I'm typing this as I take a break from housecleaning. My stereo WAS playing random selections from various CDs, until Julia DeMato's rendition of "At Last" started playing. I ran to my CD player and hit the repeat button so I could enjoy this absolutely wonderful rendition over and over.

For being such a fantastic singer (with the correct songs) as well as being disconcertingly beautiful, Julia DeMato is my December 21st Hottie of the Day.

Q: What's better than coming in second place at the Special Olympics?

A: Not being retarded.

Tonight I arrived at Rich O's early, determined to sample their new Silent Oath and their Bourbondaddy, which I've had before, before they ran out.

The Bourbondaddy is a stout aged in a used bourbon barrel. I had this last year at about this time, and I remember liking it, but I don't remember much else about it. This time around I actually paid attention to what I was drinking. It's a little bitter at first, but after that it's very good. Nothing extremely special, it tastes the way it should - a medium stout with a little bourbon flavor added.

Next I tried the NABC's newest brew, Silent Oath. They're calling it a "Belgian Brown Ale" but I don't really know what that means so I'll call it "Newcastle with Apples in it." It was okay, and the apple undertones weren't that strong. I liked it.

Lastly, I had a Goose Island Christmas Ale, and I honestly couldn't tell the difference between it and their regular Nut Brown Ale. Perhaps this was because I'd already had a couple of pretty strong beers. I liked it, but I didn't see anything special about it.

I was contemplating trying another Christmas Ale but then MysteryLady surprised me by showing up so I had sex instead.

After I left my sister's house I went to Rich O's, partly to be around some adults, and partly to try their new belgian ale. Well I got my dates mixed up and the new ale won't be out until Saturday so I ended up just having a couple of Cone Smokers. Still style #2, and I'm still quite happy about that.

While we enjoyed our drinks, LaptopGirl, MisunderstoodGirl, and I hashed out some ideas for a cinematic masterpiece.

The girls are thinking more of an indy-film type of documentary, and while I think that it would be great for the 15 or so people that would actually see it, I think the idea would work much better as a weekly TV reality show.

Also, I think that LaptopGirl needs to drop the whole "obsessed with shoes" angle altogether unless she's wanting to make a fetish film.

Exchanged presents with my sisters' families last night. It definitely seems odd to be having Christmas on December 19, but everyone is so busy busy busy that last night ended up being the best time to do it I guess.

I got two of the things I'd specifically asked for (a Skewb Diamond puzzle and Robert Byrne's new book) as well as a cool cat calendar, a DVD, and a couple of cans of nuts.

Next on the festivities calendar is Christmas Eve, which will be at my house this year. That will be very strange, since it's been at my Grandma's house for my entire life.

With today's capture of Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden's title of The Hide and Seek Champion of the World has lost its only serious challenger.

/Paraphrased from fark.com.

Four inches of snow fell last night, and I'm sorry to admit that that's a lot of snow for this area these days.

This could end up being the biggest snowfall we get this season and that really sucks.

Winters were a lot more interesting when I was a kid.

Not so much of a report this time as simply an update.

Cone Smoker #2 is back! At least for now.

That is all.

The images I create never end up looking the want I imagine them when I first start out.

Case in point - this new image was way cooler in my head than the way Vue D'Esprit rendered it.

It may come as a shock to those who know me but I'm not a particularly giving person when it comes to charities.

My donations are usually limited to things like throwing some change in the Salvation Army buckets, giving a check to the local Volunteer Fire Department, and buying Girl Scout cookies.

One of my pet peeves is when people ambush you looking for donations. Whether it's the March of Dimes laying in wait at freeway exit ramps, or homeless fiddle players at bus stops, I just end up getting annoyed.

And unfortunately, perhaps because of people like me that don't go around throwing money at strangers, the trend of active vs passive donation seeking is increasing. I'm sure the proliferation of credit and debit cards, and the resulting lack of cash-carrying, has something to do with it as well.

This trend reached its highest level for me the other day at a Taco Bell drive-thru. A damn drive-thru window. When I drove up to pay the guy asked me if I'd like to purchase a star (or maybe a tree) with my name on it to help some organization or another. I didn't really pay attention, I just reflexively said "no thanks" while feeling shocked that now even drive-thru windows weren't safe.

I know that there are a lot of organizations out there that do good things, and that these organization need money to function, but if I gave money to every group that had their hand out I'd need to start soliciting to feed myself. I have to prioritize, and one of the measurements I use to do that is - How annoying is the group in question?

Unfortunately that annoyance factor is becoming less and less useful as more and more groups are relying on the ambush method of fundraising.