'Cause if you surf over to edible.com the folks there would be happy to hook you up ... Unless Thai Green Curry crickets or tea made from leaves picked by monkeys is more your style.
Friday, September 30, 2005
what is edible
Hey little Girl, would you like a worm and tequila lollipop?
'Cause if you surf over to edible.com the folks there would be happy to hook you up ... Unless Thai Green Curry crickets or tea made from leaves picked by monkeys is more your style.
'Cause if you surf over to edible.com the folks there would be happy to hook you up ... Unless Thai Green Curry crickets or tea made from leaves picked by monkeys is more your style.
Can't predict the weather ...
We paid SBC a pretty penny and they lost it. The money has been deducted from My Guy's account but according to SBC, they don't recall getting the cash and we still owe them.
I have called and called. They asked me to Fax them. So I did. And then I called again. They said that it would take 7 days. I called again. They said that it would take 14 days. They said to call back at the end of the week. And now they say that the accounting office (in Texas) was flooded during Hurricane Rita. The office is closed and I need to fax all that stuff to another call center.
I believe them but I tell you, it feels like the ultimate "Dog Ate My Homework" excuse. To hear the customer service person say "It's not our fault that there was a Hurricane." Was quite frustrating. You do not control the weather but supposedly you do know how to process bills and keep track of accounts.
Can I use that excuse to not pay my bill? "Well, I hear that y'all are suffering from the effects of a Hurricane and I know what a hard time you have keeping track of money. And I would hate to have you lose my payment again, so I'm gonna hold on to this check until you call me and let me know that things are back to normal." I think they would slap the leg irons on me and put me on the chain gang.
In happier news, G got her very first job offer. *yay* The sign of more and better to come. *cheers*
I have called and called. They asked me to Fax them. So I did. And then I called again. They said that it would take 7 days. I called again. They said that it would take 14 days. They said to call back at the end of the week. And now they say that the accounting office (in Texas) was flooded during Hurricane Rita. The office is closed and I need to fax all that stuff to another call center.
I believe them but I tell you, it feels like the ultimate "Dog Ate My Homework" excuse. To hear the customer service person say "It's not our fault that there was a Hurricane." Was quite frustrating. You do not control the weather but supposedly you do know how to process bills and keep track of accounts.
Can I use that excuse to not pay my bill? "Well, I hear that y'all are suffering from the effects of a Hurricane and I know what a hard time you have keeping track of money. And I would hate to have you lose my payment again, so I'm gonna hold on to this check until you call me and let me know that things are back to normal." I think they would slap the leg irons on me and put me on the chain gang.
In happier news, G got her very first job offer. *yay* The sign of more and better to come. *cheers*
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
babblement
a) The governor of Georgia called for two "pre-snow days" closing the schools on Monday and Tuesday to save fuel 450,000 gallons of diesel. link This was announced on the Friday before the closings and parents had to scramble to find day care or stay home from work. Savings for the state of Georgia is offset by additional cost and trouble to its citizens. G-dub praised the governor for his resourcefulness. But mothers at the mall with their children felt that in light of their state's low SAT scores, keeping schools open might have been the better option.
b) I looked in the rearview mirror and spied a young man drinking something out of a can wrapped in a brown paper bag. Allow me to jumping to conclusions here and say: "Sippin' on a 40 while driving home from work is foolish. Dude, if you're that hard up, pour rum in a 20oz. of coke. Did you forget everything you learned in high school? Geez."
c) I have gained some weight. There is the six pack, the washboard (never had either), the belly, the buddah belly, then comes the ledge. It's a band of fat that appears above the buddah belly and creates an excellent shelf on which to balance drinks and books. That's me. I was at a value store pretending to shop for wedding guest clothes and instead found some flashy fabulous shirts that totally distract from said belly and shelf. They are brilliant. Nothing like a giant sequined pink butterfly on the chest (lung-sized) and ornate floral flame under it to drawn attention away from certain facts about your figure. It's beyond figure forgiving. It's all out camo. I did not buy that particular item but I did shed little shiny pink sparklies with me for the rest of the day. This is all driving my mother crazy. I am calling it my Anna Nicole Show phase.
d) Trader Joe's is trying to steal my money. They just mailed me a 16 page flyer with elaborate desciriptions of what is delicious and on sale at their store this week. I love to read about food. But for now, my heart belongs to Aldi's not just because of the austerity, discounts, and diversity of clientel, but I love that the cashiers sit on chairs while they scan items and make change.
e) Before I got serious about my thesis I took up knitting and crochet at the same time as I got hooked on Public Affairs programming on PBS. I watched or taped hours of documentaries along with news programs and listened to them while I sat at home knitting or crocheting. That was a way to pass a Friday night. I made an ugly hat, mittens and two scarves before I decided that I had to stop! And redirect my energies.
Knitting is kind of a drag. 'cause I'm not good enough that I can talk or look away to watch TV or a movie or be at a meeting while I do it. And it takes me forever. But I want to get better such that I can do it on the train or the airplane or at meetings. I am making double knit leg warmers. And after that I am finally going to face down my fears and take a crack at my first sweater.
I am in a crafty mood. I want to sew all my t-shirts into handkerchiefs and make rags into quilts. I have romanticized the quilter's circle. *I don't even know anyone who sews*
b) I looked in the rearview mirror and spied a young man drinking something out of a can wrapped in a brown paper bag. Allow me to jumping to conclusions here and say: "Sippin' on a 40 while driving home from work is foolish. Dude, if you're that hard up, pour rum in a 20oz. of coke. Did you forget everything you learned in high school? Geez."
c) I have gained some weight. There is the six pack, the washboard (never had either), the belly, the buddah belly, then comes the ledge. It's a band of fat that appears above the buddah belly and creates an excellent shelf on which to balance drinks and books. That's me. I was at a value store pretending to shop for wedding guest clothes and instead found some flashy fabulous shirts that totally distract from said belly and shelf. They are brilliant. Nothing like a giant sequined pink butterfly on the chest (lung-sized) and ornate floral flame under it to drawn attention away from certain facts about your figure. It's beyond figure forgiving. It's all out camo. I did not buy that particular item but I did shed little shiny pink sparklies with me for the rest of the day. This is all driving my mother crazy. I am calling it my Anna Nicole Show phase.
d) Trader Joe's is trying to steal my money. They just mailed me a 16 page flyer with elaborate desciriptions of what is delicious and on sale at their store this week. I love to read about food. But for now, my heart belongs to Aldi's not just because of the austerity, discounts, and diversity of clientel, but I love that the cashiers sit on chairs while they scan items and make change.
e) Before I got serious about my thesis I took up knitting and crochet at the same time as I got hooked on Public Affairs programming on PBS. I watched or taped hours of documentaries along with news programs and listened to them while I sat at home knitting or crocheting. That was a way to pass a Friday night. I made an ugly hat, mittens and two scarves before I decided that I had to stop! And redirect my energies.
Knitting is kind of a drag. 'cause I'm not good enough that I can talk or look away to watch TV or a movie or be at a meeting while I do it. And it takes me forever. But I want to get better such that I can do it on the train or the airplane or at meetings. I am making double knit leg warmers. And after that I am finally going to face down my fears and take a crack at my first sweater.
I am in a crafty mood. I want to sew all my t-shirts into handkerchiefs and make rags into quilts. I have romanticized the quilter's circle. *I don't even know anyone who sews*
Monday, September 26, 2005
budget cuts
According to MoveOn the Republicans are proposing some pretty drastic budget cuts to offset the costs of Hurricane Katrina.
While there is no proposal to put an end to Bush's beloved tax cuts (which would more than cover the cost of rebuilding) among the things that are on the block are:
$225 billion cut from Medicaid, the last-resort health insurance program for the very poor.
$200 billion cut from Medicare, the health care safety net for the elderly and the disabled.
$25 billion cut from the Centers for Disease Control
$6.7 billion cut from school lunches for poor children
$7.5 cut from programs to fight global AIDS
$5.5 billion to eliminate all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
$3.6 billion cut to eliminate the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities
$8.5 billion cut to eliminate all subsidized loans to graduate students.
$2.5 billion to eliminate the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
$417 million cut to eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency
more here
I don't know about you but my tax cut was about $300. I think I bought booze or paid the electric bill. I would be more than willing to put it towards balancing the budget.
MoveOn has an online petition if you're interested.
Look, government has a purpose besides spying on us, throwing us in jail, obstructing our access to contraception, forcing us to pray in school, and sending kids to die in foreign lands. They should know that in some areas their services are desired and requested.
While there is no proposal to put an end to Bush's beloved tax cuts (which would more than cover the cost of rebuilding) among the things that are on the block are:
$225 billion cut from Medicaid, the last-resort health insurance program for the very poor.
$200 billion cut from Medicare, the health care safety net for the elderly and the disabled.
$25 billion cut from the Centers for Disease Control
$6.7 billion cut from school lunches for poor children
$7.5 cut from programs to fight global AIDS
$5.5 billion to eliminate all funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
$3.6 billion cut to eliminate the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities
$8.5 billion cut to eliminate all subsidized loans to graduate students.
$2.5 billion to eliminate the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
$417 million cut to eliminate the Minority Business Development Agency
more here
I don't know about you but my tax cut was about $300. I think I bought booze or paid the electric bill. I would be more than willing to put it towards balancing the budget.
MoveOn has an online petition if you're interested.
Look, government has a purpose besides spying on us, throwing us in jail, obstructing our access to contraception, forcing us to pray in school, and sending kids to die in foreign lands. They should know that in some areas their services are desired and requested.
Sunday, September 25, 2005
kinda like Carrie except in my laundry basket
Yesterday while vegging on the couch I looked over at Tweety sacked out on her back and noticed that her left front leg, and a part of her chest was pink. On Kitty, I would assume that the pink was the result of a vicious attack on a red pen or pink highlighter (Which has happened). But on Tweety, the civilized baby, it might be blood. On inspecting her paws, and legs and belly etc there were no cuts or abrasions or open wounds and she was purry and happy.
Today I look over at Tweety chilling in the laundry basket and her leg is bloody, her paw is bloody, her tail is bloody and, whoa! Bloody cat face!
A scan through the yellow pages for a Vet who takes emergency visits from strange cats on a Sunday afternoon, a phone call, a push into the cat carrier and we are on our way to the Webster Groves Animal Hospital (an impressive place that looks like a smaller pet version of General Hospital.)
The kind Dr. comes the conclusion that I had worked out on the drive over - bad teeth. Her gums are raw on the right side. And advises that she needs to have her teeth cleaned.
As long as there are no behavior changes to the Tweety we know and love, I am inclined to agree with this assessment. But oh man. I cannot tell you how scary it was to look over and see Tweety with a mouth and chin covered in blood.
Today I look over at Tweety chilling in the laundry basket and her leg is bloody, her paw is bloody, her tail is bloody and, whoa! Bloody cat face!
A scan through the yellow pages for a Vet who takes emergency visits from strange cats on a Sunday afternoon, a phone call, a push into the cat carrier and we are on our way to the Webster Groves Animal Hospital (an impressive place that looks like a smaller pet version of General Hospital.)
The kind Dr. comes the conclusion that I had worked out on the drive over - bad teeth. Her gums are raw on the right side. And advises that she needs to have her teeth cleaned.
As long as there are no behavior changes to the Tweety we know and love, I am inclined to agree with this assessment. But oh man. I cannot tell you how scary it was to look over and see Tweety with a mouth and chin covered in blood.
you should have seen that sunset
"Today skies are painted colors of a cowboy cliche"-John Mayer
Yesterday, driving back from buying groceries I happened to look up from my day to day. The sky was an explosion of pink, orange and the turquoise of the ocean when the sun shines. So bright and brilliant, deserving of a standing ovation.
Reminiscent of those sunsets in South Florida at the turn of last year.
I wanted to sit and take it in properly. But the groceries were thawing and warming and waiting. By the time I was done, it was dark. The sun and the sky wait for no one.
This is a reminder to look up more often.
Yesterday, driving back from buying groceries I happened to look up from my day to day. The sky was an explosion of pink, orange and the turquoise of the ocean when the sun shines. So bright and brilliant, deserving of a standing ovation.
Reminiscent of those sunsets in South Florida at the turn of last year.
I wanted to sit and take it in properly. But the groceries were thawing and warming and waiting. By the time I was done, it was dark. The sun and the sky wait for no one.
This is a reminder to look up more often.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Jumpin' on the bandwagon - the 7 things meme
7 things I want to do before I die:
1) Bake amazing bread (cook like a God)
2) Style my hair into a Beehive
3) Build something meaningful and beautiful
4) Walk the walk
5) Show true courage
6) Help someone help herself / himself
7) Surprise myself
7 things I can do:
1) Write a 2-3 minutes song
2) Make a fool of myself in front of crowds of people
3) Ask questions when I don't understand stuff
4) Admit when I am wrong
5) Speculate until the cows come home
6) Set up and run sound at a rock show
7) Amuse myself
7 things I cannot do:
1) Apply makeup
2) Pass up food
3) Hurry up
4) Make up my mind
5) Speed read
6) Read your mind
7) Drink like a fish
7 things I say most often:
1) I don't know
2) I don't know
3) I need to get a job *an edit*
4) What?
5) Okaaaaaay.
6) Ow!
7) Cool.
Celebrity crushes: (Besides My Guy who is quite famous)
1m) John Cusack
2m) Douglas Coupland
3m) Adam Duritz
4m) James Caviezel (yes, I have a thing for Jesus)
5m) Johnny Depp
6m) Tony Leung
7m) Vincent D'Onofrio
1f) Rachel Wiesz
2f) Audrey Hepburn
3f) Susan Sarandon
4f) Eliza Dushku
5f) Isabella Rosellini
6f) Claire Danes
7f) Rachel Leigh Cook
1) Bake amazing bread (cook like a God)
2) Style my hair into a Beehive
3) Build something meaningful and beautiful
4) Walk the walk
5) Show true courage
6) Help someone help herself / himself
7) Surprise myself
7 things I can do:
1) Write a 2-3 minutes song
2) Make a fool of myself in front of crowds of people
3) Ask questions when I don't understand stuff
4) Admit when I am wrong
5) Speculate until the cows come home
6) Set up and run sound at a rock show
7) Amuse myself
7 things I cannot do:
1) Apply makeup
2) Pass up food
3) Hurry up
4) Make up my mind
5) Speed read
6) Read your mind
7) Drink like a fish
7 things I say most often:
1) I don't know
2) I don't know
3) I need to get a job *an edit*
4) What?
5) Okaaaaaay.
6) Ow!
7) Cool.
Celebrity crushes: (Besides My Guy who is quite famous)
1m) John Cusack
2m) Douglas Coupland
3m) Adam Duritz
4m) James Caviezel (yes, I have a thing for Jesus)
5m) Johnny Depp
6m) Tony Leung
7m) Vincent D'Onofrio
1f) Rachel Wiesz
2f) Audrey Hepburn
3f) Susan Sarandon
4f) Eliza Dushku
5f) Isabella Rosellini
6f) Claire Danes
7f) Rachel Leigh Cook
Friday, September 23, 2005
feelin' meme-ish
MomVee has a meme on her blog:
Rules:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
I thought to myself: "I'll bet my 23rd post doesn't have a fifth sentence..." But on recounting, my 24th post does not have 5 complete sentences, but my 23rd does:
"The problem with spending time with other people is that you want them to be happy but it's really hard to figure out how to do that."
Rules:
1. Go into your archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.
I thought to myself: "I'll bet my 23rd post doesn't have a fifth sentence..." But on recounting, my 24th post does not have 5 complete sentences, but my 23rd does:
"The problem with spending time with other people is that you want them to be happy but it's really hard to figure out how to do that."
90 days in prison
Dan Schwankl spent 90 days in a federal prison for participating in a protest calling for the closure of the Western Hemisphere Institue for Security Cooperation (WHISC), formerly known as the School of the Americas (SOA), which trains Latin American soldiers at Fort Benning, Georgia. The alumni of WHISC have risen positions of command from which they have kidnapped, tortured, massacred, assassinated, murdered, raped, and disappeared people - civilians all over Latin America, staged coups and toppeled governments for years and years. They learned many "interrogation" and "insurgency" techniques at WHISC.
Upon his release from jail, he wrote this:
*totally ganked from the SOA watch newsletter*
"Even with all the wonderful preparation from the SOA watch staff and words of hope from former prisoners of conscience, I still walked into Federal Prison Camp Butner with plenty of mental baggage. Fear is a pretty big bag to carry. (Instead of fear, I tried to bring in a rubber chicken to lighten the mood a little.) I was reminded of Oscar Romero's words about Jesus inviting us not to fear persecution. The correctional officers did nothing to dispel the fears I'd brought with me, told me I would not enjoy my time here, that this was no boys' camp. It was the inmates who showed me the truth of Romero's words and Jesus's teachings.
Since I was coming with nothing, it was the inmates who recognized my poverty and got together a welcome package of shower shoes, stamps, envelopes, soaps, and who repeatedly asked if I needed anything. The Bureau of Prisons actually has a rule that states it is illegal to give anything to another inmate. In the face of breaking the rules, that spirit of giving overwhelmed me when one fellow gave me a pair of fifty dollar running shoes and another his extra radio. I realized these men were all children of God, brothers, fathers, uncles, all with people who loved and cared for them on the outside, not people to be feared. I want to thank the SOA Watch staff and all the folks who write. Thank you, thank you."
www.soaw.org
And while we are on the subject of prisoners and the prison industrial complex, I want to mention Books to Prisoners.
I can't walk into a bookstore without walking out with a stack of books. The same is true for a visit to a library, book fair or book sale. For me, there is no such thing as "browsing." The thought of being trapped in a cell with nothing to read distresses me.
There are people who send books to people in prison. And for a growing number of prisoners, Books to Prisoners is their only source of reading material. Lots of money is going into building prisons but not as much of it is going into prison libraries or prisoner education. The number one request from prisoners is for dictionaries. If you are in a cell, you can't walk down to the prison library whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word. Reading without the means to understand also distresses me.
"Any discussion about reentry into society from prison begins with education."
-- Robert Sanchez, former inmate and current program manager at STRIVE: East Harlem Employment Services
People who want to learn should have the opportunity. Wherever they are.
UC-Books to Prisoners
NYC Books through Bars
Other BTP projects
Upon his release from jail, he wrote this:
*totally ganked from the SOA watch newsletter*
"Even with all the wonderful preparation from the SOA watch staff and words of hope from former prisoners of conscience, I still walked into Federal Prison Camp Butner with plenty of mental baggage. Fear is a pretty big bag to carry. (Instead of fear, I tried to bring in a rubber chicken to lighten the mood a little.) I was reminded of Oscar Romero's words about Jesus inviting us not to fear persecution. The correctional officers did nothing to dispel the fears I'd brought with me, told me I would not enjoy my time here, that this was no boys' camp. It was the inmates who showed me the truth of Romero's words and Jesus's teachings.
Since I was coming with nothing, it was the inmates who recognized my poverty and got together a welcome package of shower shoes, stamps, envelopes, soaps, and who repeatedly asked if I needed anything. The Bureau of Prisons actually has a rule that states it is illegal to give anything to another inmate. In the face of breaking the rules, that spirit of giving overwhelmed me when one fellow gave me a pair of fifty dollar running shoes and another his extra radio. I realized these men were all children of God, brothers, fathers, uncles, all with people who loved and cared for them on the outside, not people to be feared. I want to thank the SOA Watch staff and all the folks who write. Thank you, thank you."
www.soaw.org
And while we are on the subject of prisoners and the prison industrial complex, I want to mention Books to Prisoners.
I can't walk into a bookstore without walking out with a stack of books. The same is true for a visit to a library, book fair or book sale. For me, there is no such thing as "browsing." The thought of being trapped in a cell with nothing to read distresses me.
There are people who send books to people in prison. And for a growing number of prisoners, Books to Prisoners is their only source of reading material. Lots of money is going into building prisons but not as much of it is going into prison libraries or prisoner education. The number one request from prisoners is for dictionaries. If you are in a cell, you can't walk down to the prison library whenever you encounter an unfamiliar word. Reading without the means to understand also distresses me.
"Any discussion about reentry into society from prison begins with education."
-- Robert Sanchez, former inmate and current program manager at STRIVE: East Harlem Employment Services
People who want to learn should have the opportunity. Wherever they are.
UC-Books to Prisoners
NYC Books through Bars
Other BTP projects
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Re-mix
I love going to pharmacy-marts like CVS, Walgreens, and Osco. Especially late at night. I wander the fluorescent aisles, inspect the goods, and peer at myself through the ceiling mirrors the cashiers use to make sure that I am not shoplifting. Aside from the drugs behind the counter (We hope!) everything there is cheaply made yet pricier than it would be at the mart-mart. But the vibe is somehow different. More five-and-dime-convenience, less box store.
There is the disgruntled sleepy cashier and the elderly woman with her coupon booklet carefully ripping out each store coupon for each item in her cart and sharply watching for the item by item discount. There are the teenagers or college kids trying to buy beer with a fake ID. There are people trying to look nondescript as they buy "unmentionables," folks who need meds (some of them badly), folks who can't sleep, folks with problems that need solving - the kinds of problems that can be solved with an ace bandage, an anti-fungal ointment, a pad to cushion a painful bunion, a nose hair trimmer.
I take comfort in walking through those aisles and seeing the solution to so many of life's little problems in one place. (Some of the bigger health related ones too.)
If only Walgreens had aisles that carried solutions to the big problems.
There is the disgruntled sleepy cashier and the elderly woman with her coupon booklet carefully ripping out each store coupon for each item in her cart and sharply watching for the item by item discount. There are the teenagers or college kids trying to buy beer with a fake ID. There are people trying to look nondescript as they buy "unmentionables," folks who need meds (some of them badly), folks who can't sleep, folks with problems that need solving - the kinds of problems that can be solved with an ace bandage, an anti-fungal ointment, a pad to cushion a painful bunion, a nose hair trimmer.
I take comfort in walking through those aisles and seeing the solution to so many of life's little problems in one place. (Some of the bigger health related ones too.)
If only Walgreens had aisles that carried solutions to the big problems.
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Oh to be a Pip.
They are in heavy pledge drive mode on the local PBS station. As part of this they are broadcasting a Motown Review. It is adorable seeing an elderly Contour sing: "Do you love me? Now that I can dance." He's not dropping into the splits, but he and his back up singers can still "really shake 'em down."
I would like to take three dance classes:
1. Belly Dancing
2. Bollywood Dancing
But most of all I want to take:
3. Motown Backup Choreography
The black and white footage of the Temptations performing "My Girl" is so delightful. They make it look so effortless. And the choreography itself is so simple and elegant. It's all about the turn of a head, the wave of a hand, and pivot from one hip to the other.
There was a DJ at Ed Debevics in Chicago who spun oldies and B-sides, rocking the pompadour in dark glasses and a gold ruffled tux. He was a lone Pip busting the dyno-mite moves. The slides, the turns, the snaps, it was all there. He was a star.
He is my hero. Add to my list of dream jobs: Understudy to the Pips / Warming the bench for the Temptations.
I would like to take three dance classes:
1. Belly Dancing
2. Bollywood Dancing
But most of all I want to take:
3. Motown Backup Choreography
The black and white footage of the Temptations performing "My Girl" is so delightful. They make it look so effortless. And the choreography itself is so simple and elegant. It's all about the turn of a head, the wave of a hand, and pivot from one hip to the other.
There was a DJ at Ed Debevics in Chicago who spun oldies and B-sides, rocking the pompadour in dark glasses and a gold ruffled tux. He was a lone Pip busting the dyno-mite moves. The slides, the turns, the snaps, it was all there. He was a star.
He is my hero. Add to my list of dream jobs: Understudy to the Pips / Warming the bench for the Temptations.
Monday, September 19, 2005
home
"So I've been all the places that I ever want to be,
I've seen all the people that I ever want to see
I'm sick and tired of being lonely and free,
I'm ready today for what's waiting on me
I'm gonna give up believing I was born to run,
stop acting like a man that gets shot from a gun
I'm putting down roots, I want to soak up sun
and stay right here until my days are done."
-James Taylor
I will admit that I have this desire to put down some roots and actually live somewhere.
Have friends who live in the neighborhood, sit on the porch together and watch our kids grow up.
Of course, first one must have kids, and a porch and friends in town.
My ovaries trying to short circuit my life.
I've seen all the people that I ever want to see
I'm sick and tired of being lonely and free,
I'm ready today for what's waiting on me
I'm gonna give up believing I was born to run,
stop acting like a man that gets shot from a gun
I'm putting down roots, I want to soak up sun
and stay right here until my days are done."
-James Taylor
I will admit that I have this desire to put down some roots and actually live somewhere.
Have friends who live in the neighborhood, sit on the porch together and watch our kids grow up.
Of course, first one must have kids, and a porch and friends in town.
My ovaries trying to short circuit my life.
Friday, September 16, 2005
back of the envelope calculations
How much moo, oink, gobble, and cluck-cluck to do you save by becoming a vegetarian?
the average american eats:
63.4 lbs of beef
50.8 lbs of pork
57.1 lbs of chicken
and
14.1 lbs of turkey in a year
If the average american stopped eating meat for a year:
that's 17 chickens
two years:
that's 34 chickens, 1 turkey, and 1 hog
8.98 years:
that's 154 chickens, 6 turkeys, 4 hogs, and 1 steer
As My Guy points out, the average does not take into account : gender, socio-economic status, regional variation in eating habits, and age.
I love bacon, I love ribs, and I love fried chicken.
But y'know, that's a lot of aminal being eaten.
I have too much time on my hands right now.
the average american eats:
63.4 lbs of beef
50.8 lbs of pork
57.1 lbs of chicken
and
14.1 lbs of turkey in a year
If the average american stopped eating meat for a year:
that's 17 chickens
two years:
that's 34 chickens, 1 turkey, and 1 hog
8.98 years:
that's 154 chickens, 6 turkeys, 4 hogs, and 1 steer
As My Guy points out, the average does not take into account : gender, socio-economic status, regional variation in eating habits, and age.
I love bacon, I love ribs, and I love fried chicken.
But y'know, that's a lot of aminal being eaten.
I have too much time on my hands right now.
way cool
Some days I am prone to the "grass is greener - green with envy" syndrome. Its mascot is the rabbit who sings: "everyone else has had more sex than me." I have the suspicion that everyone is having more fun and a better life than me.
My latest bought of envy is caused by this email:
>Inaugural Meeting of the Darwin Club
>
>Tuesday, Sept. 20, 5:00PM
>
>229 Natural History Building
>
>The Darwin Club will emphasize the cultural and scientific significance
>of evolutionary theory through discussion, meetings, annual events,
>invited speakers (including for www.darwimday.org), and outreach
>to local communities and schools. The club will thoroughly
>explore the current intelligent design/creationism controversy.
>Open to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty participation!
>
>If you're interested, please join us next Tuesday!
Oh man. This sounds so cool. *pout*
My latest bought of envy is caused by this email:
>Inaugural Meeting of the Darwin Club
>
>Tuesday, Sept. 20, 5:00PM
>
>229 Natural History Building
>
>The Darwin Club will emphasize the cultural and scientific significance
>of evolutionary theory through discussion, meetings, annual events,
>invited speakers (including for www.darwimday.org), and outreach
>to local communities and schools. The club will thoroughly
>explore the current intelligent design/creationism controversy.
>Open to undergraduate, graduate, and faculty participation!
>
>If you're interested, please join us next Tuesday!
Oh man. This sounds so cool. *pout*
Thursday, September 15, 2005
What goes through my head, having lost my mind
0. Now that I am on the other side, it's not much to look at. At least not yet.
1. The world keeps turning. Everyone around me is working, studying, struggling, living, and doing their thing. Open a door, lift a rock, jump in a lake, pull the bark off a dead log. All around you, living things from enormous to microscopic, are scrapping out a living. It is the struggle of the biological.
Don't feel bad when you ask yourself what you are going to do with your life. It is a problem to be solved by every thing alive. And when the conditions of your environment keep changing, it ain't easy to come up with an answer. (And consider that sticking to just one answer might not see you through.)
Walk into a room of microbiologists and you'll find them trying to figure out how one microbe or another makes a living. Walk into a room of economists or sociologists and it could be the same question, different organism. Perhaps the pains of our "new economy" have to do with speed at which economic niches are built and destroyed vs. our ability to respond to the pace.
Feeding and Fucking (Reproduction) Let us give them their due. Much of our experience is devoted to the distraction from or the satiation of these drives.
2. As I was driving up to deliver my thesis the song "Tiny Dancer" came on the radio. I was ebullient. I was not speeding, I was flying. I relived that scene from "Almost Famous" on the tour bus as if it had happened to me. Overflowing with peace and groovy free love and the communion with a song about blue jean babies and ballerinas. A false memory. I have not been a Band-Aid on a tour bus in the 70's. The experience of the end in sight was powerfully mood altering.
3. There are finishing touches and tasks to be met here. But I cannot bring myself to tackle them quite yet.
4. My Guy refers to me as Dr. This or Dr. That. And I giggle.
5. My Advisor said that I was my biggest hurdle to defending. My greatest difficulty in defending was convincing myself that I was ready. My Guy nodded. I do not know if this was in agreement or to acknowledge what was said.
6. I love wearing overalls. They are comfy and roomy and have lots of pockets. They have no waist. But using the bathroom is a real pain.
7. My love affair with the movies is rekindled. Every trailer was a delight. "The Constant Gardener" was a hell of a movie. Grim and intense. Rachel Weisz just gets better and better.
8. There was a trailer for the movie, "Rent." There are people who love musicals and people who really, really don't. I suspect that those you who don't, see those of us who do as world class dorks. And those of us who do, look at those of you who don't and worry about the condition of your songless souls and your cold critical hearts.
9. When I watch lots of movies I get very picky and very critical. I get desperately miserable craving to see something good.
When I don't, I am so charmed by the whole experience that even when it's bad, it's all good.
10. After Stephen King finishes the second draft of a novel he puts it aside and starts the first draft of his next project. When this first draft is completed he goes back and finished the other one. This might be how he keeps up the motivation to finish and to keep moving. I have a pathological fear of completion of just about any major project. Perhaps this is a strategy that I shoudl try to adopt.
11. I have ceramic chopstick rests that are shaped like rabbits. Sooooo precious.
1. The world keeps turning. Everyone around me is working, studying, struggling, living, and doing their thing. Open a door, lift a rock, jump in a lake, pull the bark off a dead log. All around you, living things from enormous to microscopic, are scrapping out a living. It is the struggle of the biological.
Don't feel bad when you ask yourself what you are going to do with your life. It is a problem to be solved by every thing alive. And when the conditions of your environment keep changing, it ain't easy to come up with an answer. (And consider that sticking to just one answer might not see you through.)
Walk into a room of microbiologists and you'll find them trying to figure out how one microbe or another makes a living. Walk into a room of economists or sociologists and it could be the same question, different organism. Perhaps the pains of our "new economy" have to do with speed at which economic niches are built and destroyed vs. our ability to respond to the pace.
Feeding and Fucking (Reproduction) Let us give them their due. Much of our experience is devoted to the distraction from or the satiation of these drives.
2. As I was driving up to deliver my thesis the song "Tiny Dancer" came on the radio. I was ebullient. I was not speeding, I was flying. I relived that scene from "Almost Famous" on the tour bus as if it had happened to me. Overflowing with peace and groovy free love and the communion with a song about blue jean babies and ballerinas. A false memory. I have not been a Band-Aid on a tour bus in the 70's. The experience of the end in sight was powerfully mood altering.
3. There are finishing touches and tasks to be met here. But I cannot bring myself to tackle them quite yet.
4. My Guy refers to me as Dr. This or Dr. That. And I giggle.
5. My Advisor said that I was my biggest hurdle to defending. My greatest difficulty in defending was convincing myself that I was ready. My Guy nodded. I do not know if this was in agreement or to acknowledge what was said.
6. I love wearing overalls. They are comfy and roomy and have lots of pockets. They have no waist. But using the bathroom is a real pain.
7. My love affair with the movies is rekindled. Every trailer was a delight. "The Constant Gardener" was a hell of a movie. Grim and intense. Rachel Weisz just gets better and better.
8. There was a trailer for the movie, "Rent." There are people who love musicals and people who really, really don't. I suspect that those you who don't, see those of us who do as world class dorks. And those of us who do, look at those of you who don't and worry about the condition of your songless souls and your cold critical hearts.
9. When I watch lots of movies I get very picky and very critical. I get desperately miserable craving to see something good.
When I don't, I am so charmed by the whole experience that even when it's bad, it's all good.
10. After Stephen King finishes the second draft of a novel he puts it aside and starts the first draft of his next project. When this first draft is completed he goes back and finished the other one. This might be how he keeps up the motivation to finish and to keep moving. I have a pathological fear of completion of just about any major project. Perhaps this is a strategy that I shoudl try to adopt.
11. I have ceramic chopstick rests that are shaped like rabbits. Sooooo precious.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Katrina Relief
Ganked from the Daily Granola livejournal community:
If you don't want to donate money to the Red Cross or you just want to have a better feel for who and what you money is going towards.
This link is to a website listing grassroots/low-income/people of color-led hurricane katrina relief. They seems to update it so you are getting news of people who are local and on the forefront.
If you don't want to donate money to the Red Cross or you just want to have a better feel for who and what you money is going towards.
This link is to a website listing grassroots/low-income/people of color-led hurricane katrina relief. They seems to update it so you are getting news of people who are local and on the forefront.
The other update:
I defended today and I passed.
I feel kind of numb right now.
I remember questions. I don't remember answering them.
I towards the end when I was acknowledging people, I started to cry, twice.
I blame it on the hormones.
But I held it together enough to get through it.
Unlike the final song of my final arch sing senior year of college.
Thank you to everyone for the well wishes, support, and the congrats.
I feel kind of numb right now.
I remember questions. I don't remember answering them.
I towards the end when I was acknowledging people, I started to cry, twice.
I blame it on the hormones.
But I held it together enough to get through it.
Unlike the final song of my final arch sing senior year of college.
Thank you to everyone for the well wishes, support, and the congrats.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
in other news
I finished my thesis. Yay me. She clocks in at mere 122 pages.
Folks have pointed out to me that a 13th is a risky date on which to defend.
So let's say we're Chinese for whom 13 is a lucky number.
Or let's say that luck does not play into this one. *har* *knocks on wood*
Folks have pointed out to me that a 13th is a risky date on which to defend.
So let's say we're Chinese for whom 13 is a lucky number.
Or let's say that luck does not play into this one. *har* *knocks on wood*
Monday, September 05, 2005
Get angry and then get busy
According to Slate news reporters are flipping their shit over what's happening in NOLA. It might be the dead bodies. The dead bodies are getting to people.
At Washington Monthly, Kevin Drum offers a brief history of Dubya, FEMA, flood control in Louisiana, and the war on Terruh
Is it me or does it seem to you like maybe FEMA dragged its feet because the bean counters want to keep redoing the math to make sure that all their homeland security initiatives stay flush in cash before spending any money on poor suffering folks in Louisiana?
I watched "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" with My Guy last night and all I could think of in the big scenes in the beginning was NOLA. Painful scenes of desperate people abandoned by their officials. Which makes me think of similar scenes in "War of the Worlds". Scenes in which we encounter disasters that we are not prepared or equipped to handle and the hard acts of triage of those who are in charge, those who lead. So let's get prepared.
Let's hope there are no zombies or space aliens headed towards NOLA right now. Because if the movies are any indication of what our government is like, if supernatural forces converging on NOLA, the government will not hesitate to drop a nu-Q-ler bomb.
My Dad says that I am too negative and pessimistic. And that I should be happy strong and positive. Upbeat. Not rain on parades, not bring people down, not dampen morale, not cause people to lose faith.
I truly would if I could. But we are what it is in our nature to be.
Let me say this: anger is energy. It can be used for good or evil. You can express anger and cause harm to yourself or to others. Or you can take the power of your anger and channel it. Use it as fuel for action.
Whatever action you can.
Because you might think that singing is frivolous and a waste of time. But the Boys Choir of Harlem has changed lives.
At Washington Monthly, Kevin Drum offers a brief history of Dubya, FEMA, flood control in Louisiana, and the war on Terruh
Is it me or does it seem to you like maybe FEMA dragged its feet because the bean counters want to keep redoing the math to make sure that all their homeland security initiatives stay flush in cash before spending any money on poor suffering folks in Louisiana?
I watched "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" with My Guy last night and all I could think of in the big scenes in the beginning was NOLA. Painful scenes of desperate people abandoned by their officials. Which makes me think of similar scenes in "War of the Worlds". Scenes in which we encounter disasters that we are not prepared or equipped to handle and the hard acts of triage of those who are in charge, those who lead. So let's get prepared.
Let's hope there are no zombies or space aliens headed towards NOLA right now. Because if the movies are any indication of what our government is like, if supernatural forces converging on NOLA, the government will not hesitate to drop a nu-Q-ler bomb.
My Dad says that I am too negative and pessimistic. And that I should be happy strong and positive. Upbeat. Not rain on parades, not bring people down, not dampen morale, not cause people to lose faith.
I truly would if I could. But we are what it is in our nature to be.
Let me say this: anger is energy. It can be used for good or evil. You can express anger and cause harm to yourself or to others. Or you can take the power of your anger and channel it. Use it as fuel for action.
Whatever action you can.
Because you might think that singing is frivolous and a waste of time. But the Boys Choir of Harlem has changed lives.
Sunday, September 04, 2005
this is not a rant - this is fury and disbelief
Domystic has a series of Hurricane Katrina stories that are causing me neck and shoulder spasms like the world's angriest dog. My neck is so cramped that I can't turn my head in either direction. I am so angry.
We pay taxes to ensure that the government is prepared to respond to disasters like this. Why is Dubya asking me for more money? I think he and those of contributed to his campaign should do a matching funds drive in which they match $1,000 to every dollar the American Public donates to help. Take my twenty dollars, W, and turn it into $20,000. I hear you have amazing fundraising skills. Use them for the forces of good. Or just do your job.
"The President Has Called On All Americans To Support The Relief And Rescue Efforts Through Charitable Contributions And Aid. Americans who wish to contribute can do so by contacting charities that are assisting with hurricane relief. For example, citizens can call the Red Cross at 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or make an online contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund at www.redcross.org."
I am not making this up it's on the white house website.
And according to Domystic's readings that Red Cross money is not even getting into the city of New Orleans to prevent the return of it's citizens.
Fuck. The actual practice of this new world order and new vision of american sucks ass.
We pay taxes to ensure that the government is prepared to respond to disasters like this. Why is Dubya asking me for more money? I think he and those of contributed to his campaign should do a matching funds drive in which they match $1,000 to every dollar the American Public donates to help. Take my twenty dollars, W, and turn it into $20,000. I hear you have amazing fundraising skills. Use them for the forces of good. Or just do your job.
"The President Has Called On All Americans To Support The Relief And Rescue Efforts Through Charitable Contributions And Aid. Americans who wish to contribute can do so by contacting charities that are assisting with hurricane relief. For example, citizens can call the Red Cross at 1-800-HELP-NOW (1-800-435-7669) or make an online contribution to the Disaster Relief Fund at www.redcross.org."
I am not making this up it's on the white house website.
And according to Domystic's readings that Red Cross money is not even getting into the city of New Orleans to prevent the return of it's citizens.
Fuck. The actual practice of this new world order and new vision of american sucks ass.
the impulses of angry bloggers
I am sorely tempted to track down email addresses for every blog spammer and signing them up for every email list that I can think of. Expedia, Travelocity, Tickle, OkCupid, Border's email list ... and so on.
It's the least I could do for all the helpful information they give me and the words of encouragement on the quality of my blog.
Would it be wrong of me to post the email addresses of these businesses?
It's the least I could do for all the helpful information they give me and the words of encouragement on the quality of my blog.
Would it be wrong of me to post the email addresses of these businesses?
Saturday, September 03, 2005
these sentences lack transitions
I finished chapter 1.
I wrote those figure legends for chapter 4
Cleaned up Chapters 2 and 3.
Worked on the Titles, page numbering, labels and table of Contents.
Got an outline for rewriting the discussion of Chapter 4
(It's gonna be fun.)
And hit a huge mental wall. A really big Great Wall of China sized Wall.
My advisor cares not to give me suggestions or revisions.
I am flying solo. And late as all get out!
*hangs head and sighs*
I had to admit to a room full of people that at the moment I borrow money from Bastardly Banks and my parents for a living.
*hangs head further and sighs deeper*
I also admitted that I blog. A lot.
*head buried deep in neck, echoes of sighs from body cavity*
On the highway I saw a long long line of army reserve trucks rolling their way down to Lousiana carrying crates of stuff.
On the radio I heard about a girlscout troup that has procured a semi-truck and was running a clothing and non-perishable food drive with the goal of filling that truck and shipping it down south. Many a joke was made about brownies receiving their truck driving badges as a result of this effort.
Folks in Champaign-Urbana are putting together a pubcrawl fundraiser for Hurricane Relief next Thursday, September 8th - whatever your tab is at the end of the night is the amount that you are asked to donate and the pubs in the crawl will donate a portion of their proceeds. I love the idea of doing good while getting loaded. I might participate remotely. Anyone from the Lou want to join me?
I missed an opportunity to buy 10 pints of ice cream for a dollar a piece.
I walked by many a garage sale today and opened my pocketbook for one thing:
as a gift for My Guy who is all about the tortoises. His name is Dudsley and it is not clear if he is long for this world.
But while he is with us, we shower him with love.
Trust me, it's more of a party if you have a pinata. (ask BBFK)
I had me a Cha-Cha-Charrito. It was delightful, heart healthy, and a ton of food. What is it about the torilla that fills your stomach up faster and fuller than other grain products?
I wrote those figure legends for chapter 4
Cleaned up Chapters 2 and 3.
Worked on the Titles, page numbering, labels and table of Contents.
Got an outline for rewriting the discussion of Chapter 4
(It's gonna be fun.)
And hit a huge mental wall. A really big Great Wall of China sized Wall.
My advisor cares not to give me suggestions or revisions.
I am flying solo. And late as all get out!
*hangs head and sighs*
I had to admit to a room full of people that at the moment I borrow money from Bastardly Banks and my parents for a living.
*hangs head further and sighs deeper*
I also admitted that I blog. A lot.
*head buried deep in neck, echoes of sighs from body cavity*
On the highway I saw a long long line of army reserve trucks rolling their way down to Lousiana carrying crates of stuff.
On the radio I heard about a girlscout troup that has procured a semi-truck and was running a clothing and non-perishable food drive with the goal of filling that truck and shipping it down south. Many a joke was made about brownies receiving their truck driving badges as a result of this effort.
Folks in Champaign-Urbana are putting together a pubcrawl fundraiser for Hurricane Relief next Thursday, September 8th - whatever your tab is at the end of the night is the amount that you are asked to donate and the pubs in the crawl will donate a portion of their proceeds. I love the idea of doing good while getting loaded. I might participate remotely. Anyone from the Lou want to join me?
I missed an opportunity to buy 10 pints of ice cream for a dollar a piece.
I walked by many a garage sale today and opened my pocketbook for one thing:
as a gift for My Guy who is all about the tortoises. His name is Dudsley and it is not clear if he is long for this world.
But while he is with us, we shower him with love.
Trust me, it's more of a party if you have a pinata. (ask BBFK)
I had me a Cha-Cha-Charrito. It was delightful, heart healthy, and a ton of food. What is it about the torilla that fills your stomach up faster and fuller than other grain products?
Thursday, September 01, 2005
crosspostage : sometimes a girl can't help it ...
I fight back tears when I catch an occasional newsbyte or a soundbyte about Hurricane Katrina. A man was telling a reporter about how he was holding his wife's hand in the water and at some point he couldn't hold on any longer and before she was swept away she turned to him and instructed him to take good care of their children.
But -
There was one segment in which they were filming people looting stores (Entire Walmarts have been stripped bare. Little kids and teens riding bikes in the aisles.)
in which there is a shot of a woman walking away from a shopping district carrying a cardboard box and as she walks by the camera she exclaims, "the flood took all my shoes!" to explain herself.
I had to laugh. Because I love shoes too and maybe I shouldn't, but I feel happy thinking of this woman taking something for herself in a time when so much has been lost to the weather and the water.
But -
There was one segment in which they were filming people looting stores (Entire Walmarts have been stripped bare. Little kids and teens riding bikes in the aisles.)
in which there is a shot of a woman walking away from a shopping district carrying a cardboard box and as she walks by the camera she exclaims, "the flood took all my shoes!" to explain herself.
I had to laugh. Because I love shoes too and maybe I shouldn't, but I feel happy thinking of this woman taking something for herself in a time when so much has been lost to the weather and the water.
"and I said what about breakfast at tiffany's"
Endnote 8 seems willing to do up to 200 reference searches at a time. And then it gets tired/cranky and stops working.
It seems that the two of us have a lot in common.
It seems that the two of us have a lot in common.
turning water into whine
Endnote lovefest - drop in all them references
Make text from fragments
Cover my Netrin-1 bases
Throw in a paragraph about Axon guidance
Throw in a flaky introduction
*end of chapter 1*
Figure legend for figure 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6
Rewrite the text for the discussion of width
Smooth out the text early on.
*End of Chapter 4*
write something pithy
*chapter 5*
write titles into TOC for Tables and Figures pages
Put in all the Page numbers
Get revisions
Make revisions
Print, copy, and distribute
Make text from fragments
Cover my Netrin-1 bases
Throw in a paragraph about Axon guidance
Throw in a flaky introduction
*end of chapter 1*
Figure legend for figure 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, and 4.6
Rewrite the text for the discussion of width
Smooth out the text early on.
*End of Chapter 4*
write something pithy
*chapter 5*
write titles into TOC for Tables and Figures pages
Put in all the Page numbers
Get revisions
Make revisions
Print, copy, and distribute
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