If you didn't know today was Name Your PC Day... you are not alone.  I didn't know until recently.  In fact, I emailed a friend a couple nights ago to see if she had a name for hers and she didn't.  She asked me if that made her weird; and I said  "no... I think those that name their computers are weird."

Well I think I was wrong.  It seems it is quite common for a person to name their PC.  So now I feel a little "left out".  I mean, I spend so much time on my laptop that it is almost like an extension of myself; like a dear friend!

Just as Alice, in Alice in Wonderland, I became curiouser and curiouser.  So I talked with my good friend Bridget Ayers over at The Get Smart Blog.  She didn't have to think about it,

My PC is Roxie, my old Dell laptop was Rocky it was a big behemoth Grey laptop that though not the sharpest PC out there slugged it out till the very end. My new laptop is a little white sleek HP that packs a bigger punch than good old Rocky but she still rocks it…..so Roxie.

Bridget was so kind to pose this question to the members of Get Smart Women Social Network. 

I am impressed with the names some people give their computers; and even more impressed with the stories behind the names.  Like Jennifer at Connect with your Teens,

I'm going to name my laptop "Little Red". I have a small Dell laptop inspiron 1420 that came in a variety of colors. I was tempted to get it in pink but my teenage son said that was too girly and talked me out of it. I wanted something fun and bright so I chose red with a matching red mouse and I love it. It is small and light enough to carry around, so "Little Red" is the perfect name for it.

And Paulette at www.letche.net/blog,

My present Sally has been a cool HP laptop in the last 11 months. Sometimes its naughty but what do you expect from a laptop that stays 24/7 working. My last laptop Teddy, was a Dell. I still owe Teddy a lot apology. I constantly rocked the life out of the battery watching "24" and "Desperate Housewives" for hours until it gave up the ghost. My "Junky" desktop, is a warehouse for most of my stuff. I still find it difficult to let go of some unnecessary data. But honestly I'm looking forward to getting Nikky, a cute Gateway convertible laptop. Unfortunately, Gateway made it impossible for me to get her out of the US last year. Sad!...

The image I'm using above, is of Paulette's Nikky.  She is a real beauty!

I started to think this was a female phenomenon, the naming of one's computer.  However, I quickly found out that my male friends give their PC's a moniker as well.  I talked with Greg from Nerd Beach,

My PC's name is Twip; this name isn't that unusual given that my previous computers included such names as Tweng and Twung.  The names are handy, unique labels, without any real meaning.

I got a quick note from my friend JB at The Launching Pad,

Mine is named "Mac"  hee hee.....

Ummmm, so are we to assume your PC is a Mac?  Or is there more to the story?  JB will have to let us know.

I know I'm not the only person who has NOT named their computer; it is definitely more commonplace than I realized though.  So I need your help.  My readers who know me or have a sense of who I am from my blog - help me name my computer.  I use my laptop a lot.  She is for the most part a constant companion.  I however, cannot come up with a name for her.  I had no trouble at all coming up with a name for my son, after carrying a child for 9 months and giving birth makes naming them a bit easier I suppose, but I keep coming up with nothing when it comes to my laptop.

If you have a suggestion for me, leave a comment and if I choose your name I'll devote a post to your blog or website. 

Oh, and if you have a name for your computer - we would love to hear it!  If you're like me and don't have a name yet, you have until midnight tonight, November 20, 2008, to come up with a name.  Hope to hear from you!

Did you know that today November 3, 2008, is Cliché Day?  Well, it is.  Cliche Day, observed Nov. 3rd, celebrates the art of using phrases to death. According to Wikipedia,

A cliché (from French, pronounced [klɪ'ʃe]) or cliche is a phrase, expression, or idea that has been overused to the point of losing its intended force or novelty, especially when at some time it was considered distinctively forceful or novel. The term is most likely to be used in a negative context. It is frequently used in modern culture to reference an action or idea that is expected or predictable based on a prior event.

We use or hear clichés all the time.  I think probably one of the most used cliches I hear is "when pigs fly"; what about you?  Take this cliche quiz and see if you know the origins of some of the most popular cliches.  By the way, I got them all correct.

Since today is Cliche Day I thought I would share with you my 10 favorite (and the ones I'm guilty of using) cliches:

1. Growing like a weed - usually used when referring something in the early stages of development, like a child or a company, this phrase  means growing or developing rapidly.  I use this cliche in referring to my son often.
2. Rubs me the wrong way - irritates or makes angry; or gives the feeling of distrust.
3. Give it a rest - stop trying to convince someone of something. 
4. A piece of cake - very easy; not difficult.  I say this a lot to my son.
5. God willing (and the creek don't rise) - everything that can be done is being done and what's left is hope; or hoping that something does or doesn't happen.  I'm certain that this one is a Southern saying.
6. What goes around comes around - you got what you deserved; justice was served. 
7. Keeping up with the Joneses - trying to live like you have more than you really have; living like you think your neighbors live.
8. Your room looks like a pig stye - used to describe a dirty/mess room.  I use this cliche more than all others in describing my son's bedroom.
9. Better late than never - it's better to conclude something late than to never conclude it.
10. When it rains, it pours - everything happens at once.

Check out ClicheSite.com for a large list of cliches.  I would love to know what cliche you use the most.  So leave a comment and share it with us.  And be sure to use a cliche or two today in celebration of Cliche Day!

Okay, I didn't get this idea myself.  It came from a guy named Steven; who goes by the Digg name sjbdallas.   Saturday I was on Digg doing my 'Digg stuff' and came across a story from cracked.com titled, 6 Signs Your About to be Attacked by Zombies.  In the comments sjbdallas remarked "We also need "6 signs you're about to turn into a zombie".

Thus the 10 Signs... were born.  So in the spirit of Halloween and zombie movies here are my ten signs:

  1.  You start to notice that some people not only have good taste... but taste good too.

  2.  It takes you ten times longer to walk to the mailbox.

  3.  People avoid or run from you.

  4.  You start to develop a pronounced dragging on one side of your body.

  5.  You start hanging out at the mall with groups of strangers.

  6.  Your deodorant doesn't work anymore.

  7.  You have nightmares about shotguns.

  8.  You order steak rare... like in still moving.

  9.  You think George A. Romero does documentaries.

10.  You doctor diagnosed you with onset Rigor Mortis.

If you would like to add to this list, leave a comment and share it with us!

One of my favorite things about the month of October is Halloween.  To be more specific... the horror/scary movies that come on during the month of October.  Ever since I was a young girl I have been a fan of horror movies... the scarier the better. 

I don't know if you're old enough to remember when Chiller (Theatre) came on Saturday nights at 11:30 p.m; well sometimes my mom would allow  me to stay up late with my uncle (he stayed with us for a while) who was eight years older than me, and watch the first movie that would come on Chiller.  It was usually a double-feature; I could have watched both but my Uncle had specific rules to turn the TV off after the first movie went off. 

Also, who could forget Movie Macabre which featured campy B horror host Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark. They also showed campy B movie double-features.  I was/am a horror movie junkie!

So this time of year gets me to thinking about all the horror movies I love watching; which in turn, got me thinking about which movie monster, madman and/or mutant was the scariest.  Here is my list of the top 10 scariest movie monsters:

Freddy - In the Nightmare on Elm Street movies, Freddy Krueger kept many a teenager frightened to go to sleep.  The undead Krueger inhabits the world of dreams and attacks his victims while they’re sleeping. His weapon of choice: A leather glove, from which sprouted four 6-inch knives.  Of all the 80's horror movie monsters that were supernatural, undead or non-human, Krueger was the scariest.

Jack Torrance - The first Stephen King book I ever read was The Shining; I have been a King fan ever since.  One of King's scariest characters is Jack Torrance. As you watch The Shining you get to watch Jack's lapse into insanity slowly unfold.  How horrifying to watch a father try to kill his own child.  The scene where Jack uses the axe to break through a door and the creepy and famous line "Here's Johnny" was creepily and most excellently played by Jack Nicholson.

Norman Bates - Any man who is such a mommy's boy is scary, in my opinion.  Seriously, Norman Bates is scary because once again he is a flesh and blood human. Also the shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho kept women from taking showers for years.

Leatherface - What makes Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre so scary, is that he is based on a true story.  To think that there was a man wearing a mask made of human skin, wielding a chainsaw and killing people that his family of cannibals directed him, really creeps me out.

Annie Wilkes - How can Kathy Bates be scary?  It's Bates character Annie Wilkes that's scary. In Stephen Kings Misery, Annie Wilkes is romance novelist Paul Sheldon's number one fan, unfortunately for him.  She is an obsessed fan that will do anything to keep him.  The scene with the sledge hammer still makes me wince.

Jaws - The reason Jaws is so scary for me is that it is a shark.  Something real and tangible.  I remember when I first saw Jaws, which happened to be on TV while I was babysitting a 3 year old that was napping.  I think I was thirteen and to this day I'm scared to get too far out in the ocean. When Jaws first came out their were many people who felt the same way.

Damien - How much scarier can you get than the child of Satan?  I think it is scary when the monster is a child.  How creepy to see a little boy or girl who should be innocent, look at you with lifeless or steely eyes.  In The Omen, Damien can send chills down your spine with the look in his eyes as he kills off those around him that could interfere in his reign over man-kind.

Pennywise - This one is almost a gimme, seeing that clowns can be downright scary in their own right.  However, Stephen King's malevolent, shape-shifting, child-killing monster in It is the scariest clown of all.  Pennywise is the ultimate child's nightmare!  I read the book before seeing the movie and if I had not already been scared of clowns before, I was after reading the book and definitely after seeing the movie.

Regan MacNeil - The twelve year old Regan from The Exorcist is scary because she is a child that is possessed by Satan.  There is something horrifying about a child being evil and Linda Blair played Regan in a way that reportedly caused heart failure to some of the moviegoers at the time, it was that frightening. I mean seeing a kid spewing pea soup, rotating her head 360 degrees and abusing a crucifix is pretty darn scary!

And the number 1 scariest monster/madman of all time (to me) is....

Hannibal Lechter - Lechter is horrifying because he IS human.  The scariest monsters to me are those that are of human flesh and blood.  Because they could be "real".  Not to mention Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Hannibal the Cannibal in Silence of the Lambs was so eerily frightening.  And of course there is the thought that he would like to eat my liver with a side of fava beans and a nice Chianti.

So these are my top ten scariest monsters.  Who or what do you think is the scariest movie monster?  We hope to hear from you!

On Monday, August 25, 2008, ABC will announce the celebrities for Season Seven of Dancing with the Stars.  There is speculation that Adam West, Lance Bass and Denise Richards to name a few, may be the next celebrity contestants on Dancing with the Stars.

This got me to thinking of who I would like to see on Dancing with the Stars.  My main criteria is that they are not dancers or have ever had dance lessons.  They should truly be amateurs and judged on how well they improve each week.  With that being said... this is my list:

• Donald Trump - maybe his toupee would fall off and we would finally have proof that The Donald wore a rug.
• Helen Mirren - I can't think of another almost senior citizen that could pull off wearing those costumes.
• Steve Carell - I think he is one of the funniest men so watching him dance would provide many laughs.
• Tina Fey - for the same reason I want Steve Carell, she would be funny to watch.
• Ozzy Osbourne - I will predict he will be the first male to go.
• Amy Winehouse - I will predict she will be the first female to go.
• Kiefer Sutherland - it could prove to be dangerous to be Kiefer's dance partner being that on 24 anyone close to him dies.
• Holly Hunter - just because I'm a big fan of Saving Grace.
• Matthew McConaughey - need I say more!
• Angelina Jolie - for they guys.
• Michael Phelps - America's sweetheart!  I think he would probably win hands down.
• Leryn Franco - the Olympic javelin thrower from Paraguay would probably have the best chance to win among my choices of women.

I think my picks would provide tons of entertainment!  And I don't believe any of them are dancers.  Something that bothers me about Dancing with the Stars...they always have at least one celebrity that knows how to dance.  This isn't fair to those celebrities that have no dance background.

Well on Monday, August 25, 2008 we will know who the twelve contestants for season seven of Dancing with the Stars will be; and I am sure that not one of my twelve will be among them. 

Do you have a celebrity you would like to see on Dancing with the Stars?  If so we would love to hear it!  Hope to hear from you.  Enjoy life!

Being a woman I have heard all the jokes and remarks about how women can't drive or park.  You have to be loaded with testosterone to be able to drive.  So I decided to do a little research...and this is what I found.

According to Car-Accidents.com:

Men are more than twice as likely to die in a car crash than women, consider the yearly statistics shown below. In fact, studies have shown as many as 73 percent of all people killed in car accidents are male. Since record keeping began: male fatalities significantly outweigh female fatalities. However men and women do not drive the same number of miles under the same conditions- men do about 60-65% more driving than women. Studies show that woman take shorter trips and female drivers have a greater number of minor crashes than do men. However men are still 70% more likely to be in a serious crash.

In 2006, Male drivers killed was 29,722 compared to 12,747 female drivers killed.

What could account for this disparity?  Some researchers believe the explanation could be hormonal - related to aggressiveness, others put more emphasis on data such as the measurably greater alcohol use among men while driving.

Now if this isn't enough proof check out this YouTube video.

I want to add that I am by no means 'men-bashing'.  Men are wonderful!  I have to say my husband is in fact, a good driver. 

Just a little good-humored retaliation for all the videos, pictures and comments about 'bad women drivers'. 

So guys please don't be offended...just admit women are better drivers!

Did you know there was a website where you can find useless facts?  Well there is!  I already consider myself the Queen of useless information...so am pleased to know that there is a web site of useless facts, where upon I can retain even more useless information.

At useless-facts.net they break down the useless facts into categories and broken down even further with subcategories:

• People - Presidents, Babies & Birth, Movies & Movie Stars and The Body, to name a few.
• Places - China, Colleges and Geography and more.
• Living Things - Animals,Insects and Spiders and Fish
• Society - Laws, Crime and Drugs
• Academic - Energy, Literature and Medicine
• Other Facts - Death and Magic and the Occult are a sampling of the subcategories.

Did you know:

• That the oldest piano still in existence was built in 1720?
• Christopher Columbus had blond hair?
• Theodore Roosevelt's wife and mother died on the same day?
• In ancient China people committed suicide by eating a pound of salt?
• A rat can go without water longer than a camel can?
• And speaking of camels, it is illegal to hunt camels in the state of Arizona?

Did you know:

• In 1915 the average annual family income in the United States was $687 a year?
• Before King George IV OF England ordered a set of boots made to fit each of his feet, shoes were designed to be worn on either foot?
• Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote a 6,000 word epic poem when he was twelve years old?

I love this web site!  Now my arsenal of useless information will grow as I soak up like a sponge the new useless facts that I didn't already know. 

Go check out UselessFacts.net.  I promise you will learn something...what is useless to some may not be useless to all!

Yes, you heard me correctly, today is National Underwear Day!  National Underwear Day (August 5, 2008) even has a web site:  NationalUnderwearday.com.

From nationalunderwearday.com:

Underwear is no longer considered "unmentionable." With National Underwear Day, we focus the public's awareness on underwear for just one day in the spirit of grand celebration. Our 6th annual event has the makings of the best event to date with the most underwear brands for the runway shows...

I did a little research and here is some background history on underwear.  Of course the obvious is that underwear (undergarments) are clothes worn under your clothes.  According to Wikipedia, they keep outer garments from being soiled by perspiration, shape the body and provide support for parts of it, and in cold climates help the wearer to keep warm. Undergarments can be used to preserve the wearer's modesty, as well as for erotic effect.

The first and simplest form of underwear was the loincloth.  In warmer climates the loincloth was probably the only clothing worn.

Men are said to have worn loincloths in ancient Greece and Rome, though it is unclear whether Greek women wore undergarments. There is some speculation that only slaves wore loincloths and that citizens did not wear undergarments beneath their clothing.

The fabric used for loincloths may have been wool, linen or a linsey-woolsey blend.  I see why Greek women didn't wear them.  Can you imagine wearing wool panties?

I have to admit that I never thought reading about underwear could be so interesting but the history of underwear is quite fascinating.  In fact, I highly recommend you go to Wikipedia and read the history of underwear. 

So today for National Underwear Day...wear you best undies!

I received this video this morning in my inbox and thought it was hilarious and wanted to share it with you.

The source of this video is Newsday.com/walt.  The creator is Walt Handelsman - you can read all about him at Wikipedia.  I highly recommend you check his work out at Newsday!

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do!

Just type in the song you need the lyrics to and click search.  You can find songs by Blondie, Kenny Loggins, Prince, ABBA, Rick Springfield, John Mellencamp, Peter Gabriel and many more.

If you can't remember song lyrics for 'One Way Or Another', Rock Around The Clock, Caribbean Queen and Rosanna, you'll find them at Oldie Lyrics.

You can find song lyrics by Led Zeppelin, Journey, Meat Loaf and the Eagles.  So you can find the lyrics to 'Stairway To Heaven', 'It Just Won't Quit', 'Hotel California' and 'Lights'.

Go to oldielyrics.com and search for your favorite song lyrics.  One of my favorite songs is the Eagles'  'Hotel California', and the lyrics are really kind of funny for this song.

What is your favorite song?  We would love to hear it!  Hope to hear from you.