more 24 stuff
Mood:  silly
Topic: TV, music, movies, etc.
I have to post some of these... they are so imaginative and a lot of them are absolutely hysterical. Some of you might not get this since you don't watch 24, but I just have to take up some more space on my blog. Since I haven't been as good about posting everyday, I'll make up for it by posting 3 times today, hehe.

Anyway, here are some things people are saying on the 24 messageboard... the topic is Best "Should have been said" lines... I'll try to give some insight on the postings.

(Jane and Kim in the back of the car, on the way to CTU.)
Jane: I can't believe it. The person I love doesn't exist. But he's still my father. What am I supposed to do?

Kim: How often did you see him?

Jane: A few times a year. He'd always bring me something. It was always perfect -- it was like he just knew.

Kim: Maybe he did know.

Jane: What do you mean?

Kim: He's got people watching you round the clock. What did you think he was, psychic?

Jane: Listen, he's my father! I thought he was just, you know, really intuitive.

Kim: Intuitive? A man who sees you twice a year? What are you, a sociology major or something?

Jane: What about you? You didn't even graduate high school, let alone college, you dummy!

Kim: No, I dropped out of high school. And yet with next to no skills I'm pulling down 80 grand a year working at CTU. And where are you working? The f'n *library*! So who's the dumb one now?

Jane: At least I don't give myself helmet hair to look older.

Kim: (pauses.) Well, you got me there.

Kim is one of the most annoying characters on 24, she is Jack Bauer (lead character)'s daughter and has generally made herself a pain throughout all 3 seasons. Jane is the daughter of the terrorist who is attempting to release a deadly virus and infect the good old USA

Kim: Dad why didn't you tell me you were using?
Jack: I was too embarissed, I thought you would think less of me.
Kim: Well if I was going to think less of you dad I would have after you killed all those people.
Jack: What can I do to make it up to you?
Kim: Buy me a pony?
Jack: Done.

Again, Kim is the annoying daughter. Jack had to use drugs (heroin) to get in (undercover) with these terrorists (the Drazens) and make them think that he was one of them. Jack also kills a lot of people, in case you didn't figure that out...but he's the good guy, really!

Penticoff: If you ever want to see your daughter again, get me out of this, Bauer.
Jack: How do you know my name?
Penticoff: I used to date your daughter.
Jack: Dammit, can't she date anyone credible? I guess she really is as stupid as she looks.

George: The last time I let you interrogate somebody you shot him in the heart.
Jack: Okay, well you do have a good point. This time I'll aim for the head.

Jack: "I'm sorry Ryan, but I swear, after you're dead...we're not following any more of his demands! I promise!"

Jack had to kill Ryan (his boss) in order to stop the terrorists from releasing the virus.

Jane: Please, turn it off. I don't want to see anymore!
Jack (desperate): I don't want to see anymore either!
[Kim comes in]
Kim: Are you guys watching American Idol again?
ROTFLMAO!!!

Jack: Stephen Saunders... this is Jack Bauer. Please come out the front door, with your hands above your head. Stephen you are completely surrounded, there is no way around this.
Music from an ice cream truck is then heard from a distance.
Jack: Ice cream!
Chase: Ice cream!
Everbody: ICE CREAM!
They all rush to the ice cream truck shoving each other out of the way as Saunders leaves the building. He starts walking in the opposite direction but then stops.
Saunders: Oh I can't resist an ice cream sandwich.
Saunders then rushes to the ice cream truck as well.

Palmer: Jack, Saunders just made another demand.
Jack: What is it?
Palmer: He wants Chappelle's body to be taken to the train yard with a Easy Bake Oven with cookies made by...by...KIM in less then a hour.
Jack: SON OF A B!TCH! Why not Chloe!
Palmer: Im sorry to be putting this on you Jack but theres no one else.
Jack: What kind of cookies does he need?
Palmer: Does that really matter aren't you worried about Chappelle?
Jack: You expect me to buy a Easy Bake Oven and cookies in less then 1 hour? Ryan is no problem but Kim cooking is the almost like Kim with a cougar. If im going to do this I will need the best cookies ever!
Palmer: Well I can send Wayne over with some chocolate chip cookies.
Jack: NO OREOS! And make that 2 packs, I, I mean he might get hungry.

Nina: Jack the coast guards found a body. Its Kim.
Jack: What, noooooooooooo!
*Jack kills the Drazens and heads for CTU and crashes into Nina's car*
Nina: Jack dont shoot, you think I work for the Drazens but I dont.
Jack: Who do you work for and who would make you petrayed us, your friends!
Nina: I work for Ashton Kutcher now. You just got Punk'd!

President Palmer: This is Palmer
Stephen Saunders: Now, Mr. President, for your next task, I need you to put me in contact with someone on your staff.
Palmer: Who?
SS: Ms. Hugginkiss. First name, Amanda.
Palmer: Hold on... *to the cabinet* I need Amanda Hugginkiss people
*cabinet members snicker*
Palmer: What? Come on, this is important, get me Amanda Hugginkiss!
*cabinet erupts into laughter*
Palmer *annoyed*: Wayne, why can't I get Amanda Hugginkiss?
Wayne *laughing*: Maybe your s tandards are too high, David.
Palmer *sudden look of realization and rage, yells in the phone*: Ooooh, listen you, when we catch you I'm gonna rip out your eyeballs and stuff 'em down your pants so you can watch me kick the cr@p out of you!
Saunders: *laughing hysterically and hanging up*

Saunders: You will call a press conference about anything you like. But at some point, Mr. President, you must use the phrase "purple monkey dishwasher". That will be the signal.

Saunders: For your next assignment, I need you to find a woman in Los Angeles for me. Her name is Mya Weiner.
Palmer: Alright, fine
*Palmer calls CTU.
Palmer (over loudspeaker): Attention CTU. I need you to scour the city for Mya Weiner. I need Mya Weiner found at once.
*Everyone is laughing.
Chloe: I know computers are not easy for everybody, but t sure sounds like the President is having trouble with his attachments!
Palmer: Has anyone found Mya Weiner yet... son of a...
Saunders: No, Mr. President but be sure to let us know when you do! *hangs up chuckling!


Tony: Jack, can I see you in my office for a minute?
(Jack opens the glass doors, only to be confronted by the American Idol judges)
Randy: Dawg, I can see that you are doing your best to fight terrorists, dawg, but I am just not feeling it, dawg!
Paula: Oh Jack, I just love what you are doing! You are doing so well and I think you have it all! You are certainly going to stop this virus from getting out and killing us all! You're so wonderful!
Simon: Jack, you are the worst Anti-Terrorism agent ever! Absolutely dreadful! Just terrible.
Jack: Screw you, Simon
(Jack then pulls out his gun and blows Simon away)

Jack: Saunders, come out now and we'll give you a chocolate malt!
Saunders: Nice try, Bauer. But one of my computer screens is showing that "Best 'Should have been said' lines" thread on the 24 forum. And the current fad is people making little stories about me giving in to ice cream!
Jack: Aw, crap! He's read the forum too!
Chase: Hey, I thought I was the only one who went there...
Jack: You go there too?
Agent Baker: I've been there.
Chase: Now I know I'm not a nerd...
Jack: Heh heh... is Teri DIED?
Chase: lol omg that's funny
Baker: rotfl lol lol lol!
Jack: ROTFLMAO sry i cudnt resist
Chase: lol dont worry bout it
Saunders: Uh...
*Saunders sneaks out the back door*

Sherry: What I'm about to tell you, I will deny to my grave if you use it against me.
Keeler: And considering the show we're on, you might get there soon!
Hehe... sure enough, she was gone last week... Sherry was President Palmer's scheming ex-wife. Very good villain.

Jane Saunders (Re: Jack): He scares me.
Tony: Yeah, Jack scares a lot of people.

Chase: How come we're not going into the building, Jack?
Jack: We're gonna wait it out.
Chase: What makes you think he'll come out.
Jack: Saunders, we know you have to come out eventually!
Saunders: That's not exactly true, Jack.
Jack: Have you forgotten? Friends has its finale tonight and there's no TV in there!
Saunders: NOOOO! I Surrender! I have to find out what happens with Ross and Rachel. Damn you, Jack!
Jack: Wow, love really does conquer all!

Saunders: You have thirty minutes to send me a list of their identities.
Palmer: That's impossible.
Saunders: If you don't, the virus will be released.
Palmer: No, you don't understand, it's impossible. Our systems are using AOL! I couldn't send an e-mail in thirty minutes!

Old Lady: Excuse me, sir, can you get that liter of soda for me off the top shelf?
Stockboy: Sure, ma'am.
He climbs the ladder and reaches for it but all of a sudden Jack runs by and knocks the ladder down.
Jack: Get out of the way!
Gun shots are fired as Jack hides behind a table of Bounty towels. He reloads his gun and fires two shots. A man is shown getting hit and falling through a refrigerator in the dairy section as milk spills everywhere.
Jack: Everybody stay back!
Jack goes up to the guy.
Jack: Tell me now you son of a b*tch, who do you work for?!
Narrator: Must be "24" season.

Kate: What was that about?
Jack: That was about my daughter.
Kate: Is she involved in this somehow?
Jack: No, she has absolutely nothing important to do this season. Haven't you been watching?

Jack: Make sure that you do not reveal yourself until we see Saunders. We have crisp meat waiting on the side and a squadron of mayo in case he tries anything. Chase, take the avocados to the other side of the lettuce and make sure that they have their toasted buns ready. Jalapenos are 30 seconds away.
Tony: She's my sauce, Jack! MY SAUCE!!
Narrator: Can't stop thinking about the new toasted sandwich from Safeway? Grab one today.

Palmer: Jack, Saunders called me with another demand.
Jack: What is it?
Palmer: This isn't an easy one Jack, so I'll be as blunt as I can be. He wants Ryan Chappelle dead.
Jack: I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Palmer: It gets even worse. He also wants you to decapitate Kim with a hacksaw like you did to Marshall Goren.
Jack: What?!
Palmer: Nah I'm just f*ckin with ya
Probably one of my favorites. :)

Ramon: I don't need you anymore, Jack. My brother died because of you! Because of YOU! BECAU-- **gets shot in the arm by a Delta team**
Jack: Jesus Christ, Ramon, didn't you learn from Kingsley not to make speeches before you kill me? He did and look what happened!
Ramon: I didn't watch Season 2, Jack. You ruined the ending for me!!!
Jack: Oops. Sorry I ruined it for ya. Well, might as well put you out of your misery. Thats what I'd want if YOU ruined it for me.**Kills Ramon**

"Right now, Fox is planning a major strike against my show. American Idol is taking over with two-hour shows for four weeks. The President has pre-empted one of my best episodes. And people that I work with may be involved in both. I'm federal agent Jack Bauer... and I'm really fed up with the government and American Idol!"
Haha! Another good one..

*Chloe is searching through Jack's office*
*she finds the heroin*
Chloe: Oh my... Jack...
*she picks up the phone*
Jack: What?!
Chloe: Jack... we need to talk.
*the camera pans to a long shot of a park with birds chirping in it*
|C|O|U|R|A|G|E|
The anti-drug.

JACK: Ryan, I'm sorry. Any last words?
CHAPPELLE: Chappelle... out!
RYAN SEACREST: That's my line! Kiefer, let me shoot him! Come on, I know how to hold a gun! How did you get your hair so blond?

Jack shoots both Ryans.
JACK: Oh, thank God that's over with.
(to the man in the Saunders van)
Hey, tell Saunders I have a special surprise for him.
VAN DRIVER: You shot Ryan Seacrest? NOOOOOOO!!!

(a newscast)
CATHY MCSUNSHINE: Metrosexuals all over the world are wearing black silk-and-leather Armani armbands to mourn the death of their king, beloved television and radio personality Ryan Seacrest.


*Julia shoots Sherry*
Wayne: NO!
Julia: (singing) I shot the Sherry, but I did not shoot the deputy!

Palmer: Jack, there's going to be a massive terrorist attack on Los Angeles today, and we need you to save the world again.
Jack: Can this wait one minute sir. Do you have any idea how longs it's been since I've been to the bathroom!?!


Palmer: Jack, I'm presenting you with a medal for your courage.
Jack: A medal? Geez, you could at least give me some Depends or something, I never get to pee!
Tony: I wish I got a medal.
Kaufman: You'd be blingin'.
Tony: Thanks, Milo.
Kaufman: My name's Adam, not Milo.
Tony: Right. Where the hell did Milo go? I haven't seen that guy in three and a half years!
LOL

Jack: Saunders latest demand is to kill you.
Ryan: Is this a joke?
Jack: Did I say knock knock?


Wayne to Sherry.
" I'm Wayne Brady B!tch."
Haha! Even though that should have been Palmer..

Jack and Kim are in the room with Nina on the floor, half Dead:

Jack: here you go Kim. Here is the gun. now you hold it like this see, and you pull this back like this to load it. now let it snap back. now aim the gun at your target... no not Ryan, wh has just walked through the door, he can be next. point it at Nina's head.

*kim does as he says*

Kim: OMG! she's moving, she's moving!

Jack: shoot her kim, shoot her!

Kim: I can't!

Jack: Point the gun at her head, and shoot her!

*kim fires a couple of bullets into nina's leg, missing her head completely*

Jack: is she dead?

Kim: i think so

Jack: shoot her again, kim. shoot her again.

*Kim makes a couple of dents in the floor*

Ryan: Jack, just shoot her. the producers are waiting to start the ticking clock...

Jack: no ryan, she has to learn. Kim, hold your hand steady, that's it. now pull the trigger

*Sparks fly out from the machinery around them*

Ryan: Jack just shoot her before the building is completely destroyed.

*jack takes the gun off Kim and points it at her head*

Ryan: No, not Kim, Jack. here...

(is this getting to stupid yet?)

*Jack turns back to Nina, but only sees an empty floor and scattered machinery parts*


Saunders has just been shot dead... Brad Hammond: "Tony we need you back on the floor!"

Brad Hammond: "And bring a mop!"
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!


Chase: (looking at ax) You have to.
Jack: Ok.
*Jack goes and gets ax and slices it through chase's head*
Jack: That didnt work.
heehee!!!

Chase: Jack, do it. (Talking about the axe)
Jack: Chase, I am sorry, I just don't do axes.
*Jack calls Tony*
Jack: Tony, I'm gonna need a hacksaw.



Well that should have kept you busy for a while! As you can see, lots of people die in my beloved show -- but it's so great!

car to dealer take two...
Mood:  quizzical
Looks like we're in for another round of thunderstorms tonight... fine with me, I love storms. :) The thunder has started and I see some lightning, too.. hopefully there won't be any power interruption. It's really coming down! I'm surprised that we don't have a severe thunderstorm warning... I guess this storm isn't severe enough. Of course, weather.com has everything wrong... it says that it's 78 degrees and partly cloudy! Hmm. Their radar doesn't show any green (rain) covering this area, either, so I guess that the storm that's going on outside the window right now isn't really happening. :-P~

Well, my car is still in the shop. I went to pick it up after work today... get through checkout fine, everything is being covered under the warranty... start my car, turn on the AC and......... yeah. It's still blowing hot air. Wait another minute. Still hot. Adjust a few settings... yep, still blowing warm air!! :-P~ I waited a good 5 minutes to make sure I wasn't going crazy, Kurt verified that it wasn't just me... and I pull my car back in to the service bay, tell the guy that the AC still isn't working. He must have thought I was full of it, because he got in & started the engine, tried revving it, messing with the controls. Then he agreed that yes, the AC still wasn't working. He figures that the refrigerant leaked out while it was sitting, so now they'll have to figure out where it's leaking from and fix that. :-/ I just hope that it's done in reasonable time tomorrow, because I have a hair appointment at 5 and Kurtis is going to the Velvet Revolver show tomorrow night, so he can't take me to and from the salon. He's also thinking about going to Ohio to visit his sister this weekend, so I'll need my car to get around, obviously. :-P~

Ugh.

Oh well, it could be worse. At least it's the air conditioning and not a major problem... although as hot as it's been, it could be viewed as a major problem, hehe.

That's it... better post this, because it looks like the storm is picking up again.

24, freaks & weirdos, email to dad, car, weekend, etc
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: black eyed peas
Topic: Miscellaneous goings-on
Last nights?? episode of 24 was great?K Jack did end up cutting off Chase??s hand. I wish that I didn??t look at the spoiler pictures, though?K I probably would have been more content with the final episode. They managed to wrap up most of the storylines, the President isn??t seeking reelection?K the doctors are in the hospital trying to reattach Chase??s hand?K Tony is probably going to jail?K Jack broke down and cried?K it was great. Kiefer Sutherland deserves an Emmy, dammit! A lot of people on the 24 mb are disappointed over the finale, but who cares what they think. The only part that bugged me was Gael??s wife shooting Saunders in CTU ?V I thought that was pretty lame. Speaking of lame, I have to copy this loser??s post from the board?K

Post from ??Krall (K Embervon)?? entitled, ??The tragic tale of a 24 fan?? ?K a little more background info on this guy, he??s 21 and works 12 hours a week. I worked more than that when I was 14 years old!!!

Tonight is the end of an era for me.
Not just because of the finale of 24 Season 3, but the fact that tonight, my parents decided they'd had enough of my 24 obsession.
For the past three years, I've made 24 the high point of my week. I'd watch in complete darkness, in my basement, with the sound system on and booming, making every Tuesday night an explosive and absorbing experience.
Yes, I was a bit of a jerk about making sure conditons were just perfect when 9pm rolled around. I'd shut the blinds, close all doors, and of course, make sure my family would not have any reason to call me or talk to me before 10pm arrived.
Over the past three years, my Mom began to resent this. My parents provided me with my own room in the basement of our house, and just outside my bedroom was a big couch, TV, and our DVD player with a booming sound system. This area would become my shrine to 24. But no more.
Tonight, my parents decided they'd had enough. Since I got out of school a month ago, I haven't picked up any more work hours and failed to find a second job, and tonight, during the final moments of the 24 finale, mt Dad snapped.
I've asked him before that if he was going to watch 24 with me that I wanted him to be quiet and not divert his attention to other matters (answering phone calls, working on computer equipment, and other such things I found distracting,)and tonight he was, of all things, examining whether it was possible to remove a handcuff from a hand with no thumb. I inquired what he was doing in a rather negative fashion, and that was the straw that busted the mount's spine.
He yelled at me, asking me who I thought I was, asking me whose TV and sound system this was, and why he has to go through this BS every Tuesday night. I realize what I'd started, but it was too late. He got off the couch, and began presing every button on the TV before shutting the TV off completely, right in the middle of one of the final scenes of my beloved 24.
He marched out of the room angrily, leaving me petrified in my seat. After he left, I switched the TV back on tho view the final three minutes, and was in the middle of the scene with Jack sobbing behind the wheel. The episdode hadn't ended before my Mom came downstairs, and shut the TV off again. The she yelled at me all over again, and told me they were kicking me out of my room.
I'll have to live somewhere else now, and my Dad has decalared my room he site of his office as of tomarrow night. Right now, I am enjoying my last night in my 24 sanctuary. Tomarrow morning, I'm gone.
I'll have to move all my stuff by 10:30am, I don't knoew where, probably my car. My Dad says its up to me to figure out where I'm sleeping tomarrow night.
Why am I telling you this on a forum? I have no one else to talk to. No one can understand my obsession, and while it's more than simply my 24 fandom that is the cause of my parent's rage, I found it interesting that my last night in the room that was my home for the past six years was the night of the finale of my favorite show.
I know none of you can change this, but I'm letting you know that having an obsession that is not shared my others has consequences, and tonight I found that out first hand.
Thoughts?

Thus endeth the freakazoid??s post. I actually was nice to him and suggested that he seek therapy!!

BTW, We definitely need Jack Bauer on the case this summer with the NEW terror warnings. *rolls eyes* We??ll see if they actually catch someone trying to do something or if they accomplish doing anything. I just don??t understand terrorists?K I guess that??s a good thing, right? They??d just better not think about getting on the same plane as me ?V I??ll have to kick some terrorist ass, lol.

I??ll now copy & paste an email that I just sent my dad to summarize most of my other thoughts & plans?K.

So has the director wised up and given you any lines? Hehe?K ?? It wouldn??t surprise me! Glad to hear that you??re getting paid for it?K if I??d have known about it, I would have probably auditioned, too ?V and just taken some leave from work. I??ve heard that Vince Vaughn is somewhat of a party animal, so it wouldn??t surprise me to learn that he??s on something. Have you gotten to talk to any of the leads since you talked to Owen Wilson? BTW, how many other extras are there?

Speaking of the blue eyed cicadas, there is a rumor going around that if you find one, Johns Hopkins will give you $100 or something. I looked it up and of course it??s a hoax. I love the sounds they make; they are such cool little creatures. Have you seen any on the shore?

Well, it looks like Mary will not be joining us. I emailed her earlier today and she told me that Pat took a spill off her horse and broke several ribs as well as an elbow. I think that if I were Pat, I either a) would stop riding or b) pad myself in bubble wrap every time I rode! I??d like to go riding again, I do miss it sometimes. But back to lunch ?V I??m willing to come over to the shore if you??d like, since Mary is no longer a factor. That would save you from dealing with traffic, and you always drive over here (not to mention that your Acura has no AC). Let me know if that sounds like something you??d like to do.

You were right; my ac needed to be recharged. They called me at 9:30 this morning and told me my car was done. I was really concerned that they??d have my car for several days, so I was very happy to get a call so early. They put in a dye with the refrigerant so that they can see where it is leaking IF it is leaking from somewhere. I asked him why the compressor wasn??t working (and more importantly, working intermittently) if the problem had to do with the level of refrigerant, I would think that the compressor would still come on. He said that the compressor wouldn??t work if the refrigerant was low, and it would also come on intermittently. So I may have to take it back in the next month or two for them to check the dye. I??d rather something major go wrong with it now than next year when it will no longer be covered under warranty. The service department sent me a notice a week or two ago saying that they estimated it was time for me to go in for a 50k mile service?K I was like ??I don??t THINK so! I??ve still got 1,500 miles to go!??

Well, that??s it for now?K let me know what you??d like to do for lunch.


By the way, Stef also called me today and invited me down for a get-together Sunday night?K kind of a joint bday celebration for her and Tiffer. I??d like to go, but it??s rather last-minute for a holiday and I??m really not excited about sitting in traffic for most of the weekend.

Well, I??ve got to finish up for the day?K maybe an update tonight if I get a chance.

finale of 24 tonight
Mood:  energetic
Topic: TV, music, movies, etc.
Yup, on Fox at 9! Although I wouldn't watch it if you haven't been keeping up with the show... I would recommend renting/buying all of the previous seasons (1 & 2, 3 when it comes out) and watching them. Trust me, it will be worth your time and you will be hooked, too!

I sent Kurt the which character are you test for 24 and he's Jack, lol... no wonder I like him! He sent me the email at work, so I'll have to copy & paste it up here tomorrow.

I might watch a little of American Idol tonight, but I doubt it... I'm still bitter that Latoya was voted off and I don't really care who wins. I hope that AI revises their voting system for next season... they might not, because they probably want to cause controversy, and for Fox, controversy = ratings in most cases. Gee, Who wants to marry a millionaire? The Swan? I watched the finale of the swan last night, it was pretty good... my favorite, Rachel won. :)

Well, here is some Engrish for your reading pleasure... I have a lot of emails that I should have written this week, but I haven't had much of a chance to slack at work. :(

Found a cool Quiz thingy on 24 messageboard
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: 3 doors down
Topic: TV, music, movies, etc.
I'm Tony Almeida (45) followed closely by Michelle Dessler (35). :)

Here is my complete score:

Which 24 Character Are You?
Jack Bauer
15

-5 0 100


Tony Almeida
45

-5 0 95


Nina Myers
15

0 95


Kim Bauer
15

0 95


George Mason
20

0 90


Kate Warner
15

0 80


Sherry Palmer
10

0 100


David Palmer
20

0 95


Ryan Chappelle
10

0 95


Michelle Dessler
35

0 95









Which 24 Character Are You?
You are MOST like TONY ALMEIDA. You pride yourself on being stable, fair, loyal and staying true to yourself no matter what, and you value the same qualities in others. You may come off as brash or cold at first, but once people get to know the real you, they realize you are quietly passionate, extremely trustworthy, sensitive and ethical.

weekend, cicadas, etc.
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: maroon 5
To save time (I'm hella busy at work today), I'm going to cut & paste from emails that I wrote to my dad and my cousin Heather. My allergies are horrendous right now, June 16th can't come fast enough - that's the day that I'm going in for allergy testing. The guy I'm going to comes highly recommended by several people, apparently he's one of the top allergists in the state. Fine by me! And it's only going to cost me $15 which is even better. I'm so glad that our company changed insurance policies, god only knows how much it would cost with the old insurance (allergy testing costs around $800)... ugh! Hopefully this will be the only time in my life I have to have it done.

Email to my dad:
Have you been back to the set since the last time we talked? I imagine that it is very time consuming - especially if you aren't getting paid for it! Vince Vaughn seems really tall from most of the pictures I've seen of him. Did you say he was "wired" or did you mean weird? Maybe he's on something - or maybe he needs to be on something, haha.

From the description, it sounded like a chick flick. Sounds really cute. Speaking of cute, Kurtis and I saw Shrek 2 yesterday, it was really cute and funny! The animation was just incredible - it's amazing how far technology has come in the last 10 years.

The cicada wedding had no cicadas - I was rather disappointed! I actually didn't see any cicadas until yesterday when we were at Arundel Mills ... Kurtis had one fly into him, lol. The weather turned out perfect for the wedding... it was supposed to be 90 degrees, but it felt like it was in the mid 80's and there was a breeze some of the time. So they really lucked out - especially during the ceremony which was entirely outside with no alternate plan. The couple wasn't thinking too well, because they left the wedding cake in a car for several hours... obviously, it started melting and the top tier was doing a good imitation of the leaning tower of Piza. I won't go into all of the sordid details, but attending their wedding was a good example of what not to do. I know that weddings are expensive, but I think that there were some ways that she could have cut costs and made it a better production.

Are we still on for this weekend? Where would you like to go? We should decide on something soon so that I can tell Mary. Maybe we could eat at one of the restaurants at Arundel Mills or maybe somewhere in Annapolis.

The air conditioner in my car is on the fritz. I'm going to be really pissed off if the dealer tries to screw me on it... when I called them to tell them the problem, they were like, "Well just to let you know, even though your car is under warranty, if we find out that a rock hit your compressor or something, you'll be liable for the cost, and there may be a diagnostic fee as well." Well that's just dandy. If they end up doing something like that, I'll never take it back to the dealer. I was going to take it to them to do all of the maintenance, but if they're going to be jerks about it, they're not getting my business! There's a shop right on Ritchie Highway that specializes in Hondas, so I'll take my car there.

Email to Heather:
I'm praying that there won't be anything blooming in Boston that I'm allergic to while I'm up there. For some reason, this year I've come down with horrible allergies... taking Claritin helped me last year, but this year it isn't doing anything. I actually woke up at 2 a.m. with a migraine and not being able to breathe through my nose -- not fun! I called an allergist last week and I'm going to have testing on the 16th of next month. Of course, that means that I can't take any medication the week before I go in for the testing, so that might be fun. :-P

Still no cicadas in my neighborhood, someone mentioned that the soil is too sandy or something. It's a new development, too... so that helps. Kurt and I saw our first cicadas yesterday -- we went to see Shrek 2 at the mall and they were EVERYWHERE! One flew right into him and he knocked it on the ground. BTW, Shrek 2 is such a cute movie -- you have to see it! No cicadas were at the wedding on Saturday... I was rather disappointed! That wedding was a perfect example of what you aren't supposed to do. The couple left the wedding cake in their car for several hours in 85+ degree heat, therefore it was doing an excellent impression of the leaning tower of Piza... their reception site was made up of two connected rooms, so you couldn't see what was going on in the other one, there was no AC in the room that we were in, they had to push tables out of the way so the bride & groom could have their first dance... ugh.

Grave's disease is something different, I think -- that's a lot worse. The technical name for what I have is "Hashimoto's Thyroiditis"... lol... sounds like the name of one of the Iron Chefs! Basically, it's some kind of autoimmune disorder where your body attacks your thyroid gland... It's really not that big of a deal, I just take thyroid hormone and have a blood test done every once in a while. Lots of women have it.

Ooh! Baby Gap!! Yay! I was in the Gap a few months ago and they had the cutest baby clothes -- one of my friends was buying something for her niece. Now I can buy something, too. :)

It seems that they have those whale watches several times a day, so I'm pretty sure that getting on one won't be a problem. I want to be flexible and not really locked into anything, since you never know what the weather will do. Speaking of which, do you know if there are usually tickets available on the day of Red Sox games? I don't know which team Kurt wants to see (or if he cares).

So ends my post for the day. Tonight we're going to do some cleaning and hopefully that will do something to assuage my allergies... I have enough trouble feeling rested to begin with and waking up at 2 am not being able to breathe isn't much fun!

last night
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: Clay Aiken
Topic: Friends and Family
I'll copy and paste an email I just sent Nick because I don't feel like re-typing it. I woke up late this morning - at 8:05 so I was pretty late to work. I don't feel like being here more than usual today.

I'll summarize my activities of yesterday evening that I apparently deleted from my blog : - (... met Kurt after work at Chevy's (apparently DuClaw was dead and there was no service to be had)... after a beverage and some tortilla chips & salsa, I set out in the mall to buy a gift for Ellen's wedding and I also wanted to stop at H&M to check out their clothes. DO NOT LET ME NEAR THAT STORE!! I am in LOVE! Such great clothes for such incredible prices!!! I guess that I don't have much of a conscience, because I'm sure that their clothes are made by children in sweatshops in 3rd world countries - but my GOD are they fabulous! Their sizes were a little off... I couldn't zip up a dress that was in a 10, but then put on a 12 and it was HUGE. I ended up buying 2 cute dresses, one is pink with Hawaiian type flowers and the other is pink & white striped (I am not telling you the sizes they were - I am appalled!)... then I bought 4 tank tops and a boat-neck shirt, a hair clip and a pink scarf that I'm going to use as a belt. I'm just so trendy. :-p~ Someone please cancel my Glamour and Cosmo subscriptions! I for some reason have this delusion that I'm a fashionista. Too bad I can't wear the stilettos that are so trendy right now... they kill my ankles. Anyway, I think that I am pretty much done shopping for my trip to Boston... I may try to get another pair of shoes, but I could make do with what I have now.

After H&M, I went down to Bed Bath & Beyond where Ellen & Scott have their gift registry... of course, the item that I was going to get them happened to be $10 more at the store than advertised on their website, so I ended up getting them something else. Of course, I saw something else that I had to have... my hair dryer has seen better days and is rather bulky... so I decided that it was time for a new one... they have new ionized ones that are supposed to make your hair shiny and not damage it (which my old dryer was certainly doing), so for $20 I bought it. I used it this morning and I really liked it! My hair is shinier than normal, too. There is a "cool" setting on this dryer which my old one doesn't have... whenever I have extra time to dry my hair, I'm going to use that one... plus I can use it for dry styling. My hair is finally getting a little longer again... I'm going to wait another few months before I cut it. I think that I'm going to keep the layers in it and start curling it... of course as it gets longer, I'll probably have to get up earlier to do it (ugh) since it takes longer to dry. That was one nice thing about short hair - no drying time. Speaking of hair, I think that I'll bite the bullet and get it colored again in the next week or so. I'm thinking about trying someplace new... although I like Rumors, they are pretty pricey. I'll probably go back to Split Ends... maybe today at lunch I'll stop in and get some prices. I won't go as drastic as last time; too much upkeep. Just the regular high & low lights... probably lighter since it's summer now (or practically summer).

Oh, more fun stuff... when I got the mail last night, there was a notice from the MVA asking me for proof of coverage for my Jetta. Of course I don't HAVE the Jetta anymore, but I can tell this is going to be a fiasco and a major pain in the ass. I was freaking out about it pretty bad last night, but I really calmed down once I started IM'ing my aunt. Here is what happened... I bought my Civic on 2/11 and had to call my insurance company (Progressive) on the spot to add it to my policy. Well, they REPLACED the Jetta with the Civic instead of just adding the Civic and I decided that I was going to get rid of them as my insurance provider anyway because they were getting too pricey... So I left it as-is and the very next day got a new policy for both cars. So really there was no lapse in coverage. But I'm sure that the MVA won't see it that way, bastards. :-/ So now I get to straighten all that stuff out... I may end up getting a $150 fine since I didn't get coverage for the car ON the 11th, even though it had it for that day. Does that make sense?


Oh well. Anyway, here's my email to Nick. I still want to post my conversation with Aunt Nancy, but it's saved on my home `puter (fortunately I saved it) so I can't access it here. If I think of it tonight, I'll put it up. It's pretty funny, I think and it gives you a good idea of all the other stuff going on that I haven't mentioned.

How exciting!

I guess you should be glad that he didn't pop a cap in your ass!

I meant to respond to the email that you sent last week, but I've been rather busy at work.

I'm quite perturbed by something I apparently did last night. I had an IM conversation with my aunt in Australia and had copied & pasted our conversation into my blog along with another paragraph or two on my activities after work yesterday. Well I apparently clicked on the "cancel" button instead of the "submit" button. :(

No entry!

Time to make some unnecessary changes to irrelevant documents.

Take care,

Lauren

P.S. Kurtis and I are attending a "cicada wedding" on Saturday. The wedding is being held at Gambrills State Park in Thurmont, reception is at Pinecliff Park in Frederick. Should be fun!


BTW, my "how exciting!" reply was in response to an email from Nick describing a harrowing road rage incident in PG County on Tuesday.

Iraq and 24
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: Isaak -- Always got tonight
Topic: Miscellaneous goings-on
I just read about the accident in Iraq with the helicopter firing on the wedding party... I remember when this same thing happened in Afghanistan. I also read that this occurred near a place that still has holdouts of rebel fighters.

Now I understand that it is a tradition in the middle east to fire weapons in the air to celebrate. Wouldn't you think to curtail that when you're in the middle of a war? I mean, come on!! If I hear gunfire, I'm going to think somebody is shooting at me. The Iraqi people can start shooting their guns in the air again when we're finished over there - now is NOT a good time.

I also read that there have been rebels firing weapons out of windows at a shrine. Now they're mad because we destroyed their shrine. What the hell do you think we're gonna do?? Yeah, sure... go ahead and fire at us, you're safe since you're in a holy place. Kind of like being on "base" when you're playing tag.

It's a shame that there are so many scandals going on over there right now. What we need is Jack Bauer! If David Palmer were our President and we had Jack in charge of CTU, this shit wouldn't be happening.

Speaking of Jack, 24 was incredible as always last night. Sherry Palmer and Julia Milliken are dead... it's about time they took Sherry out, that meddlesome woman! Now if only they'd get rid of Kim and stop wasting our time. I think that the pictures I posted yesterday aren't going to happen. I think that they were put out on the `net just to throw people off. Someone posted on a messageboard that they even filmed an entirely different ending last season just to throw the extras off. Pretty sneaky! On the preview of next week's (finale) episode, it showed a shot of Jack asking "Are you ready?" to Chase... but then it cuts to a shot of a red wire being clipped.

I wonder who will die in episode 24?

Tonight I'm meeting Kurt after work at DuClaw (he's been in the Frederick office most of the week). Haven't been there in AGES! So much for the diet. Maybe it will start this weekend!

24... only 2 hours left! Don't sleep on it!!
Mood:  chatty
Now Playing: incubus
Topic: TV, music, movies, etc.
Tuesdays at 9 on Fox! If you haven't been watching, you might as well not watch the next two episodes and instead rent seasons 1 & 2 to watch... then watch season 3 reruns (probably showing during the summer) and pick up with season 4 -- yes, there will be a season 4. :)


I've got some great spoiler pictures for the final episode of 24... of course it remains to be seen whether or not these scenes will really happen... but it looks like Julia is going to kill Sherrie Palmer tonight - YAY! That'll take care of that meddlesome bitch. Then maybe that pill bottle will just conveniently disappear. ;-)

I'm wondering if Jack will really cut off Chase's arm? I know that he's hardcore enough to do it, but maybe they'll be able to somehow diffuse the bomb. If Jack cuts off his arm, Chase will probably have to retire as a field agent and raise that baby with Kim like she suggested.

Wonder what's going to happen with Chloe? I know that she'll have some impact on tonight's episode... she is really a priceless character. That's it for now, I have to get back to work.

More Idol stuff.
Mood:  quizzical
Now Playing: LMP -- Important
Topic: TV, music, movies, etc.

http://entertainment.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=158533



Report: Jammed Phones Skew 'Idol' Tallies
May 16, 9:55 AM EST
The Associated Press
Many would-be "American Idol" voters are disenfranchised by overburdened phone lines and by "power dialers" who hog the system, the magazine Broadcasting & Cable reported.
According to the magazine's issue being released Monday, "the only people choosing the next 'American Idol" are the ones lucky enough to get through -- or skilled enough to get around -- tremendously overtaxed phone lines."
Fox TV, which airs the talent contest, has failed to address the difficulties viewers must overcome to log votes, the magazine said.
The show is a ratings winner and valuable property for its producers and Fox, but Broadcasting & Cable said the network is alienating viewers who repeatedly get a busy signal when they try to call in their votes.
The voting system has been called into question in recent weeks as contestants who appeared to be front-runners were dumped in favor of others who many viewers have complained were lesser performers.
Last week, favorite La Toya London was voted off while Jasmine Trias survived a shaky performance.
Fox said both it and the show's producers have "gone to great lengths" to ensure the integrity of the voting process.
"While acknowledging that dedicated fans may be unhappy with the outcome, the system only reports the decision of the voting public," the network said in a statement.
The contest winner, who gets a record contract, will be decided in the series finale May 25-26. Trias, Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo are still in the running.
Questions about "Idol" voting are nothing new.
In last year's finale between Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken, a total of 24 million votes were recorded, with Studdard declared the winner by a slim 134,000-vote margin.
But on the same night, Verizon, the nation's largest phone company, saw its daily volume increase by 116 million calls while SBC reported a call-volume increase of 115 million, according to Broadcasting & Cable.
That indicates a logjam in which millions of potential voters never got through, the magazine said.
Fox dismissed the allegation as speculative.
Viewers are allowed to vote repeatedly by phone during a two-hour window following the Tuesday show. Votes also can be cast by text messaging, which hasn't seen the same problems, the report said.
Jammed local phone lines, not the long-distance carrier network, creates the problem for callers, AT&T told the magazine.
Fox acknowledged there are times the phone network can't handle all calls due to the volume, but said it is using "the most sophisticated system available in the nation."
Ratings and call volume have risen over the show's three seasons.
Broadcasting & Cable said so-called power-dialers, who use fast Internet connections and computer autodialing software, also affect the outcome by the number of votes they are able to cast and by tying up lines so that others can't vote.
The magazine cited an August 2002 story by The Associated Press in which "American Idol" producers acknowledged power-dialers were casting thousands of votes.
In its statement Sunday, Fox said there are procedures in place to prevent individuals from "unfairly influencing the outcome of the voting," adding that producers can remove votes identified as power-dialing.

From the AI message board:
There will be a TWIST on Finale night... if you saw the latest AMerican Idol promo commercial it said there will be a "TWIST" on finale night...
wonder what the twist could be???

Here are some mb members speculating on the twist:
It could be a twist similar to the 'Survivor' twist at the end.
One winner is declared. And then they will let another winner be picked by America from all the other eleven contestants. Both will get instant contracts. (I like this one)
or maybe we can vote off the judges (Not a bad idea, either... except for Simon!)
The producers hand selected Idol will win; It was said from the beginning that the winner will definitely be a black female; and it is obvious who she is now; It was posted before the season even began; Everyone keep raging about the public voting when they really don't count anyway. The reason Jasmine is still there is because it's how the producers set it up. It had NOTHING to do with her getting so many votes for any reason at all. They want people to believe that and it is working just as they planned. Although Fantasia has been in the bottom votes a few times; Is'nt it ironic how she will all of a sudden win in the end; So go figure...it does'nt take much of a brain to do so. (Another conspiracy theory, this person is obviously adding fuel to the racism fire, stupid.)
the twist should be a duet with a famous singer (that would be VERY cool)
Maybe simon will do a little strip-tease.. (I'd pay to see that... how funny)
Yup, the last show will switch over to Fear Factor...the AI's face off! Whoever eats the highest volume in pig intestines wins! Woo Hoo!...oh wait...that's NBC...maybe they'll just let Alex decide which one he'd rather marry....but they only win if they correctly decide whether or not the groom is gay, LMAO.
maybe they will reveal that Paula is not a woman. simon is william hung's long lost father. randy and ryan are lovers (hehe)
How about they let the remaining girls fight it out? First Fantasia and Diana would go at it and the one left standing would face Jasmine since she is probably the weakest of the three. The method of fighting would be either boxing or mud wrestling. What y'all think? :-) (that would be great!)
maybe fantasia will get kicked off this week, and then on finale night they'll tell the truth and say that jennifer, latoya, and fantasia were the real top three and have an honest vote amongst the three. that would sure cause a big ol' hub-bub.
I heard they're bringing LaToya back for another chance..apparently there was some errors in reporting the votes (if only this were true...)
jasmine will gonna win the AI. do you remember when she was in the bottom 2 with camille and george she sing also, no one ever in the bottom 2 sings with the voted off finalists. it was only jasmine so far who were privileged to sing. therefore, jasmine will be the next AI, she is bankable because of her millions of solid fan base who is faithful to her all over the world. I for one is waiting for her single and album to come out. Mark my word, she will be the next AI 2004. no doubt and it is very true. (grrrrrrrrrreat, now if only she could teach her fan base proper use of the engrish...er, english language)


Yet another article:
Will your 'Idol' phone
vote really count?

By BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Millions of fans desperate to vote for the next "American Idol" are being thwarted - and frustrated - by busy signals when they try to call the hit show.
And Broadcasting & Cable magazine says the next songbird to become "American Idol" is more likely to be picked by computer geeks called "phone phreakers" than by fans with a run-of-the-mill phone.
That's because the average fan of the Fox TV blockbuster is getting outfoxed by computer-assisted speed dialers, the magazine reported.
"It's a bandwidth problem. There's only so much volume they can run through that pipe at one time," said Tom Cobbs of Database Systems Corp., which designs complex telephone networks.
Hundreds of so-called phone phreakers have rigged their computers to flood the show's switchboard automatically with votes using high-speed Internet connections and auto-dialing software, leaving even phone speed-dialers in the dust.
"This is thousands upon thousands of moderately tech-savvy fans who really get emotionally compelled to do something about who they want to win," Kurt Knutson, a high-tech expert on TV's "Cyberguy," told the magazine.
"They're not only using the system to vote for whomever they want, they're using it to tie up the lines so that other people can't vote," Knutson said. The show's lines are open for two hours after broadcast.
But the show's producers insist the voting system is not problem-plagued.
"The producers and network have gone to great lengths to ensure the integrity of the voting process on American Idol," Fox officials said in a statement. "America votes, an independent company calculates the tally and the show reports those results."
The focus on fair play got foggier last week when fan favorite LaToya London was ousted from the show, while lesser-liked Jasmine Trias moved on to join Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo for a big showdown tomorrow night. The contest winner, who gets a record contract, will be decided in the series finale, May 25-26.
Viewers were still E-mailing the show's Web site yesterday to complain about getting shut out of the voting.
"I had my phone set on speed dial for Latoya and never once got thru. And I dialed and dialed!!!! Something is wrong with the voting system and it needs to be corrected or the country will [lose] complete interest in the show!!" one fan wrote.