Boom.

I'm stuck. I'm hooked. I can't let this song go. Seriously, it's like a drug. I shuffle through five versions of it and I let them play over and over.



Boom - Anjulie

I'm getting myself in something I don't wanna
I'm getting caught up in him but I don't wanna
I'm getting off track
And I can't control a thing, a thing...
I'm telling myself it's not a good idea
But the more I hesitate the more I fall for him
I'm tryin' to erase his face from my memory

And then a
Boom
Shalaka
He's walkin' upa to me
Boom
Shalaka
He start's ta talka to me
Boom
Shalaka
My heart skips a
Boom
Shalaka laka
Boom boom

The more I hang there the more I get wrapped up in him
Imagine myself in the chair I was sittin' in
And every little thing he said comin' back to me
To me
The more I get scared of loosin' I'm afaid to say
Where can I go at the same time it excites me
Gotta get him outta my head
Get on with me

And then a
Boom
Shalaka
He's walkin' upa to me
Boom
Shalaka
He start's ta talka to me
Boom
Shalaka
My heart skips a
Boom
Shalaka laka
Boom boom
Boom
Shalaka

Eyes come in contact a
Boom
Shalaka
Starin' me down talk a
Boom shalaka
My heart skips a
Boom
Shalaka laka
Ah

He make my head go
Boom boom
He make my breath go
Shaka laka
Wherever I go
Boom boom
And everything goes
Shaka laka

I tell myself
No, I'm not gonna do this
I promise myself
No, I'm not gonna do this
Doesn't matter what he says
I know he's no good for me
No no no no

And then a
Boom
Shalaka
He's walkin' upa to me
Boom
Shalaka
He starts ta talka to me
Boom
Shalaka
My heart skips a
Boom
Shalaka laka
Boom boom
Boom
Shalaka

Eyes come in contact a
Boom
Shalaka
Starin' me down talk a
Boom shalaka
My heart skips a
Boom
Shalaka laka
(Boom boom)
Ah ah

He makes my heart go
(Ah ah)
My heart my heart my heart

Australian Invasion

Rumor has it Lucy has arrived in San Diego. That is reason enough for me to leave the office and hurry home!

New Day, Same Tunes

Yep, still rocking out to the remixes. And yep, people are noticing.

Remixes

I'm lost in a sea of Peter Rauhofer remixes, courtesy of YouTube. My office sounds like a nightclub.

Facebook Fun

I'll say it. I love Facebook. I enjoy the ongoing, random interaction with friends all over the world. I feel connected to them in ways that email just doesn't match. And my friends are clever and witty and always make me feel better about myself, my circumstances, or whatever particular issue is making me crazy.

This is one of the most recent threads:

 John Hulsey is tired. Enough with stupid people doing mean shit to others. Really, my johnny-always-positive schtick is taking a real beating. Is it wrong to hope that bigots die horrible, painful deaths... and soon?

Charish at 7:28pm June 30
Justice is never wrong. :)

John at 7:35pm June 30
I don't pretend to want justice right now. I want vengeance. I want extreme suffering in amounts directly proportionate to the hate and violence put out.



Thomas at 7:35pm June 30
There will be Judgement Day at some point for everybody. That's when justice will prevail at last.



Sandra at 7:38pm June 30
Hugging you gently and a little fearfully.



John at 7:39pm June 30
I know you're right, Thomas. But sometimes... grrr... I just wish stupid hurt.

Thomas at 7:41pm June 30
Actually it does hurt .. them. That's why they act so incredibly stupid. It's a vicious circle.



Charish at 7:41pm June 30
Idiots.



John at 7:43pm June 30
I have smart, compassionate, wonderful friends. (Repeat as needed.)



Sue at 8:01pm June 30
you got it John



Derek at 8:14pm June 30
It's ok John. This is Martin Luther King quote. I hope it helps.
"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and
violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge,
aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love."



John Hulsey at 8:16pm June 30
Sorry, Derek, and with all due respect to the good Reverend, sometimes people just need a good ass kickin'.

Derek at 8:34pm June 30
Sorry...I was making a turkey burger



Derek at 8:35pm June 30
I understand your frustration. So I will now quote Nelson Mandela.....
"“The time comes in the life of any nation when there remains only two choices - submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. We shall not submit and we have no choice but to hit back by all means in our power in defense of our people, our”
Please change South Africa with the US

Chuck at 8:36pm June 30
I've become an even bigger believer in karma as I've gotten older (you'll notice I didn't say "old," because I refuse to get old) and I've gotta agree with Thomas -- as momentarily satisfying as vengeance may be, John, I've always found this old maxim to be true: "Living well is the best revenge."

The other thought along those lines that I like ... Read Moreis from Sun Tzu (and please forgive me if this isn't a verbatim quote, but I've got the spirit of it right): "If you sit by the river bank long enough, you will watch the bodies of your enemies float by."

Smart guy, that Sun Tzu.... ;)



Melanie at 8:37pm June 30
I agree about ass kicking, but please don't ever change your positive outlook. It's one of the things that makes you such a beautiful person. I thought as a kid that I'd be nice to everybody. I couldn't see a good reason not to be. "Reality" hit as I got older. You remind me of who I used to be, who I hope to one day be again. Maybe that sounds mushy, but I felt like it should be said. I realize people change, but I hope this part of you doesn't.



John Hulsey at 8:38pm June 30
If that is true about the river bank, isn't it because someone else upriver is fighting your battle?



John Hulsey at 8:41pm June 30
Fortunately, Lanie, I am surrounded by people who love me back from the brink every time.



Derek at 8:42pm June 30
Well lets head upriver!



Melanie at 8:44pm June 30
(hugs).



Chuck at 8:44pm June 30
Not necessarily, John. It could just mean that you live longer and better than your enemies -- and that often, they get what they've got coming to them even if we're not the ones to give it to them.

Sue at 8:46pm June 30
Love the comment about a life well lived... And you do do that John (hug)

John Hulsey at 8:46pm June 30
Darn you, Chuck, and your level headed wisdom.



John Hulsey at 8:51pm June 30
Seriously, some of my Facebook threads could be Oprah episodes. You are all amazing. {group hug}

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

Much is changing right now, and oddly enough, I'm not too stressed out it about it. I'm in "check list - get it done, move on" mode.

And so far, so good.

Bedrooms and Hallways... and faces you remember.

I watched the movie Bedrooms and Hallways. A good enough film about the fluidity of human sexuality - gay, bi, straight, there and back again - and it was an interesting enough flick that I watched the whole thing. And I knew that I had seen the two male leads before.



And then I remembered why the looked familiar. I had seen them both in the same show, Rome on HBO. Kevin McKidd played Leo in this film, and then he went on to play Lucius Vorenus in Rome.



And James Purefoy went on to play Mark Antony.



Rome looks pretty good to me. Just saying.

English-Only Group Can't Spell the Word 'Conference' -- Politics Daily

English-Only Group Can't Spell the Word 'Conference' -- Politics Daily



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shared via AddThis

Stunned.

Feeling positive and motivated today, I posted this as my LinkedIn status:

Big day today. Time to make some real changes instead of just pushing ideas around.

And when I checked my RSS feed on Google, I saw this at the top of the Wiki How To of The Day:

How to Move on After a Life Changing Revelation

Little did I realize how these two unrelated items would crash into each other. There were some real changes today, alright, and they also involved a life changing revelation that still has me rocked. I trusted someone and he betrayed me. I'm just stunned. In a hundred years, I never saw this coming.

I worry that a piece of me was crushed today and I might not recover from it. More than anything, the thought that this has changed me forever is the most horrible part. I don't know that I will be the same person tomorrow that I was when I woke up this morning.

The Burning River, Now A Symbol of What Can Be Done Right

Congratulations, Cleveland, on transforming your "Mistake On The Lake" into the once-again beautiful Cuyahoga River. This makes you Flirting With Fifty's first "Good News" story.

 

From the Ashes of ’69, a River Reborn

By CHRISTOPHER MAAG

CLEVELAND — The first time Gene Roberts fell into the Cuyahoga River, he worried he might die. The year was 1963, and the river was still an open sewer for industrial waste. Walking home, Mr. Roberts smelled so bad that his friends ran to stay upwind of him.

Recently, Mr. Roberts returned to the river carrying his fly-fishing rod. In 20 minutes, he caught six smallmouth bass. “It’s a miracle,” said Mr. Roberts, 58. “The river has come back to life.”

Monday is the 40th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River fire of 1969, when oil-soaked debris floating on the river’s surface was ignited, most likely by sparks from a passing train.

The fire was extinguished in 30 minutes and caused just $50,000 in damage. But it became a galvanizing symbol for the environmental movement, one of a handful of disasters that led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and to the passage of the Clean Water Act.

“The Cuyahoga River fire was a spark plug for environmental reforms around the country,” said Cameron Davis, who was recently appointed to become the special adviser to the E.P.A. on Great Lakes environmental issues.

The fire turned Cleveland into “The Mistake by the Lake,” a national punch line that would endure for decades. Meanwhile, the city worked to reclaim its river.

Today, the Cuyahoga is home to more than 60 species of fish, said Jim White, executive director of the Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization, a nonprofit group that coordinates cleanup efforts. Beavers, blue herons and bald eagles nest along the river’s banks. Long sections of the Cuyahoga are clean enough that they no longer require aggressive monitoring, regulators said.

“We’re very impressed with the progress made in the Cuyahoga,” said John Perrecone, a manager of Great Lakes programs for the E.P.A.

Other rivers in industrial cities have experienced similar rebirths, said Matthew Doss, policy director for the Great Lakes Commission, which oversees development and environmental efforts in the region for the United States and Canada.

“The Cuyahoga’s progress is notable because of how infamous it was,” Mr. Doss said. “This 40th anniversary gives us an opportunity to celebrate the progress we’ve made nationwide.”

The 1969 fire was tiny compared with those that engulfed the Cuyahoga and other rivers that received large amounts of industrial pollutants from the 1800s through the 1950s. One reason it received national attention, including a prominent article in Time magazine, was that the problem of rivers catching fire was mostly solved by then, said Jonathan Adler, an environmental law professor at Case Western Reserve University.

The outrage caused by the fire was a symptom of a society starting to leave its industrial identity behind, Professor Adler said.

“In the 1930s, when most people in Cleveland worked in factories, a fire on the river was considered just a nuisance,” he said. “By the ’60s, there was a hunger for symbols of humans’ insensitivity to the environment.”

The cleanup of the river advanced on many fronts. A year before the fire, Cleveland residents voted to tax themselves an additional $100 million for river restoration. Since then, local industries and the Northwest Ohio Regional Sewer District have spent $3.5 billion to reduce sewage and industrial waste pollution, Mr. White said.

The sewer district built miles of subway-tunnel-size tubes beneath the city. The tubes hold excess rainwater until it can be processed by treatment plants, reducing the number of times that plants become overwhelmed and spew sewage into the river.

In the next 30 years, Cleveland-area residents will spend about $5 billion more on the wastewater system, said Julius Ciaccia Jr., sewer district director.

“This didn’t happen because a bunch of wild-haired hippies protested down the street,” Mr. Perrecone said. “This happened because a lot of citizens up and down the watershed worked hard for 40 years to improve the river.”

Local governments removed dams, which trapped pollution and impeded fish migration. In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford created the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, which became a national park in 2000. The park saved miles of the river from suburban development.

Problems remain, however. The E.P.A. sued the City of Akron in February for dumping excessive amounts of sewage into the Cuyahoga. Along the last 5 of its 100 miles, the river is enclosed by steel walls and dredged regularly for commercial ships, making it difficult for habitats to recover.

“The good news is that we know what the problems are, and we know what the solutions are,” Mr. Davis said. “Now it’s a matter of getting the funding, rolling up our sleeves and doing the work.”

On Monday, people who have worked for years to clean the Cuyahoga will celebrate at its banks. “It’s just remarkable,” said Steve Tuckerman, the Cuyahoga River specialist for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. “I never thought I would see in my lifetime, let alone in my career, such an amazing comeback of a river.”

Welcome back to the Library.

I have not read a book for pleasure in a very long time, and I decided that it was time to correct that mistake. I went to my neighborhood library, reactivated my long-dormant card, and allowed myself all the time I wanted to wander up and down the rows of books. I ordered two books from other branches and walked out with three mysteries. I read the first, "The Woods", by Harlan Coben, in one sitting yesterday afternoon. I had forgotten how great it feels to lose myself in the words of a talented writer.

Thank you, Mr. Coben, for the many hours of pleasure. It was good to lose myself in the lives of others, to truly see and feel the settings, the characters, and the twists and turns of the story. Thanks for the ride.

I Just Call Him Mine

There's always that song, the one you hear and immediately relate to. This song is one of those for me. Everyone that knows Ric calls him amazing, but I just call him mine.

[caption id="attachment_802" align="alignnone" width="614" caption="Legally married, July 4, 2008"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_806" align="alignnone" width="630" caption="Wedding, July 4, 2003"][/caption]

 



I pinch myself sometimes to make sure I'm not in a dream
That's how it seems
I close my eyes and breathe in the sweetest moments I've ever known
It feels like home
And here I am I want to be your everything
There you are
Turning winter into spring

And everyone who sees you
Always want's to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always have a smile
You're standing ovation after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
Yeah
I just call you mine

I fall apart
Just a word from you just somehow seems to fix
Whatever's wrong
Oh, you reach into the weakest moments
And remind me that I'm strong
You've got to know
I'd be a fool not to see you even worse
To forget that you're more than I deserve

Cause everyone who sees you
Always want's to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always have a smile
You're standing ovation after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine

Nothing makes sense when you're not here
As if my whole world disappears
Without you what's the point of it

Cause everyone who sees you
Always want's to know you
And everyone who knows you
Always have a smile
You're the dream that I've been chasin' after years of waiting
For a chance to finally shine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine
Everyone calls you amazing
I just call you mine

Were The World Mine - The Song

I see their knavery.
This is to make an ass of me.
To fright me, if they could.

But I will not stir from this place, do what they can.
I will work, up and down here.

And I will sing, that they shall hear.
That I am not, I am not afraid.
I am not afraid.

I know not by what power I'm made bold.
But still you flout my insufficiency.
The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.

My ear should catch your voice, my eye your eye.
My tongue should catch your tongue's sweet melody.
My tongue, your tongue, were the world mine.

And I will sing, that they shall hear.
That I am not, I am not afraid.
I am not afraid!

Faeries away! Fetch me that flower...
Up and down, and up and down,
I will lead them up and down

Faeries away! Swift as a shadow...
Up and down, and up and down,
I will lead them up and down!

Oh why rebuke, you him that loves you so?!
Lay breath so bitter, on your bitter foe.
On your bitter foe!

What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?
I pray thee gentle mortal, sing again.
I pray thee gentle mortal, sing again.

Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note.
So is mine eye enthralled into thy shape,
I'll follow thee, I'll follow thee,
and make a Heaven of Hell...
I'll follow thee, I'll follow thee,
and make a Heaven of Hell...
And make a Heaven of Hell!

Faeries away! Fetch me that flower...
Up and down, and up and down,
I will lead them up and down.

Faeries away! Swift as a shadow...
Up and down, and up and down,
I will lead them up and down!

Faeries away! Fetch me that flower...
Up and down, and up and down,
I will lead them up and...

Faeries away! Swift as a shadow...
Up and down, and up and down,
I will lead them up and down!

My ear should catch your voice...
My eye should catch your eye...
My tongue, your tongue...
Were the world mine...

Were The World Mine

"If you could make somebody love you, would you do it?"

If the intent was to make me love this film, then the answer is yes, they did it. I adore Were The World Mine. It's a fantastic, clever and inspired blend of Shakespeare, Broadway, and every angst-ridden teen coming out movie. Somehow, it works. And the music, mostly Shakespeare's own lyrics, draws me in again and again. I can't stop watching this movie or playing the soundtrack.

Vincent Corazza

I watched Leaving Metropolis. There was a lot I enjoyed about the film, especially an actor named Thom Allison playing Shannon, a transgendered friend of the lead. But, me being me, the best part of the movie for me was Vincent Corazza.



Hot. Hot. Hot. That's all I'm saying.

It must be summer.

I don't watch nearly the amount of TV that I used to, but I still enjoy a well-written, fun show. This summer, I have two. Burn notice is back.

[caption id="attachment_779" align="alignnone" width="220" caption="Season Three, this summer"][/caption]

And I have my new show, Royal Pains.

[caption id="attachment_776" align="alignnone" width="219" caption="New this summer"]
[/caption]

Sometimes, I just want to sit back and be amused. These shows do that for me. So bring on the fun TV, popcorn, and a relaxing evening!

The bigger the decision, the easier it is to make.

Ask me about heading out for a beer and I will say yes. But ask me where and I will stumble. There are so many places, so many different options, and I want to choose correctly. But I end up overwhelmed by all the possibilities. It's not a big deal, and any of a hundred choices would be fine, but I still expend too much effort deciding.

Contrast that with the rather big decision of graduate school. Back in December, I made the decision that it was time to go back and I did. Just like that, no long internal conversations or pro/con lists to weigh my options. I just decided to go. And now, with the same clear head, I have made the decision to put grad school on the back burner. I'm not quitting, exactly, but I am definitely not going to continue right now.

When I started in December, I was working a temporary job that required little more than 40 hours a week. That job has since developed into a Corporate Controller position that requires much, much more of my time. More than that, my job allows me the freedom to do so manyof the things I have wanted to do professionally - teach, manage, organize, lead, create. It really is right where I want to be, and I would rather put my full talent and energy into that. Why work in classroom hypotheticals when I can do the same and more in a real world environment?

Ultimately, for such a big decision, it is easy to make. I am dropping out of graduate school. And I am doing so without a single negative thought in my head. The old me... the old "quitter!" "you never finish anything!" "sure, walk away!" me... has no power anymore. (Well, maybe a little. But I will no longer be emotionally controlled by old voices from my past.) The fact is, I am a college graduate who has worked very hard to get myself into exactly this professional position, and I am going to focus my efforts on doing the greatest job I can. There is nothing for me to be ashamed of for making work a priority over school.

And that is how big decisions are made.

A Message From Your Doctor

• Do you have feelings of inadequacy?


• Do you suffer from shyness?


• Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Margaritas. Margaritas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Margaritas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you're ready and willing to do just about anything.

You will notice the benefits of Margaritas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Margaritas.

Margaritas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Margaritas. However, women who wouldn't mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.

Side effects may include:

• Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration


• Erotic lustfulness


• Loss of motor control


• Loss of clothing


• Loss of money


• Loss of virginity


• Table dancing


• Headache


• Dehydration


• Dry mouth


• And a desire to sing Karaoke

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may cause you to think you can sing.

WARNING:
The consumption of Margaritas may make you think you can logically converse with members of the opposite sex without spitting

Please share this with other women who may need Margaritas.  Thank you.

(A joke received via email from Mel. Thanks for the laughs.)

True Blood.

Wow. Another winner from HBO and Alan Ball. I'm completely hooked after the first episode.

I don't care.

Heidi and Spencer. Jon and Kate. Bachelors and Bachelorettes and Real Housewives.

I don't care. Not even a little.