My Opinion On

2010-03-09T14:13:00.001-08:00

Vanilla frozen yogurt topped with pear halves is a little taste of heaven in a bowl.

2010-03-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

Joe Biden is an asshat. Nancy Pelosi is a minion of the antichrist. And I bet Rush Limbaugh smells like sauerkraut.

2009-11-23T12:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Government,

Butt out of my life. I am an adult and am capable of thinking for myself. You do not need to do my thinking and deciding for me.

Also, it's my money. I earned it. Go earn your own. And quit borrowing from China.

Sincerely,
Me

Happy Wednesday (with a capital "W")!

2009-11-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Oh, boy. Here we go again. 'Tis the season, eh? Christmas begins with a capital "C", yes. As does Chanukah, unless you spell it Hanukkah, in which case it begins with a capital "H". And Kwanzaa begins with a capital "K". And Solstice, when celebrated as a holiday, starts with a capital "S" unless you call it Yule which starts with a capital "Y". New Year's Eve/Day starts with capital "N", "Y", "E" and/or "D". Even the Islamic New Year starts with capitals "I", "N" & "Y". Now ... my birthday still starts with a lower case "b" but I'm thinking of changing that just because the whole upset over whose holiday trumps whose is silly ... with a capital "S". Quite honestly, one really can't have too much to celebrate. Life is full of opportunities to celebrate so why not acknowledge them all? That said ...

HAPPY WINTER HOLIDAY/UPS SEASON TO ALL (as in to EVERYBODY)

Where's My Nobel Prize?

2009-10-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

It was announced today that United States President Barack Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize. They claim that he won the prize, not for any real accomplishment but for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Extraordinary efforts? Puh-leeze! I'm a mom. A full-time, 24/7, stay-home mom at that. I exert extraordinary efforts to strengthen diplomacy and cooperation between my kids (& oft times their friends) every day. It's part of the job. I referee fights, negotiate trades, work out compromises and still manage to make sure the house is picked up, bills are paid (with no help from China), dinner cooked and laundry is folded. We won't even get into all the errands, transportation, tutoring, medical care and entertainment I provide on a daily basis. The only difference is I believe adults can - and should - decide for themselves what is right and wrong, whether or not they sit down for a beer with me. So, where's my Nobel Prize?

PS - I can greet people in a language other than my own, too. Several, in fact. I can even order that beer in a few of them.

Memorial Day

2009-05-26T16:18:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been a long time since I've posted an opinion. Lucky you!

This is less of an opinion and more of a vent.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember and pay homage to military personnel who lost their lives while in service of their country. It is NOT a day meant for placing cheap grocery store chrysanthemums on every single grave of every single person you know who has died, regardless of the circumstances of said death. This is a big pet peeve of mine. If you want to remember your loved ones who have crossed over, wonderful! They should be remembered. But Memorial Day is for VETERANS who died serving their country, not for Great Aunt Millie who died in her sleep at the age of 116. Nor is it a day for acknowledging our veterans who are still alive (although they definitely deserve our gratitude) - that's what VETERAN'S DAY is for!

Just a pet peeve of mine.

Oh ... and unless I suddenly decide to go off and enlist (they wouldn't want me ... I'm too old and decrepit) and then die in battle, do NOT put mums on my grave or I shall come back and haunt your ass all the rest of your days.

Thanks.

Gypsy Music

2006-10-04T18:14:00.000-07:00

LOVE IT! Especially the Gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello. You should really check 'em out. These guys ROCK! http://www.gogolbordello.com/

Rain

2006-05-22T09:01:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love the rain. It's cleanses the air and soothes the spirit. And it smells so good!

And it's the perfect accompaniment to fresh, hot, homemade soup. Mmmmmmm!

Horchata

2005-10-20T15:04:00.000-07:00

Iced cinnamony sweet rice milk. Nectar of the gods! *happy sigh* Wish I had some right now.

NEW STORES! COOL STUFFS!

2005-09-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've started setting up some online stores. There's still a lot of things I need to put up there, but there's enough now to open the e-doors, I think.

My store is http://www.cafepress.com/leisl - buttons, bags, magnets, etc.

Brian's store is http://www.cafepress.com/bonell - calendars, boxes, whatnots, etc.

And last, but certainly not the least - You can now purchase framed prints from Bonell Photography at http://www.cafepress.com/bonellphotog!

SPREAD THE WORD! SPREAD THE JOY!

Kanye West

2005-09-05T10:33:00.000-07:00

... is an asshole!

A benefit concert for the purpose of raising money to help the Red Cross save lives is neither the time nor the place to spout political hogwash of any sort.

Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

Prayers and positive thought energies to the survivors & victims of Hurricane Katrina.

http://neverstarwaslost.blogspot.com/

Please ... help. Give from your heart. We are all family on this turbulent and fragile planet.

Hemmorhoids ...

2005-08-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

... and the people who ARE them. Grrr.

We (actually, my husband) are taking photos of a local production of an overdone musical at an extemely discounted rate and an immense amount of personal inconvenience. Still, people in the cast expect us to cater to their whims & reschedule what is already set & reset to fit their individual vanity. i.e. the mother who shows up 45 minutes late to the scheduled shoot & is upset because we won't/can't reschedule all 30 of the kids who did show up so her daughter can be in the photo; the director who not only forgets to let the cast know when headshots were scheduled by the producer, but followed it up by saying to the photographer that he didn't feel photos - PR or otherwise - were important; the man who, when informed of the time for cast photos, threw a snit because he'd be too tired & sweaty from the performance. Get some antiperspirant, Diva Butthead!

(I'm cranky today. Deal. It's my blog.)

CELL PHONE USERS

2005-08-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

For heaven's sake, use some discretion! Or at the very least, common courtesy. Turn off your phone during weddings, funerals, etc & just let your voice mail pick it up. Do not ... I repeat, DO NOT stand up & start talking on your cell phone just as the clergy is introducing your son and his new bride to the audience as Mr. and Mrs. for the very first time & then walk yourself down the aisle in front of them unaware of anything going on around you. Be aware ... be considerate. You really don't have to take that call right then. It can wait. Really ... it can.

Dear Chunga

2005-07-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

Go here: http://dearchunga.blogspot.com/

It's a good thing. :-)

PHOTOGRAPHY

2005-06-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

My newest hobby. It's actually a lot of fun. I started taking photos this past Christmas. I'm pretty sure I'm breaking all kinds of rules, but since I don't know what I'm doing I'm pretty sure I can get away with it. For now. 'Sides, I think some of it's turned out pretty cool. (see evidence at www.leisl.blogspot.com)

SLEEP

2005-06-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

I miss it.

STARLINGS

2005-05-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Horrible, dirty, noisy, ugly, rotten birds! They ate the doves' eggs. And they don't sing, they squawk ... a LOT! I do not like them. Not one bit.

SPAMALOT

2005-05-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Funniest cast recording I've heard in ages! I'm listening & laughing & dancing & giggling ...

WEATHER BUG

2005-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

What an annoying little program - always popping & beeping & ... well ... bugging me. Grrrrrrr. *grumpy face*

RUSSIAN OLIVE TREE

2005-04-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

My neighbor has a Russian olive tree right next to our property line. It's a beautiful little tree and it smells so yummy - kinda like hyacinths. BUT, the darned thing gives me such a sinus headache when it's in bloom.
My opinion on this remains undecided.

HEARTBURN

2005-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

God's little way of reminding you that you really shouldn't have eaten that.

DONUT HOLES

2005-04-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Those little things are of the devil! OF THE DEVIL! Little bite sized balls of fat & calories, so easy to just pop into your mouth with noone being the wiser. Evil little things. Now, I have to go & eat them all just to get them out of my house. ;-)

DAFFODILS

2005-04-25T08:20:00.000-07:00

Daffodils are such happy flowers! Or maybe they just make me happy, being all Spring-like and all. Just seeing them makes me smile.

TEENAGERS

2005-04-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Ummmmmm...................

GREEK FOOD AND THE SPANISH LANGUAGE

2005-04-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

I like them both so much that if I ever record an album it's title will be Comida de Griego.

BENEDICT XVI

2005-04-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

The new Pope kinda creeps me out. He looks like how I've always imagined the Popes of the Inquisitions to have looked. Yikes!

PEANUT BUTTER

2005-04-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Sticky yummy taste of heaven. :-)

ORANGE

2005-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

The color. I don't like it. Something about it just pisses me off.

CHOCOLATE PREFERENCE

2005-04-20T12:53:00.000-07:00

Dark. Loves the dark chocolate!

MORRISEY

2005-04-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

He sounds like chest toupees, smokey hotel bars & cheap liquor.

ALABAMA 3

2005-04-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

Not the country band Alabama. I'm talking 'bout the sensationally fabulous rockin' blues acid trance groovin' funky-chit of the UK's Alabama 3. The BEST band around today! (http://www.alabama3.co.uk) Check 'em out for yourself. Goosebumply good schtuff!

MUSHROOMS

2005-04-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

I won't eat anything related - even remotely - to athlete's foot. Fungus ... eew!

SPRING

2005-04-20T11:08:00.000-07:00

Love it! Spring is my most favorite season of all. The world coming back to life after a long, cold winter. Birds, flowers, trees leafing out ... *sigh!* I love Spring!