Sunday, July 31, 2005
"Bush Bashing Fizzles"
I just read an interesting article by Michael Barone of US News and World Report. Unfortunately, I'm not sure I follow all of his lines of thinking, mainly because I don't think I know enough about the situations he's detailing. Specifically, I'm unclear on the logical progression of his arguments concerning Karl Rove. Could someone maybe elucidate for me? Links to further information would be great.
40 (but not really) questions
I have been tagged by Miss Em! I am compelled to take a survey!
(Okay, fine, so it doesn't really take much compelling...)
1a. What year did you first start using e-mail (on a daily basis)?
...I'm not sure, but it was somewhere around the time I got into BBSes. So I will guess 1994.
1b. What year did you first start using a cell phone?
2003. Hahahahaha!
1c. What is the ring-tone on your cell phone?
The default ring. Someday, when I have a phone that supports ringtones, I will put music from Kyou Kara Maou on there. Haven't decided what yet--the opening theme is appealing because it'll get my attention quickly, but it might be nice to use Conrad's Theme...
2. From where you are answering this, can you see out a window? If so, what do you see?
No, my chair is actually facing away from the window (it's feng shui to be facing the doorway, so that's how I arranged the office), and anyway the blinds are closed ;> If they were open and I was turning around, I would see the pond, ducks, and trees, because our view rules.
3a. What one physical characteristic would you change about yourself?
I want to be in shape. Not "thin", but healthy. Good muscle mass, not too much fat.
3b. What one personality trait would you change about yourself?
I don't know...it's taken me so long to figure out my personality as it is. I'm not sure how I would deal with myself if I changed something. Even the stereotypically bad stuff, like my temper, comes from good places, places that are me. And I dunno, I kinda like me.
3c. Thing you like about yourself the most?
My desire to experience and love the world.
4a. Favorite spectator sport?
Videogames!
4b. Favorite team and/or player in that sport?
My brother AJ, playing Link in any Zelda game.
4c. Professional sports team and/or player you would most enjoy seeing crushed in defeat?
The bad guys in any Zelda game. Or, anyone playing against me in a racing game. But that's not really in the realm of "spectator" anymore...
5a. Favorite bumper sticker saying?
I don't really like bumper stickers; they mess up the sleek look of cars. I used to get bumper stickers and putty them to my walls instead of putting them on my car. However, of late I just think bumper stickers are snarky without being clever.
5b. Bumper sticker saying that really pisses you off?
Anything talking about how the owner of the vehicle is a "Princess", or is "Spoiled". Because, I mean, why advertise those things?
6a. Do you believe in astrology?
I think the idea is interesting, but given that we don't know so much about what astronomical bodies are out there, it seems unlikely that we could come to any accurate predictions--even assuming the fundamental theory, that we can read and interpret causality in the universe, is sound.
6b. Do you believe in extra-sensory perception of any kind?
Sort of; I think our brains have senses that we haven't detected/developed yet.
6c. Do you believe in ghosts?
Not really, because I feel like they were invented to explain inexplicable events in the past, or to help people deal with death. However, I do believe that people are sensing something when they think they see ghosts. Maybe they are ghosts. All I know is, I've never seen one or experienced anything that seemed supernatural.
6d. Do you believe in God?
See this post.
6e. If you answered "No" to 6a, 6b, and 6c, and "Yes" to 6d, please explain.
n/a
7a. Favorite movie ever?
I dunno. There was a time in my life when I'd put The Empire Strikes Back down for this question without thinking, but meh. Forrest Gump really had an impact on me. I love The Fifth Element, too. I think, though, that my tastes are geared more towards series than films.
7b. Funniest movie ever?
I'm sitting here trying to think of a movie that makes me laugh out loud and that I would watch right now...and all that's coming to mind is Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
7c. Scariest movie ever?
I hate scary movies. I don't like the tension, and the plots are usually stupid (in my opinion). Like, oooh, a spaceship that went to Hell! Anyway, I tend to avoid scary things. I do watch thrillers occasionally, but those aren't all that scary. The movie that actually scared me, so that I screamed out loud at the very end, was Carrie. But to be fair, I didn't watch the whole thing...
7d. Worst movie you've ever watched in its entirety?
Well, as you might be able to tell from the previous question, I hated Event Horizon...Ben liked it, though, and he's into that stuff, so maybe that's not a fair assessment. I'm gonna go with You've Got Mail. That movie was pretty stupid.
8. If you were appointed Supreme Dictator of the United States for a day, what one thing would you outlaw? (Note: None of this "I'm not that type of person" crap. Indulge yourself.)
Now, see, this is hard, because I want to say "intolerance", but there are caveats. I would prefer that everyone be intolerant of murder and rape, for example.
9. Are you happy?
Right now? I have a headache ;_; But in general, yes, I'm content. There are things I want and need, but I'm not distressed to a crippling degree over them.
10a. How many foreign languages are you fluent in?
None. I'm working on Japanese, though.
10b. How many computer languages are you fluent in?
I used to know BASIC (the original), Pascal, and FORTRAN. Nowadays I cobble together HTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript with the help of the Web.
11a. What was your major when you entered college?
Aerospace Engineering (stop laughing, please)
11b. And what was it when you graduated?
Linguistics, and English (two degrees--not a double major)
11c. And what would it be if you could do it all over again?
I'd do the same thing, only I'd spend more time studying Japanese, and tack on a Japanese or Japan Studies degree. (Japan Studies ended up being my minor.)
11d. And if you were to go back to school now strictly for pleasure/self-improvement?
I've been thinking about an MBA. I'd also like a PhD in Linguistics someday. If I went back to school now, though, I would really just take self-improvement classes like photography and more Japanese language. I'm also interested in studying Arabic.
12a. What one thing about George Bush do you loathe more than anything else?
I don't really loathe anything about him--the one thing that bothers me to a certain degree is also the thing that makes me trust him, and that is his manner of speech.
12b. Member of the Bush Administration you actually think is evil (as opposed to merely stupid, incompetent, wrong-headed or short-sighted)?
Umm...
13. Do you "share" music with your friends, and if so do you feel guilty about it?
Yes, and no, but my loophole is that the music isn't licensed/released/whatever in the US.
14. Favorite comic strip?
At this point, I'm gonna go with Girl Genius--it's the one I most look forward to reading. (I'm reading Girl Genius 101, because I never followed the original comics.) My long-term favorite, Sluggy, is kind of laggy lately. Right now, I would rank Penny Arcade above it.
15a. Do you consider yourself romantic?
To a degree. I can find romance, and I do nice things for my husband, and I enjoy romantic movies (to an extent, depending on my mood). But I'm also a realist and a control freak, and my husband isn't romantic at all, so our lives don't really include champagne and roses.
15b. Have you found your One True Love?
Yup :)
15c. Do you use cute nicknames for each other?
I don't know if they're cute. He calls me "Babydoll" and "Babe", and I call him "Honey", "Dear", "Sweetie", "Dearest", "Snugglewumpus"...okay so my names get a little ridiculous...
15d. If so, what are... No, scratch that. Move along.
Ha! I already volunteered that information!
16. Ever owned an "exotic" pet, and if so what was it?
No, but I had a friend who had lizards and snakes once. I think.
17. Physically-grueling activities: Love 'em or hate 'em?
They're great...when you're done. It's such a rush and an amazing feeling of accomplishment.
18. Have you ever gotten a Letter to the Editor published? If so, what was it about?
No, I don't think so. I wrote to TV Guide once, concerning ABC's Saturday morning lineup (they'd bumped ReBoot for some stupid show I didn't care about, Xenogears or something), but all they did was write back that they have no control over ABC's programming decisions. My letter didn't get published ;>
19. Would you say you're competitive? Feel free to elaborate.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I'm so competitive that often I won't participate because there's the chance I might not win. Maybe this is something I should want to change about my personality...
(Actually, I do want to change it, but not with a snap of my fingers. I'm trying to work on it.)
20. As a percentage, how much of what you've achieved in life would you say is due to "dumb luck" (e.g. where you were born, who your parents were, random chance, connections you've made with people, etc.) versus hard work, careful planning, and determination? Please round to the nearest 10th percentile.
I have no idea. I wasn't in a "privileged class", growing up, but my mom carefully planned to give us experiences and education that would help us in life. So I would say that much of what I've achieved is due to my mother's hard work. Most of my choices have been made based on the circumstances of my life, rather than any long-term planning of my own, but I can't really say that I've achieved a whole lot that way. So I guess we can say 90% dumb luck because of who my mom is?
21. What actor/actress would you want to play you in the Movie of Your Life?
When asked this question in my Human Sexuality in Cross Cultural Perspective class, I said Jodie Foster. I still like her, but she's getting kind of old to play me. What they should really do is animate my life. Oh bah, I could be here all day trying to pick a good voice actress for myself. Next question...
22. Favorite philosopher?
I haven't really studied philosophy, so I don't know. I'll go with Em's answer and say MYSELF, because I do like to harp and speculate quite a bit.
23a. What is the most enjoyable job you've ever had?
My job at 2go-Box, because I did all kinds of different things. It was also my most frustrating job, however. I never knew where I stood or where I was going, and though my opinions were welcomed, I felt that I couldn't really make a difference where it counted.
23b. Putting aside talent, training, compensation, and any other practical consideration, what job would you most like to have?
Wife of a billionaire. ;P Seriously, I don't know what my ideal job is. It would have to be something where I could do different things a lot. I hate being bored, and I love being challenged. Some days I'm just in the mood to do mindless, menial labor, but other days I need something I can really sink my teeth into. I have yet to figure out what job is like this.
23c. OK, now taking all the practical stuff back into account, what job do you wish you could have?
Owner of a business--I love being in charge of things, I'm good at organizing, I know when to delegate, and I think guiding a company would appeal to my hates-being-bored personality.
23d. If you won Powerball, would you continue to work any kind of regular job?
Not a regular job, no...but I would have to do something with myself. I'd write, travel, take pictures, work on my website...and I'd invest in things, and start my own business.
24. Biggest phobia?
Someone I love being hurt/dying. (If that doesn't count as a "phobia", then change my answer to "cockroaches".)
25a. How often do you worry about death?
My own death? Usually only when I'm in a dangerous situation. Other people's deaths? I'm not sure...the thought will occur to me if someone's late arriving somewhere, or just randomly when I'm thinking about a person. Sometimes a news story about something horrible happening to someone will make me worry that it could happen to someone I love.
25b. What's the closest you've ever come to dying?
That fever when I had cancer was the closest, I suppose. I was pretty sick.
25c. If you could be immortal, would you want to be? (Note: If you answered "Yes" to 15b, assume that person could be immortal with you.)
I think I would be like Nicolas Flamel. I'd be "immortal" for awhile, but after a time I'd get tired of it, and want to "go to bed after a very long day". Ultimately, mortality is part of the human experience...it's too surreal to keep going and going and watching everyone around you grow old and die. While there is so much to experience out there--too much to ever see in one lifetime--would the cost, family and friends, be worth it?
26. What period in history would you most like to visit?
The Heian Period in Japan. I find the whole courtier lifestyle very appealing, what with the arts and poetry and such. Of course, I don't think I would want to be a peasant during that time. ;P
27a. Do you think we'll ever achieve interstellar travel?
Yeah, we'll figure something out eventually. Probably not in my lifetime, given the sorry state of the space program, and the fact that we have plenty of other things to worry about, like terrorism, injustice, and world hunger.
27b. If you could travel in space, even if it were "just" to a Moon base, e.g., would you go?
Yup!
28. Name someone of your own gender that you consider "hot". (Note: Answering this does not mean you're gay, although feeling intense discomfort about answering it might. Oh, and if you are gay, name someone of the opposite gender you consider "hot".)
Too...many...answers...I'm attracted to both sexes, so this question's point is lost on me.
29. Book(s) you've tried to read but just couldn't get through that you still plan to read?
Master and Commander
30a. Favorite alcholic beverage?
I don't drink, so I have no idea. I liked the taste of cold sake when I tried it, and how it went down kinda rough.
30b. How often do you drink alcoholic beverages?
Never :) I can count on one hand the times I've had a drink, and for each of those times it was only a sip.
31a. Do you enjoy taking surveys?
Very much so. I love talking about myself. I mean...I have a blog, for goodness' sake.
31b. Are you pissed off that I said this was going to be 40 questions and, including sub-questions, we're already at, like, 52?
Actually, wherever it said there were 40 questions was mysteriously absent on Miss Em's page, so I didn't know how many questions there were supposed to be until I read her answers. However, if you're asking if I'm the type of person who is annoyed by inconsistency, then yes. Yes, I am.
32. How many of the 50 states have you been to? (Note: For purposes of this question, "been to" can include driving through on the highway, but it cannot include airport stop-overs where you did not leave the airport.)
16, apparently
33. Person you'd most like to have a beer with (excluding friends/family)?
Again, I don't drink--but if I could meet anyone in the world and hang out with them, I'd kind of like it to be Junichiro Koizumi, because he is so cool. (Plus, he's the sexiest 60-something-year-old man in the world.)
34. Person you'd most like to punch in the mouth?
Why can't we all just get along? Violence is not the answer! Okay, seriously: Osama bin Laden.
35a. Describe your style of driving.
Attentive, relaxed, and usually a little too fast
35b. If you could have any car in the world -- for daily use, not a "trophy" car -- what would it be?
Mazda's "The Slut"!!!!!!! Okay, honestly, I don't know--I don't want an SUV, those things kill the planet and are way too big and impossible to park, and I don't want a van for similar reasons (and also because they're dorky). Trucks are okay, but nothing too big. I'd prefer a four-door so I could cart people around comfortably, but I want the car to be relatively small (and cute).
36. Your Myers-Briggs personality type?
I was an INFP back in high school. I took the test more recently (maybe even this year), but I don't remember what I scored.
37. Favorite color? Explain.
It always used to be blue, but now I really like pastel pink. I'm such a girl. I don't know, I'm really into cute lately.
38. Favorite season/location combination?
Oohh, this is hard. Right now I'm thinking fall, in Central Kentucky, but really, there are so many beautiful places...
39. Do It Yourself or Hire A Professional?
It really depends on the job. There are some jobs I would much rather give to someone else, like dishes and laundry. Anything that is recurring and repetitive. But projects...those can be fun! For instance, I would love to try building a deck, or installing an outdoor kitchen.
40. It's Friday afternoon, almost quittin' time. Can't wait to get home so you can _____.
For the sake of this exercise, I'll pretend this applies to me. Here's how I finish that sentence:
...hop on the computer to see if anyone's released the next episodes of my favorite anime, or if there are any new comments on my blog. Yes, I am that sad. I also love hugging my husband, a lot, so I would indulge in that. I would not be looking forward to making dinner, however (cooking is one of those recurring, repetitive things).
(Okay, fine, so it doesn't really take much compelling...)
1a. What year did you first start using e-mail (on a daily basis)?
...I'm not sure, but it was somewhere around the time I got into BBSes. So I will guess 1994.
1b. What year did you first start using a cell phone?
2003. Hahahahaha!
1c. What is the ring-tone on your cell phone?
The default ring. Someday, when I have a phone that supports ringtones, I will put music from Kyou Kara Maou on there. Haven't decided what yet--the opening theme is appealing because it'll get my attention quickly, but it might be nice to use Conrad's Theme...
2. From where you are answering this, can you see out a window? If so, what do you see?
No, my chair is actually facing away from the window (it's feng shui to be facing the doorway, so that's how I arranged the office), and anyway the blinds are closed ;> If they were open and I was turning around, I would see the pond, ducks, and trees, because our view rules.
3a. What one physical characteristic would you change about yourself?
I want to be in shape. Not "thin", but healthy. Good muscle mass, not too much fat.
3b. What one personality trait would you change about yourself?
I don't know...it's taken me so long to figure out my personality as it is. I'm not sure how I would deal with myself if I changed something. Even the stereotypically bad stuff, like my temper, comes from good places, places that are me. And I dunno, I kinda like me.
3c. Thing you like about yourself the most?
My desire to experience and love the world.
4a. Favorite spectator sport?
Videogames!
4b. Favorite team and/or player in that sport?
My brother AJ, playing Link in any Zelda game.
4c. Professional sports team and/or player you would most enjoy seeing crushed in defeat?
The bad guys in any Zelda game. Or, anyone playing against me in a racing game. But that's not really in the realm of "spectator" anymore...
5a. Favorite bumper sticker saying?
I don't really like bumper stickers; they mess up the sleek look of cars. I used to get bumper stickers and putty them to my walls instead of putting them on my car. However, of late I just think bumper stickers are snarky without being clever.
5b. Bumper sticker saying that really pisses you off?
Anything talking about how the owner of the vehicle is a "Princess", or is "Spoiled". Because, I mean, why advertise those things?
6a. Do you believe in astrology?
I think the idea is interesting, but given that we don't know so much about what astronomical bodies are out there, it seems unlikely that we could come to any accurate predictions--even assuming the fundamental theory, that we can read and interpret causality in the universe, is sound.
6b. Do you believe in extra-sensory perception of any kind?
Sort of; I think our brains have senses that we haven't detected/developed yet.
6c. Do you believe in ghosts?
Not really, because I feel like they were invented to explain inexplicable events in the past, or to help people deal with death. However, I do believe that people are sensing something when they think they see ghosts. Maybe they are ghosts. All I know is, I've never seen one or experienced anything that seemed supernatural.
6d. Do you believe in God?
See this post.
6e. If you answered "No" to 6a, 6b, and 6c, and "Yes" to 6d, please explain.
n/a
7a. Favorite movie ever?
I dunno. There was a time in my life when I'd put The Empire Strikes Back down for this question without thinking, but meh. Forrest Gump really had an impact on me. I love The Fifth Element, too. I think, though, that my tastes are geared more towards series than films.
7b. Funniest movie ever?
I'm sitting here trying to think of a movie that makes me laugh out loud and that I would watch right now...and all that's coming to mind is Robin Hood: Men in Tights.
7c. Scariest movie ever?
I hate scary movies. I don't like the tension, and the plots are usually stupid (in my opinion). Like, oooh, a spaceship that went to Hell! Anyway, I tend to avoid scary things. I do watch thrillers occasionally, but those aren't all that scary. The movie that actually scared me, so that I screamed out loud at the very end, was Carrie. But to be fair, I didn't watch the whole thing...
7d. Worst movie you've ever watched in its entirety?
Well, as you might be able to tell from the previous question, I hated Event Horizon...Ben liked it, though, and he's into that stuff, so maybe that's not a fair assessment. I'm gonna go with You've Got Mail. That movie was pretty stupid.
8. If you were appointed Supreme Dictator of the United States for a day, what one thing would you outlaw? (Note: None of this "I'm not that type of person" crap. Indulge yourself.)
Now, see, this is hard, because I want to say "intolerance", but there are caveats. I would prefer that everyone be intolerant of murder and rape, for example.
9. Are you happy?
Right now? I have a headache ;_; But in general, yes, I'm content. There are things I want and need, but I'm not distressed to a crippling degree over them.
10a. How many foreign languages are you fluent in?
None. I'm working on Japanese, though.
10b. How many computer languages are you fluent in?
I used to know BASIC (the original), Pascal, and FORTRAN. Nowadays I cobble together HTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript with the help of the Web.
11a. What was your major when you entered college?
Aerospace Engineering (stop laughing, please)
11b. And what was it when you graduated?
Linguistics, and English (two degrees--not a double major)
11c. And what would it be if you could do it all over again?
I'd do the same thing, only I'd spend more time studying Japanese, and tack on a Japanese or Japan Studies degree. (Japan Studies ended up being my minor.)
11d. And if you were to go back to school now strictly for pleasure/self-improvement?
I've been thinking about an MBA. I'd also like a PhD in Linguistics someday. If I went back to school now, though, I would really just take self-improvement classes like photography and more Japanese language. I'm also interested in studying Arabic.
12a. What one thing about George Bush do you loathe more than anything else?
I don't really loathe anything about him--the one thing that bothers me to a certain degree is also the thing that makes me trust him, and that is his manner of speech.
12b. Member of the Bush Administration you actually think is evil (as opposed to merely stupid, incompetent, wrong-headed or short-sighted)?
Umm...
13. Do you "share" music with your friends, and if so do you feel guilty about it?
Yes, and no, but my loophole is that the music isn't licensed/released/whatever in the US.
14. Favorite comic strip?
At this point, I'm gonna go with Girl Genius--it's the one I most look forward to reading. (I'm reading Girl Genius 101, because I never followed the original comics.) My long-term favorite, Sluggy, is kind of laggy lately. Right now, I would rank Penny Arcade above it.
15a. Do you consider yourself romantic?
To a degree. I can find romance, and I do nice things for my husband, and I enjoy romantic movies (to an extent, depending on my mood). But I'm also a realist and a control freak, and my husband isn't romantic at all, so our lives don't really include champagne and roses.
15b. Have you found your One True Love?
Yup :)
15c. Do you use cute nicknames for each other?
I don't know if they're cute. He calls me "Babydoll" and "Babe", and I call him "Honey", "Dear", "Sweetie", "Dearest", "Snugglewumpus"...okay so my names get a little ridiculous...
15d. If so, what are... No, scratch that. Move along.
Ha! I already volunteered that information!
16. Ever owned an "exotic" pet, and if so what was it?
No, but I had a friend who had lizards and snakes once. I think.
17. Physically-grueling activities: Love 'em or hate 'em?
They're great...when you're done. It's such a rush and an amazing feeling of accomplishment.
18. Have you ever gotten a Letter to the Editor published? If so, what was it about?
No, I don't think so. I wrote to TV Guide once, concerning ABC's Saturday morning lineup (they'd bumped ReBoot for some stupid show I didn't care about, Xenogears or something), but all they did was write back that they have no control over ABC's programming decisions. My letter didn't get published ;>
19. Would you say you're competitive? Feel free to elaborate.
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. I'm so competitive that often I won't participate because there's the chance I might not win. Maybe this is something I should want to change about my personality...
(Actually, I do want to change it, but not with a snap of my fingers. I'm trying to work on it.)
20. As a percentage, how much of what you've achieved in life would you say is due to "dumb luck" (e.g. where you were born, who your parents were, random chance, connections you've made with people, etc.) versus hard work, careful planning, and determination? Please round to the nearest 10th percentile.
I have no idea. I wasn't in a "privileged class", growing up, but my mom carefully planned to give us experiences and education that would help us in life. So I would say that much of what I've achieved is due to my mother's hard work. Most of my choices have been made based on the circumstances of my life, rather than any long-term planning of my own, but I can't really say that I've achieved a whole lot that way. So I guess we can say 90% dumb luck because of who my mom is?
21. What actor/actress would you want to play you in the Movie of Your Life?
When asked this question in my Human Sexuality in Cross Cultural Perspective class, I said Jodie Foster. I still like her, but she's getting kind of old to play me. What they should really do is animate my life. Oh bah, I could be here all day trying to pick a good voice actress for myself. Next question...
22. Favorite philosopher?
I haven't really studied philosophy, so I don't know. I'll go with Em's answer and say MYSELF, because I do like to harp and speculate quite a bit.
23a. What is the most enjoyable job you've ever had?
My job at 2go-Box, because I did all kinds of different things. It was also my most frustrating job, however. I never knew where I stood or where I was going, and though my opinions were welcomed, I felt that I couldn't really make a difference where it counted.
23b. Putting aside talent, training, compensation, and any other practical consideration, what job would you most like to have?
Wife of a billionaire. ;P Seriously, I don't know what my ideal job is. It would have to be something where I could do different things a lot. I hate being bored, and I love being challenged. Some days I'm just in the mood to do mindless, menial labor, but other days I need something I can really sink my teeth into. I have yet to figure out what job is like this.
23c. OK, now taking all the practical stuff back into account, what job do you wish you could have?
Owner of a business--I love being in charge of things, I'm good at organizing, I know when to delegate, and I think guiding a company would appeal to my hates-being-bored personality.
23d. If you won Powerball, would you continue to work any kind of regular job?
Not a regular job, no...but I would have to do something with myself. I'd write, travel, take pictures, work on my website...and I'd invest in things, and start my own business.
24. Biggest phobia?
Someone I love being hurt/dying. (If that doesn't count as a "phobia", then change my answer to "cockroaches".)
25a. How often do you worry about death?
My own death? Usually only when I'm in a dangerous situation. Other people's deaths? I'm not sure...the thought will occur to me if someone's late arriving somewhere, or just randomly when I'm thinking about a person. Sometimes a news story about something horrible happening to someone will make me worry that it could happen to someone I love.
25b. What's the closest you've ever come to dying?
That fever when I had cancer was the closest, I suppose. I was pretty sick.
25c. If you could be immortal, would you want to be? (Note: If you answered "Yes" to 15b, assume that person could be immortal with you.)
I think I would be like Nicolas Flamel. I'd be "immortal" for awhile, but after a time I'd get tired of it, and want to "go to bed after a very long day". Ultimately, mortality is part of the human experience...it's too surreal to keep going and going and watching everyone around you grow old and die. While there is so much to experience out there--too much to ever see in one lifetime--would the cost, family and friends, be worth it?
26. What period in history would you most like to visit?
The Heian Period in Japan. I find the whole courtier lifestyle very appealing, what with the arts and poetry and such. Of course, I don't think I would want to be a peasant during that time. ;P
27a. Do you think we'll ever achieve interstellar travel?
Yeah, we'll figure something out eventually. Probably not in my lifetime, given the sorry state of the space program, and the fact that we have plenty of other things to worry about, like terrorism, injustice, and world hunger.
27b. If you could travel in space, even if it were "just" to a Moon base, e.g., would you go?
Yup!
28. Name someone of your own gender that you consider "hot". (Note: Answering this does not mean you're gay, although feeling intense discomfort about answering it might. Oh, and if you are gay, name someone of the opposite gender you consider "hot".)
Too...many...answers...I'm attracted to both sexes, so this question's point is lost on me.
29. Book(s) you've tried to read but just couldn't get through that you still plan to read?
Master and Commander
30a. Favorite alcholic beverage?
I don't drink, so I have no idea. I liked the taste of cold sake when I tried it, and how it went down kinda rough.
30b. How often do you drink alcoholic beverages?
Never :) I can count on one hand the times I've had a drink, and for each of those times it was only a sip.
31a. Do you enjoy taking surveys?
Very much so. I love talking about myself. I mean...I have a blog, for goodness' sake.
31b. Are you pissed off that I said this was going to be 40 questions and, including sub-questions, we're already at, like, 52?
Actually, wherever it said there were 40 questions was mysteriously absent on Miss Em's page, so I didn't know how many questions there were supposed to be until I read her answers. However, if you're asking if I'm the type of person who is annoyed by inconsistency, then yes. Yes, I am.
32. How many of the 50 states have you been to? (Note: For purposes of this question, "been to" can include driving through on the highway, but it cannot include airport stop-overs where you did not leave the airport.)
16, apparently
33. Person you'd most like to have a beer with (excluding friends/family)?
Again, I don't drink--but if I could meet anyone in the world and hang out with them, I'd kind of like it to be Junichiro Koizumi, because he is so cool. (Plus, he's the sexiest 60-something-year-old man in the world.)
34. Person you'd most like to punch in the mouth?
Why can't we all just get along? Violence is not the answer! Okay, seriously: Osama bin Laden.
35a. Describe your style of driving.
Attentive, relaxed, and usually a little too fast
35b. If you could have any car in the world -- for daily use, not a "trophy" car -- what would it be?
Mazda's "The Slut"!!!!!!! Okay, honestly, I don't know--I don't want an SUV, those things kill the planet and are way too big and impossible to park, and I don't want a van for similar reasons (and also because they're dorky). Trucks are okay, but nothing too big. I'd prefer a four-door so I could cart people around comfortably, but I want the car to be relatively small (and cute).
36. Your Myers-Briggs personality type?
I was an INFP back in high school. I took the test more recently (maybe even this year), but I don't remember what I scored.
37. Favorite color? Explain.
It always used to be blue, but now I really like pastel pink. I'm such a girl. I don't know, I'm really into cute lately.
38. Favorite season/location combination?
Oohh, this is hard. Right now I'm thinking fall, in Central Kentucky, but really, there are so many beautiful places...
39. Do It Yourself or Hire A Professional?
It really depends on the job. There are some jobs I would much rather give to someone else, like dishes and laundry. Anything that is recurring and repetitive. But projects...those can be fun! For instance, I would love to try building a deck, or installing an outdoor kitchen.
40. It's Friday afternoon, almost quittin' time. Can't wait to get home so you can _____.
For the sake of this exercise, I'll pretend this applies to me. Here's how I finish that sentence:
...hop on the computer to see if anyone's released the next episodes of my favorite anime, or if there are any new comments on my blog. Yes, I am that sad. I also love hugging my husband, a lot, so I would indulge in that. I would not be looking forward to making dinner, however (cooking is one of those recurring, repetitive things).
Drenched
Brooke and I went walking at the Greeneway. It was a totally gorgeous day, but by the time we reached the end of the trail, grey clouds were rolling in, and a "rain breeze" was picking up. Eventually it did start to rain on us, and while the trees provided some measure of cover, we were thoroughly soaked by the time we finally stumbled out to the parking lot.
It was a good workout, and the rain cooled us off. I'm glad we went.
I could stand to be dryer, though.
It was a good workout, and the rain cooled us off. I'm glad we went.
I could stand to be dryer, though.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Addendum
Dan Hiri Weller was an advocate of the rights of children of interracial (human/Mazoku) marriage, and he founded the Nameless City in Shin Makoku where they all lived as refugees. (I only vaguely knew what he was up to before, but episode 47 elucidated his past.) Of course, he has a special interest in this because of his son, but it seemed that he was also driven by the need to make his mark in the world. So, this could be another reason why the Shinou wanted Cecilie to be Maou. Their marriage was one of many steps along the road to peace between humans and Mazoku. (Many, many steps...)
So it could be that peace is what the Shinou wants after all. Maybe the Shinou, like Yuuri, is an idealist, and that's why the Great Sage is there for both of them, to temper that idealism with reality. And maybe the Shinou was just trying to help Yuuri to be realistic, and so Murata had to go the other way in order to bring everything back to balance.
It's all speculation, really...there's kind of an eerie, almost evil aura in the Shinou's temple, but other than that, and Murata's offhanded comments (like, "He changes his mind a lot"), we don't really know anything about him.
So it could be that peace is what the Shinou wants after all. Maybe the Shinou, like Yuuri, is an idealist, and that's why the Great Sage is there for both of them, to temper that idealism with reality. And maybe the Shinou was just trying to help Yuuri to be realistic, and so Murata had to go the other way in order to bring everything back to balance.
It's all speculation, really...there's kind of an eerie, almost evil aura in the Shinou's temple, but other than that, and Murata's offhanded comments (like, "He changes his mind a lot"), we don't really know anything about him.
Yes, I'm going to talk about Kyou Kara Maou again
Last night I had this dream that somehow combined Kyou Kara Maou with Disney's Gargoyles. I was Elisa, except that somehow I was a newspaper reporter instead of a cop. We were picking up where Gargoyles left off, except since I never saw the end of Gargoyles (I stopped watching when it started getting all mystical), I guess my subconscious was making stuff up. In my dream history, the Gargoyles had all left for another dimension through a stone archway. I ended up changing that history by asking Goliath to stay and go to prison--he'd been sentenced, and that's why they were fleeing, and I wanted to clear his name and get Gargoyles and humans to be able to work together. He wasn't really all that into it, but he loved me and was willing to give my plan a shot.
So I led him to jail and he went in peacefully, and I was thinking that it was just like that episode of Lois and Clark where Superman went to prison--he could have escaped easily, but he chose to be in there to validate the system. So noble! Then I retrieved a stack of letters that had been written and preaddressed that I needed to send to people who might be sympathetic to our cause. The letters had been prepared by someone on orders of the Shinou (here's where Kyou Kara Maou comes in). I was getting ready to take them out and mail them, and then go home and write an article for the paper that would run the day after the people received their letters, when this woman came along who I had to schmooze. I let her take the letters, reluctantly, because I knew she would trust me if I did. I wasn't sure if she would actually put them in the mail though; I was worried. The guy I was working with showed up and asked for a key, and I realized that the key was in a packet of stuff bundled with the letters. The woman came out and said "If you need that key, you'll have to ask me," and dramatically handed it over, like she was very proud to have it. The guy looked at me as if I'd betrayed him, and I felt stupid.
Later, the woman kept coming on to me, and I really wasn't into that, but I couldn't protest or she'd get suspicious.
At some point I was talking to the guy about the Shinou, and I said, "Don't you wonder sometimes about his real motivations?" The guy seemed reluctant to respond. Everyone in the dream who had orders from the Shinou followed them without question (like the girl in episode 46).
So this dream sort of crystallized my thoughts about the Shinou, and now I think I've come to a realization. To illustrate it, let me go through what we know about his activities:
Thousands(?) of years ago, the man who would become the Shinou (literally "new king", I believe Great/Imperial King) worked with the man who would become the Great Sage to stop someone from destroying the world. Together, they sealed this person's powers into four separate boxes. Each box could only be opened with a key, and each key was carried by a person in a family line trusted by the two men. The houses of Weller (left arm) and Brischella von Walde (left eye) were chosen. At this point, I don't think we know the other two keys. (These keys can apparently only be controlled by their owners, or by someone who is compelling them via the Wincott poison.)
After the battle was finally over, the Shinou gathered up all the people with natural magical abilities (demon powers) and founded a nation for them, called Shin Makoku (New Great/Imperial Demon Country). He became the first Maou (Demon King). The Shinou established Ketsumei-jo (Blood Pledge Castle) as the "perfect" fortress, the pledge being that the Maou would protect the people and that the castle would only obey the Maou.
At some point, the Shinou's temple was established in the mountains just beyond Ketsumei-jo, and the Miko (priestesses) were installed there to listen to the will of the Shinou, who inhabited the temple after his death. The Genshi Miko (Original? Maiden), the most honored of the miko and the one who communicates directly with the Shinou, has apparently always been frozen at a young age (there have been at least two of them); she uses a crystal ball with which to communicate with the Shinou and to see what's happening in the world around her. The priestesses are forbidden to ever leave the temple.
At some point, presumably ~800 years ago (when Ulrike became the Genshi Miko), the Genshi Miko Ondine is commanded by the Shinou to leave the temple and live in a magical oasis near what was once dead terrain. Her sole purpose at this point is to coerce Shibuya Yuuri to drink magically charged water from the lake, thus creating a pact between him and the water element. (In order to use Majutsu, or demon powers, Mazoku must form a pact with an element. Their abilities are therefore more "natural" than those of regular humans, who build shrines and pray to their gods for powers.) Ondine waits for her time to come, and as she does she fosters a community in the forest, taking care of the people, animals, and plants there.
A few hundred years before the present time, the ancestor of Dai Shimaron's King Belal attacks the Weller family and attempts to take the left arm of the head of the family. Weller severs his own arm and hurls it into the sea, pledging it back to the Shinou. The arm disappears once it is underwater; the Shinou has taken it back. The head of the Weller household is killed, and his son is taken in by King Belal's ancestor. In future generations, the Wellers become wards of this human king's line, so that their former status in Shin Makoku is lost to history.
Somewhere along the line, in the distant past,but after Ondine is installed at the magic lake, [not necessarily!] a box, very likely The Mirror at the Bottom of the Sea, is sent to "another world" through a portal in the sky. My thinking is that the Shinou did the sending, and that the "other world" is Yuuri's Earth.
In the more recent past, the Shinou selects Cecilie von Spitzberg as the next Maou. It is later revealed that his sole purpose for this is so that she can meet and marry Dan Hiri Weller. It's not much of a stretch to conclude that the purpose of this is to produce the key for one of the boxes (Conrad).
20 years ago, war broke out between Shin Makoku and the humans, due at least partly to Cecilie's impotent leadership, and her brother Stoffel's ineptitude. Anti-human prejudice is thick in the people of Shin Makoku, and this causes anyone with human blood, including Conrad and Yozak, to attempt to prove themselves by going to the front lines. Of their unit, Conrad and Yozak are the only survivors, and Conrad's valor earns him the title of "Rutenberg Patriot". Despite the heavy losses, they were successful in warding off what could have been a devastating human attack. Fueled by anger and jealousy that a human contingent did so much for Shin Makoku, Geigen Huber Brischella leads his own contingent deep into enemy lines. His attack isn't successful at all and costs many lives. Conrad's "special" person, and the fiancee of nobleman Adelbert von Gratz, Susanna Julia von Wincott, dies when she uses too much Majutsu helping the wounded. Adelbert decides that the Mazoku leadership is incompetent and defects.
Upon Before Julia's death, the Shinou tells her he has chosen her spirit to be reincarnated as the next Maou. Julia agrees to this fully, and this is why she recklessly uses up all her Majutsu helping the injured. Additionally, she has no regrets whatsoever about her decisions in life, and this results in her spirit forming a perfect white sphere.
The Shinou tasks Conrad with taking Julia's soul to Earth to be implanted in the child of a Mazoku man and human woman there, as Julia wished for him to be the one to do it.
For the new Maou's father, the Shinou chooses Shibuya Shouma. The Shibuyas have been important somehow in Earth's Mazoku hierarchy; Earth's Maou, Bob, has worked with them long before present occurrences, and even chooses Shouma's first son, Shori, to be his own successor.
In the present, the Shinou gives Conrad the arm of his ancient ancestor, in exchange for the vow to leave Yuuri's side. Conrad accepts. Yuuri, however, does not accept this, and ultimately it's Murata Ken, the Great Sage, who causes Conrad to return. In conversation with the Shinou, Murata says, "I know this isn't the way you wanted it, but this is better, I think." The implication is that the Shinou wanted Yuuri and Conrad permanently separated. It's already been mentioned that bad things happen to those who don't obey the Shinou. Things might be different for the Great Sage, however; obviously the Shinou himself anticipated his return, because Ondine knew it would happen. The question is whether or not the Shinou anticipated Murata's interference with his plans.
So. Ultimately, the Shinou has been molding Yuuri's rule for thousands of years. He's been carefully putting the pieces into place; the question is, what is he trying to build? He was willing to sacrifice thousands of his people in a pointless war in order to ensure Conrad's birth (perhaps he couldn't have foreseen that Cecilie's rule would bring about war, but at the very least he knew he was installing a Maou who wasn't suited to rule). He carefully took away one of the four boxes so that the humans couldn't get them all before Yuuri did. He arranged for Yuuri to make a powerful pact with the water element. He chose Yuuri, son of a "noble" Mazoku family who perhaps came with innate talents of his own. He chose Julia, whose entire life was an act of love and self-sacrifice. He may possibly have been the one who arranged for the implantation of the Great Sage ("Christine" in his most recent life) into Murata--obviously Bob was involved there, at least.
It seems that he was preparing for a time when all the boxes and all the keys would be available. He wanted the Great Sage there, because who better to handle them than the one who'd created them? He wanted a Maou with extraordinary powers unlike any his people had seen in ages (perhaps since himself). And yet--he wanted his Maou to be sensitive, and he wanted him to be betrayed by the very person who was in star-crossed love with his soul.
What is the purpose of this?
Was the betrayal purely an exercise in maturity for Yuuri, or was there something more sinister there? Did the Shinou hope to break Yuuri, to unleash his raw power? (Against the boxes, to destroy them? Against the humans?) Or was the Shinou banking on the strength of Julia's spirit, of her way of living with no regrets, to foster Yuuri's innocence through troubling times? Was he simply trying to give Yuuri the hardest thing he could ever have to deal with early on, to prepare him for something horrible? Murata has already mentioned that even darker times are coming...
I would just like to know if, ultimately, the Shinou's goals mesh with Yuuri's. If Yuuri's refusal to destroy is mirrored in the Shinou's plans, or if the Shinou has something else in mind entirely. Ultimately, will Yuuri have to disobey the Shinou?
Actually, the Shinou hasn't given Yuuri any direct orders yet. It seems that he is perfectly happy to let Yuuri do whatever he wants--but he'll pull other strings along the way to provoke him. Will this eventually come to a head?
Also, is there a particular reason the Shinou wanted Yuuri to have water powers? It's true that earth and fire powers are already available in the Ketsumei-jo court (Gwendal and Wolfram, respectively), so water rounds things out nicely, but is that the only reason? Why is it that Yuuri travels through water to get to his kingdom? Is it because of his own innate water abilities, or is it because Murata also has a pact with water?
Man, I love this show.
[Edited on 1/13/06 for minor errors/new information]
So I led him to jail and he went in peacefully, and I was thinking that it was just like that episode of Lois and Clark where Superman went to prison--he could have escaped easily, but he chose to be in there to validate the system. So noble! Then I retrieved a stack of letters that had been written and preaddressed that I needed to send to people who might be sympathetic to our cause. The letters had been prepared by someone on orders of the Shinou (here's where Kyou Kara Maou comes in). I was getting ready to take them out and mail them, and then go home and write an article for the paper that would run the day after the people received their letters, when this woman came along who I had to schmooze. I let her take the letters, reluctantly, because I knew she would trust me if I did. I wasn't sure if she would actually put them in the mail though; I was worried. The guy I was working with showed up and asked for a key, and I realized that the key was in a packet of stuff bundled with the letters. The woman came out and said "If you need that key, you'll have to ask me," and dramatically handed it over, like she was very proud to have it. The guy looked at me as if I'd betrayed him, and I felt stupid.
Later, the woman kept coming on to me, and I really wasn't into that, but I couldn't protest or she'd get suspicious.
At some point I was talking to the guy about the Shinou, and I said, "Don't you wonder sometimes about his real motivations?" The guy seemed reluctant to respond. Everyone in the dream who had orders from the Shinou followed them without question (like the girl in episode 46).
So this dream sort of crystallized my thoughts about the Shinou, and now I think I've come to a realization. To illustrate it, let me go through what we know about his activities:
Thousands(?) of years ago, the man who would become the Shinou (
After the battle was finally over, the Shinou gathered up all the people with natural magical abilities (demon powers) and founded a nation for them, called Shin Makoku (
At some point, the Shinou's temple was established in the mountains just beyond Ketsumei-jo, and the Miko (priestesses) were installed there to listen to the will of the Shinou, who inhabited the temple after his death. The Genshi Miko (Original? Maiden), the most honored of the miko and the one who communicates directly with the Shinou, has apparently always been frozen at a young age (there have been at least two of them); she uses a crystal ball with which to communicate with the Shinou and to see what's happening in the world around her. The priestesses are forbidden to ever leave the temple.
At some point, presumably ~800 years ago (when Ulrike became the Genshi Miko), the Genshi Miko Ondine is commanded by the Shinou to leave the temple and live in a magical oasis near what was once dead terrain. Her sole purpose at this point is to coerce Shibuya Yuuri to drink magically charged water from the lake, thus creating a pact between him and the water element. (In order to use Majutsu, or demon powers, Mazoku must form a pact with an element. Their abilities are therefore more "natural" than those of regular humans, who build shrines and pray to their gods for powers.) Ondine waits for her time to come, and as she does she fosters a community in the forest, taking care of the people, animals, and plants there.
A few hundred years before the present time, the ancestor of Dai Shimaron's King Belal attacks the Weller family and attempts to take the left arm of the head of the family. Weller severs his own arm and hurls it into the sea, pledging it back to the Shinou. The arm disappears once it is underwater; the Shinou has taken it back. The head of the Weller household is killed, and his son is taken in by King Belal's ancestor. In future generations, the Wellers become wards of this human king's line, so that their former status in Shin Makoku is lost to history.
Somewhere along the line, in the distant past,
In the more recent past, the Shinou selects Cecilie von Spitzberg as the next Maou. It is later revealed that his sole purpose for this is so that she can meet and marry Dan Hiri Weller. It's not much of a stretch to conclude that the purpose of this is to produce the key for one of the boxes (Conrad).
20 years ago, war broke out between Shin Makoku and the humans, due at least partly to Cecilie's impotent leadership, and her brother Stoffel's ineptitude. Anti-human prejudice is thick in the people of Shin Makoku, and this causes anyone with human blood, including Conrad and Yozak, to attempt to prove themselves by going to the front lines. Of their unit, Conrad and Yozak are the only survivors, and Conrad's valor earns him the title of "Rutenberg Patriot". Despite the heavy losses, they were successful in warding off what could have been a devastating human attack. Fueled by anger and jealousy that a human contingent did so much for Shin Makoku, Geigen Huber Brischella leads his own contingent deep into enemy lines. His attack isn't successful at all and costs many lives. Conrad's "special" person, and the fiancee of nobleman Adelbert von Gratz, Susanna Julia von Wincott, dies when she uses too much Majutsu helping the wounded. Adelbert decides that the Mazoku leadership is incompetent and defects.
The Shinou tasks Conrad with taking Julia's soul to Earth to be implanted in the child of a Mazoku man and human woman there, as Julia wished for him to be the one to do it.
For the new Maou's father, the Shinou chooses Shibuya Shouma. The Shibuyas have been important somehow in Earth's Mazoku hierarchy; Earth's Maou, Bob, has worked with them long before present occurrences, and even chooses Shouma's first son, Shori, to be his own successor.
In the present, the Shinou gives Conrad the arm of his ancient ancestor, in exchange for the vow to leave Yuuri's side. Conrad accepts. Yuuri, however, does not accept this, and ultimately it's Murata Ken, the Great Sage, who causes Conrad to return. In conversation with the Shinou, Murata says, "I know this isn't the way you wanted it, but this is better, I think." The implication is that the Shinou wanted Yuuri and Conrad permanently separated. It's already been mentioned that bad things happen to those who don't obey the Shinou. Things might be different for the Great Sage, however; obviously the Shinou himself anticipated his return, because Ondine knew it would happen. The question is whether or not the Shinou anticipated Murata's interference with his plans.
So. Ultimately, the Shinou has been molding Yuuri's rule for thousands of years. He's been carefully putting the pieces into place; the question is, what is he trying to build? He was willing to sacrifice thousands of his people in a pointless war in order to ensure Conrad's birth (perhaps he couldn't have foreseen that Cecilie's rule would bring about war, but at the very least he knew he was installing a Maou who wasn't suited to rule). He carefully took away one of the four boxes so that the humans couldn't get them all before Yuuri did. He arranged for Yuuri to make a powerful pact with the water element. He chose Yuuri, son of a "noble" Mazoku family who perhaps came with innate talents of his own. He chose Julia, whose entire life was an act of love and self-sacrifice. He may possibly have been the one who arranged for the implantation of the Great Sage ("Christine" in his most recent life) into Murata--obviously Bob was involved there, at least.
It seems that he was preparing for a time when all the boxes and all the keys would be available. He wanted the Great Sage there, because who better to handle them than the one who'd created them? He wanted a Maou with extraordinary powers unlike any his people had seen in ages (perhaps since himself). And yet--he wanted his Maou to be sensitive, and he wanted him to be betrayed by the very person who was in star-crossed love with his soul.
What is the purpose of this?
Was the betrayal purely an exercise in maturity for Yuuri, or was there something more sinister there? Did the Shinou hope to break Yuuri, to unleash his raw power? (Against the boxes, to destroy them? Against the humans?) Or was the Shinou banking on the strength of Julia's spirit, of her way of living with no regrets, to foster Yuuri's innocence through troubling times? Was he simply trying to give Yuuri the hardest thing he could ever have to deal with early on, to prepare him for something horrible? Murata has already mentioned that even darker times are coming...
I would just like to know if, ultimately, the Shinou's goals mesh with Yuuri's. If Yuuri's refusal to destroy is mirrored in the Shinou's plans, or if the Shinou has something else in mind entirely. Ultimately, will Yuuri have to disobey the Shinou?
Actually, the Shinou hasn't given Yuuri any direct orders yet. It seems that he is perfectly happy to let Yuuri do whatever he wants--but he'll pull other strings along the way to provoke him. Will this eventually come to a head?
Also, is there a particular reason the Shinou wanted Yuuri to have water powers? It's true that earth and fire powers are already available in the Ketsumei-jo court (Gwendal and Wolfram, respectively), so water rounds things out nicely, but is that the only reason? Why is it that Yuuri travels through water to get to his kingdom? Is it because of his own innate water abilities, or is it because Murata also has a pact with water?
Man, I love this show.
[Edited on 1/13/06 for minor errors/new information]
The Congo
Today my cousin Carl writes about Dr. David McAdams and the work he does in the Congo. The details of Carl's post are really illuminating.
As he explains it now, the city (I apologize that I have forgotten the name of it) he often goes to is like a holy city in that it is left alone by the Mahi-Mahis' (sp?) and the government and is neutral ground when both have wounded there. This much I'd heard before, the amazing movies he's made of how horrible the roads are with their four foot pot holes that you have to go down into and drive back up out of, all the bridges in disrepair, the road blocks were what I would have expected of a civil war torn country. He has many pictures and movies of such, so I'd heard of them.
However, it wasn't until he was having a discussion with Dr. Zeis about the witchcraft used by the Mahi-Mahi's that I truly was just blown away. These kids of the side of the rebels wear animal skins for druid-esq. transformations and powers. One such power, that David has heard of and even met the man was that in his spirit form he can move so fast he can catch the bullets in his teeth.
The Mahi-Mahi's set up their road blocks at grave yards and David says when you pull up to stop and offers to shake their hands they will not touch your hands because it would break their spell of animalism. These Mahi-Mahi's dig up graves and worse, they murder people for their body parts for these kinds of rituals. The children are worse, raised in this, have no moral conscience at all and there are stories of them toting heads of their enemies through towns to show their power and terrify the locals. There is still practice in the Congo of burning people alive.
I'm so tired of stupid asshole parents
Father leaves kids in hot SUV
People just don't seem to understand that life is precious. And not just your life. Everybody's life. And people don't get that parenthood is a gift and a responsibility and not something you can do and still think of yourself first. I guess they figure that since it's so easy to become a parent, it must be easy to be one, too.
Somewhere down the line our lack of proper education or decent communities or something has caused people to stop recognizing the truths of parenting. Or has it always been this way? Have there always been people who killed their own children because they were careless or selfish?
It pisses me off just to think about.
I'm just glad those three boys are safe.
"The vehicle they were in had the windows up, and it was not running," said Sgt. David Turno, a spokesman for Aiken Public Safety. "The kids had no idea where their father was."Thank goodness that deputy was there. I'm glad the kids got to air conditioning quickly, and I'm glad the stupid bastard got caught in the act. The moron. I can't believe how ignorant and thoughtless people can be. And towards their own children!
The temperature outside was in the mid-80s, but with the humidity it felt closer to 95.
Inside the car it likely felt hotter. According to a study conducted at San Francisco State University, temperatures in a closed vehicle can rise by more than 20 degrees in less than 20 minutes.
Luckily, Adam Truesdale, an off-duty deputy with the Aiken County Sheriff's Office, was walking in front of the restaurant with his wife, Tara. Deputy Truesdale had just put the couple's name on the waiting list.
They heard the boys crying and searched the steamy asphalt parking lot. They found the children in the locked SUV and dialed 911.
"When you hear a child screaming for help, you've got to help. " he said.
People just don't seem to understand that life is precious. And not just your life. Everybody's life. And people don't get that parenthood is a gift and a responsibility and not something you can do and still think of yourself first. I guess they figure that since it's so easy to become a parent, it must be easy to be one, too.
Somewhere down the line our lack of proper education or decent communities or something has caused people to stop recognizing the truths of parenting. Or has it always been this way? Have there always been people who killed their own children because they were careless or selfish?
It pisses me off just to think about.
I'm just glad those three boys are safe.
"Between Two Empires"
I just read a review of Between Two Empires: Race, History and Transnationalism in Japanese America by Eiichiro Azuma, a Japanese-American who is assistant professor of history and Asian-American studies at the University of Pennsylvania. It sounds like a good book, so I'm putting it on my Amazon Wish List.
(By the way, I've split my Wish List into categories, so now we have: Fiction, Nonfiction, CDs, DVDs, Manga and Graphic Novels, and Help Me Learn Japanese!, which is the one currently linked in my sidebar. I'll link all the others later. ;P)
(By the way, I've split my Wish List into categories, so now we have: Fiction, Nonfiction, CDs, DVDs, Manga and Graphic Novels, and Help Me Learn Japanese!, which is the one currently linked in my sidebar. I'll link all the others later. ;P)
Shochu
Ampontan at Japundit has written an interesting, detailed piece about shochu, a Japanese alcohol that is distilled and can be made from "anything". I don't drink, but sometimes I want to, and pieces like this are part of the reason why.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Grammatical heresies
My cousin Carl wrote something today that is hilarious to me as a writer and perfectionist. Check it.
His mom reminds me of my mom. But that's normal. ;>
His mom reminds me of my mom. But that's normal. ;>
Iraqi bloggers
I've subscribed to the blogs of two Iraqi women, who are apparently mother and daughter. They live in Mosul. I think these subscriptions, more than news stories, will help me understand real life there, and I'm interested to hear about other good Iraq blogs.
One thing Sunshine posted really grabbed me just now. I was just skimming through her posts and came across this one, in which she corrects a mistake she'd made in an earlier post. Then she writes:
Here is a 14 year old girl who learns and then teaches. She doesn't wait until she has it perfect before she teaches it to someone else. Perfection isn't the point; doing the best she can, and helping others to do the same, is her goal.
I have always said that I can't teach because I'm a perfectionist. It seems like I can't do a lot of things because I'm a perfectionist. I need to leave that attitude by the wayside and really join the learning community. I need to be willing to learn and to teach.
Thanks, Sunshine. I've learned a lot from your blog already.
One thing Sunshine posted really grabbed me just now. I was just skimming through her posts and came across this one, in which she corrects a mistake she'd made in an earlier post. Then she writes:
He who makes no mistakes makes nothing ..And you know, that is so true. I know it is. But to see it written so plainly is profound to me. When will I begin applying this truth in my own life?
Here is a 14 year old girl who learns and then teaches. She doesn't wait until she has it perfect before she teaches it to someone else. Perfection isn't the point; doing the best she can, and helping others to do the same, is her goal.
I have always said that I can't teach because I'm a perfectionist. It seems like I can't do a lot of things because I'm a perfectionist. I need to leave that attitude by the wayside and really join the learning community. I need to be willing to learn and to teach.
Thanks, Sunshine. I've learned a lot from your blog already.
Lost in translation
No, I haven't seen the movie yet...but that title fits my feelings after reading this article over on Asahi.com. I was intrigued by mangaka/poetess Sugiura Hinako's fascination with the Edo period, but I felt like I was missing out on the true meaning of the things she described--and I know there were layers of meaning in her poems that didn't come out in those translations. This is one of those times where I'd like to see the translation alongside the original Japanese, so I could make a comparison and see why the translator chose to express it that way, and so I could pick up subtler shades of meaning that are difficult or impossible to translate.
Sugiura's work, as mentioned in the article:
大江戸観光 (Oedo Kanko
; "Doing the sights in Edo")
風流江戸雀 (Fuuryuu Edo Suzume; "Folks of refined taste in Edo")
もっとソバ屋で憩う (Motto Sobaya de Ikou; "More relaxation at buckwheat noodle shops")
Amazon.co.jp has a lot of other results for her name (杉浦 日向子), too. (Hey, look...that's the same 'sugi' as in Uesugi!)
Sugiura's work, as mentioned in the article:
大江戸観光 (Oedo Kanko
; "Doing the sights in Edo")風流江戸雀 (Fuuryuu Edo Suzume; "Folks of refined taste in Edo")
もっとソバ屋で憩う (Motto Sobaya de Ikou; "More relaxation at buckwheat noodle shops")
Amazon.co.jp has a lot of other results for her name (杉浦 日向子), too. (Hey, look...that's the same 'sugi' as in Uesugi!)
Finally some info on the Kimigayo thing
I'd been wondering for awhile what the deal was with schoolteachers in Japan refusing to stand for or sing the national anthem, Kimi ga Yo. While news outlets continue to refuse to even begin to explain the issue, there are some enlightening comments on Japan Today on the subject. (And, of course, the usual riffraff.)
BlackKnight writes:
At this point I decided that Wikipedia might have something (why do I always go there last?), and they do: Law Concerning the National Flag and Anthem, Kimi Ga Yo, Hinomori.
BlackKnight writes:
Several reasons here.And Poppa adds:
In Tokyo 253 teachers have been punished, re-educated, admonished, and or have had their salaries docked for not standing, not singing, or not meeting the requirements set down by the district. (This includes not playing the National Anthem, or singing it loud enough). The courts have upheld those 'punishments.'
The second underlying issue is that in 1999 the Hinomaru (Japan's) flag was officially re-instated, as well as "long shall the Emperor reign" Kimigayo. Both are closely associated with Imperial Japan (and extreme Nationalism) ... and were pushed through the Diet by the LDP ... when there was about 50% opposition against these two symbols publicly.
Problem is - how do you recognize your country when you do not like the "association" with its dictatorial past?
There is also a push to have 'included' in the new constitution a 'test' of patriotism - and Hinomaru and Kimigayo are both included in that ... the teachers come in two very extreme camps - either totally for this, or totally against it ... not too much fence sitting in the center...
After the end of WW2, Japan was forbidden to fly the Hinomaru flag or sing the Kimigayo, as both were used as symbols of the extreme nationalism that drove Japan to wage war in Asia and the Pacific.ColumbaOphidia points to an About.com article on the subject.
From the late 50's onward, there began a push to raise the national flag and sing the Kimigayo at schools. Due to opposition at the time, this was only a "guidance", not a law, though the Hinomaru and Kimigayo were not officially recognised as the national flag and anthem in Japanese law.
In 1989 the ministry of education issued a stronger "guidance", but the Japan Teacher's Union refused to recognise the directive, saying there was no legal basis for recognising the Hinomaru and Kimigayo as the national flag and anthem.
In 1994, the Hinomaru and Kimigayo were officially recognised by the government as "offical national emblems" and the Teacher's Union dropped their opposition. Though officially recognised as emblems, that recognition was never actually legislated in law. This was a compromise solution to balance the factions that wanted to recognise the flag and anthem, and those that opposed.
After a further dispute in 1999 where a school principal in Hiroshima committed suicide over being unable to resolve an issue over singing the Kimigayo at a school graduation, the LDP pushed to legislate the Hinomaru and Kimigayo. This step was immediately opposed by most other parties, as well as the Teacher's Union.
The bill was passed, though, but with no provision for actual enforcement (so it could get through). This has caused problems as the education department's teachers manual tries to enforce the raising of the Hinomaru and the sing of the Kimigayo at school ceremonies. The Ministry of Education claims that making students stand and sing the anthem, or ordering them back to their seats if the try to leave, does not constitute "enforcement".
There are pretty huge contraditions in the teachers manual and the law, and what the government can and can't force the teachers or students to do. This current issue is just another manifestation of the problems.
At this point I decided that Wikipedia might have something (why do I always go there last?), and they do: Law Concerning the National Flag and Anthem, Kimi Ga Yo, Hinomori.
Kyou Kara Maou!
Episode 46 = good.
But, you know. Now I need 47.
And more than that, really. Because 47 seems to involve a lengthy Dan Hiri Weller/Gwendal flashback. Which will be damn cool, of course (young Gwendal = cute!), but like...after the ending of 46? How can they do this to me?!
別の世界, indeed! ;P
(Ah, see? I can just write spoilers in Japanese!)
But, you know. Now I need 47.
And more than that, really. Because 47 seems to involve a lengthy Dan Hiri Weller/Gwendal flashback. Which will be damn cool, of course (young Gwendal = cute!), but like...after the ending of 46? How can they do this to me?!
別の世界, indeed! ;P
(Ah, see? I can just write spoilers in Japanese!)
A few more news items
Lynda Carter talks about her feelings towards acting in Sky High, Disney's blatant rip-off of Robert Kirkman's Invincible. (Okay, I don't know that it's a rip-off, but you have to admit the setup is similar, and anyway Kirkman's married to my sister-in-law's best friend, so you know where my loyalties lie.)
Somebody's planting trees! Secretly!
Blondie is set to celebrate 75 years of Dagwood sandwiches. Well, sort of. Actually, Dagwood wasn't a major character until he and Blondie fell in love in 1932. So...73 years of Dagwood sandwiches, we can assume.
Local officials want to tax already cripplingly expensive downtown Augusta real estate in order to pay for cleanup and improvement efforts. Good idea? Bad idea? I have no idea, myself.
. (Okay, I don't know that it's a rip-off, but you have to admit the setup is similar, and anyway Kirkman's married to my sister-in-law's best friend, so you know where my loyalties lie.)Somebody's planting trees! Secretly!
Blondie is set to celebrate 75 years of Dagwood sandwiches. Well, sort of. Actually, Dagwood wasn't a major character until he and Blondie fell in love in 1932. So...73 years of Dagwood sandwiches, we can assume.
When the strip debuted on September 8, 1930, its heroine was Blondie Boopadoop, who was pretty and single. Dagwood was the playboy son of a railroad tycoon and one of her several boyfriends.Boopadoop = Best. Name. Ever.
Blondie was popular at first but interest in a strip about rich characters declined as the Depression spread.
In 1932, Chic Young had Blondie and Dagwood fall in love. They were married in 1933, but Dagwood's parents disapproved of Blondie and disinherited him, forcing him to go to work and live a middle class life.
Local officials want to tax already cripplingly expensive downtown Augusta real estate in order to pay for cleanup and improvement efforts. Good idea? Bad idea? I have no idea, myself.
I'm a little unsettled by that female android
It doesn't bother me that androids designed to appear human are being created. At this point, I kind of feel like that's inevitable. I'm more concerned by the fact that it's a woman being emulated...and the fact that that seems perfectly natural to me.
Somehow, a male android would be boring and pointless. Somehow, it just makes sense to make it a woman. What is that mentality? Is because women are "prettier"? Is it because their traditional role has been "help-meet"? Is it because the market for realistic androids will probably be Japanese guys who can't get dates? (Don't think I'm just being harsh--have you read about the lifesize doll/lap pillow/chest pillow industries?)
If I was going to get an android to help me around the house, I would probably choose one with the appearance of a female. Why is that? Is it because women are somehow less threatening? Because women's traditional place is the home? Because I wouldn't want to make my husband jealous? (Would I then be jealous of the android? ;P)
Blah, gender issues can be so irritating!
Somehow, a male android would be boring and pointless. Somehow, it just makes sense to make it a woman. What is that mentality? Is because women are "prettier"? Is it because their traditional role has been "help-meet"? Is it because the market for realistic androids will probably be Japanese guys who can't get dates? (Don't think I'm just being harsh--have you read about the lifesize doll/lap pillow/chest pillow industries?)
If I was going to get an android to help me around the house, I would probably choose one with the appearance of a female. Why is that? Is it because women are somehow less threatening? Because women's traditional place is the home? Because I wouldn't want to make my husband jealous? (Would I then be jealous of the android? ;P)
Blah, gender issues can be so irritating!
Some cool/interesting stuff
A blind young man has mastered videogames after years of perseverence, trial and error, and broken controllers.
That's why I think Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert, is a little nuts.
Japan, Russia and Korea aren't the only ones fighting over dinky islands. Apparently Denmark and Canada both claim Hans Island in the Arctic, and the conflict has spread to...Google ads.
I used to be really into that show. I even wrote some fanfiction. When I was 18.
-_-
I only hope the movie retains some of the original brilliant dialogue. "We're space explorers, and we need space!"
(But seriously, are they going to include Sven? Is he going to die? Are they going to bring him back later and have him fall in love with Allura's identical cousin? ...are they still going to call her Allura?)
Mellen hangs out any chance he gets at the DogTags Gaming Center in Lincoln, which opened last month. Every now and then someone will come in and think he can easily beat the blind kid.Product placement is set to escalate dramatically, according to CNN. I personally don't have a problem with product placement, as long as it isn't gratuitous. The scene in Friends where Phoebe is assured that she is giving "the best gift in the world" (by being a surrogate for her brother and his wife) wouldn't have been nearly as funny if Chandler had used a made-up product rather than blurting, "You're giving them a Sony PlayStation?!" I think it's naive to assume that money didn't change hands there. Even if it didn't, treating a sitcom line as a ringing endorsement is just silly.
That attitude doesn't faze Mellen.
"I'll challenge them, maybe. If I feel like a challenge," he said, displaying an infectious confidence. "I freak people out by playing facing backwards."
There's nothing he likes better than playing video games, Mellen said.
He will be a senior in high school next year. After graduation, he plans to take a year off because he wants a break from school.
When he does go to college, Mellen wants to study video game design.
That's why I think Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert, is a little nuts.
"We think that broadcasters are thumbing their nose at the law," says Ruskin, whose nonprofit advocacy group petitioned the FCC nearly two years ago to require more prominent advisories, including labeling on-screen each instance of product placement as it occurs.Ruskin does bring up some decent points, such as the following:
The FCC has yet to rule on the petition.
But Adelstein agrees that "we may need to change our rules to address the fact that, even when there is some disclosure, people still don't know that they've been advertised to. At a minimum, it seems that advertisers should disclose up front (in the program) there's going to be a product placement, so that when somebody sees it, they know what they're seeing."
Adelstein is outspoken about cracking down on violations of federal payola laws, which (along with undisclosed product placements) can include video news releases misrepresented as legitimate news reports, and appearances by consumer product experts who evaluate products with which they have an unacknowledged financial tie.But seriously, imagine trying to watch your favorite show, only to have little notes popping up everywhere a la Pop Up Video. How obnoxious.
Japan, Russia and Korea aren't the only ones fighting over dinky islands. Apparently Denmark and Canada both claim Hans Island in the Arctic, and the conflict has spread to...Google ads.
Toronto author Rick Broadhead said he bought an advertisement on Internet search engine Google after spotting a Danish ad that said "Does Hans sound Canadian? Danish name, Danish island."Canada is avoiding a Freedom Fries fiasco:
That ad linked to the Danish Foreign Ministry's Web site and a copy of a protest letter Copenhagen sent Ottawa after Canada's defense minister visited the island.
Broadhead's ad showed a large Canadian Maple Leaf flag, and it now carries the message: "Hans Island is Canadian."
"To my knowledge this is the first time that a squabble has ever broken out between two nations on Google," he told Reuters on Thursday.
"Notwithstanding the disputed area, the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry is allowing its cafeteria to sell Danish pastries as a goodwill gesture towards the Danish government and people," ministry spokesman Reynald Doiron said.Okay, so, the world can end now. There's going to be a Voltron movie. (Via Slashdot.)
I used to be really into that show. I even wrote some fanfiction. When I was 18.
-_-
I only hope the movie retains some of the original brilliant dialogue. "We're space explorers, and we need space!"
(But seriously, are they going to include Sven? Is he going to die? Are they going to bring him back later and have him fall in love with Allura's identical cousin? ...are they still going to call her Allura?)
"Global struggle against violent extremism"
Washington recasts terror war as 'struggle'
In recent speeches and news conferences, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and the country's top military officer have spoken of "a global struggle against violent extremism" rather than "the global war on terror," which had been the catchphrase of choice.I, for one, think this is a good thing. It's just a name change, but we all know there is power in language. It is important to focus on the diplomatic side of this problem, on the things we all can do to help. The timing is also good, dovetailing with the IRA's statement yesterday.
Administration officials say the earlier phrase may have outlived its usefulness, because it focused attention solely, and incorrectly, on the military campaign.
General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the National Press Club on Monday that he had "objected to the use of the term 'war on terrorism' before, because if you call it a war, then you think of people in uniform as being the solution."
He said the threat instead should be defined as violent extremism, with the recognition that "terror is the method they use."
Although the military is heavily engaged in the mission now, he said, future efforts require "all instruments of our national power, all instruments of the international communities' national power." The solution is "more diplomatic, more economic, more political than it is military," he concluded.
Administration and Pentagon officials say the revamped campaign has grown out of meetings of President George W. Bush's senior national security advisers that began in January, and it reflects the evolution in Bush's own thinking nearly four years after the Sept. 11 attacks.
I have got to start getting dressed right when I get up
Or deadbolting the apartment door.
I am now stranded in the office, because I'm still in my nightclothes and a maintenance guy came in to look at the dishwasher. I guess I didn't hear him knocking (this is pretty standard when I'm in the office--sound doesn't carry well), and he just came right in.
I am now stranded in the office, because I'm still in my nightclothes and a maintenance guy came in to look at the dishwasher. I guess I didn't hear him knocking (this is pretty standard when I'm in the office--sound doesn't carry well), and he just came right in.
TV drama about Iraq war
My first reaction upon hearing that someone was making a TV show about the Iraq war was, "How tasteless." But I read CNN's article about it anyway, thinking that maybe I'd be proven wrong. At first, things looked promising, but then I started to notice that pretty much all of the characters are in the Army due to problems in their lives--one of them joined because he couldn't follow his real dream, one of them's there in lieu of a prison sentence, and one of them is being "forced" to serve another 90 days after his yearlong tour. None of the soldiers are described as having chosen to be in the Army, though maybe we can assume that of the characters whose backgrounds aren't explained in detail.
Later, CNN edits out the word "terrorists":
Later, CNN edits out the word "terrorists":
An Arab-American in the unit, Tariq Nassiri, deals with a reality many such soldiers face in the Middle East.It might end up being an interesting show, but I'm getting the feeling that the overall tone is "look at these poor victim soldiers who have to do what our evil government tells them to", which is unfair not only to our policymakers but to the soldiers themselves.
"He's an American, and he's willing to die for America, but he is aware of his heritage," explains Omid Abtahi, who plays Nassiri, and whose own brother is a member of the U.S. military serving in Iraq. "Tariq has simply decided that regardless of his heritage, he's fighting for America, and the (Iraqi dissidents) are the enemy."
He has a point
"What up with that, Mister Senator? It's okay if we shoot a hooker in the face but it's not okay if we bang the chick?" -Francis
(BTW, if there are any 15 year olds out there, please tell me you would never come up with a name for yourself like "Purple Shinypants". Please.)
(BTW, if there are any 15 year olds out there, please tell me you would never come up with a name for yourself like "Purple Shinypants". Please.)
Thursday, July 28, 2005
The end of IRA violence?
Wow.
IRA says ceasing all armed activity in N.Ireland
IRA says ceasing all armed activity in N.Ireland
The Irish Republican Army formally ended its 30-year armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland on Thursday, in a potentially historic move that could take the gun out of Northern Irish politics for good.Here is the statement in full.
[...]
The IRA said it would engage with an independent arms decommissioning body to verify it had put its massive arsenal of guns and explosives beyond use, but gave no date for completion.
"All IRA units have been ordered to dump arms. All volunteers have been instructed to assist the development of purely political and democratic programs through exclusively peaceful means," the IRA said in its statement.
Notwithstanding these difficulties our decisions have been taken to advance our republican and democratic objectives, including our goal of a united Ireland. We believe there is now an alternative way to achieve this and to end British rule in our country. It is the responsibility of all Volunteers to show leadership, determination and courage. We are very mindful of the sacrifices of our patriot dead, those who went to jail, Volunteers, their families and the wider republican base. We reiterate our view that the armed struggle was entirely legitimate.If this works out, it will be fantastic...a great example for the rest of the world.
We are conscious that many people suffered in the conflict. There is a compelling imperative on all sides to build a just and lasting peace.
[...]
There is now an unprecedented opportunity to utilise the considerable energy and goodwill which there is for the peace process. This comprehensive series of unparalleled initiatives is our contribution to this and to the continued endeavours to bring about independence and unity for the people of Ireland.
It's hot
I technically have 20 minutes of lunch left, but it's hot, and I'm not wearing particularly comfortable shoes, so I didn't feel like strolling around Riverwalk like usual. I ate my lunch (Asiago Chicken with Portobello Mushrooms, or something to that extent, from Healthy Choice) on a bench next to the small raised stage where the workout people usually come and do leg lifts (but they didn't show up today). I kept feeling tiny drops of water falling on my face and arms, so light it was more similar to having small bugs land on me than it was to feel rain. The sky wasn't clear, but the clouds didn't look all that grey, so I'm not sure if the water was actually rain or if it was coming from the fountain just beyond the entryway to Riverwalk. That'd be a long distance for the water to travel, but maybe that would explain the miniscule size of the drops.
Once I was finished eating, I decided to move my car to a parking space in front of the office. My reasoning was threefold. First, if it is going to rain (and the forecast has indicated that it will tonight, at least) then having my car nearby would be good. Second, my car has a better chance of starting in the heat if I can get it to start once. And third, it gave me something to do. So I walked down to St. Paul's and got my car and brought it back over here. It started right away, thankfully. Maybe having been in motion briefly when the sun was at its peak will mean that it won't play its little games with me at 5, even though it will have been stewing in the heat for three and a half hours. That would be nice.
I've had four cups of water today and am working on my fifth. Isn't that fascinating?
Now I have ten minutes left. I think I'll surf the web for a bit.
Once I was finished eating, I decided to move my car to a parking space in front of the office. My reasoning was threefold. First, if it is going to rain (and the forecast has indicated that it will tonight, at least) then having my car nearby would be good. Second, my car has a better chance of starting in the heat if I can get it to start once. And third, it gave me something to do. So I walked down to St. Paul's and got my car and brought it back over here. It started right away, thankfully. Maybe having been in motion briefly when the sun was at its peak will mean that it won't play its little games with me at 5, even though it will have been stewing in the heat for three and a half hours. That would be nice.
I've had four cups of water today and am working on my fifth. Isn't that fascinating?
Now I have ten minutes left. I think I'll surf the web for a bit.
BROOKE!
If you still want to have lunch with me today, post a comment and let me know when! I have brought a frozen dinner today, but am perfectly fine with going out somewhere instead. Just post what time and where you want to meet. I realize this is horribly inconvenient, but I can't get on AIM or send email from here, and I also turn my phone off when I arrive, so there is really no other way to get in touch with me...
Tax-free weekend
Today begins the four day sales tax-free spend-spend-spend weekend here in Georgia. In general, clothes, shoes, computer stuff, and school supplies may be purchased with no sales tax charged, state or local.
South Carolina's tax-free weekend is next weekend; how convenient that they don't overlap!
I don't think Kentucky does this, because I've never heard of anything like this before. However, Kentucky doesn't charge sales tax on food year round, so I think Kentucky wins. :P
South Carolina's tax-free weekend is next weekend; how convenient that they don't overlap!
I don't think Kentucky does this, because I've never heard of anything like this before. However, Kentucky doesn't charge sales tax on food year round, so I think Kentucky wins. :P
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Bellydancing
I went to Mari's beginners bellydance class tonight. Because I'm crazy, I biked over there instead of driving. The classes take place at the Warren Road Community Center, which is very close to my apartment. It actually only took about 15 minutes to get there, but it was very hot and there were all kinds of hills on the back roads between Pleasant Home and Warren. I was pretty hot and very sweaty when I arrived.
I'd left early because I wasn't sure how long the ride would take, so I ended up being at the center a half hour before the class was to start. To pass the time, I spent about fifteen minutes riding my bike in a circle on the track near the park, eventually getting to where I could ride the whole thing without using my hands. Those turns are pretty tricky, but I figured them out. I'd gotten through three circuits no-handed when I finally decided I was tired and that I'd go see if anyone else had arrived.
I went into the center to ask if it was okay for me to bring my bike in, but no one was in the office...so I brought it in :> At that point I realized I wasn't sure where classes were held. There were a bunch of people in the gymnasium playing basketball, and no bellydancers. So I walked my bike down a very dark hallway to the other side of the center, and was lucky enough to see Mari's mom coming in. I followed her into the workout room and parked my bike behind a bench near the weight machines.
Class was good. I'd done some bellydance stuff with Mari privately before, so I remembered all the moves. Remembering and being able to actually do them are two different things, but I performed reasonably well. We warmed up, did a few drills of the moves in Waady, and then ran through Waady a couple of times...and that took up the whole hour. It was a great workout--I really felt it in my arms.
While the room was air conditioned, the workout was pretty intense, so I continued to sweat and feel hot. After class was over I decided to sit around and watch the Tribal class for awhile so I could cool off. Chris was there, so we talked a little about the girls who sing that Moulin Rouge song (his favorite is Pink, while I prefer Christina--purely for her voice, I assure you)--and before you think we are way behind the times, the Tribal class danced to that song...that's why we were talking about it :>
After awhile I finally felt ready to bike again, so I came home. This time I chose to go the other way on Warren and then go up Washington Road to Pleasant Home. I'm not sure if this was better or not, hill-wise, because Pleasant Home has quite a few hills of its own. I was also unhappy to discover that there were no sidewalks on that first stretch of Washington Road, so I was forced to cross four lanes and a turn lane in order to get to the proper side of the street to ride on. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad, but I would hate to have tried that during rush hour.
Now I've had a nice shower and I feel very refreshed. I'm glad I worked out today, and I'm glad I rode my bike to get there.
I've mentioned to Brooke before that I don't really think bellydancing is my "thing". I'd also alluded to the fact that I was starting to feel jealous/resentful because it seemed to me like I had to do something I didn't want to so I could hang out with my friends. I have now decided to stop being a baby. Bellydancing is a good workout, and it's far more interesting than regular aerobics.
There is a lot of pressure to perform--even though Mari always says nobody has to, the classes are very performance-centered. But I can deal with that. At this point, I don't want to be on stage. I will wait until I've lost enough weight that I can show my belly without being embarrassed. This may take awhile. But a great way to work towards a flatter stomach is to actually go to bellydance class...so I think I will start doing that. I mean...why not?
I'd left early because I wasn't sure how long the ride would take, so I ended up being at the center a half hour before the class was to start. To pass the time, I spent about fifteen minutes riding my bike in a circle on the track near the park, eventually getting to where I could ride the whole thing without using my hands. Those turns are pretty tricky, but I figured them out. I'd gotten through three circuits no-handed when I finally decided I was tired and that I'd go see if anyone else had arrived.
I went into the center to ask if it was okay for me to bring my bike in, but no one was in the office...so I brought it in :> At that point I realized I wasn't sure where classes were held. There were a bunch of people in the gymnasium playing basketball, and no bellydancers. So I walked my bike down a very dark hallway to the other side of the center, and was lucky enough to see Mari's mom coming in. I followed her into the workout room and parked my bike behind a bench near the weight machines.
Class was good. I'd done some bellydance stuff with Mari privately before, so I remembered all the moves. Remembering and being able to actually do them are two different things, but I performed reasonably well. We warmed up, did a few drills of the moves in Waady, and then ran through Waady a couple of times...and that took up the whole hour. It was a great workout--I really felt it in my arms.
While the room was air conditioned, the workout was pretty intense, so I continued to sweat and feel hot. After class was over I decided to sit around and watch the Tribal class for awhile so I could cool off. Chris was there, so we talked a little about the girls who sing that Moulin Rouge song (his favorite is Pink, while I prefer Christina--purely for her voice, I assure you)--and before you think we are way behind the times, the Tribal class danced to that song...that's why we were talking about it :>
After awhile I finally felt ready to bike again, so I came home. This time I chose to go the other way on Warren and then go up Washington Road to Pleasant Home. I'm not sure if this was better or not, hill-wise, because Pleasant Home has quite a few hills of its own. I was also unhappy to discover that there were no sidewalks on that first stretch of Washington Road, so I was forced to cross four lanes and a turn lane in order to get to the proper side of the street to ride on. Fortunately, traffic wasn't too bad, but I would hate to have tried that during rush hour.
Now I've had a nice shower and I feel very refreshed. I'm glad I worked out today, and I'm glad I rode my bike to get there.
I've mentioned to Brooke before that I don't really think bellydancing is my "thing". I'd also alluded to the fact that I was starting to feel jealous/resentful because it seemed to me like I had to do something I didn't want to so I could hang out with my friends. I have now decided to stop being a baby. Bellydancing is a good workout, and it's far more interesting than regular aerobics.
There is a lot of pressure to perform--even though Mari always says nobody has to, the classes are very performance-centered. But I can deal with that. At this point, I don't want to be on stage. I will wait until I've lost enough weight that I can show my belly without being embarrassed. This may take awhile. But a great way to work towards a flatter stomach is to actually go to bellydance class...so I think I will start doing that. I mean...why not?
Oh, the irony
Heat keeps many from reaching cooling centers
And while the city does have cooling centers open at community centers, many remain deserted, because of the difficulty residents have in getting to the centers.I currently have a fan blowing directly on me. I suppose I'm reasonably comfortable, but I could be happier.
"No one's going to come here to be cool," said Ruth B. Crawford, the founder of the Shiloh Comprehensive Community Center. "It's too hot."
My day
So, like I mentioned earlier, I went to Aiken today.
I was really bored. Sean's 1 to 10 shift is annoying, for reasons I've listed before. I didn't know what to do with myself. The prospect of sitting around on the computer, or sitting around watching Friends, sounded horribly boring.
It was 4:30, so I called Brooke to see if she wanted to do anything. She wasn't around to answer her phones, though, so I decided I would just go somewhere myself. I wasn't sure where. On a lark I called Mari, not expecting her to be home. But she was! So I asked her what she was up to and if she wanted to do anything. She said she and Kelly were going to the gym and then to KMart and Target, and invited me for the shopping part. I agreed, and she said she'd call me when they were done at the gym.
I didn't want to wait around for that, though. I was extraordinarily antsy. So, I headed towards the door with no idea of where I was going to go.
The Greeneway and the Canal both seemed like boring choices, as did downtown Augusta. I wanted to see something new. It occurred to me, randomly: "I'll go to Aiken, I've never been to Aiken."
So, I went to Aiken.
I took I-20 because I figured that'd be easiest, and I just drove until I saw an Aiken exit. (This took a long time, but I was pleased to see that I-20 is somewhat picturesque in South Carolina. It's actually a little hilly, providing some nice vistas.) Then I followed the road off the exit until I found myself in Aiken's historic downtown.
I drove straight through it, then turned around. I passed a neat looking fountain and decided to park and take a picture of it. There were all kinds of parking spaces, in the diagonal style of Augusta's Broad Street. I chose one near an arbor and backtracked to the fountain.
From there, I decided to just stroll around the shops and see what there was to see. I headed off down an alley (named, conveniently, "The Alley") with restaurants and shops, most of which were closed.
The Alley ended at the street I'd driven in on. I turned right and wandered up the sidewalk a ways. I noticed two old women sitting on a bench just ahead of me. They looked like they were having a good time. I wanted to take a picture of the street, but I didn't want to make them uncomfortable. As I approached, though, I saw that my caution was unnecessary.
Lexington did a thing several years ago where artists decorated horse statues, and the statues were displayed all over town before they were finally auctioned off. I'm not sure if Aiken is doing the same thing, or if their horse statues are permanent, but there sure were a lot of them.
Downtown Aiken is pretty. The storefronts are old-timey and interesting, and there are plants and trees everywhere. There's also a good deal of brickwork, which I love.
I walked up that street until it ended, then turned left to see if there might be another similar street. The street I wound up on had a few businesses, but mostly houses, including this one that I think looked like a postcard for America:
White picket fence and everything!
I headed up that street until it was clear that I wasn't going to see much else, and then I turned left again, heading back towards the main strip. At that point I took some time to go inside Plum Pudding, a gourmet kitchen supply store, because I thought it looked neat. (It was also about to close.) Here, for your viewing pleasure, are some $20 wire whisks.
I headed back down the street to the right, spotting some storefronts I hadn't seen from the other side, until I got to the opposite end of downtown. Aiken's downtown really isn't all that big; Augusta's kind of dwarfs it. I saw another horse statue at that end, one painted with a patriotic 9/11 theme.
I finally cut back to the street where my car was parked, passing a federal courthouse and a funeral home. When I got there I took some pictures of the flowering trees at the end of the string of arbors.
A couple more pictures of the fountain, arbors, and a weird little blue van,
and I was ready to head back. I figured Mari would be calling soon; I'd explored for roughly an hour, and the transit time added to that meant that she and Kelly would surely be done at the gym at any moment. So I hopped in my car, rolled down the windows, and turned the ignition.
It was very, very hot, and I had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't work even as I turned the key and the starter did nothing but click.
"I should have parked in the shade," I bitched at myself. Thus began the who-knows-how-long joy of trying to air out the car so that it would start. As I sat there, sweat rolling down my face due to the heat, I tried it again and again, running the non-functional A/C to get some air moving (it is telling that the blast of hot air actually felt good to me--kind of scary that it was that hot).
After awhile I started to think that I should just go to a restaurant so I could cool off and have something to drink, because I'd been walking around in 101° weather with no water or anything. But I kept trying, and trying, and trying.
Finally, when I was about ready to give up and go hide in someone's air conditioned pub, I turned the key and the starter went click and then, suddenly, the engine growled and died. I turned the key again, and it started up.
I was very, very thankful as I put it in gear and sped off. Driving gives me a nice breeze and helps me cool down...
The first thing I did was go to McDonald's and get 1) a vanilla cone; 2) a bottled water (ugh, Dasani, but what can you do). Then I drove home, deciding to try route 78 instead of I-20. (This was quite successful, marred only by my getting lost in North Augusta and wasting a lot of time driving all the way out to exit 5 of I-20. On the bright side, I now know quite a bit more about North Augusta's geography than I used to...)
I had barely gotten in the door when Mari called, so I didn't have time to upload my pictures then. I went and met Mari and Kelly at the Big K in North Augusta (I had just been there!), and we shopped, then came back to Augusta Exchange (right down the street from my apartment!) to go to Subway and Target. (That teriyaki sandwich they have at Subway now is killer. I get that every time.) Then, finally, it was time to go home.
It was a little before 10 when I got in. The reasons it took me so long to upload photos and write this post are: 1) uploading the pictures took 47 minutes; 2) I left the room to watch some more Friends and ended up just staying in there for awhile; 3) tagging and captioning pictures takes time; 4) it also takes time to write posts about stuff.
So there you have it.
Now, I am pretty tired. I think this was a good day. I didn't buy anything or go out anywhere special to eat, but I got to explore and take pictures, and I got to see my friends. Sounds like a winner to me!
I was really bored. Sean's 1 to 10 shift is annoying, for reasons I've listed before. I didn't know what to do with myself. The prospect of sitting around on the computer, or sitting around watching Friends, sounded horribly boring.
It was 4:30, so I called Brooke to see if she wanted to do anything. She wasn't around to answer her phones, though, so I decided I would just go somewhere myself. I wasn't sure where. On a lark I called Mari, not expecting her to be home. But she was! So I asked her what she was up to and if she wanted to do anything. She said she and Kelly were going to the gym and then to KMart and Target, and invited me for the shopping part. I agreed, and she said she'd call me when they were done at the gym.
I didn't want to wait around for that, though. I was extraordinarily antsy. So, I headed towards the door with no idea of where I was going to go.
The Greeneway and the Canal both seemed like boring choices, as did downtown Augusta. I wanted to see something new. It occurred to me, randomly: "I'll go to Aiken, I've never been to Aiken."
So, I went to Aiken.
I took I-20 because I figured that'd be easiest, and I just drove until I saw an Aiken exit. (This took a long time, but I was pleased to see that I-20 is somewhat picturesque in South Carolina. It's actually a little hilly, providing some nice vistas.) Then I followed the road off the exit until I found myself in Aiken's historic downtown.
I drove straight through it, then turned around. I passed a neat looking fountain and decided to park and take a picture of it. There were all kinds of parking spaces, in the diagonal style of Augusta's Broad Street. I chose one near an arbor and backtracked to the fountain.
From there, I decided to just stroll around the shops and see what there was to see. I headed off down an alley (named, conveniently, "The Alley") with restaurants and shops, most of which were closed.
The Alley ended at the street I'd driven in on. I turned right and wandered up the sidewalk a ways. I noticed two old women sitting on a bench just ahead of me. They looked like they were having a good time. I wanted to take a picture of the street, but I didn't want to make them uncomfortable. As I approached, though, I saw that my caution was unnecessary.
Lexington did a thing several years ago where artists decorated horse statues, and the statues were displayed all over town before they were finally auctioned off. I'm not sure if Aiken is doing the same thing, or if their horse statues are permanent, but there sure were a lot of them.
Downtown Aiken is pretty. The storefronts are old-timey and interesting, and there are plants and trees everywhere. There's also a good deal of brickwork, which I love.
I walked up that street until it ended, then turned left to see if there might be another similar street. The street I wound up on had a few businesses, but mostly houses, including this one that I think looked like a postcard for America:
White picket fence and everything!
I headed up that street until it was clear that I wasn't going to see much else, and then I turned left again, heading back towards the main strip. At that point I took some time to go inside Plum Pudding, a gourmet kitchen supply store, because I thought it looked neat. (It was also about to close.) Here, for your viewing pleasure, are some $20 wire whisks.
I headed back down the street to the right, spotting some storefronts I hadn't seen from the other side, until I got to the opposite end of downtown. Aiken's downtown really isn't all that big; Augusta's kind of dwarfs it. I saw another horse statue at that end, one painted with a patriotic 9/11 theme.
I finally cut back to the street where my car was parked, passing a federal courthouse and a funeral home. When I got there I took some pictures of the flowering trees at the end of the string of arbors.
A couple more pictures of the fountain, arbors, and a weird little blue van,
and I was ready to head back. I figured Mari would be calling soon; I'd explored for roughly an hour, and the transit time added to that meant that she and Kelly would surely be done at the gym at any moment. So I hopped in my car, rolled down the windows, and turned the ignition.
It was very, very hot, and I had a sinking feeling that it wouldn't work even as I turned the key and the starter did nothing but click.
"I should have parked in the shade," I bitched at myself. Thus began the who-knows-how-long joy of trying to air out the car so that it would start. As I sat there, sweat rolling down my face due to the heat, I tried it again and again, running the non-functional A/C to get some air moving (it is telling that the blast of hot air actually felt good to me--kind of scary that it was that hot).
After awhile I started to think that I should just go to a restaurant so I could cool off and have something to drink, because I'd been walking around in 101° weather with no water or anything. But I kept trying, and trying, and trying.
Finally, when I was about ready to give up and go hide in someone's air conditioned pub, I turned the key and the starter went click and then, suddenly, the engine growled and died. I turned the key again, and it started up.
I was very, very thankful as I put it in gear and sped off. Driving gives me a nice breeze and helps me cool down...
The first thing I did was go to McDonald's and get 1) a vanilla cone; 2) a bottled water (ugh, Dasani, but what can you do). Then I drove home, deciding to try route 78 instead of I-20. (This was quite successful, marred only by my getting lost in North Augusta and wasting a lot of time driving all the way out to exit 5 of I-20. On the bright side, I now know quite a bit more about North Augusta's geography than I used to...)
I had barely gotten in the door when Mari called, so I didn't have time to upload my pictures then. I went and met Mari and Kelly at the Big K in North Augusta (I had just been there!), and we shopped, then came back to Augusta Exchange (right down the street from my apartment!) to go to Subway and Target. (That teriyaki sandwich they have at Subway now is killer. I get that every time.) Then, finally, it was time to go home.
It was a little before 10 when I got in. The reasons it took me so long to upload photos and write this post are: 1) uploading the pictures took 47 minutes; 2) I left the room to watch some more Friends and ended up just staying in there for awhile; 3) tagging and captioning pictures takes time; 4) it also takes time to write posts about stuff.
So there you have it.
Now, I am pretty tired. I think this was a good day. I didn't buy anything or go out anywhere special to eat, but I got to explore and take pictures, and I got to see my friends. Sounds like a winner to me!
Gangs in Augusta?
Yeah, so this is why when we move next year, we're not going to live in Richmond County if we can help it.
The first robbery happened around midnight at Madison on the Green Apartments, on River Ridge Drive. The second was at Ramblewood Apartments on Center West Parkway. The last robbery happened at Helena Woods Apartments on Alexander Drive, around 3:30 Tuesday morning.Makes me real happy to be living in an apartment, I tell you what...
[...]
People who live here say this is a quiet neighborhood, not the place you normally hear of robberies. They say that's why they are worried. Authorities say during one of the robberies a suspect told a victim that he was robbing her to get in to a gang. That's one of the reasons they're taking these crimes very seriously.
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Got bored, went to Aiken
I strolled around their historic downtown and took some pictures, in 100 degree weather.
More info and photos to come later; right now, I'm running out for shopping and dinner with Mari!
More info and photos to come later; right now, I'm running out for shopping and dinner with Mari!
Two new proposed Georgia interstates gain momentum, opposition
Last year, it was proposed that two new interstates be built in Georgia. One, I-3, would run from Knoxville through Augusta and down to Savannah. The other, I-14, would begin at I-3 at Augusta and run west, roughly parallel to I-20 but serving less populated areas. It has further been proposed that I-14 could extend west to Austin, Texas, and east to Myrtle Beach. The routes for these two interstates have apparently not been finalized, but plans seem to be moving along without many problems.
However, there are plenty of people who oppose these new interstates. Most of the websites you can find on the subject point out that Knoxville doesn't need another interstate and that the construction would cut further into the Smokies. An engineer at UGA in Athens mentions that neither of these interstates would help Athens or UGA, which in his words is "the largest flagship state university in the nation that you can't get to almost directly by interstate".
An image of the proposed routes can be found here, though from what I've read, this is not a final draft. Lawmakers have until the end of this year to determine the impact of possible routes. Here's a discussion of the current route debate, including Charlie Norwood's (US House, R-Georgia) own proposal.
I personally love the idea of being able to get to Knoxville without going through Atlanta, and to hop on an interstate and zip all the way to Savannah or Myrtle Beach. Making Augusta more of a "hub" than it currently is would be fine in my book. I disagree with the Athens engineer that I-14 would be purely government bloat, too; the interstate would open up more of the country for development, taking pressure off the highly strained big cities. However, I am concerned about the environmental impact of tearing up the Smoky Mountains, and the Athens guy does have a point: a direct route from Augusta to Athens is sorely needed.
Ultimately, I hope they're able to figure out a way to do this that can minimize the damage to the mountains, and it would really be nice if the route could curve through Athens.
However, there are plenty of people who oppose these new interstates. Most of the websites you can find on the subject point out that Knoxville doesn't need another interstate and that the construction would cut further into the Smokies. An engineer at UGA in Athens mentions that neither of these interstates would help Athens or UGA, which in his words is "the largest flagship state university in the nation that you can't get to almost directly by interstate".
An image of the proposed routes can be found here, though from what I've read, this is not a final draft. Lawmakers have until the end of this year to determine the impact of possible routes. Here's a discussion of the current route debate, including Charlie Norwood's (US House, R-Georgia) own proposal.
I personally love the idea of being able to get to Knoxville without going through Atlanta, and to hop on an interstate and zip all the way to Savannah or Myrtle Beach. Making Augusta more of a "hub" than it currently is would be fine in my book. I disagree with the Athens engineer that I-14 would be purely government bloat, too; the interstate would open up more of the country for development, taking pressure off the highly strained big cities. However, I am concerned about the environmental impact of tearing up the Smoky Mountains, and the Athens guy does have a point: a direct route from Augusta to Athens is sorely needed.
Ultimately, I hope they're able to figure out a way to do this that can minimize the damage to the mountains, and it would really be nice if the route could curve through Athens.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Sean's on his 1 to 10 pm shift.
I hate it, because the day seems to begin when he leaves for work, but then suddenly it's 7 pm and I haven't done anything all day. And nothing's going on and no one's around to hang out with and Sean won't be home until 10:30 or so and it feels like I ought to be doing something...I mean, it doesn't really feel like lounge around time when he's not home.
I actually got out my crocheting stuff and started making some sort of red throw. I have no idea how it'll turn out. I've done two and a half passes on it so far. (It was kind of cool that I was able to just start doing it without even thinking about it. I guess I really learned those first and second stitches. Too bad I don't know any other ones!)
You know what? You know what? I keep whining about how I'm never going to learn Japanese, but I never do anything about it, so I'm going to do something! I'm gonna grab my old textbook and start doing some exercises!
I actually got out my crocheting stuff and started making some sort of red throw. I have no idea how it'll turn out. I've done two and a half passes on it so far. (It was kind of cool that I was able to just start doing it without even thinking about it. I guess I really learned those first and second stitches. Too bad I don't know any other ones!)
You know what? You know what? I keep whining about how I'm never going to learn Japanese, but I never do anything about it, so I'm going to do something! I'm gonna grab my old textbook and start doing some exercises!
Friends stars appearing on Joey?
I haven't watched a single episode of Joey--I mean come on, a show about my least favorite character? Please--but I would totally tune in if Courteney Cox Arquette's plans [that link'll be dead in a week, but oh well] for a Thanksgiving episode come to fruition.
"I can see us coming back together to do something like a Thanksgiving show," the onetime Monica Geller Bing tells the New York Daily News. "Not a reunion, but, 'What are the friends doing this Thanksgiving?' as if they're always together."Man, wouldn't that be cool?
Cox has even given some thought to the fate of her small-screen alter ego: "Monica and Chandler would come in from the country with their two kids, who are a couple of years old now. I think their story is continuing, even if we're not watching. I think they see each other every Thanksgiving."
"London Terror"
Look, CNN has a spiffy graphic for their "London Terror" special section.
Is that ridiculous or what?
You know, I am just really not a fan of how sensationalized our news can be.
By the way, the young man who was wrongly killed by British anti-terror police was shot eight times, not five as previously thought. I am just sick at this whole thing. Sick at the bombings, sick at the attempted bombings, sick at the wrongful death...and sick that there have been bombings in Iraq like every day recently, and so many people keep dying. Is this ever going to be resolved?
There is so much hate, and all it seems to be doing is growing...on both sides. Is there anything we can do? How can we keep children from being indoctrinated into hate? How can we save ourselves from being consumed by it?
How can we stop terrorism?
Is that ridiculous or what?
You know, I am just really not a fan of how sensationalized our news can be.
By the way, the young man who was wrongly killed by British anti-terror police was shot eight times, not five as previously thought. I am just sick at this whole thing. Sick at the bombings, sick at the attempted bombings, sick at the wrongful death...and sick that there have been bombings in Iraq like every day recently, and so many people keep dying. Is this ever going to be resolved?
There is so much hate, and all it seems to be doing is growing...on both sides. Is there anything we can do? How can we keep children from being indoctrinated into hate? How can we save ourselves from being consumed by it?
How can we stop terrorism?
The rise and fall of NBC
CNN has a piece up about NBC's plummet from glory, and the network's vow to start doing things right.
Friends, as you know, is one of my all-time favorite shows, but even it fell victim to NBC's rampant self-plagiarism. Monica was fat as a kid? Wait, that was done in Wings (Helen). Joey and Treager (the super) as ballroom dance partners? Wait, that was also done in Wings (Antonio and Roy). Friends even recycled some of its own jokes--sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. In one episode, Rachel serves Monica a cup of something at Central Perk. Monica says, "I didn't want cinnamon on that." "Oh, sorry," says Rachel, and scoops off the cinnamon with her fingers. In a later episode, after Ross and Rachel have broken up, Ross hands Rachel a mug, and the exact same event occurs, this time with Rachel on the receiving end. It didn't play out as if it was meant to be a throwback to the previous incident, though I suppose there's a slight possibility that it was.
There's plenty more where that came from, spanning quite a few NBC series. All the series that shared writers shared jokes. After awhile, it just got old. I'm not sure why they thought they could get away with it--maybe they had a really low opinion of their viewers?--but now it seems to have finally come around to bite them in the ass. (It helps that the other networks are putting out quality shows at last.)
Accustomed to success, the network had failed to recognize "underlying problems," Reilly said. He took over as entertainment chief after his predecessor, Jeff Zucker, was promoted. Zucker now is NBC Universal Television Group president.I often notice patterns and think it would be cool to write a piece exposing them, but then never get around to actually doing the research it would require. (One of these, a discussion of the use in movie soundtracks of what I call "the scream" and what is officially titled the Wilhelm Scream, has been preempted by others.) An expose on the standard jokes and plotlines used in 1990s-2000s NBC sitcoms is an idea that rattles around in my head every time I watch Friends.
"We're insane if we stay on the same track. That is the definition of insanity to keep making the same mistakes and doing things the same way," Reilly said.
Friends, as you know, is one of my all-time favorite shows, but even it fell victim to NBC's rampant self-plagiarism. Monica was fat as a kid? Wait, that was done in Wings (Helen). Joey and Treager (the super) as ballroom dance partners? Wait, that was also done in Wings (Antonio and Roy). Friends even recycled some of its own jokes--sometimes on purpose, sometimes not. In one episode, Rachel serves Monica a cup of something at Central Perk. Monica says, "I didn't want cinnamon on that." "Oh, sorry," says Rachel, and scoops off the cinnamon with her fingers. In a later episode, after Ross and Rachel have broken up, Ross hands Rachel a mug, and the exact same event occurs, this time with Rachel on the receiving end. It didn't play out as if it was meant to be a throwback to the previous incident, though I suppose there's a slight possibility that it was.
There's plenty more where that came from, spanning quite a few NBC series. All the series that shared writers shared jokes. After awhile, it just got old. I'm not sure why they thought they could get away with it--maybe they had a really low opinion of their viewers?--but now it seems to have finally come around to bite them in the ass. (It helps that the other networks are putting out quality shows at last.)
Who knew
Ricky Martin (of "Livin' la Vida Loca" fame infamy) is a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and has done lots of great work for children all over the world. He recently pledged to work to end stereotypes against Arab youth. More information about Martin's work is available at the Ricky Martin Foundation website.
Cutest. Car. EVER!
I was looking for Tian (of Hanzi Smatter)'s email address so I could point today's Questionable Content out to him, and I discovered that he has a couple other blogs. Reading through what tian has learned, I came across this post, which features the following car. (I'm shamelessly ganking the image from Tian's blog, because this color is so awesome.)
They also have it in other fabulous colors, including an adorable blue:
I don't care about the name, that car is cute! I want one!
They also have it in other fabulous colors, including an adorable blue:
I don't care about the name, that car is cute! I want one!
Barbershop subterfuge
Here's a cute little ramble about Junichiro Koizumi's hair.
Koizumi always goes to a barbershop in the basement of a downtown Tokyo hotel, where he sometimes stays for more than two hours.
One time, he went in at 11 p.m. and did not come out until 1:30 a.m.
This became fodder for the rumor mill in the political community. The barbershop, the rumor went, must have a hidden passageway and Koizumi must be sneaking out to meet with someone in secret.
And that is also the reason why his hairdo is invariably the same before and after his barbershop visit.
Kooky
Readers of Snopes send in some very good questions, including the following:
In other news,
A friend of mine asked me if I've ever hear of invisible witches or ghosts that suck the blood out of a person's arm while they are sleeping. Apparently, she saw "marks" on her boyfriend's arm and this was the story that he told her.I think that last one is quite profound. I'd like to know that, too. ;>
--
Is it true that a girl cannot get pregnant if her mate smokes the seeds of marijuana when he smokes marijuana, please tell me if this is true because a lot of people tell me it is true and a lot of people tell me it's not and I don't know whaether to believe it or notbecause this town lies a lot. thanks.
--
can you tell me how i would analyze the effect each statistic has on the world.
In other news,
An Italian couple stole 50,000 euros from a woman in the Sicilian city of Palermo after convincing her they were vampires who would impregnate her with the son of the Anti-Christ if she did not pay them.o_o...
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Sushi snobs
Danny Bloom at Japundit links to an article by "Mike (in Tokyo) Rogers" entitled "So You Want To Be a Sushi Snob?" It could be funnier, but it is amusing. Also, I discovered that I've been eating sushi incorrectly. Here is the proper method, apparently:
No! No! No! What are you doing? You do not put the Wasabi (Wasabia japonica) directly into the small bowl of Shoyu (Soy sauce). No one wants to see your plate with some revolting muddy green sludge - a putrid floating pile of flotsam and jetsam - in it. Disgusting. Have you no class? Take your chopsticks and lift the raw fish off of the top of the Nigiri (raw fish on a small rice ball), turn it upside down. Place a small portion of Wasabi on the underside (now facing up) and dip the upper-side (now facing down) into the Shoyu. Do not touch the Wasabi into the Shoyu. Then replace the fish, right side up, back on top of the Nigiri and eat. Try not to get any Shoyu on the rice directly. Also, please, in-spite of yourself, don't have little pieces of rice floating around in your Shoyu bowl either. What do you think this is, an Olympics swimming competition? Of course please refrain from using your unwashed fingers to touch your food - we're trying to eat with adults who have some class and a proper upbringing. We're not eating with a bunch of animals here. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?Rogers adds,
After eating each piece of Nigiri, take some Gari (Ginger) - and it had better not be red colored ginger, either - and chew it to clear your palate so that you may enjoy the fresh taste of the next piece of sushi. Repeat.
California Rolls and so-called Maki-Zushi (sushi that is rolled up in seaweed) is for kids and drunks who cannot hold their chopsticks.So, there you have it.
A message to AonE
You have enough stuff to be subbing. You don't need to do Full Metal Panic! TSR.
No, really.
No, really.
Look what I missed yesterday!
Families enjoy festival at canal
On Saturday, visitors packed the Augusta Canal Headgates in Martinez for an old-fashioned festival dubbed Summertime on the Canal. Festivities included eating contests, children's games, entertainment, homemade churn-style ice cream and an antique car show.I had no idea this was going on! I didn't do a thing yesterday. I totally could have gone to that!
Sandy Boner, the manager for the canal community center's department, said she was surprised at the event's turnout, stating that there were about 200 participants at 10:30 a.m.
The 3 Variable Funny Test
| the Wit |
CLEAN | COMPLEX | DARK You like things edgy, subtle, and smart. I guess that means you're probably an intellectual, but don't take that to mean you're pretentious. You realize 'dumb' can be witty--after all isn't that 'the Simpsons' philosophy?--but rudeness for its own sake, 'gross-out' humor and most other things found in a fraternity leave you totally flat. I guess you just have a more cerebral approach than most. You have the perfect mindset for a joke writer or staff writer. Your sense of humor takes the most effort to appreciate, but it's also the best, in my opinion. Also, you probably loved the Office. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check it out here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/theoffice/. PEOPLE LIKE YOU: Jon Stewart - Woody Allen - Ricky Gervais |
 |
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
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| Link: The 3 Variable Funny Test written by jason_bateman on Ok Cupid |
"The couple said they are slightly irked at hospital staff..." Yeah, I would be too.
Calif. Woman Delivers Baby Boy in Toilet
The couple, Leah and Richard Robles Jr., said they spent five hours at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital on July 9 but went home after they were told she was not ready to deliver. Fifty minutes after arriving home, Leah had the baby in the toilet after feeling the urge to use the restroom.You know, Mom almost had AJ in the toilet. But she was at least at the hospital. :>
The baby, Richard Robles III, is healthy.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
AP-Kyodo poll on US/Japan opinion
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