Divinity Incorporated

Haitus Over?

2006-03-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

For anyone who reads this (other than girlzoot), I will try to post more often.

I ask you a question:

Why can't I get the song "juicy" (Better Than Ezra) out of my head today?

Ducks and Rocket Launchers

2005-09-27T08:54:00.000-06:00

(from Boing Boing)

It seems someone has combined the old NES Duck Hunt with Doom. Of course, I couldn't pass this up, and I tried it last night. Other than BigFoot threatening to brain me after I played it with the sound on (a bit annoying, true), it was a blast. All I can say is that using a rocket launcher to blow up a duck is really.... satisfying.

A new take on Spam

2005-09-21T10:51:00.000-06:00

So, I get a lot fo the Nigerian fraud spam emails, but I was surprised b y one I received this morning: Spam, in German !!!

Attn, Präsident/Generaldirektor.
Lieber Herr,
Zuerst muß ich Ihre Zuversicht in dieser Verhandlung
bitten, dies ist auf Grund seiner lage als das Sein
total VERTRAULICH und-GEHEIMNIS.
Aber ich weiß, daß eine Verhandlung dieses Ausmaßes
.........................rung von Nigeria. Er war bis seinen Tod
vor drei Jahren in einem gräßlichen Flugzeug absturz
als Unternehmer bei der regierung taetig, Herr Becker
war unsere kunde hier bei der Union Bank PLC., Lagos,
und hatte ein schließend kontohaben von USD$18.5M
(Achtzehn Million, Fünf Hundert Tausend, US Dollar)
welcher die Bank erwartet jetzt fraglos, durch seine
Verwandten behaupten zu werden oder Andererseit wird
den ganze menge als nichtzubehaupten deklarieren und
wird zu einem Afrikanischen Vertrauen-Fond für waffen
..........se, Ihrem vertraulichsten Telefon nummer,
Fax-nummer und ihrer vertrautlichen E-mail anschrift,
damit ich zu Ihnen die relevanten Details dieser
Verhandlung senden kann. Danke im voraus.
Mit besten Grüße,
MARTINS AWELE.
Tel.234 803 303 2770.

If you understand english,please kindly
reply with english

More Quotes

2005-09-20T11:46:00.000-06:00

I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it.
Edith Sitwell (1887 - 1964)

If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

As you journey through life take a minute every now and then to give a thought for the other fellow. He could be plotting something.
Hagar the Horrible

Quote

2005-09-20T11:41:00.000-06:00

A friend sent me a list of quote by famous women. This one stuck out:

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission.
-Eleanor Roosevelt-

Kudos to all those out there who have managed to really, truly know this, in theit head and heart. Support and hugs to all those strivign to get to that point.

Another cheesy yet true quote:

I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog-gone it, people like me.
Al Franken, Stuart Smalley in Saturday Night Live, catchphrase

Talk Like a Pirate Day

2005-09-19T10:05:00.000-06:00

Someone has informed me that it is today is the International Talk Like a Pirate Day. So, in the words of my favorite character, Steve the Pirate (as protrayed by the incredible Alan Tudyk):

Garrr!

Update

2005-09-12T11:25:00.000-06:00

So, T-Rex gave me some crap for not updating in a while, but I do deserve it. So, what has been keeping me from my few and faithful readers? A job hunt. Yes, I am finally leaving academia. I accepted a job offer today, that will A) be interesting and challenging, B) be financially lucrative, and C) keep me in Colorado, with my second family here (and the boyfriend, always a plus). But, you say, what else is going on in your life? Well:

I am considering giving up my cat because I don't think I am home enough for her, which has resulted in changing behavior patterns that are annoying as hell. However, the Dumb Friends League is requesting people wait a month to relinquish their pets, so I will give it another month, try some routine modifications, and see what works.

I went to Las Vegas with the family. IT ROCKED!! Vegas was cool, but the main thing was I got to spend time with my folks, my sister, and really get to know my cousin's girlfriend a little better (they've been together for a while now, and she's absolutely wonderful. I just hope he doesn't screw it up).

The BF's dad now jokes around with me when he sees me, so I think I may have gotten my foot in the door as far as family approval.

I celebrated the new job last weekend ad bought a new mattress set. The old one is 8 years old with a dent in it. :)

Grizz and I went camping over Labor Day weekend. IT took us 7 hours to make a 3 hour drive up to State Forest State Park, because of the detour we took through Rocky Mountain National Forest, but it was beautiful. We camped at North Michigan reservoir, which was also beautiful, but had too many RVs with ATVs and generators making noise. And, although I got bitchy with Grizz, prolly because we had been together for more than 4 days solid, with no other diversions, I didn't kill him, so that's good.

Ok, that's all for now. I will try and get back in the habit of posting regularly soon.

Lunchtime reflections

2005-08-08T12:37:00.000-06:00

Have you ever gotten stuck talking to an idiot? What can you do? I have a favorite pin that says "I'd be nicer if you'd be smarter", but then you have to point out the pin, and that can lead to questions, etc.

Instead, try this quote from the Acts of Gord:

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I subscribe to the theory of intellectual osmosis. As such, I must now cease our conversation and move away from you before my intelligence begins to drop. Good day."

My Tuba is broken...

2005-08-03T12:06:00.000-06:00

...and I have to delay my pepto-bismol project.

'Nough said

A poll

2005-08-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

I have a quick question:

At what point in your relationships do you customarily find yourselves talking about "life" subjects? I'm talking about houses, kids, serious talks about beliefs and such? I'm just curious, because I've found myself talking about those things lately, and have been confusing myself with over analysis.

Family

2005-08-01T12:06:00.000-06:00

I met Grizz' family over the weekend. They were all very nice (and no, I'm not just saying that because they are computer literate and I believe that I am the 1 in a million chance that they will accidentally stumble across this page and know I am talking abotu them). They were legitimately a nice family. Of course, I was a wreck, but hid it well. His sister is an absolute sweetie, very funny and nice. His brother-in-law is slightly insane, but in that good was that runs amuck in my group of friends, so we got along well. They have an adorable dog, whom I bribed with a piece of steak, and a gorgeous house that I am very jealous of.

That was Friday. I met ZMom and re-met ZDad (so as to not confuse with my unbelievably wonderful parents - again with the insurance in case they see this) on Saturday. ZDad is quiet, but I suspect a dry sense of humor lurks under there, and ZMom is your typical mom: sweet, likes to cook, and loves her family.

So, unless I am completely off base, I survived.

I AM COOL!!!!!!!!!!!!

2005-07-27T14:43:00.000-06:00

Pinkie (my office mate) was telling me that Denver ranks #1 as the best place to live for singles, as stated in Forbes. So, first off, that's BS, at least from a dating perspective. But, it led to an interesting side note:

I am so cool.

One of the criteria is a city's Coolness factor. It is computed as so:

"Coolness: Coolness is determined by an area's diversity and its number of creative workers (i.e., those whose jobs require creativity, such as artists, scientists, teachers and musicians). "

Note the word scientists. Yes, scientists are now officially considered cool. It's only taking me 30 years, but I am now one of the cool kids.

Yippee!!

Remember

2005-07-25T09:54:00.000-06:00

Just saw the V for Vendetta trailer. It looks quite fun. It also brought me to this poem:

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

It's about Guy Fawkes day.

I kind of like the fact that my birthday is associated with the ....

(Ok, wierdness... as I was typing the words "my birthday", Grizz called and asked when my birthday was, for completely unrelated reasons..... freaky thing, this universe)

anyway, I like the fact that it is associated with the re-evaluation of a government by it's citizens, albeit a violent, unsuccessful, and generally held as traitorous one.

Interestingly :

"Some of the English have been known to wonder, in a tongue in cheek kind of way, whether they are celebrating Fawkes' execution or honoring his attempt to do away with the government."

Intimate Details

2005-07-22T15:39:00.000-06:00

The other night Grizz was made aware that I have a blog. He suggested that he was going to have to read it, to see what I had been saying about him. I was shocked (ok, only a little). I mean , I've always thought that, even with my limited exposure of -3 readers, that I shouldn't really talk abotu others. Isn't that an invasion of their privacy? I'm not talking from a legal standpoint, but from a courtesy standpoint.

Then I started taking a look at the other blogs I read, and they have varying degrees of descirpiton of others, some more and some less than mine. Its appears to be personal preference. Girlzoot gets into some pretty personal stuff, both about herself and her son (although he's still a little too young to really summon up that teen outrage). I guess I am always a bit too worried about what my friends will say if I talk about them, especially since my immediate friends are my most common readers.

So, I guess I will continue to limit my discussion to my intimate details, not others.

Current mood: I feel like I'm in high school again.

Popsicles

2005-07-22T15:34:00.000-06:00

So, Rochie (who doesn;t like her nickname, but, tough titties, its my blog) was over last night for a little girl night pick me up. We went to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner (lettuce wraps) and for me to try to completely decarb my flourless choclate cupcake recipe (I got it down to 5g carb/cupcake, and 3 of those are fiber... gooo me!). While we were there she pointed out SoBe's new LEAN line, made with Splenda. Yippee!!!! I can now satisfy my fruit juice cravings (I LOVE the Energy drink). She also suggested a new treat, perfect for this sweltering weather: SoBe ice pops. I poured a bottle of the LEAN Energy into my ice trays, and froze them. Tonight, after work, I will put them in the blender and, assuming the magic smoke doesn't pour out, have a South-Beach Friendly slushy. I may even share with Grizz, Merlot and Rochie, who are coming over (supposedly) so we can all go to the drive-in tonight.

Sniff.... Goodbye Scotty

2005-07-20T14:21:00.000-06:00

So, I wouldn't consider myself a Trekkie, or a Trekker, but I have always held a warm place in my heart for Scotty, the lovable, ornery engineer on Star Trek, played oh so memorably by James Doohan. Mr. Doohan passed away today. Goodbye, sir, and may you journey into that unknown you took us into so long ago.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1493093.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4701167.stm

Nick names

2005-07-20T14:16:00.000-06:00

Well, since Grizz got his new nickname, I should probably give a new one to his hetero lifemate. Ok, kind of a stretch on that one, but these two have been roommates 4 EVER!!! So, Thing 1 and Thing 2, A.K.A. Pooh and Bear, are now (drumroll please).... Merlot and Grizz. Also, there is a new chicky hanging around....so please give a warm welcome to Rochie!

That's all for today. Gotta get back and make buffers.

Princess Sophie

2005-07-19T16:00:00.000-06:00

I have been neglecting my cat. Now, before you call the ASPCA, she has plenty of food, water, and litter, and an apartment all her home. My neglect has been in the lovin' and pettins' department. I've been away a lot lately, between seeing Grizz and going camping and going to conferences. Psychokitty's response has been to get VERY mewy at me when I come home. She also has a new little mew/growl which she greets me at the door with, which sounds suspiciously like "mama". I may be reading a little too much into that. Anyway, since I am feeling VERY guilty, tonight it's all Psychokitty, all the time. We'll open a can of tuna, get out the favorite toys,a nd I'm going to try and wear her out.

Henna

2005-07-19T15:53:00.000-06:00

I went to the Ren Faire yesterday, and saw T-Rex and BigFoot in their full court regalia. I was dressed as a serving wench, and got many a compliment. I also got a Henna tattoo on my hand. I will try and figure out this picture thing and upload a pic of it. It's quite pretty.

So, everyone has a nickname....and now that I'm dating someone, I should give him one as well. It's hard giving someone a nickname. He has one on another site, which shall remain nameless, but, knowing him somewhat better than the other blogger, I'm renaming him. So, welcome Grizz. You've been blogged.

My timing is great, isn't it? Finally start dating again, just as I potentially get ready to move to another state for a job. Yes, the job hunt is progressing, and I have a line on jobs here, in Chicago, and in California. The thing that is rerally hard is that when I'm first in a relationship I get emoptionally involved pretty fasst. Now, this is the "honeymoon" effect, and I recognize it as such, but it still makes it hard to not figure the relationship into any career decisions. Oh well. Just one more thing to do in life.

Goodbye stress

2005-07-07T12:48:00.000-06:00

I made a life decision last week. I found myself sitting in my office, ready to cry my eyes out, and I didn't know why. So I started some soul-searching. What I came up with was I wasn't happy, and hadn't been for a very long time.

What a stupid way to go through life. But why, you ask? What caused this morass you found your soul in? The answer: my own psychic hang-ups. Lemme 'splain... no, it take to long.. lemme sum up...

I have issues with disappointment. This manifests in various ways, but the most troublesome manifestation is that I will go to extreme ends to not disappoint those I care for. And so, I have been following a path that was not right for me.. I think. My career choices at this point are to go find a job in industry or to stay in academia and try to set up my own laboratory. About a year ago, after much waffling, I decided to go into academia. An academic's life is hard, especially with the difficulties in getting funding, and I have serious doubts as to whether I would be successsful, but I decided to do it anyway.

Why? Well, because I like the academic life and the freedom to choose my own projects, etc., etc. Good reasons. The ones I didn't admit to myself are because I felt I SHOULD go that way and because I felt like a cop out if I didn't. I was holding myself up to a perceieved, nonexistant standard for my career.

This was my realization last week. So I started to think about what would make me truly happy at this point in my life. Here's the list:

Get a job that I can leave at work
Be respected by my peers.
Be a good scientist
Stay in Colorado
Be happy

That first one is the one that made me make a decision. If I take the academic route, I will spend the next 5-10 years sweating, lying awake at night (as I am alredy doing), worrying about getting funding. In industry, that stress, at least, goes away. And I will do well in industry. I have appropriate skills and a good work ethic.

So that's that. I'm looking for a job in industry. As far as staying in Colorado, well, in academia that chance was none. Now its risen to slim.

Construction

2005-07-07T12:45:00.000-06:00

My kitchen is going to look silly soon. I cannot keep Princess Sophie (a.k.a. psychokitty) off the counters. She has also figured out how to jump from the counters to the top of the refrigerator. So, I have begun constructing a barrier. Of course, actual construction is too difficult, so I have regressed to my childhood fortmaking.... I am slowly piling heavy things up, preferabloy with sheer sides, in areas that I know she uses to get up there. I wonder if I can reach the ceiling?

My sister

2005-06-29T12:12:00.000-06:00

I love my sister.

I used to hate her. I hated her so much I punched and kicked her. Now I love her, so much that is anyone hurt her I would take a number of large men and go after them Reservoir Dogs style.

She's having surgery today. Nothing serious.. don't woryy. But I worry anyway.

I miss her.

2005-06-29T12:10:00.000-06:00

So, what's the difference between ADD and procrastination? I have had the hardest time focusing this week. I get a little bit of work done, and then my brain is off again on some random thought, and then I get online and surf, and then I play spolitaire, and then I work some more, and then... and then... (No and then!!!)...

You get the picture.

I am very restless this week. Restless in mind, body and soul. I have a million things I want to do at any second, but I can't choose one. My body is going in strange hormonal directions, and my soul is recovering (albeit slowly) from a long-term sickness.

I need wings. I need to breathe underwater. I need to be in a completely new environment.

I want to be an Etch-a-Sketch, and give my life a reboot. I want to be able to truly stop thinking and worrying. People always give me advice on how to relax....

Digression: You know how people you love have some character traits you hate but just have to accept? Here's my dad's: At one point I was completely overwhelmed by life, specifically a work task that had turned into Mt. Everest. My dad's advice to me? "Remember, you're a {insert family name here}. Just do it." Just do it? If I could just "do it" it would already be done and I wouldn't be stressing. But my dad, loveable lug that he is, has never been overwhelmed by anything. He cannot comprehend depression, anxiety, worry, helplessness, at least not on the level that I (and some other family members) feel it.

Ok... back to topic.... I need to relax. I need other things too, but this is a family show.

Haiku for Geeks

2005-06-28T12:16:00.000-06:00

http://www.iscifistory.com/scifaku//periodichaiku.asp

The Periodic Table of Haiku. My favorite is:

104 Rutherfordium

old discoverer:
"The atom will never split!"
Rutherfordium

On my comprehensive exams for my Master's degree I had a question abotu Rutherford. I blew it, of course.

So, here's a link to Rutherford, the "father" of the atom:

http://www.rutherford.org.nz/

Ciao

OMG

2005-06-27T14:19:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe how long it has been since I posted. Let's see, what excuses do I have? Um... work, yeah, work will always do. I'm organizin this conference, you see.. and trying to figure out, yet aagain, what i want to do with my life. And then there is the never-ending social life summer. Gosh, summer tires me out.... and the cat! Yeah, Psychokitty has been just runnign me ragged...

Does that get me off the hook?

If not, here's a quote:

"..it's good for a man to buckle his swash every now and then." - Johnny Depp

:)

It's the Little Things

2005-05-03T15:13:00.000-06:00

So, I'm working from home today, since my laptop has decided that it can no longer live with its video card. Last I heard they aren't speaking, and the laptop has taken out a restraining order. The ultimate result for me is that I have to send it in to Dell to replace the video card (ouch for both time and money). Since if I am not actively running an experiment I am on my laptop, without the laptop I would be taking up valuable computer resources for thenext couple week and making my coworkers very angry with me. My extremely considerate boss therefore gave me permission to just work at home when I need to work on data, so here I am.

Anyway, I just spent the last hour or so tricking my desktop computer into running two conflicting programs, one of which isn't even supported on XP (which I just found out). It's not much, but when I finally succeeded it did merit a quick victory lap around the apartment. I tell you, it's the little thngs in life that make it great.

Quote

2005-04-29T11:24:00.000-06:00

From the upcoming movie Serenity

"This is going to get pretty interesting."
"Define interesting."
"Oh God, oh God, we're all gonna die?"

Email quotes

2005-04-14T15:18:00.000-06:00

I love having a littel quote or joke at the end of my email sig. The only problem I have is that I use the same email account for both work and personal use. Since I' m not yet at the stage in my career where I can be old, respected, eccentric and cranky and do whatever I want without fear of repercussion, I have to find things that are funny, pertinent, and not offending. My current quote is:
"Ranger Brad, I'm a Scientist. I don't believe in anything."
- Dr. Roger Fleming, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
I am contemplating changing it to:

Van Helsing: "Carl, you're a genius!"
Carl: "A genius with access to unstable chemicals!"
-Van Helsing

Does anyone have any other suggestions? I'm looking for funny yet science-pertinent quotes.

Chick flicks

2005-04-11T13:17:00.000-06:00

Girlzoot posted recently about a number of chick flicks she has seen w/T-Rex and myself in the past couple of weeks. In response to this, I offer my categorizations of "chick flicks"

Category 1: "Box of Kleenex" flicks: Here we have those epic dramas that leave you feeling happy and congested. They tend to star Kevin Costner or a large number of British actors. They also often have some moral that you get hit over the head with again and again. Some examples: Field of Dreams, The English Patient.

Category 2: "Baby Chick" flicks: Movies aimed at the teeny bopper set. Formula: teen, usually ungainly or social outcaste with glasses, tries to get girl/boy/job of their dreams. They undergo a personal and physical makeover, encounter difficulties with parents that don't understand them/schoolmates that betray them/just not nice people/personal insecurities that are then surmounted and everyone is happy and the bad guys/girls get theirs in the end. Some examples: anything starring Freddie Prinze, Jr., Ice Princess, Princess Diaries, and anything by John Hughes (well, almost anything).

Category 3: "Girls Night Out" flicks: Usually a movie starring a female heroine. The lead is strong, and the movies are generally comedies. Can be good, bad, or ugly. Have a tendency to star Sandra Bullock. Some examples: Miss Congenialty, 13 Going on 30, First Wives Club.

Category 4: "The Romantic Comedy": It may be a comedy of errors, or one person forever missing the other, or a love triangle gone wrong, but we can be sure in the end that our hero and heroine will get together and live happily ever after. Some examples: Pillow Talk, Alex and Emma, the John Cusack Collection (Serendipity, High Fidelity, America's SweetHearts), the Sandra Bullock Collection (Two Weeks Notice, While You were Sleeping, Forces of Nature, the Meg Ryan collection (Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, You've Got Mail).

So, there is my general sum-up. Obviously, some movies fit into one or more categories, and my generalization, by definition, aren't always true. But you get the drift.

One more thing: Generally, I've found that the date acceptability potential of these categories, assuming a typical American male, range, from most to least acceptable:
3>4>2>1
I've put 2 over 1 because those movies are more likely to have fighting in them.

Ciao

Der Pattens on Der Popo

2005-04-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

So, when T-Rex and Girlzoot talk about their pets (beagles, giganto cats, evil cats, and etch-a-sketch cats), they have mentioned that the pets enjoy being patted on the popo... i.e. patted on the butt. Now the phenomenon of a cat liking the spankings is not unusual to me.... I have other friends whose cats (fairly muscular ones) enjoyed being pummeled on the flanks.. think of it as a kitty massage. The thing that always struck me was the use of the word "popo". That was new to me.

Flash to Wednesday night, when, for some deranged reason, the three of us went to see Miss Congeniality 2 (rent it... even better, wait for cable and save the money). There, to my surprise, I once again heard the word "popo" as a slang for butt. This intrigued me, so I went looking on the internet for more info.

It runs out that the word "popo" is a German synonym for butt. How cute.

On a separate note, this is now the second time in a week that T-Rex sayings have popped up in other artistic forms I have been exposed to. Coincidence? The end of the world? Signs of an alien invasion? Who knows.

Proof of (Pick your Deity)'s existance

2005-03-28T01:47:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, in celebrating the holiday, I went to the Denver Zoo with some friends, among them T-Rex, Bigfoot and SpaceMonkey. As we wandered though the aquatic exhibit hall, we came to the super large (for a non-aquarium exhibit) fishtank with the cool, 2 foot long fish and stuff like that. Of course, we wanted to see the moray eel. Unfortunately, T-Rex found it first. I say unfortunately, cause when she pointed it out to me, she got to say.... "that's a-moray".

Fast forward to 2 hours ago. I got to have one of my lovely, irrational panic attacks. There are numerous causes for this that I could go into, but that's a little too much to share for tonight, this close to it. In order to try and get past it, a difficult thing for me at times, especially since I try to avoid using alcohol to do it, the easy way out in my book.. since once I drink, I get sleepy, and it will be better in the morning, I decided to read a book.

(Can you say "run-on sentence"?)

So, I pick up "Callahan's Touch", by Spider Robinson. (Incidentally, if you haven't read any of the Callahan's series, I highly recommend them.) As I pawed through the pages, I came upon a story involving a very drunk clurricane (think Irish fairy who absorbs all alcohol in the area like a sponge) who had embarked on pun-parody of the song "That's Amore". As I read, I came upon the line ending with "that's a-moray". A coincidence? Maybe. But it was enough to snap me out of my panic attack, and now I think I can actually get a good night's sleep, at least for what's left of it.

Sometime's its the little things that reinforce my beliefs. My guardian angel/supreme being/fate... whatever you want to call it... was watching out for me tonight.

Sleep well, faceless internet. Pleasant dreams.

Quote of the Day

2005-03-07T16:32:00.000-07:00

"It's fun to use learning for evil!"
-Diesel Sweeties

On a slightly similar note... does anyone know where to get an evil Narbonic t-shirt? I don't think I can buy them through the narbonic shop anymore.

:(

A thought

2005-03-02T11:48:00.000-07:00

Why is it that some people equate democracy with American culture and values? Nowadays, it seems you either have the American government trying to force American values and culture down the throats of other countries in the name of democracy, or countries that could benefit from a democratic (or similar equality based) government running from the idea because they (perhaps rightly so) hate America.

The flu

2005-03-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so quiet folks. The flu (or something like it) has knocked me out for the past two weeks, and now I have the wonderful task of catching up at work. When I get home I still feel like sleeping the evening away, so my energy level must still be down a bit. Oh well.

I'm going to change my posting habits a bit, and try and post every evening when I get home. I mean, this blog is pretty much just a journal for my thoughts... kind of a cathartic exercise, so I want to keep up with it. A very good friend of mine suggested, about a year ago when I was having some emotional troubles, to write every night, even if it was nonsense. The premise is that you just start a train of thought writing exercise and eventually you will get out whatever is bothering you or is importatn to you at that time. We'll see how it goes.

Oh, and for anyone interested, I have lost about 20 pounds. I am trying to get back on my diet more strictly so I can lose another 20 by summer. I don't care how long this takes, as long as I get to my final goal eventually.

Immigration at lunch

2005-02-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

From an article on the immigration bill currently going through congress, from the BBC:

"The Mexican government also thinks its nationals who live illegally in the US would struggle to get by without a driving licence."

I really don't understand this. If someone enters a country illegally.... so you broke a law to get in..... that country is just supposed to look the other way? It's supposed to make things easier for you to live and work there illegally?

I don't know how you can make that arguement and keep a straight face. Maybe its a skill you learn in politics.

It's a difficult subject to consider. On one hand I sympathize with those who have a hard life, and who want to take advantage of economic opportunities in other lands. But at the same time, if you circumvent the law to do it, I don't think you deserve the benefits. It's not fair to the people who work within the system.

And then, am I a bad person for not wanting to give everything I have to those who are less fortunate? 'Cause sometimes it seems like that's the place the US is in. On one hand, we are supposed to give of our tremendous wealth to other countries. but at the same time, that wealth should be given with no strings attached, becasue then we are being a "big bully". And God forbid we don't intervene when the world thinks we should, even if we think we shouldn't , because then we are shirking our duties. What about the people in our country who are startving, homeless, abused? Should those be neglected in favor of others? Do we cut domestic programs so we can increase foreign aid? How do you balance this?

How 'bout we solve our deficit by calling in all the loans we'vve given out over the past 100 years?

I don't know why I am rambling so much, but people, whether it be in the US or elsewhere, who whine becasue they think governments or the world owes them something, that they "deserve" something for nothing, really aggravate me. In this country at least, our constitution gives us not the right to be happy, but the right to pursue happiness. In other words, here's an opportunity. What you do with it is up to you. In my opinion, it's when that original opportunity gets taken away that it is the government's responsibility to step in and help. This could be because an area is so economically depressed that education and basic human needs such as food and shelter have become impossible to achieve, or if a country is being repressed under an abusive military rule.

Now... in the latter case if you are going to go in and fix things you had better have the rest of the world supporting you. We no longer live in an isolated time. Also, the people of that country had better want you there. If they don't then we are just imposing our way of life on someone who doesn't want it, and then we are the oppressors.

But then, what do I know? I'm not a politician. I don't have any formal knowledge of world politics. So maybe these are just ramblings of a confused and frustrated madwoman.

Trapper John

2005-02-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, so first of all, life is sucky and its all my own fault. I won't go into details, but I've lost another 5 pounds on my diet, and its primarily from stress. Not eating will do that to you. The only other reliable social situaiton I've found for helping my diet is starting a new relationship, because I always fool my new guy into thinking I eat like a bird, ordering salads and such. Its not until later that I reveal my ability to eat a double order of fries with a bottle of ketchup at 2 in the morning at the Village Idiot.

On a much more interesting note:

There is an article on the Onion website

http://www.theonionavclub.com/feature/index.php?issue=4106&f=3

about TV spin-offs. It's kind of interesting, and brings back memories of a lot of shows from the 70's and 80's. It also made something in my brain click. When watching the show "Trapper John, M.D." I never realized that the title character was Trapper from "MASH". What was I thinking?

Links

2005-02-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

All SFW (unless you actually want to be productive)

http://www.gigapxl.org/gallery.htm
A homemade camera that takes 4 GIGApixel pictures....the detail is out of this world.
(via Overcaffeinated.com)

http://www.aseltine.com/rhee/
33 reasons why you shouldn't post your picture on the internet

http://www.scienceteecher.com/physformlrg.html
Math and science t-shirts

An artist of note

2005-02-09T14:00:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite authors is Neal Stephenson. Stephenson's primary genre is science fiction, but his works, especially the recent ones, go far beyond what you think of as tradtiional sci-fi. I've found his novels to be complex and though provoking, as well as fun read. But, I must warn you, they are not necessarily an easy read. I was first introduced to Stephenson by a friend who described him as "a poor man's Pynchon". Now, if you've ever read the works of Thomas Pynchon you may or may not be groaning. Pynchon is a difficult auhtor. By this I mean that I often find myself going back to reread paragraph after paragraph so that I can, by understanding the myriad of references within, truly understand where the author is going. I started Pynchon with "The Crying of Lot 49", and then progressed to "Gravity's Rainbow". That is the first book that ever beat me. I'm pretty sure it was becasue I didn't sit down and read it continuously, but about 75% through the book I took a haitus and never got back to it. Gravity's Rainbow is complex enough that a separate book has been published just to guide you through it. I also have "Vineland" sitting on my "to read" shelf.

But I digress. This post is about Stephenson. I highly encourage everyone to take a look at his works. Not only that, but he gives interesting interviews as well as essays. Here are some links to show you what he is like:

Stephenson's homepage
This site gives you a bit of info on the author and his works

In the beginning...
This is an essay, very interesting, contrasting the differences between computer operating systems and their cultures

Reason Interview
A recent interview with Stephenson where he talks about current issues and his new trilogy, "The Baroque Cycle", which I am currently working my way through

Enjoy!

An artist of note

2005-02-09T14:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite authors is Neal Stephenson. Stephenson's primary genre is sciecne fiction, but his works, especially the recent ones, go far beyond what you think of as tradtiional sci-fi. I;ve found his novels to be complex and though provoking, as well as fun read. But, I must warn you, they are not necessarily an easy read. I was first introduced to Stephenson by a friend who described him as "a poor man's Pynchon". Now, if you've ever read the works of Thomas Pynchon you may or may not be groaning. Pynchon is a difficult autor. Byt his I mean that I often find myself going back to reread paragraph after paragraph so that I can, buy understanding the myriad of references within, truly understand where the author is going. I started Pynchon wiht "The Crying of Lot 49", and then progressed to "Gravity's Rainbow". That is the first book that ever beat me. I'm pretty sure it was becasue I didn;t sit down and read it continuously, but about 75% through the book I took a haitus and never got bakc to it. Gravity's Rainbow is complex enough that a separate book has been published just to guide you through it.

But I digress. This post is about Stephenson. I highly encourage everyone to take a lok at his works. Not only that, but he gives interesting interviews as well as essays. Here are some llinks to show you what he is like:

Stephenson's homepage
This site gives you a bit of info on the author and his works

In the beginning...
This is an essay, very interesting, contrasting the differences between computer operating systems and their cultures

Reason Interview
A recent interview with Stephenson where he talks about current issues and his new trilogy, "The Baroque Cycle", which I am currently workign my way through

Enjoy!

Allelujah!!! Praise the Boomstick!!!!!

2005-02-04T13:13:00.000-07:00

Yippee!! I am literally dancing in my chair..... Ikhrebgiuergiuvr;wrebq; ivgqersiuc... that describes how excited I am...

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/index.php?Show=3270&Template=newsfull

An interview with Sam Raimi has confirmed that 1) yes, he is remaking Evil Dead, but it is going to be a remake of Evil Dead 1&2 as a single movie with a new cast and crew.... and 2) ..... wait for it....

ASH IS BACK!

There will be an Evil Dead 4, the sequel to Army of Darkness, starring that movie god, Bruce Campbell.

* insert sounds of extreme happiness that is connfusing my coworkers even after I explain *

Yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Chris Barrie

2005-01-31T14:02:00.000-07:00

Check out his website:

http://www.chrisbarrie.co.uk/splash.htm

If nothing else, the intro will make you laugh out loud.

BTW, Red Dwarf series V and VI are to be released in the US on Mar. 15.

Ciao, ya smeghead

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh

2005-01-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

I love high fantasy Hong-Kong cinema. You know, the movies where the primary rule is: If you are REALLY good at something, or you are a monk, you can fly! They are fun, crazy and filled with wire fu. American audiences have recently been exposed to them in the form of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero and the like. My 3 favorites are:

Greensnake
Fantasy Mission Force (note: despite the DVD cover, not really a Jackie Chan movie)
Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain

The last, which I have inflicted on friends, is my favorite. One of the above named friends (the Poo in the Poo-Bear duo) has just informed me that they made a remake a few years ago:

The Legend of Zu

Now, the thing is, the first one was a milestone for its time in terms of special effects. Some ppl have equated it to Star Wars for its creativity and originality. The new one is supposedly not a sequel, prequel or an exact remake. Should I see it? Hark Tsui directed both, and I really like his work. Oh, the decisions to be made.

Quote of the day

2005-01-28T16:33:00.000-07:00

From the Something Positive Archives

"Davan, superwomen have superboobies. Superboobies are a "Get out of fighting for good free" card in the monopoly game that is our lives."

-Aubrey

High school

2005-01-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

Remember high school? Remember how you could trace relationships like a connect the dots puzzle? It was like a 6 degrees of separation (or 5, or 4, or 3) game based on dating. Now, I wen to an all-girl high school, so our connections were a little different, as most of us hit the all-boys schools in the area for dating opportunities. Still, its funny when you look at even your closer circle of friends how interrelated everyone is. I remember one guy that dated at least 3 of us girls in a group of 12 (boys and girls).

The American Journal of Sociology has published a paper showing the connections at one school. Its really interesting to look at.

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/chainspix.htm

There's one prospective little player in the more complex structure. Look for the one blue dot durrounded by a cloud of pink.

Ciao.

When DnD and Monty Python interbreed...

2005-01-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

http://archive.gamespy.com/comics/dorktower/archive.asp?nextform=viewcomic&id=984

This puts logging into a whole new perspective.

A note to T-rex

2005-01-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

I know you want to get the Black Death/Bubonic Plague someday, but it looks like the medical community is trying to thwart you.....

http://www.aapspharmaceutica.com/News2/dnd.asp?ID=195325

Thinkum

2005-01-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Is this real? No seriously... is it? The first person to convince me this is real gets .. well, nothing, but check the site out anyway:

http://www.thinkum.com/

From the site:
"Flatten Thinkum like a pancake and set vertically on your desk. Now watch it slowly resume a non-threatening form as it telepathically induces your dormant creative genius."

Is it silly putty?
A dead mouse?
Does it keep you from wasting your time by gluing your fingers together so you can't blog?

Movie script

2005-01-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I like scripts. I used to have more of them, back when I havened and used to spam idiots and jerks with them line by line in order to get them to leave me alone, but I still like 'em now.

Speaking of which, there is a fanscript of Pirates of the Carribean out. Normally, I wouldn't pay much attention to this, except for the l33t verion, found here:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/dslartoo/97452.html

Enjoy.

I've been stuck!!

2005-01-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

My first blog chain letter... kind of.

Girlzoot passed this on to me, since I haven;t been forthcoming with my music tastes :)

Random 10 (The 10 songs that came up on my Itunes party shuffle)

Pressed in a Book – The Shins
I Wanna be Loved – Elvis Costellol
Loser – Beck
You're Just Too Good to Be True – Lauren Hill
Sasquatch – Tenacious D
Livin' on the Edge – Aerosmith
Misery – Green Day
Waiting – Cake
Lets Get Rocked – Def Leppard
I Touch Myself – The Divinyls

What is the total amount of music files on your computer?
*Ok, not counting comedy and audiobooks: about 1200?

The last CD you bought?
*The Garden State Soundtrack

What is the song you last listened to before this message?
*Back into Hell - Meatloaf

Write down five songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

There are three albums on this list:

In the Waiting Line – Zero 7
Somebody – Depeche Mode
Barcelona – Freddy Mercury (album): a rock opera that I find spiritually soothing and unlifting
Run Lola Run Soundtrack - Great backround music anytime I need to zone, whwther driving or working
More Than You Think You Are – Matchbox Twenty - Between the lyrics and the voice of Rob Thomas, always a favorite

Tiamat, becuase I know he'll open my eyes to something new.
My sister, because I am constantly surprised by her musical taste.
Clancy, because she'll have something interesting to say.

Science fundamentals

2005-01-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

I admit it, I am a science geek. One of the things that always makes me bow down on awe are those people of the past (and present, although we don't know them yet) who figured out something we now take as a fundamental principle of the universe. So I dedicate this post to Linus Pauling.

Pauling won the Nobel in 1954 for his work on chemical structure. He was one of the people who first figured out the nature of the chemical bond in the 20's and 30's. Later he turned his attention to proteins, and theorized the basic elements of protein structure. He continued to work through the 90's turning his attention to a variety of subjects, even including AIDS pathology and treatment.

I am in awe of this man's intellect.

For the tiniest glimpse inside the brain of Linus Pauling, please visit the online collection of his research notebooks. There are both scientific and personal notes within.

http://osulibrary.orst.edu/specialcollections/rnb/

Geeking out

Big thank you

2005-01-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Just so everyone knows, a lot of my links origintae from another blog. I'm just not that original. So, check out overcaffeinated.net. They rock.

Oooohhh.. I'm scared

2005-01-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

So, has everyone seen the newest anti-gay propaganda? Now they're going after Spongebob!!! Well, there isa long history of cartoon charcters in alternate sexual preferences... here's an article to check out, that makes the point loud and clear:

http://www.robotjohnny.com/archives/2005/01/what_a_drag.php

I think if I was going to give a response to these people, I would send them a clip from the birdcage. After Albert (Nathan Lane) is revealed to right-win Senator Keeley (Gene Hackman) as not a conservative housewife but ratehr a drag queen, he says: "Kevin, I just want you to know that I meante everything I said about wanting a return to family values." (paraphrasing here)

I guess what I want to know if why, when considering family values, some people appear to ignore wife beating, homelessness, starvation, poor education, gangs, drugs, teen preganancy and whatnot, and instead focus on the way other people, who have no contact with them or their families, live their lives?

Confused without enough caffeine in my system.

Me

Catless Sleep

2005-01-24T09:18:00.000-07:00

So, happy Monday.

I slept really well last night, primarily becasue my cat was not in the bedroom. She decided that "attack mommy's hand" was the game to play as I went to bed last night, and so I slept in a cat free environment, and feel much more refreshed for my 6.5 hours sleep than normal. I think that little Sophie has just lost her bedroom privileges. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not in my usual I hate mornings mood. I just am a little healthier than I would have been otherwise.

On a side note, here's a funny bit.

http://www.alternet.org/envirohealth/20843/

Sent to me by a friend of mine, its about global warming, Santa Claus and W. Now, how can that combination not tickle your funnybone?

Peace out

King Kong

2005-01-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

So, for any of you who don't know, Peter Jackson, of Lord of the Rings fame, although some of you have been following him since his first movie, Bad Taste (a classic, I love it), is making King Kong. He's doing a video diary of production, and there is an exceptionally funny bit found here:

http://img-nex.kongisking.net/kong/movies/day36-480x270-mpeg4.mov

I highly recommend checking it out.

Grading papers

2005-01-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

So, as I begin my career as a professor (although I haven't gotten an actual position yet), I am confronted with the task of giving and grading exams. At a graduate level, this is somewhat difficult. In undergraduate classes, we are often, sometimes due to the size of the classes, limited to giving multiple choice exams, that often result in a simple regurgitation of the facts given in class or the text book. The challenge there is to write questions that make the students think about the material, other than just remembering. At the graduate level, classes are smaller, and examination may be given in the form of a paper, in class exams and take home exams. My current project, just finished, is grading a take home exam. Of course, I can't give any details about the exam itself, but I wanted to share some of the dilemmas I faced:

What happens when you write a poor question? A poor question is usually evident: most of the class gets it wrong. In a take home exam, since they are free to search the mounds of literature available, the students can come up with widely varying answers. So, what do you do? Do you give partial credit? Do you throw out the question? My current solution to this is to change the answer to the question,and give credit more for the soundness off the arguements used. But that brings up another question:

How do you give out partial credit? This is hard, because its diffcult to balance the subjective nature of the task and at the same time be fair to all students involved. My advice: read all the answers once through before grading, then go back and grade. That way you have a better picture in your mind, based on the direction the students have taken the questuion, what points you want to see in the answer.

My final dilemma is a personal problem: I want them to like me as a teacher. Over the past year I have realized that that just isn't going to be the case. If students do poorly, then they have to recieve a poor grade. It more important to be fair, than to be liked.

In retrospect, I think next time I'll give an in class exam.

Rambling ends.

Me

And this is ...

2005-01-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

Not safe for work.

My brain is twitching. I think this is popular in Germany.

http://www.post-literate.com/gerpunx/archives/2005/01/prepare_to_lose_your_mind.php

Links Galore

2005-01-19T09:25:00.000-07:00

Some more fun sites. All are SFW (safe for work) unless otherwise stated.

Cat antics video : http://www.energyradio.fm/content/sillycats.asx

Very cool fiction about an AI: http://overcaffeinated.net/comments/1788

Nerd quiz: I am a high level nerd: http://www.wxplotter.com/ft_nq.php

The Crack

2005-01-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh.

It's been over a month since my last post. I would love to say that it is just the holidays that has kept me away, but no....

I must make a confession: I am addicted to crack.

Now, before you go and call the cops or, if this is a family member reading this, my mother, let me explain. I am talking about an online roleplaying game called EverQuest a.k.a. Evercrack. It is sucking me in night after night... my cat has even taken up to inhabiting my desk because I am on the computer so much. Oh well. I just want to apologize for my lack of posts. I will try and be a better blogger from now on.

Cheers

What I want to be when I grow up.

2004-12-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

I spent a total of 23 consecutive years in school.

Ouch.

When I finished my Ph.D., I went to work at my current job as a post-doctoral fellow, which is a position kind of like middle-management, academically. You aren't the boss, but you are higher up on the totem pole than a grad student and get a little more money. But it's still a transient position, until you decide what you want to do.

Earlier this year, I finally made the decision that I am going to try an academic life. That means try and get a job as a professor, and run my own lab at a University, being resposible for creative ideas that will encourage other people to give me money (e.g. grants) and direct the career of graduate students. This scares me sh**less.

But, I'm on my way. I'm spending the day working on my reseach plan (a statement of the research areas I am interested in an intend to pursue) and my teaching interests, so I can apply for a University job that I found out about. We'll see how it goes.

Skele-kitty

2004-12-06T17:29:00.001-07:00

Check this out (SFW):

http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons

Very cool, and a bit wierd.

Lisa

Skele-kitty

2004-12-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Check this out (SFW):

http://michaelpaulus.com/gallery/character-Skeletons

Very cool, and a bit wierd.

Lisa

Organization

2004-12-04T16:50:00.000-07:00

(As I write this, my cat, doped up on catnip, is busy staring at me from behind the laptop screen)

I admit, I'm a bit of a control freak. One thing I like to control is my stuff. I like to know where things are. Like the old saying goes, "A place for everything and everything in its place".

(The cat just tried to eat a cardboard box)

Anyway, I decided to try and impose order on my den/office/guestroom today. And that, folks, is why the Container Store is heaven. If you like organization, boxes anything like that, even a bit, I highly recommend going there. I swear they have everything! I have yet to go there with an organization or con tainer need and not find it.

I suppose this really exposes my geeky side. This is similar to my delight in my twice yearly major visit to Office Depot for restocking.

(The cat is now trying to eat the futon)

Ok, that's it, off to dinner. I'll post later.

.....

P.S. Diet update: I fell off the wagon over Thankgiving, but am back on the SBD, albeit in a combination of Phase I and II, and have lost the weight I gained.

Friendship

2004-12-01T16:32:00.000-07:00

A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.
-- Walter Winchell

That was posted on another site. It's wierd how you see things online or in your life that coincide with what has just happened. I have been thinking about friendship a lot the last few days, in part spurred by a good conversation with a friend of mine. I feel so lucky to have people, both here and in other cities, that I can count on as friends.

Thanks to all of you.

Thankgiving update

2004-11-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Thankgiving everyone.

Well, I made it through the Holiday. Actually, it was really nice, even though I didn't go home. Instead, I spent it with my Denver family, and it was a really good time. We ate, bickered, and laughed. What else do you need?

Diet update

2004-11-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

11 lbs down!

So, I've been doing really well on the diet, but I think the success has gone to my head, cause last night I had a chocolate mousse dessert (low carb though).

My mind is a blank. I keep feeling I should write something, but I can't think of anything. I think it's due to work. I gave a lecture yesterday, the first in a class that I'm teaching the first third of. The biggest thing is that I'm so insecure about whether I'm doing alright. Am I speaking at a good pace? Am I explaining everything clearly? Am I giving them enough informaiton? Is the material at an appropriate level for a graduate class?

I'm so tired of being insecure, but I don't know how to turn it off.

Very fun to read...

2004-11-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

The Watley Review

Writer's Block

2004-11-19T15:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not a writer. Outsided of scientific writing, I don't have the discipline. I always have Ideas, but when the time comes to put pen to paper I can spit out a couple pages, then give up. I think my creative writing is a two page limit, in general. (Is that like a 2 drink minimum?) However, I have some friends that are much, much better at this than I am, and this is for them, courtesy of Overcaffeinated.net:

How to Hack Your Way Out of Writer's Block

For us not writer's, there may be something useful to. I personally suffer from the disease lazygoodfornothingbonesitis, a.k.a. I'm a HORRIBLE procrastinator. I may try some of these tips next time I get stuck.

Speaking of procrastinatin, back to work. I'm editing a paper. How FUN!

To Remake, or Not to Remake... Evil Dead

2004-11-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

So, Bigfoot sent me an email today about a notice in Variety that Universal has plans to remake Evil Dead, with Sam Raimi as producer and Bruce Campbell (the B-movie god) to work beind the screens. I honestly don't know how I feel about this. I love the Evil Dead movies, and I'd love to see the franchise continue on the big screen. But part of the charm of the original is the low budget yet highly effective and inventive special effects (read bruce Campbell's autobiography If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B-movie Actor or listen to the director's commentary on the movie for some great examples) as well as BC himself. Oh, and Ted Riami in a big rubber suit. Anyway, if I had my druthers I'd love to see Evil Dead 4, with BC as Ash and SR at the helm.

.....

Of course, as George Lucas pointed out in his recent responses to Star Wars fans, Hollywood, although it may cater to fans, does not have to kowtow to them. Of course the studios are free to do what they want, and my petty little concerns don't mean a thing. A lot of movies have been remade recently, in many genres, and have had a variety of results. I guess I'll just wait and see.

Quote

2004-11-17T15:23:00.000-07:00

Jack: I'm not an enigma, just a contradiction.

-Clive Owen
Croupier

Accents

2004-11-17T15:08:00.000-07:00

So, I'm having a block at work and am going to try and fix it by diverting my thoughts to another subject:

Accents

I've got a thing for them, specifically British (english, irish, scottish, welsh) and Aussie. For example, let's just take a look at my current favorite actor list

Hugh Jackman (Aussie)
Jude Law (English)
Colin Firth (English)
Jeremy Northam (English)
Gerard Butler (Scottish)
Clive Owen (English)

I think my obsession with accents is due to a large auditory component to my attraction to someone. Another case in point: Rob Thomas, lead singer of Matchbox 20. Cute in a boy next door way, but his voice..... to quote Mike Myers "Oh my gawd, it's like butter." Ok, that's not my exact reaction to it, but the intensity of the emotion is the same.

Speaking of fav actors, I hit the BMW movies site the other day. If you remember from some clips shown in commercials, they have done a series of short movies featuring Clive Owen as The Driver. As he is a fav of mine, I downloaded all the shotrs, and can't wait to watch them. If you're interested in his stuff, I recommend Gosford Park, which has a wonderful ensemble cast, although I recommend subtitles, not to accomodate any difficulties with understanding accents, but rather becasue some of the dialogue is VERY soft. Also, I've heard that Croupier is also good. It's on my list to rent soon.

Chicago weather

2004-11-15T17:53:00.000-07:00

Well, winter is finally here-ish (yeah!) and it's time to trot out an oldie but goodie:

Chicago Weather

The Cocktail Party

2004-11-15T17:39:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine back in Chi-town is having a holiday cockatil party. Of course, like the majority of parties he has thrown in the last 10 years, I will not be able to attend, as I do not have the money for a plane ticket for one night. However, that gets me to thinking (a dangerous proposition, to be sure).

What has happened to the cocktail party?

Decades ago, cocktail parties were IT. I remember being a little girl, surrounded by my parents and their friends, everyone laughing and having a good time, drinking this or that, until the wee hours. In my house, parties like this usually marked a special event, like holidays or birthdays, but in general, cocktail parties were had by all. They gave an aura, as I look back with childish eyes, of elegance and ease, and a type of easygoing yet adult social activity. As I grew older, however, they seemed to be replaced by bars, coffeeshops and meat markets. Now, I'm not against coffeeshops or bars, especially if they're not too smoky. I detest meat markets, unless I'm there with friends to laugh at the desperatioon and bald spots (NO COMBOVERS!!! PLEASE!). But how I wish that we had a current version of the cocktail party.

Girlzoot threw a cocktail party last New Years. Other than drinking a bit too much, I had a lovely time. We all dressed up and spent a lovely time hanging out and trying various drinks. It was great. I want more of that. It's holiday time. This is the perfect time of year for it. You can make your spiked eggnog, maybe have a Tom and Jerry party, or just basics: martinis, old fashioneds, gin and tonics, as well as the newer round of drinks like, in homage to TR, an appletini. And you don't even have to get drunk. Depsite my personal record, cocktail parties are a time to, inexplicably, get dressed up and let your hair down. The cocktails are a garnish to the experience, not necessarily the focus.

So, I beg of you, the world at large, return to the cocktail party!! Find that little black dress, or that suit you haven't worn in a while, and invite your friends over for an evening. Try something new in the cocktail world, or at least new to you. Most importantly, have fun.

Headaches are like...

2004-11-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes I wonder why we have a tendancy to describe headaches in terms of tools. For example:

It feels like my head is in a vise
My head is pounding
It feels like a nail has been driven into my eye

Diet Update

2004-11-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Day: 4
Weight: 248 lbs.
Weight lost since last update: 7 lbs.
Total Weight Lost: 7 lbs.

Mood: More tired than hungry, which my friends who have tried this diet say is normal in the first week, and invigorated by the weight already lost, even though half od it is probably water weight. So far so good, and thanks to Tyjannasaurus Rex (TR) for her crab quiche recipe.

Diet-Day 1

2004-11-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

I have started the South Beach Diet. This is Phase I, the hardest, strictest phase.

Day: 1
Weight: 255 lbs.
Mood: Apprehensive and hungry

Goal: 10% weight loss by Feb. 1 (11weeks)

Just when you thought it couldn't get any wierder....

2004-11-11T13:16:00.000-07:00

YMCA, sung in Japanese by Skeletor

http://www.malevole.com/mv/misc/tribute/

Creativity

2004-11-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

For me, the greatest drug of all is creation, because you can create, you get the same kick, because, evolutionary-wise, your brain gives you feedback, that when you create, all of a sudden you get a little endorphin buzz.
Why did you think Einstein looked like that?

-Robin Williams
"Inside the Actor's Studio"

When childhood awakes

2004-11-09T08:40:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow a movie is coming out: The Polar Express. Now, I have never read the book that it was based on, but I am pointing out it's existence in order to illustrate the ever increasing trend of turning children's books into movies. The question is

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?

Some recent examples have included "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (not bad), "The Cat in the Hat" (bad) and the classic "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", which is going to be remade by Johnny Depp and Tim Burton, which isn't as wierd as it sounds if you go back to the original book and realize yet again that Roald Dahl was a dark children's writer. And don't forget the Harry Potter books.

Found on another site (http://www.readersread.com/cgi-bin/roundup.pl?roundup=4520301):
Twentieth Century Fox has signed a deal with Walden Media to make five children's novels into movies. These are in addition to the The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe currently in production. The films will be based on the following books: Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie, Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terebithia and Lois Lowry's The Giver; Wendy Orr's Nim's Island; and Adam Mortimer's Biblionauts.

For an exhaustive list, go to http://www.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/movies.html.

But let's get back to the question: good or bad. Ignoring the all-too-familiar case where an adaptation is so horribly askew that it resembles the book in nothing more than title (Starship Troopers, anyone?), I think that this is a good thing. Many of these books are classics that I fear are being forgotten (the Roald Dahl books are a good example), and so I like it when an adaptation is good enough to get kids to go back and read the original work.

Which brings me to my next point. In 2005 a movie will be coming out called Five Children and It. It has already been released overseas, I believe; either that or the comments I've read have come from advance screenings. I'm not sure about it, even though it stars the voice of Eddie Izzard as It, and, as always, I will not go back and reread the book until after the movie. But the book......

Five Children and It and The Story of the Amulet are two of my favorite childhood books. They were written at the turn of the century (1900) by E. (Edith) Nesbit (http://www.modjourn.brown.edu/mjp/Bios/Nesbit.html) and are absolutely fabulous. I highly recommend them. If you can't find them at the store, a poor alternative is an online copy, found here http://www.indiana.edu/~letrs/vwwp/nesbit/fivechil.html.

Check them out.

Blah blah blah

2004-11-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

Monday afternoon:

Mood: frustration and annoyance

Music: the hum of the ventilation system

Sniff... No more vacation

2004-11-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back at work, finishing lunch.

And I'm now officially thirty.

And it's a Monday.

Ugh.

Humor on a Friday

2004-11-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

A funny, pseudofictitious? look at running a game store
actsofgord.com

Movies re-enacted by bunnies in 30 seconds (recently features on STARZ for Halloween)
www.angryalien.com

I'm On Vacation!!!!

2004-11-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe a bit pathetic, but I am on vacation (in my apartment in Denver) for the week. I'm relaxing, sleeping in, staying up late, and wokring on a few at home projects.

Time to go and make my beaded lamp shade.

Ciao,
Me

Goodbye, faith in humanity

2004-11-04T01:24:00.000-07:00

Before I start:

Some of you may disagree with the following comments. I respect that, and I hope that you can respect my rantings and opinions.

So..... my vote yesterday meant nothing.

Why? Why did our country just re-elect an administration that does nothing but preach hate, fear and intolerance? Why did the state of Colorado vote against a measure that would split our Electoral college votes so as to mimic the popular vote? Why doesn't every state in the country already do this? Why can't people separate universal human ethics with religion dictated morality?

We live in a country founded on acceptance of people regardless of creed, and one that has in its charter a separation of church and state. And yet we have now, through our own action, emprisoned ourselves in another four years under a man who appears, at least to me, to be alienating the rest of the world through the pursuit of his own religious agenda.

Why is it that pursuing a fundamentalist Christian agenda is ok, but pursuing a fundamentalist Islamic agenda is wrong?

Does anyone else see the parallels between the treatment of women as second class citizens and the treatment of homosexuals as second class citizens?

What is the legal basis for saying marraige can only occur between a man and a woman? From a legal standpoint, all it is is a document sharing the legal and financial responsibilities between two people. The man/woman thing comes from a religious definition. Again, separation of church and state, people!!!

I'm not questioning the results of the election. The popular vote won out, and that's at least one small point of light. It just scares me that half the country voted for such a socially repressive regime. Remember that your family values aren't necessarily those of your neighbor.

If you're not hurting anyone else, or yourself, do whatever the hell you want, in my book. Go ahead and say what you want, express your opinions, but don't try to force your views on me and I'll do the same.

Mirror, mirror on the wall....

2004-11-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

What are the connections between things like blogs, livejournals, and the like and narcissism?

Snow

2004-11-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

So, it snowed last night, for Halloween here in Denver. Not unusually, I am one of the few people I know that is actually happy about this. Let's face facts: I like snow. I like watchign it fall, I like bundling up against the cold, I even like driving around the slushy streets and swearing at people who drive like idiots in it.

Why was it so wrong of me to believe that moving to a mountain state would mean driving with people who actually know how to drive in the snow? Heads up people! Slush does NOT peam driving at 2 miles per hour. It means driving carefully, accelerating reasonably, and not tailgating. But, and yes, I know most of you believe this is just an urban legend, but you can drive the speed limit.

Rant aside, the world is white and beautiful outside, and I am hoping for lots of snow days this winter.

Town to officially pardon witches

2004-10-29T11:15:00.000-06:00

I guess its never too little to late in Scotland

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/10/29/britain.witches.ap/index.html

Evil clown generator

2004-10-29T11:07:00.000-06:00

Got this site off of Overcaffeinated.com

SFW

http://www.scottsmind.com/evil_clown.php

The WebCartoon List

2004-10-29T10:40:00.000-06:00

So, I don't read the paper much, but I do get my news off the net. Mornings consist of CNN.com and my daily funnies. Here are some I recommend.

Just one note: I have a twisted sense of humor, and a lot of these follow that same route

Ctrl+Alt+Del
Dork Tower
Little Gamers
Mac Hall
Megatokyo
Narbonic (the advenures of a mad scientist... met the artist, she's quite cool)
8-bit Theater
Penny Arcade
PVP
Queen of Wands ( Read this!)
Real Life
Sluggy Freelance
Something Positive (A MUST read)
The Misadventures of Hello Cthulhu (Cthulhu meets Hello Kitty)
Two Lumps
VG Cats

Here we go....

2004-10-29T10:28:00.000-06:00

Hmm...my first post.... not too much to say here, except that the week has been mind-numbing.... thanks to girlzoot for directing me to her blog, which made me start this one.