Views From the Back Row: April 2006

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Substitute HNT

The Great and Powerful Os is on a cruise this week, so I, Crimson, will be your host tonight.
I actually talked someone into being an anonymous Mystery Guest tonight, so enjoy!!
Oh...and remember, turn off word verification to make commenting a little easier ;)

HNT anonymous will resume next week.

Sunday, April 23, 2006

OsTour - The Caribbean

"Views From the Back Row" will be somewhat neglected this week, other than for HNT.

Please stop by OsTour - The Caribbean" for pictures and stories of the upcoming week!

Saturday, April 22, 2006

One Last Ramble Before I'm Outta Here!

I have to get up in 4 hours to get ready to go to the airport, and yet, here I sit finishing a post! I have serious issues....

Last minute reminders--if you want to be included in next week's anonymous HNT, get your pictures sent in ASAP. I'm not going to have alot of time to get them posted! Address is: hntanon@gmail.com

Same thing for Mystery Guest. There are about a half dozen names in the mix right now, but I can always use more!

I hope to do a separate blog with pictures. Maybe I'll use the Nashville Tour page. I'll let you know...

Velma--where are you??

OsShirt--where are you??

Play nice whilst I'm away!!

Friday, April 21, 2006

Why can't I think of things like this??

Saw this article online, and post it without any other comment, other than to note that I don't arrive in Miami until tomorrow night, so this wasn't me...

Phony doctor gives free breast exams

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Preparation HNT

So why am I going to the Caribbean? Simple. I was told I was going. My parents will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this summer. They told us last fall that they wanted to do something special. With their kids. To backtrack--they had gone on a weeklong cruise about a year ago to Nova Scotia and the surrounding areas. Neither of them had ever gone on one, and they both absolutely loved it. It made enough of an impression that they decided that this is what they wanted to share with their kids. And thus, plans were made.

Over mild objections, they also informed us that they would be paying for everything. Passports, airfare, cruise, excursions, booze (big mistake...), hotel in Miami. The works! No grandchildren allowed, but spouses were included. Which left me high and dry, but they said that if I were to have "someone special", they'd pay for her, too. Of course, they knew they'd be safe there... I should have mentioned this months ago. Held a contest or something. Seems to be plenty of you wanting to join me! But I digress. The only thing that they won't pay for are gifts we may or may not buy, nor will they pay for any gambling we might do in the casino. That seems fair.

So, in less than 60 hours, I'll be flying to Miami, via Minneapolis. I'll be sure to look down and wave at all of you, especially in Tennessee. I'm assuming I'll be flying over Tennessee. I'll just look for the borders from the air. I'll be taking a computer, so I'll try to post once a day like Addict did, but I won't be surfing much. HNT will run like usual, thanks to the lovely Crimson, and I'll probably shoot out an email or two.

So now I need to spend the next couple of days packing. I think I've got a good start here. Am I missing anything?

"secretly i pride myself on being a visual distraction... though i would never admit to it."

This week's Mystery Guest will reveal herself Thursday afternoon, so let the guesses fly!

Today's Mystery Guest is none other than the lovely Firefly! She hasn't been around a great deal over the past couple of weeks due to the new addition to her household. Be sure to stop by and say hi!

Don't forget to check out "...the Other HNT"!

Early posters include BTExpress (who's got a big date with Lori!), Wenchy (who posted just past midnight in Africa, and Aughra, who's still preggers and in bed early!

Please turn off word verification for the day!

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Could use a couple more pictures for the anonymous site this week! Send them to hntanon@gmail.com

Stolen...

Put your music player on shuffle. Press forward for each question. Use the song title as the answer to the question. Post on your blog. Comment back if you post it on your site. No comment regarding whatever songs that might come up. Remember--I'm a musician in a cover band. I need to know these things. At least, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it...

(stolen from Addict and others)

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Caribbean Itinerary

For those who are interested, and even for those who are not, here's what's happening next week. Be sure to enjoy all the lovely pictures I plan to put up in the header!

Map

Sat

Sun

Miami

Mon

Tue

Belize City, Belize

Wed

Costa Maya, Mexico

Thu

Cozumel, Mexico

Fri

George Town, Grand Cayman

Sat

Sun

You know I'll be thinking of all of you during this time. Really. I will.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Thanks again, y'all!

First things first. Thank you to all of you who had birthday wishes for me on your sites. There were a number of you that mentioned it, and I'm sure that I missed a few. And thanks to those who left me wishes in the comments. And a little more of a special thanks to those who sent me cards, ecards, phone calls, texts, emails (with or without "attachments"), gifts or promises of gifts in the near future. In alphabetical order: Aaron, Jessica, Kamey, Kirsten, Kristen, Leanne, Leela, Leesa, Liisa, Lindsey, Melanie, Mellissa, Michelle, Nicolle, Rachel, Sarah, Summer, Tammy and Vicki. Yes, I know that it's almost entirely women. Deal with it! My apologies if I missed anyone!

The weekend was pretty laid back for me. I had to put in about 3 hours at work Saturday morning, which wasn't too bad. I stopped by to see the parents and reminisce about my entry into the world, and my father's 50th birthday party, and how old he seemed at the time... Stayed home all night and surfed and talked on the phone for hours (not a normal thing for me to do, but I'm finding myself doing it more often). Thank God for free nights and weekends!

Sunday was a little more active. Went to church, then off to brunch with the whole family. Had to do a little work for the Symphony in the early afternoon, then picked up Rachel and went to the parent's place again for a birthday/Easter dinner. Usually the 2 BILs, the Nephew and I are relegated to the kiddie table, but since it was my birthday celebration, and brought company, I got to have dinner at the big table! Lots of food, beer, dessert and talk. And every one of us was ready to fall asleep by 7:00. Yeah, that's a little pathetic.

All in all, a pleasant weekend. Be ready for the next week, because I'm going to rub it in your face that I'M GOING TO THE CARIBBEAN IN 5 DAYS! Later.....

Amazing!

She can quote lines from "The Quiet Man"!!

WTF?!?!?

Sunday, April 16, 2006

"He is not here: for he is risen..."
Matthew 28:6

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Bring It On, Boys and Girls! It's My Birthday!!

LET THE PARTY BEGIN!
So yeah, it's my birthday. Tax Day. The 49th anniversary of the day of my birth. The beginning of my 50th year of existence. Born in the year of the cock (blush). At St. John's Hospital in Helena, MT. On a Monday. An Aries. Dad was 23 and a student. Probably smoking in the hospital waiting room. Mom was 21. Eisenhower was President. Elvis ruled the charts ("All Shook Up" was at #1). "I Love Lucy" ruled the airwaves. So bring it on, boys and girls! Let's party!

I've gotten some presents over the past couple of weeks. Some for winning little contests on other blogs, and some for my birthday....

First off--here I am eating my cake that came in Friday's mail. Yes, it's that cupcake!

Here's most of what I've gotten recently.
Clockwise from the front left:
From Bekah: a flower in a can. You add water, it grows. It caught her eye because of its name, Gerbera, who is one of her regular visitors. I'll grow it and document. I won a contest.
From Brico: a Christmas mix CD for winning his sudoku contest.
From Melanie: my first birthday card of the year.
From Jessica: three different jars of Head Country BBQ sauce and a jar of seasoning.
Again, from Melanie: Schakolad Chocolates (a contest prize) and a Visa Gift Card for my birthday (won't tell you for how much, but it was totally unexpected!).
Again, from Jessica: the great t-shirt that everything is sitting on.
Thanks to all of you for the gifts!

Perhaps the most unexpected find in Friday's mail!

Friday, April 14, 2006

Apology...

Ever write a post, then publish it, then realize you probably shouldn't have? Well, I did a couple of days ago. And if I've ever done something that rates an apology, I generally step up to the plate and offer one. I belittled a popular fellow blogger (don't go looking--it's been taken down). I don't know him well enough, I don't know the situation well enough, and I had no right to do so.

I don't think many of you saw it, but that doesn't make it any better. Chad--I hope things work out well for you. I apologize for what I wrote.

Thanks, y'all!

Just about every HNT site I visited over the past two days had some sort birthday greeting for me. That was nice, and certainly appreciated! I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to comment on every site, but realize that I did notice!

BTW--my birthday is actually TOMORROW, April 15th, in case you weren't aware!

Surprisingly few comments left over at "...the Other HNT". If you haven't been there this week, you missed out on our first anonymous male! And other lovely participants! Go check it out if you haven't already (or even if you have)! If you want to submit an anonymous HNT, send it to hntanon@gmail.com

As previously mentioned, my birthday is tomorrow. I have absolutely no plans for the day. Maybe getting my taxes done (nothing like waiting until the last minute). Maybe doing some cleaning. No party until Sunday, which will be a birthday/Easter thing. But when you're getting as old as me, big celebrations aren't necessary. Besides, I'M GOING TO THE CARIBBEAN IN A WEEK!! Plan on some info next week on all of that!

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Birthday HNT

Be sure to check out the new blog, "...the Other HNT". There's a couple of special birthday pics and a nice Easter picture over there!

So this is my pre-birthday HNT post. Others have posted pictures of themselves in their birthday suits on their birthday, and I'm not one to buck the trend. I tried to think of something profound to write for this last birthday before I hit the half-century mark. I'm not sure how profound I'll be. I started thinking of things that many of you might take for granted:

When I was born, there was not a single man-made satellite in the sky.
I have lived through 10 different presidents, 6 Popes, and 2 new States.
I vividly remember the day President Kennedy was assassinated.
I vividly remember the day Apollo 1 burned, killing its crew.
I watched the first and last steps man set on the moon.
I still have my first 8-track tape, and have a working player in storage.
I remember my first Stingray bike.
I actually lived during the 50s. Don't remember the 50s, but I was there!
I remember the day we got our first color TV.
I remember the summer days when my parents had no clue as to where I was, and that wasn't a bad thing.
I remember gathering around the TV with my friends to watch "Dark Shadows".
I remember my first set of Clackers.
I still have the first 45 that my parents bought me ("Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In"--Fifth Dimension)
I remember seeing the first performance of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show.

I could continue, but you get the idea. All in all, it's been a decent 49 years. Not stellar, not exceptional, but not wasted away, either.

This entire month is kicking me in the butt, and then my computer problems compounded things, so I had to come up with something appropriate. These are pics from the first months of Os. No comments about the color please. Color prints tend to fade with time--I'm just glad they still exist! The first two are when I was about 2-3 months old. And there I am in my full nekkidness! Maybe I'll try to re-create that one some day! The one with my dad is when I was 6 months old (and he was 24!), and we were living in St. Louis while he was in dental school. Go Cards! And the last one is from my 2nd birthday. Please note the lovely drapes!!

This week's Mystery Guest is a longtime HNT participant. I've had the pleasure of talking with her on the phone a few times, and she continues to rub it in about how she's been enjoying her springtime for the past month or so. In keeping with the "mystery" part of Mystery Guest, she's decided not to reveal her identity. This makes it difficult to write much more. If you think you know who she is, she'll probably tell you if you email her!

Normally, I wouldn't bump the MG order to allow in a new photo, but I got a special request for this week's Mystery Guest spot because she wanted to do a birthday theme for me. How could I argue? She never told me exactly what was behind the bow, but told me to use my imagination. The little heart is a nice touch, too! To my special birthday MG, I thank you!

We've got some early posters who won't be around tonight. Be sure to check out Boo (who actually waits until just after midnight in her part of the world!), Aughra (who's pregnant, tired, and goes to bed early), and EroticFae.

Turn off your word verification for the day!

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

What's Happened on My Birthday (April 15th)

Stolen from Leesa.

Go to Wikipedia. Type in your birth date (but not year).List three events that happened on your birthday. List two important births and one interesting death. Post this.

Three Events:
** 1955 - The first McDonald's restaurant opens in Des Plaines, Illinois.
** 1912 - The British passenger liner RMS Titanic sinks at about 2:20 a.m. after hitting an iceberg in the North Atlantic almost three hours earlier.
** 1865 - Abraham Lincoln dies after being shot the previous evening by John Wilkes Booth.

Two Births:
** 1452 - Leonardo da Vinci, Italian artist (d. 1519)
** 1966 - Samantha Fox, English singer and model

One Death:
** 2001 - Joey Ramone, American musician and singer (The Ramones) (b. 1951)

It's Alive!

Apparently, my computer skills are better than I thought! I didn't lose any files. My speed is significantly higher. And I got rid of whatever corrupt files I had (thank you, Windows Media). So I'll be able to take care of HNT tonight!

As a reminder--there's still time to submit a picture for the anonymous HNT site. Try to get those into me by the early afternoon so I can get them posted. You can find the email link on that site. Once again, as a reminder--the site is intended to be anonymous. If you think you know someone, keep it to yourself, or contact the person you think it is for confirmation!

I'll be taken out for a birthday dinner tonight by the charming, lovely, and always popular (all the boys like her) Rachel. We haven't done anything together for a long while, so it'll be nice. I know most of you are jealous. You should be!

BTW--in case you didn't know it, my birthday is this Saturday, April 15th!

Monday, April 10, 2006

Other stuff

It's been a busy 5 days. The concert in Great Falls with Itzhak Perlman was pretty good, but I didn't get the chills up the spine like the string players did. No question that he was flawless, but I think I had hoped for a little more interaction. I understand why there wasn't any, but still.... As for the pictures, I didn't really get anything decent. I had to take them from backstage, with the digital zoom, rather than optical zoom. Even at that, there was nothing spectacular to see from that angle. Video would have been another story, though...

In Cahoots had two separate gigs this weekend. Saturday night we played a fundraiser for the local Humane Society. They're trying to build a new building (which is sorely needed). It was fun, but not a spectacular gig. On Sunday, we joined about a dozen other bands/acts in a local fundraiser called "Lost & Foundation". I've mentioned it in the past. It was started by musicians to raise money for local children who have suffered some sort of illness/injury and whose families are financially strapped. Over the years, we (all of us) have raised tens of thousands of dollars for various causes. We were the last band on stage tonight, meaning most of the crowd had already gone home, which is too bad. And the stage was cramped and we were out of our comfort element as far as sound equipment was concerned. I think we played pretty well, but it was fairly unsatisfying. That happens...

Even with the success of "...the Other HNT", I'm still taking submissions for the Mystery Guest. I know that there's a couple of you that submitted awhile back, but it's the luck of the draw. I promise you'll get your chance!

Speaking of "...the Other HNT", send in your anonymous pictures to: hntanon@gmail.com

I've gotten some early birthday cards/wishes. Thanks to Melanie and Lori! Don't forget--my birthday is Saturday, April 15th! Last year at this time, my catchphrase was, "It's all about me..." I won't be so blatant this year, other than the constant reminders!

Leaving the Kids Without a Babysitter...

Ever go away for the weekend, and when you come home you find that your kids and the neighbor kids sort of made a mess of the place? That's what happened here yesterday. My pissy post was more of a chance to let people know what I've been getting in emails and chats. Little did I realize that all the kiddies would have free reign while I was gone today!

Though I don't want to stir the pot any further, I want to address a few things that some new commenters said (and btw--welcome to the newcomers. A couple of you were brought up with different standards than the kids around here, but you're still welcome anyway!).

I've never come up with a domain for HNT, because I feel that having it hosted on individual sites is what makes it unique. One doesn't have to become a member, or pay for the privilege of HNT. And one doesn't have to contact a third party if they decide that they don't want their picture posted anymore.
HNT is not "mine". I came up with an idea, pushed it into the internet, and it's grown on its own. It "belongs" to each person who participates as much as it "belongs" to me.
The Guidelines are just that. They aren't rules. They aren't laws. But just as society allows its own sets of laws to evolve, I think that HNT has done the same thing. Has HNT changed from its inception? Obviously it has. Ulitmately, it doesn't matter what we, the viewers think. HNT is supposed to be a personal expression, expressed on our own sites, and the rest of us really have no say in the matter. The flip side to that is that one runs the risk of losing an audience if one's pictures are deemed "too much" by those viewing the site. Some people care about that, others don't.
I don't bestow the HNT buttons on anyone. They are available to anyone who wants one. It would be nice to think that the only people who would want one would be participants.
I appreciate one particular commenter's view that by allowing just anyone to have the button, it reflects back on me. I've never thought about that, but it doesn't bother me much. But I do appreciate the concern.
I will never monitor HNT pics. No time, no interest. How can I justify telling a person what they can/can't post on their own site? It smacks of censorship (again, where is Frank Zappa when you need him?). However, consensus seems to point at using a NSFW warning, if necessary. I would leave that to everyone's own discretion.
Undoubtedly, many pictures are downloaded from HNT sites (or anywhere else, for that matter). That doesn't make it right to post them on your own site without permission. That's just basic good manners. Those who don't understand that or openly flaunt it are probably the same sorts of people you'd want to avoid in real life.
One of the things that is often mentioned with new HNTers is that there seems to be a great sense of family or community. Thanks to those who rose to the defense of HNT, and to me. It's appreciated! But realize that any "attacks" we had were from those who equally felt they had to defend "their" guy/girl. That's OK. Every one of us has a quirk or something that will piss someone else off for whatever reason. We can't please everyone all the time.
Binsk--you told me the real reasons for your decision to go away for awhile. Long before these guys insinuated that you were cowering away. Take your time, babe, and recharge.

That's all. This discussion has run its course and it's time to move on. And because it's MY post, I opt to not allow comments on this one. Because I can...

Saturday, April 08, 2006

Pissy Post, as promised...

Two things have grabbed my HNT attention, especially in the past week. I've gotten some emails about them, and some are just observations I've seen as I go through everyone's posts. I'm not going to give you names or URLs of anyone here. There's just no sense in getting into a war between those who "get" HNT, and those who are too dense who don't.

THE FIRST PISSY concerns the stealing of individuals' HNT shots and using them on their own sites. Two major instances. One was brought to my attention by an email from someone who decided to drop out of HNT because she didn't realize that pictures might show up on other's sites. This particular site had a post entitled "The silliness of HNT", and his first line is "Is anyone else tired of HNT?" That doesn't bother me. Everyone is certainly entitled to there own opinion, especially on their own site. But he proceeded to post 15-16 different HNTs that he'd visited, and invited his readers to laugh along with him as he criticized, lampooned, and spewed forth his "review" of what is wrong with HNT. Again, it's not his opinions, or his commenters, that bother me--though I find it humorous that they all "know" what the original intent of HNT was. Sorry, guys. There's only one person who knows what the original intent was/is. No, it's the pirating of HNT pics off of other sites without permission that steams me. For as self-righteous and ego-building as this guy's post was (he had over 50 comments, most of which nodded their heads in agreement and looked down on the sad, pathetic souls who partake in HNT, including some former HNTers), I noticed that: A) he doesn't do HNT himself, and B) it hasn't stopped him from checking it out on an apparently regular basis.

The second instance is someone who basically uses/posts others' HNTs for most of his site. Regularly, and without permission. Granted, he is much more pleasant, very complimentary, and sometimes links back to the original sites. To his credit, he is a familiar figure among many HNT comment boxes. But again, he steals HNTs from other sites and that makes up at least half of his site! "Creepy" is the word I've heard most from those who were surprised to find themselves on his site. All the more creepy when you consider that he's got a Flickr account made up of his favorite HNT pics. Again--WITHOUT PERMISSION!

Another site that was built entirely on the pictures of others was the Bloggin' Hottie site. The difference here is that he actually contacted women to become a "Bloggin' Hottie", and they supplied the photos (I believe). While I never felt that this was a great site, the women who participated seemed to like it. But depending on others for your creativity apparently has its drawbacks. I read elsewhere that he's trying to sell his domain. And I haven't seen much of him around in about a month or so...

One can argue that any picture that shows up on the internet makes it fair game. I don't quite believe that, but how many of us have asked to use any of the pictures that we find and use on our sites? I have been called out for using pictures without permission (especially the Valentine's Day perfect girl collage--since taken down). The girl in question and one of her bloggerfriends raked me over the coals pretty good in their posts, but I didn't try to defend myself. Because, to some degree, they were right. By the same token, I've done a couple of birthday tributes using pics that I didn't ask permission for, but I "knew" the people I was stealing from, and they certainly weren't used as fodder for my criticism or as a major component of my blog.

What can be done? I'm not sure. Certainly contacting the owner of the site and requesting that your pictures be removed is an option. I haven't researched Blogger enough to know if there is some sort of action that they can take, if requested. I would say that a general plea to everyone to not use pictures without permission is the best that can be done. To new HNTers--this isn't a normal thing that happens, and I don't think you need to worry much about this sort of thing.

THE SECOND PISSY (but not as pissy) is a point that has been brought up by many people over the past couple of weeks. HNT, nekkid or naked? I'm not about to tell anyone what to post for their HNT. I've said that numerous times. But there seems to be more of an attitude that one can post full frontal nudity and pass it off as "half-nekkid". There's a big difference between an artistic nude shot (you all have a pretty good idea of the ones I'm talking about), and whipping out a quick shot of your girlie/boy bits and calling it half-nekkid. Posting the same picture that you might find on a porno site is not necessarily in the spirit of HNT.

Am I calling for modesty here? Not at all. But there's a difference between art-nekkid and porn-nekkid. If I have to make a call, it would be for more art-nekkid. I think that there's been some liberties taken with the "half" part of HNT. From both the men and the women. I'm all for freedom of expression and everything, but is there anything wrong with some wide boundaries? I recommend that everyone refresh themselves with the Guidelines.

OK--pissiness over for now! Enjoy your weekend!

Friday, April 07, 2006

Pissy post coming up soon...

Geez, I leave town for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose! Well, maybe not that bad, but enough that I'm going to have to post about it, and I'm pissed. BE FOREWARNED! It's a result of some emails that I was able to check while away. Don't worry, I won't name names, but there a couple of issues to be addressed (and I can't do that from work!).

I'm two days behind, and have looked at maybe a half dozen HNTs. Don't take it personally if I don't comment this week. I've got alot of catching up to do!

My birthday (April 15th) is a week from tomorrow. I've already received a birthday card and gift from someone!!! Some of you have asked what I want for my birthday. If you remember back to my Christmas wish, I'd like the same thing....

The nice thing about Macs is that they never crash. But when they do, they do it in a big way! See where this is heading? In the midst of site-surfing, I hit upon a site that automatically tried to open a Windows Media file. More often than not, that's a bad thing. Firefox crashed with a vengeance. Safari is already screwed from a month ago. So now my Powerbook won't boot. Thank God the iBook is currently working! I'll have to spend time that I don't have trying to resurrect it. Please use Castpost or some other hosting site!!

The concert last night was pretty good! I didn't get the opportunity to personally meet Mr. Perlman, as he was being pulled in a dozen different directions. I was just the substitute trombonist, so I didn't rate a personal handshake from him in his dressing room. That's OK. I was far more interested in hearing him play. And that certainly didn't disappoint! I did sneak a camera in to the rehearsal, so I got a few shots of him. I haven't downloaded them yet, but I'll post something in the near future.

A couple of people have asked what the golf course is that I have up above. That specific shot is the approach to the 13th green at Augusta National Golf Course in Augusta, GA. Site of the 70th Masters Golf Tournament currently being played there. One day, before I die, I will visit that course. My BIL2 is there right now. As a golf professional, he doesn't have to pay to get in the gate. He can just flash his PGA card and walk in the front gate. Fucker. And I won't tell her name, but another one of the HNT crowd is there too. There's days where I wish I didn't live in Montana....

"...the Other HNT" was well received, apparently! I've already received 3 new submissions for next week! And a note to those of you who asked--ALL pictures I receive are posted (which should answer your question...). As a reminder, it is intended to be an anonymous site. If you make some sort of comment "outing" the person, I'll delete it.

Monkey (no, not the stuffed animal--the KiwiStrawberryLover) was the first guest on Dr. Phil today. I spaced it out that today was the day. Hope you saw it. She's not too happy with the way it turned out, and didn't watch it herself. Comments?

Thursday, April 06, 2006

HNT from 35 Years Ago

First things first. Go check out the new blog, "...the Other HNT". Yeah, maybe it needs a catchier title, but there it is. Welcome, and congratulations, to the first of our anonymous HNTers!

OK--after the excitement of last week's HNT, and because I'm a little short of time, you get one of my scars. And in accordance with the HNT guidelines, a cute story to go along with it!

Back when I was in 7th grade (1970, you young whippersnappers!) we were studying the Civil War in Social Studies. We were divided into teams for various projects. My team's project was to cut out the States out of a slab of styrofoam, then stick toothpicks in to signify each major battle, with all the pertinent info available. Granted, it seems a little hokey in today's hi-tech world, but in the day, this was a big deal!

Since it was 1970, it was no big deal to bring a knife to school. Those were the days! After all, I needed to cut the styrofoam. My mother sent me off to school with a 12" serrated edge knife used to slice bread. I was sitting in homeroom, waiting for first period, which happened to be Social Studies in the same room. I'm chatting away with all the girls in the room, as I generally always did, while lightly gripping the knife between my thumb and middle finger, resting the blade on my knee. Little did I realize that I was also slicing through my courderoys, and through my leg. I didn't feel a thing. I didn't even know about it until the teacher asked if my leg was bleeding. At that point, I look down, and see that I had a slice above my knee about 2" long, maybe a quarter inch deep, with blood running down my leg into my socks and shoes. I don't recall going to a doctor, or even leaving school. I think I went to the little boy's room, wadded up a handful of toilet paper, wetted it down, and just kept pressure on the thing. I know I didn't ever get stitches.

So I offer to you my oldest scar that I can remember a story for. Hope you enjoy it!

Ah, spring! The sun is shining, the trees are beginning to grow leaves. The bugs are emerging, and the birds are singing.

And the Mystery Guest is lovely as ever.

"...this is how the female body should be photographed.

The shapes, the curves, the beauty of a female form are like nothing else on earth.

I'm glad that I can contribute..."

This Mystery Guest has also chosen to remain unamed. If you think you may know who it is, email her and ask directly.

Since I'm out of town this afternoon, I can't let you know who's posted early. Sorry! And I'm not going to have a chance to see anyone's HNTs until Friday. Damn, I hate that!

As always, keep those Mystery Guest submissions coming in!

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Just a couple of reminders--

The new site will make its debut on Wednesday night, just before the comments open. You can find the address with my HNT. Everything is set and ready--now we just need submissions. Send them by Wed. morning to: hntanon@gmail.com
There has been some concern about the comment I made that the pics could range from PG to X. That's more of a warning. I think that most of you would keep it in the R range at the very most. As I said earlier--if you're used to showing your goodies on your own site already, then this new one isn't for you. This site will be more for showing off. With pictures that you wouldn't post on your own site.
For more details, see the previous post. For those of you who have expressed an interest, it's time to get your pics sent in!

Crimson will be doing the actual posting for me. Thank you, as always!I think you're really going to like this week's Mystery Guest! Remember, if you want to be the MG, send in your picture and I'll add you to the mix. There's always room for more!

I will be unavailable from Wed. afternoon until sometime after midnight Thursday night. I'm off to Great Falls to play with the Great Falls Symphony. With guest soloist Itzhak Perlman. I'll take some pics.

Addict has finally gotten going on the Chicago trip again. If you expressed an interest, but forgotten the website, contact her or me for the URL. It's time to get serious!!!

Met with the rest of the family regarding the cruise I'm going on in a couple of weeks. My apologies to those who want to join me--it's a family celebration of my parent's 50th anniversary. More details as it gets closer, but here's a link to the specific ship/itinerary that we'll be on. We'll have a Sat. night in Miami free to us. Anyone know what a bunch of tired hicks from Montana can do??

Don't forget--my birthday is April 15th. Just in case....

Saturday, April 01, 2006

New Project!

Well, the response was pretty positive, so I'm going to go ahead and do it. Starting this coming week, I'll host a secondary, anonymous HNT blog. I haven't come up with a fancy name for it yet, but it will only be updated each Wednesday night. The debut will be this Wednesday, April 5th. Each picture will be treated as a separate post, so comments can be left for them. And if you want to write your own blurb for it, include it when you email the picture(s). And the address? hntanon@gmail.com

This new site isn't intended for those who already feel comfortable showing all parts of themselves. Rather, it's intended for those who want to step up their regular HNT nekkidity. A chance to get a little more risqué. Or a chance to actually join in on the HNT without doing so on their own blogs. As a result, this blog will run anywhere from PG to X. Be aware of that!

The key to the success of this site will be anonymity. If you think you recognize someone, keep it to yourself. Or email the person you think it might be. Don't spoil it for the contributor!

The best part of this is that there's no limit to the number of times you can submit. Try to keep it to once a week (maybe more than one if you do a series-type thing). But feel free to submit every week. hntanon@gmail.com

There were plenty of you who expressed interest in this, so let's see what you've got!
In spite of the timing--this is not an April Fool's joke!

Re-run

I was going through my archives today, and this is what I wrote 1 year ago. It's as pertinent as it was back then. Enjoy!

With apologies to LBB, who seems to make these lists as easily as God makes little green apples, I've come up with a list of gripes and observations. If I offend anyone with this list, grow up, deal with it, and don't take it personally!
--Why do some people feel the need to use their turn signal only after they're halfway through the turn? I believe the intent of the signal is to warn others that you're going to turn, not to confirm that you've actually started the turn.

--The word "then" implies a reaction to something, or a reference to time; the word "than" is used in a comparative situation. The words are not interchangeable!! "Colder then a witch's tit" is wrong. "Colder than a witch's tit" is correct. Get it right, people!

--Regardless of how good you may think that your singing voice is, asking if you can sing with the band is an invitation for disaster. It is not something that the band looks forward to, and you don't have the talent to do it without a rehearsal. And thinking that being drunk helps is just wrong. Go back to the dance floor and make a fool of yourself out there.

--Country music has no business using a full string section and harp in any song, regardless of who records it. If you can't do it with one or two fiddles, then you've overwritten the song.

--The flat tummy seen between the low riding pants and the high riding shirt is not a bad thing. But who told obese teenaged girls that their gut that hangs over their pants (making MY beer gut look sexy) is something that anyone wants to see?

--Blond-haired, blue-eyed, white cheerleaders named Tiffany will never be gangsta. Someone should tell them not to try.

--One more time. Jethro Tull and Lynyrd Skynyrd are band names, not real people. J. Geils and Spencer Davis are real people, but not the frontmen of their respective bands. There is no world famous band known as the Almond Brothers.

--Women and 4-way stops. Why is there a problem?

--Why must soloists try to sing the "Star-Spangled Banner" slowly and add totally inappropriate vocal pyrotechnics? It just makes a horridly difficult song that much worse.

--When emailing, learn the difference between "Reply" and "Reply to all".

--Same thing with forwarding. You are allowed to delete non-essential info, and in fact are encouraged to do so!

--Why do people think that, once they've made a commitment to something, it's OK to back out of it?

--When you're out dancing to LIVE music (the only real music, thank you), don't ask the band if they know "Y.M.C.A.", "Proud Mary", "Freebird", or "Achy-Breaky Heart". Chances are they might, but they're not going to play it for you.

--Along the same lines--if the band is a funky horn band, don't ask for any Judas Priest, Marilyn Manson or ABBA.

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