From those wonderful folks at Guinness:

“Last year, Guinness® started Proposition 3-17, the campaign to make St. Patrick’s Day an official holiday in the US. While we gained a lot of your support, we still need one million signatures.
When you and your friends support Proposition 3-17, you have the opportunity to make a difference. To make history. To make official what we already know is the greatest holiday of the year.”

This is something that is near and dear
to me Irish heart.
Click on the Guinness banner above and cast your vote!
My dear daughter Sarah sent this link to me but failed to buy me a pint.
Oh, sweet Mother McCree, kids these days . . .
If you feel so inclined to purchase me a pint, click on the Guinness glass below.
All will be explained.
(michael@badsneaker.net)
But at least sign the petition!
btw- I’m making “Steak & Guinness Pie” this year for the Irish holiday. (thanks, J0j0!)
Stay tuned for the review.

“No man ever wore a scarf as warm as his daughter’s arm around his neck.”
~Old Irish saying

Pour yourself a pint!!!!!!!!

I’ve had some very odd things happen in my life lately and it seemed not only appropriate but almost necessary to tell you folks about it.
Aren’t you glad you stopped by?

The picture below will tell you all you need to know about my commute into Boston this morning.
The train I was riding in was empty.
No people.
Just me.
It was empty for the first two stops.
Very strange.
Sitting alone on a moving train at 6AM on a weekday is not only odd but it’s really creepy in a ‘Rod Serling, Twilight Zone’ kind of way.
No human voices or announcements, just the cracking metal creaks, low scraping groans and the desperate sounds of a wheezing ventilation system filling the wee hours of a Thursday morning ride.
I made it to Boston, falling asleep somewhere after Framingham . . .

My mail slot has produced some definite weirdness over the past few weeks as well.
I got a bill from a geriatric/medical place for my mother, in care of me.
The bill originated from the assisted living place she left in 2000.
I’ve now received two bills and have made as many phone calls to the company.
The last several years of her life she had no dentures because she had lost every set we had made.
It got too damn expensive to make any more.
Guess what this bill was for?
You got it- a case of Crest toothpaste.
Shoot me.

Monday morning I woke up at 4:30AM and the first thought in my mind was,
“I wonder how tall Bing Crosby was?”
I kid you not.
You can’t make this kind of shit up.
Before you go to Google, he was 5′ 7″ tall.
Here I was thinking he was taller.
Whatever courses through my brain at that time of the morning should be sanitized and bottled.
I’m thinking if it were administered properly, it could be used to interrogate criminals.
Or not.
Just a thought.
Any weird stuff happen to you today?

I was given this award a few months ago by Annie, a writer I truly admire (and a dear friend).
She gave me the award saying this; “Michael at Smoke & Mirrors because his landscape is beautiful and touching, albeit often sad, and so very real that his words can touch as no others can.”
I have to apologize for being so damn late.
Thank you, WC.

Here are the rules for the winners:

I’m bestowing this honor on five bloggers that I feel are deserving in so very many ways.
They are all wonderful and have added so much colour and creativity to our cyberspatial community.

Spasmically Perfect

Spaz and I go way back to the early days.
A comment of hers left me speechless and I haven’t stopped visiting her since.
If you haven’t spent some time at this very special blog you are missing out on some wonderful stories, prose and the thoughts of one incredibly creative woman.

Enreal

Not sure how we linked up initially but I’m so very glad that we did.
A visit to this place is simply magical.
Her words are not unlike a wonderful session of yoga for the restless mind.
Trust me.

Grimm

What can I say about a guy like me that is totally in love with his wife and kids?
Grimm is a lighter and much funnier version of yours truly.
This is a guy that really deserves more recognition that what he gets.
I found Grimm on BlogExplosion a little while back and have been thoroughly entertained since.
I am proud and truly honoured to call him a friend.

Poetikat

A blog that makes you laugh, cry and give serious thought to the many serious questions regarding our lives.
Kat is a writer/poet that truly inspires me to be just a bit more, creatively speaking.
Though she has an avid following I had to give her this award.
Please stop by and say hi to Kat.

Smith

Although he’s the ultimate blogslacker, he writes very well and has a joyfully sardonic sense of humor.
His view on the world is uniquely his own and I love the fact that he can verbally smackdown
the most intellectual of assholes with the most succinct use of the English language known to man.
Did I say he writes well?
Please visit Smith.
Someone has to at least tell him he won an award . . .  (yeah, i’m a wisearse)

Congrats to all!

Research has led to the discovery of one of the heaviest elements yet known to science.
The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neuron, 25 assistant neurons, 88 deputy neurons and 198 assistant deputy neurons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.
These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.
Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.
A minute amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that normally takes less than a second to as long as 4 years to complete.
Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2-6 years; it does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neurons and deputy neurons exchange places. In fact, Governmentium’s mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization causes more morons to become neurons, forming isodopes.
This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass. When catalyzed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, which has half as many peons but twice the number of morons.
Science is amazing sometimes,  isn’t it?

Propaganda, wasteful debates, meaningless answers to the
ad nauseum questions that never got truthfully answered
and now we have to vote?
On what?
Jesus Krispies, I’m really confused on this one.
Time for a write-in?
How about Elvis?
Hmmm . . .

Weekends seem to yearn for a video.
Not many people visit but those that do have a bit of time on their hands.
Found this ‘writing’ video and just had to share it.
Too damn funny.
Have a serene weekend everybody!

700 big ones?
What the hell is going on here?
Nevermind.
Maybe I REALLY don’t want to know.
So much crap I will never understand
Maybe the j0KER does . . .
I can’t even wrap my head around a number like a billion.
But 700?

Posting this tonight for all the courageous men and women in Iraq and the world over.
Know that we pray for all of you and hope for your safe return.
I heard this song many years ago and it moved me to tears.
I’ve since found it to be a comforting song to listen to in times of need.
Sometimes I just want people to know about songs like this.
Tonight is one of those times.
I send this out to my niece Cait (I miss you dearly, kiddo)
and all those missing someone dear that is currently serving abroad.
Come home soon guys.
This song is by Steven Curtis Chapman.

*listen with headphones!

A recent comment from Dolce got me thinking.
Reminded me of a Donald Fagen tune from long ago.
Had to post it because it’s just way too cool.
Brought to mind my friend, FFE
He’s a Dan freak, just like me.
Go figure.
Great video, check it out.

~m

Electile Dysfunction:
Inability to become aroused over any of the choices
for President put forth by either party in the 2008 election year.

{tnks, Lynn!}