8/11/2008 07:48:00 PM -
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The TV is on, the program is Curtain Call, and I'm practicing for a second interview, checking email, surfing the net, etc. The movie is just ending and I haven't paid much attention, however, when the man proposes to the woman, I find myself teary-eyed. Where did that come from? It has to be the lack of anti-depressant.
For a while there I thought I'd become a cold heart--well, at least not very sensitive in situations I think I should be(although I did a little teary at the wedding). It was almost like I forgot to feel and had a hard time pinning down what I was feeling.
Lately, I'm surprised if I do recognize some emotion actually welling up inside--happiness, peace, sentimentality, love.
8/08/2008 09:45:00 AM -
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6 Months and Happy as Ever
Six months ago this day and time Russ and I were married! Its hard to believe its been this long. In fact, its hard to believe that I'm married.
After about 29 years of being single, always thinking marriage would come a few years into the future--maybe--the reality is meeting the man of my dreams and getting married "just happened." It was so easy; I guess that happens when you meet the "right" person. You click on level never reached before in any relationship, and the relationship evolves to the point where you want to make the commitment to be together forever.
Here's to happily ever after.
8/05/2008 09:50:00 AM -
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Gossip Girl
It's funny! The big ad campaign for the TV series Gossip Girls is under fire. I'll bet those upset about it never read one of the books that the television series is based on. The books are pretty raunchy themselves!
7/25/2008 03:55:00 PM -
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Sounds like more research needs to be done but this could be a breakthrough.
7/15/2008 10:42:00 PM -
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Tagged
Kizze tagged me so here it is:
How long have we been married? 5 and a half months!
How old is Russ? 31
Who eats more? Moi (and I hear I eat like a guy, which is similar to eating like a pig--snort, snort!)
Who said "I love you" first? Russ wanted to but I was afraid to hear it.
Who is taller? Russ by 9 inches!
Who sings better? Probably moi, but that doesn't say much.
Who is smarter? Russ remembers everything, and he got a much higher ACT score.
Who controls the T.V.? Both
Who's temper is worse? Mine.
Who does the laundry? Russ
Who does the dishes? Depends; the person who doesn't cook does the dishes. Usually I cook so Russ does the dishes.
Who sleeps on the right? Me, but sometimes I switch because its closer to the fan.
Who cooks? Me, although Russ cooked a mean Christmas Eve dinner last Dec.
Who is more stubborn? Its a tie.
Who admits they are wrong first? Usually I'm in the wrong (really), so its up to me.
Whose parents do you see more? Russ'.
Who has more siblings? Russ--he is the second of 7 and everyone in the family is married except one, but she's engaged.
Who has more friends? Moi.
Who wears the pants? We're pretty equitable.
7/13/2008 06:58:00 PM -
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Back to School
Russ is going back to school--HURRAY! It's been about 12 years so it seems like he's going for the first time. He'll be going to the community college to beef up his transcript and majoring in 3D Animation.
And things worked out on the job front for him, too. He will be taking a part-time position at Discover with the same hourly wage that he has now. We are so excited that everything is falling into place!
It's funny how many people I know are or have been in a similar situation as me. The bride is already educated and established. Then she marries and puts her husband through school. Even my doctor was telling me that she and her husband recently finished his BA--he's 39 years old.
Meanwhile, I keep applying for jobs closer to the city in order so we can move closer to Russ' job and school. BSU doesn't seem to ever receive my transcript requests so up to this point the job hunting is a bust.
7/09/2008 12:27:00 PM -
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Space...The Final Frontier
Last night we watched When We Left the Earth: The NASA Missions , a documentary on the first flights into space (The Science Channel).
The Russians also beat the Americans by sending the first man into orbit. While, Alan Shepherd was impatiently waiting for NASA to finish tests to see if he'd be able to survive a flight into space and awaiting other delays, the Russians sent their guy up. The funny thing is their astronaut underwent rigorous tests, too; either willing to take more risks or just more advanced in their technology than the Americans.
On the day that NASA had scheduled their trip to space, NASA's flight control kept delaying the flight until finally Shephard made the executive decision to just do it!
What would further space exploration achieve? Would it help us to fight our wars, cure cancer, or stop global warming? Maybe, maybe not. But perhaps it would help to unify the world. Healthy competition made space exploration possible in the first place. It would be nice to have a commonality with the countries of the world besides fighting terrorism, poverty, hunger, or global warming--you know, problems.
7/06/2008 09:42:00 PM -
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I'm being all domestic lately. Russ will tell you I'm a slob but I think I'm doing better (really, he has no idea).
And I've been cooking more. Tonight I made pork chops for the first time. They weren't the best chops ever made but they were edible. We'll be trying some other new dishes this week.
I decided to open a cookbook a friend gave me a couple of years ago and was surprised to see how simple the recipes were. Really, if all recipes were that easy (meaning there are five steps or less and I can understand all the terminology without the help of a dictionary) I would have started cooking more a long time ago.
6/24/2008 10:16:00 AM -
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A Thought
I've seen significantly less negative press about the government's actions taken in response to the flooding in the Midwest than what we saw in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. There are more levees breaking along the Mississippi than there were that broke in Louisiana. And the flooding appears to affects a lot more people.
What was it about New Orleans that struck people's hearts? There was more talk about race and class issues. But you'd think some of that would apply to Midwest as well. Was it that the people in Louisiana were in more desperate circumstances so their disasters was more painful than for those in the Midwest?
Will the Midwesterners receive as much money and government aid as the people in New Orleans? Oh yeah, and there was flooding in Mississippi from hurricane Katrina but we rarely heard about that. Were the Louisianians too busy with their lives that they found themselves less prepared than these other areas that have been hit by natural disaster?
Or do we just not expect the government to help us anymore as our country's resources are stretched thin with the fires in California, the never ending war in Iraq, the housing slump, and the spike in gas prices, the current national debt, and a joke of a president, Congress, and Supreme Court?
6/24/2008 10:12:00 AM -
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Last night I had a dream that Oprah was in one of the cheesy LDS films. Why I dreamt about Oprah in the first place, I have no idea--I'm never home to watch her show. And I can think of two reasons why I dreamt about a cheesy LDS film: 1) I live in Utah and we have billboard advertising for these cheesy movies, and 2) Russ and I watched a series of cheesy made-for-Sci Fi (Channel) horror flicks the other day.
I couldn't believe that a low budget film could afford the talk show queen.
6/13/2008 05:35:00 PM -
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Rambling
Henry Fonda wasn't the best actor. Very solemn; puppy dog eyes; poker face. I'm not sure if his character was actually happy to marry the demure, sweet Claudette Colbert's character in Drums Along the Mohawk. I think he played his character similarly in The Grapes of Wrath.
Jane Fonda sure looks like her father. It's funny how a woman can be beautiful when she resembles her father, despite father being handsome.
6/05/2008 12:53:00 PM -
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My urge to write has returned.
So Hillary is something else, huh? She had a dream and is having a difficult timing letting it go. Really, aside from the tears, some policy ideas, and Mr. Bill, Hillary could have won the Primaries. I'm interested to hear what she has to say on Saturday.
As for married life, it has its ups and downs but I love being married!!!!! The hardest thing is giving up some independence but that's just something I need to work in general. I've also been pretty antisocial but am going out of my cocoon slowly but surely.
Yesterday I had went to a killer personal training session and my butt and thighs ached. I was mistaken for an old lady this morning during story time.
2/18/2008 04:54:00 PM -
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The wedding went really smoothly. Other than a case of nerves the night before the actual events of the BIG DAY went very well. The weather turned out beautiful so the out-of-towners arrived safely and the actual day was beautiful as well (just cold).
Can't imagine doing all the bells and whistles that people traditionally do for a wedding. Not only did we save a lot of money, but with the stress I was feeling the preceding month, I can't imagine having more events/activities surrounding the wedding than we did (just the sealing and then a luncheon). We do have an open house in Idaho the first of the month but that should be apple pie.
5/13/2007 01:41:00 PM -
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In Memory of George
Animals are special.
This dog gave his life to protect five children from a pit bull attack (there were 2 pit bulls).
5/10/2007 08:18:00 AM -
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The United States didn't go to Afghanistan to create an Afghani democratic government; that was Iraq. The U.S. went to Afghanistan to root out Al-Quaeda.
The report that women in Afghanistan are still treated as objects and have no real identity makes we think about the women in Iraq (see CNN's article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/05/09/afghan.women/index.html). I haven't heard any profiles on the women in Iraq. How were they treated before Saddam was deposed? How are they treated now?
I did find a report by Human Rights Watch called Background on Women's Status in Iraq Prior to the Fall of the Saddam Hussein Government. It states that before the first Gulf War, Iraqi women had more freedoms than other countries in the Middle East. However, after the fist Gulf War, more restrictions were placed on women "by the last years of Saddam Hussein's government the majority of women and girls had been relegated to traditional roles within the home." I haven't done enough research to see how they're treated now, post Saddam.
I hope that our nation's leaders are considering the women of Iraq in their definition of a democracy. It would seem to me that this is a vital part of any truly democratic nation.
I also wonder why this isn't a priority in Afghanistan: creating a democratic Afghanistan. The United States must have a method of selecting countries to democratize while not attempting it in others. It would seem to me, however, that the motivations for going into Iraq were similar to going into Afghanistan: to root out terrorism and make the world, especially the United States, a safer place (at least thats what we're told).
Maybe we see that Afghanistan isn't culturally ready for democracy, including improving their women's rights, but we see that Iraq is.
3/16/2007 11:30:00 AM -
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I'll have a grow cheese sandwich
Just found this cute web site devoted to recording childhood beliefs.
I Used to Believe has several different categories, including bad habits, the law, toilets, and grown-ups. Anyone can contribute their childhood beliefs. You can also rate other people's beliefs.
2/04/2007 03:17:00 PM -
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Speaking of technology, boy, the little gizmos that are so popular (i.e. the ipod, cell phones that serve as camera/video recorder/mp3 player/etc) are so cool!
The iphone sounds super cool and well designed. The ipod shuffle now comes in different colors. Overall it seems that Apple has created some of the most user-friendly technologies (so phooey on those people who are afraid of new technologies, rather than the prices of them).
Cell phone companies make some of the new (at least new in the U.S.) phones so affordable and seemingly efficient(while none quite so capable as the iphone-wow!) when you don't have to tote around your digital camera, mp3 player and cell phone. And its nice to be available to keep in touch with people while running errands and traveling.
I can't decide which is more accurate: the companies marketing these technologies are either really good at what they do (in convincing the general population that they need these blobjects) or I really do need these products.
1/30/2007 03:28:00 PM -
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[sigh] Librarians...
While our professional duties imply the constantly learning servants to the public (in re the dissemination of information), I am sad to say that this is not the case.
After participating the Thinking Ahead Symposium (a conference for library professionals to meet and discuss the future of libraries and library services) last Fall in Salt Lake City, I was sorely disappointed to see the fear and resistance many librarians have towards learning new information resources (which typically are in various formats of technology).
After a meeting with the professional staff of my library system this morning, I was further disappointed that many appear to share this fear or appear disinterested in furthering their skills as information resources upgrade.
Perhaps in fifteen to twenty years I'll find myself stuck in a similar rut or simply be too busy to increase my knowledge in these areas.
What is it about technology that scares us so? * New formats are introduced before we can become proficient in the old ones. * Fear of change is a common trait of humans (according to all the self help books I read). * There are rumors about different tools that scare the general populace. * Lack of resouces (ex. money) to try the new technology.
Care to add to the list?
1/24/2007 06:07:00 PM -
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Seattle Underground
I just can't get over the Seattle Underground.
Already, Pike's Market and the rolling hills of streets downtown made an impression: Seattle is a maze. With several levels of Pike's Market that don't seem to fall one right on top of another and with entrances and exits for the same building on different floors, it takes some getting used to figuring out where you really are. It seems the Seattle Public Library represents the city planning in its own architecture (with its somewhat disturbing color scheme--red halls that look like the inside of the body's circulatory system--and unpredictable locations of stairs and elevators).
After going on the Bill Speidel's Underground Tour, and finding out why the city has so many levels. The Wikipedia describes it: "On June 6, 1889, most of Seattle's central business district burned to the ground in the Great Seattle Fire.
It was decided to rebuild the city one to two stories higher than the original street grade, as Pioneer Square had been built mostly on filled-in tidelands and often flooded. The new street level also assisted in ensuring that gravity-assisted flush toilets didn't back up during high tide in Elliott Bay.
Several city blocks in the downtown region were enclosed with brick and timber barricades and the pavements between were raised. This left sidewalks and some storefronts as much as 36 feet below street level.
For a time, pedestrians climbed ladders to go between street level and building entrances, but eventually the building entrances were raised, and the old sidewalks covered over, creating the area now called the Seattle Underground. Merchants carried on business in the lowest floors of buildings that survived the fire, and pedestrians continued to use the underground sidewalks lit by glass cubes (still seen on some streets) embedded in the grade level sidewalk above. In 1907 the city condemned the Underground for fear of bubonic plague, two years before the 1909 World Fair in Seattle (Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition). The basements were left to deteriorate or were used as storage. In some cases, they illegally became flophouses for the homeless, gambling halls, speakeasies, and opium dens.
Furthermore, the Underground Tour relates the history of plumbing in Seattle. Because of the water pressure from being so close to the Sound, when a person went to flush a toilet, the water would spew up, out of the toilet. As a result, they had to put the toilet higher about ground level (the science of all this is beyond me).
Its just so fascinating!
1/16/2007 01:43:00 PM -
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1/13/2007 02:59:00 PM -
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Boys Shmoys!
Dating is really getting old. I've had five in the past two weeks and am ready to take a hiatus. I need to ensure that I have at least one night available to spend with friends and at least one for "me" time (not including the nights that I have class).
And I've decided that regardless of how cool a guy may seem NO DATING GUYS I MEET @ WORK!!!!! (Even if I meet them elsewhere afterwards and think they're cool!!) Only one of my work boyfriends is okay because he's so far out there that he's not capable (cross my fingers) of being creepy (although he just bought me some orange/chocolate thin mints because they were on sale and he thought of me).
1/02/2007 04:40:00 PM -
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Happy New Year!
Last January I was determined to never create a list of New Year resolutions since they were never met.
However, by February I realized how important they are for me (Ms. Disorganization in her physical, mental, and emotional space!!!) in recognizing my strengths and actually accomplishing some of the desires of my heart. While I forgot the majority of my goals for 2006 a month after I created the list, what stuck in my head did help me focus on enhancing important character traits, developing talents, and learning many new lessons of life in general.
So yesterday I made a list--not too long--with measurable objectives for eaching those goals. (Hopefully, I'll remember to print the list so I can hang it where I will often see it.)
By the end of 2007, I should be healthier, a better artist, more informed about real-life (nonfiction), and have a more organized living space. When you (the reader) wonder how my behavior is going to achieve the aforementioned broad goals, please say something to me!
12/30/2006 01:19:00 PM -
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And I'm known as the librarian with the orange hair.
A kid (a regular) came in yesterday and needed help with his myspace account. The person who helped him suggested he return today so I could help him out; the staff member used my name in the exchange.
The kid, not sure of my name, asked, "Is she the one with the orange hair?"
Orange hair, the voice of an older person....
Can't wait for the next impression!
12/30/2006 01:06:00 PM -
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A Diamond is Forever
Unfortunately, Blood Diamond is the kind of movie that will draw people who are already concerned about conflict diamonds entering the market or other cause-conscious moviegoers. To make a real impact on the diamond industry, more of the population must know about this issue and take a stand.
However, giving diamonds as gifts for a variety of occasions is so engrained in the minds of Americans that I can't foresee a call for the top diamond companies to create stricter measures to prevent conflict diamonds from entering their supply.
Also, as the movie points out, "This is Africa." When has the world truly been concerned for the welfare of Africans? What benefit would the world have in doing so? The Middle East and parts of Central/South America are important because of oil (not to mention the entrenched drug trade in these areas--hey, illegal drugs create jobs in America!). We have strong economic ties to Europe and Eastern Asia. What does Africa have to offer (especially, when we can go there and exploit the unrest and major problems. Wait! We don't have to go there; there are plenty of crooks in "some" of the governments--many of whom are there as a result of U.S. intervention)?
12/28/2006 12:51:00 PM -
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The other day a man came up to the circulation desk to check materials out. I asked him how he was doing and if he found the information he came in for.
His response: "Whoa! I didn' t expect you to have that voice!"
Further explanation: I look like I'm in my mid-20s but have the voice of a person in her mid-30s. A voice can age (think of puberty or listen to an elderly person speak), but I thought that once between the ages of 13 and 80, there were no real indicators of the age of a person based on voice.
That man's comment-that horrible man (heh, heh, heh)-disturbed me. I don't want to sound 5-10 years older than I really am. I still consider myself young and fresh.
12/24/2006 11:18:00 PM -
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Merry Christmas!
Somehow, not only for Christmas, But all the long year through, The joy that you give to others, Is the joy that comes back to you. And the more you spend in blessing, The poor and lonely and sad, The more of your heart's possessing, Returns to you glad.
--John Whittier
12/21/2006 09:41:00 AM -
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What a relief it is that the government is watching out for it's citizens!!!
With the extra opportunities for surveillance that the U.S. government has as a result of the USA PATRIOT Act, we can rest assured that when the government spies on "terrorist" suspects (such as the late John Lennon), they will get their man or woman!!
If only the USA PATRIOT Act was enacted earlier.... Maybe John Lennon would have been found guilty of more than not following the status quo.
"The FBI had unsuccessfully argued that an unnamed foreign government secretly provided the information, and releasing the documents could lead to diplomatic, political or economic retaliation against the United States.
"The newly released documents include a surveillance report stating that two prominent British leftists had courted Lennon in hopes that he would finance "a left-wing bookshop and reading room in London" but that Lennon gave them no money. Another page states that there was "no certain proof" that Lennon had provided money "for subversive purposes."
"I doubt that Tony Blair's government will launch a military strike on the U.S. in retaliation for the release of these documents," Wiener told the newspaper. "Today, we can see that the national security claims that the FBI has been making for 25 years were absurd from the beginning." http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/12/20/people.lennonfiles.ap/index.html
Such a waste of resources.... Makes me wonder why the prisoners at Gitmo are really there?
12/04/2006 04:36:00 PM -
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Hello, Ms. President
All this talk about Hilary running for president... I certainly think she'd have a good chance--she's comparable to the other possible candidates for the Democratic ticket (except maybe Obama, but then that would bring up race--is American ready for a non-white President?).
But do we really need another Clinton in the Oval Office?
Are Americans ready for a female president? I don't see why not. How many people would not vote for a candidate solely because of his/her gender? So long as they compaign well and seem solid, I wonder if gender is an issue.
There are differences in the ways that men and women think in general. Are those differences significant enough to limit one sex's ability to be a good president? Probably not in and of themselves.
I'd like to see Hilary run, simply because she appears to be a women who has transcended the traditional gender divide in politics. But I'm not sure she could inspire me to respect the national party.
12/02/2006 08:15:00 AM -
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Sieg Heil! Welcome to the American Reich....
Our fellow Americans are turning their own democratic country into a fascist, bigoted, sectarian state. While we've probably already been heading in this direction on a smaller scale, with 9/11 the American people have become more united with their distrust of Muslims.
Of course, I'm reacting to one Gallup poll and one Reuters article, but I hear other anti-Muslim/Islam comments from all sorts of people.
Stereotypes that get out of hand lead to the persecution of innocent people. In the poll and article, 39% of 1,000 people polled and a number of people who responded to a "devils-advocating" radio show program, stated that they'd like to see Muslims in the U.S. marked , not unlike the Jews and other prisoners of concentration camps during Hitler's regime.
Any acceptance of this kind of behavior (could we call it "Unamerican" behavior) will lead us further and further from a democratic state. Its interesting to see how people try to make sense of 9/11. I suppose we need real people to point fingers at and get our frustrations on, not just a vague abstract enemy like "terrorism" or an unseen "bin Laden".
I could be overreacting to a simple article that I read, but I really hope that this way of thinking doesn't escalate. <
11/29/2006 02:58:00 PM -
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Clay Aiken is....
Maybe its just me but I think that Clay Aiken is really annoying. I saw him on that now famous episode of Regis and Kelly and, boy, was he annoying. I wanted someone to cover his mouth. He kept talking, talking, talking--he would have done all the talking for the whole show--didn't need any guests.
Maybe he was confused and thought that the show was about him that day....
He should also get a haircut.
11/13/2006 06:10:00 PM -
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Social Networking
So my sister asked me the other day if I had ever gotten onto an online dating site. I have but don't think its my thing. A couple of friends of mine have met people and hooked, but I just don't trust people I can't read and you can't really read a profile and a picture.
She asked me this after I told her I'm considering returning to school to get an MPA. She's concerned I won't marry. But really some things are more important than sitting around waiting for that (especially living in this county!--I could sit forever).
What is it about marriage that married people want their single family members and friends to find that "special somebody?" Being single is fun. You can go out on the town every weekend (or more). You can spontaneously call up your friends and get together. You can kick your room-mate out when they cause trouble. Right now I'm happy in my singlehood. If you get married before you can have a wonderful single life, you really don't know how fulfilling it can be. And I'm sure if you haven't married you don't know how married life is but maybe some of us can have the best of both worlds: get married later!
PS. George W. is such a dick! And a traitor to his party (and you probably know by now I'm not a huge fan of his party).
11/08/2006 01:18:00 PM -
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Hallelujah
I have been looking forward to this day for the past 6 years.
His commander-in-chief and he always had an excuse for why he wouldn't leave. Why he's suddenly stepping down we may never truly know. Bush must really feel the pressure (party image, recognizing his follies, finally woke up, etc.).
Maybe if we keep trying, Bush will bend on some other pet projects of his and realize he's only a man (a very idealistic man) and step down (taking Cheney with him, of course) and move to a very small island in a the middle of the ocean (maybe near one of the poles) and keep to himself.
Please! No more Clintons and no more Bushes!
11/07/2006 07:07:00 PM -
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Voting
Sometimes just the idea of fitting voting into your day is a deterrent. I almost didn't today, but in the end did visit the polling place and did succeed in using the computerized voting system.
The election judge didn't announce that I had voted when I returned the card--that was a huge disappointment--but maybe they only do that for a presidential election.
As for grandma, she's doing pretty well considering the aneurysm was a four and the rating scale is 1 to 4, four being the worst. She left the hospital on Monday and the swelling in her head has gone down. Still am hestitant to see her any differently from the grandma I've always known and loved.
10/24/2006 08:50:00 PM -
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Medieval Babe
10/21/2006 09:41:00 PM -
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My Grandma
My Grandma is very special. She is 80 years old and hasn't gone to the doctor for 50 years. She drinks a little bit of coffee every morning to relieve her morning headache, which works much faster than taking a pill, which she hasn't had to take for 50 years either.
When she was a teenager, Grandma donned her short shorts and strolled down the pier with her friends. She had lots of dating experience. She'd trade her father's gas ration coupons with her beaus for their shoe ration coupons. Even after she had five children, men hit on her and wanted to whisk her away on their not so white horses. (As difficult as it may be to believe, we are related!)
Grandma likes to reminisce about her glory days; life was perfect back then. She thinks about those days often and misses her brother, whose life was cut short during the War. She also misses her father who I imagine to be a charming man (he danced, he entertained, he was an extra in a couple of Westerns, he was a mechanic, and at one time ran a gas station.)
Now my grandma lives in Colorado and is whipping her senior apartment building into shape. She's told off the complex sourpuss, who yelled at her grandson John and who bothers people at Bingo (he has since been banned from Bingo night). She doesn't tolerate gossip about other tenants. And the old, blind man that hangs out by the mailboxes wants to date her.
She is still spry as can be and looks good for her age. Her hair is hardly gray and she doesn't even dye it. This is my grandma.
And I bet she can beat up your grandma!!!
10/15/2006 11:03:00 AM -
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Guilty as Charged
Last week I pled guilty to three violations in the city of Sunset, Utah: not updating my address on my driver's license, not having proof of insurance in my car, and having a broken windshield.
The lame thing is we were short staffed at work and I was given a time to appear before the judge. I thought I'd just have to show my new Utah license and my proof of insurance, which I did have just not in the car. I was fined $30 for the not updating the address.
I think of it as donating to the city of Sunset.
The thing about northern Utah is there are tons of small municipalities with very limited resources. Just think of all the services the cities could provide if they united. I'm not sure why they remain independent. Surely there is some principle the residents stand upon. As for me, I believe that northern Utah could thrive if it was more united. (Kind of like my singles ward!)
I've decided lately that the Utahn culture is just too odd and I will never understand it. And I am a city girl, now and forever.
10/04/2006 05:06:00 PM -
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Who Are the "People" in Your Neighborhood?
One of the funny things about living in Idaho and Utah is the neighbors.
A block down the road from my four-plex, which is located in a nice, conservative neighborhood is some land with a couple of horses on it.
On the way to work, I pass pastures with cows and more horses. Sometimes I see chickens running around an unfenced yard. Once they were sitting, lined up by the side of the road watching the traffic pass by (perhaps wondering why that chicken decided to cross the road in the first place). I've seen peacocks roaming around. And this morning, I passed several dogs playing tag.
As a city girl, moving to Idaho was another world. Skipping church, sitting in the park and hearing cows mooing was eerie. And then readjusting to the city in Texas before moving to Utah made me forget how the farming community lives.
Truly, if you want wide open spaces, move West. But remember: when the wind blows the wrong way you may get a nasty whiff.
10/02/2006 08:54:00 AM -
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Turning Over a New Leaf
It's Fall. What better time to turn over a new leaf!
As I've been learning more about people and feeling more empowered to be myself (and not sacrifice myself to make others happy), I'm a lot happier. The anxiety, annoyance, and overall negative feelings that persist in blood sucking relationships really do weigh a person down and thats not fair. In fact, I've learned that by keeping those relationships going, I'm supporting them in their negative behaviors.
No more!
The latest incident was with a guy who really is a great guy but way too wishy washy and untrustworthy for the likes of me. A guy (or anybody) who says one thing one day and acts completely different the next is not worth the confusion and anxiety. There are more fish in the sea to settle for a jellyfish.
9/19/2006 04:54:00 PM -
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BFF
Dear Abby,
I read an article on BFF (Best Friends Forever) in Discovery Girls, "a magazine created by girls, for girls."
Now I can't name one BFF I've ever had! The last person who wanted to be my BFF was a little psychotic, and that is how I tend to view girls who want a BFF relationship.
Am I normal?
Yours truly, Little Miss Independent Utah
9/13/2006 10:27:00 AM -
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"The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." --Socrates
Apparently the work to unravel the mystery of the adolescent brain is a fairly recent investigation. I'm reading a book about the teenage brain and am fascinated at how complex this organ is. I think its safe to say that we can apply the same principle to any science that we can apply to life in general: just when we think we know something, we find out we really don't.
I wonder if part of the brain has been reserved for learning things not yet revealed to man.
9/05/2006 02:09:00 PM -
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Cyrano De Bergerac
Some animals are so ugly they're cute (kind of like newborn babies). Take for instance the Proboscis Monkey:
My personal favorite is the Naked Mole Rat (hey it has "rat" in its name!):
The Naked Mole Rat in Kim Possible, named Rufus, is really cool, although traditionally cute:
8/31/2006 09:00:00 AM -
Posted by dmaismith -
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Myspace.com
Well, I gained a testimony of Myspace.com last weekend and today I've lost it.
The brother of a friend from way back in the day found me on Myspace.com and emailed me telling me how to get in touch with my friend (his sister). This was super cool!
This morning I get on to check my messages and I have couple messages telling me I'm cute from loser guys whose friends consist of scantily clad girls. So not cool!
Branny, I prefer messages from nice guys! (Here is the attention you're craving!)
8/30/2006 02:54:00 PM -
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Who Is That Masked Man?
My new project is to organize all my personal reflections and principles into a functional ideology so that I can encourage the masses to undermine and perhaps overthrow the corruption in the current administration (and probably future ones as I believe there is no hope for a truly better America in the context of our current system).
My inspiration (as Senior Williams-girl "C" introduced me to)
Subcomandante Marcos, spokesperson for the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN)
Mostly I think him incredibly sexy--just look at those eyes--not to mention dynamic enough to create a following. He has a novel to be released next month, Uncomfortable Dead, cowritten by Paco Ignacio Taibo II.
El Subcomandante has a Masters degree and I have a Masters degree. He is described to have pale skin; I have pale skin. He is orginally from the city; I am a city girl. Not only are we compatible, but I recognize that because of our similarities, I can accomplish this new goal of mine.
8/29/2006 02:37:00 PM -
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Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream...
Okay, so I finally slept last night after taking some recommended Melatonin. The only problem, and maybe this wasn't related to the supplement, was the crazy dreams, as opposed to the grogginess I've heard so much about (I woke up feeling and still do feel nervous energy).
The first dream had to do with a mean, black rat that I adopted and decided that since it was so horrible (don't know what it did; I just understood it was evil) it had to be killed. It didn't even occur to me to take it to the vet to be put to sleep. I ended up putting it in a container with a lid to shut off its air supply.
I feel guilty even as I type.
The second dream had to do with a friend ignoring me (but not the one that currently is ignoring me).
Both dreams have a lot to do with the most stressful situations in my life right now. Maybe this proves that we can think we have everything together but our subconcious has the final say on whether we truly overcome anything.
This reminds me of hynosis; it would be interesting to try.
Just to see what is locked away in the brain.
8/22/2006 06:13:00 PM -
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One Complaint (Only One)
Maybe its because I live in a later generation but I don't understand how people judge each other based on such superficial characteristics, such as race, "class," gender, age, and general appearance.
I was at the SLCPL this afternoon looking at their display on the history of Japanese baseball. It caught my eye because I just finished Kira Kira, which is about a Japanese American family in the 1950s or 1960s (can't remember). They experienced racism.
The display showed the racism portrayed by the Government in the early 1900s. There was a ban on Japanese immigration to the United States and the Supreme Court upheld it. This was even before World War II. Why the Japanese?
My friend in high school is working on a media project based on the internment camp Topaz. She said that before talking to people who had to live there she thought the camp was horrible. After interviewing past residents, she said it wasn't as bad as it seemed initially, although, I wonder if she was considering that the whole idea of imprisoning people based on physical characteristics (think potential Holocaust) is pretty horrible.
Man throughout history has judged each other based on these superficial characteristics. Today we may think that we've become more understanding and progressive on this issue, but have we?
How about all the effort that the media and culture make to portray what the "perfect" image of a person is? Is someone who is overweight intrinsically worth less than someone who is slim? How about the fashion trends of "showing more leg" or completely altering one's features (through makeup, dye, plastic surgery, botox injections)? Is it really necessary that we do this? Is there a "good" reason why people feel the need to go above and beyond to look a certain way--a reason that stands independent of peer pressure?
I'm offended if I find a guy who is only interested in getting to know me because of how I look. A much better compliment is "You're smart" or "You're funny"--focusing on the intrinsic.
8/20/2006 05:07:00 PM -
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Ho Hum
Pending a mild case of writer's block, I've added some links in the sidebar of important news and information distributers. Be sure to check them out and pay head to the future of our world.
Also, I've added some of my favorite authors and their web sites. I always recommend their works, although there is only one male listed. Hmmmmm.... Maybe I need to broaden my reading to include the male perspective. Any suggestions?
8/15/2006 02:40:00 PM -
Posted by dmaismith -
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Where is peace?
With so much war and horrific acts done against fellow human beings, and then everything crazy that happens in our personal lives, it is so hard to find any sense of peace. We can turn off the t.v. to avoid whats going on in the world but then there is all the crap that happens in our personal lives that keep us on our toes.
How do we deal effectively with all the stress? How to keep from disappearing into ourselves and hiding from the sadness?
8/14/2006 08:10:00 PM -
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In Loving Memory
Nickie died last Saturday. She followed me outside when I was returning to the branch after lunch. She got stuck between the door and the screen door and probably died of heat exhaustion.
We're having a funeral for her at my sister's house in Idaho tomorrow. I feel like I lost a good friend. She was a great roommate and I'll be missing her for a really long time.
Nickie liked to climb onto my bed with me on it and play tag and hide and go seek. She also liked to lick my lips after I ate. She came when I called her name--she'd coming bounding over and jump up on me and we'd wrestle.
My last moments with her were fun. We wrestled and I kissed her and told her how much I love her.
I really miss her....
8/06/2006 07:42:00 PM -
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Relationships can be so taxing. Luckily I've started writing in my journal so I can remember the lessons I learn from mistakes I make in them.
From now on I will be more assertive. Rather than worry about how other people may feel, I will first take note of my feelings and not sacrifice them simply for worrying about making the other person feel bad.
I let things go consistently in a particular relationship and it has become so draining that I don't really care how she feels--don't care to keep the relationship going. Meanwhile, she's under the impression that we're best friends (which I've never had before--sisters maybe but not best friends).
This is all my fault. If only I had stuck up for myself in the beginning would things have happened differently. What will happen now is unsure but hopefully I won't feel so drained from here on out.
8/02/2006 03:22:00 PM -
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Pretty Bird
Last evening Vega found an injured robin in the front lawn of the Library, so I put it in a box and took it home with the plan of taking it to the Ogden Nature Center for rehabilitation.
This morning, while getting ready for work, I heard a ruckus coming from the box. When I got to work, I finally looked inside the box to see how the bird was doing.
It was dead.
I don't know if I did something to kill (maybe to cool at night, no food, it hit its head on the lid of the box too much) or if it died from its injuries.
Death is always shocking, no matter who or what it is. Its hard to understand how one minute a being can have life and the next be nothing more than a just flesh and bone, no life force.
I've never experienced the death of a person, only pets. How will I deal with the death of a loved one when the death of an animal that I don't even know affects me so?
8/01/2006 02:20:00 PM -
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I'm Really Not Obsessed! (I'm Just LDS!)
So last night a group of us got together to watch movies and play games. After a hot game of Scene It, we looked at cards from the game Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus.
We spent about three hours on this game! The guys asking the girls questions and the girls asking guys.
Its funny how much mystery there is between the sexes. One guy admitted that girls make guys much more complicated than they really are; guys are just plain simple. What a relief! Unfortunately, girls aren't.
My biggest hurrah of the night is I found a guy who loves to dance, including country dancing. Ever since our Discovery Time theme of Hoedown I've wanted to go country dancing. This is it!!!! And he's quite a bit younger so he doesn't think I was hitting on him.
P.S. The sweater is not in his car so I must have left it at the restaurant. So much for fate, Branny.
7/31/2006 02:42:00 PM -
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The Word
I have to say that "the word" is gnawing at me. A few weeks ago I decided to start writing in a journal, I've still got this blog, and I just want to read, read, read and am just not satisfied with what I do.
This is a growing obsession. On lunch today, I went home and my hand ached to write, so I turned to my journal. Last night I tossed and turned and turned and tossed and thought I should write the thoughts that kept running through my head, but didn't and so they just kept running until the alarm went off this morning.
As a kid I'd stay up writing stories. I'm missing that now. Perhaps it is time to start again.
7/29/2006 01:12:00 PM -
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Love is Blind I went on a blind date the other night. Had a great time. The funny thing is that other than talking to him a couple of times on the phone, knowing that he was a musician and where he worked, I didn't know anything else about him.
Needless to say, when I opened the door to greet him I was surprised. Had a great time.
This made me think about how fun (knock on wood) it would be to just go on a series of truly blind dates.
The only problem is I left my sweater in his car--and not on purpose!!! I'm embarrassed to call and get it back.
7/18/2006 07:54:00 PM -
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The Book Thief
My new favorite book is The Book Thief by Australian author Markus Zusak. It is not only extremely well written (truly literary in style, unlike so many adult books these days--what will English majors study twenty/fifty years from now???), but it is cataloged as a Young Adult novel.
Wrought with emotion, suspense, and philosophical thoughts on the dual nature of man, this book is haunting!
Please read what the author's/publishers web site says about The Book Thief:
"It’s just a small story really, about among other things: a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery. . . .
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak’s groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can’t resist–books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul."
Another book by Zusak is getting rave reviews: I Am the Messenger (next on my reading list).
7/09/2006 09:32:00 PM -
Posted by dmaismith -
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Shoot for the Moon (or Nearby)
Forget Egypt, Kenya, China, Rome, or any other country in the entire Earth that I've never been (which is all but three). The best trip ever would be a shuttle to outer space and hopefully it is in the near future. Amazon's founder is shooting for the moon and wants to take tourists with him (see spaceupdate.com).
I used to sit in the front yard at night getting lost in the stars. The heavens--yet another reason why I can't doubt a Supreme Creator. Some things are just too amazing to have happened by random luck. Our very own existence is hard to fathom because there are too many little details to have happened in just the right combination and at just the right times.
7/09/2006 05:38:00 PM -
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Can't Get Enough
My nephew is just soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute! No other kid is as cute as that little boy. He is also the smartest kid in the whole entire world. He also likes me, as my sister was quick to point out yesterday morning. In fact, I think he likes me even more than my brother, Matilda. Yes, Waltzing Matilda, I'm his favorite!!!!
6/29/2006 02:55:00 PM -
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Little Nickie
So finally, here is a picture of my baby Nickie. She is so much fun!!!!
6/19/2006 05:23:00 PM -
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I Love You!
So I've had two guys in my lifetime tell me they love me--both in a matter of approximately a two week period.
This last time is both funny and creepy all bundled up into one. Jer-Bear manipulated me into a date (was first a group activity and then suddenly a date and he didn't even ask!!) and after messages and phone calls from him all week (including invitations to watch seasons of the A-Team), I decided to call and cancel.
He called several times and lefts messages, including one in which he closes by telling me that he loves me.
Freak Out!!!!!
More to come (I'm sure)....
6/06/2006 04:51:00 PM -
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I am soooooooooo tired. Any suggestions as to healthy ways to deal (aside from going to bed earlier because that doesn't seem to work! I just can't get a good night's sleep!)
5/31/2006 06:07:00 PM -
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More Baby Jacob
He is just sooooooooooooooooooooo cute that I have to show him off!
5/28/2006 03:08:00 PM -
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RATS!
I think everyone should consider having a pet rat.
Rats make intelligent, loyal, sweet pets. My pet rat, Nickie, is sooooo cute. She follows me all over the house and loves attention, as any rat does (they are social animals).
Unfortunately, my brother-in-law's rat is stuck in his cage most of the time. I would like to take him home but then neither he nor Nickie could roam freely or else I'll rats coming out of my ears. We could work out a rotation schedule where one gets to roam one day and the other gets to roam the next. I'll have to think about this more.
I'd like to get a puppy sometime too.
Animals are just special. There is something special about them. They are helpful at reducing stress, helping with depression, they have their own individual personalities (just like you and me), and they are innocent creatures (becoming who they are by instinct or training).
Hunting is stupid for Americans to do unless they are truly lacking in money to buy food. There are animals raised and abused purely to satisfy the American's lust for meat. Why kill another innocent life when there are plenty of animals that are forced to eat their fellow species, living in cramped quarters (to say the very least, unable to even reach their prime because the younger the meat the better it tastes?
5/17/2006 05:15:00 PM -
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Celebrity
Bobarino had an interview published in the Salt Lake Weekly. We're so proud!
He is a writer and working on publishing his latest novel about technology in the library. Marsh-mellow Bobarino is contemplative with a subtle sense of humor.
"Think Stephen King sans the blood and horror," says Knavel Orange. "There's just something about him."
"Anything he writes is sure to be thought-provoking and inspiring," adds Weber County's Basque Babe.
This isn't the last you'll here of our friend.
5/08/2006 01:34:00 PM -
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I'm trying to figure out what colors to use for my blog. Summer is coming up so it would be nice to try some summer colors. Maybe some lime greens and yellows. Lavender always looks nice so I went ahead and used lavender and purple.
I had a makeover at the Lancome counter on Saturday. Thats a good place to learn about colors. I found out that despite my pale skin and reddish hair I can use any colors, so long as they're the right shade. We did creams and greens (kind of lime green and emerald). Loved the effect so bought the makeup.
Its funny the whole makeup thing. Putting materials (and sometimes toxic at that) on our faces to change the way we look so we look better. I wonder what aliens would think about that.
I ask this question a lot: What would aliens think about....? Usually I plug in dancing or ice/roller skating. Odd fun once you think about them on the basest levels.
For more information on aliens, check out Alien Central. A patron here at the library gave me this link. He is actually Nordic (check out that link). Thats why he thinks I'm cool--because I have Nordic blood.
5/03/2006 02:23:00 PM -
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So I got in trouble today for putting a picture of my new nephew coming out of my sister's stomach (C-section) on one of the staff computers. Heh, heh, heh. I wanted to see the reaction I'd get and so I did receive one.
But he is so cute and the cutest there ever was at that. Just look at him (sorry Bobarino: its the same blue picture!)
5/01/2006 02:25:00 PM -
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So the United States Supreme Court--the Court with the final say; the Court that is selective in the cases it hears--chose to hear Anna Nicole Smith's inheritance case.
No comment.
4/30/2006 04:44:00 PM -
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You know being alone isn't all its cracked up to be. I thought life would be great if I could just do everything by myself--no disappointments, losses, or betrayals (of any magnitude).
But on the flip side, you miss out on companionship and some really good times. And why should I expect others to be perfect. Part of it has been I know I can't live up to a standard of friendship or acquaintanceship that I hold and felt that I should completely pull back so I don't disappoint anyone. But I'm not perfect either. Its okay for others to mess up and its okay for me to mess up.
The past few weeks have been pretty humbling because I have a roommate now (its been about 8 months since I've had one). I've been in therapy, where I've discussed this issue quite a bit. Now that I've experienced the difference between the life of a hermit and actual living, I prefer the actual living.
For future reference, dmai, it may be hard but its worth it.
4/25/2006 11:35:00 AM -
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So my first post since graduation. I have finally adjusted to my new home in "Zion." Lots of blog worthy material here. I'll have to play catchup.
5/23/2005 08:31:00 AM -
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I graduated! I graduated! I graduated!
10/18/2004 09:12:00 PM -
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Ten top reasons to vote for Ralph Nader in 2004:
1.Nader hasn't started a war to impress his Daddy.
2.Michael Moore doesn't want you to.
3.Ralph's rogueish misunderstood-anti-hero charm.
4.Those other candidates are phoneys and also lie too much too.
5.Because you hate liberals and conservatives equally.
6.You're stubborn and ornary and so is Nader.
7.Confuse the terrorists.
8.Nerds should only vote for fellow Nerds.
9.Freak out the pollsters.
10.Nader doesn't run stupid and annoying political campaign tv ads.
10/01/2004 07:14:00 AM -
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Have you lost your voter virginity, yet?
Apparently this is a real slogan an independent group is using to encourage Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 to vote.
Only five more weeks to go and then another few months to figure out the correct vote count! Will this election ever end????
9/16/2004 08:25:00 AM -
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To Be or Not To Be...
Exciting news for Shakespeare aficionados. The British Library has digitized 93 copies of 21 plays written by the most genius writer of all time. The quartos can be viewed online at The British Library web site.
None of Shakespeare’s manuscripts survive, so the printed texts of his plays are our only source for what he originally wrote. The quarto editions are the texts closest to Shakespeare’s time. Some are thought to preserve either his working drafts (his foul papers) or his fair copies. Others are thought to record versions remembered by actors who performed the plays, providing information about staging practices in Shakespeare’s day."
9/15/2004 10:04:00 AM -
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Who can't respect President George W. Bush for taking the time to visit Russia in order to pay tribute to the victims of the Beslan school siege?
9/14/2004 06:49:00 AM -
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Down...Set...Hike!
Grunts. Bellowing. Football. Lots of male testosterone--something I will never understand. I think of my brothers playing Madden Football, or any of the guys I know, and chuckle. I guess its almost like Kizze and Foggity Bloggity and Dirty Dancing.
To live some of the experience of Madden Football listen to none other but NPRs very own Morning Edition.
9/02/2004 12:41:00 PM -
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Sounds like something from a movie this "Black Triangle" sighting phenomenon. The Black Triangle seems to appear out of nowhere and isn't very shy when it does. Read the story on space.com.
8/30/2004 06:52:00 PM -
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"Luke, I am Your Father...."
The Star Wars Kid made one mistake. But one mistake is all you need to become ridiculously famous.
The Star Wars Kid was a 15 year old high school student in Quebec who dreamed of being like Darth Maul. He makes a personal video tape of him reenacting Darth Maul's fight scenes. Little does he know that his so-called friends find the video and post it on the Internet for all the world to see. The Star Wars Kid has become an international sensation as varieties of his original film have been created and posted online.
To experience the Star Wars Kid et al go to Screaming Pickle.com and download video clips featuring the Stars Wars Kid himself.
[To view, right click on the hyperlink and go to "Save Target As." Save the file to your hard drive. To view, open the file and it will be viewed in Windows Media Player. Watch the original Star Wars Kid first.]
8/26/2004 11:26:00 PM -
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A Must See
Watch out for Control Room, coming soon (hopefully!) to a theater near you! It only played for a few days here in Austin and that was because an activist group here sponsored the showings.
Control Room is quite thought provoking and I feel pretty disheartened about the information we receive, both from the media and from our nation's leaders.
Warning: While the movie is not rated, it does have some graphic scenes and intense moments.
Listen to a dialogue about political commentaries, including The Fog of War, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Control Room, on Talk of the Nation on NPR.
8/26/2004 11:10:00 AM -
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8/19/2004 01:04:00 PM -
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"First of all, we're in the country now, so no more black." "No more black, are you insane?" "You heard me. Only high-powered and neurotic, castrating Manhattan career b$%*!es wear black. Is that what you wanna be?" "Ever since I was a little girl."
8/18/2004 10:34:00 PM -
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In cases of doubtful morality, it is usual to say, Is there any harm in doing this? This question may sometimes be best answered by asking ourselves another: Is there any harm in letting it alone? -- Colton.
So here is a web site that lists more recent movies and their offensive content.
To be taken with a grain of salt.
8/14/2004 12:36:00 PM -
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Goes to show that everyone can be called to jury duty.
8/13/2004 09:29:00 PM -
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For those of you suffering from the horrible pangs of premenstrual syndrome check out this link to find out how to effectively deal with it. (Brought to you by MSN Health.)
And if that information doesn't help, check out this link for your last resort. (Brought to you by Women Thou Art God.)
8/13/2004 09:23:00 PM -
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Those silly Russians.... Maybe my family should plan a trip to Siberia.
7/12/2004 08:55:00 PM -
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Is this really me?
You're Vatican City!
You're pretty sure that you're infallible in all that you do or say, and
it's hard to say whether you're right. You have a lot of followers, most of whom will
do whatever you say without question, or line up to see you ride around in your spiffy car.
Religious and reserved, you have some wisdom, but also a bit much contempt for everyone
around you. You're also fabulously wealthy, no matter what you say to the contrary.
Take
the Country Quiz at the href="http://bluepyramid.org">Blue Pyramid
7/12/2004 08:53:00 PM -
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Now this really is me!!
You're Mrs. Dalloway!
by Virginia Woolf
Your life seems utterly bland and normal to the casual observer, but
inside you are churning with a million tensions and worries. The company you surround
yourself with may be shallow, but their effects upon your reality are tremendously deep.
To stay above water, you must try to act like nothing's wrong, but you know that the
truth is catching up with you. You're not crazy, you're just a little unwell. But no
doctor can help you now.
7/12/2004 08:06:00 PM -
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Now, I'm concerned that good ol' Kizze is going batty. She was bit on the neck by a large vampire bat at Congress Bridge last Friday night and has been kind of "off" ever since.
The Signs 1. She spent all weekend socializing. (A sign of a psychic vampire is they love to be around people.)
2. Last night she went for a walk and couldn't find her way home.
3. Kizze drank a smoothie today instead of eating lunch. (Vampires love to drink, especially red drinks.)
4. She took a nap today. (Kizze never naps!)
5. She went to work today without doing herself up.
7/04/2004 11:12:00 PM -
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Sarah thinks we should take the next family trip to Roswell, New Mexico. Not a popular idea. Everyone is now coming up with excuses why they can't make it, and a date hasn't even be set! We could hardly handle the 45 minute trip to Idaho City; who really wants to attempt a couple of days road trip to Roswell?!
Roswell has a special place in the hearts of my family members. Known primarily for its fascination with UFOs, it is no wonder it would catch our attention (our being avid fans of The X-Files, syndicated radio talk show host Art Bell, The Fortean Times, and anything science fiction/extraterrestrial).
Sometimes I wonder if I was actually abducted by aliens. I'm pretty scatter-brained and there is a huge chunk of my childhood I can't remember, mostly in relation to my sister (maybe she was the one abducted.) And then there's that crazy scar....
6/25/2004 12:31:00 PM -
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Video Game Obsession
Q: How do you know you have an unhealthy obsession with video games (as opposed to a healthy obsession with me)?
A: You act out your favorite video games in real life, like the guys from Mega64. [Hint: The Tetris video is the best.]
6/23/2004 01:14:00 AM -
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Why You Should Support Your Local Public Library Reason #249
Not only do public libraries provide free access to information, but a library also serve as a refuge from the elements. Just ask any homeless person. Or go see The Day After Tomorrow. (And why is it that librarians are still portrayed as stuffy old maids? Am I a stuffy old maid?!!?;)
6/13/2004 08:23:00 PM -
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There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900), "On Reading and Writing"
Surprisingly enough Hollywood hasn't used this idea for a love story (or has it?). Two people from different walks of life connect after their eyes meet at a hotel where they are attending different events. They talk, find out they are from the same area of town, and, strangely enough, they will be apartment complex neighbors within a week. As they get to know each other they decide they want to have children together, become engaged, and, then, before the wedding can take place, the bride-to-be dies from flu complications on a plane ride. Sadly, enough this is a true story, as told by John Perry Barlow (former lyricist for the Grateful Dead). [Go to this link and listen starting at about 38:00 to the end.]
What I find particularly intriguing is that the account of the couple's meeting sounds a lot like the account of an acquaintance, who, not necessarily a victim of love at first sight but close to it, spotted a guy from across the dance floor and felt that she needed to meet him. They met, and she says, a la John Perry Barlow mode, made a connection. The feeling was mutual and within a few weeks they were engaged. Luckily, this story does have a happy ending and the love larks are now married (two months after their intital meeting).
So what is the moral of these stories? Maybe those of us who spurn stories of love at first sight are just jealous that we haven't made that special connection. Could it be we're making things more difficult than it needs to be? I'd like to know if there's a common personality type that suffers from love at first sight more than others....
6/08/2004 06:39:00 AM -
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CORRECTION: This correction applies to the last post (about the World Naked Bike Ride). June 12 is actually a Saturday. So the bikers are being considerate and not picking a prime time to expose themselves.
6/04/2004 11:50:00 AM -
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Bicyclists! Get ready for the World Naked Bike Ride, taking place all over the world on June 12, 2004. The object is to ride your bike naked or semi-naked. The point? There isn't really one, other than that some people are just plain nasty and get a kick out of showing off their naked selves. I would put a link to the webpage for the ride, but it has pics of past races and this blog has been deemed suitable for people of all ages.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a route for the ride in Austin (it does start at the Wheatsville parking lot, 3101 Guadalupe) to know where not to drive that afternoon (strategically set for rush hour traffic at 5:00pm). So if you work in the Guadalupe area, watch out!
6/04/2004 08:30:00 AM -
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If God lived on earth, people would break his windows.
Jewish Proverb
For starters, Michael Eric Dyson's commentary on the Tavis Smiley show June 3, 2004 is about the Roman Catholic church denying gay parishoners the sacrament. Dyson says that the morality of the church needs to be changed and the church is on the wrong side of a lot of issues morally (mind you he never states why). Vatican decrees state that secular laws that contradict fundamental religious laws of morality, including abortion and same sex unions, are immoral.
My questions are: What gives Dyson and others who hold similar beliefs on morality the permission to decide which moral laws are right or wrong? How can they be so sure that their personal moral beliefs are right and a church's are wrong, particularly those people who's own religion stems from the same history of beliefs (as recorded in the Bible)? Do fundamental morals change as time passes?
Then why believe in religion in the first place, if traditional morals are so unacceptable? Instead of bending an established religion to fit a portion of society's ever changing system of morality, why not just create individual, personalized religions, because aren't you placing yourself above God anyway when you change fundamental morals that He commanded in the first place? Do people believe that God tells them that the old system is wrong and the new is right?
5/27/2004 10:55:00 AM -
Posted by dmaismith -
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My Mouth, My Choice
Next time you think the government is taking away the rights of the American people, remember the lowly Singaporean who for twelve years could not chew gum. All hail the new age of gum chewing in Singapore!
5/26/2004 03:24:00 PM -
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Aren't politics and the media interesting? I'm trying to find out what the media is saying about the status of Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader being added to the Texas ballot for this year's election. So far the most current information I can find is from the web site Nader for President 2004 (check out this article) and email updates from the local chapter of Nader's campaign.
For more information on where Ralph Nader stands on the issues, look at this link (and NO!, I do not agree with all his positions but at least he knows how to think for himself).
This election, lets try to think outside of the box!
5/23/2004 04:30:00 PM -
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So today I was convinced that my daughters (and maybe sons but only if they want to) should learn ballet, at least as little girls. The Slavin Nadal School of Ballet had its Spring concert this afternoon. Kizze takes lessons and teaches ballet at the school. Of course her performances were great (and I, for one, think she should take some time off after graduating from college to dance because she is so good--I can hear her now: Amateur!). But the children's dances were just so cute, particularly the three to five year olds. No matter how unpolished or how easily distracted some of these young dancers were they seemed to know the steps and performed them with enthusiasm (except for maybe Aloe Vera but she is a red head and, thus, apt to do whatever she darn well pleases). It goes to show what young people are capable of and that we should encourage their learning all kinds of skills while their little brains are still developing.
The main concern I would have is allowing them the, perhaps, greater potential for acquiring an eating disorder as adolescents than if they were not dancers. Of course, it doesn't take much, in our society, to encourage unhealthy habits. After I started a subscription with a teeny beauty magazine in junior high I decided I was fat and needed to lose weight. Actually, I wanted to look like a model (and maybe even be one, which if you look at any picture of me you would see that was a longshot). I never really starved myself (although not eating was a punishment when I didn't like myself), but it goes to show how easy it is to succumb to the standards set by the media. I look at pictures of me at that time and I'm a knobby kneed, frizzy haired, orange-faced girl.
Why is beauty taken so seriously, really? How many women really like to get dressed up everyday? Or putting on makeup or doing their hair, trying to look pretty, everyday? Is it just for the male species (which, by the way, is a double standard)? Or to like ourselves better (afterall, isn't Extreme Makeover a hit?)?
I guess the moral of this story is dancing is an art and little girls and boys are so cute when they do it and we need to set more positive, substantive role models for future (and why not current?) generations.
5/20/2004 07:40:00 AM -
Posted by dmaismith -
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Its a Gamble
Love is like the lottery: You only have to get lucky once and then its all worth it.
Of course the odds are 1:1295 that a person may be your soulmate (Bessell, H., & Hurlburt R. (2004) Love is not a game (But you should know the odds). Personhood Press.)
Or love is an art: You must learn how to manipulate the canvas to make it your own.
--Shannon (Data Entry Clerk-USDA)
5/12/2004 11:35:00 PM -
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This is one of my favorite songs right now. Its so happy and hopeful and paints a beautiful picture of life. Here's what we have to look forward to:
What a Wonderful World--Louie Armstrong
I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself what a wonderful world.
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They're really saying I love you.
I hear babies crying, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll never know
And I think to myself what a wonderful world
Yes I think to myself what a wonderful world.
5/12/2004 07:45:00 PM -
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Krazy Kizze and I are on an important mission. That mission is to seek out the best deal on Dance Dance Revolution (or DDR as the pros call it!). We've enlisted fellow DDR geek and music tech man Iron Roddy Rowdy Piper to make sure we get the best deal possible. So far our search has consisted of scouring eBay and making one bid, but luckily we were outbidded as Kizze noted in her blog, because we know we can do better. (We're amateurs with the whole eBay thing.)
Now I have admit that this seems like a pretty silly endeavor. And it truly is. However, when you're hanging out at our pad, dancing your heart out, upsetting the people living downstairs, remember that Dance Dance Revolution is here to stay!
(Okay is this cheesy or what?!;)
5/10/2004 02:30:00 PM -
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So its a beautiful day and I decide that rather than take the bus from work to campus, I'll walk. The most scenic route is cutting through the State Capitol building grounds: lots of shade, green grass, and funny people wandering around.
I'm plodding along when I suddenly realize there are several men in military uniform heading down the sidewalk in my direction. The only uniform I recognize is the United States Air Force. As I pass by the men, who flash their bright white teeth at me (it is a small world afterall and GIs the world over like any and every humanoid with boobs--I think they'll take what they can get), I realize that some have accents and an Airman is explaining some aspect of American culture to one. Hmmm, I wonder what they're doing.
As I continue on my way I come to the end of the line and upon some stragglers.
"Can I get a picture?" a man from Kazakhstan asks.
Because he has a thick accent and I have bad hearing (or something) I ask him to repeat himself. "You want me to take a picture of you?"
"No, "he answers. "I want a picture with you."
Now anyone who knows me much at all knows I hate to have my picture taken. But I'm in a generous mood, feeling adventurous, and having a good hair day (and not feeling particulary sensitive about my Adams apple--it only shows up in each and every picture I ever take!). I consent.
Next thing I know two more men run over wanting to be included in the picture. We pose, take the picture, and the photographer and one of the soldiers leave. I chat with the remaining two soldiers (one from Kazakhstan and Alegeria). I ask them what they're doing here.
Well you learn something new everyday. They are stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. I didn't know we had foreign soldiers stationed in the U.S. but, hey, thats neat.
We chat a little. The Algerian man, who's a cutie but a bit short, tries to impress me by stating that he speaks French and has a French accent. Then he ask me if we can exchange email addresses. I tell him, "No, I'll never see you again."
We chat a bit more and then part ways, as I have to get to class.
The moral of this story is that aside from the positive impact on the environment and one's personal character, a way to add spice to one's life is to use an alternative form of transportation. I don't know where to begin relating all the bus stories I have (and I have lots of experience riding the bus--elementary school to the present). For example, the other day there was an old man telling this wild story about a fall he had the night before from a three story building. If it wasn't for the ring finger on his right hand he would not have lived to tell the story. That finger wasn't even scratched.
Wow.....!
5/04/2004 09:04:00 AM -
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The word "blog" is such an unattractive word. Its onomatapoeia for someone puking--BLOOOOOG!.
