My time in Indiana is nearly up for now. I'll be returning to Austin next Thursday. It snowed here a couple of days ago. Everyone was all, "Ugh, snow!" but I was so excited, dancing around in it and telling everyone, "Wow, it's SNOWING!" They just laughed. The high has been below freezing for several days, and there may be more snow before I leave. I'm loving being in a place that has season-appropriate weather.

Because I'm feeling festive, I've collected a few holiday links for you all:

• The Holiday Party Excuse Generator is a valuable resource and should be shared, even if it does blow my cover for my more introverted moments. (from Lifehacker)
• The perfect gift for those who have everything (and enkigrl!): the Blood Scarf, a prototype that features an IV that sucks your blood through a plastic scarf. Your own blood keeps you warm even as it seeps your life force from you. Such delicious irony! (from Make)
• Need a gift for your favorite geek? Check out 81 Movies for Geeks That Don't Suck. (Digg.com)
• It's Pez! It's a menorah! It's a...Peznorah! (Lifehacker)
• Gingerbread men on sticks! Surely these were a favorite at Vlad the Impaler's castle.
• A nice way to donate to school projects--even $10 is appreciated. Do it and feel good! (from various)
• For those who prefer to donate by click, Charity Click Donation has rounded up all the click sites for you. (various)
• Instructables tells you how to organize and cook holiday dinner for a crowd. Practical advice AND impressive spreadsheets figure prominently. (Lifehacker)
• And finally, just in time for the holidays, the top ten bad things that are good for you. Mmmm, maggots! (from Live Science)

And a few non-holiday ones:

• Wikipedia uncovers the origin of the pirate dialect--it's not where you might think. Arrr! (from LanguageHat)
• Try this world geography test when you have a moment. (That especially means you, der_geograf!) I did surprisingly poorly, but then, there are lots of new countries since I took World Geography in 4th grade. (courtesy of Kottke's Remaindered Links)
• This made me giggle: the Post-Rapture Postal Service allows all you saved people to write to your left behind loved ones after the Rapture happens and you ascend. I'm not clear on how the messages will be delivered, but it's a nice idea. I guess. (from Marginal Revolution)
• A new study shows a strong link between Dubya voters and mental illness. I'll leave the witty comments to you, gentle readers; it's just too easy. (via Wonkette)

That's it for now!

For those of you who are DVD addicts like me, you might be interested to know that Deep Discount DVD is having their annual 20% off sale. Since they already have the lowest prices around (and free shipping!), this is a sale indeed. Just enter the word "SUPERSALE" when it asks for coupons and you'll get your discount. I put in my order this morning!

You are Supergirl
Lean, muscular and feminine. Honest and a defender of the innocent.

Supergirl 82% Green Lantern 80% Wonder Woman 67% Spider-Man 65% Superman 65% Hulk 65% Robin 60% Iron Man 60% The Flash 55% Batman 55% Catwoman 45%

Click here to take the "Which Superhero Are You?" quiz...

Thanks, asukamisu!

Courtesy of deviantsaint:

You scored as Old School Democrat. Old school Democrats emphasize economic justice and opportunity. The Democratic ideal is best summarized by the Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. </td> Old School Democrat 90% Green 85% New Democrat 80% Libertarian 60% Foreign Policy Hawk 45% Pro Business Republican 15% Socially Conservative Republican 0% What's Your Political Philosophy? created with QuizFarm.com

My friend Shonda (fpkillkill) is finally coming to visit next weekend! I'm very excited about this. She'll be here from Friday at 1PM to Sunday at 1PM (we know this because she's flying). Shonda has requested doing Mr. Sinus Theater (Crossroads with Britney Spears is the feature--we're going to the 9:45 PM show), and I'm sure that tequila sampling (possibly at Moonshine)'s happy hour will be involved beforehand. If anyone's interested in joining us, let me know! And if there's something else fabulous going on next week that I don't know about, let me know that too!

I'm going to be getting a new car next week. After much research, I've narrowed it down to two, both Hondas. I test-drove them yesterday, hoping that it would clarify things, but it didn't--they're both great vehicles with nice features. Either would be fine; it's just that they're so different. Do I want a luxury car or a sporty SUV? They're comparable in price, gas mileage, and Consumer Reports ratings.

Please take a look at the Accord and the CR-V, then opine as to which fits me better. If you have any personal experience with either one, that would be good to know too. There are no wrong answers.

Thanks!!

I'm really enjoying The Colbert Report, Comedy Central's new show that complements The Daily Show. It's clever and frequently audaciously hilarious. Tonight, he interviewed U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs-Jones (D-Ohio). This made me giggle:

COLBERT: Twenty-two astronauts were born in Ohio. What is it about your state that makes people want to flee the Earth?

Worth a watch, especially since it just got picked up for a full year!

Wow, it's all happening so fast! The indictments last week, with Patrick Fitzgerald being all Eliot Ness-like. (Karl Rove is confirmed as the source of the leak. Surely he can't stay in his position much longer.) Tuesday, Harry Reid closed down the Senate with a resounding speech (well worth reading) about Republican corruption and collusion that forced a long-overdue investigation. The CIA secret prisons that we all knew existed are being exposed for all to see. Even true conservatives such as Edward Alden and Joe Scarborough are questioning the Bush Administration. Add that to DeLay's indictments, Bill Frist's investment problems, and the emerging lobbyist scandal, and I think we just might have ourselves a democracy again.

Okay, so I know that this isn't funny. But the irony factor is off the scale. Please discuss.

Relationships are hard to end, and this one is really tough.

I remember the first time I saw my 1997 Eclipse, glistening in the sun in the dealer lot, her Cayenne Red Pearl-ness outshining all others. It was love at first sight. We were as one from the moment I shifted into first gear. Even the first scratch, the first dent, made no difference. When she was sick, I took her to the shop and paid the price without complaint. The first six years were marvelous. I never once looked at another car, even when she started losing her looks. It was when we moved to Austin last year that things started to go bad. She wanted a new clutch, a new starter, several new batteries, new fuel and water pumps. I did my best to make her happy, but doing so was rapidly putting me into debt. Nothing was ever enough.

When she pitched a fit and threw a tie rod in Rowlett a couple of months ago, nearly killing me in the process, I realized that the great love we'd shared was no longer there. I just didn't feel safe around her anymore. We'd shared 127,000 miles of fast driving and swoopy maneuvering, all of it sheer pleasure, but that's behind us now.

Still, her demands continued: new tires, and now a new starter. Well, enough is enough! I've spent over $10,000 on her in the past two years, money which could have gone to a new car. My loyalty disappeared on that Rowlett highway, as the tow truck driver pantomimed the fireball that could very well have killed me. It's time to break up.

USAA, my insurance company and bank, has told me that I'm pre-approved for a new car loan for the next month. I was hoping to hold out for another year--pay off my credit card debt (most of which is car repairs) and build up at least a small down payment--but I don't think that will be possible. My car is in the shop AGAIN, leaking oil like a leaky thing and refusing to start reliably. Even though I don't have to drive to Dallas every month anymore, I still need safe, reliable transportation.

I've been looking at cars online today. Car and Driver has a nifty search tool. According to my initial parameters, I should have a Miata. I also like the RX8. And, of course, there's always the new Eclipse. This is hard; I'm just not ready to start dating again, I guess. But I've got to get out there.

Sigh. It was a beautiful thing.