I found this description of Wes Anderson's characters the other day in a review of "The Darjeeling Limited." Maybe that's why I find them so endearing. It's meant to imply a flake alert ... but to me there's no higher compliment.
Life is in the search.
Note for the holiday shopping season:
Before you buy your favorite little one that Barbie doll, or that adorable little getup at Gap Kids, read/listen to this first:
Gap, Mattel, Speedo, Wal-Mart Products Linked to Child and Sweatshop Labor in China and India
Better yet, let her read/listen for herself. If our young'uns knew that all those meaningless little trinkets were made by children just like themselves, forced into 12 hours or more of labor without the food or home or love we have the luxury of taking for granted, I firmly believe they wouldn't find all the bright plastics nearly so alluring.
Only Halloween, and already I'm bombarding you with politically correct Christmas shopping advice ...
What doesn't kill us ...
This little tidbit from the Washington Post makes me more appreciative of the stresses/stressors in my own life:
Stress Makes Birds More Daring
Birds bred to have higher levels of stress hormones are bolder -- not more scared and retiring -- when faced with a potentially hazardous new situation, a surprising study has found. The "stressed" birds were more willing to visit a feeder in a new cage and to return to it after being startled, than were their more laid-back brethren.
Like other animals -- humans included -- the birds respond to stresses such as the presence of a predator or a new environment by producing a hormone, which in birds is called corticosterone. But some birds have naturally higher levels of the hormone than others. ...
"It initially seems counterintuitive that birds with higher levels of the stress hormone showed bolder behavior, normally associated with confidence," said Thais Martins, lead author of the study, published last week in the journal Hormones and Behaviour. "However, corticosterone is released to help tackle stress by encouraging the animal to adopt key survival behaviors like seeking food. So on reflection, perhaps it is not surprising that these birds are more likely to explore the environment and look for food."
Geeky joke of the day: (thanks to Miz AJ for the article in which this appeared)
Q: What do copy editors use for birth control?
A: Their personalities.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
I have been assimilated.
An add to the Halloween mix below:
Bodysnatchers / Radiohead
Curse "All Songs Considered"! It always forces me to go buy new music. I resist listening to the podcasts for just this reason ... then I overindulge and listen to, like, five at a time.
I've never been much of a Radiohead fan, but hearing just a few clips from the online release of "In Rainbows" made me crave it. So lush and orchestral ... without the self-indulgent weirdness of "OK Computer." I can't listen to anything else.
Also "have to have" the new Jolie Holland, a Senegalese singer named Youssou N'Dour, and some Chinese punk compilation.
Quote of the day:
"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." -- Andre Gide
Annoyance of the day:
Have you ever finally, after much searching, found exactly the perfect product -- after trying many, rejecting each, finally happened upon the perfect solution to your problem -- and then been unable to find it, anywhere, ever again?
For me, it's a hair clip. It's so great. It has rubber grips so it really stays in place. It's big enough to hold my thick hair. It simply does not budge. And I cannot find another. Anywhere.
If you see such an awesome, rubber, hair-gripping, badass black hair clip, buy it -- I promise I'm good for it.
Also ISO ...
I need a new word. Not a mantra, exactly. I don't know what to call it. I have a word (a name, actually) that is the first thing in my head, on my lips even, in the morning, the last at night. It has absolutely no connection with my current life. Its meaning has long since transcended the person to whom the name is connected. I think it is just the word I put to my yearning for ... more. For what I want my life to be.
And so, entonces, I need to find a new word to associate with this feeling, a substitute I can use to retrain my thought pattern. Something positive; something forward-moving; something that puts me, mentally, in charge of my own destiny, instead of giving a smidgen of even symbolic power to someone long since gone from my life.
Ideas?
OK, off to bed -- up early for my tuberculosis test (for Peace Corps). Wish me luck! ;-)
Bodysnatchers / Radiohead
Curse "All Songs Considered"! It always forces me to go buy new music. I resist listening to the podcasts for just this reason ... then I overindulge and listen to, like, five at a time.
I've never been much of a Radiohead fan, but hearing just a few clips from the online release of "In Rainbows" made me crave it. So lush and orchestral ... without the self-indulgent weirdness of "OK Computer." I can't listen to anything else.
Also "have to have" the new Jolie Holland, a Senegalese singer named Youssou N'Dour, and some Chinese punk compilation.
Quote of the day:
"One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time." -- Andre Gide
Annoyance of the day:
Have you ever finally, after much searching, found exactly the perfect product -- after trying many, rejecting each, finally happened upon the perfect solution to your problem -- and then been unable to find it, anywhere, ever again?
For me, it's a hair clip. It's so great. It has rubber grips so it really stays in place. It's big enough to hold my thick hair. It simply does not budge. And I cannot find another. Anywhere.
If you see such an awesome, rubber, hair-gripping, badass black hair clip, buy it -- I promise I'm good for it.
Also ISO ...
I need a new word. Not a mantra, exactly. I don't know what to call it. I have a word (a name, actually) that is the first thing in my head, on my lips even, in the morning, the last at night. It has absolutely no connection with my current life. Its meaning has long since transcended the person to whom the name is connected. I think it is just the word I put to my yearning for ... more. For what I want my life to be.
And so, entonces, I need to find a new word to associate with this feeling, a substitute I can use to retrain my thought pattern. Something positive; something forward-moving; something that puts me, mentally, in charge of my own destiny, instead of giving a smidgen of even symbolic power to someone long since gone from my life.
Ideas?
OK, off to bed -- up early for my tuberculosis test (for Peace Corps). Wish me luck! ;-)
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Giving up the ghost.
My darling friend Miz N sent me her annual Halloween mix CD this week. It rocks! If she posts her own playlist, I'll link to it. (and she has!)
I am lazy this year, so no mix for y'all. But here's what I'd do if I *were* to make a mix. Feel free to DIY.
The Devil Never Sleeps / Iron and Wine
Candy Everybody Wants / 10,000 Maniacs
Howl at the Moon / Tijuana Gigolos
Night of the Living Dead / Tilly & the Wall
People Who Died / Jim Carroll Band
Witches / Cowboy Junkies
Deathly / Aimee Mann
Ghost Ranch / Beck
Happy Phantom / Tori Amos
The Hungry Wolf / X
The Devil Had a Hold on Me / Gillian Welch
The Moon Is Shining / Indigenous
I Wish I Was the Moon / Neko Case
Devil Boots / Mark Sandman
Wicked Ways / Garbage
This Devil's Workday / Modest Mouse
Devil in My Car / The B-52's
Moondance / Van Morrison
Ghost Of Yesterday / Billie Holiday
Dark as the Dungeon / Johnny Cash
Pink Moon / Nick Drake
Zombie / Fela Kuti
A bit too long for one CD, I s'pose ...
I am lazy this year, so no mix for y'all. But here's what I'd do if I *were* to make a mix. Feel free to DIY.
The Devil Never Sleeps / Iron and Wine
Candy Everybody Wants / 10,000 Maniacs
Howl at the Moon / Tijuana Gigolos
Night of the Living Dead / Tilly & the Wall
People Who Died / Jim Carroll Band
Witches / Cowboy Junkies
Deathly / Aimee Mann
Ghost Ranch / Beck
Happy Phantom / Tori Amos
The Hungry Wolf / X
The Devil Had a Hold on Me / Gillian Welch
The Moon Is Shining / Indigenous
I Wish I Was the Moon / Neko Case
Devil Boots / Mark Sandman
Wicked Ways / Garbage
This Devil's Workday / Modest Mouse
Devil in My Car / The B-52's
Moondance / Van Morrison
Ghost Of Yesterday / Billie Holiday
Dark as the Dungeon / Johnny Cash
Pink Moon / Nick Drake
Zombie / Fela Kuti
A bit too long for one CD, I s'pose ...
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Be cool, man -- it's the fuzz.
That's no way to start the day, is it?
I'd just gotten out of the shower when the door rang. Cops milling about my front yard/street, and one at the door asking what I knew about the teddy bear. What teddy bear?
Apparently an abandoned teddy bear had been lying in my lawn, and some passerby called the police because it was "leaking a white powdery substance." I know this not because of the unnecessarily rude cop who rang my bell -- he just said "Stay inside" and walked away when I asked what was going on. Meanwhile, firetrucks are blocking both ends of the street and more cops are cordoning off my front yard with police tape. How is all this activity not supposed to scare me?
Thank *goodness* a cute firefighter was available to amble over and answer my questions from the safety of my front porch. And thank goodness this country is full of Good Amerricuns who when to call the authorities. A ripped up teddy bear oozing powdery innards -- alert the police at once! Our public safety is at risk! The terrorists are at it again!
Men in various uniforms stood around for awhile, one took pictures, bagged the bear and ... scene.
Two blogs in one morning ... how lucky are you that my life is *this* fascinating?
I'd just gotten out of the shower when the door rang. Cops milling about my front yard/street, and one at the door asking what I knew about the teddy bear. What teddy bear?
Apparently an abandoned teddy bear had been lying in my lawn, and some passerby called the police because it was "leaking a white powdery substance." I know this not because of the unnecessarily rude cop who rang my bell -- he just said "Stay inside" and walked away when I asked what was going on. Meanwhile, firetrucks are blocking both ends of the street and more cops are cordoning off my front yard with police tape. How is all this activity not supposed to scare me?
Thank *goodness* a cute firefighter was available to amble over and answer my questions from the safety of my front porch. And thank goodness this country is full of Good Amerricuns who when to call the authorities. A ripped up teddy bear oozing powdery innards -- alert the police at once! Our public safety is at risk! The terrorists are at it again!
Men in various uniforms stood around for awhile, one took pictures, bagged the bear and ... scene.
Two blogs in one morning ... how lucky are you that my life is *this* fascinating?
Exhaustin' Austin.
Back from the TX. A lovely, lazy, long weekend. Got to see my friend V play in some non-BSOJC groups -- Latin and country. An all-upright bass weekend, too. No cooler instrument exists.
What-all we did: Met Alejandro Escovedo at Antone's; chilled to some badass soul/dance at the Continental Club; lotsa motorcycle rides, crusing SoCo; played tourist (bats under the overpass, state capitol, O. Henry's house); watched a disturbing Fellini film ("Le Notti de Cabiria") and went to "Darjeeling Limited"; found out I'm surprisingly good at pinball, especially when the machine freaks out and sends out five-six balls at a time ...
What we didn't quite get around to this time around: Riding one of his antique tandem bikes; teaching me to play the cursed "Smoke on the Water" on bass; heading down to the surf.
Now to buckle down and get my medical info in order for PC service.
And looking forward to Tucson in November.
Song of the day: "To Live is to Fly," Cowboy Junkies
To live is to fly
Low and high
So shake the dust out of your wings
and the sleep out of your eyes ...
What-all we did: Met Alejandro Escovedo at Antone's; chilled to some badass soul/dance at the Continental Club; lotsa motorcycle rides, crusing SoCo; played tourist (bats under the overpass, state capitol, O. Henry's house); watched a disturbing Fellini film ("Le Notti de Cabiria") and went to "Darjeeling Limited"; found out I'm surprisingly good at pinball, especially when the machine freaks out and sends out five-six balls at a time ...
What we didn't quite get around to this time around: Riding one of his antique tandem bikes; teaching me to play the cursed "Smoke on the Water" on bass; heading down to the surf.
Now to buckle down and get my medical info in order for PC service.
And looking forward to Tucson in November.
Song of the day: "To Live is to Fly," Cowboy Junkies
To live is to fly
Low and high
So shake the dust out of your wings
and the sleep out of your eyes ...
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Peace-full.
I got the call today. I've officially been nominated to the Peace Corps.
Sub-Saharan Africa, May 2008, public health.
Assuming I pass all the medical tests and get enough volunteer experience over the next six months.
In a slight state of shock, I suppose, but mostly I just feel really, really peaceful -- no pun intended.
This feels very right.
Start saving your travel fundage now -- plane fare to Africa ain't cheap, but I'll show you an amazing time!
Sub-Saharan Africa, May 2008, public health.
Assuming I pass all the medical tests and get enough volunteer experience over the next six months.
In a slight state of shock, I suppose, but mostly I just feel really, really peaceful -- no pun intended.
This feels very right.
Start saving your travel fundage now -- plane fare to Africa ain't cheap, but I'll show you an amazing time!
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Is it just me ...
... or is this just really, really funny?
(If you're wondering, it's the pod left over after a canna stops blooming.)
Open. And closed. And open ...
Lil' Bro called this rainy morning, suggesting it might be a good day to put in my new garage door opener, the one that's been sitting in its box, propping up the north wall, for a month now. Huzzah! I thought ... we'll be done by noon, and I can still get in a good workout ... exchange a top at the dreaded mall ... accomplish some more readin/writin/relaxin a la yesterday ...
Seven hours and one six-pack later, the damn thing finally worked. Matt may have intimate experience with this particular variety of mechanism, but he forgot to take my crumbling, far-from-square old structure into account. A few trips to the hardware store and an afternoon of sitting around later (and that six-pack he drank in the process!), and I prob'ly saved only about $20 off the quote the professionals gave me several months ago. I didn't tell him that.
But here's one of the things I like best about my brother: Despite one setback after another, he didn't (except for a couple of self-directed f-bombs) complain once about the situation. He never does get uptight or annoyed. He just keeps trying to figure out how to solve the problem. And he's pretty upbeat about the journey.
This is not an inherited trait. How did he come to be so zen? Is it the High Life?
I was fairly zen myself this weekend, matter of fact. The rain turned my beds into a goopy clay mush, so no garden work as was the plan. I actually allowed myself to sink into relaxation mode, with only a modicum of guilt.
I feel grateful to have so many someones who are so willing to help. And grateful that my good fortune (despite my constant fears of falling into the financial abyss) allows me such luxuries as a garage door opener. I was getting along just fine on muscle power, but it will be nice to have as winter closes in (and it looks like I'll be braving another Nebraska winter). I've found I don't mind living without a lot of things I once considered essential ... a dishwasher, a savings account, a man ...
Peace, out.
Tomorrow is my first Peace Corps interview. The more steps I complete, the more excited I get. I really do see this happening. On Friday I signed up to volunteer with Nebraska AIDS Project to get some experience. The people there are so warm and lovely, I can hardly wait to hang out with them. After a weekend of training in early November, I'll be certified to do HIV testing; also hope to do education and outreach. They're just kind of reinvigorating their volunteer situation, so it seems a mutually beneficial setup. Symbiosis!
Quote of the day.
"Optimism is true moral courage."
-- Sir Ernest Shackleton
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Uwei Bo Nua.
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write that song name down.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Murder, Tonight, in the Trailer Park
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I'm Not Afraid to Die
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Ladyfingers
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Sour Times
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
When Flagships Collide
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Dash 7
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Half a Person
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Horse Racing
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Think I'm Paranoid
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Jimmy
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Shining Star
WHAT SONG WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR WEDDING?
Into the Open
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Heart Full of Soul
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I Will Survive
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Crown of Love
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
All That Innocence
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man
WHAT DOES YOUR WORK/SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ENTAIL?
Song for Innocents
WHAT IS YOUR ROMANTIC SIDE LIKE?
Pa' Todo el An~o
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU?
Untitled 7
WHAT WILL YOU REPOST THIS AS?
Uwei Bo Nua
Nicked from Miz Nealy ... hers came out eerily prescient ... mine not so much. Obviously, I didn't cheat and find the "perfect" song! A couple of funny ones, though ... what *do* I think of my friends?!?
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. Write that song name down.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Murder, Tonight, in the Trailer Park
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
I'm Not Afraid to Die
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Ladyfingers
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Sour Times
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
When Flagships Collide
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Dash 7
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Half a Person
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Horse Racing
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Think I'm Paranoid
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Jimmy
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Shining Star
WHAT SONG WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR WEDDING?
Into the Open
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Heart Full of Soul
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
I Will Survive
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Crown of Love
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
All That Innocence
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man
WHAT DOES YOUR WORK/SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ENTAIL?
Song for Innocents
WHAT IS YOUR ROMANTIC SIDE LIKE?
Pa' Todo el An~o
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR YOU?
Untitled 7
WHAT WILL YOU REPOST THIS AS?
Uwei Bo Nua
Nicked from Miz Nealy ... hers came out eerily prescient ... mine not so much. Obviously, I didn't cheat and find the "perfect" song! A couple of funny ones, though ... what *do* I think of my friends?!?
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Bed, book and candle.
These nights, dark already by the time I'm home, confuse my biorhythms. Only 8 p.m. and I want to drink soup, curl under an afghan, read long classic novels. And so I do. Never mind it's 65 degrees out and not all *that* dark. Practicing my hibernation skills.
Only practicing, though. Not down for the winter count yet.
Maybe now they'll make passes?
Been a long time since I got new glasses ... not sure how I feel about them yet ...
And new bling from Tsuru, the adorable new shop on 14th:
Best news of the day.
Miz K calls me all shrieking this afternoon. Turns out our idol, Neko Case, is performing in Tucson the night after I get there for my birthday visit. Are we going? Oh, hell to the yes!
Related trivia note: Which Neko Case disc was recorded in Tucson? Tell me the answer and I'll buy you a ... hmm, don't know any local-to-Tucson brews. OK, I'll buy you a tequila shot.
Worst news of the day.
Geez, take your pick:
1) Mass rapes in Congo.
2) More civilians dead due to more contractor clusterfucks in Iraq.
Or, and not at all to make light of those ...
3) The idea of me in a wetsuit, which that surfer boy in Austin intimates may be in my near future ...
Meanwhile, in Nigeria ...
The New York Times says the country's all ducky now that Yar Adua's in charge ...
Human Rights Watch, on the other hand, says Nigeria's democracy has been "hijacked" by rampant government corruption.
And peace worker Judith Asuni is still being held, without bail, on espionage charges, without being able to answer the accusations nor even know the details of the government's "case."
Quote of the day.
"When the best-case scenario is still bad, over-analyzing the situation is a waste of your time."
-- Catty Girls Advise
Laugh of the day.
Walked into the news meeting this afternoon and suddenly realized I'd had my sweater on backwards all day. Did I bother to change it? No, I did not.
New phrase of the day.
Apparently, according to my cuz in the HR biz, the term is no longer "passive-aggressive," since there's usually nothing passive about it. Now it's known as "covert-aggressive." I don't know why I like this so much. Or I do know, but I'm certainly not going to tell you.
Currently reading: "The Good Earth," Pearl Buck
Currently hearing: 12 Girls Band (goes well with the novel's China theme)
Only practicing, though. Not down for the winter count yet.
Maybe now they'll make passes?
Been a long time since I got new glasses ... not sure how I feel about them yet ...
And new bling from Tsuru, the adorable new shop on 14th:
Best news of the day.
Miz K calls me all shrieking this afternoon. Turns out our idol, Neko Case, is performing in Tucson the night after I get there for my birthday visit. Are we going? Oh, hell to the yes!
Related trivia note: Which Neko Case disc was recorded in Tucson? Tell me the answer and I'll buy you a ... hmm, don't know any local-to-Tucson brews. OK, I'll buy you a tequila shot.
Worst news of the day.
Geez, take your pick:
1) Mass rapes in Congo.
2) More civilians dead due to more contractor clusterfucks in Iraq.
Or, and not at all to make light of those ...
3) The idea of me in a wetsuit, which that surfer boy in Austin intimates may be in my near future ...
Meanwhile, in Nigeria ...
The New York Times says the country's all ducky now that Yar Adua's in charge ...
Human Rights Watch, on the other hand, says Nigeria's democracy has been "hijacked" by rampant government corruption.
And peace worker Judith Asuni is still being held, without bail, on espionage charges, without being able to answer the accusations nor even know the details of the government's "case."
Quote of the day.
"When the best-case scenario is still bad, over-analyzing the situation is a waste of your time."
-- Catty Girls Advise
Laugh of the day.
Walked into the news meeting this afternoon and suddenly realized I'd had my sweater on backwards all day. Did I bother to change it? No, I did not.
New phrase of the day.
Apparently, according to my cuz in the HR biz, the term is no longer "passive-aggressive," since there's usually nothing passive about it. Now it's known as "covert-aggressive." I don't know why I like this so much. Or I do know, but I'm certainly not going to tell you.
Currently reading: "The Good Earth," Pearl Buck
Currently hearing: 12 Girls Band (goes well with the novel's China theme)
Thursday, October 4, 2007
My day.
Day off from work.
Extra-long workout.
Healthy lunch at Blue Orchid with one of my favorite cousins.
Fingerprinted at the Lincoln Police Department.
The fingerprinting was for my Peace Corps application. The woman making the prints was so chatty and adorable and messy. I wish I'd had my camera with me.
Then I got coffee at Cultiva so I could chat with the owner, who thanks to an article in Monday's Journal Star I just learned is a former Peace Corps volunteer. He was so enthusiastic about it -- he worked with farmers in Honduras. I'm newly inspired. He's also passionate about making sure coffee farmers and workers get a fair price for their work, so throw your coffee biz his way!
This evening I'm off to a Peace Corps info session on campus. Expecting further inspiration.
Sarahndipity.
Thanks to hearing her interview yesterday on "Fresh Air," I remembered to tune in last night to the season opener of "The Sarah Silverman Program." (My treat for driving to Schuyler, giving a presentation on Nigeria to my dad's Rotary club, driving home, cleaning house like a maniac and falling, exhausted, onto the sofa.) The Nation online has a good review of Silverman's humor. Me, I'm definitely in the "love her" camp. The reason her humor makes us so uncomfortable is because of how accurately she mirrors our culture. To laugh at her racist jokes is to laugh *at* the racists, not *with* them. Using humor to belittle what should be brought down. Me, I'm OK with that.
Linguatastic.
Who was it who suggested this collection of Geoffrey Nunberg essays on linguistics? BlankPhotog? Longstinger?
Whoever it was, thank you! I'm enjoying it. Deftly, gently humorous and good-humored take on words and culture. A relief after some heavier stuff I've been reading lately.
No more 69.
Much as it pained me to change my coveted "69" (heehee) number of friends on MySpace, I just had to honor a friend request from Bittybox, a Cali singer/songwriter with a badass voice and sensibility. Check her out!
Signs of fall.
1) The sweater I treated myself to yesterday at Stella. A lovely, mustardy yellow cardigan, hipsterized with blousy sleeves and a swingy cut.
2) First bath of the season last night, in a freshly scoured tub. To me, baths are a winter thing; they're about relaxing, not cleansing. (I'm weird/anal enough that I'll often shower first.) The luxury of steaming hot, scented water, a glass of wine, a good book. A long soak that loosens all my tight ends, muscular and mental.
Today, of course, it's back to mid-80s and stickily humid. I don't like that. I do like fall, except as a harbinger of winter.
Extra-long workout.
Healthy lunch at Blue Orchid with one of my favorite cousins.
Fingerprinted at the Lincoln Police Department.
The fingerprinting was for my Peace Corps application. The woman making the prints was so chatty and adorable and messy. I wish I'd had my camera with me.
Then I got coffee at Cultiva so I could chat with the owner, who thanks to an article in Monday's Journal Star I just learned is a former Peace Corps volunteer. He was so enthusiastic about it -- he worked with farmers in Honduras. I'm newly inspired. He's also passionate about making sure coffee farmers and workers get a fair price for their work, so throw your coffee biz his way!
This evening I'm off to a Peace Corps info session on campus. Expecting further inspiration.
Sarahndipity.
Thanks to hearing her interview yesterday on "Fresh Air," I remembered to tune in last night to the season opener of "The Sarah Silverman Program." (My treat for driving to Schuyler, giving a presentation on Nigeria to my dad's Rotary club, driving home, cleaning house like a maniac and falling, exhausted, onto the sofa.) The Nation online has a good review of Silverman's humor. Me, I'm definitely in the "love her" camp. The reason her humor makes us so uncomfortable is because of how accurately she mirrors our culture. To laugh at her racist jokes is to laugh *at* the racists, not *with* them. Using humor to belittle what should be brought down. Me, I'm OK with that.
Linguatastic.
Who was it who suggested this collection of Geoffrey Nunberg essays on linguistics? BlankPhotog? Longstinger?
Whoever it was, thank you! I'm enjoying it. Deftly, gently humorous and good-humored take on words and culture. A relief after some heavier stuff I've been reading lately.
No more 69.
Much as it pained me to change my coveted "69" (heehee) number of friends on MySpace, I just had to honor a friend request from Bittybox, a Cali singer/songwriter with a badass voice and sensibility. Check her out!
Signs of fall.
1) The sweater I treated myself to yesterday at Stella. A lovely, mustardy yellow cardigan, hipsterized with blousy sleeves and a swingy cut.
2) First bath of the season last night, in a freshly scoured tub. To me, baths are a winter thing; they're about relaxing, not cleansing. (I'm weird/anal enough that I'll often shower first.) The luxury of steaming hot, scented water, a glass of wine, a good book. A long soak that loosens all my tight ends, muscular and mental.
Today, of course, it's back to mid-80s and stickily humid. I don't like that. I do like fall, except as a harbinger of winter.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Things that made me happy today.
1) Finally compiling all the materials for my Nigeria presentations this week and next. I've heard Bill Clinton gets $30k a pop for such gigs. But then, I'm not sure he's played the Schuyler Rotary Club or my mom's PEO circle. I'll be lucky to get a meat-free meal.
2) Finally making contact with someone from the Nebraska AIDS Project, in hopes of finding satisfying/worthwhile volunteer work.
3) Hearing that, despite the national efforts of an anti-choice minority, a new Planned Parenthood clinic is open and serving women and families in Aurora, Colo.
4) Teva's keeyooot new line of fall shoes made entirely of post-consumer recycled materials. (My favorite = the Riley)
5) Reading Anita Hill's bitchslap to Clarence Thomas over his revisioned version of history.
6) Coming up with the bright idea (pun intended) that just because there's no official plan to make Lights Out San Francisco a nationwide event, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate on our own! Mark your calendars: Oct. 20, 8-9 p.m. You can live without electricity for one lousy hour, can't you? Candles and quiet and all that might bring into your life? Try it! Let me know how it works!
7) Subsequently realizing I'll be in Austin for Lights Out. Pretty sure I can live without electricity for one hour, even in a strange city.
And things that made me sad. And mad.
1) Hearing Seymour Hersh on "Fresh Air" talking about the devastating consequences likely if the current regime keeps beating its worn-out ol' war drum on Iraq. Pay attention now, people. The national spin is rotating in that direction.
2) Learning that Judith Asuni, one of the peace activists we met with in Nigeria, is being held by the government there on trumped-up espionage charges. Apparently, she helped some German documentary filmmakers gain access to rebels in the dangerous oil delta. She has done so much to illuminate the plight of this devastated region of a poverty-stricken country ... the charges can't be anything but a trumped-up way to get a muckraker out of the way. But I can't find any new information, and I am worried for her safety.
3) Reading this article about working conditions for Brazilians fueling the ethanol industry. Does any of this fuel trickle up north? Do I support this when I buy the ethanol blend here in Nebraska? I hope not. Bad enough that using ethanol supports yet more pesticide use and subverts the possibility of switching to far more logical/economical/efficient switchgrass.
And what of feeling happy or sad?
Here's an odd little story about a study that finds people who are used to being happy end up just having higher expectations for happiness.
"When good things happen, they don't count for much because they are what you expect. When bad things happen, you temporarily feel terrible, because you've gotten used to being happy."
Hmm. This gives me much to navel-gaze over.
As does this:
Quote of the day.
“The value of the dwelling is in the dweller.”
-- Idries Shah, Sufist author
2) Finally making contact with someone from the Nebraska AIDS Project, in hopes of finding satisfying/worthwhile volunteer work.
3) Hearing that, despite the national efforts of an anti-choice minority, a new Planned Parenthood clinic is open and serving women and families in Aurora, Colo.
4) Teva's keeyooot new line of fall shoes made entirely of post-consumer recycled materials. (My favorite = the Riley)5) Reading Anita Hill's bitchslap to Clarence Thomas over his revisioned version of history.
6) Coming up with the bright idea (pun intended) that just because there's no official plan to make Lights Out San Francisco a nationwide event, that doesn't mean we can't celebrate on our own! Mark your calendars: Oct. 20, 8-9 p.m. You can live without electricity for one lousy hour, can't you? Candles and quiet and all that might bring into your life? Try it! Let me know how it works!
7) Subsequently realizing I'll be in Austin for Lights Out. Pretty sure I can live without electricity for one hour, even in a strange city.
And things that made me sad. And mad.
1) Hearing Seymour Hersh on "Fresh Air" talking about the devastating consequences likely if the current regime keeps beating its worn-out ol' war drum on Iraq. Pay attention now, people. The national spin is rotating in that direction.
2) Learning that Judith Asuni, one of the peace activists we met with in Nigeria, is being held by the government there on trumped-up espionage charges. Apparently, she helped some German documentary filmmakers gain access to rebels in the dangerous oil delta. She has done so much to illuminate the plight of this devastated region of a poverty-stricken country ... the charges can't be anything but a trumped-up way to get a muckraker out of the way. But I can't find any new information, and I am worried for her safety.
3) Reading this article about working conditions for Brazilians fueling the ethanol industry. Does any of this fuel trickle up north? Do I support this when I buy the ethanol blend here in Nebraska? I hope not. Bad enough that using ethanol supports yet more pesticide use and subverts the possibility of switching to far more logical/economical/efficient switchgrass.
And what of feeling happy or sad?
Here's an odd little story about a study that finds people who are used to being happy end up just having higher expectations for happiness.
"When good things happen, they don't count for much because they are what you expect. When bad things happen, you temporarily feel terrible, because you've gotten used to being happy."
Hmm. This gives me much to navel-gaze over.
As does this:
Quote of the day.
“The value of the dwelling is in the dweller.”
-- Idries Shah, Sufist author
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