To Sense: just a few pennies

Why, hello there

2011-06-22T18:24:00.001-07:00

Oh, don't worry! No real content here... still. I'm just testing some RSS feed nonsense...

Wonder if it's working yet?

Avert your eyes...

2009-12-15T22:31:00.000-08:00

I've been neglecting this blog! I'll get back into blogging, soon. I'm still figuring out exactly how, what and where.

That's all. Nothing to see here! Move along now...

Shower invites

2008-08-18T12:44:00.000-07:00

So I've been a busy MOH leading up to my sister's wedding, and I haven't even gotten to post about any of the fun stuff I've done yet! For now, I'm tossing up images of the invitations & recipe cards I designed for her shower...

There were a few hitches in the design process, when I decided to abandon my original printing/mailing idea inspired by these lovelies from Jordan at Oh Happy Day (super blog, btw!). So I'm not 100 percent pleased, but here's a peek:

Invitations:

Front

& Back (yes, you gotta rotate & flip)

And here are the recipe cards (a late-add to the invitations, required by the MOB...)

Front:

& Back:

More post wedding--I'm feeling a little like showing off! (And possibly even re-jump-starting this poor little starved blog...)

Bride-to-be, now deployed

2008-03-10T16:55:00.000-07:00

Just in case you haven't already voted for Cindy & John, here's an update:

My little sister, Cindy, recently got engaged and is a finalist in an online contest for free wedding photography, via Real Photography in Colorado. What makes her different: Cindy was recently deployed to the Middle East on her first mission as a pilot with the Air Force (her FI is a pilot too--you can read more about them here). The contest is finishing up while she's still overseas, and so we're looking for one final push of votes! Traci Turchin, the nifty & friendly photographer who's holding the contest, has decided to switch the contest over to "blind" so that we can't see who's currently in the lead ... which means no more obsessive checking to see who's ahead!

Here's to helping them win! Make sure to Vote for Cindy & John!

P.S. Loyal Reader, if you're out there: Sorry for the spammy post with very pointed links--I just want to make it easy on ya! Stay tuned for better content! -b

3/18 UPDATE: Cindy & John won! Thanks for your help!

Vote for Cindy! (& John!)

2008-02-19T16:47:00.001-08:00

In the wake of my inactivity (wait, how big of a wake does inertia leave?), my sister is planning her wedding! And with a vengeance! She's actually deploying to the War in less than two weeks, and is determined to have a good share of her planning done before then. She's got a ceremony location, and is close to deciding on a dress & a reception location.

Next up: The Photographer. And this is where you can help.

Cindy & her FI John are finalists in the Real Couple of the Year contest, held by a Colorado wedding photographer. The top prize for the contest is a free wedding photo package with Traci Turchin of Real Photography! Winners of the contest are chosen by vote--so hurry up and Vote for CINDY & JOHN!

OK, caps-lock & exclamation points aside--I really hope my sister and future brother-in-law win. (And haha--no, I'm clearly not biased on this topic!) But even though I've heard plenty of stories about their relationship, when I read through their contest entry--I realized that a very subtle theme emerged. From meeting him at track practice (where she felt at home) at the Air Force Academy, to deciding to forsake her Great Britain dreams solo for sharing the Great Plains with him--she's found a home in John.

OK, so I can't take credit for that. It's pretty much literally what Cindy said herself:

"I just keep thinking about heading down the aisle in my elaborate white dress ... and John ahead of me. With him by my side, I'll always be home" Read more...

And really, what more could one ask for in a brother-in-law, than someone who makes a home for my sister? Uh-oh, I'm getting a little too emotional on my poor, long-abandoned blog. Cindy better not read this, or she may recognize my speech in a few months ;)

Of course, creating a home isn't the only theme for "real" love stories. And it doesn't take a contest to legitimize a fairy tale. What theme runs through your own love story? I'm developing a few of my own...

Light it up

2007-04-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is literal and a little hokey--but here are directions for DIY paper lanterns that I think could come in handy for my vaguely-in-the-future perfect
wedding: Style me pretty actually referenced a 2004 Martha Stewart weddings mag for this info, but... well, it's still good info.

Then again, should I prefer to have actual paper lanterns (as opposed to converted paper bags), here are three online shops where I could buy them: luna bazaar, pearl river and the more obviously named Asian Lanterns.

I heart paper

2007-03-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Paper stores, how I love you all. It may seem strange to be obsessed with paper (huh? that white stuff that comes out of my printer, you ask), but nothing makes me want to spend my soon-to-be hard-earned money (you like that? I don't have the money yet, but I'm already spending it) than pretty, pretty printed and dyed and cutout papers. It's not that I scrapbook. It's not that I really have that much stuff to do with said pretty papers, other than make occasional birthday cards.

But they are so pretty. They must be worth my (future) money.

Here are two shopsites I luv: Paper mojo and The Paper studio.

Next up: pick out curtains...

2007-03-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

In the continuing spirit of picking out gifts for myself (and insane domesticity), I happened upon this lovely china site, Rosanna. While it's unfortunately set up for little gifts of dessert plates or teacups, wouldn't these designs be fun for a wedding registry? I really, really love their Boho pattern--or should I say patterns?

There are actually six patterns for each set of dessert or dinner plates... Ah me, how I love matching-mis-matched sets.

Another wedding-must for any Martha Stewart wannabe is, of course, a customized monogram on everything. I mean, people might get all confused if they're at your wedding and they pick up a bottle of water, and it says Crystal Geyser on it--they might be like, "Crystal Geyser? Who're they? I thought I was at the Smith shindig!" You can help them out by putting your monogram on that bottle of water, you see. And on envelopes, stationary of all kinds, the cake, the flowers, table and aisle runners, small children attending--really, I mean it--everything.

Luckily, there is this fabulous site, i Do Originals, that will customize or design your monogram for you. Now all kidding aside, I actually think this is pretty cool--possibly

because my common definition for "cool" includes the word "cheap." For 3 buckeroos, you can get a design updated with your intials and colors or you can get 5 completely customized just-for-you designs for 15 bucks. And then you can print that jpeg design on everything.

Countdown to 11

2007-03-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, here are some things I need, haha.

To satiate my recent Martha leanings--and because I need another cake plate like I need a hole in my head--here's where someone can buy me this darling cake plate. Wouldn't it look cute with different ribbons woven through it? Don't you want to buy it for me? Admit it: It's cute-cute-cute!

So, this is Bumble & Bumble hair powder, which I have been dying to try for years--I guess that sounds dumb, but I suppose we could call it an on-and-off-again desire. But a strong desire. Just not one that has ever quite gotten me over the shock of spending something like 20 buckeroos on, like, 1 ounce of powder. That I'm not totally sure will really work or look that great on me. But I have a strong suspicion it will do both and, like I said, a strong desire. (And I happen to know there's a salon near where I live that sells this possibly great stuff).

And, while we're on the subject of hair--I could also use this snazzy conditioner from Aveda. In fact I could really use it, like, now. So I guess this is probably more of a reminder for me to buy it than anything else. But there you go.

So, I guess that's about it--I'm currently all about "domestic" goods (um, hello, I have a few new favorite stores- Crate & Barrel and Ikea--where more shopping can always be done, should someone so desire) and, apparently, hair products. Hmm, there was also this awesome movie, which I actually might have been born to watch and which is also currently out on DVD. Hmm... Also, there are many wonderful flavors of fragrance filed away at Demeter, and while most may a bit pricey, there are some smaller versions that only cost $10.

Hmmm... I should stop now. Trying to come up with gifts for myself only makes me more greedy. Dreaming up ideas for what other people can buy me is always a chore that I take very seriously and generally find rather rewarding. It's a rough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

@work

2007-03-26T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today was kind of my first day at my new job. Sort of. And to kind of unwind, of course, I'm window shopping online again. In honor of my first day (almost-maybe-ish), I want to make note of the silliness--including office toys--at perpetual kid. So that maybe when I actually start working, I could sorta have fun with my office-like space. Ish.

Wedding stockholm syndrome & flowers

2007-03-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

So it takes me an extremely long time to give in & admit to really, really being girly. For quite some time now I've been wandering the web on a wedding streak, checking out blogs and biographies for ideas and tips, perusing vendor sites for reality checks (hello! expensive) and more ideas. And now I have decided that one other use for this mostly defunct blog (turned personal bookmark site) is to actually document the "dream" vendors that I find as I wander the web on a wedding streak. The wedding web wandering has been fun, but since I will soon be working again, all that wandering will be for naught if not recorded.

So.

So I refuse to call it my "dream" wedding. Because, really, I'm not the kind of girl who has been dreaming of "the biggest day of her life" since second grade. (Zac actually says that I have stockholm syndrome when it comes to anything wedding & domestic--I resisted at first, but seem to have thrown myself into the subjects with verve as of late, as if of my own free will.)

So call it my Martha Stewart Wedding--you know, the one I would possibly choose to have were money and time no object, and I knew a certain magazine would help kick-off my career as a wedding planner when they featured my fabulous event on their cover.

First up: The florist. In my MSW, flowers would be one of (if not the) main themes of the wedding. Fresh wildflowers everywhere. In reality, wildflowers aren't very easy to come by and are even more difficult to preserve. But then I read about Blomma Flicka Flowers. Nevermind that they're located in Vermont--this is simply the first florist I have heard of that is using wildflower-looking arrangements--yay!

On another note the post on Weddingbee which alerted me to this great florist also has many links for online flower wholesalers--a possible alternative (though no wildflowers).

faire du shopping en Paris

2007-02-11T16:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've decided. I've found my calling: shopping in Paris.

There's a store in Sacramento, Le Petit Paris, that sells all sorts of little things bought in the city of lights. And it appears that the storekeeper goes to Paris every season--and hosts a small tour of women shoppers! How perfect!

For mega-craniums

2007-02-02T00:46:00.000-08:00

...like me, I think I found a new motto, in the form of an alleged Taiwanese schoolyard ryhme.

No more umbrellas!

because I'm a girl

2007-01-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

... and sometimes I get on these kicks where I just window shop all over the Internet, without the actual intent--who am I kidding? I mean dough--to buy anything. So here's what I've been checking out recently (because, hey, maybe I'll actually want to buy some of this stuff sometime)

First we have oh joy!, a design oriented blog that also had some great wedding stuff on it (check out the "Here comes the bride..." category). I also found the kenzieKate blog; the writer also designs wedding invitations.

Linking these two blogs were comments about paper flower pomades which I am totally loving. And to continue my obsession with paper flowers (and origami, and paper goods, etc) I have decided I need one of these flower-making kits.

Also a reminder to self to check out two stores IRL: Bry's Specialty Grocery in Redding and Le Petit Chateau in Roseville. Enough for now!

Counting down

2006-12-06T12:37:00.000-08:00

So maybe all you savvy I'net browsers have already discovered this ("all" and "you" are really meant ironically), but I just discovered it and want to share.

Remember doing advent calendars as a kid? In church, there are the candles; at home, we always had one with little doors to open, sometimes with candy; and at school, they always had you staple together the rings to tear off...

And now, online, we get the Harpold Advent Calendar.

It's nothing too high-tech or shocking, just a little something each day, along with someone's holiday memory and a link elsewhere. So far there's been a paintshop Christmas scene, drag&dress Santa Claus, a poem by Edna St Vincent Millay and even a joke about an Ayn Rand Christmas special. Could you ask for anything more?

Affording that house...

2006-11-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

Wallow in real estate woes no more! A shotgun shack is not a new idea, but I love that it's coming back into vogue a bit and with some style. I just caught a couple of articles about "Katrina Cottages," designed for victims of the hurricane.

Here's another article. And some pics (OK, fine, so you could Google it yourself, but I liked these ones best)

The most famous is going to be sold by Lowe's, with the most expensive version estimated to cost around $46,800. OK, so that's for 900-some square feet, but I'd rather own a free-standing, but small home with a yard than "own" a condo. The basic model has a living area, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and relatively large porch. They totally look like some of the little shacks that you sometimes find abandoned on some forgotten corner of former ranch land in Siskiyou--except that those one are literally rotting and falling down.

Ohh! And these would make perfect cottages for the commune!

new eyes

2006-10-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I recently "inherited" (the owner is still alive) a couple of vintage cameras- a Brownie Hawkeye and an old Polaroid. I'm totally excited to start experimenting with what sort of photos these cameras produce, but need to do a little research before I can actually start playing (most importantly I need film). In keeping with my current use of this blog, here are some useful links:

My "new" Polaroid takes pack film and a No. 531 4.5 volt battery. This site has some info about films available and development times. Ok, actually Jim's Polaroid site is pretty much useful all around. Bad news, though: Finding the battery may be harder than the film...

Developping... (hehehe)

e-window shopping

2006-09-30T02:01:00.000-07:00

Ok, this may be my new favorite empty pastime- shopping online (but not buying, of course, b/c of that no-income thing).

Found today was this rather cute card site, called Lola Says with cards enscribed with messages to women on all subjects, from the mundane to "You had a C-section!" and "Sorry your job sucks!" and "You're living with your parents!" Each card is complete with little rhyming messages.

And I wouldn't have found this witty card site without the help of Indie Finds. Hmmm... contemplating starting a review blog of such fun online shopping & seeing if I can score some free--I mean, seeing if I can help promote such nifty products. Yeah, definitely.

Finds

2006-09-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

While cruising the I'net today, I happened upon several sites that I need to remember, use and shop from. Since the "day" is, um, officially over, this is what I've found so far:

My first find was very non-Indie of me, but brought me joy. NikeWomen has several fun dance routines, with instructions and for free. Dancing makes me happy to sweat :)

For a special someone (whose birth is nigh), this onesie from willheron.com may be even better than the earlier camouflage idea. What better for "the spawn," as Zac calls "it"? It's truly a sweet mix of mildly offensive and cutesie.

Of course, shopping would not be complete without finding something I really want but simply can't afford--like these keyhole necklaces from Juniper Designs. My favorite of the so-called Pandora's Box designs (I know, oh-so-subtle) is Longing, though I also rather like Hope, Lust, Ecstacy and Vanity. Just a tip. Then again, this may be an instance when I might be able to find the tools I need for about $10-20 to make my own knock-off version (I know, terrible cheapskate). Then again maybe not.

And to continue my free online shopping, I happened upon this fun little blog, Independent luxe. More fun, more stuff.

Getting some higher educatin'

2006-09-07T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking about becoming a competent web-being and no longer using my blog for things it's really not meant for--and I'm on my way, even--but for now, more misuse.

Here are a few links to higher ed grad programs that I'm researching:
OSU, baby!
University of Vermont!
and, of course, ASU!

Also useful is this directory and this one from the ASHE.

This is exciting! to even contemplate! Keep working at it!! Yay!

Purses, II

2006-09-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Here's the evening clutch. The handle is stiff and folds into the purse, as desired. As you can see, it has a coin purse attached that matches the interior satiny fabric. It's a nice simple bag, and could be really good for any times you get dressed up or go out (instead of feeling like a dork carrying around your everyday bag).

That's it for the day. I'm tired of struggling with Blogger--I'll email or call if I switch over to Flickr. Today's posts start down at "Grandma & Grandpa's house."

For anyone else who just might happen to be reading, I went down to my grandpa's house in the dessert this last week to help my mom and aunt go through the things that are still in the house, before the family sells it (My grandpa is currently living in Y-town). We separated out things that we thought were valuable or useful or sentimental (or retro) and tried to pack most of them up. I'm trying to share some of the things we went through with my sister, who wasn't there.

Purses, I

2006-09-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so my camera's battery needs recharging, so here are pics of the four purses that I packed home with me from this trip to Grandma & Grandpa's. I'll upload pics of the other three later today or tomorrow. I would really like Kelly & Krista to take a look at them too, though they may be too professional/old-lady for them. But it would make me feel better, I think, if they gave 'em a once over.

Mom & Aunt Judy are kind of talking about maybe having Thanksgiving at Salem this year, so if you come, we could go over a lot of this stuff then.

This is the black Gucci bag that I was telling you about. It was in grandma's closet, and is really not that old--probably from the late 80s, early 90s even--and looks rarely used. (Doesn't my arm look fat in that pic?) I wasn't even sure I wanted to take this one and kept encouraging Aunt Judy to take it, but I think we had a hard time leaving a rather serious name brand for the garage sale. Mom swears that all of the Gucci in the house was real and were gifts from Max Factor and his wife, Millie. The pic might not be larger enough, but the black fabric has linked GG's throughout. And the gold-colored logo near the bottom is linked GGs.

This is the light yellow bag with tomato-red lining. It's... a little funky, but fun. This was in one of the suitcases of stuff in the garage, so either from Grandma Mote or Aunt Ann (as Mom would call them). The hardware on this bag looks more like brass in person, and less steely than it looks in these pics.

This is the other black purse, the patent leather one. I found this, I believe, with the yellow purse. The camera's flash makes it look all marred, but it's in shiny-new condition.

More things we packed with you in mind

2006-09-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is a cake plate that Mom saved for you--Mom has a thing about cake plates, you know. One of the things that she really, really wanted from Grandma's was the cake plate she remembers growing up with (not this one), and so she packed that one for herself. I tried explaining that we both really like the one she already has, plus she's already bought me one--so really, we probably have enough cake plates. But this one's packed for you, in case you would like it at some later date.

Ok, now things start to get kind of fuzzy. I can't remember exactly what we packed, but I'm pretty sure that our family packed this creamer & sugar set--it's a pretty simple set, glass & dusty in this picture, but we believe it was Grandma's. If we did indeed pack it up, I'm pretty sure we didn't have a specific plan for it. We also packed up two other sets of creamer/sugars--one that was sterling silver that Mom I think wanted to help complete a set that Dad's mom gave to her (?I think) and one miniature set made of white glass that was put with my pile b/c I took most of the white glass stuff--though I'll definitely include a picture of it in a later post.

I think I'm going to change gears and put up some posts of the purses and costume jewelry that I wanted you to see--and that'll probably be it for the day. For some reason just going back through this stuff feels kind of exhausting today, plus I'm thinking about changing over to Flickr b/c Blogger really wasn't built for uploading photos. But just so I can remember, I do want you to see photos of some of the things we thought you might like, but that we didn't pack yet (we know where they are); things that were packed for me that I think you might like; and maybe even some things that were packed for other people just in case you feel like perusing. So many of our decisions were kind of speculative, I know that we can make changes if you have any desires...

Grandma & Grandpa's house

2006-09-05T12:22:00.000-07:00

Alright, since I get to use my blog for whatever I want, this one's for you, Cindy. I'm going to put up the pictures in groups, and you comment as you go, how about? This first group are pictures of things that we packed up with you in mind. A lot of the pictures have my hand in them to try to give some scale, but I'm not sure that really helped...

First up, these are two vases that are marked on the bottom as carrot and celery stick holders that were marked "always on the table at the farmhouse" and belonged to Minerva Weaver, which would be one of Grandma's great grandmas, aka Great Grandma's grandma--our great, great, great grandma, I believe. These were on display in the china cabinet and have a modern look, with their square shape, but stil prett with the lilly-like pattern and the frosted glass (this picture shows them a little bit dusty).

Ok, this is kind of a saddle-shaped dish--two of the pictures are when it was dusty, but show the design better--also from the china cabinet. I don't know what, but there's something pretty about it that made me think you might like it... I could imagine maybe laying flowers across it or using it as a candy/nut dish or something--I really am not sure. The dish is marked Lucy Ann Johnson, who I think was either Grandpa's great grandma or his grandma (all the names are a swirling jumble in my head by now), on his mother's side I believe, which is the Maine side.

This is a little dessert(?) plate or shallow bowl that Mom thought you might like. It's black with an iridescent swirl finish... There were several single saucers/dessert plates in different patterns. I took several that weren't "historical" or in any special place because I have this notion that I want to throw tea parties. This was one of the labeled, more valued pieces--though I don't remember whose it was. A couple of other similar-sized plates that were also marked we packed up in a box for Mom's Aunt Betty... If you're interested, I also have pics of some of those plates for another post (and/or you can always claim some of the ones I took).

Ok, and apparently, I'm going to have to spread this into the next post, as well b/c Blogger keeps saying that it has uploaded my next two photos and then giving me nothing to show for it...

Century plants, my ...

2006-06-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so "community journalism" can take you some strange places. One of my co-workers for example recently went on a dangerous assignment to cover the blooming of a Century Plant - which happened to nearly coincide with the 97th birthday of the plant's owner. Pretty nice, eh?

I say the story was dangerous because the spiny plant, also known as the American Agave, poked the intrepid reporter. Besides drawing blood, this also drew suspicion as the entire event took place on an ominous day, that of 06/06/06 - which, if you take all the zeros out, can make a scary number.

Then tonight I happen to catch a glimpse of a local TV station's news story about another family with their own Century Plant that suddenly bloomed. While on one hand, I felt a little vindicated that even local TV news has to cover stories about people's plants growing - on the other hand, I gave an at-home, imaginary high-five to my co-worker for scooping the television station.

And on that most important third hand, I realized - hold up, wait a minute - are these so-called Century Plants really just alien pods suddenly communicating with one another in a towering show of force? Why the rash of blooming agave?

So I did a little research. Apparently the plants are more likely to bloom once in about 25 years, and usually die after blooming (like a wasp - told you this was a dangerous, aggressive plant). In case you were too lazy to click on the article links, but are still reading, the local homeowners claim the plants are growing at rapid rates - 12 inches per day and 20 feet in a week. Quoth one resident upon first noticing the stalk that can grow up to 40 feet tall, "Oh, my God, what is that?" (an alien antenna, I tell you).

Still, why the rash of blooms? Is there something particular about this season's weather cycle that has nourished the plants, making for a virulent harvest of Agave bloom? Is there a reason why, about 25 years ago, quite a few of these were planted (a sale at the local nursery? a strong, seed-filled wind? a passionate and quirky developer?)? Or are there really just two well publicized Century Plants blooming in the area, and the second family one-upped the first after reading the newspaper?

just looking

2006-06-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ok, here are some openings and posting pages that I have found recently...

A Position in Natomas.

One in Corvallis.

And another in Modesto.

The USDA publicist job, and others, on USAJobs.

Berkeley's J-Jobs page.

Beyond banjos & slide guitars

2006-06-02T19:51:00.000-07:00

I go on kicks where I listen to one song over & over & over. Really, the 'repeat' button was a wonderful creation.
This week, it was the Dixie Chick's "Not Ready to Make Nice." What a song. I mean, there's nothing left for the three of them to say in press junkets and promotion. It seems like any question that a reporter or host would ask has already been answered more eloquently and completely in that song.
It's such a strong statement about freedom of speech, the power of words and acts of defiance.
The funny thing is, it's also clearly a relationship song--perhaps literally about Natalie Maines and the country music world--but easily extrapolated to other relationship wounds.
And it's a rallying cry for this long-time fan.
Though, to be honest, I hope that they do return to some more of the old-style country that they were digging into in earlier albums... I don't think the genre needs to be abandoned solely to Bush supporters and Tequila-makes-her-clothes-fall-off-bedonkydonk songs.
And it's really beginning to anger me that I'm still not hearing any Dixie Chicks songs on the radio around here--let the requests begin!
Anyways, note to self: Dixie Chicks in concert September 8 at Arco Arena.

And in other not-quite-country music news, I found a few more concert dates for Nickel Creek nearby... We will see them after all, dangit. On July 7 in Clear Lake or on July 1 in Saratoga

pills, sprays and promiscuity

2006-04-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

Drudge directed thousands of readers, I'm sure, to this article about "sex in a spray." While the full text of the article provides plenty of opportunities for a little laugh, what first raised my eyebrow was the sub-headline: PT-141 will finally offer women the chance to turn on their sexual desire as and when they need it ... Will sex in a spray usher in an age of 'McNookie' - quick easy couplings low on emotional nutrition?

What it immediately points out is that women are seen as the guardians of emotional attachment in sex. Sure, we've been giving men Viagra for years, but that's OK because, well, their two "heads" are not necessarily connected--as later noted in the article:

A male rat's erection on its own doesn't say much about the rat's state of mind. A female rat's coquetry, on the other hand, says all we need to know about her intentions and desires.

But a woman on the other hand is going to need some sort of emotional investment to become aroused--without the help of this magic spray, of course. So now, really, all hell could break loose as women might use this spray to give into pressures to have sex when they don't feel like it--or even worse, use the spray to have promiscuous couplings.

I'm pretty sure I can't agree with the idea that a female flirting and having sex tells us more about her thoughts/feelings than a man becoming aroused tells us about his thoughts/feelings. In a somewhat typical fashion, this article zeros in on the notion of women being in control of their sexual urges as a revolutionary thing. But I ask how much more revolutionary is this than a man deciding to get it up by popping a blue pill? Or even than a woman throwing back a potent shot of alcohol?

Of course, the spray will most likely be approved for men before women. Chemicals that boost sexual potency go to the men first, who need virility most of all (or at least the appearance of it); chemicals that work as birth control go to women first, who need virtue and chastity above all (or at least the appearance of it).

My guess is that - besides becoming a fun party drug - PT-141 could probably be the most help for women who might already fake an orgasm or arousal here or there. Really, it would be a gold digger's best friend, right? I mean, women have been turning on the sex spiggot when they see necessary for years; this might just make faking it a bit more enjoyable... Or maybe it could make men who would accept such advances a little less sure of their intentions?

Fortunately - perhaps thrown in for feminist readers like myself - the article does make another comment on female sexual behavior. In a separate experiment with rats, researchers gave female rats the sole responsibility for choosing when to have sex with their rat partner, simply through the design of the rat hotel.

Here's what he found: the effects of giving a female rat greater personal
control over her sex life are essentially the same as those of giving her
PT-141. Autonomy, in other words, is as real an aphrodisiac as any substance
known to science.

So perhaps this spray wouldn't increase the incidence of casual couplings any more than, say, the Pill theoretically has or something less quantifiable like a heaping helping of self-confidence. But that still doesn't mean that a woman who is more likely to have sex because of autonomy (which in theory PT-141 is providing chemically) is more likely to have promiscuous sex.

And it doesn't make the leap between women having more sex and a change in the net emotional value of that sex.

one-handed reading

2006-04-01T10:19:00.000-08:00

One of the most successful magazines out there, I think, is Bust because it's ads are so utilisable. I think I spend at least half of my time flipping through the magazine looking at ads and then using it as my guide to window shop online. I don't think I know any other publication whose ads are as invaluable to its readers.
Here (comments) are some shops I plan to return to, with money in hand...

opine, already

2006-03-27T17:59:00.000-08:00

Why is it that, when an opinion is required of me, it just doesn't happen? I feel like I work too hard to actually engage my brain enough to create interesting and worthy opinions (ok, interesting and worthy, aside--ANY opinions).

Here lie da plot o'space wherein me can leave ideas--opinions, even!--when they come, so that writing a column can be as easy as drawing a slip of paper from a hat. (ugh, instead of like the dry heaving it's been lately)

... and then use different toilets

2006-03-12T19:08:00.000-08:00

To continue my posting of totally useless things (this is not a real blog, I remind myself), here's a little tidbit for the girl who freaks out about junk mail: Your suspicions have been confirmed.

I like to tear up junk mail into tiny pieces and then throw the pieces in different garbage cans (and for some reason, I always consider eating a small piece of it, you know, so there'd be a missing piece ... but no, no, I don't eat paper or paste or dog food, even). Cockeyed did one of his famous experiments, this one with a torn-up credit card application.

The results? It's scary. Let's just say you should buy a shredder. Actually, maybe Mr. Cockerham should do a follow-up with a shredded application carefully taped back together... Yikes.

for further reading

2006-03-05T22:33:00.000-08:00

And to contnue my blogging of no consequence, here's Neil Gaiman's blog. Now, how exciting is that? Gaiman's books are some of the few full-length works that I have been able to get through since my career came to depend solely on reading and writing. Zac says it's fluff, but I think it's contemporary, stylish, intelligent storytelling that just happens to make a quick and pleasurable read.

Tailgating

2006-03-01T18:05:00.000-08:00

Bumper stickers seem to be a dying breed. 'Course, I wish I could find more that I love, but I probably wouldn't actually stick them to my car. Mostly I guess I wish there were more for my reading pleasure.

I saw my new favorite around town today:

Frodo failed
Bush has the Ring

Finally

2006-02-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

... it's time. In fact, it's way past time for me to actually commit to working out and getting healthier. Seriously, for how many years have I been saying, "I just haven't reached that point where I'm really wanting to make a change"?
A body too lumpy and too smooth. Low energy. Bad-news cravings. Muscles, joints that feel wasted, unused, useless.

Public commitment time. Cheesy program time.

I'm taking Self's Challenge. If you want to throw down too, we can be workout buddies.

My name is Brenda and I am a workout fiend.

this woman was singing my song

2006-02-01T23:15:00.000-08:00

I'm worried that I have officially stopped. I used to look at people in their late 20s and 30s who were, say, wearing high-wasted jeans and wonder why they couldn't be more with it. My conclusion: At some point in their lives, people stop. They stop changing their desires/tastes along with fads. My guess is it usually happens in their 20s, but is heavily influenced by their teens/adolescence. It's like I've jumped the shark.

The proof?
My newest favorite guilty tv is #1 Single, Lisa Loeb's reality show on E. You say it's a new show, but its clearly a show for people stuck in the 90s, in more ways than one. I know I'm not the only youth who thought someone else borrowed the pen from my diary to write her top single. And somehow, Lisa Loeb still comes off all you-wished-you-said-it-first-y.
Then again, it's also a chance for Sex in the City addicts to soothe their lack-of-new-episode DTs. Lisa's just a semi-famous, reflective artist in NYC, mixing it up at book signings and art shows, being mentioned in New York newspapers and spending time with other supportive single women.

Fortunately there are some TV critics who agree that it's not a bad show (and it shares a producer with that that other "in the City" show- Amish, etc). Anyways, hopefully that doesn't single me out as the girl with dated tastes...

because I was tired of seeing the last post

2006-01-29T17:27:00.000-08:00

This is funny. Read it.

my hair, my forest

2006-01-06T16:16:00.000-08:00

While searching the Internet for info about my local hairdresser's (my mane needs a new color), I ran smack-dab into the Siskiyou Project. Apparently, this is a non-profit that works to protect the environment in the Siskiyou and Klamath regions and gets some support from my choice of salon companies, Aveda. How weird is that?

Where tumbleweeds blow...

2006-01-05T13:59:00.000-08:00

So, I just got back from a visit to Lubbock, Texas, which greeted me with a dust storm upon arrival, but bid me farewell with warm, sunny skies. Before I left, I scrambled to try to get my new digital camera purchased/delivered so I could take it with me, but...it arrived this morning, only hours after I got home. So, instead I'm puting together this hokey review of what was done in Lubbock with the help of Web patchwork.

Mostly, Jenn and I spent a lot of time talking, eating and shopping. At left, you see shaved ice from the famous Bahama Buck's, with locations in Jenn's hometown and around ASU, of all places. Our lengthy conversations have grown from covering boys, teachers and parents to relationships, sex, jobs, co-workers and family--I figure there's really no difference, but it sounds more mature, right? We covered everything from that sex ed documentary made in Lubbock to the hi-brow fare offered on MTV. We watched The Family Stone and talked about wanting to watch Brokeback.

I went shopping, bought clothes and my new favorite necklace, and was given a confidence boost from Jenn in consumer rights.

I also got to meet Morgan and Molly, Jenn's cat and her mom's dog, respectively. Again, I didn't have my camera yet, so you'll have to do with the mental image of dog and cat tag-teaming to destroy ornaments and play-fighting constantly.

Jenn showed me her beautiful historic high school, and I got to meet some of her Texas friends...

All in all, it was a relaxing little vacation in a new place with an old friend, and I feel a little more like myself. With a little more deep breathing, I may even be ready to tackle my new job. Thanks for being a good hostess and great friend, Miss Jenn. Now, we return to my regularly scheduled life...

So kee-yute

2005-12-22T14:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, not holiday related, but I think my brain's friend enough to just want to look at friendly, perky cartoon pictures. (So much for the Christmas holiday existing to lighten up lives during dark winter months.) This is one of the Beijing Olympics' five mascots, and I just think they're darling...

That, and Google's been keeping me happy with their doodles. Ah, cute smiling little faces...

Totally unrelated

2005-12-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Lost's Ana Lucia is at it again... Fast and furious, isn't she?

Playing Santa

2005-12-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is my shopping list, my virtual bookmarks of things I may want to buy you.
No peeking, you know who you are.

Inspiration

2005-12-06T22:47:00.000-08:00

I like this. Writing as jealousy.

Making a list

2005-12-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this is really, really not what a blog should be used for. Very bad example, this. But, as I've said before, this is my space (no, it's not, ha ha, it's blogger), and I'll do what I want with it.

This is my auxiliary wish list for Christmas. Yes, how refreshingly non-greedy of me. But I figure, if I find some things that I want while I'm wandering the Internet, I might as well point my family directly to said desired item.

For Mom, Dad, Zac and whoever else feels like getting me a gift, here's how it works: Click on comments, below, to find links to sites and things that I could be happy opening under a Christmas tree.

And, to save some face, watch out for my upcoming Christmas shopping list... The holidays really are about giving, you know.

Looking out

2005-12-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Who would've thought the holiday season would be a good time to get a new job? One of my co-workers is moving on to a job way closer to my hometown--and I'll be honest, I'm totally jealous.

Another has just moved up to work as what he calls a "laborer," and says he'll be making more there with starting pay than he would with his next raise in our office. I guess "working on a railroad all the livelong day" might not seem so bad, after working in a newsroom? I don't know...

Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a clear plan for what my next career step should be...

Fry this

2005-11-18T12:29:00.000-08:00

Turkeyfest: Go to it. If you know what I'm talking about, you know where it is. Bring some stuff to fry. There's the standard zucchini, mushrooms, onion rings etc... maybe Snickers, Oreos... but think creative. I'm thinking I'll bring chocolate chip cookie dough--that might fry into an interesting something. But what about some sort of fritter (dough/fruit), donuts, leftover mashed potatoes? Little wonton-wrapped thingy-mabobs? Fried gummy bears, anyone?

Personally, I'm thinking that we could all use a somewhat strenuous hike in some brisk Siskiyou air more than fried foods the day after Thanksgiving. But that may be just me. Bring on the deep fryer.

Other words

2005-11-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I went to a conference in San Jose for newspaper editors (yes, my title has officially gained the word "editor"), and while I enjoyed it, the most valuable experience has been its reverberations throughout this week.

I'm on one of my idea kicks, where I'm just on the edge of manic, coming up with new solutions to problems and sometimes-grandiose plans for change. And just about each day, I've gone back through all the handouts from the conference, and I've been checking out newspaper ideas from around the country.

But what I've gotten really hooked on is Alicia's Story, a series in the San Francisco Chronicle by a 23-year-old copyeditor who has metastasized cancer. Robert Rosenthal mentioned his work with Alicia at the conference, and I was curious. While it's definitely not the type of story that can be replicated (and thereby help me on my idea kick), it's more than worth the time it takes to sit down and read.

Teacher turned outlaw

2005-09-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a little YHS news for any of you Yreka folk. It seems that one of my least favorites teachers (I can say that even though I never had him--always remember that teachers shouldn't laugh at students' aspirations) had a little too much wacky tobacky...

Unimportant

2005-09-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

I have a personal vendetta against people who will insult you and, when you respond, say “Oh, don’t be so sensitve,” or “It wasn’t a big deal.” So when a local columnist recently used 500 words to tell us that Michael Newdow’s fight against “under God” in the pledge of allegiance was unimportant, I felt I had to comment.Instead of spending the rest of his column telling us what really did matter, he used most of the rest of 500 words to rail against why Newdow is being just too damn sensitive.

I thought about submitting it or sending it, but then I remembered- personal publishing!

I mean, this is the United States of America, right? So why should we let some guy and some court tell us what we can say?

But the way I see it is this: Here’s a man who was told that he can’t raise his daughter, for whatever reason. The state has told him that he cannot spend the necessary time with her to teach her his own values and views of the world. But then he realizes that everyday, when she goes to school, the State imbibes in her a religious view of the world. The State tells her that we exist “under God,” something that he ferverently does not believe in. It’s not that he’s not sure if God exists; he believes that there is no God. For the State to be instilling values in his daughter when her own father cannot—-you might be able to see why the man objects.

Nobody wants the government to tell their kids what to believe, when it comes to religion, right?

I actually first heard the local column when it was read over a morning radio show that I sometimes listen to. After reading the column, the hosts played a snippet that extrapolates the meaning of each of the words of the pledge. Funny thing, he repeats the pledge at the end with the complete phrase “one country, indivisible” without our little two-word controversial phrase. But he comments on that later, saying that two words—-and two states, so you can tell when this was originally made-—had been added since he first made his statement. And he asked, wouldn’t it be sad if those two words made the pledge a prayer and, therefore, not allowed in schools?

Yes, wouldn’t it be sad, if—-by logrolling two little words into the pledge of allegiance—-the pledge were basically, vetoed from our State-run schools?

One might argue that the problem isn’t the pledge, it’s those two words.

Without those two words the pledge is actually a nice little code to remind us of the structure and function of our country. It is made up of individuals, states, representatives; it stands for liberty and justice for all.

That’s the pledge of allegiance as it stood before the Cold War era, and the need to differentiate ourselves from the Communists. The phrase “under God” was added at that time, and there are plenty of things during the McCarthy era that our country is no longer proud of.

So why, in these times of religious zealotry—-and I don’t mean the Christian Right, I mean the terrorists of 9/11—-why in these times of religious zealotry, should our country continue to insist that it acts under God’s power? That we act in God’s name?

Our country, as a whole, does not believe in the God, a god or gods; we believe in the freedom to practice religion. We believe in the right to go to midnight mass, to go to temple on Saturdays, to rock out with modern protestants, to worship at the mosque, to stay home and watch football, or to say out-loud, “This is something I don’t believe in.”

So why should our country tell us what our relationship is with God?

just a lil work

2005-08-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is for me and not you.

I'm courting a silly link-y story idea, and am using this post's comments as a mobile favorites list b/c I am just too lazy to come up with something else.

'least I'm honest.
You can look, but no stealing! (yeah, that goes for all you would-be journalists eagerly pouring over the hard news I regularly break on this site, in search for the latest, greatest story too)

And now for something very important...

2005-07-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Bumper stickers. Find some.

cafepress.com

So far:
Who is John Galt?
go outside.

and just where did "monkeys steal my underwear at night" come from? keep looking...

and some oher site

magnets

Mmm, chinese food

2005-07-16T18:37:00.000-07:00

Read up:

Pictures of dim sum

Guide to chinese food

Update

2005-07-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's official. I get to use this blog for whatever I feel like at the moment. I'm not so good at that over-arching-purpose thing.

Just realized that I'm a bit behind in the actual life-updates for anyone interested. I finally made the transition to another car--yes, I gave in and sold my beloved Toyota Paseo ... /sniff,sniff/ I love that car. In 40 years (heck, maybe fewer) I'm so going to be one of those people at a car show going, "this is just like my first real car, gosh, I loved that car" and then I'll be throwing money at some similar model/money pit. I wanted to find a way to keep it in some barn someplace and learn how to become its personal mechanic, but... cooler heads prevailed, I guess. /Sigh/ I guess.

There were going to be many descriptive, funny, tearful, strange and amazing blog entries about the 5-month-long high drama involved in the car transition--consider yourself spared.

Anyways, I bought a 99 Beetle--it's royal blue ("blue lagoon," officially) without anything too special. It has nice wheels, some creature comforts and--the most important thing--low miles. Bought it from a private party. It doesn't get the 40 mpg I'm used to, but I'm still putting the miles on. I'm learning to like it, though I'm still trying to figure out how to make it distinctly "mine."

Zac and I are in the process of moving to Rocklin--which is on the east edge of the sacred-tomato metropolitan area, closer to my work. It'll keep us still close to the city, but is literally just down the street from open space--yay! It also means we're trading commutes--mine will be shorter, Zac's will be rather serious...we'll see how that goes... It's also our first time to have a washer/dryer in-house, very exciting. I'm convinced that I will miraculously become a cleaner, neater person with the possibility of laundry with such ease, but don't hold your breath. The picture, left, is not the prettiest of the complex we're planning on moving into (technically, we haven't signed the lease yet...), but it's a pretty accurate one.

Oh, and when are we getting married? That seems to be the question everyone asks. And while it seems like it would make sense to ask--trust us, we'll let you know. It's still definitely in the plans (er, I mean that figuratively, as there still are no actual, specific when-where plans) but we're both kinda committed to putting it off a bit longer. Ah, procrastination--my favorite sport.

I think I have become one of those semi-permanent engaged people whom I used to think we're so stupid... ummm... oh well, some things you can't help. And some things you can't rush.

And that's it--hope this didn't sound too much like a Christmas-card-update letter... I just wanted to catch up on some more-or-less major changes going on here that I kept meaning to belabor in this silly blog. Hopefully, I'll be talking with most of "you" (again, figurative) soon enough or often enough that this won't be your only way to get this news.

And if you want more details (some might call it the long-story version), you know I'm always happy to provide!

get fit, girly

2005-07-11T13:43:00.000-07:00

And in that vein, here are some of the goals for this week: (after, of course, figuring out what to do with moving and where and signing up for a cell phone, and figuring out the car registration/insurance cra-pola)

VOLLEYBALL: Auburn Recreation District

Kayaking: REI stores

Accountability?: I'm not sure this quite counts, but maybe it'll be fun?...
Or maybe check out SELF

who am i kidding

2005-07-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

So I've said before that this blog is really just for me--for fun, for links, for free. But now I mean it. Screw trying to write something intriguing or esoteric or political. The only people who read this are Zac and sometimes Tim, and no offense guys--I don't write for them. If I want to express my opinions about a particular current event, then I'll talk about it with people in real time and real space. Hmm, novel idea.

I'm tired of feeling like I've got to catch up with posts, or that I can't post on this topic until I write about that. And I'm tired of reading other people's blogs about how they need to blog, or they have nothing to write about but are writing anyway. I'm so behind in my posts that I've still never written the posts that I have actually wanted to. I'm freeing myself from any weird quasi-obligation of maintaining some weak, semi-status-quo weblog.

My new idea: I'm going to make this blog useful for what I actually use it for--lunch-time surfing. So for now, this "blog" is going to be my extended web to-do-list. If anybody out there feels like reading up on my weird little weekly goals, have at it. Maybe someday I'll go back to posting life updates or personal commentary. I'll let "you" know.

Tripping on principal

2005-07-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Judith Miller/Matthew Cooper trial is bizarre and a bit of a conundrum for me. Don't get me wrong, usually I am all about arguing on principal alone, but... there are too many intersecting principals here. And all of the usual partisan siding is almost inextricably tangled.

I mean, if the anonymous leak was by liberals out for revenge, the sides would be so clear-cut: Conservatives could profess outrage against the leftist politicians and their dirty media dogs, and liberals could make some controverted claim to why the truth in this instance mattered, why it needed to get out. But it's not that simple.

I would like to say that without the coloring-book borders, this issue makes people think and that's a good thing. But I don't really see that happening either. It's more like people already know which side they should be on, based upon their stance on media in general, and either blindly or weakly take that stance.

"The unpopularity of the press has made this kind of attack on these journalists easier," said Roy Peter Clark, of the Poynter Institute in this Baltimore Sun article. While I don't really want to support these reporters in this specific instance, it really bothers me that this is the case chosen as the exemplar. From the prosecutor's comments, it seems that this really is some snarky "let's hit the press when we can" attack.

I like what this guy has to say (very journalistic of me). There's no anchor on the page, but if you scroll down past #3 to his "Solution" you find that he believes the legal answer to journalistic confidentiality is to protect journalism, not journalists. Sounds pretty good to me, I guess. But then we have to figure out a good definition for journalism.

And how do we figure out when they're doing "good" journalism? Oh wait, that's the whole point, isn't it...

Faux mot foe

2005-06-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

Plagiarism, how I hate thee! I was always warned in college against using the P-word because many students--especially young or foreign--don't necessarily understand the concept of correct citation... But there's no excuse for adults or, uh-hum, journalists who crossover into FictionLand.

Just recently two mortgage officers from different companies sent me the same column, word for word, except for the bylines -- asking me to consider the column for print and a little free press in our real estate section. What really got me: the second "writer" had the cajones to follow up, requesting an explanation why it wasn't printed.

But now from my beloved other California newspaper, we are finally learning just how far one columnist would go to make deadline. The Bee story says that after extensive research (carefully and transparently documented in the story), the newspaper found more than 30 "sources" cited by Pullitzer-winner Diana Griego Erwin that they simply cannot prove ever existed. A few of them even had surnames that aren't found anywhere in the United States.

The 'net has made finding out instances of plagiarism so much easier, but now we find a neat little twist. Sure, it was original--perhaps the most original type of writing. Fiction.

No, writing your name at the top of someone else's work and writing imaginary non-fiction are not exactly the same, but they're both lazy and false.

And strenuous truth is what they pay us the big bucks for.

rainbows and bunnies and diesel engines

2005-04-19T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is definitely not the most important thing happening, but I love it. It may the most exciting thing I've done at work so far. This is a commercial for the new Honda diesel engine (not for the U.S.) that asks the important question, "Can hate be good?"

There are animated bunny rabbits with ear muffs, rainbows, flamingos, froggies and dancing letters spelling "Hate." Plus a folk song with Garrison Keiler and infectious whistling. You have to see it. I'll try to post a pic later on... Or you can check out the whole commercial yourself.

love your wicked style

2005-04-13T22:05:00.000-07:00

It is as I was beginning to fear--Gwen Stefani's recent CD is really just a promotion for an upcoming style line. While wandering and wondering about Harajuku girls, I found this on Gwen's website:

"Harajuku Lovers - Coming Summer 2005
Harajuku Lovers is the new design project from Gwen Stefani. This stylish and accessible line of fashion and accessories debuts this Summer. More news and website launch to come soon.
Harajuku Lovers: A Fatal Attraction To Cuteness."

Hey, you know she'd "dress them wicked and give them names--" not surprisingly, the same name that she gave her existing clothing line.

Apparently I missed the phenomenon of Gwen's new entourage (not having cable makes you miss all those truly important news stories), but I guess Love, Angel, Music and Baby were really just figments of Gwen's imagination.

Hmmm. Strange worship. Orientalist, chauvinist, capitalist--er, something. Maybe another post.

More than just peeps

2005-03-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

(OK this was supposed to be posted yesterday, but...)
One of my responsibilities this week was to write a Sunday feature on Easter--there was some tension in the newsroom about what my topic should be... Ultimately I went with this, looking at the different ways that people observe this springtime holiday nowadays. It was no great article, but the battling editors politely acquiesced.

I'm disappointed though because Easter is such a very rich holiday, with really spectacularly deep symbols--no matter which way you approach it. The traditional Christian approach focuses so heavily on the last supper, the crucifixion, the death, the despair and the tomb, before that joyous sunrise on Easter Sunday. And it seems to me that it is precisely that darker focus that really makes Easter such a fresh and dazzling holy day. There is something about Easter that no matter which way I approach it--literally or symbolically (voyueristically, decadently)--that makes my heart feel tight and exploding at once.

There is something too huge about Easter to be flippant and cutesy--and something too personal to quite be poetic.

A better seminar

2005-03-25T20:54:00.000-08:00

I went to a writing seminar hosted by the California Newspapers Publishers Association in Redding this week. It turned into quite an adventure, actually (unplanned, of course, the hallmark of a true adventure), though the seminar itself wasn't quite groundbreaking. The leader tried to cover far too many topics, and ended up just giving us piles of handouts.

In the end, I wanted to give him some advice for other seminars, specifically: Show, don't tell. Be specific. Give examples. Be concise. (Gosh, isn't that the advice he was supposed to be giving us about writing?)

Anyways, then one of my co-workers passed this article about the National Gonzo Press Club and I realized that we had truly missed out on an opportunity for an even better seminar. Why not gonzo journalism?

Female vs. Feminist

2005-03-19T10:24:00.000-08:00

Ah, Ms. Coulter, my favorite columnist.

Her most recent column begins with "How many people have to die before the country stops humoring feminists?"

It's about the Atlanta courthouse shooting, and she argues that women shouldn't be law enforcement officers. Or at least, women should have to meet the same physical fitness standards as men in such positions. Coulter also points out that most articles and legal argument defending women cops vaguely refer to "other talents" without substantiating facts.

What gets me about Coulter is here is what appears to be a rather intelligent women who cuts down her own ideas and opinions to shrill drivel by throwing tasteless and unnecessary insults into otherwise rare and logical arguments. It's like a monkey reciting Shakespeare and pausing mid-soliloquy to throw its own feces.

In the article, she faces head-on an issue that other commentary on the Atlanta incident only hints at. And she may even be right, perhaps there does need to be more scrutiny of women law enforcement officers. If these female cops are doing things right, then they'll stand tall under the examination; if not, then maybe something needs to change.

But throughout the article, Coulter of course has to be demeaning. She writes that female officers use more fatal force "(e)specially when perps won't reveal where they bought a particularly darling pair of shoes" and she throws in several jabs at "female Harvard math professors."

Why can't we get the logical arguments without all the I'm-a-radical posturing?

Somewhere there's a cool-headed and forgiving feminist who reads Coulter's column and thinks, "Thank God we've come so far that now women can even be chauvinist pigs."

LIterary study of IM

2005-03-01T13:50:00.000-08:00

See? Why didn't I think of this: Study finds Instant Messaging is surprisingly formal :-). I've always thought that IM seems like a strangely poetic form of casual conversation--concise, generally to the point, but with some panache.

And the article even addresses the issue of multi-tasking while IMing. My Dad can never quite understand why it takes several minutes to get a response in a conversation that he is intently focussed on, while my sister is doing her homework in the background... generational thing, for sure...

Great minds...

2005-02-22T19:20:00.000-08:00

To be honest, I'm not sure how many choices there were, but I'd like to think this test was entirely accurate...

How I miss you

2005-02-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

Ah, academe! Why did I think I could ever leave you? That rush when you find something with a kernel of truth in it... or (more often for me) when you recognize that someone else has been sharing your thoughts and so perfectly published them. Anyways, for my own good, here's a link to Lakoff's site so I can be reminded of all the fun books I need to read...

The problem with newspapers

2005-02-17T19:34:00.000-08:00

Here's a scary little story for anyone who has ever considered Teach for America. Sometimes those Onion articles are so interesting--Why don't more newspapers follow their lead and develop these intriguing storylines? I never see any of the Onion's articles picked up by the Associated Press...

But seriously, can I still call this a blog if all I ever do is link to newspaper websites? I'm not sure...

For the love of chocolate

2005-02-15T13:18:00.000-08:00

And on a lighter note, here's one of the sole articles that I've written for the new job that is NOT about cars or real estate (Yep, sometimes they let me off the leash). For the love of chocolate is a lower-calorie way to enjoy the treat, in case you didn't get enough from V-Day.

Keeping up with the ol' beat

2005-02-15T13:15:00.000-08:00

News on the homefront on the casino plans: The Karuk tribe's casino plan is out, the Alturas Rancheria (who? you know, Brazie's property) is in... Interesting, interesting... There is a story developping here...

The Siskiyou Daily News has, of course, been keeping track of things. Here are their stories chronologically:
Karuk tribe fires attorney
Town Hall meeting planned
Casino to bring jobs
Citizens voice concerns

Ode to Valentine's

2005-02-11T17:54:00.000-08:00

So, every year I write some sort of half-attempted ode to V-day, because I really have had some spectacular Valentine's days. I realized recently that I spent every year in college single on this silly day devoted to romantic love. And you know what? Every one of them was memorable.

There was the year that I broke up with boy a little too late, and while I was without an official Valentine, I still received flowers. That was fun.
Then there was the "Surprise! I'm gay!" Valentine's Day. Hmmm, that's probably about when he officially got crossed off the list.
There was the anti-romance Valentine's movie night, where I was scarred for life. There really is too much sex on television.
Then there was my favorite--the year of the random-act-of-kindness roses. Everyone on Mill Avenue was strolling along with dozens of roses, handed out by strangers (and looking strangely like a car commercial).

Anyways, since I think my fav V-Days have all been while I was single (sorry love), I wanted to write an article this week about being single on Valentine's Day. It fell through (I wrote about chocolate instead), but not before I found this kinda nifty site, International QuirkyAlone Day. Motto: "It's not anti-Valentine's Day. It just happens to fall on the same day."

Finally, a Feb. 14 tradition that I can really get behind.

Twins, only not

2005-02-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

Hey, is this what Mr. Matts was talking about when he said his brother and he were "twins only not"?

Is it just a little too freaky that I remember that story?

I thought that was yesterday...

2005-01-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I still need to fix this site, but...

Today is apparently the most miserable day of the year, as calculated by a British pscyhologist inthis MSNBC article. I mean, they came up with a formula and everything:

([W + (D-d)] x TQ)/M x NA

The equation is broken down into seven variables: (W) weather, (D) debt, (d) monthly salary, (T) time since Christmas, (Q) time since failed quit attempt, (M) low motivational levels and (NA) the need to take action.

Don't you just love math? I think that the model is not only useful for smokers (the Q variable), but probably anyone who may need to affect a positive change in their life (e.g. diet, exercise, etc). Anyways, for a girl who needs some more sunshine, a trip somewhere, a diet and exercise--this model is pretty close to on, I imagine....

things fall apart

2004-12-08T22:25:00.000-08:00

So, earlier today (and since Sunday, I believe, as noted below), this post was a part of my blog-thingy:

Sunday, December 05, 2004
shades of pumpkin and windshield bugs
Whew, that was some blaring silence!

While I was back in Yreka (all of last week), I caught a glimpse of To Sense on my dad's computer. Warm, friendly orange it is not. When I chose the background color for this site, I thought it was kind of energetic and a little strange, but not...pukey.

I only ever see this site on Zac's computer, where the colors are exactly how I like them. But on my dad's old machine, this site looks like the flesh of a rotting mango. My sister says that on her computer, it looks rather brown. Perhaps "samba lair" is more deserved than I thought.

Anyways, after seeing the "real" range of colors presented by this orange-like shade, I have actually been too embarrassed to post to this site...Change will come. Soon-ish. I promise. It will have to happen before I re-post.

Which may be a little while, because I did indeed get a job with a newspaper. I start tomorrow.

Any further comments on the disgusting nature of the existing background shade are welcomed. Or suggestions for more pleasing future colors. ColorMatch seemed like a nice place to start, but perhaps I'll go back to "web safe" colors...

Ah well, change is good.

// posted by brendalynn @ 2:35 PM 0 comments

I copied the text exactly, as was. Why would I do such a thing? Well, I was going to comment on it (ya know, talk to myself in the semi-public forum of blogging--what I normally do with a non-existent audience), when BLOGGER informed me that "that post does not exist." Which was very hard to believe, considering that no matter how many times I hit the refresh button on this site, the post was still visible. Sign in, go to edit posts, and--lo and behold--BLOGGER wasn't kidding. The post did not exist.

Hmmm. "Outlook not so good," predicts the Magic8Ball for this blog.

And all I wanted to say was that yep, this blog is a disgusting color on my ancient work machine as well.

Hmmm. Perhaps it is a sign that my only recent posts have been about computer glitches and this site...

Adventures (II)

2004-11-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

My quote--job interview--unquote seems to have turned into something straight out of The Apprentice. There was a task, a deadline and a boardroom review. At the end of the day, I felt on one hand generally miserable with myself and my job prospects, and on the other hand actually kinda wishing I could work for the man.

I blame my earlier post about good luck...Never count your chickens, ladies.

And on the third hand, I feel like I'm chasing after an existence that resembles young ladder-climbers who spend their "wild, unattached twenties" at work, and I remember how important things like holidays and adventures (real ones- you know, of the gallivanting sort) are to me.

Holidays like Thanksgiving, of course! (We're leaving for Y-town tonight)

But on the other foot, I am regularly reminded that it seems like holidays and adventures sometimes cost money. Money is apparently something you receive when you are employed....Yeah. Whoa. Deep.

Anyways, the wonderful thing about Thanksgiving (well, besides pie and family and the glow of a warm kitchen) is that it may be one of the only holidays that doesn't seem to cost money. It is just about the last major holiday for the commercial sector to hold sacred and leave untouched. I mean, this is a holiday that glorifies saving scraps and eating leftovers (of course, that could be an evil grocery store scheme, but no! don't snow on my parade).

So, enjoy the free-ness of giving thanks, wherever you are and with whatever "family" you can gather together. "When we stop to think about it, there is so much to be thankful for we really need more than one day to do it," wrote some columnist. May you dress warmly, laugh long, and be full.

The Format

2004-11-17T23:19:00.001-08:00

Yea! Last night's One Tree Hill episode included a song from The Format, one of my fav bands.

"Let's tune out by turning on the radio," go lyrics for this poppish band. And maybe it's true that "after awhile they (pop songs) all sound the same--I guess its better than silence and better than shame," but there's something about The Format's upbeat, emo-ish pop that might "sound the same," only better.

And by upbeat and emo, I mean lyrics like "so let's cause a scene--clap our hands and stomp our feet" that have tidy claps in the background, followed with the over-angst of a line like, "I've just gotta get myself over me." Cheesiness aside, their music is applicable everyday, like popcorn or pb&j sandwiches or orange sherbet.

Last night's WB show featured "The First Single," the band's (almost too appropriately titled) first single. While the overly obvious titles are part of the band's kitsch, they might benefit from something more specific. Just try searching the Internet for generic phrases like "the format" and "first single." Ugh.

Anyways, they've got fun music, and they started out in Arizona (guess how I heard about them). Recently they've been touring with Switchfoot (you prob'ly heard that band first on the Walk to Remember soundtrack--admit it, you know you own that cd)....

If you haven't heard The Format yet, you need to (for your very own listening pleasure)...

Adventures of the great white job hunter

2004-11-16T16:52:00.000-08:00

SACRATOMATO--Luck may have turned today for Brenda Lynn, 23, Sacratomato, after months of unemployment and a strangely irregular job hunt. The young woman had an interview today with the editor of the Auburn Journal, a newspaper located a short drive outside of the city.

"I guess it went pretty well," said Lynn. "The editor asked me to write a sample story for him in a few days, so we'll see how that goes."

Like many other unemployed people her age, Lynn said that her job hunt was complicated by a variety of circumstances, not the least of which was a general inertia of laziness.

"It got to the point where I was scheduling my life around the few so-called 'good' daytime television shows," she said.

She explained that family members didn't at first put too much pressure on her to find a good job, because they thought that she deserved a break. Lynn agreed, and had hoped to find some greater direction in her life and apply to graduate school programs during the available time. Instead, the recent college graduate found that the vast amount of free time in a city where she knew no one only lead to a hermit-type lifestyle, promoting a repeating cycle of loneliness, lowered self-cofidence, and depression.

"We talked this weekend about the possibility of staying here for the holidays, instead of visiting our families, so that Brenda could get a retail job," said her fiance, Zac.

Whether or not it was missing family and friends for the holidays, Lynn said she really started to face her unemployement more head on.

"There was pressure from Zac's family that I was past due to find a job, and I knew that I needed to carefully consider working the holidays. Ultimately, I decided that I wasn't giving up my holidays for temporary minimum wage, but I did escape the pull of the 'idiot box' and ran into some luck," said Lynn. However, she explained, the luck wasn't all good.

Click on Comments for rest of story

Spoiling Thanksgiving

2004-11-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

There is fall outside our window today. The trees that once provided sheltered privacy--but were recently butchered--have finally started changing colors the last few days.

Yesterday Zac and I were rehashing our families' Thanksgiving traditions (mmm, zucchini bread). Then we saw a grocery add for a cheap turkey deal, and tonight we are spoiling our thanksgiving dinners. We're gonna try to keep it very simple, so that when the real deal comes around, we're still pleased--just roast turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes--all made as cheaply and simply as possible. Who couldn't resist a turkey for less than $4? The turkey is now in the oven, and I am already salivating...

sing w/me: I'm alive, I'm ali-i-ive

2004-11-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

My very favorite movie--one that I actually believe has shaped perhaps far too much of my worldview--is The Last Unicorn, an animated movie from the 80's, with a soundtrack by America, and closely related to an animated version of The Hobbit and The Flight of Dragons. It's one of those things that I wouldn't have admitted to a few years ago (and I still prob'ly shouldn't), but I really do love this movie. It has this very stylized type of animation that falls somewhere between fin-de-siecle art nouveau, tapestries of the middle ages, and anime.

I just found out that there is supposed to be a remake of The Last Unicorn, due out in 2006. Perhaps in light of the Lord of the Rings movies and the rise of Geekdom, the remake sounds like it will be live-action. It is supposed to have some of the same cast that originally voiced the animated version, including Christopher Lee (King Haggard), Angela Lansbury (Mommy Fortuna), and Mia Farrow (though she would now play the aging Molly Grue, as opposed to the unicorn). A live-action remake should be...interesting.

Strange thing, I always felt like I could only ever get a temporary pass into Geekdom, no matter how hard I tried to be an authentic member. Today, after wandering the Internet on last unicorn threads, I think I may have found my ticket in...and that's a little frightening.

I'll try to keep the lovefest for this movie short, b/c this isn't a fansite. But if you haven't seen it, consider yourself cordially invited to visit me and view it. ;)And if you feel like indulging your inner-geek, you can always find out which character from The Last Unicorn are you?

And why still pink? Because it's still pink week, of course! Zac tells me he likes the pink better than the orange, and it's growing on me too, but I'm still changing back to the fresh, warm, strange orange in a day or two...

Also still celebrating Veterans Day; apparently didn't do much of that yesterday. Because I've got some free time, I think I'm going to try writing some letters to soldiers stationed in the great wide elsewhere. Here's a nifty site that looks mostly legit for how to send mail to Any Soldier.

Happy Eleventh!

2004-11-11T01:34:00.000-08:00

Today is the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and that calls for a little celebration. So for today, the blogthing is pinkish (if you had seen the first choice of pink palettes, you would've been even more frightened) in honor of Pink Week, another somewhat imaginary holiday being celebrated this week.

Today is, of course, Leonardo DiCaprio's birthday--dear friend, Titanic star, and honorary member of the Eleven Club. Though his membership seemed like a particularly brilliant choice at the time, I wonder if we should've chosen another star (here are quite a lot to choose from) to join the honorary position of the eleven club...

A few years ago I would've chosen Calista Flockhart, because I fancied myself a younger, fatter Ally McBeal. Demi Moore might not have been a bad choice because she was all about girl power for a while there (yes, massah chief! wait is that power, or...nevermind). A little more militant (and in honor of that other holiday celebrated today, Veteran's Day) was "old blood and guts" himself, General George S. Patton. To be a little more up-to-date politically speaking, perhaps we could choose Barbara Boxer, CA's recently re-elected senator. For our Russian fanclub out there, we could choose author Fyodor Dostoyevsky, but I'm not sure he would quite stand for the silliness that Eleven encompasses...The Brothers Karamazov, anyone? And, though my little search did not yield any new honorary member hearthrobs, I think it's safe to say that my favorite nominee to replace old Leo, one who I think would really grasp the ritual stories of the jellyball and talking cars would be Kurt Vonnegut Jr., writer of strange tales himself.

So...wear junk jewelry, smile randomly, tell outrageous stories, sing, dance, and create a new eleventh tradition. Today.
Count all your fingers and then add one!

(PS- And remember Veteran's Day...ya know, however you do that. Somebody should hire me to be "holiday cultivator coordinator,"--I'm sure a lot more people would actively celebrate Veterans if they had some tradition to follow...think Day of the Dead in red, white and blue...)

A picture is worth a thousand words...

2004-11-10T13:25:00.000-08:00

But I don't have a picture ;)

Yesterday I baked an apple pie from scratch all by myself in my little crappy kitchen. But before I could start, I had to make some space on a counter. There is only really one counter in our kitchen that is big enough for rolling out pie crust (about a 12-inch diameter). So I removed all of the small appliances, produce, paper towels and dirty dishes that normally occupy that counter, and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. By the time I was ready to go, the kitchen was cleaner than I had ever seen it.

Then I covered everything with flour--my hands, the sink, the counter, and the large beer bottle posing as a rolling pin--though the dough inevitably stuck to everything anyways. After the rolling, the pinching, the cajoling, the peeling, the coring, the slicing, the mixing, the pouring, the whining, the forming, it was time for the preheating (whoops- who ever remembers to really PREheat?). Once it started baking, the pie smelled wonderful, like butter and apples and cinnamon.

And in the midst of such happy smells, I turned back to the kitchen and realized that everything--not just my hands, the sink, the counter, and the beer bottle, but also the floor, the drain, other counters, the refrigerator, my clothes, and a fresh pile of dishes and utensils--were covered in flour and little bits of dough. It's moments like those that make me so glad that kitchens are self-cleaning (oh, yours isn't?).

Anyways, its all back to normal now, except that we have a pie (well, about half a pie today). But next time I'm taking a picture of the glorious mess I created. Because I think that might've been the most impressive part of this whole experience.

But here are pics of the finished product:

*Proud pie mom shows off pictures* Should we call it George or Caesar? Actually, I think it was looking a little "just happy to be here," like all those stars at awards shows who are destined to remain only nominated. Oh well, tastes good.

Next time I promise pictures of the process and/or the mess.

the blue jay scuffling in the bushes follows some hidden purpose

2004-11-09T01:06:00.000-08:00

I spoke with my future mother-in-law today for a few moments (Ok, maybe not really "spoke" it was more like me absently spouting niceties; I might still be a bit scared of V.). She asked what was new, and I spouted for a moment about nothing. "Well, I guess you really deserved a break," said V, repeating what she's said to me for the last few months, though this time sounding nothing but half-hearted.

I instantly felt guilty.

But now that I think about it, I've been feeling guilty about all this "free" time since it began. I think I've been trying to escape the guilt by flaunting my acceptance of all this "free"dom. You know--I can sleep in as long as I want, I can watch stupid TV, I can think up new and silly projects--but I think that just keeps bringing me back to the same old thing.

Today was an idea day. All day long I was hatching frail little ideas that were completely useless, each for its own reason. But though none of them were viable, the mental fluster of them made me feel a little more alive.

Tonight, that fluster has given way to simple restlessness, and as I tried to go to sleep, up came little phrases from this Thom Gunn poem. Good ol' Matts beat the poem into my head, and now I am all too often haunted by it.

For several years I have been clamoring for a break in my life. A break from the bustle to figure it all out. And now that I have that break, it seems that I can't accept it, I can't make good use of it, and I can't escape it.

"It is a part solution, after all....One lacks direct instinct, because one wakes/Afloat on movement that divides and breaks....At worst, one is in motion; and at best,/Reaching no absolute in which to rest,/One is always nearer by not keeping still."

Damned part solution.

Shell shock

2004-11-03T20:11:00.000-08:00

BD- I can't believe Kerry conceded! Way to fight for all the people who believe in you... Just wanted to say hi. Eric and I are driving to Chico this weekend to look for a place for me for next semester. A few promising options which is optomistic compared to the hell hole that Klamath Falls is. Looking for apartments here makes you cry or loose your sanity: a 1950's midget apartment with 5.5' celings, one next door to the mission house where you can't get the 4 locks undone before smelly hung-over men are gathered round making lewd suggestions, a 400 square foot house that was too small to fit a bed in the bedroom and still get into the bathroom without leaping the bed or just walking over it (imagine having guests, "Where's your restroom?" "Just go in the bedroom, jump the bed, and make sure you shut the bedroom door because the bathroom doesn't have a door- just hinges.") It was an awesome experience, and one I hope to never repeat! Anyway, talk to you soon. Hi to everyone! Love, Tess

licking my wounds

2004-11-03T18:13:00.000-08:00

Ugh.
I think I dreamed last night that I had a cat--a warm, smooth, purring ball. That was a nice dream. I want a kitty.
If I really did dream last night, that was probably the most extensive and complicated of my visions. Kitty, mmm. Comfort, mmm. Purr.

That was after working for 16 hours at a polling place in Sacramento County. We had a record turnout, which for us meant allowing people to mark their ballot against walls, counters, any available table space, and while they were standing in line to possibly use one of our 6 official booths. Which I guess is better than the dozen or so polling places in Sac county that actually ran out of ballots.

And still--voter turnout...blah, blah, blah. I guess I could rant about how low "record turnout" really is, or about the insanity of poll workers (rules? what rules?) but I really am just licking my wounds today--literally and politically. Paper cuts, blisters, weary eyes seem so much worse after a 16-hour workday. And the day after elections that have reached a fever pitch always seems like such a letdown, no matter who wins. But especially if the incumbent wins because, for the most part, it quiets those questions of what the next 4 years will be like.

And especially if the winner was not "your guy."
Goodness, the steps up to my soapbox look so steep today...

Vote, already!

2004-11-02T00:36:00.000-08:00

And for my sake, smile at your poll worker!

And if the day's polls are getting you down, here are some things to remember...

My favorite reason to vote

2004-11-01T13:47:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time--okay, last March--in a land far, far away--enh, Y-town--there was a hotly contested city council election. Seven people from the small town were running for two council seats, including two incumbents (we'll call them Eric & Jim) and a former council member (Grace) who had taken a break. A young reporter from the local paper was assigned the task of interviewing each of the seven candidates and following the race. She discovered that each candidate had a story to tell, loved the little city and its people, and sincerely and ardently wanted to help. The police force, fire department, local schools, city parks, casino plans, local businesses--all were issues on the table, and each voter could see how he was personally affected by the issues.

After ballots were cast and counted, there was only one clear winner (Grace) in the two-seat election. The incumbents Eric and Jim were left battling for the second seat, with the initial count showing only a few votes difference between them. Of the remaining candidates, many were short only 1 or 2 percentage points. After several days, the final count revealed that only TWO votes made Eric the winner over Jim.

Yes, this year's presidential election is very important and very heated. But please remember to vote for those more local issues, as well. Sometimes the city councilwoman, the local congressman or the state proposition can be more important to your life than even the president. And every vote really does count!!

PS- Need some comic relief? Check out today's Overcompensating comic, a recent Get Fuzzy, and watch SNL's Presidential Bash tonight.

All Hallow's Eve

2004-10-31T15:18:00.000-08:00

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!

Out of my head

2004-10-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

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.

this crazy thing called life...

2004-10-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

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.

hmmm...hw or time waste?

2004-10-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

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!!

Kiss me! I'm...a poll worker

2004-10-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

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.

trix are for kids

2004-10-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

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.

And on a brighter note!

2004-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

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?

Ick

2004-10-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

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...

The joys of strategic shopping

2004-10-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

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?

Just Checking In

2004-10-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

Miss Brenda-
I forgot how much I missed you. I don't have much time, but I wanted to say that I think this is awesome. Even if you feel like you are writing to yourself. It's like you have your own little online magazine, like we always talked about. And as always I love reading your personal rants and inner monologue. :o) Like I said, I don't have long, 20 cents per minute gets expensive, but I will be checking in. Hopefully this will still be going when I get off this boat and back on land where my bed doesn't rock me to sleep and the internet is decently fast.

Sunshine, on my window, makes me happy

2004-10-20T21:06:00.000-07:00

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.

an "honest argument"

2004-10-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

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...

'A blaze of light in every word'

2004-10-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

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).

Three thoughts about "the news"

2004-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

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)...

Some place

2004-10-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

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

I'm On

2004-10-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

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

Smells like warm bananas

2004-10-12T14:46:00.000-07:00

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....