Run Bethie Run

Part of Why Weight Is a Challenge

2009-10-18T12:25:00.000-05:00

Marx writes that under conditions of estranged labor, man “no longer feels himself to be freely active in any but his animal functions."

bday 2009

2009-09-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

sometimes i post a list of stuff i want for my birthday on this blog. do you know what i want for my birthday this year? i want to spend time with the people i care about - my family and friends. let's go out to dinner, or see a concert, take a hike, or catch a movie. i have enough stuff. but i've had kind of a lonely year, and i'd really like for that to go away sometime soon. that's really all i could ask for.

celebrity morph = boredom

2009-08-01T09:06:00.001-05:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Pedigree - Ancestors

back in usa

2009-06-13T14:05:00.003-05:00

just got back from turkey, which was awesome. got lots to say about it, including some tips i'd like to pass on to anyone else visiting there, but i've got to organize my thoughts first. wanted to drop a post though and mention how much i'm enjoying the marianne faithfull album i just got, "easy come, easy go." i know it's been out for about a year, but i just got my hands on it recently, and it's perfect chill out and think/write/do crafts music. good stuff. particularly like the tracks "children of stone" and "down from dover" (the latter of which i believe is a dolly parton(!) cover.)

anyways, that's all for now!

Another Reason To Hate Sports Bras

2009-04-30T20:25:00.001-05:00

We all know that sports bras are notorious for giving women a "uniboob" - that's old news. I recently discovered another reason to hate sports bras. Normally I would only wear a sports bra at the gym, but yesterday I worked out at the end of the day (rather than the beginning) and went home directly after my workout (without changing clothes.) Much to my chagrin, the seatbelt spent the entire ride home trying to strangle me. I couldn't figure out why suddenly I was getting an unwelcome neck massage from the seatbelt. Had the height setting on the belt changed? Did I raise or lower my seat? Was I suddenly a few inches shorter? I kept yanking it down trying to get it to sit lower across my chest, rather than my neck. A few minutes later it would ride up again. I looked down in exasperation, and that's when I realized. Thanks to the infamous sports bra uniboob, the seatbelt which would normally be resting comfortably between my boobs, just kept sliding off. Not only did my boobs usually keep it from riding up, but they also kept me safer by restraining my whole torso and not just my head! So there it is, in a nutshell. Another reason to hate sports bras.

Pwned by French Music Duos

2009-04-29T20:21:00.000-05:00

I have recently been working on some research for an art project I want to do centered on the evolution of music genre, and I realized something kinda crazy. When it comes to electronic music, the French totally OWN me. And not just any French, but French music duos. Like, SERIOUSLY own me - no joke. As I was researching some of my favorite techno on Wikipedia yesterday I kept being struck by the similar beginnings of the articles:

AIR:
Air (sometimes spelled with all capital letters as AIR) is a French (from region Île-de-France) music duo, consisting of Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel.

CASSIUS:
Cassius is a French house music duo consisting of producers Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard, better known as Philippe Zdar and Boom Bass.

DAFT PUNK:
Daft Punk is an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (born February 8, 1974) and Thomas Bangalter (born January 3, 1975).

JUSTICE:
Justice is a French electronic music duo consisting of Gaspard Augé (born 21 May 1979 in Besançon) and Xavier de Rosnay (born 2 July 1982).

MODJO:
Modjo is a French house/pop musical duo made up of producer Romain Tranchart and vocalist Yann Destagnol (aka Yann Destal). They had major success with their hit single "Lady (Hear Me Tonight)".

And then, running a close second in total tally, were some UK duos:

BASEMENT JAXX:
Basement Jaxx are a UK house music duo. The duo consists of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe. Basement Jaxx rose to popularity in the late 1990s.

SASHA & DIGWEED:
Sasha & John Digweed are a pair of DJs from the United Kingdom. John Digweed had been DJ-ing for ten years before getting a gig at Renaissance where he met Sasha, who had been working the past few years in various acid house clubs and raves.

ORBITAL:
Orbital are an English electronic duo from Sevenoaks consisting of brothers Phil Hartnoll and Paul Hartnoll whose career lasted from 1989 until 2004 and have now reformed in 2009.

UNDERWORLD:
Underworld is an English electronic music group, and principal name under which duo Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have recorded together since 1980.

My favorite solo DJs aren't nearly as homogenous - Morillo's from Brazil, Ferry Corsten's from the Netherlands, Sharam is Iranian-American, and so on and so forth. Just thought the above was a funny coinkydink. I give up France, I am your house music bitch.

Wow, it's been forever.

2009-02-28T14:33:00.012-05:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I've updated this thing. And how infrequently before then. I can remember when blogging was a multiple-times-per-day activity in college. Back when my computer was always on AND connected to the internet with no concern about the cable or electricity bills, and before I had a job that kept me out of the house for 12 hours a day.

Anyway, some things have come up lately that I have wanted to share with anyone who might still check this thing periodically so I figured I should update.

Number one: my ipod is totally sentient. And it totally gets mood swings. It usually takes me 8 (+/-2) songs to get to work. Sometimes the pod is all sweet and compliant and gives me a perfect mix exactly when I want it. And sometimes not. This week, it has complied pretty well. Here's a sampling of some of the drive-to-work mixes it has delivered:

Monday
1.) I Touch Myself - Divinyls
2.) Just - Radiohead
3.) Whipping Post - Allman Bros
4.) End of the World as We Know It - R.E.M.
5.) Here Goes Something - Nada Surf
6.) You Look So Fine - Garbage
7.) Amber - 311
8.) This is Love - PJ Harvey

Tuesday
1.) Toxic - Britney
2.) Under Your Spell - BTVS Soundtrack
3.) If I Ever Lose My Faith in You - Sting
4.) Paranoid Android - Radiohead
5.) Mixed Bizness - Beck
6.) Great Indoors - John Mayer
7.) Politik - Coldplay
8.) 1979 - Smashing Pumpkins

Wednesday
1.) F**k the Pain Away - Peaches
2.) Mississippi - Sheryl Crow
3.) Me & U - Cassie
4.) New Genious (Brother) - Gorillaz
5.) You Turn the Screws - Cake
6.) Garden - Pearl Jam
7.) Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
8.) Life Your Life - TI

Thursday
1.) See You - Foo Fighters
2.) More and More - Offer Nissim
3.) Rock the House - Gorillaz
4.) 6 Underground - Sneaker Pimps (Paul Oakenfold remix)
5.) Electioneering - Radiohead
6.) In the Aeroplane Over the Sea - Neutral Milk Hotel
7.) Break on Through - The Doors

As you can see, when my Ipod is being compliant it is also being conciliatory - towards my extremely eclectic and random music tastes. Judging by these mixes.

Another weird thing about the Ipod - sometimes I feel like it's trying to show me something. Case in point, the other day after Electioneering had already come on once, it tried to play it again later. About 10 seconds in when I realized, "Hey, I've already heard this today," I decided to hit skip. And the next song started - and sounded exactly the same. I thought, "Wtf, Ipod are you sick?" and then noticed it wasn't Radiohead that was playing, but rather, a Lily Allen song. Of course now I can no longer remember which one - but it was a revelation inspired by the "shuffle songs" feature on my personified Ipod.

So that was one thing.

Next. Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang. This music = sweet. Accordion girl's socks = FTW.

That is that.

This art I was directed to by Boing Boing has me convinced that I'm not actually creative at all, just a good duplicator, because I could NEVER think of this. And it is awesome. In case you are wondering - those are CRAYONS. That picture is of a picture created with crayons. Check out the artist's website here. His name is Christian Faur.

Thus far I have resisted the urge to buy nintendo virtual console (VC) points and go crazy downloading games I played on my cousin's SNES. However, the recent arrival of Commodore 64 games on the VC has me singing a different tune. The first (and only) game playing mechanism my parents ever supplied/allowed was the computer. And the three or four 5 inch floppy disks we had with games on them were my first exposure to gameplay. "Dr. J vs Larry Bird," "Summer Olympic Games," and "Pitfall" all hold a great sense of game-related nostalgia for me. So I'm highly tempted to take the plunge and start downloading. Although like many things in life it is a balance between what we want and what we can afford. And if I am ever going to get the Nikon D80 I've been dreaming of for so long, the VC may have to wait. Even with commodore 64 games. But for anyone else out there who experienced these simple but fun games as a child, I encourage you to go check em out on the virtual console.

This story, about an airline in England that accepts a DIY photo id to board a plane gave me no small amount of fear and disbelief when I read it.

If you have a chance, check out this video countering the Ken Starr lawsuit against gay married couples in California.

Whew! That was a lot to get out. But I think that's it for now. I'll try to stop by a little more frequently, but who knows!!

as tradition dictates...

2008-08-15T10:46:00.008-05:00

...i always try to give a list of things i'd appreciate getting on my birthday (which will be here before i know it!)

deviation from the list is always fine of course, but for those who want a hint or three, i'm willing to oblige. here we go.

Books, Nonfiction:
- Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang
- 100 Places Every Woman Should Go, by Stephanie Elizondo Griest
- A Walk Across America, by Peter Jenkins
- Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi
- Freakonomics, by Steven Levitt
- Walden Two, by B.F. Skinner
- Suburban Transformations, by Paul Lukez
- The Little Black Book of Style, by Nina Garcia

Books, Fiction:
- A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini
- comics comics comics - any daredevil written by Bendis except Underboss, volume 8, 9 or 10 of the sandman, any of buffy season 8, etc etc
- any Kurt Vonnegut except slaughterhouse, cats cradle, timequake, and welcome to the monkey house, jailbird

Cookbooks:
- Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate, by Patricia Wells
- Canyon Ranch Cooks: More than 200 Delicious, Innovative Recipes from America's Leading Health Resort

DVDS:
- Animated movies: The Nightmare Before Christmas, Monsters Inc, Cars, The Prince of Egypt, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmations, The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Fantasia, Little Mermaid, Lady and the Tramp, Ratotouille
- Buffy seasons 5 or 7
- Older favorites: The Breakfast Club, Breaking Away, Chicago, Ivanhoe (the Liz Taylor version), Mary Poppins, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Nine to Five, Pollyanna, The Secret of My Success, Sneakers
- Ballet DVDS: Romeo & Juliet (Nureyev/Fonteyn), Carmen (Baryshnikov/Jeanmarie), Don Quixote (Baryshnikov/Harvey)

CDS:
- Villa-Lobos: Instrumental Et Orchestral Works, by Heitor Villa-Lobos
- Lost Highway Soundtrack
- Modern Guilt: Beck

Board/Card Games, Woo!:
- Settlers of Catan, Citadels, Puerto Rico, Scattergories, Apples to Apples, Catch Phrase, Cranium, Munchkin, Wise and Otherwise, Fluxx, Risk, Clue, Othello, Mastermind, Uno

Video Games: (system in parentheses)
- (Wii) - Wii Fit
- (Wii) - Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
- (Nintendo DS) - Cooking Mama
- (PC) - Zeus Expansion: Poseidon

Other non-categorized stuff:
- Any other picture frames of assorted sizes
- Note cards (I love the website "Red Stamp")
- Ticket stub diary (chroniclebooks.com)
- Cake carrier
- Cordless drill
- Kitchen shears

Some random FYIs:

I just moved. My new living room is deep red and purple. My new office/dining room is green and brown. I am not a big yellow fan.

Some of my favorite etsy sellers are: esdesigns, Ling Glass, FireChickTick, Hapa, LiiLii, Nanda, LuxeDeluxe, stelladesigns, Tee Petals, and Claudine's Closet.

I don't need any more candles. Pretty much ever.

I would rather people not buy me clothes at the moment because I plan to be changing clothing sizes soon.

One of the greats...

2008-08-13T08:10:00.002-05:00

As breakup songs go I think Lily Allen's "Littlest Things" is a serious contender. A good listen even if you're not feelin' the breakup aspect of it.

"Littlest Things"

Sometimes I find myself sittin' back and reminiscing
Especially when I have to watch other people kissin'
And I remember when you started callin' me your mrs.
All the play fightin', all the flirtatious disses
I'd tell you sad stories about my childhood
I don't why I trusted you but I knew that I could
We'd spend the whole weekend lying in our own dirt
I was just so happy in your boxers and your t-shirt

[Chorus]
Dreams, Dreams
Of when we had just started things
Dreams of you and me
It seems, It seems
That I can't shake those memories
I wonder if you have the same dreams too.

The littlest things that take me there
I know it sounds lame but its so true
I know its not right, but it seems unfair
That the things are reminding me of you
Sometimes I wish we could just pretend
Even if only for one weekend
So come on, Tell me
Is this the end?

Drinkin' tea in bed
Watching DVD's
When I discovered all your dirty grotty magazines
You take me out shopping and all we'd buy is trainers
As if we ever needed anything to entertain us
the first time that you introduced me to your friends
and you could tell I was nervous, so you held my hand
when I was feeling down, you made that face you do
There's no one in the world who could replace you

[Chorus]
Dreams, Dreams
Of when we had just started things
Dreams of me and you
It seems, It seems
That I can't shake those memories
I wonder if you feel the same way too

The littlest things that take me there
I know it sounds lame but its so true
I know its not right, but it seems unfair
That the things reminding me of you
Sometimes I wish we could just pretend
Even if only for one weekend
So come on, Tell me
Is this the end?

some good lolz

2008-06-05T23:24:00.002-05:00

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

more cat pictures

where's my arm?

2008-06-05T22:54:00.003-05:00

i still miss you, stack. i try not to, but i do.

losing a best friend is kind of like losing an arm...

Busy Busy Busy

2008-04-26T08:38:00.003-05:00

I probably won't be doing updates to this blog for a bit, as I am super busy with a new project. I am participating in a craftster swap, called the "Little Visitor Swap." The basic gist of it is that you trade stuffed animals with someone for 2 months, take their stuffed animal to see a bunch of neat places where you live and take pictures and stuff, and then at the end of the visit send them home with some souvenirs and a scrapbook of their adventure. I am also, however, keeping a blog for my LV. So run on over here and check it out!

Two MORE New Recipes - Both WWerized

2008-04-26T08:09:00.006-05:00

Lemon Chive Sole with Baked Squash

Points: 4
Serves: 4

Ingredients

* 2 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
* 1 sprays olive oil cooking spray
* 1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste
* 1/2 tsp black pepper, or to taste
* 1 1/4 pound sole, four 5 oz fillets
* 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth
* 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1 Tbsp honey mustard
* 2 tsp cornstarch
* 1/2 tsp lemon zest
* 1 Tbsp chives, fresh, minced
* 4 cup sugar snap peas, steamed

Instructions

* Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

* Place squash rounds on middle of baking sheet; coat with cooking spray and season to taste with salt and pepper.

* Season both sides of sole fillets with salt and pepper; place sole on top of squash. Bake until fish is fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

* Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together broth, lemon juice, mustard, cornstarch and lemon zest. Set pan over medium heat and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring frequently with a wire whisk, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chives.

* Transfer squash, sole and snap peas to individual plates and spoon lemon sauce over top of fish. Yields about 1 fillet, 1 cup of snap peas, 1/3 cup of squash and 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving.

Cranberry Pear Chicken

This is one of my ABSOLUTE favorites already, and I've only made it twice! But it's so good!!!!

Points: 4
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

- 1.5 tbsps flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 2 tsps canola oil
- 1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used anjou)
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 3/4 cup pear nectar (available in the supermarket - who knew?)
- 1/4 c. dried cranberries
- 2 tsps coarse grain mustard

Instructions:

1. Combine the flour, salt and pepper on a sheet of wax paper. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

2. Heat 1 1/2 tsps of the oil in a large skillet over med. high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

3. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp oil to the same skillet, then add the pear and scallions. Cook over medium high heat, stirring often, until the pear is golden, about 3-4 minutes. Add the pear nectar and cranberries. Increase the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce bubbles and thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, return the chicken to the skillet, and heat through, about 1 minute.

I served it with a side of steamed asparagus, lightly salted but otherwise plain. Yum yum yum!

Borges

2008-03-29T23:35:00.000-05:00

I have loved Jorge Luis Borges since I first set eyes upon his work in Spanish class my junior year of high school. I couldn't understand him nearly as well in those days, but I still loved his stories. I am currently rereading his collected short fictions in English, as translated by Andrew Huxley and published by Penguin. One of the things I love most about Borges is that he challenges me, but without making me feel stupid or ignorant, as so many writers tend to do. Whether or not it's intentional, writers are sometimes too intellectual for their own good and it creates an aversion in the reader. But not Borges. Rather, his stories are so compelling and the context so unique, I am eager to pull out my dictionary and look up both the meaning and the subtext of his words.

I shall give you a particularly awesome example from a story called "The Cruel Redeemer Lazarus Morell." The word is alluvium. Dictionary.com (who's definition in this case is more complete than my usual standby Merriam-Webster.com) cites the primary definition of alluvium in two parts: (1) a deposit of sand, mud, etc., formed by flowing water, and (2) the sedimentary matter deposited thus within recent times, esp. in the valleys of large rivers. However, in a subsequent definition, #5 of 6, it states "Sand, silt, clay, gravel, or other matter deposited by flowing water, as in a riverbed, floodplain, delta, or alluvial fan. Alluvium is generally considered a young deposit in terms of geologic time." The latter part of this will be praised for its relevance and cleverness in just a moment.

Now, in the case of "The Cruel Redeemer Lazarus Morell," Borges begins the story by introducing the peoples of the Mississippi River Delta during the height of slavery. Specifically with alluvium, describing the relationship of Christianity (which is crucial to Morell's character) and the slaves: "In the early nineteenth century (the period that interests us) the vast cotton plantations on the riverbanks were worked from sunup to sundown by Negro slaves...Onto an alluvium of beastlike hopefulness and African fear there had sifted the words of the Scripture; their faith, therefore, was Christian...The Mississippi served them as a magnificent image of the solid Jordan." I cannot stress enough how much I LOVE the use of the word alluvium here. It ties together everything that he is speaking to. Literally, the Mississippi Delta probably had its own alluvium, as alluvium often collects in a delta or floodplain. Metaphorically, the youngness of alluvium "in geological times" referring to the newness of Christianity to the slaves, and their own newness in America as a country. Then symbolically, almost as though in the way that alluvium is a natural substance, and force, that cannot be contained, so religion was forced (either culturally or literally) upon the slaves. And then of course I love it purely for it's rareness and unconventionality. The word is just so multi-faceted in its use, and it's amazing.

Borges, I love you!!!! :)

New Recipe and a Good Hair Day

2008-03-25T17:43:00.005-05:00

I am having such a good hair day today! And those of you who know me well know that "good" and "my hair" almost never go in the same sentence! For pretty much my whole life. Maybe at some point in the future I'll post a hair retrospective. So anyway, I tried to take some pics in the bathroom mirror, and they came out ok, but I forgot I still had the outdoors white balance on, so they are REALLY yellow. Plus, while I may be having a good hair day, I am having a bad face week, and got a little overzealous with the poking, prodding, and popping yesterday. Dang. Anyway - pictures!

So now for the recipe!

Flounder Baked with Tomatoes

POINTS Value: 7
Servings: 2

Ingredients

* 8 oz cherry tomato(es)
* 1 small onion(s)
* 3 tsp olive oil
* 1 leaf bay leaf
* 1/8 tsp kosher salt
* 1/8 tsp black pepper
* 2 Tbsp Progresso Plain Breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 fillet flounder fillet(s)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take out a casserole dish.

2. Combine the tomatoes, onion, 2 tsp oil, and the bay leaf (torn in half), salt and pepper, and toss. Distribute evenly along bottom of casserole pan.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have started to collapse. Take the casserole out of the oven and turn on the broiler.

4. Combine breadcrumbs and cheese. Once the broiler is good and hot, lay the flounder on top of the tomatoes, strew with the cheese mixture, and drizzle with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the crumbs are browned and the fish is bubbling a bit. Let sit for about 5 minutes for the fish to finish cooking before serving. Serve hot.

Two New Recipes

2008-03-13T08:34:00.007-05:00

I've been having a hard time on the program lately, and I decided that part of the problem was being in a rut with my food. I got comfortable with 10 or 15 recipes, knew how to shop to prepare those recipes, and ceased trying new ones. Then, being bored of eating the same food all the time, I strayed whenever out of the house. So I made a pact to try two new recipes per week for a month. Here's the product of that for this week. I had some coconut milk on hand, hence the eastern bent of these recipes:

Pumpkin Curry Chicken
Serves: 2
Points: 7

1 tbsp red curry paste
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
1 tbsp fish sauce
8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
1 tsp unpacked brown sugar
6 leaves basil
1/2 c. coconut milk
2 tsp vegetable oil (I used Olive because it's healthier)
1/4 cup fat free chicken broth

1.) Boil coconut milk in a pan over medium heat until it starts to reduce.

2.) Separately, heat oil in a wok, add red curry paste, stir for 2-3 minutes until cooked. Add chicken, stir until meat is cooked.

3.) Add boiled coconut milk, chicken broth, and pumpkin. Simmer 2-4 minutes.

4.) Add fish sauce, sugar to taste. Add basil leaves. Simmer 1 more minute.

5.) Serve over steamed rice.

Vietnamese Curry Soup
Serves: 4
Points: 5

2 tsp olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ginger root, chopped (I used powdered ginger, didn't have fresh on hand)
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp lemon zest
1 medium sweet pepper, seeded and chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
8 medium cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
14 oz vegetable broth (I used chicken)
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 tsp table salt
2 red potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
4 oz rotisserie chicken (pulled off one of those supermarket pre-made ones)
14 oz light coconut milk, canned
4 tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped

1.) Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and saute 2 minutes. Stir in curry powder and lemon zest and cook 2 minutes, until curry is fragrant. Add pepper, carrots, and mushrooms and stir to combine. Add broth, water, bay leaves, and salt, and bring to a boil.

2.) Stir in potatoes and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Half way through the 10 minutes, add the chicken.

3.) Remove the bay leaves. Ladle soup into bowls and top each serving with 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro. Yields 1 1/2 cups per serving - generous!

Go Away, Dalai Lama

2007-12-24T12:23:00.001-05:00

My only motivation for posting today is to get that picture of me and the Dalai Lama off my frontpage. I hope this post is enough to do it. So let's see. What have I been up to lately.

Well, about a week ago I got promoted at work. So that's kind of nice. Although it gives me that icky feeling that I somehow have everyone fooled that I give 2 cents about finance, when really I could care less. And yet I've been promoted. Seeing the disconnect here? I guess it's just about the fact that even though I don't care, I still give it my all. How I manage to do that I'll never know. I'm still waiting for inspiration to strike. Where are you my perfect job??

I've been reading quite a bit lately. I just finished Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire, also the author of the more widely read Wicked which I read last year. I really enjoyed Stepsister. As the back-story of Cinderella, it spins a dark, gritty reality that brings the fairy tale down to a relatable level. No longer is Cinderella a poor unfortunate child who was taken advantage of by her evil step-mother, but rather, a petulant self-centered child who let life take advantage of her, rather than ever attempting to chart the course of her own destiny. Her run in with the prince was constructed by one of her step-sisters in an attempt to save her from a life of ruin. I recommend it as a quick, entertaining read. Just before that I finished Life of Pi by Yann Martel, which IMHO deserves all the praise it's been getting. A fascinating examination of the implications of the food chain! :) I'm currently working on The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd, which has been on my 'to read' list for ages. It was a gift at last year's Hanukkah celebration. Speaking of Hanukkah, I'll have plenty to read when I'm finished with Bees. My brother gave me several new ones on my to read list last night at our family's much-belated Hanukkah celebration. I received Neuromancer, I am Legend, and The Woman Who Walked Into Doors, by William Gibson, Richard Matheson, and Roddy Doyle respectively. I'll admit a little ashamedly one of the reasons I'm so keen to read Doyle is that J.K. Rowling cites him as her favorite author. I'm eager to see if I find any stylistic similarities in their works.

So that's reading. Let's see. I also finally gave in about 2 weeks ago and downloaded I-Tunes. The Queen of all illegal internet downloading has thrown in the towel. Tired of switching sites every few weeks as they get shut down, tired of hoping I was getting the radio edit, but actually getting the Live edit, tired of poor sound quality. These were my reasons (plus a fully exhaustive list I'll spare you) for just deciding to make the switch. I was so pumped the first week, and gleefully downloaded 37 songs. Then I looked at my playlist and thought, "Gee, even though I like all these songs were they really worth $40?", then "I can't believe I just spend $40 on something completely intangible." then "Oh man, I miss free downloading." Although it is nice to hear songs completely free of pops and clicks and to not have to fill in tons of tag information for them on my own in order to get them to sort appropriately on my mp3 player. So I guess there are pros and cons to both legal and illegal downloading. My wallet regrets the choice, but in the end it'll probably be worth it. Some of the songs I am obsessed with right now: "Take You There" by Sean Kingston, "Piece of Me" by Britney Spears, "Don't Stop the Music" by Rhianna, and "Sexy Lady" by Yung Berg. I am in a HUGE pop swing right now. I go back and forth in wide swaths of genre. I just finished about 4 months of being stuck on Q104.3 (classic rock) and being nauseated by any other music station. Now, suddenly as a lighting strike, I have an insatiable appetite for pop. Funny, eh?

OH! I don't think I ever posted about this in October, but I bought a new car. I sold the Sentra to my brother, who's car was totaled by a driver who fell asleep and hit it on the street where it was parked. I bought a Nissan Versa. It looks basically just like this:

I LOVE IT! It's so cute and tiny, but still really spacious inside. And my insurance company (USAA) hooked me up with one of their preferred dealers who gave it to me at cost + $300. So it's got all these crazy features I never would have gotten if I actually had to pay for them but are REALLY nice to have. It's got built in bluetooth, so I don't have to talk on the phone any more or even use a headset. The calls come through over my car speakers. Which, by the way, include a BOSE subwoofer. If I turn the bass up all the way it's a bit deafening. My other favorite feature is "Intelligent Key." It's that sensor in your keys where your car can tell if the key is within 3 feet of the car and it will automatically unlock if you push a button on the door handle. It makes carrying the groceries out to the car SO MUCH EASIER. I no longer have to shift all 10 bags to one hand while digging around in my purse or my pocket to find the keys. Plus, were I ever alone in some dank parking garage being pursued by a kidnapper or rapist, I wouldn't have one of those 'movie' moments where the keys fall underneath the car and I'm blindly reaching around for them while the killer pulls me back out by my ankles. So it's all good. His name (my car) is Eugene Morris Jerome. After one of my favorite plays "Brighton Beach Memoirs." When I first got the car it screamed NWM (nerdy white male) to me, but at my brother Seth's urging I waited a few months before naming him. But Eugene just stuck!

Anyway, I'm sure there's lots more I could write about everything under the sun, but I'm trying to make a 1:15 showing of "Atonement" at my local theater so I must go. It's oscar season so that mad movie seeing pace has begun. Ta-ta for now!

Make my day

2007-12-04T20:50:00.000-05:00

Anyone out there want to make my day this holiday season?

I could really use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-32480-Salad-Spinner/dp/B00004OCKR/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1196819526&sr=8-1,

and one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Nor-Stainless-Steel-Onion-Holder/dp/B00061N06E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1196819578&sr=8-1.

Now if you REALLY REALLY want to make my day I could use one of these: http://www.amazon.com/3-Panel-Flower-Design-Screen-Divider/dp/B000O31O80/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1196819672&sr=1-6.

But hey, you can't have everything.

A fascinating history of the keyboard...

2007-11-12T16:35:00.000-05:00

...written in comic book form. I highly recommend it. It's got me considering making the switch to Dvorak from QWERTY.

http://dvzine.org/zine/01-toc.html

Reading More Again

2007-11-12T14:25:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I read an entire book in one day. It has been years since I have done that. Other than the fact that by the time I had finished, I realized I hadn't eaten in 5 hours and was starving, it was an extremely enjoyable way to spend the first half of my day. The book was one that many of you out there have already read. An important hub of the science fiction canon, which I myself am only now reaching (having just gained an appreciation for sci-fi a few years ago). The book is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.

I know, I know. I should've hit this one a long time ago, but to my credit, I do already have under my belt: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I Robot, Snow Crash, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Slaughterhouse Five, A Wrinkle in Time (in my mind more like fantasy but included anyway on many top 100 sci-fi lists), Cat's Cradle, Timequake, and several others. Some clearly screaming holes in my experience author-wise include Asimov (I Robot being the only of his offering I have read), Heinlein (haven't read any), Bradbury (haven't read any), Arthur C Clarke, and from the old school Jules Verne. Some other canon I clearly have to hit book-wise (and plan to soon) includes: Dune, Foundation, Neuromancer, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, The Martian Chronicles, Cryptonomicon, and Hyperion. Anyway, the point is, I'm working on it.

As for Ender's Game itself. Well, clearly I enjoyed the book and found it to be an engaging page-turner (or I wouldn't have gone 5 hours without food!) You know what? Gotta get back to work, more on the book later. A sneak peak to my reaction? Speaker for the dead = SILLY.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2007-10-30T10:14:00.000-05:00

There are still pirates?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/10/30/somalia.pirates/index.html

This is pretty amazing.

2007-09-16T13:20:00.000-05:00

Clearly I'm not having a very productive Sunday. Regardless, you should check this ad out, it's pretty wild - http://veryfunnyads.com/ads/25502.html.

Update

2007-09-16T11:27:00.000-05:00

Apparently, even with long hair I still look like Gary Oldman, but now also look like his holiness the Dalai Lama, a backstreet boy, and Johnny Carson. Hrmph, I say again. I am beginning to think this tool is dubious. It did a REALLY good job with the woman from whose blog I took the link, but it's striking out with me. Anyway, here are the long haired results:

Should I be offended at this?

2007-09-16T11:17:00.001-05:00

I found this cool website (I thought!) where you upload a pic of your face and it makes you a little collage of all the celebrities you look like. Unfortunately when I uploaded a pic this morning without any makeup or hair alteration, my celebrity lookalikes came up 90% male. Hrmph. Maybe I'll try it with an older pic of me where I have long hair and see what I get. At least if I had to have males, the one closest to me is Gary Oldman, who I happen to think is hot. So there!

Gallery of FOs

2007-09-16T09:58:00.000-05:00

So in craftster, there's a shorthand for finished objects you've crafted - FOs. So I have in the spirit of showing of my crafty prowess (haha) created a quick little website with some albums of FOs. So far I've only got stenciled shirts and earrings up there, but eventually I hope it will be a full gallery of all my crafts. I'll probably even put a special section up for the craft fair in October. So anyway, here it is now, in its incompleteness.