1001 Albums to Hear Before You Die

Someone sent me this website from Romania, where you can find a list of 1001 albums you need to hear 'before you die." The cool part is, you can actually listen to every album from this website. They're sorted by decade, or you can do a search for a certain artist.

Also-- looks like if you visit their home page, you can listen to almost anything out there. Not sure 'cause I don't read Romanian very well.

SI's best looking male athletes...

...can be drooled over here.
While I don't agree with all of their picks, it's a nice photo gallery.

Note that:

1. There are no baseball players on their list (sorry, Gabe!) and
2. Four out of the top ten are soccer players, though none from the US.
   

Gerald Ford R.I.P.

1996 episode of SNL featuring Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw, announcing the various ways Gerald Ford could die.

Bear With Me.

I made the mistake of trying to change my Blogger template and Blogger ate my entire right sidebar. Hopefully I can fix this soon. Meanwhile enjoy the blank space!

Update 20 min and 50 cuss words later: I think I fixed it. The blog still probably looks like crap in IE6, but who cares. I hate Explorer. If this blog layout looks all messed up to you, you're probably using it. Go download Firefox!

White Trash Christmas

It's just not Christmas season without this song. But this video is sort of scary. I recognize several of the things here, such as the orange shag carpet that was in our den when we moved in to our current house. I also own the same yellow plastic coffee cup like the one shown at the end. I'm afraid to admit to any other similarities...

I Just Didn't Feel Right Posting This Yesterday...

The Dysfunctional Family Sings Christmas Carols!

Vote for Kasey!

I don't quite get eBay Match Ups, but I voted anyway:

Last Year's Lights

(We didn't put any up this year, slackers that we are. ) I'm not sure what was going on with the little burnt-out section at the top; it kept going on and off at different times. Any way in case you can't tell underneath the lights it's a Kwikgoal kick-back net that has lived in our yard for the past 6 years or so.

Best Christmas Ever?

I wish I was part of Bad News Hughes' family, as dysfunctional as it seems. Seriously. Those jello shots look amazing. Wonder what they are having for Christmas this year.

A Visit from Coach Nicholas

(read the rest of the poem, written by TFC's own Steve Rogers, here...)

I Am One of Those People.

(And so is Tearfree over at Reject the Koolaid.)


nataliedee.com

I Wish I Was in Key West.

It's cold, it's raining, I'm still at work, and I haven't done almost any Christmas shopping yet. Which means I am probably spending my weekend at the mall. Ugh. I wish I was this guy:

(Thanks to The Green Parrot for the image, and for the best Bloody Mary I've ever had, a couple of years ago. I wish I had one now.)

Best of US Soccer 2006

Kasey Keller took home the award for Best Performance (Player) for his impressive goalkeeping that kept Italy to just one goal – despite being down to just eight field players for most of the second half – and allowed the U.S. to earn a valuable point. This is Keller’s first Best Performance (Player) award, moving up from his third-place finish last year.

See the rest of the awards here.

My Favorite Childhood Cartoon

From the list of the 50 Greatest Cartoons ever, as voted in 1994, here's my #1.

Season's Greetings from Mutts

I tried to pull this off muttscomics.com, but they only archive their stuff for 5 weeks and this comic is from 2005, so I had to scan it (I hope that's OK...) It's been hanging on my fridge since last year.

It starts the day after Halloween...

nataliedee.com

World's Oldest Blogger?

If you read one post at Don to Earth, please make it this one. This amazing gentleman turns 93 on Christmas Eve, and I'm so glad I found his blog, even if he does write out each post by hand and then mails it to a relative to enter online.

More Google Ad Weirdness.

Okay, so when you have gmail, Google places ads next to the mail that they think are relevant to the subject of the email. Like when I am reading about Gabe Kapler, I often get Red Sox ads. See how it works?

So...why is it that today when I'm reading a Google News Alert in my gmail, and there is an alert for an article about Kasey Keller, that there is an ad, above the ads for World Cup balls and free soccer jerseys, for Playtex Sport Tampons? Is Kasey on Team Playtex with Abby Wambach? Do you think he's like the One-of-a-Kind Backup Layer that Won't Let You Down? And what the heck is up with that green applicator? Ewww.

But while I was at their website, I did send for my free sample. Thanks, Kasey, for the heads up.

Another Nutty Nativity

You can actually buy this Veggie Tales Nativity at eToys for $12.99. What exactly is the baby Jesus supposed to be? A carrot stick? A yam? A Tater Tot?

Silly Little Mom Moments.

My son just went out for the night, and before he did, he actually told me that he loved me. That doesn't happen too often, and I had to go off and have a little "moment" when he said that. I hate when that girly stuff happens to me. But I love that he said it.

I love you too, T. More than you'll probably ever realize.

Saddest Thing I've Read Today.

Soccer star jailed in dad's death.

I'm not sure there's much I could say here that would add anything relevant. Totally heartbreaking. Parents, take heed.

For the Relatives, part IIl

Here's the oldest; he just turned 18. This is the senior picture (man, they are ex-PEN-sive!) Mr. All-American :)

Why I Saved This Photo

I can't remember where I found this (sorry), but I saved it because of the name the photographer had given it: "Toilet Roses."

(PS: Now that I look more closely, the photo appears to be from a site called "ElementalDigitalArt.com". Thanks, folks.)

Goodbye Gabe...

The Sox Sistahs have a nice goodbye blog post wishing you luck.

I, myself have already decided I'm making that trip down to Greenville next year to see you in
"mini-Fenway."

Flashback Wednesday

What I looked like in the (very early) 80's, pre-perm, that is!

Gabe Kapler ends playing career :(

From the AP:

Boston Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler retired Tuesday after nine major-league seasons to start a managerial career with the team's class-A farm team in Greenville, S.C.

Kapler, who is just 31, takes over the Drive of the South Atlantic League from former major-league infielder Luis Alicea, who was promoted to Boston's first-base and infield coach.

Greenville....hmmm, that's on the way to Clemson. Maybe I can finally see the guy in person!

Read more here.

For the Relatives, part II

This is our "middle child". He's fifteen and a real sweetheart, most of the time. We tease him that he likes us so much, he's never moving out. We're usually only half joking.

Ralphie's Packing Heat!

Fa-ra-ra-ra-rahhh....

For the Relatives Who Say I Never Send Pictures, part l

Here's our baby girl (she's 12 now, in 7th grade).

I Do Not Miss Middle School. Or Junior High. Whatever.

(Thanks to Magenta4ever)

That's My Boy, part III

From Triangle Soccer Fanatics (thanks WJC):

3 Local High School Players Named NSCAA All-Americans

(in case you didn't get the hint from the list I posted earlier this week, below.)

In Case You Don't Have Time To Watch the Movie

It's a Wonderful Life in 30 seconds, re-enacted by bunnies.

I often forget.

Thanks to White Trash Mom for reminding us all that, yes, it really is A Wonderful Life. Most of the time :)

More Tacky Junk I Need For Christmas

The whole thing needs to have little sparkly lights, though...

Feel Good Joke of the Day

"I am passing this on to you because it definitely works, and we could all use a little more calmness in our lives. By following simple advice heard on the Dr. Phil show, you too can find inner peace. Dr Phil proclaimed, 'The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started and have never finished.'

So, I looked around my house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished, and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Zinfandel, a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream, a bottle of Vodka, a package of Oreos, the remainder of my old Prozac prescription, the rest of the cheesecake, some Doritos and a box of chocolates.

You have no idea how freaking good I feel. "

(Seen somewhere else in my rambles on the internet today, original author unknown.)

I So Want One of These!

I Still Don't Have A Tree...

...or any lights or decorations up at my house. This is the latest I have ever *not* had a tree since we've owned the house, I think. We definitely need to get one this weekend. I wonder what the kids will name it this year. Last year's tree was named Steve. Do not ask me why, because I truly don't know.

Another Birthday I Missed

December 6th was the birthday of Peter Buck from R.E.M., one of the few celebs I've actually met in person (twice) and have a sort-of-adult-crush on. Happy Birthday, Pete! (When is the next R.E.M. album coming out?)

Even Weirder than the Burger King Commercials?

Combos has a really strange new website called "Man Mom." You have to see it for yourself. (NO, I am not on there!)

2006 NSCAA/adidas High School Boys All-Americans

Click here to see list.

Truly Tacky Nativities

See them all here.

Wow.

Best of Both Worlds

I love little kids. And I love the band Queen. This video is the best of both. Arlo, you are awesome, little man!

That's Just Wax!

Yes, these are regular size crayons. Very cool crayons, carved by an artist named Pete Goldlust. You can see lots more of his interesting work, including some squirmy-looking sculptures, here.

Kapler Still Wants to Be A Red Sox

From the Boston Herald:

Kapler, meanwhile, remained upbeat that he will return to the Sox. The 31-year-old outfielder made a complete recovery from a ruptured left Achilles tendon and batted .254 with two homers in 72 games. Considering that he wasn’t offered arbitration last year and still managed to return, Kapler knows that no doors are closed.
“I’ll continue to touch base and if it’s meant to work out, it will,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve cherished my time in Boston, and if it continues, great, but if not, it wasn’t meant to be.”
Even if he does end up signing elsewhere, Kapler is optimistic his life’s path will lead him back to Boston eventually.
“I truly believe I’m meant to be back there,” he said. “I’ll be back, whether it’s next year, two years from now, five years from now or 10 years from now. It’s somewhere I feel very comfortable and I’ve been happiest in my career, and I think everyone realizes that."

I hope he comes back, too!

US Soccer Players of the Year

US Soccer has announced their finalists for Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year:
POTY-
Bobby Convey
Clint Dempsey
Kasey Keller (my boy!)
Brian McBride
Oguchi Onyewu (from Clemson)
YPOTY-
Josi Altidore
Quavas Kirk
Johann Smith
Nathan Sturgis (also from Clemson)
Preston Zimmerman

My votes are for Keller and Sturgis.

Swap Your Books and CDs for Free!

I just found out about two great websites where you can sign up for free and swap books and CD's with other people, also for free. The only cost is for you to mail the other person the item they've asked for.

The first is called Paperback Swap:


The second is called Swap a CD:


I'd appreciate that when you check them out, please use the banners above. (I get an extra trade credit that way.)

Looking forward to swapping stuff with some of you!

Probably My Favorite 80's Song.

I think I used to have hair like that. One word: PERM.