Or not, maybe.
Lexington public schools just got a grant to have Chinese and Japanese classes.
Why did I ever move away?
Not that I'm in public school, or have children. But the environment back home for learning just seems to be on such a higher level.
Sigh.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Sour grapes
You know, it's too bad I'm not a good-looking actor living in Los Angeles. Maybe then my blog would be worth reading! And people would think I was awesome.
Really, it does seem that if you're famous for something, people notice your blog more. Or at least make a bigger deal about your blog.
I'm famous for nothing, unless you count my ego, which I'm not really famous for either but my ego would like to think I am. Some fame, please!
I'm the Darkwing Duck of blogging. Chasing after the spotlight, and tripping over my own cape.
But can I truly say that I am "singed, but triumphant"? Or am I just singed?
I've given up wondering why I want to be famous. And I know that there's a glut of blogs, and to stand out you have to be well-known already or a damn good writer who doesn't waste a single post or someone who can make drivel like this interesting.
And normally all this doesn't bother me so much, but what can I say? I'm pissy.
Really, it does seem that if you're famous for something, people notice your blog more. Or at least make a bigger deal about your blog.
I'm famous for nothing, unless you count my ego, which I'm not really famous for either but my ego would like to think I am. Some fame, please!
I'm the Darkwing Duck of blogging. Chasing after the spotlight, and tripping over my own cape.
But can I truly say that I am "singed, but triumphant"? Or am I just singed?
I've given up wondering why I want to be famous. And I know that there's a glut of blogs, and to stand out you have to be well-known already or a damn good writer who doesn't waste a single post or someone who can make drivel like this interesting.
And normally all this doesn't bother me so much, but what can I say? I'm pissy.
Well, that's a little obvious
Can you imagine Bruce Wayne with a framed picture of Batman in his mansion? That's all I'm saying.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Heather Meadows, Grouch of the Universe
I'm having one of those days where everything annoys me and I have no patience for anything. Fun!
It actually started when I got home, because I didn't have any time to spare on emotions at work today :>
I figure it's a combination of my going to bed late last night and stress over a new project at work. The project is pretty big, and looking at it from the beginning, it seems pretty daunting. But I know that if I just work at it piece by piece, day by day, it'll get done. Probably with plenty of time to spare.
It's just hard to imagine right now.
Regardless, I hope the crappy crabby mood I'm in will be gone in the morning.
[Edit 2006/09/28 11:07 p.m.]: Still crabby, and I have something of an idea why. It may not be what I said above after all. Of course, it could also be a combination of things.
It actually started when I got home, because I didn't have any time to spare on emotions at work today :>
I figure it's a combination of my going to bed late last night and stress over a new project at work. The project is pretty big, and looking at it from the beginning, it seems pretty daunting. But I know that if I just work at it piece by piece, day by day, it'll get done. Probably with plenty of time to spare.
It's just hard to imagine right now.
Regardless, I hope the crappy crabby mood I'm in will be gone in the morning.
[Edit 2006/09/28 11:07 p.m.]: Still crabby, and I have something of an idea why. It may not be what I said above after all. Of course, it could also be a combination of things.
Just in case you thought I forgot about the Nara Schoolgirl Killer
Kobayashi Kaoru was handed the death penalty. It's what he said he wanted!
This comes on the heels of the retirement of Justice Minister Sugiura Seiken, who would not allow the execution of death row inmates. A past Justice Minister shared also these beliefs.
We'll have to see if Kobayashi gets his wish under the new minister.
This comes on the heels of the retirement of Justice Minister Sugiura Seiken, who would not allow the execution of death row inmates. A past Justice Minister shared also these beliefs.
We'll have to see if Kobayashi gets his wish under the new minister.
Monday, September 25, 2006
*snerk*
Gundam voice actor makes appearance at Tokyo Game Show
During the event, Furuya [Toru] played the PlayStation Portable action game "Gundam Battle Royale," which is set for release on Oct. 5, with three fans. Furuya finished second, prompting one of the players to comment, "You must be one of the new types of players."
Cool Darkwing note
In the episode "Hush, Hush Sweet Charlatan", Darkwing and Launchpad are hiding out in movie scenes to avoid a studio guard. For one of the scenes, they reenact the staircase swordfight from Neville Sinclair's movie in The Rocketeer. The music even matches.
Darkwing Duck and The Rocketeer both came out in 1991. Good year.
(Disney tended to borrow music from its movies for its television series back in the day. I distinctly recall hearing themes from Beauty and the Beast in Goof Troop, of all things.)
Darkwing Duck and The Rocketeer both came out in 1991. Good year.
(Disney tended to borrow music from its movies for its television series back in the day. I distinctly recall hearing themes from Beauty and the Beast in Goof Troop, of all things.)
Sunday, September 24, 2006
I bought Darkwing Duck on DVD the other day
The first 25 episodes. R0x0r.
I think I'm enjoying it almost as much as I did the first time around! You know, back when I used to obsessively tape the episodes in order, cut out the commercials, painstakingly label the tapes with those letter stickers that came with tapes back then, and then break the tabs on the tapes so no one could record over them.
(I later covered the holes with tape and recorded over most of the episodes with ReBoot, alas.)
There is one thing I forgot about, and that is the episode "Water Way to Go", which is cool for introducing Steelbeak but intolerable due to the animation. Oh my GOD it sucks. I remember despising it as a teen and that loathing lives on today.
I recall there were several Tiny Toons episodes done by these same animators. I don't know anything else about them, other than that they should never be allowed to touch a brush ever again.
It's hard to describe why it's so terrible, so I took some screencaps. Now you too can share in the horror.
Fortunately for you, these screencaps don't demonstrate the full destructive power of these animators. After all, you don't have to see the craptastic animation...just the mindblowingly awful art.
The plot of this episode isn't really all that great either...maybe Disney just decided to put all the bad eggs in one basket ;P
[Edit 2006/09/27 12:36 a.m.:] According to Wikipedia, this was actually the first episode produced. Did the animation budget suddenly go up thereafter?
I find the production order very interesting. It would be cool to watch the episodes in an order that made sense. I just watched "Just Us Justice Ducks Part 1", and it's very confusing seeing as Darkwing hasn't actually met any of the Justice Ducks yet ;P And yet this is apparently the order in which the episodes aired! Crazy.
I think I'm enjoying it almost as much as I did the first time around! You know, back when I used to obsessively tape the episodes in order, cut out the commercials, painstakingly label the tapes with those letter stickers that came with tapes back then, and then break the tabs on the tapes so no one could record over them.
(I later covered the holes with tape and recorded over most of the episodes with ReBoot, alas.)
There is one thing I forgot about, and that is the episode "Water Way to Go", which is cool for introducing Steelbeak but intolerable due to the animation. Oh my GOD it sucks. I remember despising it as a teen and that loathing lives on today.
I recall there were several Tiny Toons episodes done by these same animators. I don't know anything else about them, other than that they should never be allowed to touch a brush ever again.
It's hard to describe why it's so terrible, so I took some screencaps. Now you too can share in the horror.
Fortunately for you, these screencaps don't demonstrate the full destructive power of these animators. After all, you don't have to see the craptastic animation...just the mindblowingly awful art.
The plot of this episode isn't really all that great either...maybe Disney just decided to put all the bad eggs in one basket ;P
[Edit 2006/09/27 12:36 a.m.:] According to Wikipedia, this was actually the first episode produced. Did the animation budget suddenly go up thereafter?
I find the production order very interesting. It would be cool to watch the episodes in an order that made sense. I just watched "Just Us Justice Ducks Part 1", and it's very confusing seeing as Darkwing hasn't actually met any of the Justice Ducks yet ;P And yet this is apparently the order in which the episodes aired! Crazy.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Conrad is Pimp animated gif
A big one, just to have
100 pixels square, for use on your LiveJournal
100 pixels square, for use on your LiveJournal
Do I have too much time on my hands?
Edit: I now have the big one on my Active Desktop -_-;;;
Some KKM WTF faces for you
I watched the end of Kyou Kara Maou again today, and thought I'd share some fabulous faces with all of you. Don't worry; no spoilers here!
Click each image for full size.
Click each image for full size.
Crazy flooding back home
Kentucky is seeing some severe flooding right now. The street where I grew up is essentially a creek now.
You can see some videos of that here at WTVQ (click "Watch Video").
I actually don't recognize anything from those images, so I'm not sure where on the street they're standing. We used to live at the bottom of a big hill, with a beautiful creek running behind our backyard.
It flooded once when I was a kid. The water was deep enough in the street to take a john boat out and row around. And when the water was receding, it was rushing back to the creek through a ditch that ran between our lot and our next door neighbor's. AJ and I weren't supposed to go near it, but we did, and I slipped and started sliding down into the ditch. AJ pulled me out and saved my life.
Boy was Mom mad. :>
For more on the current flooding, check out WKYT's coverage here. The video is 26 minutes long and covers a great deal of ground. Here are some pictures:
Here's how WKYT's radar looked an hour ago. It seems like more bad weather is on the way.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Hilarious
From the Augusta Chronicle:
You know that with the advent of flip-down LCD screens in cars, this was bound to happen sooner or later.
A 37-year-old Aiken man was arrested late Wednesday night on charges that he was driving with a pornographic movie playing on an in-car video system in full view of pedestrians and other drivers.Just toolin' along, watchin' porn...
You know that with the advent of flip-down LCD screens in cars, this was bound to happen sooner or later.
A questionnaire for fogeys
I found this questionnaire over at Wes' blog, and, well, you know me and questionnaires.
Tired of all of those stupid surveys made by High School kids?
Here are some questions for some people who are a little more mature... ok old folks like us.
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
I can't really think of one. We don't have any debt, so no credit card bills or anything. No car payments. We pay rent, but I don't hate paying that because it's necessary. Likewise for the utilities. Sean would probably say he hates the electric bill during the summer, but really we seem to have done pretty well this year in that sense. The cell phone bill is more than we'd pay for a land line, but not so much more that I care. Plus we got grandfathered in to a fantabulous plan with more minutes than we'll ever need.
So I'm pretty Zen about the bills, I guess.
2. What's the best place to eat a romantic dinner?
Outside, at sunset, with candles, in a place away from other people but with a gorgeous view. I have never done this!
I don't find restaurants particularly romantic. I haven't really been to an expensive restaurant, though...maybe there's a difference. But in general I find them to be too public for romance.
One time Sean and I ate dinner on our deck, and I really liked that. We had to sit on a blanket because we didn't have a table. The meal was that herb crusted chicken thing I always make (from Saving Dinner) and green beans. We probably had a starch, but I don't remember what it was. The important thing was that when I asked Sean if he wanted to eat on the deck, he said he really wanted to do that with me. That was really all the romance I needed.
3. Last time you puked from drinking?
I've never drunk enough to puke, and I don't ever intend to.
4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
I've never drunk enough to get drunk, and I don't ever intend to. :>
5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Fosson? I think?
6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
I'm fairly content with sitting here answering a survey, honestly. But if I could be doing anything in the world right now, I'd be sitting in a yukata at Momijiso on Miyajima with a group of close friends, enjoying their company and snacking on traditional Japanese confections before snuggling into a futon with Sean to sleep and prepare for a day of exploring. (Let's pretend it would be the evening there as well as here right now, because I don't care to be jetlagged while I'm doing what I really want to do.)
7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I don't know that I had any aspirations. I thought I was good at writing, because I had been told that, but I don't know that I wanted to be a writer. I didn't think I wanted to be a nurse or an electrician, my parents' professions. But I didn't know what profession would be interesting. (Story of my life?)
In high school I first wanted to be a computer programmer, then a mechanical engineer, and I was very adamant that I would never be an English teacher.
8. How many colleges did you attend before you settled on the one you graduated from?
Two. UAH for aerospace engineering, and then UK because I lived nearby. It happens that UK is an awesome school, and I'm glad I got to go there.
9. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now?
Because I was going to wear my blue tank top, but I decided I'd slept in it enough that it needed to be washed, so I put this on instead. It's a red shirt that's part of a pajama set that Sean's mom gave me, but I'm not wearing the pants because they'd be too hot.
10. Gas prices! First thought?
Why are they 18 cents less in South Carolina? And why do I keep forgetting to fill up before I cross the state line?
11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you, where would you go?
Okay, obviously, I'd move to Japan and take Sean. Specifically in Japan, I wouldn't mind living in Kyushu or near Tokyo, but I really think it'd be nice to live in a rural area somewhere in the Kanto or Hokkaido.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I wasn't particularly coherent. I leapt out of bed and turned it off and was stretching my arms out over my head, blinking, when Sean came in and laughed at the look on my face. Then he went to bed...I finally mustered the brain cells to wonder if he's decided to wait for me to get up before he goes to sleep.
13. Last thought before falling asleep last night?
I had just finished reading The Boy in the Well, so I was thinking about how the Talismen series really seems to have a rich, epic plot, but that it was odd that they'd put out a book that couldn't really stand on its own.
14. Favorite style of pajamas?
Cotton/spandex, T-shirt and shorts. Anything comfortable and light, not too hot.
15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
Ooooh, it depends. I can like both boxers and briefs, really, depending on how they look on the guy. Sean only wears one kind, and they're fine with me.
I've never seen a guy in person wearing a G-string/thong/whatever. Might be interesting.
16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Dusting and doing floors. Ugh. Any task that's wide in scope, really. I like chores that are more bite-sized, like the dishes. I even don't mind laundry so much now, because I can do it all in one place rather than having to carry stuff back and forth.
17. If you didn't have to work, would you?
I would definitely do something. When I don't have something productive to do I get lethargic and very unhappy. I'm not sure if I'd freelance at something or what I'd do, though. If I didn't have to work I imagine I'd spend a lot of time traveling, but while I was traveling I might try to do things that would get my name out there, like photography or writing.
18. Get up early or sleep in?
I like both. It depends on how much sleep I've gotten recently. I really prefer to be up early, but I also adore sleeping, and if I sleep into the afternoon I don't typically feel badly about it.
19. Your favorite cartoon character?
Freakazoid! (And if you're wondering, my favorite anime character is Yuuri from Kyou Kara Maou! Anime != cartoons.)
20. Favorite NON-sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
Get comfy, watch a good TV show like Smallville and discuss it.
21. If you could get away with it, who would you kill?
I've answered this question before! And my answer was Osama bin Laden! At this point I'm not sure it'd be in the world's best interest to kill him, though. I'd like to see him stand trial.
I can't think of anyone I'd want to kill, really. I know, I'm a boring goody-good. But I can never be sure that my personal opinion is correct, and therefore I could never be sure that I was killing for a just reason, that the person deserved to die, etc. The death penalty is different, because at least in that case the person's guilt is decided by jury, but I still don't know that I'm completely okay with it.
I was telling Amanda at work today that I didn't know if the death penalty was a good prohibitive measure against sex offenders, because I'm not sure it would really deter them. There's some sort of imbalance there to begin with that makes them think it's okay to do those things. Would they really rationally think "Oh, I could die for this"?
And that makes me wonder if it's right to use it as a punishment, either. It would be better if there was a way to fix people so they wouldn't do it again and would truly understand why it was wrong. (Or, as Amanda suggested, we could literally "fix" them...)
22. What was your first car?
My grandma's old 1982 Mercury Marquis. It was really the family car, but I had it for about six weeks at the end of my second (and last) semester at UAH. Then, when I got a job at a music store, I bought myself a 1993 Ford Taurus.
23. Your best Your Mamma joke?
I hate Yo' Mama jokes.
24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Bologna :)
25. What do you get everytime you go into a WAWA?
I have no idea what that is. From this, it looks like it's a gas station/convenience store? So I'll just answer as if it's asking about Stuckey's or something.
I don't have a standard thing to get, but I do like to get Little Debbie snacks when I go to gas stations. It reminds me of going to them on the way to the lake when I was a kid, for some reason.
Of course, I rarely go into a gas station, unless I'm on a road trip and need to pee.
26. Beach or lake?
Either one. They both have water.
27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual that was invented by people who died at 20?
I think the idea of committing yourself fully to one other person is beautiful. I do think marriage should be something separate from the law, and that tax breaks and household matters and other legal issues should be based on civil unions, which would have nothing to do with love or religion or anything and everything to do with who you live with, whether it be out of romance or family or necessity.
28. Who do you stalk on MySpace?
I have two (count 'em two) friends who actually use their MySpace accounts, so I'm subscribed to their MySpace blogs. There's also a MySpace group I go to every now and then. But mostly MySpace seems to be a place for people in bands to get their music out to the public.
29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Webcomics, and they're only a guilty pleasure because I sometimes read them when I shouldn't be. I really don't feel much shame about the things I like. (Maybe I should be more embarrassed when I eat snacks...)
30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
As I mentioned above, I don't really get embarrassed. I like who I am, and I don't care if people know my secrets. In fact, I want them to. I'm self-centered that way.
So what's a movie I like that would be embarrassing to someone else to admit to? Hmm.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure?
31. What's your drink?
I'll always have a special place in my heart for Dr Pepper.
32. Cowboys or Indians?
Indians, because they were so fascinating and scary in the Little House books.
That, and the fact that Native American culture is so rich.
33. Cops or robbers?
Cops in real life; robbers in movies. High class robbers, that is, like in Entrapment.
34. Do you cheer for the bad guy?
It depends. I honestly do cheer for Lex in Smallville. How could you not?
When a story is so fully fleshed out that you can understand each character's motivations, then you can find yourself cheering for any of them. Even the ones you know are doomed to fall.
If it's a black and white story, then I normally don't like the bad guys. And you're not supposed to, are you?
35. What Hollywood star do you think resembles you best?
I'm sure all Hollywood stars will be pleased to know that none of them look like me.
36. If you had to pick one which cast member of seinfeld who would you be?
Okay, I've been correcting the grammar, capitalization, and punctuation in these questions, but this one is too hilarious, so I left it just the way it was.
I suppose I'd be Jerry, because he's the one who has things the most together, and he makes enough money to live more than comfortably.
37. What do you want when you are sick?
To feel better :P I hate being sick. I don't want soup, I don't want sleep, I don't want anything but to not be sick.
Fortunately, I don't get sick much.
38. Who from high school would you like to run into?
It'd be cool to run into Eric Thigpen. I seem to run into him randomly, but it's been awhile since the last encounter. (It'd help if I spent more time back home.)
Otherwise, it'd of course be cool to see my old friends, like Kristanne and Margaret.
I can't think of anyone whose contact information I don't already have that I really want to run into. I wouldn't mind running into anyone, of course :)
Actually, our ten year reunion was a couple weekends ago, and I totally skipped it.
39. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
I think it's on 95 Rock, but it varies. I also listen to 93.9 The Drive, HD92.3, Eagle 102, and occasionally 104.3 WBBQ (unless Delilah's on, UGH) and Power107.
41. Stiffler or Oz?
Um. What?
Oh. American Pie. I guess I should watch that movie someday.
...Wait. Where's question 40?
I googled and only found one blog with this questionnaire that had a #40. It was: Political affiliation?
I don't know if I can really categorize my political leanings.
42. Norm or Cliff?
Norm, of course :)
43. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
AJ loves The Cosby Show. I never really got into it. I do highly enjoy The Simpsons, though.
44. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Saying "I love you" when I didn't mean it. Although I'm not sure taking it back would have changed how things ended, and I'm not sure I would want to change that ending anyway. I think that relationship taught me a lot.
45. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
If by "across" you mean "over my left shoulder", then yes! And since there is no one else in the room anyway...
46. A secret that you wouldn't mind everyone knowing?
How is that a secret, exactly?
I've been sitting here for like fifteen minutes and I can't think of an answer to this question.
It's not that I'm secretive--hardly! It's just that I can't think of anything that 1) I classify to myself as a secret and 2) I wouldn't mind suddenly sharing. In fact, the only things I can really think of that are secrets are things I don't want to share--one personal thing, which I've actually shared before on this blog but which I don't want to share anymore; things that are between me and Sean; and things that people have told me that it isn't my right to share with others.
47. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Is it sad that the first name that popped into my head was Drew Barrymore?
I think I answered a question like this once with "Junichiro Koizumi".
But you know who it'd be really interesting to talk with? Stephen Hawking. ...although how would dinner work, exactly? :>
48. What famous person would you like to sleep with? [Note: This question didn't exist on Wes' blog; I found it while searching for the elusive #40!]
All things equal, assuming neither of us were in a relationship...um...
Drew Barrymore :>
49. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No, but I know people who have!
50. Last book you read for real?
The Boy in the Well, as I mentioned above. I'm still trying to read Sword and Blossom, too (if "trying" can be defined as "leaving it on my nightstand in the hopes that I'll pick it up again someday").
51. Do you have a teddy bear?
I have a panda. His name is Peter. He's sitting on a chair in our bedroom. I got him from Grandma.
He's actually not the original Peter Panda. I took the original to Illinois on a family trip once and forgot him. The next year when we returned I planned to ask for him back, but when I saw that he'd obviously been played with a lot by my young cousin I decided not to.
So instead I asked Grandma if I could have her other, identical panda.
52. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Thinking...thinking...
Japan isn't all that weird, and I didn't brush my teeth in an odd place in Japan except for the sink at my host family's house, because it's right there in the hallway, not even in a room. You turn left after coming in from the entranceway and there it is.
I may have brushed my teeth outside at some point in my life, but I don't really remember doing it.
53. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
I've never been anywhere in California. I'd like to see San Francisco, because I've heard it's lovely, and because those hills look awesome. Plus, the Golden Gate Bridge is an amazing feat of engineering.
I'd also like to see Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
54. How many times a day do you text?
Zero!
55. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or relationship?
I'm pretty content with my "career", and I'm married so I obviously don't want new romance, but a new friendship couldn't hurt :) I like friends :)
56. Do you go to church?
Nope.
57. Pencil or pen?
I used to refuse to write in anything but mechanical pencil, but now I seem to favor ballpoint pens. Go figure.
58. Describe your favorite day?
Okay, this question could take awhile ;P and I've been doing this questionnaire for two hours now. So I'm not going to even bother.
Maybe some other time I'll come back and try to write this. At which point I'll have to decide what my favorite day is. If the question is asking what day in my life so far is my favorite, then it'll probably be our wedding. If it's asking what kind of day in general is my favorite, then it'll probably be something about exploring and taking pictures.
59. How many jobs have you had?
1) Working for my parents' business (parts assembly, mailing, records, occasional phone, web design)
2) Housewares at Wal-Mart
3) Sheet music salesperson
4) Stereo Compiler (data entry; tracing 3D maps off aerial photos)
5) Night desk clerk
6) Customer service representative
7) Freelance page and web design
8) Web Designer
9) Web Producer
60. What would be your "dream job"?
Something that never bored me and that allowed me to use and better my skills, where I made enough money and got enough time off to travel luxuriously a lot.
61. What do you want to achieve in life?
I want to learn as much as I can, and I want to have a positive impact on the world--whether it be through taking in foster kids, or sponsoring a child in a foreign country, or funding a scholarship, or building a library. And I want people to remember me. It's selfish, but it's the truth. Death itself doesn't really scare me, but the thought of living an unremembered life does.
Tired of all of those stupid surveys made by High School kids?
Here are some questions for some people who are a little more mature... ok old folks like us.
1. What bill do you hate paying the most?
I can't really think of one. We don't have any debt, so no credit card bills or anything. No car payments. We pay rent, but I don't hate paying that because it's necessary. Likewise for the utilities. Sean would probably say he hates the electric bill during the summer, but really we seem to have done pretty well this year in that sense. The cell phone bill is more than we'd pay for a land line, but not so much more that I care. Plus we got grandfathered in to a fantabulous plan with more minutes than we'll ever need.
So I'm pretty Zen about the bills, I guess.
2. What's the best place to eat a romantic dinner?
Outside, at sunset, with candles, in a place away from other people but with a gorgeous view. I have never done this!
I don't find restaurants particularly romantic. I haven't really been to an expensive restaurant, though...maybe there's a difference. But in general I find them to be too public for romance.
One time Sean and I ate dinner on our deck, and I really liked that. We had to sit on a blanket because we didn't have a table. The meal was that herb crusted chicken thing I always make (from Saving Dinner) and green beans. We probably had a starch, but I don't remember what it was. The important thing was that when I asked Sean if he wanted to eat on the deck, he said he really wanted to do that with me. That was really all the romance I needed.
3. Last time you puked from drinking?
I've never drunk enough to puke, and I don't ever intend to.
4. When is the last time you got drunk and danced on a bar?
I've never drunk enough to get drunk, and I don't ever intend to. :>
5. Name of your first grade teacher?
Mrs. Fosson? I think?
6. What do you really want to be doing right now?
I'm fairly content with sitting here answering a survey, honestly. But if I could be doing anything in the world right now, I'd be sitting in a yukata at Momijiso on Miyajima with a group of close friends, enjoying their company and snacking on traditional Japanese confections before snuggling into a futon with Sean to sleep and prepare for a day of exploring. (Let's pretend it would be the evening there as well as here right now, because I don't care to be jetlagged while I'm doing what I really want to do.)
7. What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I don't know that I had any aspirations. I thought I was good at writing, because I had been told that, but I don't know that I wanted to be a writer. I didn't think I wanted to be a nurse or an electrician, my parents' professions. But I didn't know what profession would be interesting. (Story of my life?)
In high school I first wanted to be a computer programmer, then a mechanical engineer, and I was very adamant that I would never be an English teacher.
8. How many colleges did you attend before you settled on the one you graduated from?
Two. UAH for aerospace engineering, and then UK because I lived nearby. It happens that UK is an awesome school, and I'm glad I got to go there.
9. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now?
Because I was going to wear my blue tank top, but I decided I'd slept in it enough that it needed to be washed, so I put this on instead. It's a red shirt that's part of a pajama set that Sean's mom gave me, but I'm not wearing the pants because they'd be too hot.
10. Gas prices! First thought?
Why are they 18 cents less in South Carolina? And why do I keep forgetting to fill up before I cross the state line?
11. If you could move anywhere and take someone with you, where would you go?
Okay, obviously, I'd move to Japan and take Sean. Specifically in Japan, I wouldn't mind living in Kyushu or near Tokyo, but I really think it'd be nice to live in a rural area somewhere in the Kanto or Hokkaido.
12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning?
I wasn't particularly coherent. I leapt out of bed and turned it off and was stretching my arms out over my head, blinking, when Sean came in and laughed at the look on my face. Then he went to bed...I finally mustered the brain cells to wonder if he's decided to wait for me to get up before he goes to sleep.
13. Last thought before falling asleep last night?
I had just finished reading The Boy in the Well, so I was thinking about how the Talismen series really seems to have a rich, epic plot, but that it was odd that they'd put out a book that couldn't really stand on its own.
14. Favorite style of pajamas?
Cotton/spandex, T-shirt and shorts. Anything comfortable and light, not too hot.
15. Favorite style of underwear for the opposite sex?
Ooooh, it depends. I can like both boxers and briefs, really, depending on how they look on the guy. Sean only wears one kind, and they're fine with me.
I've never seen a guy in person wearing a G-string/thong/whatever. Might be interesting.
16. What errand/chore do you despise?
Dusting and doing floors. Ugh. Any task that's wide in scope, really. I like chores that are more bite-sized, like the dishes. I even don't mind laundry so much now, because I can do it all in one place rather than having to carry stuff back and forth.
17. If you didn't have to work, would you?
I would definitely do something. When I don't have something productive to do I get lethargic and very unhappy. I'm not sure if I'd freelance at something or what I'd do, though. If I didn't have to work I imagine I'd spend a lot of time traveling, but while I was traveling I might try to do things that would get my name out there, like photography or writing.
18. Get up early or sleep in?
I like both. It depends on how much sleep I've gotten recently. I really prefer to be up early, but I also adore sleeping, and if I sleep into the afternoon I don't typically feel badly about it.
19. Your favorite cartoon character?
Freakazoid! (And if you're wondering, my favorite anime character is Yuuri from Kyou Kara Maou! Anime != cartoons.)
20. Favorite NON-sexual thing to do at night with a girl/guy?
Get comfy, watch a good TV show like Smallville and discuss it.
21. If you could get away with it, who would you kill?
I've answered this question before! And my answer was Osama bin Laden! At this point I'm not sure it'd be in the world's best interest to kill him, though. I'd like to see him stand trial.
I can't think of anyone I'd want to kill, really. I know, I'm a boring goody-good. But I can never be sure that my personal opinion is correct, and therefore I could never be sure that I was killing for a just reason, that the person deserved to die, etc. The death penalty is different, because at least in that case the person's guilt is decided by jury, but I still don't know that I'm completely okay with it.
I was telling Amanda at work today that I didn't know if the death penalty was a good prohibitive measure against sex offenders, because I'm not sure it would really deter them. There's some sort of imbalance there to begin with that makes them think it's okay to do those things. Would they really rationally think "Oh, I could die for this"?
And that makes me wonder if it's right to use it as a punishment, either. It would be better if there was a way to fix people so they wouldn't do it again and would truly understand why it was wrong. (Or, as Amanda suggested, we could literally "fix" them...)
22. What was your first car?
My grandma's old 1982 Mercury Marquis. It was really the family car, but I had it for about six weeks at the end of my second (and last) semester at UAH. Then, when I got a job at a music store, I bought myself a 1993 Ford Taurus.
23. Your best Your Mamma joke?
I hate Yo' Mama jokes.
24. Your favorite lunch meat?
Bologna :)
25. What do you get everytime you go into a WAWA?
I have no idea what that is. From this, it looks like it's a gas station/convenience store? So I'll just answer as if it's asking about Stuckey's or something.
I don't have a standard thing to get, but I do like to get Little Debbie snacks when I go to gas stations. It reminds me of going to them on the way to the lake when I was a kid, for some reason.
Of course, I rarely go into a gas station, unless I'm on a road trip and need to pee.
26. Beach or lake?
Either one. They both have water.
27. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual that was invented by people who died at 20?
I think the idea of committing yourself fully to one other person is beautiful. I do think marriage should be something separate from the law, and that tax breaks and household matters and other legal issues should be based on civil unions, which would have nothing to do with love or religion or anything and everything to do with who you live with, whether it be out of romance or family or necessity.
28. Who do you stalk on MySpace?
I have two (count 'em two) friends who actually use their MySpace accounts, so I'm subscribed to their MySpace blogs. There's also a MySpace group I go to every now and then. But mostly MySpace seems to be a place for people in bands to get their music out to the public.
29. Favorite guilty pleasure?
Webcomics, and they're only a guilty pleasure because I sometimes read them when I shouldn't be. I really don't feel much shame about the things I like. (Maybe I should be more embarrassed when I eat snacks...)
30. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about?
As I mentioned above, I don't really get embarrassed. I like who I am, and I don't care if people know my secrets. In fact, I want them to. I'm self-centered that way.
So what's a movie I like that would be embarrassing to someone else to admit to? Hmm.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure?
31. What's your drink?
I'll always have a special place in my heart for Dr Pepper.
32. Cowboys or Indians?
Indians, because they were so fascinating and scary in the Little House books.
That, and the fact that Native American culture is so rich.
33. Cops or robbers?
Cops in real life; robbers in movies. High class robbers, that is, like in Entrapment.
34. Do you cheer for the bad guy?
It depends. I honestly do cheer for Lex in Smallville. How could you not?
When a story is so fully fleshed out that you can understand each character's motivations, then you can find yourself cheering for any of them. Even the ones you know are doomed to fall.
If it's a black and white story, then I normally don't like the bad guys. And you're not supposed to, are you?
35. What Hollywood star do you think resembles you best?
I'm sure all Hollywood stars will be pleased to know that none of them look like me.
36. If you had to pick one which cast member of seinfeld who would you be?
Okay, I've been correcting the grammar, capitalization, and punctuation in these questions, but this one is too hilarious, so I left it just the way it was.
I suppose I'd be Jerry, because he's the one who has things the most together, and he makes enough money to live more than comfortably.
37. What do you want when you are sick?
To feel better :P I hate being sick. I don't want soup, I don't want sleep, I don't want anything but to not be sick.
Fortunately, I don't get sick much.
38. Who from high school would you like to run into?
It'd be cool to run into Eric Thigpen. I seem to run into him randomly, but it's been awhile since the last encounter. (It'd help if I spent more time back home.)
Otherwise, it'd of course be cool to see my old friends, like Kristanne and Margaret.
I can't think of anyone whose contact information I don't already have that I really want to run into. I wouldn't mind running into anyone, of course :)
Actually, our ten year reunion was a couple weekends ago, and I totally skipped it.
39. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now?
I think it's on 95 Rock, but it varies. I also listen to 93.9 The Drive, HD92.3, Eagle 102, and occasionally 104.3 WBBQ (unless Delilah's on, UGH) and Power107.
41. Stiffler or Oz?
Um. What?
Oh. American Pie. I guess I should watch that movie someday.
...Wait. Where's question 40?
I googled and only found one blog with this questionnaire that had a #40. It was: Political affiliation?
I don't know if I can really categorize my political leanings.
42. Norm or Cliff?
Norm, of course :)
43. The Cosby Show or the Simpsons?
AJ loves The Cosby Show. I never really got into it. I do highly enjoy The Simpsons, though.
44. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back?
Saying "I love you" when I didn't mean it. Although I'm not sure taking it back would have changed how things ended, and I'm not sure I would want to change that ending anyway. I think that relationship taught me a lot.
45. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work?
If by "across" you mean "over my left shoulder", then yes! And since there is no one else in the room anyway...
46. A secret that you wouldn't mind everyone knowing?
How is that a secret, exactly?
I've been sitting here for like fifteen minutes and I can't think of an answer to this question.
It's not that I'm secretive--hardly! It's just that I can't think of anything that 1) I classify to myself as a secret and 2) I wouldn't mind suddenly sharing. In fact, the only things I can really think of that are secrets are things I don't want to share--one personal thing, which I've actually shared before on this blog but which I don't want to share anymore; things that are between me and Sean; and things that people have told me that it isn't my right to share with others.
47. What famous person would you like to have dinner with?
Is it sad that the first name that popped into my head was Drew Barrymore?
I think I answered a question like this once with "Junichiro Koizumi".
But you know who it'd be really interesting to talk with? Stephen Hawking. ...although how would dinner work, exactly? :>
48. What famous person would you like to sleep with? [Note: This question didn't exist on Wes' blog; I found it while searching for the elusive #40!]
All things equal, assuming neither of us were in a relationship...um...
Drew Barrymore :>
49. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose?
No, but I know people who have!
50. Last book you read for real?
The Boy in the Well, as I mentioned above. I'm still trying to read Sword and Blossom, too (if "trying" can be defined as "leaving it on my nightstand in the hopes that I'll pick it up again someday").
51. Do you have a teddy bear?
I have a panda. His name is Peter. He's sitting on a chair in our bedroom. I got him from Grandma.
He's actually not the original Peter Panda. I took the original to Illinois on a family trip once and forgot him. The next year when we returned I planned to ask for him back, but when I saw that he'd obviously been played with a lot by my young cousin I decided not to.
So instead I asked Grandma if I could have her other, identical panda.
52. Strangest place you have ever brushed your teeth?
Thinking...thinking...
Japan isn't all that weird, and I didn't brush my teeth in an odd place in Japan except for the sink at my host family's house, because it's right there in the hallway, not even in a room. You turn left after coming in from the entranceway and there it is.
I may have brushed my teeth outside at some point in my life, but I don't really remember doing it.
53. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go?
I've never been anywhere in California. I'd like to see San Francisco, because I've heard it's lovely, and because those hills look awesome. Plus, the Golden Gate Bridge is an amazing feat of engineering.
I'd also like to see Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.
54. How many times a day do you text?
Zero!
55. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or relationship?
I'm pretty content with my "career", and I'm married so I obviously don't want new romance, but a new friendship couldn't hurt :) I like friends :)
56. Do you go to church?
Nope.
57. Pencil or pen?
I used to refuse to write in anything but mechanical pencil, but now I seem to favor ballpoint pens. Go figure.
58. Describe your favorite day?
Okay, this question could take awhile ;P and I've been doing this questionnaire for two hours now. So I'm not going to even bother.
Maybe some other time I'll come back and try to write this. At which point I'll have to decide what my favorite day is. If the question is asking what day in my life so far is my favorite, then it'll probably be our wedding. If it's asking what kind of day in general is my favorite, then it'll probably be something about exploring and taking pictures.
59. How many jobs have you had?
1) Working for my parents' business (parts assembly, mailing, records, occasional phone, web design)
2) Housewares at Wal-Mart
3) Sheet music salesperson
4) Stereo Compiler (data entry; tracing 3D maps off aerial photos)
5) Night desk clerk
6) Customer service representative
7) Freelance page and web design
8) Web Designer
9) Web Producer
60. What would be your "dream job"?
Something that never bored me and that allowed me to use and better my skills, where I made enough money and got enough time off to travel luxuriously a lot.
61. What do you want to achieve in life?
I want to learn as much as I can, and I want to have a positive impact on the world--whether it be through taking in foster kids, or sponsoring a child in a foreign country, or funding a scholarship, or building a library. And I want people to remember me. It's selfish, but it's the truth. Death itself doesn't really scare me, but the thought of living an unremembered life does.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Arts in the Heart 2006
Brooke and I went to Arts in the Heart yesterday after the fitting for my bridesmaid dress. This year's host country was India, so there were several India tents, plenty of Indian food, and lots of Indian-style dance performances. As you might expect, I took pictures.
We arrived sometime around or after 4 p.m. and spent some time exploring everything the event had to offer. We walked around the Common, where all the food vendors and the Global Stage were set up, and then back to the field where the arts and crafts were being sold. I saw a few people with Asian-style paper umbrellas, but I never figured out where they got them. I also saw this, which cracked me up:
Towards 6 p.m. Mari's bellydancers started arriving, and Brooke went to hang out with them for awhile. I took my own solitary stroll around the grounds, this time heading out the gates and up onto the tall Riverwalk walkway to get some aerial shots.
Then I headed back to the Global Stage for the bellydance performances. At first I was sitting off to the side, so I couldn't really get a good angle, but after the Indian dancing started wrapped up, a few spaces opened up out front, so Brooke and I met up and wormed our way in, and Kelly joined us in the same area.
We watched three guys do a very energetic Indian dance (here's a movie), and then it was time for Alchemy, Savannah Winds, and their guest bellydance troupes from all around Georgia and South Carolina to take the stage. You can find pictures and videos here.
Some little girls danced, and they were so cute:
You can see a video of them here.
After the performance we went to congratulate the dancers and say happy birthday to Mari. Then we went to grab some food from the India tent.
This is my meal, the Maharajah Platter. It consisted of rice, puri (deep fried whole wheat bread), chole (garbanzo beans in mildly spiced gravy), samosa (lightly spiced vegetables and potatoes wrapped in flour and deep fried), masala dosa (crepe made of lentil and rice), and karanji (pastry filled with shredded coconut, nuts, and raisins). I didn't really care for the masala dosa, for whatever reason, but everything else was fantastic. I'd love to learn how to make karanji.
Once we were finished eating, we took one last circuit around the darkened grounds, and I bought some hand-etched lacquerware boxes from Linda Tong. I used to have one, which I purchased from her at Christmas Made in the South, but it was lost in the fire. Now I have two: a round box and a box shaped like an egg. She wrote "Arts in the Heart of Augusta 2006" inside each one in her delicate, beautiful script for me :) If you're interested in her stuff, here's her website.
It was a really fun night! Great food, beautiful performances, and wonderful things to look at.
And I was so happy to spend a day with my best friend. I haven't done that nearly enough lately. Thanks, Brookie :)
We arrived sometime around or after 4 p.m. and spent some time exploring everything the event had to offer. We walked around the Common, where all the food vendors and the Global Stage were set up, and then back to the field where the arts and crafts were being sold. I saw a few people with Asian-style paper umbrellas, but I never figured out where they got them. I also saw this, which cracked me up:
Towards 6 p.m. Mari's bellydancers started arriving, and Brooke went to hang out with them for awhile. I took my own solitary stroll around the grounds, this time heading out the gates and up onto the tall Riverwalk walkway to get some aerial shots.
Then I headed back to the Global Stage for the bellydance performances. At first I was sitting off to the side, so I couldn't really get a good angle, but after the Indian dancing started wrapped up, a few spaces opened up out front, so Brooke and I met up and wormed our way in, and Kelly joined us in the same area.
We watched three guys do a very energetic Indian dance (here's a movie), and then it was time for Alchemy, Savannah Winds, and their guest bellydance troupes from all around Georgia and South Carolina to take the stage. You can find pictures and videos here.
Some little girls danced, and they were so cute:
You can see a video of them here.
After the performance we went to congratulate the dancers and say happy birthday to Mari. Then we went to grab some food from the India tent.
This is my meal, the Maharajah Platter. It consisted of rice, puri (deep fried whole wheat bread), chole (garbanzo beans in mildly spiced gravy), samosa (lightly spiced vegetables and potatoes wrapped in flour and deep fried), masala dosa (crepe made of lentil and rice), and karanji (pastry filled with shredded coconut, nuts, and raisins). I didn't really care for the masala dosa, for whatever reason, but everything else was fantastic. I'd love to learn how to make karanji.
Once we were finished eating, we took one last circuit around the darkened grounds, and I bought some hand-etched lacquerware boxes from Linda Tong. I used to have one, which I purchased from her at Christmas Made in the South, but it was lost in the fire. Now I have two: a round box and a box shaped like an egg. She wrote "Arts in the Heart of Augusta 2006" inside each one in her delicate, beautiful script for me :) If you're interested in her stuff, here's her website.
It was a really fun night! Great food, beautiful performances, and wonderful things to look at.
And I was so happy to spend a day with my best friend. I haven't done that nearly enough lately. Thanks, Brookie :)
Friday, September 15, 2006
From the WTF department
FedEx Kinko's charged me eleven dollars to send a 7 page fax this morning.
What is that, like a 1500% markup? o_o
What is that, like a 1500% markup? o_o
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Augusta lacks resources
Last night I dreamed that I signed up to take a Japanese language proficiency test, and when I finally went to take it, I didn't know any of the answers. So I decided to just take the test with me and study it for next year.
It was pretty humiliating, in the dream, but I managed to keep an outward smile.
Then, this morning, oddly, I find a new comment on a post from a year and a half ago.
I searched for Japanese classes back then, and listed the only ones I found in that post. The commenter suggested that I check the Yellow Pages and local community colleges.
I guess she couldn't tell from my post that I had done that already.
But hey, a year and a half has passed, I thought. Maybe things are different.
So I checked. ASU doesn't have anything. Neither does USC Aiken. (These schools would probably argue that they are not community colleges, but you have to at least admit that they are very small.)
Here's a list of all the "colleges" and "universities" I could find in the area. None of them has any courses even remotely related to Japanese. Many of them don't have any foreign language courses at all. Augusta Technical College; Troy University; Savannah River College; Paine College; Brenau University; Southern Illinois University Off-Campus-Fort Gordon; Central Michigan University Off-Campus-Fort Gordon; Georgia Military College Augusta; Summit Christian College; Voorhees College; Piedmont Technical College; Cambridge College-Augusta
So no, Karen, I don't live in an area with good educational resources, stuff beyond business, health, and trades.
I used to.
Oh well.
The closest real schools are the University of Georgia, 2 hours away, Georgia State University, 2 hours away, and the University of South Carolina's main campus in Columbia, an hour and a half away.
UGA has many, many different Japanese language courses, including your standard Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced, plus Business Japanese, Intensive Japanese, Directed Study in Japanese, and Readings in Japanese Literature.
GSU has Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced, with Intensive versions of each of those, plus Intermediate Composition and Conversation, a Pronunciation Clinic, an Intensive Grammar Review, Japanese Language and Society, Reading and Writing in Japanese, and Business Japanese.
USC has Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Japanese for Business.
It was pretty humiliating, in the dream, but I managed to keep an outward smile.
Then, this morning, oddly, I find a new comment on a post from a year and a half ago.
I searched for Japanese classes back then, and listed the only ones I found in that post. The commenter suggested that I check the Yellow Pages and local community colleges.
I guess she couldn't tell from my post that I had done that already.
But hey, a year and a half has passed, I thought. Maybe things are different.
So I checked. ASU doesn't have anything. Neither does USC Aiken. (These schools would probably argue that they are not community colleges, but you have to at least admit that they are very small.)
Here's a list of all the "colleges" and "universities" I could find in the area. None of them has any courses even remotely related to Japanese. Many of them don't have any foreign language courses at all. Augusta Technical College; Troy University; Savannah River College; Paine College; Brenau University; Southern Illinois University Off-Campus-Fort Gordon; Central Michigan University Off-Campus-Fort Gordon; Georgia Military College Augusta; Summit Christian College; Voorhees College; Piedmont Technical College; Cambridge College-Augusta
So no, Karen, I don't live in an area with good educational resources, stuff beyond business, health, and trades.
I used to.
Oh well.
The closest real schools are the University of Georgia, 2 hours away, Georgia State University, 2 hours away, and the University of South Carolina's main campus in Columbia, an hour and a half away.
UGA has many, many different Japanese language courses, including your standard Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced, plus Business Japanese, Intensive Japanese, Directed Study in Japanese, and Readings in Japanese Literature.
GSU has Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced, with Intensive versions of each of those, plus Intermediate Composition and Conversation, a Pronunciation Clinic, an Intensive Grammar Review, Japanese Language and Society, Reading and Writing in Japanese, and Business Japanese.
USC has Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Japanese for Business.
Saturday, September 9, 2006
He's got a knife!
Takeshi Obata, the talented artist who brought Yumi Hotta's story Hikaru no Go to life, has been arrested for weapons possession. He was apparently pulled over for driving without his headlights on, and police found he had a knife in his car.
Shueisha Inc., the publisher of Obata's works, has said it will not withdraw Obata's manga from the market, at least until they "get to the bottom of the incident". Pata at Irresponsible Pictures has already weighed in on how ludicrous this sounds (at least to Americans).
Obata reportedly stated that he kept the knife in his car for camping.
Obata also illustrated Tsugumi Ohba's Death Note series, which ended in May. It is apparently highly popular, having spawned two movies. Wikipedia has an interesting story about some "teasing" in Chinese schools based on the plot of the manga.
Shueisha Inc., the publisher of Obata's works, has said it will not withdraw Obata's manga from the market, at least until they "get to the bottom of the incident". Pata at Irresponsible Pictures has already weighed in on how ludicrous this sounds (at least to Americans).
Obata reportedly stated that he kept the knife in his car for camping.
Obata also illustrated Tsugumi Ohba's Death Note series, which ended in May. It is apparently highly popular, having spawned two movies. Wikipedia has an interesting story about some "teasing" in Chinese schools based on the plot of the manga.
5 Things
I really feel like I've done this before. And maybe I have. And maybe when I switch to a blog CMS that indexes all my posts, I can find it and do a comparison.
:P
Anyway, I was tagged by Brookie, so here goes.
5 things in my refrigerator:
1. Leftover Mi Rancho
2. Leftover Harbor Inn
3. Homemade apple sauce from Grandma (I hope it hasn't gone bad)
4. A rotting Steak-Out salad I need to throw away
5. Teriyaki sauce
5 things in my closet:
1. Two (count 'em two) irons (that I never use)
2. A huge pile of shoeboxes I should throw away
3. A zillion shoes
4. The washer and dryer (sooo convenient)
5. Clothes (yes, my closet is boring...maybe I should have indexed the computer closet, which is full of manuals, CDs, and boxes...:P)
5 things in my purse:
1. My camera
2. My cheapo mp3 player (hey, it plays mp3s)
3. Pens and a notepad
4. Cough drops
5. My timecard for my main job and the keycard for my part-time job
5 things in my car (and/or trunk):
(I'm using Sean's car right now, so I'll talk about that instead of my Subaru.)
1. My umbrella
2. A windshield cover we never use
3. Sean's saxophone pin from when he used to be in band
4. A toolkit
5. Nothing else really--that car is freaking clean!
5 people that get tagged:
I am almost 100% sure I have done this before, so I don't want to tag the same people I tagged back then. Because that would be just silly. However, I have no way of knowing who I tagged. So, if I tagged you back then and you remember it, please do the following two things:
1) Do not do this questionnaire again (unless you want to).
2) Post a link in the comments to where you did it before, to remind me.
If I did not tag you back then (or just just can't remember that I did), please:
1) Do this questionnaire.
:)
:P
Anyway, I was tagged by Brookie, so here goes.
5 things in my refrigerator:
1. Leftover Mi Rancho
2. Leftover Harbor Inn
3. Homemade apple sauce from Grandma (I hope it hasn't gone bad)
4. A rotting Steak-Out salad I need to throw away
5. Teriyaki sauce
5 things in my closet:
1. Two (count 'em two) irons (that I never use)
2. A huge pile of shoeboxes I should throw away
3. A zillion shoes
4. The washer and dryer (sooo convenient)
5. Clothes (yes, my closet is boring...maybe I should have indexed the computer closet, which is full of manuals, CDs, and boxes...:P)
5 things in my purse:
1. My camera
2. My cheapo mp3 player (hey, it plays mp3s)
3. Pens and a notepad
4. Cough drops
5. My timecard for my main job and the keycard for my part-time job
5 things in my car (and/or trunk):
(I'm using Sean's car right now, so I'll talk about that instead of my Subaru.)
1. My umbrella
2. A windshield cover we never use
3. Sean's saxophone pin from when he used to be in band
4. A toolkit
5. Nothing else really--that car is freaking clean!
5 people that get tagged:
I am almost 100% sure I have done this before, so I don't want to tag the same people I tagged back then. Because that would be just silly. However, I have no way of knowing who I tagged. So, if I tagged you back then and you remember it, please do the following two things:
1) Do not do this questionnaire again (unless you want to).
2) Post a link in the comments to where you did it before, to remind me.
If I did not tag you back then (or just just can't remember that I did), please:
1) Do this questionnaire.
:)
Wednesday, September 6, 2006
The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric
Did you watch?
I never watch the news, but I watched this.
It was interesting. Yesterday's premiere felt a little awkward, like the show was still finding itself, and I sensed that Couric was a little nervous. But today's was as smooth as butter.
I really enjoy the format of the show. The set is beautiful, and I love all the different camera angles. It's really interesting how Couric will be standing for some parts of the show and sitting for others. She ended tonight's show sitting on the edge of the anchor desk.
I mean, that's awesome.
The graphics are very pretty (I notice news graphics more now that I work with someone who creates them for a living), and the monitors on the set are huge.
As far as the content of the show goes, I'm not really sure. Yesterday's news seemed too superficial. One of Couric's goals was to give more time to analysis of the lead story, but somehow I didn't feel the analysis added enough to be worth sacrificing other stories.
Today's newscast was different, as the main feature was Couric's exclusive interview with President Bush. I did enjoy that, as I felt it was pretty balanced and thorough.
I also like the Free Speech segment, in which people sound off for a couple minutes about a topic near and dear to their hearts. Yesterday's, from the Super Size Me guy, was quite good; I really liked it. I was kind of busy working during today's, so I didn't really hear too much of it, unfortunately.
Rush Limbaugh is going to be on tomorrow. I can't wait.
I'm not sure how the new Snapshots segment is going to be used. For the premiere, they ran...pictures of Suri Cruise.
-_-
As I said to Amanda, "What is this, Inside Edition?"
There are plenty of things that are more newsworthy than the first-ever pictures of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby OMG. Here's hoping that segment won't just be a gossip column.
But in all, I am optimistic about Couric's term as anchor. The big question in all this was whether a morning show personality could make the transition to serious evening journalism. It seems to me that in this case, the answer is yes.
(Also exciting are the myriad web features Couric has developed. A simulcast of the newscast, web-exclusive videos and analysis, photo galleries...she's really taking advantage of the medium. I'm impressed.)
I never watch the news, but I watched this.
It was interesting. Yesterday's premiere felt a little awkward, like the show was still finding itself, and I sensed that Couric was a little nervous. But today's was as smooth as butter.
I really enjoy the format of the show. The set is beautiful, and I love all the different camera angles. It's really interesting how Couric will be standing for some parts of the show and sitting for others. She ended tonight's show sitting on the edge of the anchor desk.
I mean, that's awesome.
The graphics are very pretty (I notice news graphics more now that I work with someone who creates them for a living), and the monitors on the set are huge.
As far as the content of the show goes, I'm not really sure. Yesterday's news seemed too superficial. One of Couric's goals was to give more time to analysis of the lead story, but somehow I didn't feel the analysis added enough to be worth sacrificing other stories.
Today's newscast was different, as the main feature was Couric's exclusive interview with President Bush. I did enjoy that, as I felt it was pretty balanced and thorough.
I also like the Free Speech segment, in which people sound off for a couple minutes about a topic near and dear to their hearts. Yesterday's, from the Super Size Me guy, was quite good; I really liked it. I was kind of busy working during today's, so I didn't really hear too much of it, unfortunately.
Rush Limbaugh is going to be on tomorrow. I can't wait.
I'm not sure how the new Snapshots segment is going to be used. For the premiere, they ran...pictures of Suri Cruise.
-_-
As I said to Amanda, "What is this, Inside Edition?"
There are plenty of things that are more newsworthy than the first-ever pictures of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' baby OMG. Here's hoping that segment won't just be a gossip column.
But in all, I am optimistic about Couric's term as anchor. The big question in all this was whether a morning show personality could make the transition to serious evening journalism. It seems to me that in this case, the answer is yes.
(Also exciting are the myriad web features Couric has developed. A simulcast of the newscast, web-exclusive videos and analysis, photo galleries...she's really taking advantage of the medium. I'm impressed.)
My body can't make up its mind
As I'm sure I've mentioned before at some point (and by the way, this will be far too much information for many), I tend to get highly productive when I'm having a period. Such is the case today, which is why I stayed at work until a quarter after 10.
I had Monday off for Labor Day, and that always puts me behind. And the fall season and the football season are here, which means extra site content and promotions and whatnot. So I haven't been lacking in things to do of late. I pushed through, adding and updating and tweaking, until I realized I was about to fall asleep in my chair, at which point I shelved the rest of my projects and headed home.
When I first saw the blood last night, I didn't get excited about it. About a week ago I thought I was having a period, but it was a false alarm. But it didn't just go away this time.
I'm not sure how long it's been since I've had a period, but it seems like it's been a long time. For awhile there I was taking Estrace but not Provera, and I had one period while doing that and then nothing. Then I stopped Estrace for awhile too. I think I had one period after stopping the hormones, and then nothing happened.
So my doctor put me on an estrogen patch. I wore those for several weeks. Last week I realized I was out of them, and since Sean's contract is up I don't have health insurance, so I just gave up on using them until I get insurance again next month from my employer.
I just figured nothing would happen, but here I am, patchless and having a period.
I'm not sure why I didn't have a period while I was on the patch. Maybe I was getting ready to, and I would have continued to have them if I'd stayed on the patch, but now that I've stopped I won't have another one. Or maybe the patches jumpstarted me and I'll go back to being normal!!!
(Yes, I am a ridiculously optimistic person. I'd just about have to be, wouldn't I?)
In any case, I hope I can wring another highly productive day out of this. It's always nice to feel so motivated and tireless.
I had Monday off for Labor Day, and that always puts me behind. And the fall season and the football season are here, which means extra site content and promotions and whatnot. So I haven't been lacking in things to do of late. I pushed through, adding and updating and tweaking, until I realized I was about to fall asleep in my chair, at which point I shelved the rest of my projects and headed home.
When I first saw the blood last night, I didn't get excited about it. About a week ago I thought I was having a period, but it was a false alarm. But it didn't just go away this time.
I'm not sure how long it's been since I've had a period, but it seems like it's been a long time. For awhile there I was taking Estrace but not Provera, and I had one period while doing that and then nothing. Then I stopped Estrace for awhile too. I think I had one period after stopping the hormones, and then nothing happened.
So my doctor put me on an estrogen patch. I wore those for several weeks. Last week I realized I was out of them, and since Sean's contract is up I don't have health insurance, so I just gave up on using them until I get insurance again next month from my employer.
I just figured nothing would happen, but here I am, patchless and having a period.
I'm not sure why I didn't have a period while I was on the patch. Maybe I was getting ready to, and I would have continued to have them if I'd stayed on the patch, but now that I've stopped I won't have another one. Or maybe the patches jumpstarted me and I'll go back to being normal!!!
(Yes, I am a ridiculously optimistic person. I'd just about have to be, wouldn't I?)
In any case, I hope I can wring another highly productive day out of this. It's always nice to feel so motivated and tireless.
It's a boy
The second son of Emperor Hirohito now has a son, who is now third in line to the throne, after his father Prince Fumihito (Akishino) and Crown Prince Naruhito.
This of course means that the possibility of a reigning empress is out the window.
It looks like Ampontan was right, and the politicians knew the sex of the baby beforehand.
Asahi: A prince is born
Mainichi: Princess Kiko gives birth to boy
Japundit: Told You So
This of course means that the possibility of a reigning empress is out the window.
It looks like Ampontan was right, and the politicians knew the sex of the baby beforehand.
Asahi: A prince is born
Mainichi: Princess Kiko gives birth to boy
Japundit: Told You So
Saturday, September 2, 2006
Here's something interesting
I was looking at my referrers (the majority of which are myself, alas) and I happened to see one called "stumbleupon.com". So I clicked it and found that it's basically a site that links to other sites. You can put in your url and see who's found you through it and what they thought.
So I put in http://pixelscribbles.com/journal, and this page came out.
As of now I have one comment from a guy named CousCous, who wrote back in 2005:
It's kind of funny. Our apartment burned down the next day.
It's interesting to look at those five posts and think they are considered representative of my blog. It makes me think about the latest five posts on any given day. I don't think I'll change anything--I think this blog is pretty much destined to have a readership of no more than 30--but it's fun to try to see myself as others see me.
Another person, liquidiridium, also indicated that they liked my blog, though they didn't leave a comment.
Also interesting is that the two tags associated with my blog are "japanese" and "graphic design".
So I put in http://pixelscribbles.com/journal, and this page came out.
As of now I have one comment from a guy named CousCous, who wrote back in 2005:
I like this. I read the five latest entries and didn't disagree with anything she wrote. I did the opposite actually. It was like I was reading my own thoughts. Scary. She's got a great sense of humor.Since he wrote this on August 27 at 4:26 p.m., that would mean the five latest entries (in reverse chronological order) would be Yakuza change of power, Housing bubble, Eeeeeeek., The challenge of weight loss, and What am I doing up so early, and posting?
It's kind of funny. Our apartment burned down the next day.
It's interesting to look at those five posts and think they are considered representative of my blog. It makes me think about the latest five posts on any given day. I don't think I'll change anything--I think this blog is pretty much destined to have a readership of no more than 30--but it's fun to try to see myself as others see me.
Another person, liquidiridium, also indicated that they liked my blog, though they didn't leave a comment.
Also interesting is that the two tags associated with my blog are "japanese" and "graphic design".
Friday, September 1, 2006
I love America, but in some ways we are so backwards
Come on, people. Pluto is not a planet. "Xena" is not a planet. None of the rocks in the Main Asteroid Belt or the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt are planets either.
It's sad enough that it's taken this long for the scientific community to "demote" Pluto--why are you making it worse with this ridiculous protest?
I'm sorry you'll have to change your mnemonic devices and that the handcrafted models of the solar system (not to scale) from your middle school years are now obsolete. But what's more important: a happy shiny affirmation of your childhood, or the progress of science?
It's sad enough that it's taken this long for the scientific community to "demote" Pluto--why are you making it worse with this ridiculous protest?
I'm sorry you'll have to change your mnemonic devices and that the handcrafted models of the solar system (not to scale) from your middle school years are now obsolete. But what's more important: a happy shiny affirmation of your childhood, or the progress of science?
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