GET OVER IT!

So it was announced (or at least I read about it) today that in order to combat the rising costs of goods, Girl Scout cookies will now come to us in smaller quantities. Just when we all came to terms with the fact we're paying $3.50 for 6 cookies, now we'll only get 4. At least, that's what it seems like...

My initial reaction was much like my reaction every time I go to the grocery store... "you have to be fucking kidding me." It's the same reaction I uttered the first time I opened a can of green beans and poured out a cup of water to be left with an ounce of grayish green deliciousness. Or when we opened a bag of Ruffles to discover instead of being half filled, it was only 1/3 filled. Screw you all. But it's how companies are winning the recession game - charge the same but give less product, under the thinly veiled illusion of status quo.

So now the Girl Scouts, with their knee-high socks and stupid sashes, are in on the game. It's not that I don't support the GS, I am a former member and think it's a great organization. I believe in the cause, and therefore I will buy the damn cookies.

What I find most hilarious about this whole thing is the replies that news sites are getting from readers. Sure, there are a few complaining that we're getting less for our money these days, and the effing cookies are already overpriced as is. But there are actually people out there using this as a platform for preaching healthier eating. They're chanting "Use this Opportunity to Treat Your Body like the Temple It Is!" A woman claims she can no longer eat packaged cookies because now that she eats only whole foods, her body cannot handle the processed pucks or any thing else the rest of us call "tasty". Someone else bitched that the Girl Scouts are actually part of a grand conspiracy to kill us gluttons with their hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup. Yes, that is their part of their new mission statement. Apparently, you missed the memo on that....

Give me a damn break. I eat healthy 90% of the time. I only have whole grain bread in the house, we eat whole wheat pasta from time to time, and we're big in vegetables and fruits. I do cringe when my husband eats a Twinkie because it just can't be good for you. But I'm not a nazi for pete's sake. Don't make the rest of us feel like freaks with nipples on our cheeks because we eat a cookie every once in a while. A little treat never killed anyone. Would you rather the Girl Scouts go door to door selling hummus? Yeah, remind me not to go to any of your parties, you wild child!!!

Get over it.

Ask and you shall receive.....REALLY!

Inspired by a story on Yahoo today (at least I think it was Yahoo), I decided to call many of the folks who are kind enough to send me bills every month and ask for a discount. It never really occurred to me to do this, as I am so used to customer DISservice. And guess what happened? I am 3 for 3! Well, technically 2 for 3, but I still count one of them as a victory for my family.

DirecTv and CenturyTel were most obliging. I explained that times were tight and we were buckling down, and they immediately offered discounts. DirecTv at first only offered $5 off a month for 12 months, which is better than nothing. But I asked again if that was the best they could do to keep a customer, and she upped it to $10 a month. Yeah! $10 is $10 and I'll take it. Our bill is still ridiculous and I still hate DirecTv, but they moved up a few notches with this gesture.

CenturyTel's EJ gave me a $10 discount right off the bat as a loyalty discount. I didn't want to push any further because I don't want to sound pathetic. But again, it's $10 a month. Up to $20 a month!

The last call was to my cell phone provider and what shocked me was how encompassing our plan was and we didn't need it to be. And apparently we didn't have a texting plan so all those damn messages I've been sending to Jaime and Erin were costing me big bucks. OOPS. So we took down the plan a notch and added texting, and now our bill will be $35 cheaper a month!

$55/month so far and I'm waiting for a call back from my insurance agent now. I've heard that even THEY are willing to negotiate due to all the cheap providers on the internet. Don't know what will come of it, but either way at least I'm trying. Work with me, Paul!

And just because I'm saving money DOES NOT mean that I want to buy my prescription drugs from you Kareem Crockett, so please tell your friends to stop sending me 87 messages a day on discounted Cialis.

Janik Family = $55 richer a month
Me = Awesome

Forget the Inauguration...I found Kirsten (even if she is a liberal)

I'm not going to spew thoughts on the Inauguration of Barack Obama because there is no point in doing so. I am a conservative and hold steady in my political stance. This, however, is not to say that I wish him failure. I do not, I hope nothing but the highest success for our new President. As stated before, I respect the highest office in the Land.

This entry is about something so much more exciting to me at the moment. Thanks to Erin (who made me get on Facebook), I've reconnected with my college friend Kirsten. Like 2 fraternal village idiot twins, we were inseparable for a good portion of our college years: partied, cried, laughed, drank Sloe-Screws until our skin turned pink, invented smoke filters, body surfed, evaded the "Second Floor Smoking Nazis", admitted defeat by the "Second Floor Smoking Nazis" and moved up two floors and became roomies, talked New Kids, had snowball fights, lived in an adorable yellow house together....oh, sometimes we went to class....

I am so grateful to Facebook for I've reconnected with some great friends I never thought I'd see again. And finding Kirsten has been the highlight thus far. We have 10 years to make up for....look out.

Recession Smessesion....Apparently!

FROM TVGUIDE.COM




Shakira, Stevie Wonder and Usher




Crowds and Celebs Alike Pack We Are One Inaugural Kick-Off Concert


Just two days shy of Inauguration Day, swaths of celebrities, an estimated 300,000 people and TV viewers turned out to join We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, Barack Obama's inaugural kick-off concert.

More than an estimated 300,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial midday Sunday to see readings, speeches, appearances, performances and more from the likes of Beyonce, U2, Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Jamie Foxx, Garth Brooks and Jack Black, among others.

Denzel Washington introduced the event, during which a veritable parade of stars took the stage. Bruce Springsteen followed Washington with a performance of "The Rising," a song of his that was often used on Obama's campaign trail.

In the spirit of the concert's theme, the afternoon was marked by unusual pairings of people at the mic. Steve Carell and Jamie Foxx, for example, appeared together for a pair of readings (plus a few laughs), while James Taylor, John Legend and Grammy-winning country singer Jennifer Nettles performed "Shower the People." Later on, Ashley Judd and Forest Whitaker spoke together about the importance of poets, after which Usher and Shakira performed "Higher Ground," with Stevie Wonder on keyboard.

The afternoon was also punctuated by nods to history. John Adams star Laura Linney introduced a video of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the start of concert, while Samuel L. Jackson appeared later with words about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and the movement they started. U2 tag-teamed with a tribute to Dr. King, performing "Pride (In the Name of Love)."

Shortly before the concert drew to a close, Obama arrived on stage to speak to the throngs spread out around the Reflecting Pool.

"I stand here today as hopeful as ever that the United States of America will endure — that the dream of our founders will live on in our time," he said.

Backed by a choir, the Boss returned to the stage with Pete Seeger to jam out "This Land Is Your Land."

Beyonce, who will perform "At Last" for Barack and Michelle Obama's first dance on Tuesday, closed the two-hour celebration with a rousing rendition of "America the Beautiful" as all the day's performers and guests joined her on stage for a star-studded sing-along.




So, it's rumored this this "celebration" will cost 160 Million dollars. Let me say that again....160 MILLION DOLLARS. For a man who is talking about bringing together the nation and whose goal is to fix this economic mess we're in, this sure as hell is sending the wrong message. Is this an Inauguration or an effing "We Are the World" concert? Wouldn't it have been much more suited for him to continue putting on the "I'm one of you" shows? This blatant display of tossing your money into an alligator's mouth is downright hilarious. "One of us" my ass!

I am not a total inept moron who actually believes that this inauguration could be handled quietly and tastefully (tastefully being the key word here). People are excited and want to celebrate. Great, let them! But you know damn well many of these people are the same people we saw bitching and moaning in Obama's "historic" infomercial about how they have no money, no security, no jobs......... Yet they'll shell out the high prices for tickets to Obama parties. Here's an idea...stay home an put that money in the bank. You know, for an even rainier day (that I'm sure you'll blame Bush for).

Sigh. A sign of the times.... I wonder if the entertainers turning out in droves for this realize that normal people see that their omnipresence throughout this entire thing is making a mockery of the institution. Is this Woodstock, or the Inauguration of the our next (deep breath) President?

Sexiest Serial Killer EVER

Seriously, just look at that face...

I'm officially obsessed with the Shotime show "Dexter." I knew I'd like it as horror movies are my thing, but I had no idea it would be to this level. After cranking out seasons 1 and 2 each in less than 48 hours, I'm ready to declare my love to Dexter. There's just that small little detail of him being a fictional character. And a murderer. Oh, and I'm married.

A killer with a conscience. Who knew?



Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Look at me!

3 new posts today and counting! I'm on a roll!!!

Breaking News

This just in... Tom Cruise is deeply saddened for the the plastic milk ring I had to throw away this morning. He calls the event "horrific."

Tom Cruise on Jett Travolta's Death

WHY is this in the headline news on Yahoo's home page? Why do I care what Tom Cruise has to say about this tragedy? I am deeply saddened for the Travoltas. It was THEIR son. So why the hell does everyone care about what Tom "I'm a fucking lunatic" Cruise has to say on the matter? Totally baffles me. Nobody knocked on my door to ask me my opinion on the passing.

Is it because they're both Scientologists? Gee, for a guy who says he wants to dispell the myth that Scientologists are a bunch of cultists, he is doing nothing to help his cause.

Tom, please do us all a favor...go back to making your crappy movies and turning poor Kate into a Stepford Wife. Your time is up.

This is SO me

So I started this blog with the best intentions. I was going to update it regularly so that all my peeps would know what is happening in my life, my family's life, etc. I started off with a gusto....several posts hammered out in the first day, a few closely following. And, just like a lot of other things in my life, I stopped. Just like that. Obsessed at first, then totally disinterested.

It's not that I don't have anything to say. It's actually quite the opposite. My son gets his jabber-jaws from me. The last month has been so busy and lots of cool stuff has happened that I totally WANT to blog about. I just haven't gotten around to it. The holidays are very busy!

But I do have time to say this...WII is awesome. We're totally obsessed with it right now, which means next month, I'll stop playing it altogether.