The Evils of HipHop Shoes

The evils of "HIP HOP" shoes are many. Let me say that hip hop shoes are EVIL! Kick your shoes off and let me tell you why this is true!



For school dirty Fila informed me that she wanted new school shoes and they must be some "hip" brand names. OKAY! What did that mean and what was wrong with the brand name athletic shoes I had been buying her before..like the dirty Fila's she was wearing right now?



dirty Fila informed me that she wanted Baby Phat or Air Force Ones. I had no idea that the song Air Force Ones was about shoes. I thought the song was about the President's plane. I must admit the first thought that came to my head was shoes that may cost over $100, be just a flash/fad shoe and not one of good quality. I was very opposed but I had seen some of the other girls in dirty Filas school wearing said shoes and they did seem all the rage. I went looking by myself in an attempt to surprise dirty Fila with those very shoes. What a fiasco it was!



I went to the mall a few weeks ago and I had something to prove to myself and dirty Fila. I needed to know that I was hip and could be hip and cool and in the know about hiphop culture since she is all about that---despite all my efforts to create sensory overload with jazz, NPR and talk radio. I was a mom...I have mom power don't I!? I could do this.



I went to the mall and went to an athletic shoe store. I walked in and was greeted by a young male who proceeded to point me in the direction the shoes were located. I spotted them..the baby phats. I checked the prices and they were $54 and $68. There were some unisex pairs that looked more like boys on sale. I looked at those also. Finally after about 15 minutes I asked for help as all the clerks were talking among themselves not bothering to assist customers. The same young black male who first approached me offered to help me. I asked for an 8.5 in several pairs of baby phat tennis shoes. He proceeded to bring me all the wrong sizes and colors and styles. I had to ask him 4 times for size 8.5 but he just kept bringing out those 8's. They had 8.5's as some were on display.



Finally after me correcting him several times and him still bringing the wrong size out, he bought me the last box he could find that were 8.5. Suddenly a line had formed at he register and he had to excuse himself to go ring up a few people. I opened the box and yes it was an 8.5 but it was the wrong baby phat shoe. I was through with him. I did not notice it until I got to the register and was about to pay. When that box was scanned, it was not the sale price of $29.99 but the full price of $68.00. I told the clerk that I did not want those shoes.



I explained to the manager that I wanted someone else to assist me as I had no faith at all that the first clerk was correct. I believed that if you looked you would most likely find the correct size, style and price i requested. I told him that the clerk I had, I felt was not looking in the correct places and I had no faith at all that they did not have the shoes I wanted. He said that given the amount of people in the store, the same clerk would be the one to help me. He had noone else to spare. I made a silent vow to come again when that clerk was not on duty.



I left dejected and feeling that I had not been served and most likely the shoes I wanted were right on the shelf in the back. I just did not have a good clerk. He was a young black male, mostly likely still in school. Not college but high school. What happened to work ethic and being properly trained?? dirty Fila was going to have to be ghetto fabulous another day.



Another day did come and I went back to the same store....let me tell you what happened on the 2nd visit.









What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~



GMail for a Limerick and a Link Continues!

Okay! I do have one left...same rules as below applies. Write a limerick and link me to you site!





What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~


Another GMAIL Winner

I got these 2 great entries from Forlorn Texan.



BRAVO!



If my shoes had their own hip-hop song,

They'd be singing it all-damn-night long.

The tongues would be flapping,

The soles would be rapping,

But the straight laces think that's just wrong.



I donned my best shoes and I danced,

Then I tangoed, I waltzed, and I pranced.

The jocks saw my jig,

And since I'm not big,

In front of them all I was pantsed.





I have just sent you your GMAIL invite! Enjoy your GMAIL, Forlorn Texan!





What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

GMAIL: For a Limerick and a Link!

I went into my gmail today and saw the numebr on my red link had increased. I have 2 left to give away. Same contest rules apply as below in the first post regarding the contest.



I am running a gmail limerick/link contest. The

winner will get the gmail invitation. I need the best limerick you can write

about SHOES! No vulgarities please. In addition I also need a permanent link

back to my site. The linking will be good as I may have other gmail invites in

the future and you can check back often. In addition, I will also link back to

everyone who links back to me regardless of the gmail invitation. One good link

deserves another. It may take a little time for me to link you by blogroll or

button, but I will get around to it. I have a button on the side bar if you want

to link by button. It is a shoe button.


I will run it for the entire weekend. GMAIL winners will get their invitations Monday. (I will be out of town for the weekend and will be in a blog free zone the entire time so I will not have a chance to get back the this blog until Monday night!) Put those thinking caps on ...shoe limericks..shoe limericks...shoe limericks..shoe limericks...shoe limericks!



What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

GMAIL: For a Limerick and a Link Winner

Gob is the winner..in fact he was the only one who stopped by! Lucky for him. Here is his winning limerick or shall I say entry? Close enough!





I came seeking after a shoe

..and do I enjoy it? ofcourse I do!

Shoes

for dancing, shoes for style

Shoes for running about a while

This is not

a limerick & neither is it true! ;-)



Cheers

GOB




Enjoy your GMAIL GOB!





What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~





GMAIL: For a limerick and a link!

Update:

Okay today is now Thursday and not a single taker?! I guess the WWW is taking a nap as noone has stopped by as of yet. The day is still young!

~~~

What is a limerick? This speaks for itself! Here is the definition:



What is a limerick, Mother?

It's a form of verse, said brother

In which lines one and two

Rhyme with five when it's through

And three and four rhyme with each other
.



I have just opened up my GMAIL today and guess what people!? That red link has appeared. I can invite others to join GMAIL! I am doing the happy dance! Let's have some fun shall we?

I have been given 1. I guess I will get more from what I have heard and read. Once you start giving them out they begin to multiply for some people. I hope that is the case for me.



For the next 2 days...today, which is Wednesday where I am and Thursday... I am running a gmail limerick/link contest. The winner will get the gmail invitation. I need the best limerick you can write about SHOES! No vulgarities please. In addition I also need a permanent link back to my site. The linking will be good as I may have other gmail invites in the future and you can check back often. In addition, I will also link back to everyone who links back to me regardless of the gmail invitation. One good link deserves another. It may take a little time for me to link you by blogroll or button, but I will get around to it. I have a button on the side bar if you want to link by button. It is a shoe button.



On Friday I will read all the entries and will select the best one. I will also check the links. Put on your creative hats! Let's have a little fun! Here is another example to get you started.



When you read Limericks aloud, you become aware that they also have a rhythm. The Limerick sounds like a musical chant and usually has the following pattern.

da DA da da DA da da DA (8 syllables)

da DA da da DA da da DA (8 syllables)

da DA da da DA (5 syllables)

da DA da da DA (5 syllables)

da DA da da DA da da DA (8 syllables)



There was an old man of Peru

Who dreamt he was eating his shoe

He woke in the night

With a terrible fright

To find it was perfectly true.

Edward Lear



May the best limerick writing, blog linking blogger win!

Tinker





What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~



My Generational Car Curse

first of all I think my car is cursed or rather that all cars I may own now and in the future are cursed. Seems like things are always going wrong with my cars much more often than normal. My only conclusion is that there is a curse up on all cars I own.



Generational

curses
: Generational curses are judgments that

are passed on to individuals because of sins perpetuated in a family in a number

of generations. Generational curses are similar to original sin curses

because they can be passed down generationally. They differ in that

generational curses do not impose eternal judgment. They bring judgment or

bondage during an individual's life, until that individual addresses the sin

issues that put the curses into place.

The baton of self-destructive behavior is passed down to each succeeding generation in an unbroken line. The abused becomes the abuser. The victim becomes the victimizer. Warped ways of thinking and self-destructive ways of acting literally become family heirlooms that are diligently preserved and religiously bequeathed to each successive branch of the family. Thus the brokenness and pain of the family continues to flow like a river of acid down through each generation.

Now how does this apply to my car? I do not really know. I only know that strange thing happen to all of my cars. I thought at one time I had as unknown stalker so many things were happening. Let's take a walk down my auto history past and present.



Right now I have a 2002 Accent. Wonderful, good little car. I have had it for just over a year. 2 weeks after it was purchased both right tires were flat when I came out from lunch one day. I got them plugged. Several months after that the left front tire was low. I took it to be looked at and it had a gouge...not a hole... a gouge in it. It had to be replaced. It looked like someone had stabbed it. Since that time I have replaced the back left tire and the 2 left tires. Last week I went to lunch and traveled past a construction site. Well last Friday I had 2 flat tires on the right side. I have to replace those on Saturday.



The week before last I came out from lunch and notice that someone had hit my car on the back left fender and scraped the paint off. I searched every car the lot for gold paint transfer. You would think that if you hit someones car you would leave a note! I would. The damage is minimal but you can tell it was hit. Three weeks ago I was parked on the lawn of a friends house off the street. The neighbor(elderly) across the street had her car parked up in her front lawn when I arrived. I noticed that and purposely parked on the frotn lawn of my friends house so no part of my car was near the street. I'll be damned if that neighbor did not drive her car off her front lawn, crossed a very wide 2 lane road and came up on the front lawn of my friends house to hit my car!!!!! At least she had the decency to ring the doorbell and tell us what happened. I know the fun with that car will continue.



The car before the Accent was a 2000 Cavalier bought new. It went thru a series of flat and low tires. Seems like tires cannot be that flat and low all the time but mine are! I rememeber on the coldest day of the year having a tire blow. The temperature was 21 degrees with a wind chill of -17 degrees and there I was with dirty Fila having to walk a mile in the bitter cold to call for help. It was too cold for me to get the donut spare on. Finally a man took pity on me and stopped. He put the spare on for me. That was a bad day...late for work and school.



The car before the Cavalier was a 1996 Corsica. It had the worse luck! More tire problems than you can shake a stick at. The worse thing I recall with that car was when I was a crime victim in it. I was at the mall during lunch one day. When I approached the entrance to the mall, I felt like I was being watched. Something did not feel right. You know that feeling of six sense. I turned around and looked out into the parking lot behind me and I noticed a lone black male in a car watching me. Strangely watching me. Something about him was not right but I could not put my finger on it. I took notice of what he REALLY looked like, color of clothes and color of car he was in. I stayed in the store a long time to see if he would leave before me. I made my purchase and went out. His car was not in the same spot it was before and I did not see his car anywhere near mine. I looked and did not see his car at all so I proceeded to my car. I got in and left.



About 2 miles away from the mall on the interstate , my car began to shudder. Something was wrong. I immediately thought that that man had done something to my car. (When it was all said and done weeks later he had.) I heard a thud under the car and saw a bright metal piece of something fly from under my car and into the grass on the side of the interstate. My car continued to shudder.....more later...back to work now.



Why do managers show up at the most inopportune times? Or maybe I am blogging at the wrong time?

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~





Hello again! Back to finish this post about 3.5 hours later. Where was I? On yeah..on the interstate on the way back to work. My can still shuddering then began to loose all acceration. I turned on my flashers and gave it gas. It continued to slow. Then all power seemed to go and I could not turn the steering wheel with any great ease anymore. I decided I needed to pull over to the road side. I did. I stayed there on the side of the road for about 15 minutes trying to crank her up. Nothing was happening. I decided to walk back down the freeway to see if I could find that silver "thing" that flew out from under my car. I did and it was a little silver cup like thing. I cannot remember what it is called now, but it had something to do with the oil and the engine. An engine cup? I flagged down the police and they wre nice enought to get me back to work. Later after work I had a friend come back to the car with me to meet the tow truck and tow it to the dealership.



I made a claim and was having it fixed under comprehensive coverage....or so I thought. AS there was no evidence of a deer or some other act of god, my insurance carrier wanted to fiel it as a collision claim with would be an at fault loss for me. They claimed I ran over something in the road. I did not. I felt sure that my car was tampered with. And it was my feeling that that man in the parkinglot had something to do with it. I just had no proof. I was upset as I did not run over anything in the road.



After my car was towed it in, the news was bad. My engine has siezed up because there was not any oil in the engine. What? Impossible! Mu car had plenty of oil. The little silver cup which I supplied to the dealership was some sort of oil cup and it had come off and all the oil drained out of my car. I told them there was no oil streaking behind me on the interstate. That was what they all said happened. There was no oil streak so where was the oil?



The oil was in the parking lot. I went back to the spot where I was and all the oil from my car was there. I did not see it as I walked back to my car but it was a mess all over that space. I was now convinced that that man did something to my car but the insurance company said without any proof of that it would be handled under collision like I hit something in the road.



I was furious. Over the weekend I read the paper and in the paper in teh local crime section was a huge article about a man who was running a scam on women in the parking lots of the local malls. He would disable the womans car and when it would not start in the lot, he would come over and offer to help like the good samaritan, look under the car, find the loose oil cap, offer to get oil, put in in the car and then the woman would give him money in thanks! I knew that had happened to me. It was just that my car was able to get out of the lot before the scam was complete or before he completely disabled my car.



I called the police station and filed a police claim that the same thing had happened to me. I needed to, so that this claim would be a vandalism claim on my policy. I then asked the polcice if I could see the man. They had caught him over the weekend and 30 women had been victimized by him all under the guise of him being the good samaritan. Apparently one woman did not offer him money and he tried to rob her. The police put together a police lineup and I was able to pick him out..just like that. I had the proof and finally my insurance company changed the coding to a "not at fault" vandalism claim. I was still out the money for my deductible because my entire engine needed to be replaced.



Before the Corsica was a 1986 Cavalier also bought brand new. That car was a great car. It ran and ran and never stopped running. And I did very little to maintain it over the years. It lasted a long time, from 1986-1996. It was my first new car out of college and I sold it as it was still running strong. I got about $700 for it. No car has ever had the longevity of my first car and it was the only car I have had that was not cursed. I have traversed America up and down the east coast in that car with not a single breakdown. I wore the tires out as opposed to them getting holes or punctures.



I am trying to do what I can to break the generational curse that has plagued my cars since 1996. It has been about 8 years and still happening. Next year I plan to break the curse by buying an SUV.

The Sardine Wars

I would personally like to invite all of you to join in the sardine wars that are occurring in my office. Classic Court, my assistant from England who only speaks the Queen's english is the head commander and attacker in the Sardine Wars! They have been occurring since she was hired about 6 years ago. I think the office is loosing the battle and I know that I am being defeated! My gas mask and environmental suit has been infiltrated many a day!



Classic Court loves sardines. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with that until you bring your cans of smelly, stinky sardines and eat them at your desk. At your DESK! I say....not in the employee break room, but at your desk. And not just every blue moon, but several times a week! Classic Court stinks up the whole office with just one can. Maybe the smell would be lessened if she threw the cans in the breakroom trash can. But NO!!!!!! Not Classic Court. She has to leave the smelly fishy cans in the trashcan under her desk so, we have the smell of sardines permeating the afternoon air until we leave the office.



She has been told, scorned, yelled at, made ugly faces at, corrected about eating sardines at her desk but it falls on deaf ears. She has made the effort to rinse the cans with water in the ladies bathroom so that most of the fish smell is gone before throwing them in her trashcan. That has helped but what is it with the English and sardines? Why does she love them so? And then takes great english pride in eating them, defiantly at her desk?



I like sardines too but I do not eat them at work. Having been around my USA southern roots for a time, I know all about the sardine. It can be a staple at every meal. I have eaten them all sorts of ways. For example, grits and sardines for breakfast and cheese grits and sardines. Sardine and mayo sandwiches for lunch as well as grilled cheese and sardine sandwiches. For snacks let's not forget about sardines and crackers, or sardines straight out of the can. I love sardines but I would never eat them at work.



Can employees be fired for eating sardines at work in an inappropriate area? Can we impose no sardine bans or no sadine areas like we have done for smokers? What can I do with Classic Court? Her best come back is that she says she is euro trash and she will eat her sardines when she likes. She thinks it is funny I guess but the office is sick of "Eau de Sardine" assaulting our nostriles in the afternoons.



Help! Our office is loosing the Sardine War! The English are winning!



Sardine Pudding: Guess what we are having for dinner tonight? You try it too!

Sardine Stuffed Devil Eggs: For your next party!

Sardine Museum Explodes: Damn! How will I get to see it now?

Eurotrash: The only word missing from this definition is "Classic Court!"

Posters offend some smelly Europeans: Please!







What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~



What is up with blogger?

I opened my page and all my link colors had been changed to blue...and against the old colored background it was very hard to see. I tried to change the htlm link code without sucess. I only know the bare bones of html...just enough to let me change a few things in my blog. As I was in the template I noticed a new notice about the google search bar and it was set to a default "BLUE". That must be why all my links changed colors.



Easily fixed. A change of the background color to a lighter hue will allow that navy blue linkage to be seen easily with more of a contrast. I liked the other color better...but it is only a blog. One I have placed a lot of time in but you know...I may change the template a few months from now. Seems I am aways updating and trying to get the bigger and better blog for my own satisfaction. I can live with this color for awhile.



What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

Tax Freedom Day!

Every year an independent tax watchdog group analyzes the average tax burden
on Americans, and then calculates the "Tax Freedom Day".

This is the day after which the money you earn goes to you, not the
government. This year, tax freedom day was April 11th. That's the earliest
it has been since 1991. It's latest day ever was May 2nd, which occurred in
2000. Notice anything special about those dates?

Today John Kerry gave a speech in which he claimed Americans are
actually paying more taxes under Bush, despite the tax cuts. He gave no
explanation and provided no data for this claim. Another interesting

fact: Both George Bush and John Kerry are wealthy men.

Bush owns only one home, his ranch in Texas. Kerry owns 4 mansions,
all worth several million dollars. (His ski resort home in Idaho is an old
barn brought over from Europe in pieces. Not your average A-frame). Bush
paid $250,000 in taxes this year; Kerry paid $90,000. Does that sound
right? The man who wants to raise your taxes obviously has figured out a
way to avoid paying his own.

~~

"Always do right, this will amaze some folks and astonish rest" ; Mark
Twain
~~
"The truth is more important than the facts."-Frank Lloyd Wright
~~
The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been
accomplished....."George Bernard Shaw"



Kerry did what?

Come November it will YOUR turn to VOTE, make your voice heard! Bubba

Excellent info, please share it with others.............

Who is thinking about our National Defense? Who has been vitally concerned with our Home Land Defense? If you're concerned about our survivability, about our dealing with terrorism worldwide - read this! Make up your mind about who cares about your future! ``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` Sen. John Kerry Democrat from Massachusetts says he is strongest Presidential Candidate on National Defense !

He said "Check the Record" ..

We Did !

Here is what we learned:

He voted to kill the Bradley Fighting Vehicle

He voted to kill the M-1 Abrams Tank

He voted to kill every Aircraft carrier laid down from 1988

He voted to kill the Aegis anti aircraft system He voted to Kill the F-15 strike eagle

He voted to Kill the Block 60 F-16

He voted to Kill the P-3 Orion upgrade

He voted to Kill the B-1

He voted to Kill the B-2

He voted to Kill the Patriot anti Missile system

He voted to Kill the FA-18

He voted to Kill the B-2

He voted to Kill the F117

He voted to kill every military appropriation for the development and deployment of every weapons systems since 1988, including a bill for battle armor for our troops.

It is most likely, with Sen. John Kerry as President and Commander in Chief of our Armed Services, that they will cease to function making it impossible for our country to protect itself.

John Kerry voted to kill all anti-terrorism activities of each and every agency of the U.S. Government.

He voted to cut the funding of the FBI by 60%

He voted to cut the funding for the CIA by 80%

He voted to cut the funding for the NSA by 80%.

THEN,

and this is abhorrent to almost every American Voter be you Democrat, Republican or Independent,

He voted to increase OUR funding for U.N operations by 800% !!

Ask yourself: Is THIS a person you want as President of these United States, providing for the Common Defense of the Nation, and as the Leader of the Free World?

Voting history can be accessed through Senate voting records. The above is an accurate summary.

What shoes do you have on right now?

Please tell me! My inquiring soles want to know.



Turns out many psychological symbols are associated with shoes, so just as one judges a book by its cover (don’t lie, I know you do), it seems we are also prone to judging someone by the footwear that graces their feet. An American study on the general public’s shoe perception concluded that we break shoes down into 4 main categories: "feminine and sexy," "masculine," asexual or dowdy," and "young and casual”- symbolised by heels, boots, sneakers and sandals.



Heels

It’s said that women wear heels to boost self esteem, femininity and sex appeal. Heels have long symbolised sexiness and femininity but they also epitomize beauty, professional status, love, aggression, power, domination, authority, seduction, superiority and vulgarity.



Boots

Like Heels, women’s Boots, (usually high heeled) most commonly symbolize sex and power but also symbolize strength, courage and grace.



Sneakers

The ultimate in comfort and style, sneakers appeal to a broad range of people- from those after a designer, visual appeal to those sold on the comfort value, to those who appreciate the practical aspects of sneakers such skaters or sports people.Sneakers are also considered the most fashionable, casual, youthful, and comfortable shoe.



Sandals

Finally, the sandal…like heels, because the snazzy sandal shows a bit of skin, it also classifies as sexy. Exposed skin, the sense of freedom, simplicity, and naturalness are all characteristics of sandals.



So......what kind of shoes are you wearing today? I want to know what sort of shoes are visiting! :)











What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

What kind of Shoe are you? Take the quiz!

Here are my results!



Ballet Shoes

Ballet shoes- beautiful, graceful, and creative,

you enjoy dancing writing and music. You are

often very poetic and sometimes dramatic. Even

if dancing isn't your thing, you are still very

creative. You keep to yourself aside from a few

close friends that you can relate to. You find

your own ways to express yourself and don't

have a need to br surrounded by tons of people.

A small group of friends is fine. [please vote!

thank you! :)]



What Kind of Shoe Are You?(new and updated results!!)

brought to you by Quizilla











Recent Letter To The Editor

RECENT LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak my mind. I lost my job this past year.

When Clinton was president, I worked in a prosperous enterprise.

But in the last year, we had to close our operations.

Far worse, I lost two of my sons in Bush's evil war in Iraq.

They gave their lives for their country, and for what?

My pain at losing my sons is indescribable.

While it is trivial next to the loss of my sons, I regret to say that I also lost my homes.

I simply have nothing left.

I am a senior citizen with various Medical problems -- and I'm a shut-in. I'm not in a position to begin a new career. I was reduced to the point of homelessness --

all because of President Bush.

And when the authorities found me in my modest, borrowed hovel, did they have any compassion for my misfortune and ailments? No, I was arrested.

If I had any money left, I would donate most of it to the Democratic party.

If Al Gore had been elected in 2000, I guarantee you,

I would still have a job, my homes, and most importantly, my sons.

And if we can get Kerry elected, I may be restored to a position of dignity.



Sincerely,

Saddam Hussein

Bush Appoints New CIA Director

From the White House on this past Tuesday:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all for coming. I'm pleased to announce my decision to nominate Congressman Porter Goss as the next Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Porter Goss is a leader with strong experience in intelligence and in the fight against terrorism. He knows the CIA inside and out. He's the right man to lead this important agency at this critical moment in our nation's history.

The work of the CIA is vital to our security. America faces determined enemies who plan in many nations, send trained killers to live among us, and attack without warning. This threat is unprecedented, and to stop them from killing our citizens, we must have the best intelligence possible. The men and women of the CIA must penetrate closed societies and secretive organizations. They must overcome challenges of language and culture and learn things that our adversaries don't want us to know. Because their work is secret, the men and women of the CIA receive little recognition, but they're protecting our country every day.

Since September the 11th, our intelligence professionals have worked with great determination to stop another attack on America, and our country is grateful.

Director George Tenet and acting Director John McLaughlin have served our nation with distinction and honor. And now, with the agreement of the U.S. Senate, the CIA will have another strong leader in Porter Goss.

I've given Porter an essential mission to lead the agency for the challenges and threats of a dangerous new century. He is well prepared for this mission. Porter Goss brings a broad experience to this critical job. He's a former Army intelligence officer with a decade of experience in the CIA's clandestine service. He knows the agency, and he knows what is needed to strengthen it. He understands the importance of human intelligence. He was a CIA field officer on two continents. He'll make sure that the men and women of the CIA have the capabilities and skills they need to penetrate the hard targets and denied areas, and to get to know the enemy first hand. He also knows the importance of investing in technologies that allow us to look and listen better. And he will work to ensure the agency remains on the cutting edge of technological change.

As Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence since 1997, and as a member on the Commission on the Roles and Capabilities of the United States Intelligence Community, he has been a leading voice on intelligence and national security and terrorism. He's been a force for positive change. His experience on Capitol Hill will serve him well at the CIA, because he's respected on both sides of the aisle, and because he understands the important role Congress must play in the effort to improve our nation's intelligence capabilities.

Over 15 years of service, Porter Goss has built a reputation as a reformer. He'll be a reformer at the Central Intelligence Agency. I look forward to his counsel and his judgments as to how best to implement broader intel reform, including the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

I appreciate your many years, Porter, of service to our country. I appreciate your willingness to serve. I'm grateful that you've agreed to step forward and serve once again. Welcome.









What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

What goes around....

....Really does come around. I have seen the total breakdown and demotion of my old ex-manager. Let's call her "hag shoes." Hag was a horrible woman with serious family issues that have always plagued her in the work place. She is all about drama and seems to feed on chaos, her whole family does. If there is not drama, a crisis, an injury, they do not know what to do. Her first demotion came years ago..about 3...she was my manager with lots of family issues. Hag literally did nothing all day for months but stay on personal calls, crying and dealing with dramas. I recall once during an evaluation meeting with me, she fell alseep in mid sentence as she was talking to me. I just sat quietly and in about 10 mnutes she woke up and she continued on like nothing happened. Hag was demoted soon after to the same level as me. I made sure of that. It killed her.



By the same token Hag spent a lot of time after that sabotaging me. I spent a lot of time dodging her bullets for the past 3 years. Finally even that has caught up with her. She was in the same area as me and still having all these personal issues at home. For example, she would say she was going for a doctor appointment and she would be back in 1.5 hours. She would not return for the rest of the day. In addition, I was still dodging bullets. I know she felt I had something with her first demotion from manager. And I guess I did. How could I sit right across from a person who was supposed to be my manager and see them do nothing all day for about 6 months and not alert someone?



Well, after getting back to work on this past monday after being out on vacation, the whole office had been restructured. I was still in my area, but my manager had been shifted. Instead of 1 unit , we had 2 doing the same job. My old manager took 1/2 of the unit we had and the other 1/2 was given to a new manager that was moved in. Both managers were given about 4 new employees each that were also moved in from another area.



My old, bullet throwing, evaluation sleeping , ex manager was demoted again. Hag was sent to the entry level unit where all new employees start. I was on vacation when it happened. I heard that she was very bitter. Hag was telling others that it was a conspiracy from above and that she began the unit she was in. (And long ago she did, when she was, I guess, at one time a good manager--must have been before I ever began as she was always bad when I was there.) She went kicking and screaming to the entry level unit. I did have to ask my manager who was just shifted why the Hag was moved as we would all like to go to the entry level unit. The work is easy there. Whenever we hear talk of changes in the office, we all ask to move to the entry level unit. It is easy work. My old manager said, " you do not want to go there, it goes against the flow and that is all I can say about Hag."



Well, I can read between the lines, go there and your performance must be poor. So what goes around comes around. Hag was an awful manager who has spent the last 3 years doing all sorts of underhanded things to me. Luckily most of them I could combat with no ill effect. All that negative engery does come back to those who put it out there.



What goes around, does come around and luckily I was there to see it! Happy day! Happy, happy day!





What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

Horse Flesh Ice Cream

The Japanese have long taken pride in their ability to adopt, adapt and improve on customs, practices and styles from other countries.

Having succeeded globally with cars, electronics and even fashion, it was only natural the Japanese turned their hand to trying to surpass the West with one of its favorite culinary delights - ice cream.

Some of the results have been, well, interesting to say the least, as can be discovered at the Ice Cream Exhibition being held through to Sept. 30 at Namco Nanja Town in the Sunshine 60 building in Tokyo's Toshima-ku.



They have developed some very unusual flavors for ice cream:



Fish Ice Cream (Sanma Aisu)

Something must smell fishy about ice cream flavored with saury, a saltwater fish popular in Japan...But there's no worries about that with this offering from Kimura Shoten as the fishy fumes have been drowned out by liberal doses of brandy.



Octopus Ice Cream (Taco Aisu)

Want to tantalize the taste buds with a tentacle? If so, Octopus Ice Cream is the go. Japanese have been able to come up with an amazing variety of uses for octopus, ranging from delicacy to porno movie prop.



Ox Tongue Ice Cream (Gyutan Aisu)

What better to tickle the taste buds than tongues? Though Ox Tongue Ice Cream may not be the first delicacy to come to mind, its taste is nothing to beef about.



Sweet Potato Ice Cream (Yaki-imo)

Sweet potatoes have a reputation in Japan for bringing on flatulence. Mention Sweet Potato Ice Cream, though, and it's more likely to induce nausea. But Kochi Prefecture company Group Farm has managed to produce a surprisingly tasty ice cream using the versatile root.



Crab Ice Cream (Kani Aisu)

Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture, is renowned for its rich array of seafood, prime amongst the delicacies being crab.



Raw Horseflesh Ice Cream (Basashi Aisu)

We're not horsing around with this one. There mere thought of putting raw horseflesh into ice cream may be enough to produce plenty of neigh ... er, naysayers. And, rightfully so. You can get it straight from the horse's mouth, this would have to vie for the vilest ice cream ever created. The chunks of meat inside it offer ample proof of why horseflesh is usually used in dog food







What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

Social Security...

Franklin Roosevelt, a Democrat, introduced the

Social Security (FICA) Program. He promised:

1.) That participation in the Program would be

completely voluntary,

2.) That the participants would only have to pay

1% of the first $1,400 of their annual incomes into

the Program,

3.) That the money the participants elected to

put into the Program would be deductible from their

income for tax purposes each year,

4.) That the money the participants put into the

independent "Trust Fund" rather than into the

General operating fund, and therefore, would only be

used to fund the Social Security Retirement Program,

and no other Government program, and,

5.) That the annuity payments to the retirees

would never be taxed as income.

Since many of us have paid into FICA for years and

are now receiving a Social Security check every

month -- and then finding that we are getting taxed

on 85% of the money we paid to the Federal

government to "put away," you may be interested in

the following:

Q: Which Political Party took Social Security from

the independent "Trust" fund and put it into the

General fund so that Congress could spend it?

A: It was Lyndon Johnson and the

Democratically-controlled House and Senate.

Q: Which Political Party eliminated the income tax

deduction for Social Security (FICA) withholding?

A: The Democratic Party.

Q: Which Political Party started taxing Social

Security annuities?

A: The Democratic Party, with Al Gore casting the

"tie-breaking" deciding vote as President of the

Senate, while he was Vice President of the U.S.

Q: Which Political Party decided to start giving

annuity payments to immigrants?

A: That's right! Jimmy Carter and the Democratic

Party. Immigrants moved into this country, and at

age 65, began to receive SSI Social Security

payments! The Democratic Party gave these payments

to them, even though they never paid a dime into it!

Then, after doing all this lying and thieving and

violation of the original contract (FICA), the

Democrats turn around and tell you that the

Republicans want to take your Social Security away!

And the worst part about it is, uninformed citizens

believe it!

Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions during

this 2004 election year!

If enough people read this, maybe a seed of

awareness will be planted and maybe good changes

will evolve.

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bares a very close resemblance to the first.

JOB APPLICATION

JOB APPLICATION



NAME: John Kerry




RESIDENCE: 7 mansions, including Washington, DC, worth multimillions.




EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
:

Law Enforcement. I voted to cut every law enforcement, CIA and defense bill in my career as a US Senator. I ordered Boston to remove a fire hydrant which I considered unsightly, in front of my mansion, thereby endangering my neighbors in the event of fire.




MILITARY:


I used three minor injuries to get an early discharge from the military and service in Vietnam (as documented by the attending doctor). I then returned to the US, joined Jane Fonda in protesting the war, and insulted returning Vietnam vets, claiming they committed atrocities and were baby killers. I threw my medals, ribbons, or something away in protest. Or did I? My book; Vietnam Veterans Against the War: The New Soldier shows how I truly feel about the military. I deplore the military!




COLLEGE
:

I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. Unlike my counterpart George Bush, I have no higher education and did not get admitted to Harvard nor graduate with an M.B.A




PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:


I ran for U.S. Congress and have been there ever since. I have no real world experience except that of a gigolo, by marrying rich women and running HJ Heinz vicariously through my wife Teresa.




ACCOMPLISHMENTS:


As a US Senator I set the record for the most liberal voting record, exceeding even Ted Kennedy and Hillary Clinton. I have consistently failed to support our military and CIA by voting against budgets, thus gutting our country's ability to defend itself. Although I voted for the Iraq War, now I am against it and refuse to admit that I voted for it. I voted for every liberal piece of legislation. I have no plan to help this country but I intend to raise taxes significantly if I am elected.



My wealth so far exceeds that of my counterpart, George Bush, that he will never catch up. I make no or little charitable contributions and have never agreed to pay any voluntary excess taxes in MA, despite family wealth in excess of $700 million.




I (we) own 28 manufacturing plants (Heinz) outside of the U.S. in places like Asia, Mexico and Europe. We can make more profit from the cheaper cost of labor in those Countries, although blame George Bush for sending all of the jobs out of Country.



Although I claim to be in favor of alternative energy sources, Ted Kennedy and I oppose windmills off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard as it might spoil our view of the ocean as we cruise on our yachts.




RECORDS AND REFERENCES:



None.




PERSONAL



I ride a Serotta Bike.



My Gulfstream V Jet I call The Flying Squirrel.



I call my $850,000 42-foot Hinckley twin diesel yacht the "Scarmouche."



I am fascinated by rap and hip-hop and feel it reflects our real culture.



I own several "Large" SUVs including one parked at my Nantucket summer mansion, though I am against large polluting inefficient vehicles and blame George Bush for the energy problems.




PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN 2004.


Alabama Love Poem

Alabama love poem
Susie Lee done fell in love;
She planned to marry Joe.

She was so happy 'bout it all
She told her Pappy so.

Pappy told her, "Susie gal,
You'll have to find another.

I'd just as soon yo' Ma don't know,
But Joe is yo' half brother"

So Susie put aside her Joe
And planned to marry Will.

But after telling Pappy this,
He said, "There's trouble still...

You can't marry Will, my gal.,
And please don't tell your Mother,

But Will and Joe and several mo'
I know is yo' half brother"

But Mama knew and said, "My child,
Just do what makes yo' happy.

Marry Will or marry Joe.
You ain't no kin to Pappy

dirty Fila's School Daze!

What a whirlwind of a three days these first days of school has been! dirty Fila had been in a daze! Monday the school wanted parents to take kids to school so that is what I did and I stayed till 2nd period before scooting off to the office in my clear heeled dress sandals. dirty Fila was not dirty on the first day! She wore her new athletic Spauldings. The real "dirty Fila's" now clean are in her closet waiting to be worn. All the kids will be changing classes in her grade. This is new. Not only will she have her bookbag in tow all day but her violin as well. They have to take violins and bookbags to recess and lunch as well. Just like in college--eveything goes with you. Eveyone looked all wide eyed and bushy tailed in their kakhi and blue uniforms.



School supply lists were distributed in the summer and all of dirty Fila's supplies were bought long ago. Well, low and behold! Those teachers sent home 4 additional lists of supplies for individual classes. 2 came home on Monday and 2 more on Tuesday. It was a Walmart Monday and Target Tuesday for more supplies. My shoes were sick of the inside of Walmart. Plus the school crossing guard at dirty Fila's old school is a Walmart greeter! So, no matter what door we go in , the front, garden section....seems like we always see her and of course she wants to talk. Very nice but always soooo talkative. And dirty Fila is not even at that school anymore.



Whoever heard of homework in the first day! Not in my day...we at least got a break. The engineering and science lab is set up like Howarts from the Harry Potter series. The teachers are in Hogwart's costumes as well as they teach! Neat!



dirty Fila is still a little nervous she says! It's apparently hectic with the changing of classes and not being exactly sure where everything is. Her best friend Jen is in another homeroom. They have been in every class together since kindergarden. She road the wrong bus home on yesterday. I was waiting at the bus stop since 4:45pm. The bus arrives at 5pm. no dirty Fila. I began to worry about 5:30 pm thinking maybe she went to the afterschool program. I was about to call when a bus pulled up and dirty Fila was the lone child stepping off. The bus schedule that was printed in the paper was wrong. She got on the wrong bus at school based on the schedule they gave out. The bus driver was kind enough to bring her home after dropping off all the other kids on her route! School daze! Things are all a'jitter!

















What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~



STING TO RECEIVE DAVID ANGELL HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Sting has been selected by the American Screenwriters Association (ASA) to receive the prestigious David Angell Humanitarian Award. The award is named in honor of David Angell, an admired and respected Emmy-winning writer/producer for such loved television shows as "Cheers," "Wings" and "Frasier," who perished with his wife Lynn in the Sept. 11 attacks.

The award was established by ASA with the permission of the Angell family to honor individual(s) in the entertainment industry who contribute to global well being through their selfless donation of time, expertise or other support to improve the human condition.



FYI: Sting is just about at the top of my list for MY favorite artist. I love all of his music! I have just about every tape or cd he has ever made. Sting is the man!











What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

Rick James: A Glittery Shoe...Gone

Rick James Posted by Hello





Funk legend Rick James, best known for the 1981 hit "Super Freak," died Friday, apparently of natural causes, police said. James died at 9:45 a.m. at a residence near Universal City, said Police Department spokeswoman Esther Reyes. "We learned of his death after responding to a radio call," Reyes said. After his big hit, James' fame began to fade as he became embroiled in drugs, legal problems and health issues.James was convicted in 1993 of assaulting two women. The first attack occurred in 1991 when he restrained and burned a young woman with a hot pipe during a cocaine binge at his house in West Hollywood. He was free on bail when ...more.

JibJab

Everyone needs to check out JIBJAB! It is hysterical! Take a minute to load but worth it! The picture is just the screenshot of what to expect! Please be sure to have your sound on!

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

Happy Birthday dirty Fila!

Today is dirty Fila's birthday. She is 11. We plan to have a small family party for her at Nanashoes house this afternoon. All she seems to want is music now and computer games. I got some of both. Nanashoes got her clothes.



Happy Birthday dirty Fila!
We had "meet the teacher" on yesterday. dirty Fila was nervous. She said she was and that her back was getting hot. I told her it was perfectly normal to be nervous...new teachers and a new grade. She knows most of the kids in her class from last year so it is not like going to a new school where you do not know anyone.



She and I had a great day on Wednesday. I took her to the beach and we stayed for about 5 hours. It was not too hot that day. The beach of course was glorious. We had a wind the blew all day so it was like you were being caressed by the ocean breeze all day. I wish I could live at the beach. I think that is where I would like to be able to retire..somewhere where I can hear the ocean all the time.









What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

My Milkshake is the Best in the Yard!!!

Can someone tell me what the HELL that means???



My Milkshake brings all the boys to the yard and they're like, it's better than yours. Damn right, its better than yours. I could teach you, but I'd have to charge.


I tried to look it up on the web...I went to the Urban Dictionary to look it up and they did not know either. There were many definitions that ranged from sexual to non sexual. It was pretty damned funny what people thought that meant. So if noone knows, apparently not even the young urban crowd, how will the old fogies like me figure it out to keep my connection with dirty Fila? Here are a few of them...the list continues.



Milkshake:

  • A drink consisting of milk and

    Icecream
  • A woman's body and the way she carries

    it.
  • Milkshake is just that thing that makes a woman

    stand out from everyone else. It's a thing that makes you sensual and warm and

    maternal. It could be about breasts but I don't have huge t*** so you gotta work

    with what you got."
  • a girl's milkshake.. is "the way she carries her

    shit".. her walk, her ass, her body, whatever makes her hott.... her

    "stuff
  • its a blowjob and the girl swirls the man's

    "milk" around in her mouth. henceforth... milkshake.
  • Semen and other flavorings mixed into a fuid

    which someone can drink.
  • when a girl eats too many brownies and then she

    jumps up and down 4 times and feels them in her belly
  • Breasts - which produce MILK during pregnancy

    and early motherhood - bounce and "SHAKE", paricularly when the woman is

    dancing. Thus the term "Milkshake."




I bring this whole language thing up because my daughter- dirty Fila- says things to me that I really have to think about and decipher. She gets it from school and her friends on line. She speaks some urban speak that I am protesting violently at home. (If you want to speak another language, lets break out the Total Immerson Language Course CD's that I have in 10+ major languages of the world. Spanish, French, German, Chinese.....that list goes on. I have another language for her ALRIGHT!!)



dirty Fila has mentioned the following things to friend that I have overheard or to me and I was baffled: pimp juice, crunk?, milkshake, break him off and others. She does have a few popular hiphop CD's...maybe 4 or so not bought by me, but given to her by my brother. Missy Elliott, Nellie, Sean Paul, Emeniem. I have listened to those cd's first to see if the language was okay. The edited tapes with no cursing are available at Walmart. The cursing was eliminated but the general content on some was just bad. Hiphop is everywhere and totally dominating the music world of the young.



I remember that there was a serious generation gap between my mother and I and it was due to music. She would not listen to DEVO and she did not undertstand me dancing around with a red Devo flowerpot on my head. I vowed to not repeat that with dirty Fila, so I listen to her music to see what it is all about and telling her. (Got to counteract the bad and show her a better choice or better selection. )



The other thing she does is speak internet talk...you know...instant message talk. She does not laugh anymore at things..she just says LOL! And if there is something she disagrees with , with me, she will hold up her hand in that old "speak to the hand cause the ears are not listening" gesture and says "W. E." That means "whatever" I have come to learn. Some of her other favorites are BRB and G2G. She speaks in initials.



What is the world coming to? Hiphop and computers are taking over the language centers of our youth. I am resisiting it. Resisting it with every bit of pimp juice (whatever the hell that is) and evey gigabyte that I have in me!





What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~

homes of the future Posted by Hello

Homes of the Future: Shipping Containers





Few people can say their home has sailed around the world, but that soon could be the case in North Charleston.



The state's third-largest city, home to more shipping containers than residents care to talk about, is experimenting with the idea of turning the unsightly metal boxes into low-income, affordable houses.



One project, on the city's economically depressed south side, already is under way, with the foundation recently poured.



"Once we get through with it, you would never know it is a container home," said city Building Director Darbis Briggman, who toured the site Friday. "We can even make them two stories."



City leaders hope the pilot project at 2733 East Surrey Drive off Dorchester Road will be the first of dozens of homes. If the project is successful, Mayor Keith Summey said he will urge City Council to sell $1 million in bonds, possibly as early as next year, to build about 20 more homes. He said the idea could be expanded to create small apartments and senior housing complexes."People will be shocked by what these containers can be turned into," Summey said. "You can recycle a blighted item."



The project on East Surrey Drive, which city leaders said could be the first in the state, calls for using four shipping containers attached side by side to create a 1,280-square-foot, single-family home, complete with three bedrooms. The one-story steel frame, which will be treated to prevent rust, will be framed with wood and drywall. A pitched roof will be built on top. When finished, Briggman said, the house will meet all building and energy codes mandated for new construction.



David Cross of Tampa Armature Works Inc., which is spearheading the project, said used shipping containers range in price from about $800 to $4,200. The four used in this project, he said, were bought locally. All told, the project is budgeted to cost about $71,000, or about $55 a square foot. That compares to about $75 a square foot, city officials said, for new construction in similar south side neighborhoods.



"Fundamentally this is a fantastic structure," said Cross, who has modeled it after similar structures used in the military. "I know this will be here in 100 years."



Containers, often stacked five and six high, are an iconic image around the southern end of the city. Many of the boxes are in unincorporated Charleston County where city regulators are powerless to have them removed. The towering stacks of containers are there because low steel prices in the past meant it often was cheaper for shipping companies to buy new ones than to pay storage fees for older ones, leading to an excessive amount of containers stuck on shore.



Councilwoman Phoebe Miller, who has been an advocate for cleaning up the city, said the pilot project could be a way to help eliminate containers. She was unsure, though, whether the city should build as many houses as it would take to do away with all of the big boxes.



"How are we going to use millions of containers?" Miller asked. "I am baffled to think that we could do something with all of them."







James Scott can be reached at 745-5855 or jscott@postandcourier.com.

Airline with a Twist!

Ecstasky Airlines Posted by Hello







I came across a blurb on Ecstasy airlines and was a bit surprised. Not that it existed but what services they offer.



They say: Ecstasky is the world's first airline offering exotic entertainment by beautiful air hostesses, who pamper you so you can have the flight of your life. Ecstasky is an extraordinary airline offering a unique and decadent flying experience. We offer several amenities to make your flight incredible, including exotic entertainment by our beautiful Ecstasky Entertainers.



What does that mean? Really? Are they offering sex for money? Just certain sex acts like "happy endings" or "bj's"? Or everything? Is this really some form of prostitution for our skyways just prettied up to look like something else?



Their ad says their goal is to indulge travelers fantasies so that they have the flight of their life. Cavier, champagne, massages, exotic shows and other fine delicacies are offered. What are the other fine delicacies? The operating clause that promises discretion and discreet billing may hint at that.



The poor wives! Without a private detective, a wife may never discover that credit charge.



Who is policing their airways? We have vice squads on the ground. We see police on tv shows and in our local towns pretending to be prostitutes to bust paying customers. We see officers pretending to be customers to bust prostitutes? Who is in the sky doing that job? Where are the vice police for planes? Who is making sure that those airplanes are not flying whorehouses for the extremely wealthy or famous?



Flying high does not always mean flying RIGHT!






What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~









Lazy Sunday

Today, all day I was a pair of black flip flops. The ones I mentioned before that I just got from Target. I wore them with one of the new outfits I got form my parents for my birthday. Nana shoes gave me 3 pairs of capri pants and matching shirts. I have capris of my own that I wear all the time. Nana shoes explained that she did not like my capris as the color was wrong--light blue. It looked too faded for her. She forbid me to wear the light blues anymore and suggested I use them for gardening. The nerve! My pants are perfectly good pants. This is from someone who I remember used to wear hippie headbands in the 60's. She reminded me of the mom on Dharma and Greg...all peace and love.



Imagine no possesions, I wonder if you

can, No need for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man. Imagine all the people

sharing all the world. John Lennon (Imagine)






dirty Fila and I ate a late brunch and rushed off to see I Robot. It was pretty good. dirty Fila thought it was very good. I did not force her to stay till the last credit stopped rolling. This was not a Disney movie with outtakes and hints of sequels at the end.



After the movie the possessed shoes took over and and marched me right into Starbucks for a java chip frappucino. The Starbucks demon won again today. It even made me have a cookie.

(Damn dunlap disease!). dirty Fila had a kid slushie and a cookie. What next? Shopping of course--- for wallpaper. (I bet you thought I was going to say shoes....(psych! Not this time.) I found 2 pretty samples to consider doing my room over in.



After looking for wallpaper we went to Wally World to price televison sets. I found a 27 inch flatscreen that of course they did not have in stock; but, promised to get in on a truck this week. I told the clerk I would return for that later this week.





Hippie Requirements:

Cheech and Chong Paraphernalia Website

Check out the Hippie Museum!

Hippie Quiz

Tie Dye Shirts

The Grateful Dead

What I do is kick them in the pants with a diamond buckled shoe!

~~Aileen Mehle~~