Last week AOL decided to add ads to all of its Hometown Journals and homepages. All of the creatively designed webpages are now littered with spam. Inspiration journals, personal accounts of hardship and tragedy, homeschooling blogs, baby's first year, cat and dog blogs... none were exempt from the tacky invasion. I complained to HelpLive to get the spam removed but it seems that AOL's spam guard is set up to protect us from all spam... except for AOL's spam. I guess they want to be the only spammers in the neighborhood. Heck, journal guidelines even state that we cannot advertise on our journals if it does not pertain to AOL journals. I've been trying to figure out where Bank of America and Quiznos fit in to the journaling community. That AOL ad made sence. It was the AOL Spam edition.
So anyhow, until AOL either removes the ads, or offers an acceptable solution for this issue, this journal will display its new and inproved title (anti-spam edition, of course!)
Wake up... grudgingly, (but then I remember the computer and I bounce out of bed.)
Do my 'duties' in the bathroom, (quickly because the computer calls to me)
Turn on the computer (this is a manuvere that can be completed in the dark thanks to a cyber-magnetic homing device in the tip of my right index finger)
Pour a cup of coffee while waiting for Windows xp to load. (too bad the computer doesn't load as fast as the coffee brews).
Log on to AOL.
Experience a feeling of peace and well being.
Read e-mails from children who must forward any requests for funding or mediation. This is the preferred method of communication since volume can be controlled and screen names can be ignored or deleted if need be.
Read emails from spouse and wonder why he is fwd'ing a link to getajob.com. Can't he see, I'm too busy to get a job!
Check my horoscope so I know how I'm expected to behave today.
Realize that I am NOT a multi-millionaire yet. Delete shopping cart at Macy's.
Search for German bbq recipe to use for supper.
Accept the risk of 7 years bad luck for deleting another Little Tommy chain letter.
Consider ordering from the spammed penile enlarger catalog and switching them with spouse's One A Day vitamins just to see if it really works. 
Intercept spouse on landing with beer and a promise to bring supper down while he relaxes on sofa infront of the TV.
Rush upstairs and toss some frozen hotdogs into a pot on the stove.
Okie dokie, my counter is really starting to climbing now. Of course if it weren't for me and those pornospambots it probably would move at all but hey, I'm not picky so long as the numbers go up. 