Friday, May 30, 2008

Antenna!

So for the past several months (since sometime in the early winter, I think...?), I have not had an antenna for my car. This has made it very difficult to listen to clear streaming radio, and I've been limited to listening to 89.3 The Current (indie jams, mainly - public radio), 91.1 KNOW (M/NPR), and 92.5 KQRS (Classic Rock) - all of these with wavering signals... I felt slightly better, while I was borrowing my stepmom's car when mine was in the shop, and I was able to enjoy a broad range of stations. I probably should have gotten a new one, sooner, but... yeah...

Well, after months of diddling around, I have finally gotten myself to purchase a new antenna. Yeah... About damn time... Anyway, finally, I will be able to listen to all the local radio stations. I've very much missed being able to listen to all the aforementioned stations without regular static and disturbance, but most of all, it'll be great to be able to listen to 770 Radio K, again! ::sigh:: I didn't realize how much I missed it until I had to give back my stepmom's car...

Although... I've only ordered the antenna... Once it arrives, I'll still have to take my car to get the antenna installed... But hey! It's a start!

Also, I finally am preparing my teeny tiny Obama t-shirt (think of those Obama Girl videos for reference on how the shirt fit me) for exchange and preparing my Acuvue rebate form. Know why companies can have huge rebates and still make bank? Because of people like me. But not this time! Oh no. I will get an Obama shirt that *fits*, and I will get cash back for my contact lenses. AND I'll have radio!

Okay, sorry, that was absurd.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Veet-burned Natalie relates to Nair kitteh

Humorous Pictures
more cat pictures

I had a bad run-in (allergic reaction, that is) whilst attempting to use the supposedly miraculous Veet... Not so grate aktually...

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Al's On Your Side Tour

I has a bike!



It's fun, but it's so tiny that it can't fit real fenders!

And... if you hate on the fact that it's not a fixed gear, I'll hate back on you for having a fixed gear :)

So there. :-P

Go see the film Reprise!



Reprise, a Norwegian film originally released in 2006, recently released, here, in the US, is currently playing at the Uptown Theater. And it's well worth watching. I don't know enough about film to do a good job reviewing, but if you like the same sorts of film I like, you'll probably like this one. :)

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Doodle 4 Google is done!

And one of the ones I voted for totally won! See, um, Google. :)

But I really dig this one finalist:

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

21 Accents



This is just so so cool!

Seriously...

h/t Peter

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Tonight's primaries

So I know they're still counting votes for Oregon 'n all, but it's interesting to see all the news about the Kentucky and Oregon primaries, as they come in. It's sort of... surreal, like it's already been determined, and we're just going through the motions. It's like Hillary's in denial.

But I'm glad Obama didn't go declaring victory, tonight. I mean, a) it would have been kind of asinine, what with her kicking his ass in KY, and b) it also showed that he respects her role in the race. I don't know. It's weird how this is going. Aaaand this is coming off more reflective than I'd intended, but... oh well. I just feel bad for Hillary... I feel like she's.... dug herself into a hole with all the "I'll never quit" stuff, so now, when she has to back down, in the end... she's going to look silly. And she's a dignified woman. I wish she'd held on to more of it. I don't like her, but I have a lot of respect for how far she's come. She's an amazing woman, to be sure.

I just hope all the good democrats who aren't like me and the people like me (politiwhores) will still rank and file behind the nominee. Not that that's never been said before...

Okay, enough. Sorry. Pointless, I know. I'll do better, next time. Have a nice night :)

Update: This line from Obama's speech, tonight - snagged from dkos - is pretty sweet:
Senator Clinton has shattered myths and broken barriers and changed the America in which my daughters and yours will come of age.

So that is totally what I was getting at :) Thanks, Hillary, for making the future brighter for us!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Most amusing t-shirt


Sierra and I were just talking about tattoos, yesterday - we discussed where we'd put one (and where I have mine), as well as how we'd never get our lovers' name tattooed on us... ever... So when I saw this, I couldn't resist sharing.
If'n ya dig, go here!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

quick quote

"Sex is emotion in motion."
- Mae West

Lesson: How to pronouce Medvedev

hehe...

40 THINGS YOU’D LOVE TO SAY OUT LOUD AT WORK:

The bold ones definitely would be fun to say in my job. Asterisks added to some for emphasis. Enjoy seeing how many apply to your workplace!

1. I can see your point, but I still think you’re full of shit.*
2. I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet it’s hard to pronounce.*
3. How about never? Is never good for you?
4. I see you’ve set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
5. I’m really easy to get along with once you people learn to see it my way.
6. I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter.
7. I’m out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message.
8. I don’t work here. I’m a consultant.
9. It sounds like English, but I can’t understand a damn word you’re saying.
10. Ahhhh .. I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.*
11. I like you. You remind me of myself when I was young and stupid.
12. You are validating my inherent mistrust of strangers.
13. I have plenty of talent and vision; I just don’t give a damn.
14. I’m already visualizing the duct tape over your mouth.*
15. I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.
16. Thank you. We’re all refreshed and challenged by your unique point of view.
17. The fact that no one understands you doesn’t mean you’re an artist.
18. Any connections between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.*
19. What am I? Flypaper for freaks?!
20. I’m not being rude. You’re just insignificant.
21. It’s a thankless job, but I’ve got a lot of Karma to burn off
22. Yes, I am an agent of Satan, but my duties are largely ceremonial.
23. And your crybaby whiny-assed opinion would be?
24. Do I look like a people person?
25. This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting.
26. I started out with nothing and I still have most of it left.
27. Sarcasm is just one service we offer.
28. If I throw a stick, will you leave?*
29. Errors have been made. Others will be blamed.
30. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.*
31. I’m trying to imagine you with a personality.
32. A cubicle is just a padded cell without a door.
33. Can I trade this job for what’s behind door #1?
34. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
35. Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it?
36. Chaos, panic and disorder…my work here is done.
37. How do I set a laser printer to stun?
38. I thought I wanted a career; turns out I just wanted a salary.
39. Who lit the fuse on your tampon?
40. Oh, I get it…like humor…but different.

This was originally posted at: rjdohnert, and h/t to Meghan.

Non-personal plug: StumbleUpon

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Senators say whether they'd agree to be vice president

I spent way too much time, today, giggling over this not to post it.
So great!

Doodle 4 Google

So apparently Google has set up a competition among US school children (clustered into four age groups and 10 national regions) to design the new Google logo. It seems they also were asked to include a "What if..." question. It's pretty neat, and there sure are a lot of really talented kids out there!

Go here to vote!

My favorites (well, I have multiple favorites, but these are the ones I selected):





Monday, May 12, 2008

Not NOM... LOVE bite.

Things Younger than John McCain


There are lots of things younger than John McCain...

I don't care how much you love or hate the man, this page is hilarious! Srsly.

Woot and h/t to Margaret :)

Near post-college bliss - explained

"Idleness is not doing nothing. Idleness is being free to do anything."
Floyd Dell

This totally puts to words the wonder of being done with college and coming home from work without having to do more work. Freedom to do whatever the hell you want. So great. Which reminds me that I need to find more hobbies. And I need to go bike shopping. Seriously.

Maddy, you are going to have a great summer!

Now, this isn't to say that I have no intention of becoming a slave to my education, again. Because I definitely do...

Friday, May 9, 2008

CampaignWatch - What's really happening



This is clearly what's really happening inside Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Tom Waits... is spehshul?

PEHDTSCKJMBA!



h/t Greg Laden

Various brief musings

Part 1:
Woot on Obama taking charge in North Carolina! I guess it's just a matter of time before things are squared away... I think I'm now okay with Hillary waiting to drop out. As it's been said, Obama's likely to be beat badly in WV and KY, whether or not Hillary stays in the game - so... better that she be in it so he's not losing to her "ghost" (a la McCain losing wayyy too many votes to Huckabee, Ron Paul, and Romney than is respectable of the presumptive nominee - less than 80% in both Indiana and North Carolina?!). Guess we just sit back and watch how it plays out...

Part 2:
How awesome is it that Ellen Page is going to be playing Jane Eyre? It'll be really interesting to see how she goes about it, since it'd be a very different role from Juno. Anyway, I think it's exciting.

Part 3:
What with gas prices as they are, not to mention the whole... saving resources thing..., you'd think people would stop "going for a drive." Alas, coworker *Trudy announced at noon, "I'm going to go for a drive." And she's an Obama fan! Yet she makes a very minimal conservation effort. (She prints everything she possibly can, rather than simply keeping a computer file). ::sigh:: Oh well.

I guess that's all, for now.


*Name changed for protection of self and coworker

Sunday, May 4, 2008

atheist at confirmation (of faith)

so i know my sexual frustration post probably is a lot less relevant to anything or anyone (not that anyone is reading this, anyway). but i've gotta say, it's really a strange experience to be atheist and be asked by your little sister to go to her confirmation of faith ceremony. seriously weird. and frustrating. i love my sister very much, so there was no question that i would go and support her. i'm proud of her - it's so great to watch her grow up, to watch her become a beautiful and smart young woman. but... it's really hard for me to stand up with her as someone says "dear lord stir up in [...] mara blah blah blah" when it's not something i believe, something i support. but the whole thing... it was just... weird.

another weird thing about the experience: one of the confirmation group leaders was really excited about a spear he'd gotten as a gift from some... tribe... somewhere... and he had it up front with him, and he was waving it around... and he was likening his students to the head of the spear - they go in first. it was weird and kind of creepy. i was vaguely hoping he would touch the spear on both shoulders of each student, in the fashion of knighting. that would have been hilarious and awesome. sadly, no.

oh, and it should be noted that women should probably not sing josh groban's "you raise me up" without transposing to a [significantly] lower key... holy crap was that painful. i mean, she wasn't that bad, but a) it was way too high and she wasn't hitting her notes, and b) she was doing the groove with the spirit jam-style singing which just makes me laugh inside (and sometimes outside). after having heard the original, i just... was not impressed.

good things that came of the day: whether or not i agree with the specific connotation of "confirmation," i do agree with the concept of acknowledging the "coming of age" of young adults. well... adolescents, really. but still. and it was also kinda neat that both sides of my sister's very divided family were able to come together for this.

okay. done, now. :)

more signs of sexual frustration


okay, so it's getting worse. every day, it gets worse. and this has been building for like... 2 or 3 weeks, now... this blows. every ice cube that goes in my mouth gets crunched (this has to stop, or i'll have dentist bills i would rather not pay), every paper or foil gets flattened and elaborately folded, cans get crunched and reshaped, fingers and/or feet constantly tapping... this is absurd.



gawd.

make it stop!

::sigh::

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Pawlenty's poo-pooing of a new sex ed bill - ridiculous

So there's a new bill for a sex ed requirement moving through the Capitol for approval... and I am appalled (if not surprised) that Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-MN) would go so far as to say that the bill is "unacceptable"and that the status quo of sex ed in Minnesota schools is perfectly fine, as it is. This "abstinence-only" bullshit does nothing to educate kids on how to be safe, and unfortunately a) I don't trust all parents to fill in the gaping abyss left by the lacking current system, and b) telling kids not to have sex doesn't stop them from doing it. Period. And studies show that having comprehensive sexual education classes actually prevents kids from getting sexually involved at such a young age. Obviously, this varies, but... I mean, come on. My sister's 14, and she's hardly had any education on how to be safe. I'm sorry, but I don't think a child who is pubescent/post-pubescent adolescent should be ignorant to the facts about sex. Kids should know how the parts work, they should know the consequences of engaging in sexual activities, and yes, abstinence should most definitely be encouraged. But that doesn't mean that the class shouldn't bother to teach about contraceptives like condoms or the pill.

It should be noted that I learned more in sex ed when I was in elementary school than in high school because suddenly, they changed the laws to allow each district to define the program... And parents seem to support it, too! I'm sorry, I don't care if you think you're helping by saying ignorance is bliss... we should still be teaching children that there are more ways to avoid STDs/STIs and pregnancy than abstinence. My class did not talk about those. In fact, we were not able to watch a movie because it mentioned condoms, diaphragms, and oral contraceptives. Heck, this same class had the health teacher so concerned about not bringing controversial topics into the classroom that I wasn't allowed to do my health report on euthanasia. It was too controversial. Now, that has nothing to do with sex ed, that was just the myopic nature of our particular school (district?)'s policies on education...

But doesn't it make the most sense to have well-educated youths who know how to protect themselves? who can confront issues more adeptly because they understand what's going on? We cannot simply base the education of our children on the idealist concept that kids with automatically know what to do, when confronted with sexuality; that they'll understand that as our society becomes more and more sexualized, they simply need to abstain. It's not that simple. Kids are reaching puberty at younger ages, sex is everywhere (look at Miley Cyrus ::rolls eyes::), and there should be a requirement that they get the facts. Sorry, I don't believe the church youth group is going to teach them about anatomy and contraceptives. Sorry, I don't think the kids most at risk are going to get a "birds & bees" talk from their folks that tells them how to be safe.

Damn it, Pawlenty. Just vote for the flipping change. It's important, and it hurts kids by not making this necessary change to the law.

Oh, and in future posts, I'll be better about documentation and organization, but it's been a while since I've written a paper, and this is also a bit of a rant. So. There.

STOP IGNORANCE!