Vamped up EyeJunkie

Yes, I’m putting a stop to my EyeJunkie tinkering for the foreseeable next 10 minutes, and I decided to write a post about it immediately before my slightly-obsessive tendencies take over again.  So, quick:  read it and look around before I change it again and make my own post obsolete!  Also, it may be important to use your own verbal skills to fill in gaps in my sentences that may arise as a result of interruptions: Baby Girl is on her playmat practicing her roll-over technique, Squiggle is in bed with a stomach virus :( and Little Drummer Boy is keeping me informed on the perpetual [!] storyline running through his head regarding legos and something about towers and camels [?].  Once again, I digress.

Waaay back here and here, I mentioned some updates I was working on for the site’s look and organization.  I wanted to use the word “revamp”, but being the word curiousinista that I am, was curious about “vamping.”  After all, the “re-” would mean I had actually “vamped” it at least once already.  My handy dictionary.com tells me that to “vamp” means:

1.  to patch up or repair
2.  to give a new appearance to
3.  to concoct or invent
4.  to improvise an accompaniment
5.  to use my feminine charms on

Hmmm.  So that’s what I’ve been doing!  I’ve organized and reorganized, added and subtracted, created order and a let chaos have its way, and otherwise tickled the ivories of the colors and pictures and labels accompanying this verbal concoction.   I suppose I’ve poured the charm on this little love affair with blogging, and for the moment, I’ve made it how I want it to be and added some of the new ideas that have been pushing their way to the surface.

Look around and you’ll find a newly appointed green room sidebar designed to get you ready for your tour of EyeJunkie.  There, you can learn about me, find your favorite topics, and visit some of the people, places and things that satisfy my junkie cravings.

The other sidebar boasts a little wander zone to whet your attention span as you sample the junkie offerings.  As it says to your right, these features are “like virtual balls in tall grass, you won’t know if they’re homers or foul until you get your shoes off and tiptoe around….”  I hope you’ll enjoy the Weekly Eyewash [cue the crossed fingers] and EyeJunkie Features–some familiar to my three faithful readers out there, and some fresh out of the box.

Your Weekly Eyewash offers three new weekly mind-debris categories you’ll find regularly in the right sidebar:
THE TUESDAY TEN is a weekly list of 10 things, as you’ve probably surmised–sort of a brainstorming, debris-cleaning, junkie-fixing way to make myself post on Tuesdays.
MIPOTW shares my choice of the Most Interesting Phrase of the Week from all I’ve absorbed.  It may come from books, magazines, television, the internet, or anything else I’m reading.
WORDS O’ TWISDOM is a list of my favorite tweets from the world of Twitter each week.  Just call it your junkie dime bag of boot-legged inspiration in 140 characters or less. [030309 UPDATE:  Nix this one folks.  Only 2 weeks and I'm already bored with it.  Maybe I'll do some occasional highlight reels.]

In addition to an extended view of my usual ABCs, EyeCandy and Eye Opening Quotes, the newly vamped EyeJunkie Features give you a quick link to some of my favorite posting topics (and a few I’m just eager to try):

HARMONY is my soon-to-be-launched 2009 theme word, and I’ll be posting on that topic throughout the year.  Stay tuned for the intro post coming next, and watch for this favored tag!
GIFT TAGS are the tiny messages God continues to include with our gifts — 2 little joys of boys and 1 little jewel of a girl, each with open eyes, open ears, open hearts, and much to teach. “Behold children are a gift of the Lord…” (psalm 127:1)
MONTGOMERY MADNESS records selected days in the lives of we Montgomerys 5 of Starkville, MS.  Life is good.
CULTURESPEAK is one of my very first categories and usually shares snarky comments on our media and cultural terminology.
500 or 15 is something I’ve been anxious to begin, a way to hone my writing skills.  It’s 500 words or 15 minutes (whichever comes first) on the topic at the top of my mind at the moment.  If you want to know my thoughts on any given subject, feel free to message me to suggest a topic.

With my current vamp at a pause, I thank you for reading and sharing this adventure in paying attention.  Please look around and send me your comments and suggestions.  Be forewarned.  In the space of 750 words or so, I’ve already thought of a couple of other things I’d like to add, so hang on to your bytes, junksters!

My Vote Counted and other Election Debris.

Today I called the number.  I got the feeling that they don’t get many calls like mine, following up on an affidavit ballot.  But, after briefly describing my voting experience to the nice lady at the Chancery Clerk’s office, I now know that my vote was added to the tally.

As I’ve written before, occasionally media debris gets piled up in my brain–those random thoughts and observations that need an outlet before the maid service comes in.  Hence, the random Election Debris: 

1.  ABC news sported 50 states in 50 days during the primary season, an impressive endeavor.  I saw one woman and daughter from somewhere in the east (maybe West Virginia, I wasn’t paying attention).  They said their key issues for the election were “choice” and “equal pay for equal work.”  I’m wondering when we got to the place in our society when one word– “choice” –could immediately be understood my men, women and children alike to mean there’s no law that would prevent me from choosing to abort my unborn child.  Is that progress?

2.  ”I’m pro-life and pro-gun.” — from U.S. Senate candidate’s ad.  Life and gun.  Strange bedfellows.  But, there’s the Republican Party for you.

3.  Seeing the electoral map in all it’s red and blue glory a full (count them) six weeks before the election.  There’s something troubling about that.

4.  And, the Contrived-Programming-While-Trying-Our-Hardest-to-Look-Natural Award goes to… CNN! For the program (which I only caught a few minutes of) featuring a discussion of politics and the economy held at Delmonico’s in NYC around a poker table (3-sided, mind you. must leave room for the cameras).  Men and women with poker chips and high ball barware — what, no cigars?  Not politically correct, I guess.

5.  Roger Wicker & Ronnie Musgrove Senatorial ads ad nauseum.  Where’s the Pepto when you need it.

6.  General amazement at what makes it above the cable/digital fold:  Sarah Palin’s pregnant daughter segues to Barak Obama’s terrorist neighbor segues to John McCain’s campaign suspension segues to Joe the Plumber’s tax returns segues to Mickey Mouse registers to vote

7.  Sometime during October, I sensed a strange absence.  Where is Joe Biden?  His name wasn’t even on the Obama ads.

8.  And, the You-May-Think-It’s-About-News-But-It’s-Really-All-About-Me-and-My-Profession Award goes to… A string of top news topics: Tina Fey.  Katie Couric’s interview questions.  ”What [insert candidate name here] needs to do is – ahem – as if [insert candidate name here] watches this program – chuckle chuckle.”  CNN facts across the bottom of the screen — thank you CNN, especially for letting me know the accomplishments of your reporters.

9.  What’s up with the trend showing the tv screens within tv screens?  Flipping your laptop around so the tv cameras can see it?  Tellistrating on the electoral maps?

10.  Bites:  Spread the wealth around.  You betcha.  I am not George Bush.

11.  The View.  There’s Joy sounding cantankerous and all Democratic.  There’s Elisabeth being the token Republican with a “yeah, but” when she could get a word in — although I appreciate that she brought notes on her research a couple of times.  There’s Barbara sounding like the voice of journalistic legitimacy, although didn’t that train leave the station when “daytime talk show host” was added to her resume right after “interviewed Fidel Castro.”  Then, there’s Sherrie–not sure for the longest where she stood, but saw her try to get loud on Elisabeth about McCain divorcing his first wife. I’m sensing some relationship/single motherhood issues from a couple of other comments on non-election segments.  And, then there’s Whoopie trying to appear fair while acknowledging her Democrat allegiance, refereeing the others, making a joke, declaring her friendship with John McCain and the Clintons (there’s a dinner party) and getting to commercial break so everyone gets their paycheck.  Ugh.

12.  Fox News website breaking news — “President-Elect Obama to Step Down From Senate” — duh!

This is EyeJunkie, and I approved this list.

Daytime Television Debris

Recently, I spent almost a week at home with bronchitis, and along with stints of checking email and obsessing about the work projects I wasn’t getting done, I had the occasion to tune in to daytime television.  Now, I’ll admit that I can be up for a good soap marathon with the best of the couch potatoes, especially when I’m sick.

However, during my recent bronchitis soap marathon, somewhere between meeting Victor’s long lost son, watching Katie grieve for her brother who committed suicide so he could be her heart donor (it’s a soap, people!), rolling my eyes at Jack and Carly’s argument because we all know they really love each other, and conniving with Lizzie to keep Bill from taking over Spaulding Enterprises… I started surfing channels.  Channel surfing always yields some interesting moments when paired with being tired, bored and on meds.  I found that in those circumstances, you’ll pay attention to almost anything which obviously leads to lots of thought debris – those random observations that really have nowhere else to go.  So, here they are on EyeJunkie! Continue reading »