http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af8ldYdhBiQ

It's a pole dance workout. And man.. I really want to try some of it. I don't think I could do the vast majority because of my back, but it looks like a lot of fun!!

--

And since I don't have access to my random factoids at this computer, let's go with a question! One we haven't done in awhile.. to do with dressing, to counter the potential undressing from the youtube above. What are you wearing?

- Turquoise tank top
- Light blue elbow length shirt over it ( See through with dark bra, hence tank top yay!)
- Black and purple bra
- Blue jeans
- Purple and black polkadotted panties. ;)
- Black kitten heeled shoes.
No sock day!

- Contacts
-Black binder in my hair
- Necklace I never take off.

So if you see anyone dressed like that walking down the street, or shopping today.. you may be seeing me. :)

What are you guys wearing so I can keep an omni-present eye open?

I had the new Thin Mint Blizzard. I told chemokitty: "This tastes exactly like BPAL Tokyo Stomp smells!" I've been really good all week, and it was totally worth it.

So, my sleep study.

I freaked out a little the day beforehand, scared I would...I don't know..sleep fine that night, or not sleep at all. Essentially, me being me, I was thinking of it as a test and I was afraid I'd fail.

The sleep center was pretty cool. Near a hospital, non-descript office building on the outside. Low lighting and fountains in the waiting room. The sleep rooms reminded me a little of a bed and breakfast. Cable and allegedly wi-fi, although my sleep tech didn't know the password.

They hooked me up. To lots of wires, I mean. Electrodes on the back of my head. On my chin to see if I grind my teeth. Near my eyes. On my legs, on my arms...all kinds of wires.

They had me try the C-PAP machine even though I was 90% sure sleep apnea isn't my problem. The sleep tech pointed out to 'Kitty that I couldn't talk when hooked to it. I guess they have you try it so that if they wake you in the middle of the night to hook it up, you don't freak out at the odd piece of machinery.

'Kitty was awesome and stayed with me until I got tired. We watched The Never Ending Story, and I read the first fifty or so pages of yuki_onna's excellent The Orphan's Tales: In The Night Garden.

I wasn't quite done freaking out, especially when they put the little red light on my finger that measures the oxygen levels in your blood. Reminded me too much of time spent in the intensive care unit. But I laughed and called it my "E.T. finger" again.

I also didn't like glimpsing my reflection, with all those wires and electrodes that looked like bandages.

'Kitty patted my hand and reminded me I was sleeping for science!

I got hooked to a box, which made moving more difficult.

It was cold. They had told me it would be 70 or so, which is about what we keep it on at night. No way. It was MAYBE sixty degrees in there. I had brought a long sleeved shirt to sleep in, but forgot socks. 'Kitty gave me the socks off his feet, bless him. (Normally that would ick me out, but the gross factor was outweighed by not wanting to like, have a toe freeze off.)

There was an open-intercom system, so I could call to my sleep tech if necessary. Plus, we were on camera! Had to run through a series of exercises moving my legs and teeth and eyes. 'Kitty eventually left. I told him to leave the light on as I was going to read and could "definitely" turn it off myself. That took some maneuvering. I couldn't quite work the remote, and that's when I found out Carlos the sleep tech could turn off the tv from wherever he was. Nice.

The cold made it hard to sleep, but oddly, for the most part, the wires and box didn't bother me.

I woke up quite a few times during the night, as per usual. The sleep tech commented that I had a good night. I told him I was awake a lot, and he said "yeah, but you didn't get up."

Well, no. I usually don't. Unless I have to go to the restroom or something, or if I am worried about keeping 'Kitty awake. Besides, it would have taken me FOREVER to warm up again.

I know I slept poorly, because I came home from the sleep study, showered off the gunk, and slept most of the day.

Apparently the study generates about 1100 pages of data. They should have it all compiled sometime next week, and then they'll send a nice long report to my doctor, who'll explain all the results to me, and maybe we can figure out why I don't sleep much, or well, and never have and what we can do about it.



So yay! sleep for science!

Last week, I had what I consider the highlight, not only of my professional career but in my life in general. I had the opportunity to serve as the social worker for a camp for kids in foster care. This camp is amazing. It serves 32 kids ages 7-11. The staff, the camp, the kids. All of it was awesome. The kids get the chance to just be kids and play and swim and skip rocks in the river and not have to worry about permanency plans, or adoption hearings or all the other crap. This one girl came in on Monday and I could tell from the second she walked in she was going to be a challenge. She walked talked and acted like an adult. Her worker told me she is the oldest of 6 kids and grew up taking care of them. By Tuesday night, she was hunting frogs and crickets and having a ball. We had a few issues with her (like you know, asking the lifeguard on a date) but for the most part, she just had fun. I spent my week getting to love and spend time with these kids. The adults were pretty awesome too. I mean, there were 40 staff people, all of whom took a week of vacation to come to west TN to hang out and care for these kids. That's pretty cool to me. It was nice also, not to have to interact with foster kids on a paperwork/bureaucratic level but to get to hang out with them.
Thursday night, the camp throws the kids a birthday party because a lot of them have never had a birthday party before. They got backpacks full of stuff but most cool I think was that each kid got an MP3 player with the songs from worship loaded onto it. They put those headphones in their ears so fast and were humming along with the music the rest of the night. We were pulling the earbuds out of their ears after they fell asleep because no one wanted to take theirs off.
Camp was full of love and fun. It was hard to come back to work this week. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have gone. Kids in foster care and their foster parents are my heros. Somehow, they are able to get up everyday and make as normal a life as possible even though the adults in their lives they should have been able to trust the most, have failed them. I don't know that I could have gone to school everyday and learned about math and spelling if I didn't have a mom or dad or I was worried about if I was ever going to see them again. These kids were amazing and I feel like a little better of a person for getting to know them.

In January( a couple of years ago apparently) , an Anglican church vicar in Cambridge, England, commenced twice-monthly services for goths (with black garments and rock music) at his St. Edward King and Martyr church. Vicar Martin Ramshaw, 34, said he is a goth himself and reports that his dozen or so worshippers go straight from services to a goth nightclub. (He will soon issue goth T-shirts with Jesus speaking, "If the world hates you, remember, it hated me first.") (Agence France-Presse, 1-19-06)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV4ISDTnRLM

Today is Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day.

A portion of the sales of all Blizzards sold today will go to the Children's Miracle Network. As a former "miracle child" myself (I was on the Telethon and everything!) this is a charity near and dear to me. chemokitty and I will be getting some Blizzards tonight!

And I’m back…

Chicago was great, Lollapalooza was awesome. I posted pictures in flickr… http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesela/. Good times. I believe my favorite set of all was Flogging Molly…I also loved Nine Inch Nails, Raconteurs, Devotchka, Yeasayer, Radiohead, Chromeo…ah, I could keep going for a while…

I am having a hard time readjusting. I haven’t been staying up late but I’m just so run down. I turned 30 on Monday, and spent the evening watching the Doctor Who finale (both parts). I am at a loss as far as the finale goes…totally.

I was able to pick up Julian yesterday. He was so insanely affectionate and sweet last night, except he kept me awake trying to bite at me and play all night. I wouldn’t respond and he’d cry. Ack. This sometimes happens the first night he’s back, I think he’s excited to see me…which makes me happy, but I’m so tired! I had my milk and vegetable juice (not at the same time, gross!) this morning and am now on to coffee. Maybe it will all kick in. C’mon…

Approx 1 hour later: Well, I’m awake but with a massive headache…fabulous.

A British couple who left their anitque airplane in a pasture while they went to lunch had a rude awakening when they reutrned. While they were chowing down at the local pub in Hereford, England, a herd of cows was enjoying their own meal: The airplane. Apparently the cows really liked the taste of the old canvas covering the vintage plane's metal frame. Those cows had expensive taste--their meal cost $15,000.

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1785929

And Japanese pen spinning.


-- Side note, I've been really busy opening my own little online business, and that's why I've been so crap at responding to all of your entries. I'm sorry guys. I'm dead-broke, and I gotta focus on what can get me and my family groceries for the week. I still love you all and I firmly believe I'l be able to get back up on my feet here and respond to you all like usual, but it's kinda mini-response-hiatus for me outside of my journal. I hope you all understand.

Being bitten by a rattlesnake is a staple of Western movie plots. The hero shows his courage and resourcefulness by husing his trusty knife to make an x-shaped incision over the bite and then by sucking out the venom. This practice has led to a number of jokes involving snakebites on various parts of the anatomy, with the punchline "You want me to what?!" -- But you can't believe everything you see in the movies. For instance, an incision near the wound can introduce serious nfection, and venom can be absorbed through the mouth. The recommended treatment includes washing the affected area with soap and water, wrapping a bandage above the bite ( but not so tight as to cut off blood circulation) and seeking immediate medical care for treatement with antivenin. The victim should try to remain clam, since activity only speeds up absorption of the venom.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv38j4lPzd0&feature=related

Andrea Bocelli sings Elmo to sleep.

http://nashvillefeed.com/node/361

I’m one of these people who heard of the Pink Spiders but actually never “heard” them. They got signed, lived high and crashed just as fast. The Scene has a scathing article on the whole rise and fall.

Key items to learn found in the article:

• Build a local fan base.
  This helps you know your demographics & hone your stage presence.
• When opening for larger artist don't screw them.
  They put their name larger so it looked like the Pink Spiders was headlining.
• Don't tell huge lies
• People pay good money don't play short sets and order them to buy merch.
• Don't get too confortable in one spot, cause it will change.
• Signing with a big label expect outside influence.
  There are people who have been in music longer than we've been alive. They think they know more than you & have the power to override your opinion for good or bad.
  
• The traditional methods of marketing the labels use are dying.
  
• When coporations come with checks to hawk products be wary.
  Don't sell everything or anything.
• Know your market and demographics
• Save your money.

Take a read and learn.

Oh, What a Mangled Web We Leave – Nashville Scene
After flirting with fame and fortune, Nashville's most decadent local rockers The Pink Spiders lost a major-label deal and two of the three founding members—so now what?

odd question for you guys...


I was in town probably a couple years ago...there was a used record shop that I went to and I was back in town recently and cant find it...
I'm pretty sure I'm not crazy and pretty sure that it was in nashville...

it was mostly vinyl, there was an upstairs and a downstairs, the upstairs was smaller, and thats where the jazz collection was...

it was in a white looking townhouse type of building. There was an asian market (or restaurant, or both) next door. It wasnt grimeys or great escape.

is this ringing a bell to anyone?

....side note...i may be crazy, and be thinking about Philadelphia, I just really don't think I am.


I couldn't tell you what part of town it was in or what else it was close to.
I know this is a shot in the dark but i figured I'd throw it out there.

Caption contest! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XF5H_iLN4w&e

And whoops. Watch what gear your car is in. :) His response is SO funny.

Where in Nashville could I take an old fridge? A dump would do, some place where it would be taken apart and recycled would be better. Suggestions please.

Just to let all you Nashvillians who may originate from out west know... Fat Tire has hit Nashville, finally!



For those of you not in the know, Fat Tire is the signature beer of the New Belgium Brewing Company, a microbrewery out of Fort Collins, Colorado. It's an amber ale, and most definitely one of the best beers (if not THE best) I have had to date. Until recently, you couldn't find it east of the Mississippi River. But I found it today at the Shell station over by Music Valley Village. (2471 McGavock Pike) They only have the 22oz bottles, and they retail a little over $3 a piece... but if you've had it before, you know it's worth it. And if you've never had it, and like a good beer... you should find your way over here and get some.

Please feel free to pass this on. I encourage it. I think the more people that know what's happening the better. I am beyond horrified.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/2043851/Italy-Italian-children-back-burning-of-gypsy-camps.html

Italian children back burning of gypsy camps
A class of primary school children in Naples has shocked Italy after submitting homework which supported the burning of gypsy camps.
 
The children, aged between 9 and 11 years old, are pupils at San Giuseppe Bosco, near a camp at Ponticelli that has been repeatedly attacked by a xenophobic mob.

Locals first set fire to the camp two weeks ago in retaliation to stories that a gypsy girl had tried to steal a baby elsewhere in the city. Since then it has been repeatedly attacked, with more petrol bombs launched at its makeshift buildings.

Teachers at the school had set the children the task of explaining how they felt about the persecution of the gypsies. The response was an alarming series of drawings and essays, many of which supported the vigilante action.

“The gypsies steal children to transplant their organs,” wrote one child.

“We are not racist, but if they want to stay they have to stop stealing,” wrote another.

One crayon drawing showed burning buildings with a mob outside shouting “Fight, fight!” and “Get out of here, Roma!”

The attacks and essays come against a backdrop of growing intolerance to immigrants, fuelled by hard-line partners in the new government of prime minister Silvio Berlusconi.
A report by Amnesty International yesterday warned that Italy was now “dangerous” for illegal immigrants.

Mariano Coppola, the headmaster, blamed the parents of the children for their attitudes, and claimed that many of the children had actually participated in the attacks on the Ponticelli camp.

“Their teachers were working with them to help them understand what really happened, and to clearly show them that these violent acts should not be repeated,” he said.

“But in their families, or on the streets, these kids are learning a very different lesson,” he added. “Some of these children were fully involved and have told stories about taking part in the raids, and have firmly defended their position afterwards,” he said.

La Repubblica newspaper reported that one child called Francesco wrote: “The people who live in Ponticelli may have gone over the top, but perhaps they were right because they have been left alone for too long to deal with the problems from the Roma.”

Another student, Giuseppe, wrote: This was the right thing to do. The gypsies wouldn’t go when asked nicely so we had to get tough with them”.

In its report, Amnesty said it was particularly concerned about a new law which will deal hefty prison sentences to illegal immigrants.

“Amnesty International is extremely alarmed both by the contents and haste of these measures... and by the climate of discrimination which preceded them,” Miss Carboni, the head of Amnesty in Italy.

Mr Berlusconi’s government has also drawn up plans for 10 new “Centres of Temporary Permanence” in which to hold immigrants until repatriation.

Italy’s statistics agency, ISTAT, fanned the fires of anti-immigrant feeling yesterday by releasing numbers showing that immigrants are responsible for more than a third of the murders committed last year.

ISTAT said foreigners had committed 70 per cent of all petty theft, 39 per cent of the sexual offences and 36 per cent of the murders.
The damning figures confirmed the opinion of almost half the country that immigrants are “dishonest”. However, ISTAT also noted that many of the crimes committed by foreigners were against other foreigners.
----
Randoms Note - The article doesn't mention it, but Italy is now fingerprinting all of the Roma people so they can determine if someone is legal or illegal. Like travelling people can prove their identitiy if they don't have identification cards. A legal way to force those the new government finds undesireable out of the country. Makes me sick. Here's more on that: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/07/03/news/Italy-Fingerprinting-Gypsies.php


---- Unrelated youtube. History though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwEWOFxXPpA&e

The toilet of the Tudors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX_YJP0YaGs&e

Plato's retreat commercial... sex club. haha. LOVE IT.

On the foggy morning of July 17, 1938, a 31 year old pilot named Douglas Corrigan took off from Brooklyn's Floyd Bennet Field on a solo, nonstop trip to California. Twenty Eight hours later, he landed in Ireland... with a lot of explaining to do. He had no passport of papers of any kind, nor had he received permission from U.S. officials to make the transatlantic flight. Safely on the ground, Corrigan offered this explanation to Irish customs: Heavy fog in New York had forced him to navigate using only his compass. The fog continued all that day and into the night; there was never good visibility. When the sun rose the next morning -- 26 hours into his flight -- he was surprised to find himself over an ocean. Taking a closer look at hi compass, Corrigan realized he'd been following the wrong end of the needle, heading due east instead of west. But by now he was almost out of fuel; he coudln't turn around. His only hope was to continue east and hope to reach land before he ran out of gas. Two hours later he saw fishing boats off a rocky coast and knew he was safe. From there, he made his way to Baldonnel Airport in Dublin. His first words upon exiting the plane were "Just got in from New York. Where am I?" -- He repeated the story to the American ambassador and then to Ireland's prime minister. By the third telling -- to the Irish cabinet -- The European and American press had got wind of the story and ran wiht it. When he got to the part about misreading his compass, the cabinet ministers all laughed and Corrigan knew that things would work out. Ireland graciously sent him home without penalty. When he got back to New York, Corrigan was amazed to find out he'd become a folk hero. In the bleak days of the Great Depression, Corrigan's achievement and amusing explnation lifted people's spirits. Over a million well-wishers turned out for a ticker-tape parade in his honor ( more than had turned out to honor Charles Lindbergh after his transatlantic flight). The New York Post even ran a backward headline that read "!NAGIRROC YAW GNORW OT LIAH!" ( Hail to Wrong Way Corrigan.)

http://nashvillefeed.com/node/360

The weekend arrives yet again and Jamie is out of town so I'm going to do my best putting together the list. To be honest I'm not finding much. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Friday

• Def Leopard @ Sommet Center. Tickets range from $40 to $75.
• Nic Roulette and Hillbilly Casino at Layla's Bluegrass Inn. No Cover
  (If you like the Shack Shakers you'll dig Hillbilly Casino)
• Black 13 Tattoo Parlor Grand Opening featuring Autovaughn, Kyle Andrews, Red White Blue, Leigh Nash (MySpace), Ricky Young (MySpace), Space Capone (MySpace), Panty Raid, Dean Alexander (MySpace), The Delux & more @ Mercy Lounge 9pm. 18-21 $3 over 21 no cover.
• Better Off Dead at the Belcourt Midnight.

Saturday

• Flying Saucer 10th Anniversary Celebration. Time: All day with a Harley Davidson giveaway to one lucky person.
• The Branded Sons (MySpace) with Caitlin Rose (MySpace) @ The Basement. $5 cover
  (Nashville singer-songwriter Rose has cooked up a striking set of classic country tunes, delivering them with a distinct, chirpy vocal and singular anti-folk style that owes as much to Dolly Parton as Daniel Johnston. - Tennessean)

Sunday

• Billy Block's WKDF Locals Only Live Radio Show @ Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. 6pm-11pm. No Cover.
• Amy Courts These Cold & Rusted Lungs CD Release Show with Megan McCormick (MySpace) @ The Rutledge. 7pm $5 cover (all proceeds benefit MOCHA CLUB’s Village of Hope in Gulu, Uganda.)

Grimey's Top 10 Album Sales for the Week

Two of my favorites Beck & David Bowie are on the top 10 this week. I'll have to check those out next time I'm down at Grimey's.

1. The Avett Brothers - The Second Gleam
2. Dr. Dog - Fate
3. Beck - Modern Guilt
4. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
5. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
6. Spiritualized - Songs In A&E
7. Paul Weller - 22 Dreams
8. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
9. David Bowie - Live In Santa Monica '72
10. She & Him - Volume One

For the rest of the list visit Grimeys.com. Support your local music store and local music.

Again Amazon has it's Friday 5: Five Albums for $5 Each download. They are: Death Cab for Cutie, David Bowie, the Mamas and the Papas, Kutless, and Esperanza Spalding. To find out what albums follow the link.

That's all folks! Have a great weekend and Jamie will be back next week with a proper "It" list.

-mDave

Technorati Tags: mercy lounge, the basement, weekend, panty raid, autovaughn, hillbilly casino

Ok, so bear with me, this is kind of a weird request. I was wanting to have an old school 70's fondue party, but I don't have a fondue set. I know I can use a double boiler, but I wanted to have the fondue set out on the table. Is there anyone with a fondue set that would let me borrow it? I can maybe leave something as collateral (I promise I won't steal) if that would make you more comfortable. I would just buy one, but I don't have much money, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get much use out of it.

Are any of you familiar with the apartments at The Park at Hillside?
I'm curious about the neighborhood as well as the interior.