Support your Neighborhood Small Business

Since LiT is a small business, as are many of our friends, we thought it would be a good idea to get the word out about the 3/50 Project.

3/50 is a project that understands how important small businesses are to both the economy and local community. Their motto is "Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy. " We at LiT couldn't agree more. So please check out the website. Maybe next time you decided to make a purchase online you will remember 3/50 and realize you could get that same item, probably even better just down the street in your own community backyard.

This has been a public service announcement from your "bright idea" friends at LiT.

*Remember a week from tomorow is the Where is this? event at LiT. Be there or be square.

Yay Earth Day, Thanks Gaylord Nelson!!

Happy Earth Day Get LiT readers! Ok, maybe you’re not quite that excited since it's raining out, so why not stay in and enjoy a little bit about how Earth Day came to be from your friends at LiT.

Earth day was designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth and the environment. It started in; you guessed it, Seattle, in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin at a Senatorial meet up in Seattle. Over 20 million people participated that year, and now April 22 is celebrated by more the 500 million people and governments in 175 countries. You go Gaylord Nelson!

But why April 22 (this is my favorite part?) Nelson chooses the date as a way to maximize college student participation, but not too much that they may cause problems. He figured the week of April 19-25 was a great time for Earth Day because there were no exams, religious holidays or spring breaks. Plus he figured Wednesday would be best because it’s the middle of the week, meaning more students would be in class making less competition with other Earth day friendly events. Nelson was such a good planner. He also planned Earth Day in late April because he thought the weather is best then, (obviously his trip to Seattle was a nice one that year).

Whether a conscious choice or not, April 22 is not only Earth's special day but Lenin and Saint Francis of Assisi's birthdays, one out of two isn’t bad.

Now you know a little history about Earth Day go do some good “earth friendly things”: plant a tree, buy a used lamp from Goodwill instead of new, change your light bulbs to energy efficient and pick out your earth friendly LiT shade.

Happy Earth Day!!

Just Not That Into This Movie

I really hate blogs that are strictly opinion based, but in this case I saw a movie SO BAD I just have to talk. Now, just so you don't think I’m going back on my beliefs and having this post be purely a rant, I will incorporate lamp shades somehow, you just watch.

Last Friday evening Dawn convinced me to see He's Just not that Into You. Keep in mind, I am not a "chick flick" kind of gal, I usually go in for a mob or spy flick. But I went along, a decision I have since regretted. I disliked the movie so much, I would go as far as to say it was the worst movie I have ever seen in my life. Yes, I understand its' cast of characters and plot are not the most quality of subjects, but even for a chick flick it was bad.

First off, I don't understand how its target audience is women. The movie portrays the fairer gender in the worst possible light. Gennifer Goodwins character has you hoping she will have a fatal accident-and soon. Her character is the most neurotic, whinny, annoying girl in the history of female roles. I found her character so taxing, that if I were Goodwin I would neglect to put this movie on my resume. The sad part is Goodwins' character was the not only one to test my patience, all the characters were foils of the least attractive personality traits. The "advice guy" was the Mac kid from the commercials which could have been cute if it just wasn't so blatantly obvious that he was "the guy who has given up on dating but in the end will fall for the overly romantic girl". Seriously. I am not single, but I believe if I was and saw this movie I would want to drink heavily afterwards out of sheer depression. Overall I give the movie an F and morosely ponder if I will ever get that 2 hours of my life back, let alone the $10.50.

Okay I promised I would somehow incorporate lamp shades into this post, so here it is:

As we sat and let slip those 2 hours of our precious lives, Dawn noticed that the lamp shades used in the movie tie directly in with my less-ranting/more learning-Monday post. All of the lamp shades in the movie except the shades in the bar, are too small for their bases. And for all you avid Get Lit readers, you know when a shade is too small for the base when it shows the lamps unmentionables. And it wasn't just one lamp it was every one of them! In both of these pictures the shade is clearly too short. Yes the one in back of Jennifer Aniston does not completely show the lamps unmentionables, but fits more as a mini skirt on a Saturday night around 2am. Now notice the one behind Drew Barrymore, you can see the harp saddle (explanation another time)! Why?! Why would you neglect such a detail? What was the set decorator thinking? It's as if lamps weren't at the very top of his/her priority list...how odd.

There, I promised you lamp shades. I will now step off my ranting soap box, pretend I never saw that movie, and hope you take this advice and spend your $10.50 on a sandwich...speaking of, since when did sandwiches become so expensive?

How I see it...

Here is a look at LiT from where I'm sitting. BEAUTIFUL.

Have rewires and more rewires to do today. This will entail me using pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, and one lovely wrench. Undoubtably I will create a great mess and lament about how nothing ever stays tidy for very long.

The printer is a real eyesore. It needs to go back in the cabinet.

The computer on the other hand is new, new, new and glints and glimers while trying very patiently to work well with me. The mechanical marvel is named Lawrence, he loves CSI and the old series Beauty and the Beast staring Linda Hamilton and Ron Pearlman.

Here is a prose piece we wrote together this morning before getting to the rewires...

Summer skips and stomps.
A rollercoaster, over long before you are ready.
September comes as pockets are emptied,
pried into, hoping to find the last few tickets for one more ride.
The shouts and squeals of glee clip in the air
that has turned brisk, rather than balmy.
Shoulders straighten and heads gain a steady ground,
feet follow the gait of passers by,
moving more swiftly, less leisure in each step.
Ferris wheels hush, the corn stops popping,
feet move by memory on ruts run smooth,
moving home, comming back to the constant and familiar.
To the comfort and clarity of a season that starts
not on the death of another,
but the top of your mouth, the tips of your ears,
the pit of your stomach.
A day marked not by time, but the memories of all the times before.