band of all time.  Seriously.  There are only two bands I would walk over hot coals to see.  Eagles and Melissa Etheridge.  (Conicidentially, she opened for the Eagles on the Hell Freezes Over Tour.  Me?  I was stuck in traffic on my way to Texas Stadium for the concert.  Missed Melissa, did not miss the Eagles).

I really want this new album.  20 songs of pure Eagle goodness.

So, you might ask, what’s the problem?

Well, in my world, the problem is quite a huge one.  The album is available only at WalMart.

I HATE WalMart.  I mean really really hate them.  They are one of the worst of the irresponsible corporate behemoths.  They are environmentally irresponsible, they do not care for the communities they have stores in, they do not pay a living wage, they allow their pharmacists to override doctor’s decisions when prescribing “the morning-after pill…”  I could go on.  But I won’t.

The thing that chaps me is that Don Henley has been a staunch environmentalist for years, and is quite liberal politically as well.  I read an interview with Don Henley regarding their choice to go with WalMart.  He said they are making progress in their environmental and labor initiatives.  And that he wanted to go with them because of their distribution power.  Making progress is not the same as fixing the problems.  He also said WalMart isn’t any worse than a giant record label.  He’s probably right about that.  But I still don’t want to give WalMart any of my money.

I read one blogger who suggested just ordering the CD set from the Eagles website.  However, it is pretty clear to me in viewing the website that the actual ordering goes through WalMart.  Even if you want to download it, that goes through WalMart.com. 

I checked Amazon.com and they have the album available through third party individuals.  Those who have no objection to shopping at WalMart and then marking up their price…so either way, WalMart would technically be getting my money.

So, the dilemma.  Do I break my WalMart boycott?  I haven’t been in WalMart since 2001.  Would it be sacrificing my principles to go to WalMart to get the Eagles album?  Has WalMart really made strides in the right direction?  If they have, then maybe they aren’t the evil corporate behemoth any longer…

I am torn.  I really want the Eagles new album.  But I really don’t want to support WalMart.

And yes, I know, my lone boycott of WalMart is not hurting its pocketbook any.  But, really, it is not about hurting WalMart (that’s an added bonus, if it happens), it is about remaining true to my principles and leading by example.

*le sigh*

When I put it that way, I guess the answer is clear.  No Eagles album for me.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

1. Jean Luc Picard

2. Space travel

3. Holodecks

And so many other reasons, too!

   

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

I think it is important that the Iranian President be allowed to speak and air his views.  As we should all know, in a democracy, we value debate – even when that debate is laced with vitriol.  Just because Ahmadinejad has a way of speaking that inflames people as well as what we consider to be completely unrealistic views of the world, does not mean he has nothing to teach us.

Americans tend to be uninformed as well as incredibly insulated from the happenings in the rest of the world.  If one can listen and sort the actual information from the political rhetoric, there is something to be learned.  (The same can be said about nearly any politician, including our own President and Congress – use your critical thinking skills, people!)  I think our media’s focus on President Ahmadinejad’s inflammatory statements is a tactic to keep us from actually listening to and perhaps learning from his view of the world. 

I am not saying he’s right.  (And before you start calling me an Iranian sympathizer, note that my family is Jewish, and I think many of Ahmadinejad’s views are asinine.)  But I do believe the way to peace is to understand where the “other side” is coming from, not by ridiculing them and making them into a cartoon villain. 
   

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

We saw Spamalot! on Thursday evening.  It was GREAT!

I love Monty Python, and the musical version of the Holy Grail was simply wonderful. 

(You won’t make it on Broadway if you don’t have a Jew!)

I have to get the soundtrack.

(What happens in Camelot, stays in Camelot!)

I laughed and laughed and laughed…

(You know, Hubert, in a thousand years, this will still be controversial.)

I am still laughing.

(Always look on the bright side of life!)

Loved it.

(Find your Grail!)

One minute, huh?  Well, I guess this question assumes that Shrub is actually going to listen and hear what I have to say.  As it stands now, I wouldn’t bother since he’s so convinced of the rightness of his position that he wouldn’t listen anyway.

If he was going to listen and understand, however, I’d use my Jewish Guilt skills to tell him how very disappointed in him I am, and how the true man knows when to admit he’s made a mistake, back away from a disastrous course and take advice on how to make things right.

   

I just answered this Featured Question, you can answer it too!

Found at krisinluck’s site:

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

Just one? Ugh, no fair. Well, I’d tell you who I’d really like to explode, but I don’t need a visit from the secret service.

2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Who would you chose?

Eminem.

3. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

Again, I don’t want a visit from those guys in black suits.

4. What is the best kind of cheese to eat?

Ohhhh…cheese. I LOVE cheese. Behold! The power of cheese. The very best kind of cheese (at least this morning) is Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp White Cheddar.

5. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What does your dream-sandwich consist of, and does it contain the aforementioned cheese?

On a croissant, smoked turkey and roast beef with cream cheese, avocado and alfalfa sprouts.

6. You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie-celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex. Who would it be?

Hugh Jackman.

7. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Same rules as above. Who is it?

Melissa Etheridge

8. You seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy shit, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it?

Yarn Store.

9. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Funny question. Since I do have free plane tickets to anywhere. First choice on our trip is Tokyo.

10. Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Shit! Now that you are in the new location, where are you gonna go to spend that?

Tokyo Disney Resort!

11. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice.

There’s this late harvest German Riesling that I had a the Coeur d’Alene resort one time – it is SO good. And like $80 a bottle. That’s what I’d want.

12. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go to any time in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there?

Back to when land was cheap in California (maybe I’d take that $200 from above) and buy up the Napa Valley. I’d then create a trust to pay the taxes on the land, and make myself the beneficiary. Then when I came back to the present, I’d sell it all and be rich!

13. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

I am the Queen. The Queen is always right. Oh, and no stupid people allowed. (Of course, I am the arbiter of what constitutes stupid).

14. You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what’s the premise?

“Battle for Washington DC!!” It would be a claymation show about politics so I could brainwash all the kids today into being liberals when they grow up.

15. What is your favorite expletive?

Bitch!

16. One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

I’d roll over and go back to sleep. I’ve slept through earthquakes…I can definitely sleep through mummies.

17. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?

Yarn box.

18. The Angel Of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel Of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. Whatcha gonna do in that half-hour?

Have wild monkey sex with my husband.

19. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice!

Laser-beam eyes.

20. You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

The first time my husband told me he loved me.
21. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? (the answer “nothing” doesn’t count).

Ack. So many choices. I’d probably undo the time I outed a friend of mine. He was closeted and I told some mutual friends about his orientation. Careless youth…

22. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! Bitchin’! What country are you going to live in now?

The Netherlands.

23. Hopefully you didn’t mention this in the super-powers question…. If you did, then we’ll just expand on that. Check it out… Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!!

I’d float around on my island blasting stupid people with my laser eye beams.

24. The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier have given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which late celebrity will you bring back to life?

Thomas Jefferson – so he could tell all of today’s politicians what the Constitution really means.

26. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have finally opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world.

Um. I have no idea.

27. What’s your theme song?

Today? It’s Lawyers in Love by Jackson Browne

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As Kris said – this is one of the most bizarre memes yet.

Please let me know if you do this on your site – I want to read your answers!