To Sense: just a few pennies

Well, we decided to embrace our age and stay home and watch scary movies tonight. Our choices for movies are Bram Stoker's Dracula, Shadow of the Vampire, and Donnie Darko, which I think are becoming sort of a tradition for us.

And though our pumpkins from the orchard are now rotting (so much for fresh pumpkins), I think I'm going to go out on the hunt for Dia de los Muertos paper picado decorations. I've been meaning to try to buy some since I first moved to Arizona, but...no luck.

Enjoy the excuse to eat sugar, dress strangely, and play in the dark. And remember to keep some treats on hand to keep away ghoulish tricks!

Ok, so I'll admit it: I have been planning to post something pithy about how to post on this site, begging people to comment, with directions and everything. I was reconsidering the whole "group blog" thing...but now I'm just going to treat this blog like the miniature rose bush I've been trying to nurse back to health--with trust and faith. Because I know that you guys--we--are capable of this, and I am betting that at least a few of you are reading this at least part of the time (and besides--most of you have posted at least once now! Yea!).

And that's enough for now.

I feel like I've written 5 or 6 posts since Thursday, but apparently that was all in my head. There was the one about my favorite new TV star, Ken Jennings, Jeopardy champion of champions, and the strange cult that has actually sprung up around his strange celebrity, with several fan websites devoted just to him.

There was the post about my strange dream, set in a Yreka Chinatown, starring Maxine Hong Kingston, Mr. Matts, Heather, Heather's mom, a Robbie Clark/Tim O'Neill hybrid, and that left me singing Leann Rimes' "Nothin' Bout Love" over and over in my head (which, btw, I loved for the first time live at The Britt this summer).

There were the posts about coupons (with some luck, I bought 4 cans of Campbell's Chunky soup for $2.25, one of which only cost me 25¢) and Wikipedia, that oh-so-democratic new encyclopedia with obscure information and which allows for anyone to instantly edit. And, though I've been wandering around the Internet for quite a while the last few day, just none of these posts actually made it out of my head and onto this screen.

But if you're reading this, hit that "0 Comments" button below, and write something--anything. Soon, that little button will read "1 Comments"--cute how no one's fixed the plural, isn't it?--and maybe someday it will even read "2 Comments." It's easy, and once you do it, you'll realize that you've been making comments all along--only in your head.

so i was reading some of your previous (EARLY) posts, not to mention simply the theme of this altogether, and while you were talking about being young, carefree, and wild i just feel that i missed that part altogheter. people get old--DUH! and of course as they do, they get stubborn, pig-head, unforgiving and intolerent. Of course maybe i've become this way because of the semi-recent ex-boy fiasco as he ran off with an over weight, two year younger, teammate of mine....but nah, i dont think that would make me bitter ;)

i was walking across the tzo the other day and it hit me...for the first time ever i felt like i was "grown up." i always wondered what that would be like. i mean i've always felt like i was playing the part, just lost in the theatrical production that i had created for myself as a reality, but never truly living this life. throughout all stages of my life, i've never felt old enough to be where i was--while in high school i felt like a junior higher, and while here i certainly dont feel older than a high schooler let alone close to graduation and beginning a career. but as i walked and reflected, i realized that i was an andult--and i FELT like it! while that was always a goal of mine, i mean at least to feel that way at some point in time, and thus came back to my room feeling somewhat fulfilled i still just wanted to cry. is that it? does that mean i'm old? cuz i dont feel i've had enough fun to have actually crossed that threshold and sealed off that part of my life --childhood, adolence, young adult, anything but old--as the past. the best years of my life--have they past me by? if so, then i really dont have anything to look forward to. i mean college years are supposed to be the fun of all fun, the careless and wild days, the times you'll never forget yet never truly want to relive, right? BLAH to that!! i've grown up but never experienced all of that. sad isnt it? eh, i'll live...just thought it funny how you're old messages made me think.

bet you cant tell what i chose? thus at long last Brenda...i too will post!! yes i realize that you no longer know the pangs of a lazy saturday passing while you lock yourself in your room refusing to allow yourself any fun until that stupid 8 page paper writes itself, but alas i am younger and still imprisioned by the such. Its saturday, a gorgeous, sunny, blue sky saturday, the day before halloween, and its in fact a FREE saturday for me (only the second all semester without training and the first ever without practice) but i am chackeled to my computer and left to ponder what Hobbes, Kant, Mill, Plato and Aristotle really thought about justice. Justice? is this justice? Dawson thinks not, yet Brubaker (the loathed phylosophy instructor) cares not.

but on a brighter note if you will...i did get to go out last night with Lindsey (she says hi btw) for some dinner and a few hours at my fav martini bar--multiple orgasm (bailey's, ameretto, and kaluha i think) is the way to go if you can stomach ordering it! and hey, i've got a new boy! i know i mentioned him to you before--good ol johnny boy. he makes me smile enough though he hardly understands my emotional nature nor my sometimes frequent desire to not bother with him at all. but none-the-less i enjoy him for the most part. haha...i guess that sounds harsh. he really is a great guy, and i do in fact look forwarding to spending time with him, like i will tonight!! take out dinner, some wine, and a movie...i'm glad i've got a friend here with a house!! its almost like having a real life...but thats another whine time.

Boo to homework, and boo to being inside on such a beautiful day, and BOO to all else since it is nearly halloween!!

So. This election, I will not only be voting (YOU will too, right?), but I will also be working the polls. That's right, I have officially joined the exclusive ranks of the poll workers. In a USA Today article about the scarcity of poll workers, Barbara Jackson, Baltimore's director of elections, said, "The people we hire for the most part are elderly, undereducated, and frequently unemployed." In another article, she joked about the old age of poll workers: "The average age is deceased."

Well, I'm young, educated, and...um, yeah. So she is right and funny. Though not a particularly effective recruiting tool.

I personally wanted to become a poll worker because I was concerned that long lines at the polls can often be a deterrent to actually voting. I know that some of my friends during the 2000 election, after months of bitching, decided that their one measly vote wasn't really that important when faced with lengthy waiting. I actually thought that I would be a volunteer, and so the more volunteers, the more help, the shorter the lines. Nope. Turns out I get paid--which is good and bad. Good incentive for working the polls, but can't flood the polls with extra helpful workers.

I view this as a volunteer opportunity, that just happens to come with a monetary bonus.

Part of the reason poll workers are in high demand this year is the record voter registration and anticipated high voter turnout. "It's wonderful, the interest [in voting]," Sacramento County's Registrar of Voters said (In this article by my beloved SacBee--When are they going to hire me?). "It's like they all want to come to the party this time."

But it seems that working the polls is not following the same trend. Campaigns to get high school and college students to help at the polls (and lower the average age of poll workers:72) are gaining popularity. My favorite? CSU Long Beach is using a t-shirt campaign with the slogan, "Love Me. I'm a Poll Worker"

Lesson for today:

• Join the party--VOTE!


• Feel the love--"Volunteer" to be a poll worker. If you're interested, it may not be too late to become a poll worker in your state.

So Halloween is fast-approaching, and I even have a last-minute, kinda lame costume thrown together, but nothing to do. What do twentysomethings do for Halloween? I mean, I'm too old for trick-or-treating (remember when I found in high school that dressing up as a little kid was the only way to keep trick-or-treating? Yeah, definitely waaaay too old). But I don't have kids yet, to dress up and haul around the neighborhood.

I guess the answer is go to a party, but I haven't been to a real party since I was in college (I guess that mostly is reflective of my abundance of friends). So outside of a party, what? Watch scary movies? Find a cemetery to haunt? Sit around in jeans and a t-shirt, with lights blazing and tv blaring, and pass out candy to the little costumed callers? I refuse to give up Halloween so easily!!! There must be a solution....

My search for a good Halloween this year:

• The Salt Lake Tribune claims that Halloween has surpassed New Year's as a holiday for parties, and gives several suggestions for witty costumes (though I suspect their suggestions are for those young mormons searching for soulmates).


• Guess I'll need some ice cream to go with the scary movies. Ben & Jerry's has a fun little holiday site up, complete with flavor graveyard (did you know they used to have White Russian ice cream? why'd they quit that?)

I'll add more ideas/sites as they come to me, but I think my real problem with Halloween this year is that there seems to be so much more to think about right now. Halloween is the most fun when you can immerse yourself in it and create a complete atmosphere of...ghoulish, mystical, hysterical, or otherwise autumnal fun.

ZacH and I zipped up to Y-town this weekend and made it to Hunter Orchard for some pumpkins, apples and cider. There's something so very *AUTUMN* about going to a pumpkin patch. We were going to go to Apple Hill, a place near Sac that sounds kind of like the amusement park version of a pumpkin patch. But the trip to Yreka came up, and we got to treat ourselves to the Tennaci's orchard.

Wouldn't you rather be at a pumpkin patch right now?

The sicky season is upon us, I guess. I've been battling a gross cold thingy for a few days, and today ZacH has been overcome--ooh, that's morbid--has taken sick with aches, nausea, and a fever. I'm new to this whole caring-for-the-sick thing. And it seems like there's no way to escape the germs (I'm starting to feel them in the air, they're so thick in this apartment)....

I know that nobody ever actually comments on this blog, but does anybody have any suggestions for best taking care of sickyness? Ya know, medicines, foods, strange superstitious habits?

Ope, gotta go wash my hands again...

In response to my recent empty-pocket syndrome (and relocation within a few mile radius of shopping malls), I have taken back up the art of strategic shopping, first taught to me by the illustrious Miss Jenn. At first it seems a little silly to know the difference between "crosshatch vintage" and "faded vintage" colors of jeans, to make a point of going to different store locations and to watch sales with the eye of a hawk. But after tasting success, it is easy to become a convert!

This weekend I bought my favorite style of jeans in what I think is the best color right now for nearly half price. And they don't even need to be hemmed (a miracle for short me)! Of course, that wasn't without having looked online and in two store locations (and having the luck to travel out of state (Ok, Medford) this weekend). I honestly have been basking in the glow of this little purchase most of the weekend....And I'm still gloating- can't you tell?

Ah, the first moments of sunshine after a rainstorm--that raw freshness that comes after you've cried out all the tears. It is a brightness that is almost too hopeful and still a little...messy. We had a rough rainstorm for a couple of days, which on one hand was pretty exciting, a sign of changing seasons. On the other hand it was rather intense, with large tree branches blocking street lanes and little-flood puddles everywhere. But I was lucky enough to be out today in the sun's redemption...

And now, the West Wing premiere.

Well, there was the first honest argument on Crossfire recently, thanks to Jon Stewart. Tell me again, why is Jon Stewart a voice of reason? Stewart speaks the truth: "You're partisan--what do you call it?--hacks." If you missed it, here it is. And to the one person who I know is reading this and clicking on the link: I know where you live, and we're having pasta for dinner. plbbt.

"A lot of people define objectivity as what agrees with their point of view," says Bob Schieffer of CBS in part of this interview for the SacBee. "If you agree with them, you're objective; if you don't, you're not. It's troubling, and I'm not really sure what to do about that."
I don't know...perhaps Jon Stewart knows the answer! (no really, I mean it)

And one more thing that could use Mr. Stewart's help: the Sinclair Broadcasting fiasco. Pulitzer Prize winner Leonard Pitts took a wonderfully clear stance on the issue.

I think Misters Pitts, Stewart and Schieffer should join forces to combat more evil in this world.
Actually, I take that back, but first--how do you abbreviate "Misters" in English? I was thinking Mrs. or Ms. but those are already taken...What is the abbreviation for monsieurs?...Hmm, bring on the style manuals...
But back to the supertruth team: They've each done a great job of quietly describing the evil forces, but are Comedy Central, Sunday mornings, and the depths of the opinion pages really places to make a difference? Let's seem them (or someone else from the supertruth team) be placed on prime time news shows, or even(!) elected president. Now there's an idea...

Any further nominations for members of the SuperTruth team?

And one more completely off-topic question: What do you think constitutes plagiarism on a blog? For the purposes of full disclosure and my guilty conscience, the Stewart clips link above was found on this blog before I even had a chance to look for it...

Today, while cleaning, I listened to "Hallelujah" sung by Rufus Wainwright for at least an hour. No joke. Over and over and over again. Here's a verbal sample: "I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord, but you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, the baffled king composing, 'Hallelujah'"...Ok, so maybe that verse needed the music to back it up, but it's still nifty. Even thinking about the song now, I could go on listening to it forever. I mean, "Love is not a victory march; its a cold and its a broken 'Hallelujah'"? Or how bout, "Remember when I moved in you, the holy dove was moving too, and every breath we drew was 'Hallelujah'"? With lines like those....phew. Gimme more.

And something completely different, yet fun. According to colorstrology the color of my birth month is "Cayenne," and my specific color based on birthday is "Sangria" (nicely enough, my colors sound like accents to a good meal). My description reads in part: "You are intuitive and insightful and tend to be financially blessed. Theatrical and eloquent, you are a great storyteller. You are mate oriented but have to be self-sustaining and independent for your relationship to work."
Well then, Sangria it is (now if only I were feeling financially blessed right now).

Ok, maybe these aren't too dear to my heart, but they have been bugging me.

First and foremost: Sinclair Broadcasting. The television group which includes Fox, WB, ABC, CBS, NBC, and UPN affiliates in 24 states is airing the Kerry-slamming "Stolen Honor" as a news program, without interruption, and preempting regular schedules. The fact that the company is calling any such political, inflammatory documentary "news," instead of a 40-minute unpaid advertisement, is angering. As I understand it, the broadcasting group is inviting Kerry for an interview to justify "equal" time.

Now, in honoring the first amendment, I believe that people should certainly be able to make up their own minds about such programming. My own hope would be that Sinclair Broadcasting as a media group watches its advertisers, viewers, and money shrivel.

Here in Sacramento, the station owned by SB is KOVR, Channel 13, a CBS affiliate. You can find your local SB station here.

What I find perhaps most frustrating is the comparison in the news coverage for this incident compared to, say, the CBS document problem. The media is so anxious that it will once again be labeled the "L word" that comments on this stunt seem to be composed with a very quiet hand. If Fahrenheit 9/11 were to be broadcast to 24 percent of US television households, you can bet the conservative spin doctors would have a field day.

My second, little thought (will save the third for another day): Who ever said that all reporters are liberally biased? Check out today's SDN for coverage of a Bush rally in Southern Oregon. Please note that said daily newspaper definitely did not cover the political rally held for John Kerry in Medford this summer.

Guess it just goes to remind that "objective" is in the eye of the beholder (and "biased" is always the other guy)...

Watch the third presidential debate tonight!
I don't know about you, but I've been tuning in for the debates--mostly to see if anyone will say something heartfelt or surprising. And to be honest, they seem to be getting better--the VP debate sounded a little less planned and the second prez debate was OKish. Though I am fairly certain that the debates aren't changing any minds...

However, they have one final chance to surprise us!
And--more importantly--this debate is in Tempe, at my alma mater!
And even more importantly, it is at my beloved Gammage Auditorium, across the street from where I lived for two years!

Now, here's the scoop: Gammage is a Frank Lloyd Wright design, originally created for the Baghdad Opera House. The legend goes that the ASU president at the time won the use of the architectural plans over a card game, after the Iraqi king who commissioned the design was killed...

I'm sure there's some deeper meaning or irony there, somewhere.

P.S.- ASU's student media looks to be doing a great job of coverage, including an 'exclusive' interview with Kerry...Check it out

Brenda-
I made it! I created a new blog too, just cuz. It is not nearly as cleverly put together as yours but I will work on it :) Can't watch the debate: no tv... Have a good nite, tess

Ok, so my whole life right now seems to be evolving around all these huge thoughts and questions about love and self and direction and.......and everything. I have all of these little monster questions that keep rearing their ugly heads, like, "How do I know what I want?" And that always seem to remain unanswered (or only lead to uglier monsters).

And while I am still at this moment toying with how much of that to drag out onto this blog, I am thinking I should keep it short before I make people gag (suffice it for me to tell just one very leeeeetle story? I told ZacH today that I would like to prove that he didn't exist and the worst thing is (or is it the best?) (wait--am I allowed to put parentheses inside of other parentheses?) (more than once?)oh yeah- and he said that he understands, and he does. ugh. er, ahh.)

Anyways, what I am REALLY writing about is this: In response to all of these big questions, I am on a baking kick. Yes, that's right. I have recently made (or attempted to make) apple dumplings, chocolate chip cookies, and banana bread. I am currently making another batch of banana bread, have plans for some more cookies, and am making plans for pumpkin bread and pecan pie.....Now, one might think that this is one of those food comfort things, but it's not quite. Though the eating is good, it actually seems to be about the baking.
It's like I've been infected with some sort of Martha Stewart philosophy of life.

And on a strange, and almost unconnected sidenote, I have discovered that I am a hybrid of:

Progressive Girl Indie Girl

according to a website, "Cooking to Hook Up," which is apparently a cookbook that is supposed to help guys succeed in the wild food universe of dating....

Happy Eleventh!!! If anybody is reading this today, find a strange way to celebrate the joy of today. Let me suggest peppermint frosting without any cake, singing a song as loudly as you can and dancing like a crazy person until you no longer care what people think, or painting your toenails each a different color.

Wondering what is eleven? Google defines it as:
the cardinal number that is the sum of ten and one http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn?stage=1&word=eleven
a team that plays football http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn?stage=1&word=eleven
being one more than ten www.cogsci.princeton.edu/cgi-bin/webwn

Apparently, eleven is also "The square root of 121, times 2, minus 4, devided by 3, plus 5."
And there is a book! “The Book of Eleven: An Itemized Collection of Brain Lint” sounds like an excellent waste of time...

Generally speaking, its a number where crazy things happen.

Look for next month's celebration: the eleventh eleven....

Ok, so I am young and flabby. And currently out of breath and sweaty.

The other day I bought a bellydancing dvd to workout with, though it turns out to not be very aerobic. And it's kind of a strange production, like the video is more focussed on appealing to the viewer sexually than actually trying to help teach any moves; it's almost like really, really, really soft....um, let's just say it looks like the tape was made to bring pleasure to men. But that's a little off-topic....

Today I went bike riding on a nearby bike path, which was ok. But I can tell I'm going to tire of these two options eventually....

What I'm trying to discover are ways to work out, without belonging to a gym and without having my own yard to play in. Any suggestions for what to do? Anybody try any good workout videos?

Blogging is now mainstream! Jeopardy apparently had a category called "Blogs" the other night....Check it out here.

Ok, so I finally got the invitations out--more than a week after that original post....

And just to give ya newbies a sample post: Ok, so I'm currently unemployed and am starting to feel a leetle...how do you say? nervous--about money. I mean, nothing bad yet, but I'm just becoming more aware. And I've been trying to transfer my checking account--which is still technically in another state--to a local branch of the same bank. I've been into the bank twice, and while they are always polite, I'm actually starting to feel discriminated against.

For example, I asked one of the bankers yesterday about investing some of my savings into CDs, something that I've been thinking a lot doing for the last year or so. He raised an eyebrow, told me what the minimum investment was, and then paused, like he expected me to say that that was too much. When I didn't, the only information he would give me was a brochure that emphasized, again, the minimum investment. Nothing about the interest return rates or the different time commitments. I also was asking about the different savings accounts, and the gentleman emphasized several times that I needed a minimum of $300 to open a savings account.....It's bordering on insulting.

You'd think they would be eager to help me give them money....And I know this isn't worldclass discrimination--I'm sure they'd still take my money. But just because I'm young doesn't mean that I should have to repeatedly demand for them to treat me appropriately.

Today will be my third (and last) try with this bank. If it doesn't work, maybe I'll go back to shoebox banking.....