The storms of a twisted mind

If you listen closely, you can almost hear my fingers creaking on the keyboard

2009-11-07T06:48:07Z

Heh. You know you really don't care about any of this, but you will click anyway.

Foodology:

1.) What is your salad dressing of choice?
I'm kinda anti-veggie, but if I had to eat greens I'd put something fruity like a nice raspberry vinaigrette on it.

2.) What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
I really dug Cuba Libre in Philly. Here in Phoenix...for atmosphere, I love Macayo's Depot Cantina. For food, it's a toss-up between a few places.

3.) What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Good ol' pb&j - my childhood staple

4.) What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Ham and pineapple or sausage and extra sauce

5.) What do you like to put on your toast?
Apple Butter - best stuff ever or margarine, cinnamon and sugar

Technology:
1.) How many televisions are in your house?
Ummm...(runs to count)...3

2.) What color mobile phone do you have?
Silver and navy blue. Alas, my poor phone is dying. I'm going to need to get a new one soon.

3.) How many computers are in your house?
2 - mine and the boy's

4.) Have any idea how many megahertz your computer has?
Heh, not enough.

Biology:

1.) Are you right- or left-handed?
Southpaw, FTW

2.) Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
Forcibly removed? Only one tooth. Accidentally removed? A lot of blood, some skin, some hair and a couple of toenails.

3.) What is the last heavy item you lifted?
I don't lift heavy things anymore. That's what I have a husband for. :D

4.) Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
No, but I have fallen unconscious.

BSology:
1.) If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No, I'd prefer to keep going right up until the moment it happened. I don't want to just sit around and wait for death walk up.

2.) If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
Princess Angelina Contessa Luisa Francesca Banana-fana-fo-fesca, the thirrrrrd. (Not really, I like my name)

3.) Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for £1000?
Why would anyone drink an entire bottle of hot sauce? Who would do that to their stomach lining?

Dumbology:
1.) How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
0, I can't stand having something between my toes.

2.) Last time you had a run-in with the police?
Speeding on the way to renfaire about 2 years ago when the cop pulled up beside me and lifted his eyebrow to tell me to slow down or he'd pull me over. (It was a very expressive eyebrow.)

3.) Last person you talked to?
lovehonorlife just before he laid down for a nap.

4.) Last person you hugged?
Same.

Favoritology:
1.) Season?
Fall! In Michigan, it means red noses, pretty leaves and comfy sweaters. In Arizona, it means "Thank you, Jesus! The heat has finally broken!"

2.) Holiday?
Easter

3.) Day of the week?
I've always been partial to Sundays and Wednesdays

4.) Month?
August ('cause of my birthday)

Currentology:
1.) Missing someone?
No, not really

2.) Mood?
Peaceful

3.) What are you listening to?
vebelfetzer streaming "Long Gunmen Required" by Matt Elliot on her Sweatshop on Ustream

4.) Watching?
Same thing.

Randomology:
1.) First place you went this morning?
The bathroom, as always.

2.) What's the last movie you saw?
Where the Wild Things Are - it was amazing. If you haven't seen it, you must.

3.) Do you smile often?
Not as much as I used to, and that makes me sad.

Otherology:
1.) Do you always answer your phone?
Anyone who knows me knows the answer is no.

2.) It's 4 in the morning and you get a text message; who is it from?
I don't get 4am text messages, and if I did, I'd probably poke that person in the eye the next time I saw them.

3.) If you could change your eye color, what would it be?
Any, at least temporarily. Probably violet for the long haul.

4.) What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic?
I don't really go to Sonic.

5.) Do you own a digital camera?
Yeah.

6.) Have you ever had a pet fish?
I have had many pet fish. They went a long way towards nourishing my roses as a child.

7.) Favorite Christmas song(s)?
O Holy Night.

8.) What's on your wish list for your birthday?
My birthday is past. I'm not thinking wish list for another 6-7 months at least.

9.) Can you do pushups?
Yes.

10.) Can you do a chin up?
I'd be surprised if I could.

11.) Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Excited. I'm not really the nervous type.

12.) Do you have any saved texts?
Most of them.

13.) Ever been in a car wreck?
A few.

14.) Do you have an accent?
Nah, eh.

15.) What is the last song to make you cry?
Song? I really don't know.

16.) Plans tonight?
I am so friggin #LOFNOTC tonight it's not even funny.

17.) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Yes, twice actually. Amusingly enough, both times were already on the upswing.

18.) Name three things you bought yesterday:
I didn't leave the house yesterday (sick), so I didn't buy anything.

19.) Have you ever been given roses?
Yes, *dreamy sigh*

20.) Current worry?
Worries, none. Irritation, my skin.

21.) Current hate right now?
I don't bother with that.

22.) Met someone who changed your life?
Many times.

23.) How will you bring in the new year?
I'd love to with the boy, but alas, he will have to work that night. In other words, no idea.

24.) What song represents you?
Mmm...too much thinking required. I'm getting bored with this.

25.) Name three people who might complete this:
Nah.

26.) Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
Yes, I'd like to view events from outside of them.

27.) Have you ever dated someone longer than a year?
Duh.

28.) Does someone love you?
So he says.

29.) Ever had someone sing to you?
lol! yes.

30.) When did you last cry?
In the movie theater watching Where the Wild Things Are.

31.) Do you like to cuddle?
Surprisingly, yes.

32.) Have you held hands with anyone today?
No. We haven't held hands today.

33.) Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
Newish. People tend to flow in and out of my life.

34.) Do you like pulpy orange juice?
Blech. Strain it, please.

35.) Where do you see yourself in five years?
Hopefully not in Arizona.

Look, ma! No hands!

2009-09-25T20:27:32Z

So my teacher finally remembered to post the video of us at the restaurant 2 weeks ago. I am most proud of the fact that I didn't have to readjust my sword once after putting it on my head.

Yay! That is all.

Let's all dance like grandma!

2009-09-19T02:22:51Z

I can't figure out whether this is one of the most racist or bizarrely wonderful things I've ever seen.

Saturday night's alright

2009-09-06T08:01:45Z

I had a lovely nearly-nude Saturday of football watching with my husband. He made yummy pancakes for breakfast. Hooray for reversing gender stereotypes!

The Big 10 went 10-1 this weekend. Illinois, you can go mope in the corner with your loss, k? The most important thing is that Michigan won. This is a good first step. Go Blue!

Also, I got my new glasses yesterday. Yay! Much better than the Harry Potter frames I was sporting after my last pair died a spectacular (and when I say spectacular, I mean incredibly stupid) death a couple of weeks ago. It is kinda weird, though, wearing plastic frames again. I was so used to metal.

The persistence of memory

2009-09-01T00:16:39Z

So this may be a heavy subject for my first post in over 2 years, but meh.

I've been thinking lately a lot about memory - keeping it, losing it, building upon it. Specifics of recall that vary from person to person. Why do people remember what they do? What makes some one person be able to remember more than another? Do these people have a better system for storing memories, a more orderly mind, per se? Is it hard-wired into the programming of their brains to be able to store, categorize and easily retrieve this information?

Although I think I'd stop short of calling it photographic or eidetic memory, I've actually frightened people with my ability to remember names, dates, places, faces, procedures, details, situations, etc. They think it a stalkerish obsession. It's not that I try; it's just that the information lingers there still long after it's been wiped from other people's slates. It's gotten to the point where I will feign ignorance in social situations just so that I don't have to see that look of fear in someone else's eyes when I bring up meeting them, a conversation we had, an outfit worn, a place belonging to a vignette...

I know that people tend to remember more of what they are passionate about. Could the above perception be, in actuality, a fact? Is a superior memory *obsession* on a sub-conscious level?

On a side note - about 2 years ago they built a Hustler (as in the magazine) store on the corner of Broadway and McClintock. It was a Hustler store for about 8 months and then went out of business. It has stood empty since then. I drove past it last Saturday and it's now been turned into ... a preschool. I don't know what to think about that.

Further odds and ends

2007-07-13T00:18:51Z

Firstly, I'd like to say Happy Birthday to my husband. :)

And then, 6 today. 4 yesterday.

So I finally have a reason to watch TV again - Burn Notice. It a new show on the USA network starring two of my favorite B-list actors, Jeffrey Donovan (Kyle from The Pretender. It makes me very happy to see him get to play a good guy for once.) and Bruce Campbell. And it is good. It would be 'oh so wonderfully good', but I've never liked Gabrielle Anwar who also co-stars. She bugs me.

The costuming virus is upon me. I'm thinking heavily about the garb I want to make for RenFaire this coming year - Ottoman, quasi-period authentic. I have the sewing machine; I have some fabrics. I just need to use them.

I've had a craving to visit the MAC store by my old apartment for the last week. No, it has nothing to do with the next end. I've just been on ebay the last number of days and I'm curious to see which pigments they carry at the store that are no longer offered on the MAC website and which you really can only get on ebay.

Baseball made me feel old this week. My mother never had the money nor the inclination to take me to baseball games as a kid. But I fell madly in love with the game at the age of 5. I would watch Tigers games on TV whenever I could. I remember in the early and mid-90's watching big Cecil Fielder and seeing how he brought his son to the ballpark with him and how he usually ended up being a ball boy. And I remember thinking how cool that would be to go to the ballpark with your dad. Well now young Prince Fielder is all grown up, swinging for the fences himself and 2nd in the league in homeruns. Crazy.

I had a fortune cookie today - "You will always have good luck in your personal affairs." So it has been written, so may it be.

And lastly, an anecdote.
Scene: the kitchen, the bedroom
Players:
- me, who will be playing the part of myself
- J - intrepid slayer of all things insectal
- Bump - feline hero

I was in the kitchen Tuesday night unloading the dishwasher wearing nothing but a tank top and my underwear when I noticed Bump pawing and trying to stick his face up under one of the cabinets. I had this awful feeling of foreboding when I asked him, "What ya got there, boy?" A couple of minutes later my question was answered when the fattest cockroach I have ever seen came scurrying out and headed towards me. Naturally, I jumped aside and the cockroach ran by me with Bump in pursuit.

When Bump trapped it in a corner, I ran into the bedroom where J was sleeping and said timidly, "J, there a giant cockroach in the kitchen." He bolted upright (which if you've ever seen him try to wake up is startling in and of itself), got out of bed and marched off to take care of it. Meanwhile, I jumped up on the bed and cowered in squicked-outification.

Back in the kitchen, J grabbed the industrial-sized, toxic-enough-to-kill-a-cockroach bug spray and began dousing the bug which had managed to run over to behind the garbage can. After being doused with chemicals it began running again and manouvered around J and disappeared into the front closet. At this, J tore the vacuums and brooms out of the closet and began spraying all inside the closet. Then he called me out there to tell me the cockroach had disappeared and would probably die in there behind the shelving unit when we heard the strangest sound. It sounded kind of like something had fallen over and resounded in the closet.

2-3 minutes later that damn cockroach comes walking out of the closet, sees J and takes off toward the front door. - And then that strange sound again; it turns out the cockroach was hissing in its death throes. The cockroach swerved and headed toward the chair at the edge of the living room. I turned my butt right around and ran back into the bedroom.

I could hear J in the living room throwing the chair out of the way and dousing the bug once more. I guess it went back towards the door because next thing I know I hear the chair being thrown again. J then turned on the vacuum cleaner and spent a couple minutes chasing it around until it finally died and he was able to vacuum it up.

Couple days later and I still kinda get the heebie-jeebies going into the kitchen. Weirdly enough, as I look back on the episode, I think the whole thing might have been more bearable if only I'd been wearing pants.

More odds and ends

2007-07-09T23:13:22Z

In conversation with Blue last night, I realized that there were a couple of foreshadowing things that I missed in my recent re-reads of the Harry Potter series. I'm going to have to go back and scan books 4 and 5 to see what else I might have missed. In the meantime, I'll be taking a week's break in my progress through the series.

I discovered the other day that the PF is making it difficult for me to do Arabic. I am not pleased. I have a follow up visit with the doctor on Wednesday. I'm not sure what they're going to say because my feet don't really feel like they're getting any better. :(

This morning I found out that my application did not go through for the job I applied for last Friday. Even more disheartening, my application did not go through for the better job that I thought I had applied for 3 weeks prior to that. In both cases, I got error messages throughout the web application process. In both cases I received an email after I went through everything saying that my online resume had been successfully submitted. However, in both cases I was not able to go in and look at what I'd submitted afterward. Friday I became suspicious, but I lacked the time to do anything about it. Today I called up HR (and sat on hold for a good 1/2 hour) and inquired about this, and was informed that my application materials did not go through. Fortunately, they allowed me to resubmit by email. I'm still sad that I most definitely will not be getting the B-school position. That one would have been perfect for me.

lovehonorlife and I saw the new Transformers movie Saturday. It was better than I expected. Of course, what I expected was for it to be absolute crap, so I wasn't exactly going in with Oscar-high standards.

What I liked:: The Autobots were recognizable, especially Optimus Prime.; Many of the original voice talents were used.; There was actually a legitimate reason for Shia LeBouf's character to have first contact with the Autobots.; There were some funny, quippy lines.
What I didn't like:: The Decepticons were not recognizable - I couldn't tell one from the others.; Frenzy - little sucker bugged the snot out of me.; The camera was "too close" to the CGI fight scenes; you couldn't tell what was going on, who was winning or even who was fighting - I ended up feeling extremely nauseous at the end of the movie.; Two kids were making out on top of Bumblebee at the end. That's just wrong. You do not make out on top of a sentient robot from another planet. Were I still a teacher, I would have made the script-writer copy the preceding 100 times. Maybe in his own blood. This may have had something to do with why I ended up so nauseous.

4th of July barbeque was fun. Thanks to Blue and Wolf for the Fire-works. I think I'm done with party hosting for while.

Harry Potter: OotP movie this Friday. Whee!

lovehonorlife's birthday is this Thursday. We will be going out to dinner somewhere. If you'd like to come along and wish him a Happy Birthday, you're more than welcome to. We haven't decided where exactly, but I'll let him post that when the decision is made.

I've been pondering lately on the nature of lost, specifically in relation to people and parts of themselves.

I've also been having a lot of dreams of places I know and people I don't. It's made me horribly homesick.

tropical_madnes @ 2007-06-25T16:39:00

2007-06-26T00:07:09Z

Monday? Check. Today is blah. I spent my morning doing some very boring, very repetitive data entry. I found out that I know more about navigating the new computer system than most of the other OS's. We are all, however, still waiting to be trained on it. Opening is in less than two months.

I hate having to walk to and from central campus in 100+ degree heat. My feet hurt so badly by the time I got there, I was gasping in pain. Why, you might ask? Plantar Fasciitis. I've had it for about the last 3 months, but the pain was never bad enough for me to go see a doctor until last Thursday when I could barely make it from my car to my office (a 15-min hike).

It was the flamenco. Sure, there were other factors that put me on high-risk, but the flamenco started it - too much repeated stomping on a hard surface. My heels feel like they're bruised; my right ankle feels locked up. Woe is me. I considered quitting flamenco, at least for a little while, but the doctor says I don't need to. She did, however, say that I must be doing something wrong to have caused this in the first place. So starting next week, I wil be taking the footwork class, and only the footwork class.

I think my biggest problem with the flamenco classes is that we never stretch. Not before, not during, not after. In every good bd class you stretch - which is why I think the pf hasn't been worse. Up til last Wednesday I was taking Ellisha's fire tray class. And Ellisha will make sure that you're good and streched out. Last Wednesday was the first time in 6 weeks that I hadn't had Ellisha's class. No streching = sore, sore feet. Today, I will stretch before flamenco class - after as well.

But as this is kind of depressing, here's

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Oh, and I've updated my booklist. It's here.

I'm back

2007-05-18T00:24:03Z

Life Checklist up to This Point in Time

Completed
- got married
And so, the wedding was a success. I enjoyed myself, lovehonorlife enjoyed himself, and it seems that everyone else with the possible exception of one of my sisters enjoyed themselves as well. I'm still a little embarrassed about the fiasco of the boquet toss, but on the plus side I did have two different groups of friends meet and totally dig each other, so that was awesomeness. Oh sweet, sweet cake, you were wonderful. I never will forget the way you looked that night.

- had honeymoon
I'm sure most of you read J's description of it, so I feel no need to elaborate. It was lovely, and there was lots of sex - yay!

- moved out of craphole apartment
Reason 1 of 2 why I've been MIA as of late. My eternal gratitude to crazyrennie, goblins_meade and dredpiratecorry for the help with the heavy lifting. Even with the help I still went down to the wire for getting out of it. I hated "living" there and am so glad to be rid of that dead weight. Now I will anxiously await my security deposit in the mail.

- closing
Reason 2 of 2 why I've been MIA as of late. The students are gone now. Long hours last week - I wish I actually got paid for overtime, comp time sucks. It's blissfully quiet in my office. I've completed my data entry and now am working on billing and repair orders. I've become rather addicted to yahoo! radio as sometimes it's a little too quiet. *scans room* If you're curious, Dis be what A'hm listenin to. [/Marley moment, which you shouldn't find on my station]

To do
- husband
...Er, pretend you didn't see that one

- unpacking
Bleh. I just got everything into boxes, now I have to get it back out and find a place for it. There are going to be a lot of things that I will be selling/giving away in the next couple of weeks. I'll be posting lists here first.

- update book list
I just finished Fluke, I now need to add it to the book list. I got a few other books just before the wedding that I need to start/finish.

- dance
I need it. I need to stretch too.

- get router
Then I can finally have the internets at home. Of course, I need to dig out my computer from all the stuff on/around it first.

- find a new job
They've changed my job, promoted some of my coworkers, are moving me to a much smaller office, and have said they neither value me nor wish for me to grow as a professional. I don't get paid enough to put up with this crap. There is no joy in this job anymore and I don't exactly make a livable wage, therefore I need another one until I can apply for and finish grad school. I will be hitting up the ASU job postings like mad in the next couple weeks.

That's all for now, it's hometime. God, I'm tired.

Story time

2007-03-23T00:36:57Z

I have allergies. Not so bad that I need prescription medication, but severe enough that I do need OTC medicines in ready supply at certain times of the year, this being one of them. As I was running low, I visited Target (Tar-zhay) yesterday afternoon to pick up some more. Tylenol now makes a day/night combo pack which I thought was pretty nifty, so I bought it thinking I'd try it out. And as I had the itchy, runny, sneezy nosey thing going last night, I thought I'd take some of the "night" formula in my usual dosage of 2 caplets - which knocked me the hell out, dawg. (boathouse joke)

It, in fact, knocked me so far the hell out that I almost couldn't wake up this morning....which turned out to be kinda terrifying. My mind was more or less awake, but I couldn't get my body to respond. Even during the worst of my depressions back in the day I could still at least throw myself out of bed, but with these tiny pills I had to wait for the medicine to start wearing off before I could even get out of bed all the while slipping in and out of consciousness. I don't like being that helpless. However, I have learned a valuable lesson: my "usual dosage" is a little too strong for the little white pills of sleeping death.

On a completely different topic, animal adaptation is getting weirder all the time. Domesticated cows and feral cats are one thing, these birds are a whole 'nother pot of chili. Okay, here's how it goes: So because this university pays me crap and doesn't give employees any sort of discount on parking, the only type of parking pass I could afford puts me in lot 59, which is slightly beyond the ass-end of the universe. Yes, it may be a good excuse for exercise, but it takes for-freaking-ever to get to my office in the mornings. And on my way into my office in the mornings, I have to pass by this desert landscapey thing with some fetid pool of water in the middle. The fetid pool of water, however, is not the focus of our story; the birds that are attracted to the area by the insects that breed in said fetid pool of water are. Unfortunately, because it is late, I'm going to have to finish this story tomorrow.

And even further from serious topics, because I am a memesheep I shall now post
Tada!

The Ultimate LiveJournal Obsession Test
Category	Your Score	Average LJer
Community Attachment	19.35% You've got pals to cheer you up when you're down, but no audience to applaud you... Yet.	22.63%
MemeSheepage	29.82% Easily amused	27.86%
Original Content	25.81% Monthly bitch sessions and occasional movie reviews	37.89%
Psychodrama Quotient	14.46% Had a comment taken out of context once or twice	16.74%
Attention Whoring	29.55% You do a little dance whenever someone friends you	20.66%
Take The Ultimate LiveJournal Obsession Test and see how you match up! (By The Ferrett)

Workin it

2007-03-21T23:44:21Z

I promised this to a couple of people, a couple weeks back. Thanks to La Grackle for first introducing this to me. Truthfully, I'm more impressed with the music mix than I am with the dancing, but the whole thing is rather impressive nonetheless. And some serious fanservice.

Slave Leia bellydance

And while on the subject of bellydancers, I thought I'd post this one someone made of a Suhaila video.

In other news, this morning I was finally able to remove that splinter that's been wedged under my thumbnail for the last week and a half. Yay.

tropical_madnes @ 2007-03-16T14:42:00

2007-03-16T23:29:23Z

Huh, I was useful at work today. Weird.

It's Friday, and while I should be cataloguing the flamenco choreography I've learned in the past couple weeks, I decided to spend my time on lj instead. And since I don't feel like working, here are some memes.

Your results:
You are Apocalypse

Apocalypse		63%
Magneto		62%
Dr. Doom		58%
Mystique		57%
Green Goblin		57%
Two-Face		57%
Poison Ivy		56%
Dark Phoenix		56%
Venom		55%
Catwoman		53%
The Joker		52%
Lex Luthor		47%
Riddler		47%
Kingpin		44%
Mr. Freeze		43%
Juggernaut		37%

You believe in survival of the fittest and you believe that you are the fittest.

Click here to take the Super Villain Personality Test

Fear and tremble in my wake.

Heh. So I can form a coup and take over the country.

In what alternate dimension would Alicia be most comfortable?

In a dimension where...

The U.S. defense budget is only 150 dollars

'In what alternate dimension would you be most comfortable?'
at
QuizGalaxy.com

These next 2 are stolen from sarar

You'll die from a Drug or Alcohol accident.

Let's face it - when you get drunk/high you lose all control and do stupid stuff. Unfortunately in your case those propaganda anti-escapism commercials prove true.

'How will you die?' at QuizGalaxy.com

40 questions surveys never ask

01. Do you know anyone in prison?
Well my sister's baby daddy was in prison for a while, but then he got out, and I really don't know or care if he's gone back or not. And my uncle got put in prison for a couple of days until the cops found out that the bits of crack he was arrested for possessing were really just bits of cereal wrapped up in cellophane.

02. Have you ever logged onto a boyfriend/girlfriend/crush's myspace?
Why would I do that? Myspace sux.

03. When is the last time you ate Peanut butter and jelly?
Hmmm....probably a couple of months ago. I do so love za peanut butter and jelly.

04. Do you have a desk in your room?
No, but I have one here in my office that's helping me waste time.

05. Have you ever gotten naked at a party?
I don't even get naked in the lockeroom.

06. What kind of car insurance do you have?
Farmers, I think.

07. Are you named after one of your parents or grandparents?
Nope, I'm named after a girl my parents knew. But they didn't want to give me her exact name, so they used a close approximation.

08. Does your first significant other still live in the same town as you?
Technically, he never has as I've always lived in Phoenix since moving out here, and he's lived in AJ, Tucson, Tempe and now Mesa. And yes, my first SO is my current SO.

09. Do you throw up gang signs?
I'm throwing them right now, you just can't see me. WAUGH, WAUGH!!

10. Have you ever broken a rib?
I'm pretty sure I'd be aware of it if I ever did, so no.

11. Would you rather be a girl or a guy?
See there's a reason surveys don't usually ask this question; it's stupid. There are certain advantages to being female; there are certain advantages to being male. There are also disadvantages to both. Overall, I'll just take what I've been given.

12. Who is the most spoiled person you know?
Rrrrright... On a public forum you want me to name names. Because that's a really great way to foster friendships and keep the peace. [/sarcasm] Entitlement bitches is the most I'll say.

13. Would you rather have a million dollars or true love?
wuv, twue wuv

14. Have you ever had sex in church?
In church, or in a church? Either way, no.

15. Is your boyfriend/girlfriend a marine?
No, I'm prejudiced against Marines.

16. Do you watch the Grammys?
Eh. I used to; I just don't have time to watch TV these days even if I wanted to.

17. Would you ever work for the border patrol?
Hells no.

18. Pick one word that would describe your last relationship?
Current

19. Would you rather date someone 2 years older than you or 20 years older than you?
to paraphrase sarar, "I really can't imagine being attracted to someone 20 years older than myself", so I'll say 2.

20. Have you ever had an eating disorder?
Rrrrright... you have seen me, correct?

21. Do you have a porn collection?
Yes. It is massive. I am the guru of all things pornish. *rolls eyes*

22. How many proms have you been to in your life?
One - my senior prom...by myself.

23. Have you ever been in a inter-racial relationship?
Yes, with myself

24. Is your birthday on a holiday?
Wikipedia says yes. Women's Equality Day (US), the Sultan's birthday (Zanzibar), Heroes' Day also called Namibia Day (Namibia), and St Zephyrinus, Saint Ninian, and Saint David Lewis day (Roman Catholic church).

25. Are you old enough to vote?
Yes

26. Do you have any friends or family in the War right now?
Thank God, no. But there might be one in the near future.

27. Are you a vegetarian?
Hahahhahahhahahahahahahahhahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!1 That's funny.

28. Do you worry about global warming?
Sometimes. I try to do my part to slow it.

29. Do you like polar bears?
Only the e-vil ones.

30. Are you straight edge?
I was before I turned 21 without even knowing what straight edge was.

31. What kind of birth control do you use or did you use?
None. However, I do see condoms in my future.

32. What slang word do you call marijuana?
Mary-Jane, MJ, weed, pot, da ganja because I talk about pot all the time [/snark]

33. Are you an atheist?
That's a stupid question. Wouldn't you rather hear about why people believe what they believe?

35. Did or do you think your childhood dreams will come true?
Doubtful. I had 2 big childhood dreams: one - become a teacher. Been there, done that, AZ sucks for teachers, and two - buy Toys'R'Us and give all the toys away to the poor kids. I really don't think I'll ever have that much money.

36. Do you wear your sweetie's clothes?
I have one of his button-up shirts that he gave me, and I've worn the nasgul hoodie a couple of times, but not really

37. What's your opinion on gold diggers?
I'd rather be happy than rich

38. Are you a country or city girl/boy?
I grew up thinking I was a country girl, but then discovered I really am a city girl. Funny.

39. Is your car a 2002 or higher?
Yes

40. Do you floss daily?
I find it difficult to remember to floss once a week.

And lastly,
<td align="center"> Alicia's Amazing Mental Ability ...

You can tell exactly what any given walrus is feeling, at any given time, anywhere on the planet

(Remember ... with great power comes great responsibility!)

'What is your Amazing Mental Ability?' at QuizGalaxy.com</td>

2007 Book List

2007-03-12T23:53:53Z

Ok, so I know that at the beginning of the year, there were a couple of comms that put out a challenge to read 50 or so books over the course of this year. Well, I'm sorry, I can tell you right now that I won't be able to do that. I have this little thing called living to do, and as of right now, it's taking up most of my time. I did, however, want to read more this year (see the "year of Bond" entry). And to help myself track that, I've decided to create a list of the books I've read this year. I haven't decided whether I'll continue to update this post over the year, or just make a new post with the same tags, but whatever I choose, here I go.

Books I've Read This Year

1. The Historian by Elizabeth Kosteva (fiction)
I first heard about this book about six months to a year before it came out. The author won the Hopwood Award for this story while completing her MFA at UofM. I read a few paragraphs in the online alumni newsletter they send me, and was intrigued.

This is a vampire book, specifically a Dracula book. However, the book is less about Dracula and more about the way that 3 generations of people's lives had been shaped by his existence. It was an interesting read, and it made me long to visit Eastern Europe....also to go back to that really good Hungarian restaurant and piano bar in Scottsdale. I also like that Dracula, in this story, is a bibliophile. And not just that, but that it makes sense for his character in this book according to traditional Dracula lore.

2. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (fiction)
Brilliantly funny. It reminded me a lot of Lamb by Christopher Moore, I guess they have similar senses of humor. Everything from the (Satanic) Order of the Chattering Nuns to Dog, the Hellhound was just so well done. I'll probably read this one again before the year is out.

3. The Secret Life of Vicorian Houses by Elan and Susan Zingman-Leith (non-fiction)
I picked this one up for my mom at a used booksale on Hayden Lawn last week. Initially, I picked it up because it had a lot of pretty pictures of the interiors of Victorian houses. (My mom has a degree in historic preservation with Victorian houses being her favorite structures, so this is right up her alley.) I then read the blurb on the dust jacket and realized that I would like to read the book for myself. So I did. It was a surprisingly engaging book that spoke of everthing from the parlor to the women's rights movement, from designating sex association onto different rooms of the house to Orientalism to the Sears catalog to why Victorian houses don't have many closets. It's definitely a view I hadn't considered before. Yay books.

updated 6/25/07
4. Fluke by Christopher Moore
This man greatly amuses me. I love how his books manage to be sincere, yet comedic at the same time. This book also contains my favorite description of a kissing scene ever. (quotation from book goes here) I'll leave you with two words: whale willies.

5. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
I could review this book, but why bother when someone else is doing such a bang-up job?

6. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
I had always believed that this book was the weakest in the Harry Potter series. But as I was reading through it the last couple of days I realized that this book, more than any other, has Harry think more about his actions. He doesn't just rush headlong and fall back on dumb luck to get through the book. Yes, rewards and punishments are still meted out arbitrarily. Yes, there is still the inherent mistrust of adult and authority figures. Yes, this book introduces one of the most hated characters in fandom this side of Jar Jar Binks. And yes, there is still the careless disregard for rule of law and perhaps why those rules are there, but the dumbass factor in this book is not quite as high as in most of the others.

updated 7/09/07
7. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
This is another book where I could review it myself, but this guy has done it before, and better.

8. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
What? A theme? Nooooooo... [/sarcasm] Why yes, I am rereading all of these in anticipation of "Deathly Hallows". I'm looking for things I may have missed in the first read-throughs. But ooof! let me tell you, I had difficulties making it through this one again. I found myself getting bored, not wanting to read. Barty Crouch, Jr as Alastor Moody was awesome, and Ferret!Malfoy is endlessly entertaining, but so many of the characters appeared so much more 1-dimensional in this book. They never strayed far from their stereotypes, hence it was very predictable, hence I got bored.

9. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Now by the time I got to book 5, I had forgotten my initial reason for re-reading the books, and wasn't reminded of it until I was a couple chapters from the end. Therefore, there were things that I missed. I'm going to have to go back and scan books 4 and 5 again. Curses. Wizard Angst The primary theme of this book. I actually hated Harry the first time I read through it. In fact, the wizard angst was so irritating, it made me gloss over a couple of foreshadowing things I really should have seen. Grrr.

I noticed

2007-02-17T00:46:11Z

You know how you have a bad day, and someone tries to cheer you up by saying, "Well at least no one died"? Yeah......

She was a resident in one of my buildings; I knew her in name only. An out-of-state student. I feel terrible for her parents; they'll be coming in this weekend to get her things. I'm glad I won't have to be there. I didn't have the heart to cross her off my rosters before I left today.

It was quite a circus there for a while. About 10-15 firemen and paramedics, my CC, both ACCs, the CCs from the buildings nearest by, the Assistant Director, 2 Associate Directors, the Executive Director, and one or two people whose faces were unfamiliar to me. They asked me to cover the desk while they had a meeting with all of the RAs from the building. It was weird to see how normally everything else went on with the people who didn't know - people coming in to eat lunch or buy something at the market, students talking and joking around with their friends, incoming students with their parents stopping by the desk to ask for tours. It feels like everything should have stopped, at least for a moment. But it didn't - time rolled right past her death as if it had never happened, as if it didn't even care enough to notice, the bastard.

Inevitability is not a resolution

2007-01-05T02:50:42Z

And so Blue has declared this year to be 2-007, the year of Bond.

A challenge has been issued: "What will the year of Bond do for me?" I accept.

1) The year of Bond will see less of me. I will lose at least 10 pounds by April, preferably 20. To do this, I will stop drinking so much damn pop and start drinking water again. I will keep many bottles of water in my fridge at work, and I will carry them around with me like a good little desert-dweller. I will attempt to make better choices about my eating habits, eating earlier in the day and maintaining portion control. And some stuff about eating more veggies and less junk.

The reward, obviously, is that I will look fabulous! in my wedding dress. The secondary reward will be that I won't feel embarrassed about showing my tummy during bd performances.

2) The year of Bond will see me challenge myself with new and different dance styles. I will learn flamenco; I will learn to tango; I will learn to can-can. I will also continue to expand my knowledge of both tribal and double-veil bellydance.

3) The year of Bond will see me out of my crap-hole apartment and into a swanky new pad complete with sexy, velvet-curtained, 4-poster bed.

4) The year of Bond will pull out my glamourous side, spit-shine and polish it until glows, and then hand it back to me, bigger and better than before. See exhibit A for work-in-progress.

photo by zootdingo

The dress and the mask will help for the wedding, where I hope to leave a certain person completely speechless. For performances, the rest is up to me....and MAC.

5) The year of Bond will see a renaissance in my creativity. I will see more; I will read more. I will write more; I will draw more. I will take some classes at ASU (I may even start grad school). I will create fabulous costumes.

The year of Bond will see me finally learn how to use a flippin sewing machine. This will be my means to the end of the previous paragraph.

The year of Bond will have lots of sex, some vodka, a couple of non-Aston-Martin cars, at least one event requiring formal wear, and hopefully, a satisfying ending.

What will Bond year do for you?

And on a completely unrelated note, they say the moon makes people do strange things -- I somehow managed to split my lip when I sneezed.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

2006-12-27T23:28:14Z

I hate that when I read, my hands and feet get cold.

Today is a useless day. I should not have come to work.

I made dinner last night for myself and the boy. It was the first time I'd cooked for the both of us, and I had to admit, I was a little nervous. I made pollo borracho. The recipe said to pair it with black beans and polenta, but I opted for saffron rice. And I forgot to pick up black beans at the store, so we had to settle for refried. Apparently he liked it because when I came back into the living room from getting a knife for myself, his plate was clean...and the cats don't eat people food.

Christmas was
different. I still really miss my family.
I am blessed to have a fiancee who loves me so much.

My hands are warmer, my book is calling me.

No matter where I travel online recently I seem to run across something corset-related. Am still thinking about that tailcoat corset.

Yes book, I'm coming.

It's raining here. o_O

2006-12-22T21:04:03Z

I found out this morning that Chris works at ASU when he showed up at my hall looking for access to one of the other halls.

Had dinner last night with the beloved, his mom and his best friend who's in town from Virginia where he's being stationed to train to go to Iraq. Hopefully, the military will train his unit before sending them over there. Even more hopefully, the military will forget about his unit altogether and just let them go on being stationed in VA until this bloody thing is over. Dinner was nice, even if I was feeling a bit anti-social.

I can see it, but according to the Scoobies, I'm really more season 1 Willow. We already have a Xander.

Xander Harris
45% amorality, 54% passion, 72% spirituality, 63% selflessness

Xander. Loyal, brave, true and passionate. Perhaps the best friend a person could have, always willing to jump into the frey to help out his buddies.

Also, one of the most popular characters in the Buffy universe.

Congratulations!

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback! Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in the following:

Nerds, Geeks & Dorks
Professional Wrestling
Love & Sexuality
America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE 4-VARIABLE BUFFY PERSONALITY TEST

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on morality

You scored higher than 99% on repose

You scored higher than 99% on spirituality

You scored higher than 99% on selflessness

I feel kinda sad even posting this one. To say that I'm a "Modern Cool Nerd" feels unbelievably pretentious. Besides, I've always thought of myself as more of a dorkgirl, and don't necessarily agree with the quizzes definitions. [/asides]

Modern, Cool Nerd
73 % Nerd, 52% Geek, 39% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored better than half in Nerd and Geek, earning you the title of: Modern, Cool Nerd.

Nerds didn't use to be cool, but in the 90's that all changed. It used to be that, if you were a computer expert, you had to wear plaid or a pocket protector or suspenders or something that announced to the world that you couldn't quite fit in. Not anymore. Now, the intelligent and geeky have eked out for themselves a modicum of respect at the very least, and "geek is chic." The Modern, Cool Nerd is intelligent, knowledgable and always the person to call in a crisis (needing computer advice/an arcane bit of trivia knowledge). They are the one you want as your lifeline in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (or the one up there, winning the million bucks)!

Congratulations!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Professional Wrestling
Love & Sexuality
America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on nerdiness

You scored higher than 99% on geekosity

You scored higher than 99% on dork points

Or in layman's terms, I'm a cold, unfeeling bitch. Bah.

Your Dominant Thinking Style: Modifying

Super logical and rational, you consider every fact available to you.
You don't make rash decisions and are rarely moved by emotion.

You prefer what's known and proven - to the new and untested.
You tend to ground those around you and add stability.

What's Your Thinking Style?

In light of the previous one, this is not terribly surprising.

You Are Royal Blue

People find you difficult to understand. In fact, you often find it hard to understand yourself.
You think so much that sometimes you get lost in your own thoughts!

What Color Blue Are You?

Oh look! It's a poor man's gore_sports.

Underdogger
You prefer 54 % Aggression and 53 % Cunning!

Congratulations: you continuously identify with the weaker, less cunning, and more fuzzy opponent. You root for the underdog and the sure loser, and these are admirable qualities. You probably possess a artist's way with the ladies (or men) whilst your ironic sense of humor is appreciated by all your friends. You're a hit at parties, but probably not in a boxing ring. Thanks for taking my test!

My test tracked 2 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:

You scored higher than 99% on Aggression

You scored higher than 99% on Intelligence

Link: The Fisticuffs Psychology Test written by Geiger on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

I thought it was cute, so it goes here

Your Love Number is 9

You are a peaceful person, and you tend to have calm, stable relationships.
Connecting deeply is another skill of yours, and you tend to know lovers well.
Trusting and laid back, you are an easy person to love.
Love can be a little blinding for you, so open your eyes a little more!

What Is Your Love Number?

Suck it, capitalism!

You Are 8% Capitalist, 92% Socialist

You see a lot of injustice in the world, and you'd like to see it fixed.
As far as you're concerned, all the wrong people have the power.
You're strongly in favor of the redistribution of wealth - and more protection for the average person.

Are You a Socialist or Capitalist?

And lastly, it would be nice if this was fairly accurate, because it's pretty damn flattering.

What Your Face Says

At first glance, people see you as down to earth and reliable.

Overall, your true self is passionate and physical.

With friends, you seem dramatic, lively, and quick to react.

In love, you seem mysterious and interesting.

In stressful situation, you seem like you're oblivious to the stress.

What Do People Think Of Your Face?

The end.

A journey towards greatness

2006-12-22T00:13:17Z

I feel like the 2nd best aunt in the world.

My darling nephew is 5 this year, and fabulous aunt that I am, I had planned on getting him his first set of real Legos this year. Fortuitously, my brilliant plan hit a snag. I went to the Lego online store thinking to have the 805-piece bucket delivered to my mom's house in time for Christmas. But noooo, they were all sold out. Eeep! What could I do? I thought, perhaps, to go to Target to see if they had some (one? just one? that was all that I needed.), but in discussion with some friends they directed me rather to Toys-R-Us saying that it was a "better place to buy Legos".

Well that was a load of dren. Toys-R-Us didn't even have one complete aisle of Legos, and most of it was that Bionicle crap. Most distressingly, they didn't have the basic building bucket of Legos. Crap-and-a-half! So I did what anyone in dire need of a toy for a youngster would do and I wandered the store aimlessly until my eyes glazed over with mind-numbing action of all the toys that play for you and my ears stopped listening because of the constant barrage of "I want that! Mommy, get me that! Daddy, make Santa give me that for Christmas!".

And then, surrounded by a halo of flourescent light, I saw it. The gift. The one that would usher my nephew into his rite of boyhood. A Transformer. And not one of those stupid new models where they transform into some brightly colored nerf gun, but an honest-to-goodness Transformer. My only quandry was whether to get him one of the six Optimus Prime's or the one Bumblebee. Malign me if you will, but I got him the Bumblebee. The way I figure it, Optimus Prime is a much more favored character than Bumblebee, therefore they will still be making Optimus Prime's even when they've stopped making Bumblebee's. That, and I can go back to Toys-R-Us after Christmas to pick up Optimus Prime as a "thank you for being my ringbearer" gift.

So after all that, what would've made me the best aunt in the world? Starscream. He's out in the set, but the store didn't have any. Curses! Foiled again.

Oh and J, it was thoughtful of you to set your alarm for me this morning seeing as my phone did indeed die. The only problem was that you had the wrong prefixed-meridian. I ended up waking up on my own at 6:30 - thus having to fight rush hour traffice twice in the space of an hour and a half. Then there was work. I won't go there right now. Suffice it to say I may dream about keys tonight.

Lastly, a little gift for zamboni42. Go on, give it a look.

Through my eyes

2006-12-19T03:55:15Z

Watch as we see last week, as I was walking back to my office, and a kid passes by me on his skateboard...carrying his drycleaning. *pause* Yay, incongruity.

Hear the chatter as some coworkers and I went to lunch today. Your topic is: holiday sweaters and theme jewelry - laughably wrong. For the win, I spot a woman in the most garrishly green holiday sweater walking down the sidewalk as we were eating.

Feel as I was driving down Price to the beloved's house this evening. I think I saw a blood stain on the pavement. I felt slightly ill.

Lastly, for my pyro friends, I believe this will make you drool....heavily.

http://community.livejournal.com/darkshimmies/44062.html

Shameless self-promotion

2006-12-17T21:40:33Z

Okay, so apparently I care more than I thought I did.

For anyone who didn't catch it when J/G posted on it a couple weeks back, jim_smith developed this thing he calls "Bash Wars". The basic concept is "What if you put this character and this character in a room together and made them fight to the death. Who would win?" A number of weeks ago, Mr. Smith put out an open call to his f-list for submissions for a "Bash Wars Open Invitational". I entered Animal from the Muppets just to see how far he'd make it. Surprisingly, he's made it all the way to the finals, and now he's fighting Brock Samson from the Venture Bros. And losing. And suddenly, I care (a little). So this is my pathetic plea, please go vote here for Animal.

And if you really need some convincing as to why to vote for Animal:

1. Brock Samson's only weakness is women. Animal's only weakness is WO-MAN!
Advantage: Even

2. I just so happen to have some of Dr. Honeydew's growth pills from The Muppet Movie in my pocket. Who's to say they won't accidently get slipped into Animal's water? Brock? Well, he's Brock Samson. And he's got a knife.
Advantage: Unknown

3. Animal's got 3 dimensions to Brock Samson's 2.
Advantage: Animal

4. Because I'm pretty.

wasting the day

2006-12-17T21:10:41Z

It's been a happy weekend. I have most of my Christmas shopping done, and in talking to my sister yesterday to find out some specifics of her tastes, I found out that I was planning on getting her the very thing she wanted most for Christmas. Yay.

I took Ellisha's "Bellydance workout and drills" workshop yesterday, and am so incredibly sore in that way that feels sooo good.

Also went and saw Eragon yesterday. The Malkovich was imho the best part of the movie, but overall I was very disappointed. Without going into spoilers, my main disappointment was that the bad guys were zomg!! so terribabble and the good guys were teh awesUmn33s that Eragon couldn't wait to join, whereas in the book, yes the bad guys are 100% bad, but the good guys are not 100% good - they're shades of grey, each person with their own agenda. [/$0.02]

On the twelfth day of Christmas, tropical_madnes sent to me...

Twelve movies drumming

Eleven books piping

Ten cartoons a-leaping

Nine tattoos dancing

Eight sockmonkeys a-milking

Seven animaniacs a-swimming

Six muppets a-dancing

Five ca-a-a-are bears

Four shiny things

Three logic puzzles

Two rising stars

...and a cezanne in a firefly.

In order

2006-12-14T02:26:25Z

There are few things more disappointing than to wake up and realize you'd been dreaming about paperwork.

I can't go home for Christmas this year - the first time in my 27 years that I'll be without my family on Christmas. I feel sick thinking about it, and am currently wishing less than joyful tidings upon airline CEOs. Die in a fire! Die in a fire!!!!! Ooh, sorry. *stuffs vengeful side back down into box*

So to make me feel better, J is trying to make sure that I have a wonderful Christmas here. Last Friday we set up his Christmas tree. It was nostalgic, but at the same time I kept hearing the music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" on account of the initial patheticness of his tiny artificial tree, which reminded me of the patheticness of my family's old artificial tree.

My media crack dealer has once again gotten me hooked into something I didn't plan to. And unfortunately, because I'm a big wuss, I can't even watch it by myself. Luckily, Al bought me the DVDs as an early Christmas present, J likes scary movies, and he looks at watching Supernatural with me as research for his D&D campaigns. Yay! Thanks Al.

I woke up early Saturday morning (like wayyy before the buttcrack of dawn) in the middle of the worst allergy attack I've had since I was 11. Already beyond the sneezing my head off bit, I was to the point where I was coughing to try to move some of the closed off portions of my lungs just so that I could get a breath. Was afraid I might have to go to the hospital; I went home instead - stopped off at the QT near my apt and got some caffeine to help open my bronchials. Stupid dust on a Christmas tree.

Saturday night was my last performance with Natium for a while. :'( Janice and I debuted our Shakira piece. I think we did really well, it's just too bad there weren't more people to see it. The gig was a fundraiser show at the AZ Historical Society, and of the roughly 30 - 40 people that showed up, most of them spent most of their night in the casino room. Philistines.

After we got done with our set, some of the roughly 12 people in the audience liked us so much that they asked to get our pictures. So like the good little attention whores we are, we posed and smiled prettily. Then this one woman who was sitting in the silent auction area came up and said, "Well since you girls are so good at posing, would you mind posing in front of our booth over there?"
Good at posing?! *warning flag pokes its head up* But my troupe leader okayed it, so we went over to have our picture taken. They asked us to pose behind a tv screen - MamaK's warning flag went up. I looked at the tv screen and it said something like "United - a humanitarian aid organization". *warning flag sags down* Just before we had the picture taken the other woman with the first handed me a flyer and said that I should come out to their celebration of the signing of some declaration of human rights thing the next day.
*scanscanscan*
"Celebrate the 58th anniversary of the International Declaration of Human Rights"
Me, thinking: Huh, I didn't know about this. Guess I need to brush up on my world events more.
*scanscanscan*
Oooh! "Refreshments provided by Cold Stone creamery." Yum! I might make it up there.
*scanscanscan*
"Free tour of the L. Ron Hubbard house"
*record skip*
*warning flag up to full mast* Huh?!
Aw crap. Houston, we got Scientologists, over.
So I smiled pretty while they took the picture. The other woman handed me a pamphlet as well, and I got the hell out of Dodge. When my tribe were back in the room where we'd stashed our baskets, I casually mentioned that those were Scientologists keening for our picture in front of their stuff. MamaK, professional that she is, walked up to the first woman before we left and told her that if she'd like to use our picture in some sort of publicity aspect to be sure and call her first for permission.
Oh, tricky, tricky Scientologists .

Work has been psychotically busy. Everybody going home for break, and some people moving in before break, and some people deciding last minute that they don't want to return after break.

Today, all of us staff members on North campus had the "vision" meeting with the new Executive Director of Residential Life. What I learned from the meeting is how little my opinion and my job mean to Residential Life, and the university in general. Goody. [/sarcasm]

I came across the realization yesterday that Michigan winter was part of what kept me in shape back home. When every. muscle. in your. body. clenched. up. to keep. in. as much. heat. as possible, it made for a pretty good workout. Ya just don't get that in Arizona. And I am not complaining. I'll gladly take a couple of extra pounds over permachill any day.

That's all I got. Don't forget to tip your waitress on the way out. I'm off to get my picture taken.

In conversation

2006-12-05T00:05:37Z

"Do I want to get my love or do I want it all?"
-bluebeegirl on choosing a new cell phone plan between T-Mobile and Alltel

"I can't wait until Spiderman III - emo, angst and woe"
...
...
"That's why they call it 3mo"
-sweet_panda and zootdingo discuss the upcoming Spiderman movie.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So I bought a copy of The Historian by Elizabeth Kosteva at Changing Hands bookstore this past week. I have been drooling for this book since I first saw a preview for it months ago. So when I have time, and after I finish Eragon I will devour it. The only thing that disturbs me about my purchase is the price. The book normally lists for approximately $25 in hardcover. I got a brand new hardcover for $8.95. What's so disturbing about the fact that I got a great deal on a book I really wanted? ...The fact that a bookstore can afford to charge only $8.95 for it. It makes me wonder. How much do bookstores mark up books? Are they making 100+% profits on most books? Am I being cheated as a customer? Inquiring minds want to know.

A Heart-breaking work of mediocre genius

2006-11-22T00:17:51Z

So much stuff in the last couple weeks, and I just haven't posted. So I guess I'll just run down the more interesting stuff.

Went to the grand re-opening of the Phx Art Musuem about a week and a half ago with bandobras and zootdingo. The museum had taiko drummers playing outside before and right after the talky parts. Yay drummers. I like what the museum's done with their expansion. I feel that there's more room to sit and contemplate a piece rather than all of them vying for your attention at once. The fashion area is wonderful. Zooty and I spent quite a bit of time pouring over the evening gowns. Inspiration is forthcoming. 20 or more minutes were spent analyzing the juxtaposition of a Picasso placed next to a Rivera. It was finally deduced that the reasoning was a comparison of static chaotic and dynamic serenity. We were also greatly amused by the "Demonic Divine in Himalayan Art" exhibit. We have adopted names, they are large and scary, but I can't tell you what they are because then you wouldn't be afraid.

Had my last double-veil class this term last Tuesday. On Monday, I start flamenco.

Saw "Happy Feet" last Friday. Don't go, it's not worth your money unless you go see it in the discount theater. For a more in-depth analysis, see lovehonorlife's journal But I will give a big two-thumbs up to the new Harry Potter trailer.

Watched Michigan lose in a nerve-shattering fashion Saturday. I was so depressed afterwards. Where was the defense that I knew and loved? However, as I firmly believe that Michigan is the #2 team in the country, I was very relieved to hear the BCS standings on Sunday.

lovehonorlife treated me to my first professional football game on Sunday. Now all I need to do is go to an NBA game to have been to at least one game of every major professional sport in the US. Hmmm...New Year's resolution? Anyhow, the game was indeed the pillowfight of the week as the 1-8 Arizona Cardinals took on the 2-7 Detroit Lions. It was really kind of pitiful to watch. And I had to watch another hometown team fall. Ouch.

Now we're all caught up. Now I can say that I'm headed out to LA Friday for a very Scooby Thanksgiving 2. I get turkey and pie and Al and Harvey and Geneva time. Excellent, Smithers.

Meme Thursday

2006-11-16T23:35:04Z

You are Strength

Courage, strength, fortitude. Power not arrested in the act of judgement, but passing on to further action, sometimes obstinacy.

This is a card of courage and energy. It represents both the Lion's hot, roaring energy, and the Maiden's steadfast will. The innocent Maiden is unafraid, undaunted, and indomitable. In some cards she opens the lion's mouth, in others she shuts it. Either way, she proves that inner strength is more powerful than raw physical strength. That forces can be controlled and used to score a victory is very close to the message of the Chariot, which might be why, in some decks, it is Justice that is card 8 instead of Strength. With strength you can control not only the situation, but yourself. It is a card about anger and impulse management, about creative answers, leadership and maintaining one's personal honor. It can also stand for a steadfast friend.

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I like the cat people.