I can't believe it's not a democracy!

Walk, don't run, to Tengrain's place to see:

Tengrain presents....Blam-Blam Starring in "Pardon me!" Sums it all up, as usual.

It's colder than a witch's teat here in NYC.

And that can mean only one thing: frozen piles of vomit on the streets tomorrow. 

Hope that you have a lovely New Year's Eve, celebrated, of course, in a nice warm place.  I'm staying in and out of the cold.  

Get out your handkerchiefs part IV:

Billionaire Blowups of 2008 -- 10 billionaires who suffered the biggest flops. Oddly, I did not feel a need to wipe my eyes.

I have to run out to pick up a baby gift:

Sarah Palin's daughter gives birth to a son. And true to Palin fashion, Bristol and the baby daddy, Levi Johnston, named the baby Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston. Hey, they showed restraint. I'm surprised they didn't name him Tripp Torn Condom Johnston to highlight the reason for his being. Just saying.

So my back is feeling a lot better, despite the fact that I can't get a good night's rest.

Why not, you ask?  Because a neighbor--I think it's the asshole in the building next to mine with whom I share a masonry wall--left for the holidays and forgot to shut off his fucking alarm clock that goes off every fucking morning at 5:30 a.m. and stays on for about 1 1/2 to 2 fucking hours.  That's why. And I don't know when he is expected to return.  God, I hate my neighbors. 

Nice to know that the pharmaceutical companies haven't kept their eyes off the ball:

FDA approves Allergan's drug for longer eyelashes. No doubt the small print on the label warns the user that side effects may be anal leakage, stroke and heart attack. But, hey, what price beauty?

Well, they broke it alright, and it looks like "they" are feeling the effects as well:

Retail Sales Down...including luxury goods. Matthew Yglesias writes about the downturn in retail sales. He cites Felix Salmon who adds: [The decline in retail sales] are huge numbers, especially the 35% drop in luxury sales: it wasn't all that long ago that the luxury segment was supposed to be immune from the plebeian woes of the economy as a whole.

While I'm glad that the economy isn't just affecting the poor and middle class, misery does not, in fact, like company. I'd prefer a properly functioning economy, thank you. But as long as greed is allowed to thrive, this (i.e., our hemorrhaging economy) is what happens. It's absolutely disgusting that the unrelenting greed of a relative few is causing pain for all of us. Hope the new government does something to punish those who brought on this pain and regulate the markets to prevent this from happening again. No, I haven't been drinking.

Link to Yglesias via Atrios.

I'm back.

And I'm feeling a little sore.  I either got the world's weirdest virus or I strained my lower back.  Ok, I think it is the later, but I did have the chills last night and some aches that almost felt like the flu without little things--like a fever, cold symptoms, etc.  So I plan on taking it easy today and tomorrow.  No exercise, no lifting, just simple errands and eating.  I can do that. 

That said, I am waiting for my aunt of the year medal since I not only made sugar cookies for my nieces and one of their friends to decorate (note to self: do not double this recipe next year), but I also agreed to bring my nephew out to shop for gifts and he is, how you say, a picky shopper.  As it turned out, he ended up picking up everything he needed in one store in only 1/2 hour.  That's a fucking record.  

With that all said, I hope you all had a lovely holiday.   I had a wonderful time, but I am looking forward to my comfy bed and memory foam pillow tonight.   Ah, comfort. 

I'm outta here.

Hope you all have a merry xmas, happy Hanukah or otherwise enjoy the day off next week.  Posting will be light as I will be busy baking cookies and doing whatever it is I have to get done. 

Make. Them. Stop.

Ma Duggar pushes out yet another bundle of joy. Interestingly, this baby, a girl, was born by Caesarean section. One would think that after 17 births Ma could have pushed Jordyn-Grace Makiya (not kidding) out by simply sneezing. Go figure. As for an appropriate gift for the family? I'm sending a gross of condoms.