I'll skip the excuses for being a poor blogger and just get right to business....
1. The United States just elected its first black president, and I feel that I should at least say something about it, so bear with me:
I will not say who I voted for or what I believe, in an attempt to avoid random angry comments from people. I will say, however, that for the first time in a long while, I have hope. I am so tired of hearing how horrible our government is, and hearing that things need to change, and I am just happy to finally hear that change is coming. Even bad change is change, and anything that changes has a chance to make something better. I wish The future President all the best, and I hope that he may be numbered among the great in our History.
2. I have a job. after what seems like ages of joblessness and searching and interviewing, I have landed the perfect job as a Graphic Designer. I am so excited to have finally reached the point in life where I will no longer have to wait on tables or hold temporary jobs just to make money for gas. This job comes with an arsenal of fantastic benefits and perks, and I could not be happier.
3. Troy bought me a flickr pro account today. randomly. So that means that I have something to keep me occupied until I start my new job, and I will be scanning in my moleskine paintings. I also no longer have to delete pictures just to add more. so keep an eye out for flickr updates.
4. Troy and I have been re-thinking the marriage thing. I mean, the marriage is still on, its just the Wedding that is up in the air. There is alot to consider, but I think that, once we make the big decisions (venue, food, day) things will be fun, and much more easy. and, FYI, i do not want to hear wedding horror stories. I wont say that mine will be different, because I know it wont, but I refuse to allow fear to run my wedding.
Now, if I could just afford the dress I want. Believe it or not, it is part of the Disney's Princess collection. It is beautiful, but I am afraid of the price tag.
5. We have begun working on our future home. Its a complicated narrative, so I'll save it for a later day.
6. I have finished my first moleskine book. I'm addicted, and I'm glad. The motivation and creative outlet is good for me.
7. Maryland might get its first snow flurries this weekend. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I'm not really ready for it.
8. "If All Goes Wrong" just came out, and of course Troy bought it that day. If you are a Smashing Pumpkins fan, or just a fan of music and the artistic struggle behind good music, you should see the interview with Pete Townshend and the documentary. Genius. BIlly Corgan always has a way of taking my own personal beliefs and putting them into words.
9. The Pour House closed down. The Pour House is a local coffee shop in my town, and, while it was always packed with obnoxious teens and the prices were pretty high, it was still a local business beloved by the community. I spent the better part of my highschool and early college years there, and now I cannot believe it is gone. I have been going less and less in the past few years, but it felt good to know that the place would be there if ever I needed it. NOt to mention, now, that is one less local business. some person's savings and dreams, devoured by the economy. As much as I love starbucks coffee, I would rather see the local starbcks shut its doors, at least starbucks has a chance to come back. a local business, however, cannot just bounce back, it sucks up every resourse the owner has, and then thats it. I try my best to patronize local business as often as possible because they have more integrity and sincerity toward customers than a giant corporate chain. But, alas, the pour house is no more.
10. Gas is currently 1.97 in my home town. How crazy is that? I do not even know what else to say about it. lets just leave it at this: I hope it stays that way.
11. finally, a word about football: HURRAY RAVENS. lets just keep moving forward and I'll be happy.
thats it for now. good day to you, my random reader.
Showing posts with label misc.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label misc.. Show all posts
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
ampersand
While sitting in my bedroom and listening to an owl outside, I decided that the world is a giant list with no commas.
I wonder how many times a day the word "and" is uttered by human mouth. Does every language have its own variation of "and" or are there cultures that exist without the concept of the word? Is there a language in which people list one object at a time, giving each object its own sentence?
I went to the store. Frank went to the store. June went to the store with us.
I do not know about other languages, but it occurs to me that without "and" the English language would lack inclusion, and would require much longer sentences.
I went to the store. Frank went to the store with me. So did June.
Frank, June, and I went to the store.
without saying that he, she, and I went to the store, it becomes difficult to explain that the three of us went to the same store at the same time. It is possible, but needlessly difficult.
to me, the ampersand is one of the most beautifully designed characters, nay, objects ever created. so much is expressed in that single symbol, and yet most people have no idea that it has a name, a real function, or a history.
Then again, most people do not know how to speak their native language.
I have studied language in depth, and I must confess that I even have trouble speaking it at times. So many rules that are broken constantly. Of course, I am not a language purist, I understand that language must change and evolve in order to stay alive, and that 20 generations from now my language will be obsolete, but still, it is sad for one to watch such a slaughtering of something so significant as a language.
I wish that I posessesd the power to hear my language from the perspective of a non-listener.
to an American, french sounds distinct from German, which sounds distinct from Japanese, but do those distinctions hold true to other people from other linguistic backgrounds? i.e. to a french person, is German as different from Japanese as it is to me? and what does English sound like to people who do not speak it? is it as classical and beautiful as French sounds to me? or as fluid as spanish? or is it as harsh and abrupt as Russian?
which is the hardest language to learn? which is the easiest? if everyone spoke one language, would everyone get along? would there be nothing to fight over?
I suppose people would still fight.
a world with one language would be a horrid place.
I wonder how many times a day the word "and" is uttered by human mouth. Does every language have its own variation of "and" or are there cultures that exist without the concept of the word? Is there a language in which people list one object at a time, giving each object its own sentence?
I went to the store. Frank went to the store. June went to the store with us.
I do not know about other languages, but it occurs to me that without "and" the English language would lack inclusion, and would require much longer sentences.
I went to the store. Frank went to the store with me. So did June.
Frank, June, and I went to the store.
without saying that he, she, and I went to the store, it becomes difficult to explain that the three of us went to the same store at the same time. It is possible, but needlessly difficult.
to me, the ampersand is one of the most beautifully designed characters, nay, objects ever created. so much is expressed in that single symbol, and yet most people have no idea that it has a name, a real function, or a history.
Then again, most people do not know how to speak their native language.
I have studied language in depth, and I must confess that I even have trouble speaking it at times. So many rules that are broken constantly. Of course, I am not a language purist, I understand that language must change and evolve in order to stay alive, and that 20 generations from now my language will be obsolete, but still, it is sad for one to watch such a slaughtering of something so significant as a language.
I wish that I posessesd the power to hear my language from the perspective of a non-listener.
to an American, french sounds distinct from German, which sounds distinct from Japanese, but do those distinctions hold true to other people from other linguistic backgrounds? i.e. to a french person, is German as different from Japanese as it is to me? and what does English sound like to people who do not speak it? is it as classical and beautiful as French sounds to me? or as fluid as spanish? or is it as harsh and abrupt as Russian?
which is the hardest language to learn? which is the easiest? if everyone spoke one language, would everyone get along? would there be nothing to fight over?
I suppose people would still fight.
a world with one language would be a horrid place.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
the update and other ramblings
again, I must apologize to myself for not writing more often. such a vicious cycle. but enough self-deprecation, I will attempt to move onto something with a bit more substance.
I posted a blog a few months ago about a friend who was in a terrible accident on his motorcycle and was in a coma. Here is the update: I was sitting at my desk yesterday doing whatever it is that I do at my desk, when my phone rang. I was scared when said friend's name appeared on the ID, afraid that it may be bad news. I certainly did not expect to hear his voice.
apparently, in the time that has elapsed since my last news of him, he has almost fully recovered. he is home from the hospital, progressing well with his physical therapy, and is, so far, mentally sound. The biggest relief was that he sounded like himself. He paused more between words, but for the massive amount of head trauma, I am surprised that he can even talk.
he remembers nothing of the accident, and his only worry is over what caused the crash. he has a sort of guilt complex, and wants to know if it was his fault. my advice was simple: he is better off not knowing. he does not need to feel guilty over it, nor does he need the anger and resentment over knowing that someone else put him through so much.
right now, he is off of all medication, and is only taking blood thinners for a clot that is forming in his leg. he has a few mending bones and ribs, but overall, he is fine, and i am relieved. it felt so good to hear his voice. such a difference from second hand information. it is terrible to think that someone so young and with so much more life to live may have either died or live in a persistent vegetative state.
he is going back to college tomorrow. that shocks me more than anything else. he insists that, while stressful, the mental exercise will help him recover more quickly.
in other news, football is in full swing. (American football, just so there is no confusion. i love soccer, too, but football season means only one thing: football)
I'll keep this brief: i am proud of my team. The ravens have played well so far, in spite of the massive problems that have plagued the team (injuries, two incapacitated quarterbacks, and having a rookie starting QB.) If they continue to play as well as they have been playing, I have no doubt that they will be a major contender for the post season. notice I say "post season." any person saying the actual name of the big game this early in the season is an idiot, and should be ashamed.
Last Saturday night was my high school reunion. five years has gone by rather quickly, and I now feel quite old. I was not popular in high school, mostly owing to the fact that I split my high school years between two schools, and at that age, two years is not long enough to make friends and move out of the "new kid" status. The good news is that this reunion gave me the chance to speak to some people that I never would have spoken to in school. I am always amazed at the changes that a person goes through between the ages of 16 and 25. in high school, everyone believes that they have life figured out, and yet most people have no true concept of self at that age.
in other news, have I mentioned that I broke my toe recently? I feel terrible complaining of pain in my little toe, but it actually hurts. If someone had complained to me about a similar pain a month ago, I would have laughed, but the truth is that this little bone fracture is causing me more pain that I expected. and shoes? forget it! its fine to walk on, but once I step into a shoe, the pain flares up and the swelling begins. it has been almost two weeks, and I hope the pain subsides soon.
I believe that is all of the news I have for now. stay tuned for either a posting of some artwork, or opinionated commentary on the economic status of America, depending on my mood.
as a (comical) side note, the last time I was shopping in New York, I found myself eating fantastic Swiss chocolate truffles from a place near the plaza hotel on 5th ave. I plan to visit New York again within the next month or two, perhaps I will have to treat myself again. Swiss chocolate is not my favorite, but I cannot resist that smooth, flawless texture that only Swiss chocolate has.
I posted a blog a few months ago about a friend who was in a terrible accident on his motorcycle and was in a coma. Here is the update: I was sitting at my desk yesterday doing whatever it is that I do at my desk, when my phone rang. I was scared when said friend's name appeared on the ID, afraid that it may be bad news. I certainly did not expect to hear his voice.
apparently, in the time that has elapsed since my last news of him, he has almost fully recovered. he is home from the hospital, progressing well with his physical therapy, and is, so far, mentally sound. The biggest relief was that he sounded like himself. He paused more between words, but for the massive amount of head trauma, I am surprised that he can even talk.
he remembers nothing of the accident, and his only worry is over what caused the crash. he has a sort of guilt complex, and wants to know if it was his fault. my advice was simple: he is better off not knowing. he does not need to feel guilty over it, nor does he need the anger and resentment over knowing that someone else put him through so much.
right now, he is off of all medication, and is only taking blood thinners for a clot that is forming in his leg. he has a few mending bones and ribs, but overall, he is fine, and i am relieved. it felt so good to hear his voice. such a difference from second hand information. it is terrible to think that someone so young and with so much more life to live may have either died or live in a persistent vegetative state.
he is going back to college tomorrow. that shocks me more than anything else. he insists that, while stressful, the mental exercise will help him recover more quickly.
in other news, football is in full swing. (American football, just so there is no confusion. i love soccer, too, but football season means only one thing: football)
I'll keep this brief: i am proud of my team. The ravens have played well so far, in spite of the massive problems that have plagued the team (injuries, two incapacitated quarterbacks, and having a rookie starting QB.) If they continue to play as well as they have been playing, I have no doubt that they will be a major contender for the post season. notice I say "post season." any person saying the actual name of the big game this early in the season is an idiot, and should be ashamed.
Last Saturday night was my high school reunion. five years has gone by rather quickly, and I now feel quite old. I was not popular in high school, mostly owing to the fact that I split my high school years between two schools, and at that age, two years is not long enough to make friends and move out of the "new kid" status. The good news is that this reunion gave me the chance to speak to some people that I never would have spoken to in school. I am always amazed at the changes that a person goes through between the ages of 16 and 25. in high school, everyone believes that they have life figured out, and yet most people have no true concept of self at that age.
in other news, have I mentioned that I broke my toe recently? I feel terrible complaining of pain in my little toe, but it actually hurts. If someone had complained to me about a similar pain a month ago, I would have laughed, but the truth is that this little bone fracture is causing me more pain that I expected. and shoes? forget it! its fine to walk on, but once I step into a shoe, the pain flares up and the swelling begins. it has been almost two weeks, and I hope the pain subsides soon.
I believe that is all of the news I have for now. stay tuned for either a posting of some artwork, or opinionated commentary on the economic status of America, depending on my mood.
as a (comical) side note, the last time I was shopping in New York, I found myself eating fantastic Swiss chocolate truffles from a place near the plaza hotel on 5th ave. I plan to visit New York again within the next month or two, perhaps I will have to treat myself again. Swiss chocolate is not my favorite, but I cannot resist that smooth, flawless texture that only Swiss chocolate has.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
chocolate facts
some things i recently found out about chocolate. and we all know I love chocolate!!!
1. It is a known fact that chocolate has caffeine in it. But did you know that you would have to eat more then a dozen chocolate bars to get the same amount of caffeine from a cup of coffee? There are about 5 to 10 mg's of caffeine in one ounce of bitter chocolate, 5 mgs in milk chocolate, and 10mgs in a six-ounce cup of cocoa.
2. Chocolate is actually a valuable energy source. A single chocolate chip can provide enough energy for an adult human to walk 150 ft.
3. Chocolate has great health benefits. It helps with depression, high blood pressure, Tumors and Pre-menstrual syndromes.
4. Chocolate does not cause or aggravate acne, this is a myth.
5. One ounce of baking chocolate or cocoa contains 10% of the daily recommended intake of iron.
6. Chocolate can be deadly for dogs. Chocolate contains an ingredient called "Theobromine" which can be toxic to a dogs central nervous system and cardiac muscles.
7. People spend more than $7 billion dollars a year on chocolate.
8. The per capita consumption of chocolate indicates that each person consumes 12 pounds of chocolate each year.
9. Milk Chocolate is the most preferred type of chocolate, however dark chocolate is especially popular among men.
10. In Alfred Hitchcock's movie "Psycho" chocolate syrup was used to indicate blood in the famous shower scene.
source: http://www.infobarrel.com/10_Facts_about_Chocolate
3. Chocolate has great health benefits. It helps with depression, high blood pressure, Tumors and Pre-menstrual syndromes.
4. Chocolate does not cause or aggravate acne, this is a myth.
5. One ounce of baking chocolate or cocoa contains 10% of the daily recommended intake of iron.
6. Chocolate can be deadly for dogs. Chocolate contains an ingredient called "Theobromine" which can be toxic to a dogs central nervous system and cardiac muscles.
7. People spend more than $7 billion dollars a year on chocolate.
8. The per capita consumption of chocolate indicates that each person consumes 12 pounds of chocolate each year.
9. Milk Chocolate is the most preferred type of chocolate, however dark chocolate is especially popular among men.
10. In Alfred Hitchcock's movie "Psycho" chocolate syrup was used to indicate blood in the famous shower scene.
source: http://www.infobarrel.com/10_Facts_about_Chocolate
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
summer is over
well, summer is over, and while i dont have to go back to school because of that beautiful milestone we call "graduation" I still have a feeling of lost time. I think i wasted my summer. I am not sure yet what happens after summer when there is no school. It is uncharted territory. I have never had school-less post-summer activities.
maybe i should just start doing things that i put off doing all summer. perhaps, if i continue to allow my time to waste away, the rest of my life will turn into a wasted summer.
i have a new appreciation for the usefulness of school.
even if the work is boring or useless in itself, it is still soemthing that is to be done, and the assignments and subsequent deadlines are helpful.
so, since i didnt do half of what i wanted to do this summer, here are the ten things i wanted to do, and will try to do, even though it is no longer summer:
actually...lets be more optimistic. i'll start with things that i feel that i have accomplished, and then move on to what i want to do:
accomplished this summer:
1. decided to get married. picked the venue, colors, flowers, theme, ect.
2. re-upholstered a chair, my first experiment in re-upholstering. success.
3. wrote a single poem.
4. blogged. not alot, but enough to constitute having blogged.
5. went on many job interviews.
6. applied for countless jobs.
7. read a few books.
8. made a purse...that i am going to send to Heather because she likes it.
9. did some fun kitchen-type experiments.
10. played tennis and exercised. lost some weight
now, that isnt very reassuring, but here are the things i should have done, and will try to do:
1. get a job. successfully. and therefore make money.
2. paint some stuff. like canvases. why have i not painted this summer?
3. write something else. anything. story, poem, something.
4. read more.
5. keep a doodle blog. i am starting it today.
6. try linolium printing.
7. be more active, i.e. be more consistent with tennis and walks. even jog? maybe?
8. go to a concert soon. the lack of music is disheartening.
9. actually get married, move into new place, and start that whole aspect of life.
10. cook more.
there. now there are lists, that means everything will be easier, right? self-help books always say "start with a list" but i disagree. lists are a waste of time. you spend so much time making the list that you never check things off.
but they make me feel better. if nothing else, i have accomplished the list part of the activity.
I have begun to have a written pen-pal. a friend of mine moved to Chicago last week, and we have decided to actually try to keep in touch with that archaic method: snail mail. what a brilliant idea for a back formation. we never needed "snail mail" until "email" was invented. remember when "email" had a hyphen? been a while, hasnt it? remember when the "i" in apple products stood for "internet"? who would have thought that the internet would literally take over the world?
anyway, so I wrote my first letter to Heather (chicago chick) today. and i was suprised at how strange it felt to not have things like "delete/backspace" and a spell checker. I am a big advocate for writing things out before typing. even my papers in school were all written by hand before i typed them. i believe that the thought process is different, and that by combining writing with typing, you get the benefit of both processes. but mos of those written papers were just drafts, so i never had to worry about anyone else reading them. i always fell back on spell check and the ability to easily delete. i need to write more by hand. such an odious task...since when has writing become a chore to me?
maybe i should just start doing things that i put off doing all summer. perhaps, if i continue to allow my time to waste away, the rest of my life will turn into a wasted summer.
i have a new appreciation for the usefulness of school.
even if the work is boring or useless in itself, it is still soemthing that is to be done, and the assignments and subsequent deadlines are helpful.
so, since i didnt do half of what i wanted to do this summer, here are the ten things i wanted to do, and will try to do, even though it is no longer summer:
actually...lets be more optimistic. i'll start with things that i feel that i have accomplished, and then move on to what i want to do:
accomplished this summer:
1. decided to get married. picked the venue, colors, flowers, theme, ect.
2. re-upholstered a chair, my first experiment in re-upholstering. success.
3. wrote a single poem.
4. blogged. not alot, but enough to constitute having blogged.
5. went on many job interviews.
6. applied for countless jobs.
7. read a few books.
8. made a purse...that i am going to send to Heather because she likes it.
9. did some fun kitchen-type experiments.
10. played tennis and exercised. lost some weight
now, that isnt very reassuring, but here are the things i should have done, and will try to do:
1. get a job. successfully. and therefore make money.
2. paint some stuff. like canvases. why have i not painted this summer?
3. write something else. anything. story, poem, something.
4. read more.
5. keep a doodle blog. i am starting it today.
6. try linolium printing.
7. be more active, i.e. be more consistent with tennis and walks. even jog? maybe?
8. go to a concert soon. the lack of music is disheartening.
9. actually get married, move into new place, and start that whole aspect of life.
10. cook more.
there. now there are lists, that means everything will be easier, right? self-help books always say "start with a list" but i disagree. lists are a waste of time. you spend so much time making the list that you never check things off.
but they make me feel better. if nothing else, i have accomplished the list part of the activity.
I have begun to have a written pen-pal. a friend of mine moved to Chicago last week, and we have decided to actually try to keep in touch with that archaic method: snail mail. what a brilliant idea for a back formation. we never needed "snail mail" until "email" was invented. remember when "email" had a hyphen? been a while, hasnt it? remember when the "i" in apple products stood for "internet"? who would have thought that the internet would literally take over the world?
anyway, so I wrote my first letter to Heather (chicago chick) today. and i was suprised at how strange it felt to not have things like "delete/backspace" and a spell checker. I am a big advocate for writing things out before typing. even my papers in school were all written by hand before i typed them. i believe that the thought process is different, and that by combining writing with typing, you get the benefit of both processes. but mos of those written papers were just drafts, so i never had to worry about anyone else reading them. i always fell back on spell check and the ability to easily delete. i need to write more by hand. such an odious task...since when has writing become a chore to me?
Thursday, July 24, 2008
the answer, my friend...
I FINALLY have my degree. UB took entirely too long to get things sorted out, but i picked up the actual certificate yesterday, and it is much smaller than i expected. i'm pretty excited to have it, though, regardless of size.
some observations:
there really is no reason for the MVA to make so much money on tags and licenses and what not! 120$ is a little outrageous! i am sick of "the man" taking advantage of people where they have no choices. for example: movie prices can go up because people have the ability to choose whether or not to see a movie, same thing with things like furniture and high-end cars. but to raise the price on things like clothes and food is ridiculous. the basic things needed to sustain human life should be avaliable to all human beings. like health care. how can a doctor charge over $400 for a hospital visit in which they spent a total of 10 minutes in the patient's room? (can you tell that this is personal now?) health care should be free, but the problem is that the majority of people who have the ability to make a difference in the fight for universal health care do not care.
think about it. the people who have health care and have always had it are worried that by giving everyone else healthcare, they will have to wait for treatment, and will have to share their doctors and hospitals and oncology labs and mri machines with the population as a whole. why would they want that? why add lines and waiting lists when they already have it fine.
take away their health insurance, let them suffer for a while, and see what they think.
i used to not care. i was as ignorant of the whole problem and exactly how big it is until, as a full time student living with my parents, my insurance provider sent me a letter 5 months after my birthday telling me that my insurance had already been cancelled without my knowing it.
i wonder when i drive now, what if i get into a major accident? is it possible to be in a coma and refuse an air-lift? what if i have a terminal illness right now, but because i have no health care, i have no way of finding out.
i am not a paranoid person by nature, but while i search for a job, i have to worry. every little ache and pain and symptom suddenly blows out of proportion and into cancer, typhoid, tb, pancreitis, appendicitis, and staph. i felt nauseous a few days ago. sure, there is a virus going around that i cannot be diagnosed or treated for, but in my mind, it could be eboli.
we, the middle and upper class, look at the uninsured, lower class as lazy members of an infamously ignorant and uneducated whole: as a group of miscrients who could dig themselves out of their caste if they wanted to bad enough. but now i know that it is not true.
people are trapped by our systems. our education system, our healthcare system, our thought system. we have dug a hole that is just as big as the mass graves the nazis dug, and yet we blame the people that we have shoved into the hole.
how many times must a cannon ball fire?
some observations:
there really is no reason for the MVA to make so much money on tags and licenses and what not! 120$ is a little outrageous! i am sick of "the man" taking advantage of people where they have no choices. for example: movie prices can go up because people have the ability to choose whether or not to see a movie, same thing with things like furniture and high-end cars. but to raise the price on things like clothes and food is ridiculous. the basic things needed to sustain human life should be avaliable to all human beings. like health care. how can a doctor charge over $400 for a hospital visit in which they spent a total of 10 minutes in the patient's room? (can you tell that this is personal now?) health care should be free, but the problem is that the majority of people who have the ability to make a difference in the fight for universal health care do not care.
think about it. the people who have health care and have always had it are worried that by giving everyone else healthcare, they will have to wait for treatment, and will have to share their doctors and hospitals and oncology labs and mri machines with the population as a whole. why would they want that? why add lines and waiting lists when they already have it fine.
take away their health insurance, let them suffer for a while, and see what they think.
i used to not care. i was as ignorant of the whole problem and exactly how big it is until, as a full time student living with my parents, my insurance provider sent me a letter 5 months after my birthday telling me that my insurance had already been cancelled without my knowing it.
i wonder when i drive now, what if i get into a major accident? is it possible to be in a coma and refuse an air-lift? what if i have a terminal illness right now, but because i have no health care, i have no way of finding out.
i am not a paranoid person by nature, but while i search for a job, i have to worry. every little ache and pain and symptom suddenly blows out of proportion and into cancer, typhoid, tb, pancreitis, appendicitis, and staph. i felt nauseous a few days ago. sure, there is a virus going around that i cannot be diagnosed or treated for, but in my mind, it could be eboli.
we, the middle and upper class, look at the uninsured, lower class as lazy members of an infamously ignorant and uneducated whole: as a group of miscrients who could dig themselves out of their caste if they wanted to bad enough. but now i know that it is not true.
people are trapped by our systems. our education system, our healthcare system, our thought system. we have dug a hole that is just as big as the mass graves the nazis dug, and yet we blame the people that we have shoved into the hole.
how many times must a cannon ball fire?
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Update
Dear blog,
I am sorry that I have neglected you these few months. I promise, that I will be more steady in my affection, and will show you the love that I have hither-to withheld.
In the elapsed time since last we spoke, I published a magazine. Welter. I spent quite a bit of time on it, and now it is finished, and I hold a copy of it in my hand. A major accomplishment.
I am getting a new kitty cat today. and by kitty cat, I mean OS. Leopard. with its stacks and spaces and previews and time machine and grassy bg and new icons.
I turn 23 shortly. really shortly. like Tuesday shortly.
I graduate shortly. not as shortly, but like next Wednesday shortly.
and then i move onto that frightening "real world"
I will need all of the love from my blog that I can get. Therefore, the neglect stops here.
or at least stops after I finish all of my papers that I am procrastinating on.
I am sorry that I have neglected you these few months. I promise, that I will be more steady in my affection, and will show you the love that I have hither-to withheld.
In the elapsed time since last we spoke, I published a magazine. Welter. I spent quite a bit of time on it, and now it is finished, and I hold a copy of it in my hand. A major accomplishment.
I am getting a new kitty cat today. and by kitty cat, I mean OS. Leopard. with its stacks and spaces and previews and time machine and grassy bg and new icons.
I turn 23 shortly. really shortly. like Tuesday shortly.
I graduate shortly. not as shortly, but like next Wednesday shortly.
and then i move onto that frightening "real world"
I will need all of the love from my blog that I can get. Therefore, the neglect stops here.
or at least stops after I finish all of my papers that I am procrastinating on.
Friday, February 22, 2008
buzzzzzz
you, dear reader, may notice something distinctly bright about my blog. distinctly bright and new...and shaped like a bumble bee!
thats right, this lady, the genius, if you will, finally figured out how to create a favicon. how brilliant I am.
now, beware: you will probably only see if when using Firefox. I'm working on that. at any rate, it looks so beautiful. I love it. dearly.
I might have to redesign it and make it a prettier little bumble bee. as it is, it is a modified version of my buddy icon. i need to create a new one of those soon anyway.
i'm off to bed. I will dream about little bummble bees buzzing all around me. I hope they dont have stingers.
thats right, this lady, the genius, if you will, finally figured out how to create a favicon. how brilliant I am.
now, beware: you will probably only see if when using Firefox. I'm working on that. at any rate, it looks so beautiful. I love it. dearly.
I might have to redesign it and make it a prettier little bumble bee. as it is, it is a modified version of my buddy icon. i need to create a new one of those soon anyway.
i'm off to bed. I will dream about little bummble bees buzzing all around me. I hope they dont have stingers.
Friday, February 8, 2008
the time we have
My life has been frantic. Between school and work and getting ready for troy to leave, I have felt not stressed, but hectic. I told Troy last night that I feel as though I have him on loan until he gets back from Ecuador. I do. We can never just do nothing together, it seems that every second that I see him is planned, or squeezed in and fleeting.
Super bowl and fiction reading at UB, a show downtown, seeing his dad, going out last weekend, and then squeezing in a few hours after school and work is rough when you know that you will only have someone for a very short period of time. I am heartbroken that I will not get to see him at all on Monday and Tuesday before he leaves. All I have is Wednesday, which we all know is a useless day.
We plan to spend Wednesday in DC as an early Valentines day, since he leaves on the real valentines day. But the weather gods do not seem like ones to want to favor us. Various Weathermen are calling for snow and rain. I guess we’ll find out.
TO ease the loneliness I have been feeling, and the weight I have been gaining, I decided to take a walk. I have been too lazy lately, so I tried a new tactic: canine motivation. “Cody, you wanna go for a walk?” Once I get the words out there is no turning back or changing my mind. He will bark, whine, and scratch at my bedroom door. Besides, the excitement in his eyes and wag of his tail would not let me deny him a walk once I put the idea in his head.
The walk did everything I wanted it to do. I feel a little more energetic and a little less lonely. Sometime, you are wrapped up in what is going on in life and the people around you that just something as simple as a walk can seem useless and trite. But it is therapeutic. Just the act of moving, of being alone and quiet and hearing birds sing and water flow in the creek can calm me. I forgot about all of that. Where have I gone, the person who enjoys exercise and physical movement? Where is the soccer playing, swimming, hockey-loving chick that I used to be?
I think my school ate her.
I want to at least take more walks while Troy is gone. Not only because I want to lose some weight, but because I will need the calming effect of a long walk to calm me. I can’t remember how it was when he went to Mexico two summers ago. Was I constantly lonely? Did I cry often? I had more friends then. Ashley and Jeremy and Jacqueline and Kevin and Christian, and Brandon, and Denise.
Are friends as permanent as I think they are? I really cannot say that, with troy gone, if I needed someone; I would know who to call. I suppose I would call Ashley, but I know she is stressed and has her own problems. Do I lack something by not having a set group of girlfriends? I wouldn’t find time for them if I had them, so I don’t think I am missing anything. Every now and then I come across a female that I know I would get along with, but its as if I have forgotten how to interact with another girl. Once Niff went away, I lost that. I miss her a lot. I don’t know that I would admit that out loud, but I miss having her around. It was easier when she wasn’t a mom. Once the gap closes, there are so many reasons not to call someone. If nothing else, there is the distance. You are no longer a part of that person’s life; you do not know what is going on. You don’t understand their daily interactions, they have to explain things to you. Re-visits and catch-up’s aren’t easy. That’s why I tend to avoid them. I have let so many people go that I find it easier to do that now. It is easier to forget how much fun they were than to schedule times to hang out or find a way to rearrange our schedule for a lunch date. How do we find time for people that we see all the time? Why is it that a little bit of distance makes everything so much harder?
I like to blame school. But I slack enough to find time to do all sorts of useless things…like writing a blog…but why cant I find time to just chill and take a walk?
Speaking of slacking, I need to write a paper before class today. Not to mention I need to work on and complete that “big project” that I really hope isn’t just a disappointment in the end. I hope it is appreciated for what it is and enjoyed the way that I intend.
Super bowl and fiction reading at UB, a show downtown, seeing his dad, going out last weekend, and then squeezing in a few hours after school and work is rough when you know that you will only have someone for a very short period of time. I am heartbroken that I will not get to see him at all on Monday and Tuesday before he leaves. All I have is Wednesday, which we all know is a useless day.
We plan to spend Wednesday in DC as an early Valentines day, since he leaves on the real valentines day. But the weather gods do not seem like ones to want to favor us. Various Weathermen are calling for snow and rain. I guess we’ll find out.
TO ease the loneliness I have been feeling, and the weight I have been gaining, I decided to take a walk. I have been too lazy lately, so I tried a new tactic: canine motivation. “Cody, you wanna go for a walk?” Once I get the words out there is no turning back or changing my mind. He will bark, whine, and scratch at my bedroom door. Besides, the excitement in his eyes and wag of his tail would not let me deny him a walk once I put the idea in his head.
The walk did everything I wanted it to do. I feel a little more energetic and a little less lonely. Sometime, you are wrapped up in what is going on in life and the people around you that just something as simple as a walk can seem useless and trite. But it is therapeutic. Just the act of moving, of being alone and quiet and hearing birds sing and water flow in the creek can calm me. I forgot about all of that. Where have I gone, the person who enjoys exercise and physical movement? Where is the soccer playing, swimming, hockey-loving chick that I used to be?
I think my school ate her.
I want to at least take more walks while Troy is gone. Not only because I want to lose some weight, but because I will need the calming effect of a long walk to calm me. I can’t remember how it was when he went to Mexico two summers ago. Was I constantly lonely? Did I cry often? I had more friends then. Ashley and Jeremy and Jacqueline and Kevin and Christian, and Brandon, and Denise.
Are friends as permanent as I think they are? I really cannot say that, with troy gone, if I needed someone; I would know who to call. I suppose I would call Ashley, but I know she is stressed and has her own problems. Do I lack something by not having a set group of girlfriends? I wouldn’t find time for them if I had them, so I don’t think I am missing anything. Every now and then I come across a female that I know I would get along with, but its as if I have forgotten how to interact with another girl. Once Niff went away, I lost that. I miss her a lot. I don’t know that I would admit that out loud, but I miss having her around. It was easier when she wasn’t a mom. Once the gap closes, there are so many reasons not to call someone. If nothing else, there is the distance. You are no longer a part of that person’s life; you do not know what is going on. You don’t understand their daily interactions, they have to explain things to you. Re-visits and catch-up’s aren’t easy. That’s why I tend to avoid them. I have let so many people go that I find it easier to do that now. It is easier to forget how much fun they were than to schedule times to hang out or find a way to rearrange our schedule for a lunch date. How do we find time for people that we see all the time? Why is it that a little bit of distance makes everything so much harder?
I like to blame school. But I slack enough to find time to do all sorts of useless things…like writing a blog…but why cant I find time to just chill and take a walk?
Speaking of slacking, I need to write a paper before class today. Not to mention I need to work on and complete that “big project” that I really hope isn’t just a disappointment in the end. I hope it is appreciated for what it is and enjoyed the way that I intend.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
SkiLiberty
After years of seeing Ski Liberty in the distance from the giant hill on 97, I finally got a chance to go there. We (my family, troy, and Aaron) went tubing last night and then stopped at Tony’s in Tawneytown for some pizza. I expected tubing to cost more than $16 per person, but by the end of the night, I changed my tune. 16 is reasonable, but the lines to get up the hill and then back down are so long that you really only have time to go down four times.
On a week night, or any night when it is not so crowded 16 would be reasonable, but the crowds made the lines move so slowly that it really wasn’t worth it.
I find it ironic that on a crowded night, like a weekend night, the cost is $16, but on a weeknight, when you will get more chances to go down the hill and the overall experience will be better, it only cost $12. Makes no sense. In the future, I will want to go on a weeknight.
I loved the snow machines. It was awesome watching them blow snow high into the air, but the snow would hit you in the face on the way down.
It really was not too cold last night, either. I did not start getting cold until the end of the night. Other than my face, I was warm.
I took many pictures with my Lc-a, but I am worried that it was too dark for them to turn out correctly. If I could be sure, I would just double expose the whole roll, but I also took some direct sunlight pictures, and they would white out. I often miss having a display screen to preview my pictures. But I guess that’s part of the game. The nature of the beast, as Troy would say.
Today is my last free day. I plan to do nothing. Nothing. I am going to wear pj’s all day and a hoodie, and my Ugg boots. I plan to not go anywhere and sitting around Troy’s house all night. Maybe watching a movie. Gonna be a good day.
Now, if my parking pass could be here today, that would be great.
Schedule for the semester:
Monday:
Writer As Reader- 5:30-8:00
Archeology Of Language- 8:15-10:45
Tuesday:
Publication and Performance-2:00-4:30
Seminar in Writing: the Modern Tradition- 5:30-8:00
Wednesday:
Work.
Thursday:
Work.
Friday:
Contemporary Literature- 2:00-4:30
On a week night, or any night when it is not so crowded 16 would be reasonable, but the crowds made the lines move so slowly that it really wasn’t worth it.
I find it ironic that on a crowded night, like a weekend night, the cost is $16, but on a weeknight, when you will get more chances to go down the hill and the overall experience will be better, it only cost $12. Makes no sense. In the future, I will want to go on a weeknight.
I loved the snow machines. It was awesome watching them blow snow high into the air, but the snow would hit you in the face on the way down.
It really was not too cold last night, either. I did not start getting cold until the end of the night. Other than my face, I was warm.
I took many pictures with my Lc-a, but I am worried that it was too dark for them to turn out correctly. If I could be sure, I would just double expose the whole roll, but I also took some direct sunlight pictures, and they would white out. I often miss having a display screen to preview my pictures. But I guess that’s part of the game. The nature of the beast, as Troy would say.
Today is my last free day. I plan to do nothing. Nothing. I am going to wear pj’s all day and a hoodie, and my Ugg boots. I plan to not go anywhere and sitting around Troy’s house all night. Maybe watching a movie. Gonna be a good day.
Now, if my parking pass could be here today, that would be great.
Schedule for the semester:
Monday:
Writer As Reader- 5:30-8:00
Archeology Of Language- 8:15-10:45
Tuesday:
Publication and Performance-2:00-4:30
Seminar in Writing: the Modern Tradition- 5:30-8:00
Wednesday:
Work.
Thursday:
Work.
Friday:
Contemporary Literature- 2:00-4:30
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Bad dog.
My dog bit me. Attacked me, really. My lovable, pain in the ass, getting old and has never bitten a single person (post teething age, anyway) smart, human-like black lab. BIT ME. This is a picture of him (a bad picture, but it shows his size really well)I can’t believe it. I really cant. There was no blood shed, but he did break skin, and my hand hurts quite a bit.
He was on my mother’s bed, which he knows is off limits, and I was going to let him stay there until I left for work, but then I heard him digging on the mattress (I don’t know why dogs do that) and I decided it was time to evict him. I told him to get down and he wouldn’t budge. So I grabbed him by his collar as I have so many times in the past, and he showed his teeth and snapped at my hand and started biting me until I slapped him across his nose.
Even after all of this He wouldn’t move, so I grabbed him again, more forcefully this time to let him know that I was angry but not afraid, and pulled him off the bed.
I have one lone tooth mark in the center of the top of my hand, but I feel the pain all the way down in my elbow, and bad in the palm of my hand. I guess he hit a nerve or something. It’s starting to swell a bit.
He knows I am angry. I yelled at him and made him go downstairs. He went willingly, tail between his legs.
I am not sure I trust him now.
The family had another Black Lab before this one. I never liked him. His name was max, and he had the Parvovirus as a puppy. Very few puppies recover fully from Parvo, and we were close to putting him down when he miraculously recovered one morning. It really was sad. He couldn’t walk, eat, or even wag his tail. When he recovered, he bounced back 100% and we had him for another year before things started to change.
He started by going after my grandmother and biting her hand. We couldn’t have him around the younger children in the family. The worst part was his over-protectiveness of my mother. My father could not sit on the couch beside her, we could not get close enough to hand her a report card, we could not show her affection. For that matter, we could not show affection to anyone but him.
The thing that made me trust Cody, the current black lab, was that you could take anything from him without him retaliating or biting.
Max attacked me a few times, but the worst was on new years day one year. He was chewing on a Styrofoam cup and tearing it up all over the floor that I had just vacuumed. I was angry, and, without thinking, tried to take the cup from him. He tore my hand wide open, and lunged at me. Only my father kicking him got him off of me.
After that, my mother decided that it was time to put him down. He had attacked too many people, He was dangerous. They put him down and bought Cody that night.
Cody was a good dog. He still is for the most part. He has gotten grouchy lately, and I wonder if he is in some sort of pain that we don’t know about. I have always trusted Cody, and even though I do not particularly like dogs, I like him. But if he bites me again, we are going to have a serious problem.
Lately he has taken to barking at everything. He barks to go out, barks to come in, barks for food, barks for attention, barks to play, barks for everything. One of those loud barks that just pierces into your skull. I don’t know what started the barking, but he never did it before.
Perhaps it is the introduction of Milo, my sister’s boyfriend’s beagle puppy. Milo is friendly and loveable, and has no clue about boundaries and territory. Milo seems to rub Cody the wrong way. I wonder how much of Cody’s irritability is a result of Milo.
No matter what, my perception of Cody has changed. Something is not right when a dog that does not bite attacks its owner. There was no major harm done this time, but I am sure it can happen again.
Monday, January 21, 2008
the winter of my discontent
I have lived in this house since 2001. Seven years. Seven long years without air-condition or heat in my bedroom. I have silently suffered freezing winters beneath multiple layers of down, wool, and fleece blankets, and seven blistering Julys with a small desk-fan to relieve the sultry Maryland summer.
My house is not old—no more than 12 years old—and it has central air. Every room in the house has central air conditioning and heat. Every room except mine. It is miserable.
Summer is not so bad. My room faces the back of the house, and I rarely have direct sunlight. Combined with the constant breeze that flows through the valley below my house, I am comfortable during the summer.
Winter, on the other hand, is miserable. If I am in my bedroom during the cold season (I call it that because winter is not always cold here, as we have already discovered in a previous blog post) I am under a blanket.
The worst part is the draft. My bedroom (the one I picked out of the four possibilities on moving day) is directly under the attic. The attic is pretty open, and wind gets in easy. On particularly windy nights, the plywood that sits over the entrance to the attic will shift in the wind. I also get drafts through my window. I am not sure how. I spent my morning draping a heavy blanket over the window to keep some of the draft out and the heat in. I then stood on my bed with my hand right below the vent in my ceiling (the one that is supposed to deliver the heat) and noticed a slight cool draft coming from there as well. Makes no sense. The rest of the house is toasty, and I have a cold draft.
At least I don’t have to worry about my Macbook overheating. I’ll never die of heat exhaustion. I will be able to survive if the world runs out of heat.
Those are all of the situational pros I can think of. Right now, my cold fingers can only think of cons.
Getting out of the shower is the worst. My bathroom has the best heat in the house. (funny how a house has different heating scenarios in each room, despite the “central” air conditioning.) The bathroom is always perfectly toasty in the winter and refreshingly cool in the summer.
Getting out of a hot shower and walking into a freezing bedroom is unbearable. This morning, the doorknob was even cold to the touch. The way the metal of a seatbelt is when you first get in on a snowy day.
Nothing beats the terrible feeling of being cold and getting under a comforter that is still cold. The minutes of waiting for your body temperature to catch on and kindle the heat trapping properties of said comforter could feel like hours. But once the heat is trapped in, life is good.
Until you have to move your leg and it happens to reach just beyond the warm area and into the uncharted cold desert that is the uninhabited sheets outside of the body-heat zone. Perhaps the leg of your pajama pants becomes stuck around your knee, leaving your whole leg exposed. You might kick and swing your leg in attempt to pull the pant leg back down. A shiver runs from that foot to the very tip of your nose, and you gather the blankets closer to you, tucking them beneath your body to keep the cold out. For that minute, you are an Eskimo, or a biologist studying the snow in Antarctica. The world outside of your comforter is frozen tundra home for all sorts of misery and suffering.
My bedroom is the North Pole.
My house is not old—no more than 12 years old—and it has central air. Every room in the house has central air conditioning and heat. Every room except mine. It is miserable.
Summer is not so bad. My room faces the back of the house, and I rarely have direct sunlight. Combined with the constant breeze that flows through the valley below my house, I am comfortable during the summer.
Winter, on the other hand, is miserable. If I am in my bedroom during the cold season (I call it that because winter is not always cold here, as we have already discovered in a previous blog post) I am under a blanket.
The worst part is the draft. My bedroom (the one I picked out of the four possibilities on moving day) is directly under the attic. The attic is pretty open, and wind gets in easy. On particularly windy nights, the plywood that sits over the entrance to the attic will shift in the wind. I also get drafts through my window. I am not sure how. I spent my morning draping a heavy blanket over the window to keep some of the draft out and the heat in. I then stood on my bed with my hand right below the vent in my ceiling (the one that is supposed to deliver the heat) and noticed a slight cool draft coming from there as well. Makes no sense. The rest of the house is toasty, and I have a cold draft.
At least I don’t have to worry about my Macbook overheating. I’ll never die of heat exhaustion. I will be able to survive if the world runs out of heat.
Those are all of the situational pros I can think of. Right now, my cold fingers can only think of cons.
Getting out of the shower is the worst. My bathroom has the best heat in the house. (funny how a house has different heating scenarios in each room, despite the “central” air conditioning.) The bathroom is always perfectly toasty in the winter and refreshingly cool in the summer.
Getting out of a hot shower and walking into a freezing bedroom is unbearable. This morning, the doorknob was even cold to the touch. The way the metal of a seatbelt is when you first get in on a snowy day.
Nothing beats the terrible feeling of being cold and getting under a comforter that is still cold. The minutes of waiting for your body temperature to catch on and kindle the heat trapping properties of said comforter could feel like hours. But once the heat is trapped in, life is good.
Until you have to move your leg and it happens to reach just beyond the warm area and into the uncharted cold desert that is the uninhabited sheets outside of the body-heat zone. Perhaps the leg of your pajama pants becomes stuck around your knee, leaving your whole leg exposed. You might kick and swing your leg in attempt to pull the pant leg back down. A shiver runs from that foot to the very tip of your nose, and you gather the blankets closer to you, tucking them beneath your body to keep the cold out. For that minute, you are an Eskimo, or a biologist studying the snow in Antarctica. The world outside of your comforter is frozen tundra home for all sorts of misery and suffering.
My bedroom is the North Pole.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
yeast
I baked bread today. I made four loaves, and within an hour, there was only half a loaf left. I got the recipe from my Memoir professor last semester, and have wanted to try it for quite some time. So, today I skipped church and spent a relaxing two and a half hours in the kitchen baking bread.
now that I know I can do it, I want to make different kinds of bread. Aaron suggested tomato Basil like the bread at Panera. I'd imagine I could just add tomato paste and basil to the dough. We shall see.
stay tuned next week for Jollie Green Smoothies, an idea I got from FatFreeVegan.com, one of my new favorite blogs.
I enjoy baking and cooking. I think I'll do it more often. If my bread was a hit and my Hummus was a hit, I'm sure my other ideas will go over well too.
now that I know I can do it, I want to make different kinds of bread. Aaron suggested tomato Basil like the bread at Panera. I'd imagine I could just add tomato paste and basil to the dough. We shall see.
stay tuned next week for Jollie Green Smoothies, an idea I got from FatFreeVegan.com, one of my new favorite blogs.
I enjoy baking and cooking. I think I'll do it more often. If my bread was a hit and my Hummus was a hit, I'm sure my other ideas will go over well too.
Friday, January 18, 2008
whiskers on kittens
Because I feel like I spend too much time complaining, I decided to make a list of the simple pleasures in my life. Some are weird. I know there are other strange things that I derive an odd satisfaction from, but here are 50.
1. Using all of the ink in a pen. I hate having billions of pens. If I could, I would carry one with me at all times, use it until every drop of ink was gone and then starting a new pen.
2. Simple items with beautiful product packaging. Like staples or paperclips or something small in a really well designed package.
3. The shape and color red wine leaves as a stain on white fabric.
4. The smell of fresh tires. And cheap shoes, like payless shoes.
5. Rearranging my bookshelf. It is always disorderly because I constantly reference books and never put them back.
6. Peeling glue from under my nails.
7. Fresh shaved legs and flannel pajamas
8. Cardboard rolls. I wish I had something to do with them. Especially the really long ones from wrapping paper. They’re just cool. There has to be some sort of amazing craft out there waiting for me.
9. A sweater that fits perfectly.
10. The little bit of gas that comes out of a freshly opened soda bottle.
11. The sound Toast Titanium makes when it finishes burning a disc.
12. Chocolate covered strawberries
13. Dipping my grilled cheese in ketchup
14. Grass between my toes
15. Not wearing shoes…and wearing crazy patterned socks
16. Getting an email from someone other than apple or school or other non-human entities.
17. Making weird noises when I’m tired for no reason
18. The American sign language sign for “overhead projector”
19. Finding sand in my bag a week or so after getting back from the beach
20. The very bottom of the sugar cone in a Drumstick Ice-cream.
21. Empty French fries (the ones that are a bit darker and have no actual soft potato in them, they’re just hollow and crunchy)
22. Green salt and vinegar chips
23. Stuck together gummy bears
24. Frozen Gatorade rain
25. Eating pizza on a beach
26. The smell of a blown-out match or fireworks
27. Smelling like outside, and also the smell my skin gets after being in the sun for a few hours
28. Finding money in strange places. I used to hide five-dollar bills from myself, knowing I would find them later.
29. Scarf season, hoodie season, and fall altogether.
30. Realizing that it is fall on the way home from somewhere. That brisk feeling in the air and the changed leaves.
31. Going to work and finding out I wasn’t scheduled
32. Peeling the skin off of grapes before I eat them
33. Pulp in my juice
34. Things that fall out of books.
35. Random things that want to be re-painted or covered in something. Like my little glass elephant that wants to be covered in fortunes from fortune cookies, but I don’t eat enough Chinese food to do it lately. All in good time.
36. Burping really big, satisfying burps. File “the hiccups” under “things I hate” by the by, I have a really bad case of those painful hiccups as I type. I have had them for an hour. Highly unpleasant.
37. Letting my shower water get so hot it burns.
38. Baltimore at dusk
39. The target dollar bin
40. The smell and texture of acrylic paint
41. The word “hoodia”
42. “We Tigers” “Woop, Woop Woop”
43. Books. Period.
44. Blowing my nose and actually getting stuff to come out, and the subsequent renewed ability to breathe.
45. Kaluah. Especially the Laurie and Troy homemade version of it.
46. Putting my hand into a really big bag of M&M’s. Also the colors they make when they melt in my hand.
47. Drawing pictures on my fingers with pen and then transferring the image to paper by pressing my finger down really hard.
48. Elephants. Their shape is awesome. I have three carved from oyster shells. ☺
49. Melted chocolate ice cream. I would only eat chocolate ice cream if it was melted when I worked at Friendly’s. Something about it being melted makes it have more of a taste. I swear.
50. Being able to prove that I was right to someone who insisted that I was wrong. especially when someone was rude about it, or tried to make me sound dumb.
1. Using all of the ink in a pen. I hate having billions of pens. If I could, I would carry one with me at all times, use it until every drop of ink was gone and then starting a new pen.
2. Simple items with beautiful product packaging. Like staples or paperclips or something small in a really well designed package.
3. The shape and color red wine leaves as a stain on white fabric.
4. The smell of fresh tires. And cheap shoes, like payless shoes.
5. Rearranging my bookshelf. It is always disorderly because I constantly reference books and never put them back.
6. Peeling glue from under my nails.
7. Fresh shaved legs and flannel pajamas
8. Cardboard rolls. I wish I had something to do with them. Especially the really long ones from wrapping paper. They’re just cool. There has to be some sort of amazing craft out there waiting for me.
9. A sweater that fits perfectly.
10. The little bit of gas that comes out of a freshly opened soda bottle.
11. The sound Toast Titanium makes when it finishes burning a disc.
12. Chocolate covered strawberries
13. Dipping my grilled cheese in ketchup
14. Grass between my toes
15. Not wearing shoes…and wearing crazy patterned socks
16. Getting an email from someone other than apple or school or other non-human entities.
17. Making weird noises when I’m tired for no reason
18. The American sign language sign for “overhead projector”
19. Finding sand in my bag a week or so after getting back from the beach
20. The very bottom of the sugar cone in a Drumstick Ice-cream.
21. Empty French fries (the ones that are a bit darker and have no actual soft potato in them, they’re just hollow and crunchy)
22. Green salt and vinegar chips
23. Stuck together gummy bears
24. Frozen Gatorade rain
25. Eating pizza on a beach
26. The smell of a blown-out match or fireworks
27. Smelling like outside, and also the smell my skin gets after being in the sun for a few hours
28. Finding money in strange places. I used to hide five-dollar bills from myself, knowing I would find them later.
29. Scarf season, hoodie season, and fall altogether.
30. Realizing that it is fall on the way home from somewhere. That brisk feeling in the air and the changed leaves.
31. Going to work and finding out I wasn’t scheduled
32. Peeling the skin off of grapes before I eat them
33. Pulp in my juice
34. Things that fall out of books.
35. Random things that want to be re-painted or covered in something. Like my little glass elephant that wants to be covered in fortunes from fortune cookies, but I don’t eat enough Chinese food to do it lately. All in good time.
36. Burping really big, satisfying burps. File “the hiccups” under “things I hate” by the by, I have a really bad case of those painful hiccups as I type. I have had them for an hour. Highly unpleasant.
37. Letting my shower water get so hot it burns.
38. Baltimore at dusk
39. The target dollar bin
40. The smell and texture of acrylic paint
41. The word “hoodia”
42. “We Tigers” “Woop, Woop Woop”
43. Books. Period.
44. Blowing my nose and actually getting stuff to come out, and the subsequent renewed ability to breathe.
45. Kaluah. Especially the Laurie and Troy homemade version of it.
46. Putting my hand into a really big bag of M&M’s. Also the colors they make when they melt in my hand.
47. Drawing pictures on my fingers with pen and then transferring the image to paper by pressing my finger down really hard.
48. Elephants. Their shape is awesome. I have three carved from oyster shells. ☺
49. Melted chocolate ice cream. I would only eat chocolate ice cream if it was melted when I worked at Friendly’s. Something about it being melted makes it have more of a taste. I swear.
50. Being able to prove that I was right to someone who insisted that I was wrong. especially when someone was rude about it, or tried to make me sound dumb.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Maryland, my Maryland
here are some pictures of why I hate where I live.
I took these shortly after getting off work.
My work, like most places in Maryland, does not close for snow. Now, I understand why places like Colorado and Michigan do not shut down for a little bit of snow. Actually, I imagine anyone from a high-snow-content area would laugh at this blog. But the truth is, Marylanders are IDIOTIC when it
snows. They have no idea what to do, they all go out to dinner in blizzards and go shopping, and then get into an accident, block up the roads, and killing innocent people who just want to get home.Not to mention, our plow system has something to be desired. We rarely see plows, and when we do, they are never actually plowing. My road will never be plowed throughout this storm. How do I know? Lets call it experience.
Welcome to this lovely state where you can go swimming one day and sledding the next. I swear, when I buy a home, it will be in a place where I can count on the weather being the same for at least one week at a time.
A few weeks ago, Troy and I played Tennis in tee shirts.
A few days ago, I went for a walk with my dog…in shorts.
It has been early fall weather, not winter weather. But, in true Maryland fashion, the warm, 50degre weather has given way (overnight) to a snowstorm.
We already had one bad storm this year. Early December. And then we had a warm spell right after that, and now, we have a winter storm again.
As if the unpredictable change wasn’t enough, try watching the weather and hearing that the storm will be a light mix of snow and rain, accumulating to no more than 2 or 3 inches. It will taper off by mid afternoon, and tomorrow will be a high of 45.
News flash: It is now 3:28 (I’d call that a little past mid-afternoon) and we have a minimum of 6 inches across Carroll county. YAY! The weatherman caught up. It took a while, but WBAL changed their report to include snow in the forecast until Monday.
So now, the weatherman says it will continue to snow into tomorrow morning, and will accumulate no more than 6 inches. Well, weather man, we already have that. Where are we supposed to put the rest of it?
I know it isn’t the meteorologist’s fault. I blame this God-forsaken state.
Highest murder rate for a major city, extraordinarily high cost of living, worst school systems, lowest-paid teachers, massive debt, high unemployment rate, most cases of aids/hiv, something in the water making all of the sports teams suck lately, and insane weather patterns. I swear. In spite of what the experts say, Maryland, especially the north/western counties, has a microclimate.
And if the northern states dumps any of that lake effect snow on us, I’m gonna hate them too. Packers or not.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Lc-a pics
So I finally scanned in all of my Lc-a pictures. Took me long enough. I only posted a few of my favorite in this blog. Next on my list of things to do is upload them all to lomography.com, and/or flicker. one thing at a time, though. First things first: I need a shower and some breakfast. Uploading can wait for some other day.perhaps captions would be advantageous.
up first we have the Zen Duckie. part of my second test roll.
Believe it or not, this is paint, paintbrushes, and a plastic watercolor palette.
this is the one I mentioned in my last post where I thought I had wasted a shot on the ceiling.
Another of my new favorites. Those are lights hanging outside at Power Plant Live in Baltimore on New Year's Eve.
The Harbor Place clock. Still a long time till midnight!!
Alright, enough stalling, time for a shower.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Adventures in Lomoland
I now have several processed and printed rolls of 35mm shot with my Lc-a, and I love it. Lomography is a different world than photography. It requires the same attention to detail that a normal photographer must have, but relies more on happy accidents.
On new years eve, I walked through harbor place and the Pratt street pavilion in Baltimore, shooting random shots into the crowds of people, and a few of them turned out alright. One particular shot is of a few people in a magazine shop. The shot shows the people, but is mostly of the ceiling. I love it. I distinctly remember taking the shot, holding the camera in front of my belly and shooting upward, thinking that I had just wasted a shot on the ceiling.
When I received my camera, I was disappointed that the film counter does not work, but now, the number 36 (where the counter is stuck) is a lucky number that reminds me that I have a constant flow of unlimited shots. Not knowing when the last shot is coming, I will never try to reserve a shot; I will never hold the last exposure for something special. All of my shots will be random and mixed up.
Without the counter problem, I never would have investigated and analyzed the way the camera works, and would not have realized that, by loading the film with as little lead as possible, I can add extra exposures to my roll. I think I knew that this was a possibility with a manual camera, but I never would have put two and two together.
In spite of everything I have learned about my Lc-a and about photography, I must admit to my one unforgivably stupid mistake: judging distance incorrectly.
When I studied the prints from my first three rolls, I was dismayed that all of the close-range shots were blurry. I insisted that the camera must have a problem, because I am not an idiot, I can judge distances well enough to know when something is a foot or three feet from my face.
There in lies the problem: feet. I feel absolutely foolish for not considering that the camera was made in Russia. America is the only place where feet fill in for meters and inches override centimeters. Even as I type, my face is burning red and I am laughing at myself.
The worst part is that I never would have figured it out if Troy had not pointed it out to me over dinner. How humiliating.
But I am still alive, and so is my beautiful, cheaply made, black brick of a little camera. No harm done. Another lesson learned. The rolls were a success.
As soon as I find the time (and stop being perpetually lazy) I want to post some of my shots in my blog. I am even going to open an account on lomography.com and upload my pictures to a home page and compete in the contests and create a lomowall. A brave, new world has opened up to accept me, and I shall enter: camera and meter-stick in hand.
On new years eve, I walked through harbor place and the Pratt street pavilion in Baltimore, shooting random shots into the crowds of people, and a few of them turned out alright. One particular shot is of a few people in a magazine shop. The shot shows the people, but is mostly of the ceiling. I love it. I distinctly remember taking the shot, holding the camera in front of my belly and shooting upward, thinking that I had just wasted a shot on the ceiling.
When I received my camera, I was disappointed that the film counter does not work, but now, the number 36 (where the counter is stuck) is a lucky number that reminds me that I have a constant flow of unlimited shots. Not knowing when the last shot is coming, I will never try to reserve a shot; I will never hold the last exposure for something special. All of my shots will be random and mixed up.
Without the counter problem, I never would have investigated and analyzed the way the camera works, and would not have realized that, by loading the film with as little lead as possible, I can add extra exposures to my roll. I think I knew that this was a possibility with a manual camera, but I never would have put two and two together.
In spite of everything I have learned about my Lc-a and about photography, I must admit to my one unforgivably stupid mistake: judging distance incorrectly.
When I studied the prints from my first three rolls, I was dismayed that all of the close-range shots were blurry. I insisted that the camera must have a problem, because I am not an idiot, I can judge distances well enough to know when something is a foot or three feet from my face.
There in lies the problem: feet. I feel absolutely foolish for not considering that the camera was made in Russia. America is the only place where feet fill in for meters and inches override centimeters. Even as I type, my face is burning red and I am laughing at myself.
The worst part is that I never would have figured it out if Troy had not pointed it out to me over dinner. How humiliating.
But I am still alive, and so is my beautiful, cheaply made, black brick of a little camera. No harm done. Another lesson learned. The rolls were a success.
As soon as I find the time (and stop being perpetually lazy) I want to post some of my shots in my blog. I am even going to open an account on lomography.com and upload my pictures to a home page and compete in the contests and create a lomowall. A brave, new world has opened up to accept me, and I shall enter: camera and meter-stick in hand.
Anger.
I finally watched the entire “Zeitgeist” movie tonight. By the end of the viewing, I felt an overwhelming sense of despair and nausea. I do not consider myself an overly religious person, so the cracks at religion gave me something to ponder, but the theories about the government and war and 9-11 made me sick.
I am totally against the National ID. Completely and 100% against it in all forms, yet there is nothing I can do to change it. After consideration, it occurred to me that my recent pessimism and general distrust spawns from a direct dislike of all things that are out of my control. The National ID—which, by the way, has an E.T.A. of May 2008—will impact every tiny aspect of my existence, yet I am helpless to change or deny it. Designed to replace the Drivers License, SS Card, and Credit/Bank card, this one card will silently take over the daily life of every American in a way that Microsoft can only imagine.
Whether we, the American people, like it or not.
The next step will be an implanted chip in every newborn. One child already has the chip. Some ignorant parent has already decided “for the child’s safety” to have her newborn child injected with a chip that will act like a Garmin or TomTom. (Only this chip will not talk or give the child direction, or save it from the evil lurking behind the red white and blue). This child is the first among of many. Poor kid.
Perhaps I sound unpatriotic. Perhaps I am. I have nothing against my country, but something more like a distrust of mankind and its world-crushing love for power and money.
I foresee, in the future, communes of people banning together in order to live without the chip. Those of us who do not buy the “for home lance security” B.S. will do what we can to avoid the chip, to live outside the realm of organized and imprisoned society. But the chip will be needed to shop, to own a vehicle, to buy a house. For every large group of people who slit the skin between their thumb and forefinger to remove the device, one will have to play the lamb to support those chip-less refugees.
A scar on the hand will become akin to the WWII Star of David, or the now familiar “dark mark”: a hunted aspect of human life. People with that scar will become synonymous with drug dealers, liars, murders, terrorists and general scum. But the people with scars will depend on the self-sacrifice of a person who keeps the chip intact. The intact person will become like those who lead the Underground Railroad, or those students who were massacred for protesting the Vietnam War. Their double lives will save whole communities.
I hope people open their eyes before this happens. We, the college students and young people of 2008 should be hosting protests and sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations against things like the “War on Terror” and National ID’s and the Patriot Act. We should be fighting, not subscribing to everything we are told, not blindly submitting to the fate that our country is planning for us. I fear that by the time the country wakes up and wipes the crusty sleep from its eyes, it will be too late. We will have lost the right to do what we should be doing now. We will have allowed the world to fall down around us, and will have trampled our own morals and beliefs in the process.
What causes several times the destruction of an earthquake, and destroys itself and everything in its path in the name of faceless and useless values based on scare-tactics? What kills humans, animals, forests, oceans, and itself? What force on this earth is gluttonous and greedy? What can destroy an entire planet in just a few million years?
Look in the mirror.
What really frustrates me is my lack of control. As I mentioned somewhere at the beginning of this rant, I have a general disdain for any impacting force that I cannot alter. I cannot protest consumerism because society is centered on consuming everything in its path. I cannot refuse to buy food, I cannot refuse to go to college, I cannot refuse to buy clothing and computers and calculators and cell phones and houses and lamps and cars and shoes and everything that society has made necessary for modern existence. I cannot protest China’s recent attempt to inundate the world with Lead poisoning because China makes everything. I cannot protest hormones and chemicals in my food because organic food is not guaranteed, and is hard to come by. I cannot protest the education system in this country because I need a degree.
I cannot protest the National ID and the subsequent chip that my children will be forced to have implanted in their hand because the man behind the curtain can take away my right to protest, or take away my child, or take away my life. No questions asked.
The man behind the curtain can take away anything. Any time I learn of a new conspiracy theory about the government and someone tells me that it could never happen, I wonder what the average American must think of the current government. Do they really believe that a group of FBI agents could not force their way into a home and take a person from bed for no reason? I really am not one for ill-founded conspiracy, but this seems logical to me. A government that has the power to invade other countries, a government that has the power to pass laws and give rights and take rights and do almost anything in the name of “national security” can do whatever it wants. Easily.
So what does this mean? It means what you want it to mean. One can believe it or not, but ultimately, we will find out soon enough if any of it is true. If the National ID starts in five months, other forms of Hell cannot be far behind.
For me, it gives me pause to seriously weigh the pros and cons of bringing children into this world. More simply, it makes me consider whether I want to bring children into this country.
As a side note…
I wonder how a random person who might stumble across this blog might perceive me. The tendency to write or blog only when something makes me angry might give the impression that I hate everything. I really just want to make a difference. There are so many hate-filled, ignorant, selfish, destructive, annoying people in the world, and I just want to say something or do something to make it better.
I digress.
People need to stop wasting anger.
Stop being angry that you were accidentally charged an extra dollar at the supermarket, and be angry that the world is being destroyed and your rights are being taken away.
Make anger an emotion worth having.
I am totally against the National ID. Completely and 100% against it in all forms, yet there is nothing I can do to change it. After consideration, it occurred to me that my recent pessimism and general distrust spawns from a direct dislike of all things that are out of my control. The National ID—which, by the way, has an E.T.A. of May 2008—will impact every tiny aspect of my existence, yet I am helpless to change or deny it. Designed to replace the Drivers License, SS Card, and Credit/Bank card, this one card will silently take over the daily life of every American in a way that Microsoft can only imagine.
Whether we, the American people, like it or not.
The next step will be an implanted chip in every newborn. One child already has the chip. Some ignorant parent has already decided “for the child’s safety” to have her newborn child injected with a chip that will act like a Garmin or TomTom. (Only this chip will not talk or give the child direction, or save it from the evil lurking behind the red white and blue). This child is the first among of many. Poor kid.
Perhaps I sound unpatriotic. Perhaps I am. I have nothing against my country, but something more like a distrust of mankind and its world-crushing love for power and money.
I foresee, in the future, communes of people banning together in order to live without the chip. Those of us who do not buy the “for home lance security” B.S. will do what we can to avoid the chip, to live outside the realm of organized and imprisoned society. But the chip will be needed to shop, to own a vehicle, to buy a house. For every large group of people who slit the skin between their thumb and forefinger to remove the device, one will have to play the lamb to support those chip-less refugees.
A scar on the hand will become akin to the WWII Star of David, or the now familiar “dark mark”: a hunted aspect of human life. People with that scar will become synonymous with drug dealers, liars, murders, terrorists and general scum. But the people with scars will depend on the self-sacrifice of a person who keeps the chip intact. The intact person will become like those who lead the Underground Railroad, or those students who were massacred for protesting the Vietnam War. Their double lives will save whole communities.
I hope people open their eyes before this happens. We, the college students and young people of 2008 should be hosting protests and sit-ins and peaceful demonstrations against things like the “War on Terror” and National ID’s and the Patriot Act. We should be fighting, not subscribing to everything we are told, not blindly submitting to the fate that our country is planning for us. I fear that by the time the country wakes up and wipes the crusty sleep from its eyes, it will be too late. We will have lost the right to do what we should be doing now. We will have allowed the world to fall down around us, and will have trampled our own morals and beliefs in the process.
What causes several times the destruction of an earthquake, and destroys itself and everything in its path in the name of faceless and useless values based on scare-tactics? What kills humans, animals, forests, oceans, and itself? What force on this earth is gluttonous and greedy? What can destroy an entire planet in just a few million years?
Look in the mirror.
What really frustrates me is my lack of control. As I mentioned somewhere at the beginning of this rant, I have a general disdain for any impacting force that I cannot alter. I cannot protest consumerism because society is centered on consuming everything in its path. I cannot refuse to buy food, I cannot refuse to go to college, I cannot refuse to buy clothing and computers and calculators and cell phones and houses and lamps and cars and shoes and everything that society has made necessary for modern existence. I cannot protest China’s recent attempt to inundate the world with Lead poisoning because China makes everything. I cannot protest hormones and chemicals in my food because organic food is not guaranteed, and is hard to come by. I cannot protest the education system in this country because I need a degree.
I cannot protest the National ID and the subsequent chip that my children will be forced to have implanted in their hand because the man behind the curtain can take away my right to protest, or take away my child, or take away my life. No questions asked.
The man behind the curtain can take away anything. Any time I learn of a new conspiracy theory about the government and someone tells me that it could never happen, I wonder what the average American must think of the current government. Do they really believe that a group of FBI agents could not force their way into a home and take a person from bed for no reason? I really am not one for ill-founded conspiracy, but this seems logical to me. A government that has the power to invade other countries, a government that has the power to pass laws and give rights and take rights and do almost anything in the name of “national security” can do whatever it wants. Easily.
So what does this mean? It means what you want it to mean. One can believe it or not, but ultimately, we will find out soon enough if any of it is true. If the National ID starts in five months, other forms of Hell cannot be far behind.
For me, it gives me pause to seriously weigh the pros and cons of bringing children into this world. More simply, it makes me consider whether I want to bring children into this country.
As a side note…
I wonder how a random person who might stumble across this blog might perceive me. The tendency to write or blog only when something makes me angry might give the impression that I hate everything. I really just want to make a difference. There are so many hate-filled, ignorant, selfish, destructive, annoying people in the world, and I just want to say something or do something to make it better.
I digress.
People need to stop wasting anger.
Stop being angry that you were accidentally charged an extra dollar at the supermarket, and be angry that the world is being destroyed and your rights are being taken away.
Make anger an emotion worth having.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
questions to start the year
Something must be written. I really must write. Write must I, really. Really, I must write. I must really write. There are many topics to write about, yet I ain't got nuthin. New Years Day. And no topic sparks an idea. Nothing seems important enough to write. So, instead, I write nothing.
I went to Baltimore last night. That sounds like something worthy of my keyboard. There were hordes of people. The SWAT team circled Harbor Place, and I left. The lights and reflections and boats were pretty.
Nothing stays the same. Some people argue that change is good, but I must disagree in some instances.
As a child, I could roam the Inner Harbor for hours. My friends and I would walk the two miles to the Harbor and occupy ourselves with watching people and eating food. Back then, it is important to note, food would not take up all of our money; we might even have enough left over to buy a new scarf.
"Mayor Shelia Dixon" was plastered on every poster, truck, stage, instrument, building, boat, inanimate object within a mile of the Harbor. Before midnight, she yelled to her "multitudes" that she plans to make Baltimore the safest city in the world.
crack dreams.
Queen Elizabeth has more power over Baltimore than this woman.
And she was wearing a dead animal on her neck.
Not sure why I am personally offended by fur coats. I wear sheep skin UGG boots, and have several leather purses. What is the difference? Am I just a hypocrite? Probably.
Midnight was destroyed by a fight between myself and my boyfriend. I do wonder about this year. I was fine with 2007. Not a bad year, though they seem to get progessively worse. Is it the year? or is it my age? or is it my increasing pessimism? cant it be helped?
Why do people collect things? My mother obsesses over antique dishes. Obsesses. She never uses them, wont sell them to collect their monetary value. She just hordes them.
I collect items of no use that would ordinarily be thrown away. Not because I want to reclaim them, or give them purpose, or because I feel they have a value to anyone. I collect the items I collect because they are pleasing to my eye. They are pretty, or evoke some feeling.
What does a coin collector feel about his coin collection?
Without collections, items would be lost. Someone needs to collect old coins because of the historical value.
the same might be said about pottery and art.
Who decided that people should collect Holiday Barbie? Beanie Babies? Star Wars figurines? teapots?
Is it a race to see who can own the most items?
Why do we continue to make some things? we mass-produce so many things that no one wants.
everything is liked by someone. This is a point that fascinates me to no end. Somebody in the world likes the sound of breaking bones. Someone likes cabbage. Many people enjoy the smell of dog poop. why?
is it an appreciation for something strange that makes people like some things? Are masochists and sadists mentally unhealthy? or am I weird for being repulsed by such things?
I wonder, often, if I am the one who is wrong about life. Is my perception skewed?
I think it is wrong to drive 90mph on twisty roads while drunk. Am I the one who is wrong?
I find it repulsive to smear my feces on public toilets. Am I wrong?
I cannot bring myself to torture, hurt, maim, kill another living being. Should I try harder to do these things like other people? Are people who hunt for sport intelligent beings who have life figured out?
Do some people feel that they are more important than the other 99.9% of the world's population? what is the difference between this and selfishness?
Does the person speeding at 90mph have a much more important destination than the rest of us? what about the person they rear-end and kill? Was that newly-departed person simply in the way? does this qualify as "survival of the fittest?"
who are these bi-ped fiends I share a planet with?
should marijuana be legalized and alcohol banned? I'm beginning to think so.
I went to Baltimore last night. That sounds like something worthy of my keyboard. There were hordes of people. The SWAT team circled Harbor Place, and I left. The lights and reflections and boats were pretty.
Nothing stays the same. Some people argue that change is good, but I must disagree in some instances.
As a child, I could roam the Inner Harbor for hours. My friends and I would walk the two miles to the Harbor and occupy ourselves with watching people and eating food. Back then, it is important to note, food would not take up all of our money; we might even have enough left over to buy a new scarf.
"Mayor Shelia Dixon" was plastered on every poster, truck, stage, instrument, building, boat, inanimate object within a mile of the Harbor. Before midnight, she yelled to her "multitudes" that she plans to make Baltimore the safest city in the world.
crack dreams.
Queen Elizabeth has more power over Baltimore than this woman.
And she was wearing a dead animal on her neck.
Not sure why I am personally offended by fur coats. I wear sheep skin UGG boots, and have several leather purses. What is the difference? Am I just a hypocrite? Probably.
Midnight was destroyed by a fight between myself and my boyfriend. I do wonder about this year. I was fine with 2007. Not a bad year, though they seem to get progessively worse. Is it the year? or is it my age? or is it my increasing pessimism? cant it be helped?
Why do people collect things? My mother obsesses over antique dishes. Obsesses. She never uses them, wont sell them to collect their monetary value. She just hordes them.
I collect items of no use that would ordinarily be thrown away. Not because I want to reclaim them, or give them purpose, or because I feel they have a value to anyone. I collect the items I collect because they are pleasing to my eye. They are pretty, or evoke some feeling.
What does a coin collector feel about his coin collection?
Without collections, items would be lost. Someone needs to collect old coins because of the historical value.
the same might be said about pottery and art.
Who decided that people should collect Holiday Barbie? Beanie Babies? Star Wars figurines? teapots?
Is it a race to see who can own the most items?
Why do we continue to make some things? we mass-produce so many things that no one wants.
everything is liked by someone. This is a point that fascinates me to no end. Somebody in the world likes the sound of breaking bones. Someone likes cabbage. Many people enjoy the smell of dog poop. why?
is it an appreciation for something strange that makes people like some things? Are masochists and sadists mentally unhealthy? or am I weird for being repulsed by such things?
I wonder, often, if I am the one who is wrong about life. Is my perception skewed?
I think it is wrong to drive 90mph on twisty roads while drunk. Am I the one who is wrong?
I find it repulsive to smear my feces on public toilets. Am I wrong?
I cannot bring myself to torture, hurt, maim, kill another living being. Should I try harder to do these things like other people? Are people who hunt for sport intelligent beings who have life figured out?
Do some people feel that they are more important than the other 99.9% of the world's population? what is the difference between this and selfishness?
Does the person speeding at 90mph have a much more important destination than the rest of us? what about the person they rear-end and kill? Was that newly-departed person simply in the way? does this qualify as "survival of the fittest?"
who are these bi-ped fiends I share a planet with?
should marijuana be legalized and alcohol banned? I'm beginning to think so.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
it came today!
I received my leningrádskoje optiko mechanitschéskoje objediniénie today! My LOMO LC-A. I took a few test shots and sent the roll to Wal-mart for processing. I hate wal-mart, but here they serve a purpose: its not like they can screw up LOMO pictures.
I am a bit worried about my new toy. The counter is not working properly. It does not automatically set itself when the back of the camera is opened like it is supposed to. I checked various LOMO websites, faq’s and forums, but nothing has helped. Perhaps I will take it to a camera shop tomorrow.
Even if the counter never works, I’m sure it will not hurt anything. If nothing else, it will help me keep my shots random and unplanned. That’s the point, right?
Things I want to shoot:
Old neon signs
Bright colors
The male/female sign at Penn Station
A cherry blossom tree in full bloom
Autumn trees
Large groups of people
Clowns
Fire works
Lights. Lots of lights.
Wet paint
Lights reflected on a wet road
People in the lower bar at Brewer’s Art
The Charles.
Paper Moon
The Domino Sugar Sign
Tide Point
Fells
Looking up at Shot Tower
Flowers
Lots of people.
Strangers
My sister in her crazy red dress
Umbrellas
People with cool hats
The best shots are the ones not on that list, though. The more random, the better.
But for now, I’m not shooting anything. I’m going to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and LOMO-idealic, and the guy at Penn or Ritz will help me fix my counter.
I am a bit worried about my new toy. The counter is not working properly. It does not automatically set itself when the back of the camera is opened like it is supposed to. I checked various LOMO websites, faq’s and forums, but nothing has helped. Perhaps I will take it to a camera shop tomorrow.
Even if the counter never works, I’m sure it will not hurt anything. If nothing else, it will help me keep my shots random and unplanned. That’s the point, right?
Things I want to shoot:
Old neon signs
Bright colors
The male/female sign at Penn Station
A cherry blossom tree in full bloom
Autumn trees
Large groups of people
Clowns
Fire works
Lights. Lots of lights.
Wet paint
Lights reflected on a wet road
People in the lower bar at Brewer’s Art
The Charles.
Paper Moon
The Domino Sugar Sign
Tide Point
Fells
Looking up at Shot Tower
Flowers
Lots of people.
Strangers
My sister in her crazy red dress
Umbrellas
People with cool hats
The best shots are the ones not on that list, though. The more random, the better.
But for now, I’m not shooting anything. I’m going to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and LOMO-idealic, and the guy at Penn or Ritz will help me fix my counter.
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