for an old-school British rich white male, this guy is a riot! I guess he's the English equivalent of Benjamin Franklin. he has so many great quotes..... this seems like a good place to start:
I sometimes give myself admirable advice, but I am incapable of taking it.
Lord Chesterfield
************************
Happy St. Andrew's Day to my fellow Scots et al!
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miércoles, noviembre 30, 2005
martes, noviembre 29, 2005
the perfect post
today's topic, boys and girls is.....perfectionism. have you ever had the desire to do something perfectly....? whether a hobby or task, when you were a kid, an adult, whatever? I sure have. (to forestall you, anonymous... no, you are not perfect.)
perfectionism may seem like an okay trait to have, if you're going to have a trait, but like any trait it has its good and bad points. I remember when I was a sweet, innocent young girl of 11.....
*insert wayne and garth effect here*
picture a cute (read: dorky) kid with a long blond pony tail, sitting at at her humble dining room table. she bends her head diligently (read: unwillingly) over her homework... a writing assignment. picture this going on for about 45 minutes...with no writing taking place. oh, the frustration of writing assignments!!!!! my mother would try to help me get going.... but to no avail. I was stuck. probably the youngest case of writer's block in history.
you see, I felt that whatever was written on that fragile piece of college-lined paper had to be perfectly WELL-CONCEIVED and INTERESTING and WELL-WRITTEN- immediately! I seemed to be unaware that....... ON THE OTHER END OF MY PENCIL, THERE WAS AN ERASER!
despite the years of frustrations and headaches, I can't really complain: perfectionism has given me lots of success in many venues. and yet, even as I enjoy the successes, I have to try to slay the dragon, bit by bit, as it rears its head on all fronts (hmmmm.... I think that's a pretty questionable metaphor. but I'm okay with that! I'm not a perfectionist anymore. or perhaps I could say I'm a recovering perfectionist. or.... oh damn, there I go again. never mind.)
yes, I work on accepting imperfection "in all its beautifully imperfect manifestations" (my new mantra). and it makes it easier, as I go along, if I can celebrate the battles I've already won: for example, nowadays, a mere two decades later, I'm writing everyday in my blog! I'm relaxed about writing, I enjoy it, and if my blog is craptastic, that's okay! after all, you're reading it anyway!
now please excuse me, I've got to go neaten up my sidebar.
************************
"have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."
salvador dali
****************************************
perfectionism may seem like an okay trait to have, if you're going to have a trait, but like any trait it has its good and bad points. I remember when I was a sweet, innocent young girl of 11.....
*insert wayne and garth effect here*
picture a cute (read: dorky) kid with a long blond pony tail, sitting at at her humble dining room table. she bends her head diligently (read: unwillingly) over her homework... a writing assignment. picture this going on for about 45 minutes...with no writing taking place. oh, the frustration of writing assignments!!!!! my mother would try to help me get going.... but to no avail. I was stuck. probably the youngest case of writer's block in history.
you see, I felt that whatever was written on that fragile piece of college-lined paper had to be perfectly WELL-CONCEIVED and INTERESTING and WELL-WRITTEN- immediately! I seemed to be unaware that....... ON THE OTHER END OF MY PENCIL, THERE WAS AN ERASER!
despite the years of frustrations and headaches, I can't really complain: perfectionism has given me lots of success in many venues. and yet, even as I enjoy the successes, I have to try to slay the dragon, bit by bit, as it rears its head on all fronts (hmmmm.... I think that's a pretty questionable metaphor. but I'm okay with that! I'm not a perfectionist anymore. or perhaps I could say I'm a recovering perfectionist. or.... oh damn, there I go again. never mind.)
yes, I work on accepting imperfection "in all its beautifully imperfect manifestations" (my new mantra). and it makes it easier, as I go along, if I can celebrate the battles I've already won: for example, nowadays, a mere two decades later, I'm writing everyday in my blog! I'm relaxed about writing, I enjoy it, and if my blog is craptastic, that's okay! after all, you're reading it anyway!
now please excuse me, I've got to go neaten up my sidebar.
************************
"have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."
salvador dali
****************************************
lunes, noviembre 28, 2005
LAZY!!!
boy, I hope this is weather-related or something, because I am feeling damn LAZY! and I don't feel any intention of getting un-lazy. I have been staying at home more and more, just sitting on the couch and even grabbing a smoke (on the plus side, that let me watch Unleashed last night - verdict: pretty f-in cool). anyway, I'm sitting in front of all this work on my desk, and I DON'T EVEN CARE. I don't even have a contingency plan in case someone asks me what I'm doing all afternoon. I'm worried about myself....
is this normal????
(americans, please answer me. germans, please don't)
is this normal????
(americans, please answer me. germans, please don't)
resty-rest-rest-rested
hello, friends!
I had GREAT Thanksgiving and holiday weekend! I am refreshed, renewed, revitalized, and all the other great things that happen after giving yourself an at-home spa day and then shopping at Saks (gifts at clinique, don't you know!! I felt very rich walking out of Saks with a Saks handle-bag.... after spending the absolute minimum so that I could earn a gift harhar! but it was fun looking at the louis vuitton bags and saying "and how much is that one? hmmm....")
the other thing I did this weekend (besides, of course, travelling to Toronto -yay!- including: doing yoga -Yay!- and eating at fressen -YAY! - and getting a phone message from Susan & Paul down under - YAAAYYYY! I luv yous guyz *kisskiss*) was to begin the final phase in decorating my apartment..... the dreaded putting-up-of-artwork. it's awesome in the sense that it makes the place look so great, but it takes so000000000000000000000000000000 long to figure out how they should go up. I feel like I just finally have a sense of the space in the rooms and can begin to get things up on the walls..... and I moved in August 1st!
well, I decided to make the theme portraits, which as it turns out, is very in vogue. I actually decided to do it because I have a big art book of Japanese prints with lots of portraits. so it's a ready-made theme. I just cut all my favorite ones out and sorted them by color scheme. the living room will be blue, because the furniture is blue and yellow. the dining room/office will be green and yellow and browns, because I already have a great klimt poster in green and yellow that I want to use. and my bedroom will be in pinks cause I just got new pink sheets!
and Susan & Paul: the first to go up were your (real) Japanese prints! (thanks again for a great gift!!!! *hugzhugz*) I put them in the hallway, so every time I walk out of the bathroom, I'm looking right at them. it may seem like a weird choice, but I really do get to see them more! I'll post a pic of how they look up when I get the chance.
I had GREAT Thanksgiving and holiday weekend! I am refreshed, renewed, revitalized, and all the other great things that happen after giving yourself an at-home spa day and then shopping at Saks (gifts at clinique, don't you know!! I felt very rich walking out of Saks with a Saks handle-bag.... after spending the absolute minimum so that I could earn a gift harhar! but it was fun looking at the louis vuitton bags and saying "and how much is that one? hmmm....")
the other thing I did this weekend (besides, of course, travelling to Toronto -yay!- including: doing yoga -Yay!- and eating at fressen -YAY! - and getting a phone message from Susan & Paul down under - YAAAYYYY! I luv yous guyz *kisskiss*) was to begin the final phase in decorating my apartment..... the dreaded putting-up-of-artwork. it's awesome in the sense that it makes the place look so great, but it takes so000000000000000000000000000000 long to figure out how they should go up. I feel like I just finally have a sense of the space in the rooms and can begin to get things up on the walls..... and I moved in August 1st!
well, I decided to make the theme portraits, which as it turns out, is very in vogue. I actually decided to do it because I have a big art book of Japanese prints with lots of portraits. so it's a ready-made theme. I just cut all my favorite ones out and sorted them by color scheme. the living room will be blue, because the furniture is blue and yellow. the dining room/office will be green and yellow and browns, because I already have a great klimt poster in green and yellow that I want to use. and my bedroom will be in pinks cause I just got new pink sheets!
and Susan & Paul: the first to go up were your (real) Japanese prints! (thanks again for a great gift!!!! *hugzhugz*) I put them in the hallway, so every time I walk out of the bathroom, I'm looking right at them. it may seem like a weird choice, but I really do get to see them more! I'll post a pic of how they look up when I get the chance.
the lorider's vocab lesson: zeitgeist - the spirit of the times. can be used as an adjective:
"Faces and people as a genre are more zeitgeist than they were before and this has something to do with photographs, though celebrity culture such as Hello!" huh?
******************************
dating 2005: update - as romance apparently only lasts one year, what other qualities of a relationship should I be on the lookout for? anyone?
******************************************
miércoles, noviembre 23, 2005
the lorider has left the building for 4 days........... Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
of course, I can't post any photos today! click here for a pic of Thanksgiving harmony.....
enjoy your turkey, everyone!!
(or your tofurky and tofutti......Chuck!)
************************
also, Happy Paranoia Day, to those of you who celebrate it....
and I know who you are!!!
****************************************
enjoy your turkey, everyone!!
(or your tofurky and tofutti......Chuck!)
************************
also, Happy Paranoia Day, to those of you who celebrate it....
and I know who you are!!!
****************************************
martes, noviembre 22, 2005
my job
well, as many bloggers get great blog-fodder from their jobs, I've begun thinking that I have never exploited a highly fertile field ...... and sooo.....
first off: I am a teacher. I got certified last year to teach K-5 all general subjects and Spanish and English/Language Arts K-8. I'm finishing my master's degree now, and currently looking for a teaching job. Last year, after I got certified, I decided that it would be fun to try and build my own business offering small-group Spanish classes to homeschool families. it was fun, but I didn't see it ever, say, covering health insurance costs, so I've started to send out resumes... and while I search and wait..............
I'm working as an assistant to an executive in a large family-owned business here in SE Michigan. I'm actually a junior assistant; this lady has two full-time assistants, as well as four full-time housekeepers (at different houses - duh!) and two full-time drivers. being the junior assistant means .... I do the work the senior assistant can't get to:
office-related tasks:
answering the phone
answering her correspondance
sending out invitations for dinner parties related to her board-work
moving old files and materials to storage downstairs
non-office-related tasks:
buying her grandkids birthday presents
buying her close friends birthday presents (pls note - I do not know these people. this is almost impossible; she gives me vague directives like "get something 'hot.' spend $50-60" now picture me driving back and forth to the store several times. luckily, I'm a great shopper! she sometimes gets a little green at the bargains I can find :)
keeping track of birthdays of around 120 people and sending cards
ordering and wrapping her hannukah gifts for her (large) family
sending out bar and bat mitzvah cards and gifts to her many acquaintances' kids and grandkids
sending out invitations to family parties at her house
not telling people in her family who else is invited because I'll get fired
keeping track of the RSVPs for those parties as people change their minds about attending
buying care-package gifts for her grandkids when they are at camp
signing her cards to her grandkids and mailing out the care-packs
calling her three grandkids who are in college once a week and patching them through to her
ordering her underwear
ordering her bras
ordering her clothes from New York
" from Italy
" from Vienna
" from LA
ordering her fanny packs from Florida
ordering her radio walkman with the exact type of headset
ordering her cosmetics from every high-end department store in SE Michigan and beyond
I could go on, but......why?
a friend of mine tells me that I have to read "the devil wears prada," that it is about a PA and it is just like what I tell her.... but.....why?
I live it every day, people.
************************
well, I feel like I got a lot off my chest.
hmmm..... not much left. *sigh*
****************************************
first off: I am a teacher. I got certified last year to teach K-5 all general subjects and Spanish and English/Language Arts K-8. I'm finishing my master's degree now, and currently looking for a teaching job. Last year, after I got certified, I decided that it would be fun to try and build my own business offering small-group Spanish classes to homeschool families. it was fun, but I didn't see it ever, say, covering health insurance costs, so I've started to send out resumes... and while I search and wait..............
I'm working as an assistant to an executive in a large family-owned business here in SE Michigan. I'm actually a junior assistant; this lady has two full-time assistants, as well as four full-time housekeepers (at different houses - duh!) and two full-time drivers. being the junior assistant means .... I do the work the senior assistant can't get to:
office-related tasks:
answering the phone
answering her correspondance
sending out invitations for dinner parties related to her board-work
moving old files and materials to storage downstairs
non-office-related tasks:
buying her grandkids birthday presents
buying her close friends birthday presents (pls note - I do not know these people. this is almost impossible; she gives me vague directives like "get something 'hot.' spend $50-60" now picture me driving back and forth to the store several times. luckily, I'm a great shopper! she sometimes gets a little green at the bargains I can find :)
keeping track of birthdays of around 120 people and sending cards
ordering and wrapping her hannukah gifts for her (large) family
sending out bar and bat mitzvah cards and gifts to her many acquaintances' kids and grandkids
sending out invitations to family parties at her house
not telling people in her family who else is invited because I'll get fired
keeping track of the RSVPs for those parties as people change their minds about attending
buying care-package gifts for her grandkids when they are at camp
signing her cards to her grandkids and mailing out the care-packs
calling her three grandkids who are in college once a week and patching them through to her
ordering her underwear
ordering her bras
ordering her clothes from New York
" from Italy
" from Vienna
" from LA
ordering her fanny packs from Florida
ordering her radio walkman with the exact type of headset
ordering her cosmetics from every high-end department store in SE Michigan and beyond
I could go on, but......why?
a friend of mine tells me that I have to read "the devil wears prada," that it is about a PA and it is just like what I tell her.... but.....why?
I live it every day, people.
************************
well, I feel like I got a lot off my chest.
hmmm..... not much left. *sigh*
****************************************
lunes, noviembre 21, 2005
Eddie is the spaz
do you have cats... or have friends who have cats?
have you ever noticed that whenever there are two cats in one house, one is kind of the favorite, and the other is kind of a spaz.....?
have you ever noticed that whenever there are two cats in one house, one is kind of the favorite, and the other is kind of a spaz.....?
hola, bonjour, ало
not too much news, kiddies.... I pretty much just chilled this weekend and went to a couple of movies with buddies. (shoutout: yo, buddies!!)
1. Jarhead - we weren't going to be able to get good tix for Harry Potter, so we went to this instead - LUCKILY! this is the best movie I've seen in years. I can't wait to see it again in the theater, buy the dvd, hopefully get a bunch of clothing that says "Jarhead" etc.
update: & get the book and the soundtrack for x-mas (HINT!)....
2. Harry Potter - we got good tix on Saturday. it was really good, the effects were awesome, yes, the kids were a bit gangly, but that's to be expected, isn't it? I thoroughly enjoyed it... and yet, I must admit there was a tiny part of me (okay, a big part of me) that wished I was in the theater down the street watching Jarhead again.
mentioning clothing reminds me that on Sunday, I finally happened to be near Plato's Closet with some time on my hands and stopped in... it's a teenager resale shop. I needed some jeans so I went to the jeans rack and found a pair of Apple Bottoms (that fit me like a freakin glove!) and a pair of J-Lo ... and both pairs were only $17.00 each!!!!!! hells yea, I'll be going back! I also got a puffy ralph lauren trench in black for only $25.00. I could not believe it!! I am going to be so cute this fall!
in the weather forecast, prepare to read about a trail of broken hearts in SE Michigan this winter!!! lols, I am the greatest ;)
************************
Happy World Hello Day!
****************************************
1. Jarhead - we weren't going to be able to get good tix for Harry Potter, so we went to this instead - LUCKILY! this is the best movie I've seen in years. I can't wait to see it again in the theater, buy the dvd, hopefully get a bunch of clothing that says "Jarhead" etc.
update: & get the book and the soundtrack for x-mas (HINT!)....
2. Harry Potter - we got good tix on Saturday. it was really good, the effects were awesome, yes, the kids were a bit gangly, but that's to be expected, isn't it? I thoroughly enjoyed it... and yet, I must admit there was a tiny part of me (okay, a big part of me) that wished I was in the theater down the street watching Jarhead again.
mentioning clothing reminds me that on Sunday, I finally happened to be near Plato's Closet with some time on my hands and stopped in... it's a teenager resale shop. I needed some jeans so I went to the jeans rack and found a pair of Apple Bottoms (that fit me like a freakin glove!) and a pair of J-Lo ... and both pairs were only $17.00 each!!!!!! hells yea, I'll be going back! I also got a puffy ralph lauren trench in black for only $25.00. I could not believe it!! I am going to be so cute this fall!
in the weather forecast, prepare to read about a trail of broken hearts in SE Michigan this winter!!! lols, I am the greatest ;)
************************
Happy World Hello Day!
****************************************
viernes, noviembre 18, 2005
oysmutshen
whew - the excitement of celebrating my very first independence day has tired me greatly...... today's post will be a simple news roundup of the week's top stories - later taters!
item 1: I always hate it when I lose my royal status.
"To prepare for her dramatic change of lifestyle, Princess Sayako has reportedly been taking driving lessons and practising shopping at the supermarket." - BBC
that happened to me about 3 weeks ago. it was rough!
item 2: first bird flu death in china! :(
(I know the numbers make it unlikely, but I'm a teensy bit glad that my buddies Susan & Paul moved back to australia with their kiddies....)
item 3: new tv show - I hope there's going to be a bare-fist competition
item 4: hey, mr. big stuff, check this out! I know you're always looking for a 'better position!' (yikes! look at that pic - I can't believe I'm distantly related to her...true story!)
item 5: news flash - holy shite!
item 1: I always hate it when I lose my royal status.
"To prepare for her dramatic change of lifestyle, Princess Sayako has reportedly been taking driving lessons and practising shopping at the supermarket." - BBC
that happened to me about 3 weeks ago. it was rough!
item 2: first bird flu death in china! :(
(I know the numbers make it unlikely, but I'm a teensy bit glad that my buddies Susan & Paul moved back to australia with their kiddies....)
item 3: new tv show - I hope there's going to be a bare-fist competition
item 4: hey, mr. big stuff, check this out! I know you're always looking for a 'better position!' (yikes! look at that pic - I can't believe I'm distantly related to her...true story!)
item 5: news flash - holy shite!
I AM THE WINNER - THE LORIDER RULES FOR ETERNITY!!!!!!!!!!
noticed anything different about my blog lately?
it's quiet, isn't it.......
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT I, THE LORIDER (WHO LIVES IN ETERNITY AS THE GREATEST BLOGGER EVER), HAS DEFEATED anonymous, the stinky, soulless wanna-be blogger!!!! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!
NOVEMBER 18 forever shall be known as:
INDEPENDENCE DAY for THE REPUBLIC OF 1209 ANARCHISTS!!!!!!!!!
************************
Happy Teddy Bear Day.... Chuck!
****************************************
it's quiet, isn't it.......
I AM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT I, THE LORIDER (WHO LIVES IN ETERNITY AS THE GREATEST BLOGGER EVER), HAS DEFEATED anonymous, the stinky, soulless wanna-be blogger!!!! HURRAY!!!!!!!!!
NOVEMBER 18 forever shall be known as:
INDEPENDENCE DAY for THE REPUBLIC OF 1209 ANARCHISTS!!!!!!!!!
************************
Happy Teddy Bear Day.... Chuck!
****************************************
jueves, noviembre 17, 2005
date
alright folks-es, you have waited patiently and your patience shall now be rewarded......
presenting.......... (drumroll)
my date last night withGeorge an unnamed fellow to protect his privacy
predate: (skip this if you only care about the date! I won't blame you)
first, I read up on Bulgaria on wikipedia.org so I wouldn't seem like a totalAmerican ignoramus (did you know that Bulgaria has 28 regions, including Plovdiv, Smolyan and..... Montana ?). on my way out the door from work, I stopped to pass the time with Colleen, our cleaning lady. I told her I was headed on this date and she said she recently joined this same internet service. she is of a slightly older generation than me and was a little concerned about the whole digital thing. I told her I'd let her know what happened: "don't worry Colleen, it didn't hurt a bit!" (wink, nudge-geddit? har)
presenting.......... (drumroll)
my date last night with
predate: (skip this if you only care about the date! I won't blame you)
first, I read up on Bulgaria on wikipedia.org so I wouldn't seem like a total
I went home and changed and gussied up a bit, then jetted over to Sweetwaters Cafe to meet him. as I was late, luckily, so was he! (don't worry, Chuck, he called to explain and apologize) I filled the time by flirting with the guy at the next table and one of the baristas- just practicing, you know!
the actual date:
George the unnamed fellow showed up and he was way cuter than his photo, and also, a lot more lively! I took this as a good sign! we trotted off to a Japanese restaurant called Tokyo Sushi that I have mentioned before in these, my memoirs... (cue cheesy violin music.... -and cut)
macho move #1: (explanatory disclaimer: before all you retroantinouveaupostapocalyptic feminists or antifeminists reach for the comments button: I like a certain amount of macho in a guy, and no matter how much you beg me to, I will not apologize about it. so shut it.)
as we stepped off the curb, (5 min into our date) he put his hand at the small of my back (because he wants to grab me!!! yeah!!!) (this was repeated several times, so I'll just say that now)
macho move #2: as we sat down in the restaurant, he noticed that I was shivering and turned to the waitress bringing the menus and said "I think I will presume... please bring us two hot teas." how sweet!
it turned out we have several things in common, like being huge fans of hot tea, like being educated and interested in the world, like being able to discuss politics and economics (shout out to my family - thanks!), and like I used to be a gymnast and his dad was one of those kick-ass soviet block gymnasts who later became a coach. we ate fried octopus, salmon teriyaki and don katsu (fried pork-chop) and talked a lot of cock about ourselves..... (cue romantic music....)
macho move #3: he paid for dinner (but we split dessert..... he said that the first one was free, but now, the meter's running hahahaha)
macho move #4: he fed my parking meter
next, we went for cannoli and after-dinner ports at andiamo osteria.
macho move #5: he selected the port
there was live music on, but we didn't really notice... too busy gazing into each others' eyes. or at least he attempted to do some eye-gazing, but I gazed shyly at my hands, folded demurely in the prayer position..... (hahahahaha! this is good! I should write some fiction!)
I will leave the evening there, you may imagine the rest.....
overall date score: (out of 10)
octopus-10
cannoli-8.5
macho moves- 9.9
************************
Happy Coping With Uncertainty Day!
****************************************
miércoles, noviembre 16, 2005
KSA, yo!
okay, what is up with people?!?!? let's have a little quiz:
what do all these dishes have in common....?
sausage and peppers
steak n' eggs
roast chicken
turkey and stuffing
roast lamb
fried chicken....
that's right, 1. they all have meat in them, and 2. I eat them all! because.... (concentrate, now)..... I AM A MEAT-EATER!
I know that I practice yoga all the time, and apparently look like I practice yoga all the time, and that I have a hippy-dippy name thanks to my mom.... I do understand that all of these things seem to add up in people's minds that .... "THE LORIDER IS A VEGETARIAN." but to constantly repeat "it's okay, I eat meat," and to still constantly be asked: "should I order one veg pizza?" "will you find something to eat on this menu?" "will it gross you out if I order a big, bloody steak?"
NO!!! YES!!! NO!!! I WILL JUST GET HUNGRY FOR A STEAK!!!!!
don't get me wrong, I think about the issue of eating animals, and I do love vegetables, whole grains and all that but... I just love to have some meat in there as well.... or do I....? let's explore further....
even people who absolutely don't know me ask me if I'm a vegetarian: waiters warn me of dairy and eggs.... drunk guys on bar stools say (okay, I love bar food, too... what of it?) "oh yeah, you ordered the grilled cheese, because you're a vegetarian!" NO!!! BECAUSE I WANTED TO EAT A GRILLED CHEESE!!! DANG!!
so I started thinking.... what is the logic behind this all.....? help me out philosophy majors, because I never took a logic course. I'm starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe.... they are all right, and I am wrong. after all, I assumed that I know more about myself because, well... I am myself, but let's look at the numbers: many, many people (let's say about 125 people), who know me and do not know me, think I am a vegetarian and I (1 person) think I am not.
it's food for thought, if you'll excuse the pun. (har!) at least I can comfort myself with the knowledge that, if I continue eating meat, there will be a support group for me to join:
************************
Happy Birth of the Blues Day!
****************************************
what do all these dishes have in common....?
sausage and peppers
steak n' eggs
roast chicken
turkey and stuffing
roast lamb
fried chicken....
that's right, 1. they all have meat in them, and 2. I eat them all! because.... (concentrate, now)..... I AM A MEAT-EATER!
I know that I practice yoga all the time, and apparently look like I practice yoga all the time, and that I have a hippy-dippy name thanks to my mom.... I do understand that all of these things seem to add up in people's minds that .... "THE LORIDER IS A VEGETARIAN." but to constantly repeat "it's okay, I eat meat," and to still constantly be asked: "should I order one veg pizza?" "will you find something to eat on this menu?" "will it gross you out if I order a big, bloody steak?"
NO!!! YES!!! NO!!! I WILL JUST GET HUNGRY FOR A STEAK!!!!!
don't get me wrong, I think about the issue of eating animals, and I do love vegetables, whole grains and all that but... I just love to have some meat in there as well.... or do I....? let's explore further....
even people who absolutely don't know me ask me if I'm a vegetarian: waiters warn me of dairy and eggs.... drunk guys on bar stools say (okay, I love bar food, too... what of it?) "oh yeah, you ordered the grilled cheese, because you're a vegetarian!" NO!!! BECAUSE I WANTED TO EAT A GRILLED CHEESE!!! DANG!!
so I started thinking.... what is the logic behind this all.....? help me out philosophy majors, because I never took a logic course. I'm starting to wonder if maybe, just maybe.... they are all right, and I am wrong. after all, I assumed that I know more about myself because, well... I am myself, but let's look at the numbers: many, many people (let's say about 125 people), who know me and do not know me, think I am a vegetarian and I (1 person) think I am not.
it's food for thought, if you'll excuse the pun. (har!) at least I can comfort myself with the knowledge that, if I continue eating meat, there will be a support group for me to join:
************************
Happy Birth of the Blues Day!
****************************************
martes, noviembre 15, 2005
the ides of blog - Nov: (very) short stories
welcome to November's ides of blog. this month, I present a selection of truly short stories for your surfing pleasure... enjoy :)
1. TRYING TO TRANSLATE WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND IS SAYING IN SWEDISH WHILE SHE'S ON THE PHONE TO HER MOTHER
by Dan Kennedy
2. Zapped!: Love Amongst the Photocopier Machines
mr brown guest blogs on miyagi.sg
3. "the sleep-less-est night......"
by some hot chick
************************
Happy Shichigosan, littlest neighbor!
****************************************
1. TRYING TO TRANSLATE WHAT MY GIRLFRIEND IS SAYING IN SWEDISH WHILE SHE'S ON THE PHONE TO HER MOTHER
by Dan Kennedy
2. Zapped!: Love Amongst the Photocopier Machines
mr brown guest blogs on miyagi.sg
3. "the sleep-less-est night......"
by some hot chick
************************
Happy Shichigosan, littlest neighbor!
****************************************
lunes, noviembre 14, 2005
success!....?..!..?
UPDATE: well, I am happy to report that I will have at least one date thanks to this personals-ad-thing:
"Wednesday it is. Royal Oak is fine. I used to go there Friday/Saturday evenings. It was either there or Birmingham.
My cell is xxx-xxx-xxxx. What's the best way to get a hold of you?" -some guy whose code name is yet to be determined
I will certainly report back to you on that... tune in Thurs for all the (hopefully mushy!) details.
meanwhile, in my ongoing quest to determine my best match, I have undergone some research into my own personality... (sorry to post a cheesy blog-quiz, but I have added my own comments to make it 'rider-ific'TM.) be aware that they determined all of this by asking me questions about different animals..... perhaps accuracy is not 100%..... I will leave it up to you, dear readers, to judge. and so I give you.....
| The Keys to |
|
now, how could they figure all that out just from my predilection for snakes.....?
In the green corner... BRITEW
Liliana is coming tonight to make a deposit on the room!!!!! it looks like the Epic Roommate Search of 2005 is finally over!!!!!! *cross fingers* and.......yee-haw!
now I can finally begin to bring closure to one of my most emotionally traumatic experiences of 2005 (after being terrorized by a somewhat largish and fluffy cat) .... that is, the loss of BRITEW. (aka the Best Roommate In The Entire World)
what can I say about BRITEW? she is a gorgeous red-head with a heart of gold.....
at first, I didn't know her as BRITEW, and I wasn't even certain of her continued Roommate Status.Haha, ex-roomie, remember the time we had a Halloween party and you got sooooooooo drunk?! it was only like a month after you moved in, and I seriously wondered if I should be worried about you..... but then it turned out that you weren't a total boozer!!! yay!!! (no more captain morgans for you!) shhh, that's a secret!
in time, I learned that BRITEW was indeed the perfect roomie for me. thoughtful, smart, funny and sweet. a yoga soul with a wicked mind (and I mean wicked). actually, I found out that she's a BestFriendEverITEW, too!
and then.......... in an episode that shall go down in history for its infamy and injustice, her evil and ugly boyfriend, the evil and ugly Bed-Head, found out what a great roommie she is, too, and swiped her from me!!! dammit, I forgot to call dibs!!! oh well, I suppose this might have been important to them.....
whatever.
*************************
yeah, I ate at fressen Saturday.... you wish you were me.......
*************************************
now I can finally begin to bring closure to one of my most emotionally traumatic experiences of 2005 (after being terrorized by a somewhat largish and fluffy cat) .... that is, the loss of BRITEW. (aka the Best Roommate In The Entire World)
what can I say about BRITEW? she is a gorgeous red-head with a heart of gold.....
at first, I didn't know her as BRITEW, and I wasn't even certain of her continued Roommate Status.
in time, I learned that BRITEW was indeed the perfect roomie for me. thoughtful, smart, funny and sweet. a yoga soul with a wicked mind (and I mean wicked). actually, I found out that she's a BestFriendEverITEW, too!
and then.......... in an episode that shall go down in history for its infamy and injustice, her evil and ugly boyfriend, the evil and ugly Bed-Head, found out what a great roommie she is, too, and swiped her from me!!! dammit, I forgot to call dibs!!! oh well, I suppose this might have been important to them.....
whatever.
*************************
yeah, I ate at fressen Saturday.... you wish you were me.......
*************************************
viernes, noviembre 11, 2005
Mixmaster, cut faster!!!
well, the show last night was very awesome. sorry to those of you who could not be there....
we started off the night at the Traffic Jam, the original brew-pub in Detroit with the most amazing food.
then we headed over to the Majestic. it was some kind of bad-ass skiing and snowboarding movie called The Tangerine Dream followed by an "after-party" with Mixmaster Mike. I don't know if it was really a party, but it was after the movie. and a bunch of little breakdancers commandeered a circle in front of the stage and did their thang, so it was fun.
and yes, Mixmaster Mike can cut faster and sweeter than you could believe. I learned, or at least was reminded (you know what they say, you don't have to teach a master anything, just remind him/her) how much I love a nasty, nasty bass.
and now, I'd bet you want to see an awesome pic from the show..................
....................
......................
well, forget you! this show is travelling all over - go see him for yourself.
************************
I like a nasty, nasty bass.
****************************************
we started off the night at the Traffic Jam, the original brew-pub in Detroit with the most amazing food.
then we headed over to the Majestic. it was some kind of bad-ass skiing and snowboarding movie called The Tangerine Dream followed by an "after-party" with Mixmaster Mike. I don't know if it was really a party, but it was after the movie. and a bunch of little breakdancers commandeered a circle in front of the stage and did their thang, so it was fun.
and yes, Mixmaster Mike can cut faster and sweeter than you could believe. I learned, or at least was reminded (you know what they say, you don't have to teach a master anything, just remind him/her) how much I love a nasty, nasty bass.
and now, I'd bet you want to see an awesome pic from the show..................
....................
......................
well, forget you! this show is travelling all over - go see him for yourself.
************************
I like a nasty, nasty bass.
****************************************
jueves, noviembre 10, 2005
EXTRA: ANONYMOUS EXPOSED!
not that I want to make this into a political blog... I just have to say that I was kind of sad when I saw this news article today. I know that Turkey is very progressive and has made so many positive strides in creating a secular society. but..... I don't know, my mom wears hijab, and in knowing her and her friends, I know how personally meaningful wearing hijab is to them.... it just makes me sad to think that people would not have the freedom to express themselves religiously..... as I said, I don't want to turn this into some big heavy political blog... so...........
in other breaking news.......
ANONYMOUS EXPOSED!!!
Not that he needs much help exposing himself. Er.
Da-dum-dum.
in other breaking news.......
ANONYMOUS EXPOSED!!!
Not that he needs much help exposing himself. Er.
Da-dum-dum.
boyz 2 men
POST UPDATED, please scroll down
well... as I have been thinking aboutboys men boyfriends friends who are men ??? lately, I have been avidly reading posts that will give me advice on how to proceed in the dating world. unfortunately, all the advice given is for the males.......... hmmmmmmmmmmm.................... I WONDER WHY??????????
here are one and two posts I came across recently that sagely advise men on how to succeed with the ladies. no... wait..... at the end of the second post is one paragraph for the ladies:
"There’s no perfect man. There are many imperfect men, when rolled up together, form the perfect man. So don’t waste your time looking for a perfect man, but look for different imperfect men, each fulfilling you in different ways and…. DATE ALL OF THEM."
- Finicky Feline
okay then! I have developed my new dating strategy... now I will just have to quit my side-jobs, say good-bye to my friends, stop exercising in the evenings or traveling on the weekends..... because I'M GOING TO BE DATING THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!
UPDATE: some freak seems to have gotten ahold of the password of my personals account and applied his decoder ring to the profiles of the guys I thought were interesting. my response: "how do I tell who the normal guys are?" and "get a blog already, freak!"
"Ad 1 - This ad is boring and nondescript. I read it twice since it is only 5 short sentences, and still feel like I know nothing about him. At least he posted 4 pictures.
Looks - 6
Ad Content - 4
Summary: "I work, and I also play. I'm nice. I'm funny. Movies are cool. So is running. If you are looking for someone who is identical to everyone else, holla at ya boy"
Ad 2 - Slightly better than the last in terms of content, but unfortunately I would guess that he likes to torture and kill small animals in between rounds of Dungeons and Dragons or Magic - The Gathering.
Looks - 4
Ad Content - 5
Summary: "I like to be the Elf in D&D. How 'bout you? Looking for a hotchick like Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek. We can chill in my mom's basement and do some programming in the legacy languages like FORTRAN and Cobol. "
Ad 3 - This guy looks like he shares a wardrobe with my Dad. I'm also afraid that if you date him, he will arrest me.
Looks - 5
Ad Content: 8 - good effort
Summary: "I'm a Federal Agent who enjoys smashing the heads of minor drug offenders, deep conversation over coffee, locking people in cages for life, moonlit walks on the beach, electrocuting illegal immigrants with my new stun gun, and soccer. Looking for good clean wholesome fun with a woman who respects local, state, and federal laws"
sigh
************************
Semper Fi!
****************************************
well... as I have been thinking about
here are one and two posts I came across recently that sagely advise men on how to succeed with the ladies. no... wait..... at the end of the second post is one paragraph for the ladies:
"There’s no perfect man. There are many imperfect men, when rolled up together, form the perfect man. So don’t waste your time looking for a perfect man, but look for different imperfect men, each fulfilling you in different ways and…. DATE ALL OF THEM."
- Finicky Feline
okay then! I have developed my new dating strategy... now I will just have to quit my side-jobs, say good-bye to my friends, stop exercising in the evenings or traveling on the weekends..... because I'M GOING TO BE DATING THE UNIVERSE!!!!!!!
UPDATE: some freak seems to have gotten ahold of the password of my personals account and applied his decoder ring to the profiles of the guys I thought were interesting. my response: "how do I tell who the normal guys are?" and "get a blog already, freak!"
"Ad 1 - This ad is boring and nondescript. I read it twice since it is only 5 short sentences, and still feel like I know nothing about him. At least he posted 4 pictures.
Looks - 6
Ad Content - 4
Summary: "I work, and I also play. I'm nice. I'm funny. Movies are cool. So is running. If you are looking for someone who is identical to everyone else, holla at ya boy"
Ad 2 - Slightly better than the last in terms of content, but unfortunately I would guess that he likes to torture and kill small animals in between rounds of Dungeons and Dragons or Magic - The Gathering.
Looks - 4
Ad Content - 5
Summary: "I like to be the Elf in D&D. How 'bout you? Looking for a hotchick like Lieutenant Uhura from Star Trek. We can chill in my mom's basement and do some programming in the legacy languages like FORTRAN and Cobol. "
Ad 3 - This guy looks like he shares a wardrobe with my Dad. I'm also afraid that if you date him, he will arrest me.
Looks - 5
Ad Content: 8 - good effort
Summary: "I'm a Federal Agent who enjoys smashing the heads of minor drug offenders, deep conversation over coffee, locking people in cages for life, moonlit walks on the beach, electrocuting illegal immigrants with my new stun gun, and soccer. Looking for good clean wholesome fun with a woman who respects local, state, and federal laws"
sigh
************************
Semper Fi!
****************************************
miércoles, noviembre 09, 2005
ONE, the movie
I can't believe it's Wednesday and I'm just finally posting about ONE, the movie! I saw it this weekend with BRITEW and Bed-Head, BRITEW's ugly boyfriend, and it was cool!!
if you like that kind of thing, and I do. it's all about how different well-known spiritual leaders and unknown lay people view "THE MEANING OF LIFE." as investigated by non-spiritual-leader non-filmmakers (from Michigan-yeah!). considering these guys very obviously had no idea what they were doing or what they had gotten themselves in for, I think it was a really terrific documentary. we saw it at the detroit docs festival, and one of the producers spoke at the end of the screening. she was so life-affirming and wonderful and, really, so was the movie.
I hope you get to see it. I'm not going to say it'll change your life or anything (that tag-line is what kept me from seeing Amelie for 3 years - verdict: cute, but not life-changing.) but if you think about things like "the meaning of life," I think you'll enjoy it.
if you like that kind of thing, and I do. it's all about how different well-known spiritual leaders and unknown lay people view "THE MEANING OF LIFE." as investigated by non-spiritual-leader non-filmmakers (from Michigan-yeah!). considering these guys very obviously had no idea what they were doing or what they had gotten themselves in for, I think it was a really terrific documentary. we saw it at the detroit docs festival, and one of the producers spoke at the end of the screening. she was so life-affirming and wonderful and, really, so was the movie.
I hope you get to see it. I'm not going to say it'll change your life or anything (that tag-line is what kept me from seeing Amelie for 3 years - verdict: cute, but not life-changing.) but if you think about things like "the meaning of life," I think you'll enjoy it.
I forgot to say that some organization is so excited about the movie, they are going to make it the first one to be translated into 100 languages... that's so cool!
Edi is now....... Eddie!
I am pleased to report that Edi the cat has been doing some light chores around the house (licking, purring, stalking) and can now afford the final letters for his name!
CONGRATS, EDDIE!!!!
(read more about Eddie and his partner-
in-crime Maria in the kitty-cat diaries)
************************
what? I'm not wearing that.
****************************************
CONGRATS, EDDIE!!!!
(read more about Eddie and his partner-
in-crime Maria in the kitty-cat diaries)
************************
what? I'm not wearing that.
****************************************
martes, noviembre 08, 2005
photos, get your red-hot photos
here's some links to updated posts:
-Marie and me at the symphony (it rhymes, yo)
-kitty-cat pix
-my flickr set!I'm adding them as you read this, so keep checking back for more! yech! do NOT go here unless you want to see a messy work-in-progress.
************************
Happy 3-month anniversary to my blog!
****************************************
-Marie and me at the symphony (it rhymes, yo)
-kitty-cat pix
-my flickr set!
************************
Happy 3-month anniversary to my blog!
****************************************
lunes, noviembre 07, 2005
it's all about me
I had sooooooo much fun this weekend! I went out, I had friends over, I went to The Bookstore, I got a manicure!!! woohoo! and the fun doesn't stop there! I'm going to see Mixmaster Mike at the Majestic on Thursday and back to Toronto on Friday!!!!!
in other news, my friends helped me to take a picture for my profile. (but of course, I'm having trouble loading it.) I decided that being totally anonymous is boring. so here's my photo:
hugz n' kisses to my creative team!!!!!!!!!!!
from right to left: Marie, art director
Chuck, photographer
Liza,short pers writer
************************
Happy Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day!
****************************************
in other news, my friends helped me to take a picture for my profile. (but of course, I'm having trouble loading it.) I decided that being totally anonymous is boring. so here's my photo:
hugz n' kisses to my creative team!!!!!!!!!!!
from right to left: Marie, art director
Chuck, photographer
Liza,
************************
Happy Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day!
****************************************
viernes, noviembre 04, 2005
jueves, noviembre 03, 2005
#$*&&(&%** finally! w00t
hells, yeah! I finally got at least one of my photos to publish!!!! you can see it here, it's of the guys in the kitchen at my beloved fressen.....
more photos to come!!!!!
blogger image search meme
anonymous coworker
so here's my pictures:
an image tha
t popped up for the city I grew up in: Philadelphia. this is 30th Street Station, one of two main train stations. this is the famous train station where the lil' Amish kid is traumatized in the movie Witness. I always have a reaction like the kid in the movie (before he's traumatized), it is rather beautiful and impressive to be in, even if you're not Amish. something about being in a big space, I guess. there's a flower stand in one corner that has really reasonably priced bouquets, and it makes that whole side of the station smell great. plus, the food court has three awesome buffets. 4 stars to 30th Street Station.
I live in "fashionable Royal Oak, MI." this pic is pretty representative because Royal Oak is known mainly for its restaurants and nightlife (and its many city parks - I used to live within 1.5 blocks of 3 parks!) from what I hear, Royal Oak used to be relatively tame, and then the punks decided to make it their hangout. soon after, all the yuppies decided that it was "cool" in Royal Oak and tried to take over the scene. Mongolian Barbeque soon followed. all of which may explain this:
can you read this? it shows that the most common age of residents is 29 for women and 30 for men. so I'm right on target.
haha how my name comes up............... well, I am white.
how my gramma's name comes up - awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
best dish ever - pastel de choclo con pino de carne. this is a cassarole, the closest thing I can compare it to is shepard's pie, but 1,000 times better.... the bottom layer is the "pino de carne." it's ground beef cooked with raisins and cinnamon. then on top is pieces of chicken (or rabbit - it's originally a country dish) and on top of that, a creamed corn. put sugar on the top and bake!!!!! absolutely supremely delicious! when I lived in Chile, I would get a frozen one, because it's very time consuming to make. but after writing all this, I think I will figure out how to make one!
well, I never tried this brand, but wishniak black cherry soda is da bomb. we used to drink a brand called Franks that has a lot of fruit flavors - all really delicious.
fav smell. oh god, yes. sausage and peppers.
and finally.... my favorite song - can you guess what it is?
************************
Happy Sandwich Day..... to me!
****************************************
martes, noviembre 01, 2005
never say never - really!
I know most religious traditions put an emphasis on what you say, how you say it, etc, but in these "modern times," it seems like that has gone out of vogue.
but then things happen, and it really does kind of make you (me) wonder.
I have caught myself a few times over the last years, saying "I'll never do this..." or "I'm not interested in that...", and as times goes by and I get to reflect, I've started to notice that whenever I strongly say I will not do something, I wind up doing exactly that shortly thereafter.
for example, I used to substitute teach and when teachers would ask me if I was getting certified, I'd say "oh, NO. this is just a great temporary job for me, for right now. I'm NOT INTERESTED in becoming a teacher." Hmmm..... guess what I do now. etc.
but I'm learning. I've been looking for a roommate for about 3 months, and everyone good seemed to have a cat. well, I have a cat, and I kept telling myself, "two cats is too many. I cannot live with two cats!" well, a stray cat showed up and he was really cute and I started thinking "maybe Maria would like a buddy..., but then NO ONE will want to move in here with two cats!" just then, I noticed that I had been thinking in terms of never and so forth, so I quickly brought the little stray in, to see if my luck would change. sure enough, one short week later, Liliana showed up at my door to check out the apartment. I said to her, "do you know I have a cat?" she said "great!" I said, "I'm even taking care of a second cat... and it might stay....." She said................
.................
..................
"great! I love cats!" then she spent most of our interview petting the cats. then when she left, she said "I really like this place and I want to move in"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow. ain't that something?
;)
************************
Happy Bra Day......... Chuck!
oops.
double oops.
****************************************
but then things happen, and it really does kind of make you (me) wonder.
I have caught myself a few times over the last years, saying "I'll never do this..." or "I'm not interested in that...", and as times goes by and I get to reflect, I've started to notice that whenever I strongly say I will not do something, I wind up doing exactly that shortly thereafter.
for example, I used to substitute teach and when teachers would ask me if I was getting certified, I'd say "oh, NO. this is just a great temporary job for me, for right now. I'm NOT INTERESTED in becoming a teacher." Hmmm..... guess what I do now. etc.
but I'm learning. I've been looking for a roommate for about 3 months, and everyone good seemed to have a cat. well, I have a cat, and I kept telling myself, "two cats is too many. I cannot live with two cats!" well, a stray cat showed up and he was really cute and I started thinking "maybe Maria would like a buddy..., but then NO ONE will want to move in here with two cats!" just then, I noticed that I had been thinking in terms of never and so forth, so I quickly brought the little stray in, to see if my luck would change. sure enough, one short week later, Liliana showed up at my door to check out the apartment. I said to her, "do you know I have a cat?" she said "great!" I said, "I'm even taking care of a second cat... and it might stay....." She said................
.................
..................
"great! I love cats!" then she spent most of our interview petting the cats. then when she left, she said "I really like this place and I want to move in"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
wow. ain't that something?
;)
************************
Happy Bra Day......... Chuck!
oops.
double oops.
****************************************
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