The next time we met was in a workshop one of my guys was running. It turns out this cute redhead is Tina. She seems to know her topics, and though when she talked it was pretty fast, she didn't over-dominate the workshop, just took her turn seriously.

I guess the combination of my team's focus on long term solutions in her area, plus her experience with me in taming bureaucracy, and suddenly I was a new resource, contact, and colleague. No real sparks yet - until The Trip.

...which will be the subject of the next post.

The birthrate in these countries is historically low, especially compared with Asia and Africa, where infants generally don't have red hair. Thus, the proportion of the world's population with natural red hair is down to 2per cent. Never mind that redheads have friends in high places. Jesus loved redheads, according to tradition. By many depictions, Mary Magdalene was one. But they are on the way out.

On every level, that's surely a tragedy. Before we let this rare and precious species go, has anyone considered what it might be like to live in a world without redheaded women? As Lucille Ball, herself a redhead, said: "Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead." Bruce Springsteen agreed, saying, with simple honesty: "You have not lived until you have had your tires rotated by a redheaded woman."

It has ever been thus. Botticelli liked redheads. He depicted the goddess Venus as one. That great lover of women, Groucho Marx, fantasized endlessly about redheads, as he once admitted in a letter to his ailing son: "I see on the wire that you are resting well and are being taken care of by a nurse. I hope she is beautiful and that she has red hair. "I don't know why, but whenever I dream of a nurse, she always has red hair. Red hair makes a man want to recover his health quickly, so that he can get on his feet and the nurse off hers."

Redheads inspire songwriters. Jack White, of the White Stripes, "fell in love, once and almost completely" with a girl with "red hair, with a curl". Bob Dylan? He was tortured by redheads. In Tangled Up in Blue, he recalls one of them:

Early one morning, the sun was shinin',
I was lying in bed
Wondering if she had changed at all,
If her hair was still red.

The song ends with Dylan quite desperate to "get to her somehow".

Redheads are tougher than blondes and brunettes, and that's a scientific fact. Extensive studies show they require a greater amount of anaesthetic to knock them out before an operation. Conversely, they need fewer analgesics to deal with pain. Redheads make excellent mothers, and not only because they labour easily. No amount of infant screaming, wet nappies or thrown food can trouble a redhead. They, more than other women, understand that there is no damage a martini can't undo.

Just as men with beards are generally regarded with suspicion, most people instinctively know that it's best not to mess with a redhead. As Anne, from Anne of Green Gables, put it: "People who haven't red hair don't know what trouble is." Sheer and entirely justifiable terror typically prevents people from joking about redheads in the way they do about blondes. In fact, there are some redhead jokes, but they read like tributes, oozing with awe. One example: What is the difference between dating a redhead and putting your hand into a blender? There is a 50-50 chance the blender isn't on. Another: If you love a redhead, set her free. If she follows you everywhere, pitches her tent in your front lawn and puts your new girlfriend in the hospital, she's yours. In the US, they say a trucker will slow down for a blonde, stop for a brunette and back up 500m for a redhead.

In an effort to celebrate the redhead before she disappears from the planet, a Hollywood magazine recently concocted a silly competition to find the nation's hottest redhead. The prize went to Kate Walsh, a former Grey's Anatomy star. Redheads should stampede. Walsh is not a redhead. She's a blonde who dyes her hair. The fakery is offensive and, in any case, pointless. One cannot become a redhead by dyeing one's hair, a fact that should be obvious.

Truly depressing.  Can you imagine a world without the fiery disposition of the redhead?  The redhead gene is MC1R, and less than 2%of the world’s population has natural red hair.  Throughout most of my life, I was the only red head in the room.  But you only need one!   I recall living in South Korea as a child and shopping at the local street markets.  Obviously my hair was so unusual in South Korea that the women in the market would approach me and just run their fingers through my hair.

The highest percentage of redheads in the world is in the nation of Scotland.  13% of the Scottish population can boast the rarest MC1R gene.  Being of Scottish decent, I was delighted when traveling in Scotland to be surrounded by redheads.  The Celtic people celebrate red hair and are proud of the unique traits associated with us.

Have you ever known a redhead to back down?  Consider some of the most famous gingers in history:  Queen Elizabeth I of England, the Viking explorer Eric the Red, Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill and of course Boudicca, Queen of the Iceni tribe who nearly crippled the Roman conquest of her native country.  Margaret Sanger, the crusader for birth control and women to be empowered to make decision about reproduction was also a redhead.  We owe much of our freedoms to these ginger topped individuals.

Do we have explosive tempers?  Absolutely.  Are we uncontrollable?  You betcha.  A redhead proudly owns her/his disposition.  We are not insulted that the Greek philosopher Aristotle said “redheads are emotionally unhousebroken.”  We relish our take charge, you won’t tell me what to do reputation.  We know we are rare and irreplaceable.  Let’s just hope the prediction that the MC1R gene is becoming extinct is not true.  Without the redhead, our world would be missing a great spice of life. 

So I'm letting the people decide! 

• Should I keep highlighting my hair blonde over the winter? 
• Should I dye it chocolate brown like I was planning? 
• Or should I throw all caution to the wind and dye it a flattering shade of red?

Hurry!  I MUST KNOW!

You Should Be a Cherry Redhead

Sexy, dramatic, but still sweetly feminine. Perfect for getting out of the hair color doldrums!

"Listen," she said, "I'll tell you who you're likely to meet at Hilary's house, but they're all of them lovely people and none of them thieves. There's Hilary herself, of course. She's an English teacher at a big Comprehensive in Reading."

"Is she married?" I asked.

Bernice looked out of the window. Two sparrows were splashing about in the bird-bath.

"Her husband's called Johnnie," she said. "You'll see him there. He's a civil servant."

"A civil servant?"

Bernice looked guilty. "Well, an income tax collector - but he's still a nice man and would not hurt a fly."

I grunted. My experience of income tax collectors was that they were only to willing to pull the wings off of flies.

"Anyone else?" I asked.

She nodded. "Plenty. I'm sure that Hilary and Johnnie's daughter will be there. She's called Becky and is also a teacher - of physics and chemistry, actually."

I was surprised. "People with brains can be Christians?"

Bernice glared at me.

"Oh, sorry!" I gasped. "I didn't mean to say that!"

"Maybe not, Matt, but it's what you honestly think, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"Listen," she said, jabbing a finger at me, "people with brains can be Christians. And people without brains can also be Christians - so you've got a very good chance."

I rose.

"I think I ought to be going," I said.

She studied me carefully.
"Are you sure you don't want a cup of tea?"

"Yes, thank you."

"There'll be plenty more people at Hilary's place - some of them highly intelligent and others not so well-educated - but each one of them a wonderful individual. Watch them, Matt, and learn what you can. It might do you good."

"Okay, Bernice." Somewhat uncomfortably, I made my way out of the house.

At eight o'clock, on the dot, I parked in the street outside Hilary's home. Considering all that I'd heard about Hilary and her husband, the house looked quite ordinary. Even - dare I say it? - a little drab. I walked up the path and rang the bell tentatively. After a second, a man opened the door. I knew immediately that this was the tax collector.

He smiled and shook my hand.

"Hello. Come in. Welcome. Who are you?"

I decided it was best to be honest.

"Matt Allen."

"I'm Johnnie," he said. "Come and meet the others."

He shepherded me through to the lounge, which was already well-filled with chattering people. They turned to look at us and a hush fell upon the room.

"This," announced Johnnie, "is Matt Allen."

"When I saw him last," said a girl with red hair, "he told me that he was Malcolm. And the day before that, he was a woman called Melanie Page."

By Mark Jenkins

(Linda and me, newyears 07/08)
Yesterday i spent with one of my oldest friends. Her name is Linda, and she is awesome. We have had a lot of fun together. And we have done a lot of stupid thing together. We all remember the "how long can you swim" happening on the way to Germany. The truth or dare contest in the workshop in 6th grade. Or our scouting adventures. Partying, movienights, singing, dancing. We had our fights, our time of huging, talking. Screaming, laughing. And then we drove our sisters to madness when we were young, and sometimes, we still do.

Enter my chat room and Video Chat live

My dont`s are: ANAL, WATERSPORTS , I wont do anything degrading or insulting ( like role-plays about animals, children etc.). Apart from that , I keep an open mind to anything and everything! :-)

Age: 21

Hiya ! I`m Belle = A Curvacious Redhead , definitely a freak in the bedroom ~~ If U`r up for a change , give me a try ! ~ I`m one very positive chick , highly-educated ( but dirty minded ! ) . I`m loving : Spanish food * 1950`s Fashion * London * Music & festivals * Brit accents * Adrenaline *

More about me:
Age: 21
Sex: Female
Sexual Preference: Bisexual
Smoking:Yes

Measurements: 39-26-38 in.
Height: 5'4'' - 5'8'' (1.6 - 1.7m)
Weight: 144-154 lbs (66-70 kg)
Cup Size: C
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Red
Hair Length: Long
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Build: Curvy

Published under a Creative Commons licence by RobW_.

Bass Pro is certainly Disneyland for true outdoor enthusiasts who like to catch (fish), shoot (hunt), cook or even live outdoors. It is 100,000 square feet of camouflage nirvana - everything from camo Crocs to camo Under Armour to Redhead hunting socks with a lifetime guarantee is featured at Bass Pro. The amount of inventory and depth of assortment is staggering. I am not sure how customers aren't overwhelmed when they walk in. I imagine the average time spent in this "warehouse" is off the charts way above average. But it must be a goldmine as they have done most everything right.

Their selection is beyond compare. They have different shops for hunting, fishing, boating, outdoor living and apparel. They even have a section for outdoor cooking and a separate section for food and gift giving - not to mention a home decor corner. They sell ATV's and boats, they carry extreme tree climber chairs, layout blinds and Ranger Ladder Stand "Luxury Boxes" for hunting. Their selection of guns is second to none and you can pick up something called Broadhead targets while you are at it. You can also practice at a shooting arcade for a little interactive experience.

They carry their own private label branded clothing along with the staples of Carhartt, Columbia Sprotswear and The North Face brands. They also carry the largest assortment of neon orange apparel on earth. The assortment of lures is enough to make fish salivate (if they could) and I observed many fishermen do the same as they stood gawking at the selection.

I visited the store at what must be one of their peak seasons. Never mind "back to school" for these guys, it's "back to bush" as hunting season opens this month and next throughout North America. There were people carrying baskets and wheeling around carts just browsing the aisles for the latest smokehouse or cross-bow with colourful arrows or rugged outboard fishing rig.

I couldn't help but think about the experience at other sporting goods stores and attempt to compare the experience with this one. For the outdoor enthusiast, this place is pretty special. I wrote about PGA Superstore in an earlier entry and that might come close, but as large as the Bass Pro assortment is, it is very focused and there is a certain intensity that radiates from every corner of the store. There was a buzz at PGA Superstore, but maybe because golf attracts a more heterogeneous crowd, it lacks that same density of intensity.

Other sports could probably benefit from the kind of focused energy this massive store produces. I still do not understand the math with that much inventory to manage and turn, but baseball, football, basketball, soccer and hockey merchants could all take a page from Bass Pro and aim to match the store experience of this outdoor emporium, if not in size, then at least in emotion, energy and edge.

Wait...Didn't Governor Palin mention something about being a Hockey Mom as well?

TheRetailTherapist :)

ms. jenny lewis is releasing acid tongue on september 23rd, and then going on tour... and she's playing with conor oberst and the mystic river band in seattle, and i already have tickets! best news of my life.

i downloaded a couple of her new songs and they are AMAZING. she does a duet with elvis costello on a song called "carpetbaggers," and i remember her playing it when i saw her in 2005 after her first album came out... such beautiful music.

jenny lewis - carpetbaggers.mp3

viva la jenny!

Toby Tom was about 10 years old the first time I laid eyes on him. He was slight in stature, but mighty in mouth. I have never heard a little boy cuss like him. He had the foulest mouth on a child that I had ever heard. Toby could cuss a blue streak that would have made any sailor proud, that could make a mother grab her bar of soap up in a hurry and clamp her hands over little ears.

Still, he was so adorable. You know, those kind of little boys who reel you in with their cuteness, and you just fall in love with them. That kind of boy whose big grin melts your heart, who could wrap you around his finger whilst slipping a frog down your back at the same time, and you don't even care.

He was and is to this day a real "rascal", born after his time I believe, and grown too soon. Toby had one of those laughs that you caught and must join in with, helplessly gasping for breath after.

Hunting was Toby's idea of fun, along with necessity. He seemed part boy, part mountain lion, stealthy in the hunt , providing much fresh game, fish and wild mushrooms to his family's table.

Toby could mimick a turkey's call perfectly himself, and had more than one turkey in love with him. Little did his turkey lovers know, they were destined for his Mother's dining table!

At times Toby seemed fearless, like the time he shot a black bear many times his size that had been tramping around his property. The small boy later became known as "Toby the Bear " around his parts.

Toby and his father would go into town every few weeks. While his father was having a beer at the tavern, Toby was hanging around the general store, swapping stories with the other young boys. He was quite an instigator, telling so and so that his older brother (who later became my husband), would kick their butts, taking bets on it. More than one fight was started in this manner. Toby would get it going, and his brother would have to step in and finish it. Toby always left town with a few coins more in his pockets.

Toby and I grew quite fond of each other as the years went by. I watched him grow from a small boy into a fine man. When he married, he brought his bride to the family's "mountain".

There was a stubborn streak in him and he would badger a person until they wanted to go crazy! He could be relentless like a dog with a bone, or a little dog that nipped at the cow's heels, growling and carrying on about something that bothered him.

One day, I had put a pan of cornbread in the oven and Toby just kept after his wife about something until he had her in tears, badgering her to death so that I could not even stand it! Before I could think twice, I had picked up the empty batter bowl and slung it hard, just missing his head and hitting the kitchen door.

Toby just looked at me in surprise, laughed and walked out the door. I was so shocked and upset by my actions, that I ended up crying and feeling the fool.

We had many go 'rounds over the years. We were family by marriage, and friends by choice. I found that I would always be able to count on the Little Boy of the Mountains, my brother-son, my Toby Bear to be there when I needed him.

Red Haired Boy
R. Arbo

If I was a red-haired boy, tell you what I'd do
I would kiss all the girls before I got to you
If I was a red-haired boy, never go to school
I would spend all the day down at Codfish Pool

Red haired boys will trick you
Red haired boys are mean
Red haired boys can make the girls do most anything

Except one red haired boy I knew, many years ago
Way up in the mountains where the preachers never go
Eyes as blues diamonds, he walked barefoot through the snow
And that red-haired boy would follow me most anywhere I’d go

Red haired boys will trick you
Red haired boys are mean
Red haired boys can make the girls do most anything

This is one more pic of me from the shootout. Those shoes were comfy!

This is a photo that I got back from my first shootout. Not too bad I don't think.

Anyhow, this weekend I was playing around with some textures in Photoshop and thought that I would add them to a sketch that I had done earlier in the week. Here it is enjoy - S

ShanesArt.com
ShanesArt: Prints for Sale
ShanesArt Book: beautifulSILENCE

I can't speak for all women but the ones I know are not wallflowers.  We know what we want.  We usually know how to get it - with a smile.  And, when backed against a wall, we know how to demand what we need.  Whether it is for ourselves, our children, or anyone for that matter, we will fight for what we think is right. 

How is it then, we very often let ourselves get pushed around?  Why do we completely and totally “wimp out” in minor situations? 

You know what I mean.  How many times have we caved in to sales pressure and purchased something we really did not want because we did not want to say “NO” to some anonymous salesperson?  This is nothing new for me.  I remember this occurring while clothes shopping during my high school days.  I would try something on at the Limited and come out of the dressing room to check the three-way mirror.  No matter what it was or how awful it looked, the salesgirl would always say,

 “Oh…. my…. Gawd, like, that looks amazing on you.  That oversized peach sweater is perfect for your pale complexion and shocking red hair!  And, yes, it is a great idea to add more fabric over your hips, because, like, more material is definitely slimming!”  (Honestly, we are talking about late 1980s – everything looked awful.  Although, I still wish I had held on to some of my overpriced, oversized  “NO” sweaters with the big “NO” buttons.  Does anyone remember those?)  

After being strong-armed by the mature 19-year-old salesgirl, I would take that oversized peach sweater right up to that register and buy it because "she" said I should.

Or, how about years later when I was a total pushover while shopping for make-up at Saks in Bal Harbour.  I happened to be there during a “big event” in which “famous” make-up artists were offering “free” makeovers.  So, this really nice (pushy) make-up artist (salesperson who is good at applying lipstick) offers to show me some tricks (ways to use as many products as possible to create the “natural” look).

Before I know it, I am swept into a tall black chair while "Violet" begins to wipe away all evidence of the "hideous make-up" I applied this morning.  Now, I am sitting there thinking, “my new husband is going to kill me because I am now going to make us late to meet his cousin and his cousin’s wife for dinner not to mention spend about a hundred unnecessary dollars on make-up I really don't need.”  - This was circa 1995, I only had a cellular phone in my car, not portable, so I could not call him from the make-up chair to say I would be late.  In fact, he only had a beeper at that time.  A time when having a beeper in Miami did not mean you were a drug dealer. Oh, I digress yet again.

So, back to the chair at the Trish McEvoy counter.  As the “artist”, Violet, is applying eight different shades of eye shadow and showing me how it just looks like one great color (um, why doesn’t Violet just sell me the “one great color" instead of eight separate ones?), I am mentally calculating how many products she is going to try to get me to buy.  She finally finishes and I am thinking, “okay, I guess I could use some new shadows, some new lipsticks, liners, foundation, mascara, aaaaaahhhhh!”. 

Okay, I had convinced myself I am worth it.  These are the thoughts running through my head, 

“I am a newly married woman, and it wouldn't kill me to update my look with new make-up.   I deserve this.  I work too.  I should not worry about spending money on myself.  I have unique coloring and isn’t it great I happened to be here when this very talented Trish McEvoy artist could take the time to help me?

We are walking to the register and her hands are full of quite a few boxes.  Oh, wait, she is taking out brushes too. I have to buy new brushes?  Aren't good brushes really expensive?   She is saying something about needing good brushes.  No, no, no,  more and more brushes are being put on the counter.  How can I say no to Violet when she has just spent an hour doing my make-up?  She is ringing it up and I don't think it will be that bad.”

$576.52

$576.52!!!!!  That is a car payment.  (This was before I had kids or I would have been thinking – a month of preschool, 27 cases of diapers, 180 bottles of formula, 576 hot wheels cars, 576 slurpees, 190 happy meals toys with the new star wars characters, 198 pairs of earrings for my tween daughter at Claire's, an entire Wii system with all the games and accessories your heart desires…)

So, girls.  Guess what I did.  I stood up straight, looked her in the eye and said, “No…… I will not be putting this on my Saks card today, I will be using American Express.”

Yes, I completely wimped out.  I signed the slip, took my bag and rushed to my car to meet my husband for dinner.  I was totally freaking out that I just spent all that money on MAKE-UP!!!!  The end of the story is pretty predictable – I returned most of it the next week.  I took it back to a different Saks location because of course, I could not face the people at the Bal Harbour counter.

Over the years, it has become one of those funny stories between my husband and I.  Oh, my husband's favorite part of the story is that Violet's sales pitch focused very much on highlighting an important fact about Trish McEvoy.  Her husband is a dermatologist.  Therefore, she MUST know so much about make-up and skincare products.  So, that means that my girlfriend whose husband is a dentist will soon be coming out with her own line of dental floss.

Looking back at what I call the "Trish incident", what I don't find humorous is how I and many other women react in these situations.  Why do we have such difficulty just saying “NO”? 

As you have guessed from my previous entries, I don’t have a hard time speaking my mind.  Yet, like many women, I find myself in these situations every once in a while.   We may be strong, outspoken, confident women in many ways but we still often give in to stupid insignificant things because we don’t want to say “NO”.  Sometimes it is buying something we really don’t want to buy.  Other times, it is being pushed into doing something to please an outsider at a huge inconvenience to our families and ourselves.

We accept a dinner invitation even though we know our husband will be dreading going out with that particular couple because the husband is a complete show-off.  We agree to a play date for our child with little Johnny even when we know our child does not like playing with Johnny - because Johnny is a biter!  Or, we are pressured into joining a committee, which we don’t have the time for. 

Don’t get me wrong.

Don’t read this and walk away with the impression that I believe in living a life of complete selfishness.

Please know, I am more than willing to go out of my way for a good cause.  I am happy to be doing things for others.  Really, ask my close friends, I am a very giving person  (just don’t ask me to give you the last piece of my smart pop kettle corn because if I am going to count the calories for a full 100 calorie bag, I am not giving up one kernel!).  I believe in spreading good deeds in the world and I teach my children to do the same.  I am not advocating selfishness.  Yes, there are always times when it is right to give in and do things we don’t necessarily want to do.   Yes, yes, yes, I do believe those fortunate to be blessed in our lives have a duty to help those less fortunate.   That is a completely different topic.

I would expand on my thoughts of helping others but it could possibly lead into a political discussion.  I have vowed to keep my mouth shut until after November 4.  No matter what I want to say about McCain, Obama & Sarah Palin, I will not.  Okay, I will just say one thing.  Did anyone watch the short-lived Geena Davis show, “Commander in Chief”?  The premise of the show reminds me so much of what is happening now with the election and the possibility of having McCain/Palin in office in 2009.   I will not go into it because I promised not to be political here.  Just look it up. 

Back to the superficial – because we get enough politics as it is.

My point is this.  I am continually shocked at how hard it is to say “NO”.  I think we should all work on thinking twice before agreeing to something for the sake of pleasing someone else.  Usually the person you are worried about pleasing is not really concerned about how it affects you.  In cases like the pushy make-up artist or the salesgirl at Anthropologie, that is pretty straightforward.  It is much better to feel uncomfortable for about a millisecond because you said no to a salesgirl than to waste money on something you don’t really need or want. 

However, when it comes to helping out our friends or organizations we care about, it is a little trickier.   While we do want to help our friends whenever we can or whenever they need it, sometimes it can get in the way of our own family priorities.  In these cases, you really have to consider saying, NO, if it is going to negatively impact your family.

Since I love math, I use math to figure this one out.  My theory is a "greater than / less than" theory (I loved those little alligator signs I learned in first grade).   Here is the how I process the “favor”.    If the amount you are helping your friend exceeds the inconvenience it causes your family, then go for it.  Say yes and feel good about it.

However, if doing something for someone else has a greater negative effect on you or your family, it really is okay to smile politely and just say, “ I am so sorry I am not able to drive across town to take your child home for you because your Tivo is broken and you don’t want to miss today’s Oprah.”

Now that we have covered saying “NO” when we should, someone needs to tell me how to stand up to hairstylists.  Does anyone else chicken out when you know you should ask how much the cut and style is going to be before he begins?  Is there any other business transaction in your life in which you receive a product without agreeing to the price or even know the price ahead of time?  Can you imagine eating a meal at a restaurant before you know the price and then just paying whatever price the server decides to charge you?  Men don’t have this problem because they post the prices on a board at Supercuts!  

Dallas Texas based fetish model Angela Ryan has been seen in many of the world's leading fetish publications. Her personal site gives you a small free sample of her work as well as offer you the option of a full membership . Angela is a slim redhead with a rockabilly haircut that poses in corsets and classic lingerie. So if that's your fetish then you really should check out her pics.