Yesterday whilst channel surfing, I stopped on a cooking show on the Food Network called "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee." The woman, through the act of enunciating of her words, indicated she was suffering from a major bout of Fucking Retardosis that made Rachel Ray look like the president of MENSA, but that wasn't really the point. She was making oven-baked hot dogs wrapped in bacon.
Now, I know that some of you are going "Holy sodium nitrites, Batman!" or "Holy Mother of Mohammed, where can I get some of that??" (For the record, I was thinking both.) As a gluttonous American, I love hot dogs and I love bacon, but I make no notions at all that either thing is actually healthy. Putting the two together just sounds, well, awesome. In that ass-fattening kind of way.
But leave it to our creative hostess, Sandra Lee, to actually spin the bacon-wrapped hot dog entree as something worth eating for NUTRITIONAL reasons! "Oh, the kids are gonna just eat this up! And it's a GREAT way to get some protein into them!" Wow. You know, if I was concerned about a kid's protein intake, I could think of about a dozen healthier alternatives to bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Listen, Sandra: the average hot dog has about 20 grams of fat. Wrapping a piece of bacon adds about four or five more, and we won't even discuss the sodium content, which is nothing short of egregious.
There is no need to sell these gorgeous meaty concoctions as something with any kind of redeeming nutritional value. When we encounter these foods that are good for nothing more than soothing the demons in our souls, we call them "treats." Now stop being an idiot before you burn yourself.
p.s. I turned 18 today and am going to get a tattoo soon. Yay me!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Thursday, September 27, 2007
The Problem With Mother Nature
While scientists continue to pour on irrefutable evidence that Global Warming is indeed a reality and something that we as a society need to fix, politicians and religious leaders just don't want to give in. For every logical and rational argument that science puts out there, politics lashes back with a crazy and unfounded counter-point. But the facts are adding up and the politicians are running out of crappy excuses for the sudden rise in temperature. So I came up with a new one that just might work.
Consider this: perhaps Mother Earth is simply having hot flashes. Put into the perspective of the timeline of the entire Universe, Mother Earth is at about that age where she should be experiencing Menopause. Her bodies of water are going through some changes, but this is totally normal; lots of women go through this natural change everyday. And Nature is prepared for this shift. In fact, this isn't the first time Mother Earth has experienced this sort of thing. Think back to when the ice ages ended and the polar caps all melted and flooded the Earth. That was Mother Earth getting her first period!
This excuse will work like a charm. Anytime a guy hears that a girl is going through her "lady times," he shuts up right away, no questions asked. In fact, most guys have no idea what "lady times" really entail, and are willing to assume anything that happens during those times is perfectly normal.
The problem with the politicians' current tactic is that they are using arguments that the scientists are comfortable talking about. Nothing, however, makes a nerd more uncomfortable than a hot girl... and that's exactly what Mother Earth is right now.
Consider this: perhaps Mother Earth is simply having hot flashes. Put into the perspective of the timeline of the entire Universe, Mother Earth is at about that age where she should be experiencing Menopause. Her bodies of water are going through some changes, but this is totally normal; lots of women go through this natural change everyday. And Nature is prepared for this shift. In fact, this isn't the first time Mother Earth has experienced this sort of thing. Think back to when the ice ages ended and the polar caps all melted and flooded the Earth. That was Mother Earth getting her first period!
This excuse will work like a charm. Anytime a guy hears that a girl is going through her "lady times," he shuts up right away, no questions asked. In fact, most guys have no idea what "lady times" really entail, and are willing to assume anything that happens during those times is perfectly normal.
The problem with the politicians' current tactic is that they are using arguments that the scientists are comfortable talking about. Nothing, however, makes a nerd more uncomfortable than a hot girl... and that's exactly what Mother Earth is right now.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Looking Back, Moving Forward
Often in our lives we reach a state of emptiness. We become weary and discontent with our life, with our world. It's as if we're in a lazy state of boredom, needing something, yet not motivated to identify it, let alone acquire it. This is when the dark nostalgia kicks in, the longing for things past. The devaluing of what you have now compared to what was once yours.
In many blogs I've lurked in the past few months, I recognized that dark nostalgia—the ennui, enough where any one blogger shouldn't feel I'm talking about him or her. There are a bunch of you out there, and I recognize that torture we put ourselves through, whether it's searching for someone to love, moving someplace new, or just not knowing what to do next.
All of us have gotten or will get into that state of immersive reclusion, the feeling that we are surrounded and alone. I remember those times personally, but they themselves are nostalgia for me. My life is often difficult and challenging, probably much like your own, yet I've come to own it and savor it and am fascinated by it. My life has times of happiness and sadness, and I relish them both.
I haven't had those moments of dark nostalgia for a while now. Writing, especially blogging, is one of the few times I actually spend thinking about the past. And I think I understand why. Our past, especially a fond memory, is defined by two specifics: the people involved and the novelty of the moment.
The first item, "the people," I didn't understand for a very long time. I spent much of my life trying to get away from people, away from crowds. Yet when I think about any fond memory I have, it is the people that made it special. I don't think I've ever started a story with, "There was this one time when I sat around my house all day by myself and ..." But we talk about situations like they have a life of their own. Metaphors are nice, but they can obscure reality; the life isn't in the event, it's in the people, and more specifically, the people that were special to you in that moment.
Just try to recall any significant event in your life and think about what was special about it; you'll find that in each case it was the people with you or around you that made it special. All of our "favorites" in life will most likely have people associated with them - your favorite food. Your favorite game. Your favorite movie. People define life and give it meaning, and our memories are special because of them.
The second item, "novelty," is easily forgotten. While not as strong as the people factor, novelty is still powerful in affecting our memories. Simply put, something new is memorable. We remember that date with the person that was different, that lunch at the new restaurant, and how wonderful that new movie was.
We often forget how special much of our daily lives are simply because it isn't new. We've seen the movie over a dozen times so it has lost some of its original appeal. But does it stop being great just because we are intimate with the film? With our boyfriend? With our food? We over-sensualize the things in our daily lives to the point where they bore us and we then find ourselves craving the novelty.
So what have I learned? For one, we need each other to give our lives meaning. I still like to go off into my own little world, but now I can stare at you in the eyes without blinking. I've learned not to eat Asian seven nights a week, to keep my sensuality fresh, to look at different pictures, to listen to different music, to taste different food. It is this variety that brings a freshness and comfort to the mundane.
You can return to that town you used to live in but the people are different and the novelty is gone. It wasn't the town, the movie theater, or the high school, it was the right people and the freshness that made it special. Fulfillment isn't found looking back and longing, it is in accepting new people and new situations. We grow old and die because otherwise, life would be a dull sensation that drives us all mad.
In many blogs I've lurked in the past few months, I recognized that dark nostalgia—the ennui, enough where any one blogger shouldn't feel I'm talking about him or her. There are a bunch of you out there, and I recognize that torture we put ourselves through, whether it's searching for someone to love, moving someplace new, or just not knowing what to do next.
All of us have gotten or will get into that state of immersive reclusion, the feeling that we are surrounded and alone. I remember those times personally, but they themselves are nostalgia for me. My life is often difficult and challenging, probably much like your own, yet I've come to own it and savor it and am fascinated by it. My life has times of happiness and sadness, and I relish them both.
I haven't had those moments of dark nostalgia for a while now. Writing, especially blogging, is one of the few times I actually spend thinking about the past. And I think I understand why. Our past, especially a fond memory, is defined by two specifics: the people involved and the novelty of the moment.
The first item, "the people," I didn't understand for a very long time. I spent much of my life trying to get away from people, away from crowds. Yet when I think about any fond memory I have, it is the people that made it special. I don't think I've ever started a story with, "There was this one time when I sat around my house all day by myself and ..." But we talk about situations like they have a life of their own. Metaphors are nice, but they can obscure reality; the life isn't in the event, it's in the people, and more specifically, the people that were special to you in that moment.
Just try to recall any significant event in your life and think about what was special about it; you'll find that in each case it was the people with you or around you that made it special. All of our "favorites" in life will most likely have people associated with them - your favorite food. Your favorite game. Your favorite movie. People define life and give it meaning, and our memories are special because of them.
The second item, "novelty," is easily forgotten. While not as strong as the people factor, novelty is still powerful in affecting our memories. Simply put, something new is memorable. We remember that date with the person that was different, that lunch at the new restaurant, and how wonderful that new movie was.
We often forget how special much of our daily lives are simply because it isn't new. We've seen the movie over a dozen times so it has lost some of its original appeal. But does it stop being great just because we are intimate with the film? With our boyfriend? With our food? We over-sensualize the things in our daily lives to the point where they bore us and we then find ourselves craving the novelty.
So what have I learned? For one, we need each other to give our lives meaning. I still like to go off into my own little world, but now I can stare at you in the eyes without blinking. I've learned not to eat Asian seven nights a week, to keep my sensuality fresh, to look at different pictures, to listen to different music, to taste different food. It is this variety that brings a freshness and comfort to the mundane.
You can return to that town you used to live in but the people are different and the novelty is gone. It wasn't the town, the movie theater, or the high school, it was the right people and the freshness that made it special. Fulfillment isn't found looking back and longing, it is in accepting new people and new situations. We grow old and die because otherwise, life would be a dull sensation that drives us all mad.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
If Star-crossed Lovers Lived
Do you think Romeo and Juliet would have been as immortal in life as they were in death? I mean, had they lived and had little Romeo Jr. (technically they were already married) would they be as famous and as oft-quoted as they are now? Would their love story still be deemed the greatest love story of all time - a perfect ode to love?
Yeah right! Romeo never had to see Juliet first thing in the morning, and Juliet never heard Romeo snoring. Tragedy is what lends so much allure to love stories, what allows them to play out, reach their natural life cycle and, like everything else, eventually reach the maturity stage. At this point dying for one another might appear to be slightly foolish, if not downright ridiculous.
Love changes over time. It grows deeper, and the thumping heart and jelly knees turn into a different kind of emotion; it becomes real, and like everything real, it stops being a perfect little fairy tale.
It becomes more meaningful because it is accepted with all of its flaws and imperfections; it turns into acceptance and respect and the desire to make things work even when the going gets a bit rough.
It's a strange kind of friendship, a paradox of sorts - someone capable of hurting you worse than anyone ever could, but at the same time someone who can make you the happiest you've ever been.
It is being accepted even after you've made a complete ass of yourself at times. It is making room for another in your precious space, allowing the heart to open up a little more every day to accommodate each others' insecurities and ego, unspoken fears and vanities.
It's doing little things for one another. It is unconsciously turning in the night and feeling thankful for the person next to you, feeling content at knowing there is someone out there who knows you better than you think they know you; someone who you may fight with and exchange cruel words with, but someone who will still be there in the morning.
Someone you may walk away mentally from once in a while... but someone you return to each time. Someone tied to you with the most fragile of bonds, yet often the one most difficult to break.
Yeah right! Romeo never had to see Juliet first thing in the morning, and Juliet never heard Romeo snoring. Tragedy is what lends so much allure to love stories, what allows them to play out, reach their natural life cycle and, like everything else, eventually reach the maturity stage. At this point dying for one another might appear to be slightly foolish, if not downright ridiculous.
Love changes over time. It grows deeper, and the thumping heart and jelly knees turn into a different kind of emotion; it becomes real, and like everything real, it stops being a perfect little fairy tale.
It becomes more meaningful because it is accepted with all of its flaws and imperfections; it turns into acceptance and respect and the desire to make things work even when the going gets a bit rough.
It's a strange kind of friendship, a paradox of sorts - someone capable of hurting you worse than anyone ever could, but at the same time someone who can make you the happiest you've ever been.
It is being accepted even after you've made a complete ass of yourself at times. It is making room for another in your precious space, allowing the heart to open up a little more every day to accommodate each others' insecurities and ego, unspoken fears and vanities.
It's doing little things for one another. It is unconsciously turning in the night and feeling thankful for the person next to you, feeling content at knowing there is someone out there who knows you better than you think they know you; someone who you may fight with and exchange cruel words with, but someone who will still be there in the morning.
Someone you may walk away mentally from once in a while... but someone you return to each time. Someone tied to you with the most fragile of bonds, yet often the one most difficult to break.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Recipe For Disaster, Er, Democracy
After arriving home last night I made it a point to watch General Patraeus's speech to Congress and President Bush's address to the nation (had to Tivo both). Hmmm. I feel this is an appropriate response.
From the Less With More Global Politics Cookbook:
Ingredients:
1 pre-emptive military strike…
1 prolonged occupation…
Mix together with de-stabilizing forces such as sectarian extremist groups…
Let bake ____ years
Instructions:
Don’t ask any questions about the recipe. Once you have begun this recipe, don’t try other recipes. When it looks like the recipe isn’t going to turn out, add another ingredient (surge).
Here is an insider perspective on the situation in Baghdad. I wonder if we can hear the truth in the voice of this 24 year-old dentist (Iraqi) who speaks of the current state of affairs and the effectiveness of the American military/political strategy.
From the Less With More Global Politics Cookbook:
Ingredients:
1 pre-emptive military strike…
1 prolonged occupation…
Mix together with de-stabilizing forces such as sectarian extremist groups…
Let bake ____ years
Instructions:
Don’t ask any questions about the recipe. Once you have begun this recipe, don’t try other recipes. When it looks like the recipe isn’t going to turn out, add another ingredient (surge).
Here is an insider perspective on the situation in Baghdad. I wonder if we can hear the truth in the voice of this 24 year-old dentist (Iraqi) who speaks of the current state of affairs and the effectiveness of the American military/political strategy.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Customer Service (or lack thereof)
Customer Service? What the hell is that? The rules have changed. Customer service is out - "we don't give a bleep!" is in. Nice people are shooting strangers, polite people are becoming rude. As feelings of frustration intensify from indifference from those providing products and services, tempers flare and normally docile people are being reduced to raging maniacs.
Customer service assistance used to be the answer when you had a problem. If a problem could not be resolved, a supervisor could often make things right. Many businesses had local offices where customer service problems could be resolved in person. Deregulation, voicemail, the Internet, outsourcing of employment, and devaluation of customers not only took away authority from those able to rectify problems, but it also removed places you could go to file a complaint in person.
Just try resolving a problem or dispute with any large corporation these days. Today, dialing a customer service number starts a predictable chain of events:
First comes the procrastination; I dread making the call because I can already predict the end result pretty darn accurately. But being one who dislikes continually being taken advantage of by corporations, I just have to make an effort, hoping that maybe customer service is coming back into vogue.
When dialing the telephone number, my defenses begin raising up like concrete walls to protect me from them, and them from me. As the phone rings my heart rate increases as I am already anticipating the confusing voicemail options and the game of trying to guess which number will get a real person to answer. And then it starts. "That number is not an option", or even better, "We are experiencing a high volume of calls so please call back later", and then... click! The friggin' phone is dead.
When someone finally does answer with the standard "How can I provide you with excellent customer service?" I am distracted from the paperwork I worked on while waiting on hold for an hour. With my neck now in a kink, I would just love to reply with "It would be the first time", but I'm still in "Bridget, be nice" mode, so I proceed to again repeat my problem.
Somehow, all of my previous calls that I thought were documented in the computer have now disappeared. Asked to repeat all the same information yet again, I begin to feel the ugly rage monster roaming around inside my chest. My voice starts getting louder as it becomes increasingly difficult to keep my sarcasm out of the conversation.
I again hear the clicking of a keyboard while I am talking to the customer service person, while I envision all those previously lost keystrokes floating around somewhere in outer space. I'm beginning to believe my conversations are being deleted upon completion just to test my endurance. How many times can we lose her before we force her to call the crisis clinic to deflate her frazzled emotional state?
If you really want to amuse yourself, try to convince a company they owe you money for lost time, wages, and therapy appointments. Most of us have spent too many long hours waiting for something to be delivered that arrived late, defective, or not at all. Then there is the time spent calling repeatedly about a problem. I have yet to be compensated other than a small credit on my bill for my lost time and nothing for my insanity issues.
What finally unleashes the rage monster is when I have done nothing wrong and I have to pay the price for a company's incompetence. Unfortunately, the only one available to take the wrath is some poor soul who needs a job and ends up working for a company that doesn't give two shits about their customers.
To add insult to injury and due to outsourcing of jobs to other countries, often the customer service clerks do not have the English speaking skills to be understood. Although difficult on those of us who have good hearing, broken accents are even more difficult on someone who has hearing problems.
So, after running through the maze, being left on hold (haven't even mentioned that horrible elevator music) and being told there is nothing that can be done, I once again give up any hope of resolving the problem and the company once again wins. Damn. I guess I'll just have to take comfort in something a very wise woman once said: "Karma's a bitch." They'll get theirs.
***Blog topic compliments of Cingular Wireless, HP, & DishNetwork (in case you were wondering).
Customer service assistance used to be the answer when you had a problem. If a problem could not be resolved, a supervisor could often make things right. Many businesses had local offices where customer service problems could be resolved in person. Deregulation, voicemail, the Internet, outsourcing of employment, and devaluation of customers not only took away authority from those able to rectify problems, but it also removed places you could go to file a complaint in person.
Just try resolving a problem or dispute with any large corporation these days. Today, dialing a customer service number starts a predictable chain of events:
First comes the procrastination; I dread making the call because I can already predict the end result pretty darn accurately. But being one who dislikes continually being taken advantage of by corporations, I just have to make an effort, hoping that maybe customer service is coming back into vogue.
When dialing the telephone number, my defenses begin raising up like concrete walls to protect me from them, and them from me. As the phone rings my heart rate increases as I am already anticipating the confusing voicemail options and the game of trying to guess which number will get a real person to answer. And then it starts. "That number is not an option", or even better, "We are experiencing a high volume of calls so please call back later", and then... click! The friggin' phone is dead.
When someone finally does answer with the standard "How can I provide you with excellent customer service?" I am distracted from the paperwork I worked on while waiting on hold for an hour. With my neck now in a kink, I would just love to reply with "It would be the first time", but I'm still in "Bridget, be nice" mode, so I proceed to again repeat my problem.
Somehow, all of my previous calls that I thought were documented in the computer have now disappeared. Asked to repeat all the same information yet again, I begin to feel the ugly rage monster roaming around inside my chest. My voice starts getting louder as it becomes increasingly difficult to keep my sarcasm out of the conversation.
I again hear the clicking of a keyboard while I am talking to the customer service person, while I envision all those previously lost keystrokes floating around somewhere in outer space. I'm beginning to believe my conversations are being deleted upon completion just to test my endurance. How many times can we lose her before we force her to call the crisis clinic to deflate her frazzled emotional state?
If you really want to amuse yourself, try to convince a company they owe you money for lost time, wages, and therapy appointments. Most of us have spent too many long hours waiting for something to be delivered that arrived late, defective, or not at all. Then there is the time spent calling repeatedly about a problem. I have yet to be compensated other than a small credit on my bill for my lost time and nothing for my insanity issues.
What finally unleashes the rage monster is when I have done nothing wrong and I have to pay the price for a company's incompetence. Unfortunately, the only one available to take the wrath is some poor soul who needs a job and ends up working for a company that doesn't give two shits about their customers.
To add insult to injury and due to outsourcing of jobs to other countries, often the customer service clerks do not have the English speaking skills to be understood. Although difficult on those of us who have good hearing, broken accents are even more difficult on someone who has hearing problems.
So, after running through the maze, being left on hold (haven't even mentioned that horrible elevator music) and being told there is nothing that can be done, I once again give up any hope of resolving the problem and the company once again wins. Damn. I guess I'll just have to take comfort in something a very wise woman once said: "Karma's a bitch." They'll get theirs.
***Blog topic compliments of Cingular Wireless, HP, & DishNetwork (in case you were wondering).
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Dependence Day
The curse of youth is believing that we thirst for independence; in reality, however, our dependence on others is often what we value the most. As my 18th birthday is fast approaching, I am just now realizing how guilty I've been of this over the past few years. In two weeks I will have every right in the world to pack up my stuff, leave my father's house, move into an apartment with some roomies, and even buy a box of cigars to celebrate. And I always thought that the only flaw in this age-old teenage fantasy had to do with the financial aspects of it. This is shocking, I know, but guess what? I was wrong. Not only that, but I was so wrong that I am admitting it to you now.
Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am fiercely independent - or at least I try to be. I've always preferred to deal with situations personally, to not let others know what troubles I am burdened with, to do all that I can to avoid asking for help with a problem that is mine to solve. So maybe I've always felt that doing everything on my own will one day reap me the reward of getting to do everything that I want to as well. It is now that I've just had the EUREKA! moment I needed to realize that no matter how old we get, freedom is never really the answer. (Though it is nice. And very convenient.)
Think about it: when we are young, we are restrained; our parents control virtually every aspect of our lives, and many times are the final authority on decisions that are actually ours to make. Naturally, we rebel. We go through years of teenage resentment and upon graduation day can think of no better idea than to get as far away from our parents and their judgments as is possible. Although this "being your own boss" thing and getting to live for yourself may come with a few perks, it's definitely not what it's cracked up to be. Furthermore, it doesn't last; there will inevitably come a day when we choose to live our lives with and for someone else, when suddenly the idea of not getting our way all of the time will be reintroduced into our lives. I am finding that the more prepared I am for such a thing, the less and less my inner-self struggles for independence.
The thing is, it's so easy to feel being that way is okay when the people surrounding you would still be there if you weren't that way. Translation: if I one day fall flat on my ass because I never asked you for help, you will still be willing to give it to me. People like that are a very rare gift in our lives; God blesses us with one set of those at birth, and we even find a few ourselves before leaving the nest. But what happens when we reach a point when we have to say goodbye to both of them in search of a new life with new people? How do we make the transition from being able to count on those familiar faces we have come to know and love to having no choice but to survive without their help?
There is a Brad Pitt movie quote that goes "I guess in the end you start thinking about the beginning." Reflecting on this statement, I can't help but think about the beginnings of so many things that will soon come to an end... and perhaps things that already have. As a result, I've decided that I'm still going to pack up my stuff. I'm still going to move out of my father's house. I'm still going to buy that box of cigars. Only now, I do these things not from a motivation of freedom or stubborn independence, but with the knowledge that relying on those you care for when you really need to is something to embrace, something to offer in return, something to feel good about. Something that lets you know when life's a bitch (as it frequently can be) you'll pull through a little less scarred because there were people by your side willing to fight the fight with you.
For those of you who have fit that description in my life, I thank you from the depths of my very heart and soul; I love you with every ounce of my being. I would be lost without you.
Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am fiercely independent - or at least I try to be. I've always preferred to deal with situations personally, to not let others know what troubles I am burdened with, to do all that I can to avoid asking for help with a problem that is mine to solve. So maybe I've always felt that doing everything on my own will one day reap me the reward of getting to do everything that I want to as well. It is now that I've just had the EUREKA! moment I needed to realize that no matter how old we get, freedom is never really the answer. (Though it is nice. And very convenient.)
Think about it: when we are young, we are restrained; our parents control virtually every aspect of our lives, and many times are the final authority on decisions that are actually ours to make. Naturally, we rebel. We go through years of teenage resentment and upon graduation day can think of no better idea than to get as far away from our parents and their judgments as is possible. Although this "being your own boss" thing and getting to live for yourself may come with a few perks, it's definitely not what it's cracked up to be. Furthermore, it doesn't last; there will inevitably come a day when we choose to live our lives with and for someone else, when suddenly the idea of not getting our way all of the time will be reintroduced into our lives. I am finding that the more prepared I am for such a thing, the less and less my inner-self struggles for independence.
The thing is, it's so easy to feel being that way is okay when the people surrounding you would still be there if you weren't that way. Translation: if I one day fall flat on my ass because I never asked you for help, you will still be willing to give it to me. People like that are a very rare gift in our lives; God blesses us with one set of those at birth, and we even find a few ourselves before leaving the nest. But what happens when we reach a point when we have to say goodbye to both of them in search of a new life with new people? How do we make the transition from being able to count on those familiar faces we have come to know and love to having no choice but to survive without their help?
There is a Brad Pitt movie quote that goes "I guess in the end you start thinking about the beginning." Reflecting on this statement, I can't help but think about the beginnings of so many things that will soon come to an end... and perhaps things that already have. As a result, I've decided that I'm still going to pack up my stuff. I'm still going to move out of my father's house. I'm still going to buy that box of cigars. Only now, I do these things not from a motivation of freedom or stubborn independence, but with the knowledge that relying on those you care for when you really need to is something to embrace, something to offer in return, something to feel good about. Something that lets you know when life's a bitch (as it frequently can be) you'll pull through a little less scarred because there were people by your side willing to fight the fight with you.
For those of you who have fit that description in my life, I thank you from the depths of my very heart and soul; I love you with every ounce of my being. I would be lost without you.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Rocket Science
I recently heard about this movie from my friend Chris, and I've decided that it is an absolute must-see. What can I say? It appeals to my inner-nerd.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
100 Things
I've seen these lists on a lot of other sites and, seeing as how they're becoming quite common, thought it was time for me to make one as well. So here it is - 100 completely random things you may or may not know about me. (I'm still trying to figure out how my attention span of about zero allowed me to get this done!)
1. I believe in fate/divine intervention/whatever you want to call it. All I know is I am where I am because it is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.
2. Because of that faith, I can get through just about anything.
3. I was brought up as a Roman Catholic.
4. I left the church at 15. My mother has never forgiven me.
5. I've made it a point to go to other houses of worship and to study other faiths. I even went through a brief agnostic phase.
6. Speaking of faith, I am more spiritual than secular. Therein lies my problem with the Catholic church. Oh, that and original sin. And purgatory.
7. I know we are not alone. There is no possible way that humans are the most intelligent life form. If so, we have wasted a golden opportunity by being so egoistic.
8. I frequently think about the tenuousness of life, of how random and delicate the balance is. And it frightens me, sometimes to the point of panic. We are surviving because a star is burning at the perfect temperature the perfect distance away from this perfectly chemically balanced blue marble… yet we continue to pump chemicals into our atmosphere and our water and destroy rainforests and obliterate whole species. Who’s to say we aren’t next?
9. If we were next, I don’t think it would bother me very much. Except for that whole dying thing, I would say we deserve what we get.
10. I think too much.
11. I don’t tell people what I’m thinking very often.
12. I get the feeling I’ve done this before quite a lot. Yup, déjà vu. A LOT.
13. I am allergic to idiots.
14. I am a clean freak because I have to be, but there is actually nothing I hate more.
15. If I could afford it, I would have a housekeeper. Like that's ever going to happen!
16. I hate going to the doctor.
17. I hate going to the dentist even more.
18. If I make more than one dentist appointment in a six-month span, someone has held a gun to my head.
19. Because of the above, I’m pretty good at self-diagnosis.
20. I’m happily involved in a wonderful relationship. It’s not perfect (the distance sucks right now) but it’s better than I ever thought I deserved. Yup, I'm in lurve.
21. I am, by nature, a jealous person. This comes from being cheated on and blindsided with it. Trust is tough for me... I'm working on it.
22. I am also, by nature, a loyal person. I have a select bunch of close friends and only one love. Just the way I am.
23. My family tree is full of alcoholics. Don't worry, I'm nothing like them.
24. I don’t lose my temper very often. I tend to simmer. When I do lose it, however, watch out.
25. I am passive-aggressive. I don’t always tell you when something is bothering me but you will know.
26. I don’t like conflict, but will always stand up for myself or others if necessary.
27. I love to sing along with loud music… loudly.
28. I even sing in the shower.
29. I hate Hate HATE being late.
30. I don’t like fast food much… unless you call hole-in-the-wall Chinese fast food.
31. I love daisies. They have a fresh, clean grass smell, unlike other stinkier flowers like lilies (funeral) and lilacs (old ladies). Not yellow ones (though I wouldn’t object to a thousand yellow daisies someday).
32. I love to move. Not just dancing, but looking in someone’s eyes and just moving together, as if there is no one else watching.
33. Hoping to get a tattoo next month. They don't hurt as much as people say they do.
34. I have three sisters.
35. I love to hold hands.
36. I love to be held, too.
37. I don’t like wearing makeup. Oddly, this doesn't stop me from doing so.
38. I love getting manicures and pedicures, but don't regularly. Not good at caring for my nails.
39. I hate glitter… and sequins… and ribbons and lace and other embellishments.
40. I’m not high maintenance.
41. I wish I was taller. It's a disappointment to stop growing at 5'3".
42. I hate my hair. It's thin and loves to fall flat.
43. I have hazel eyes.
44. My eyes are my worst feature… they show every flicker of emotion, every flinch, every wince. Damn them.
45. I don’t like to try clothes on before I buy them. Dressing rooms are evil black holes of destroyed self-esteem.
46. I don’t wear perfume very often. Too many of them smell like "old lady."
47. I do use body wash and body spray from Bath & Body works. It’s one indulgence I enjoy.
48. Coffee… nectar of the gods.
49. I love to read.
50. I hate romance novels. These people wouldn’t know romance if it hit them on the head.
51. I hate stereotypes, bigotry, ignorance and small-mindedness.
52. I also don’t see how people can put so much stock in the color of someone’s skin. It’s just SKIN, people. A bag that keeps your insides in. People of different colors don’t act differently… I do think people of different cultures act differently, but colors? I don’t see it. I don’t think it should be so emphasized with kids, either. You are raising a generation of bigots by living as if its all Us vs. Them.
53. I like Spring. Rebirth, a new chance. Watching buds unfold and eggs hatch gives me hope.
54. I like Fall better. Perfect temperature outside, the leaves are beautiful, and there's just something about Autumn air that smells good.
55. I don’t feel 18.
56. I live with my father; it's just us.
57. Sometimes I feel like I'm the parent. I just don't pay the bills he does.
58. I have an I.Q. of 139. Not the best, but not too shabby either.
59. Everything having to do with computers interest me. My laptop is my baby.
60. I love to travel. London this past summer was amazing.
61. Camping trips are the best with the right people by your side.
62. The only way to shut me up short of duct-taping my mouth is to take me fishing.
63. Once upon a time I was very athletic, as in "best on the team" status. I still miss softball and basketball very much.
64. Debate & Forensics have replaced those two things. Last year, my debate partner and I took 8th at the state championship.
65. I am the proud owner of an Olympus E-510 digital SLR camera. Photography intrigues me.
66. I recently quit smoking. I miss it.
67. More exercise is being forced on me as a result, which I hated to begin with. But I need to.
68. Politically speaking, I am slightly left-of-center. Barack Obama is currently my candidate for President in 2008.
69. Someday I hope to become an English/Debate/Amer. History/Amer. Gov. high school teacher.
70. Getting married and having 2-3 kids is the thing I want most in life.
71. My astrological sign is Libra, and it describes me to a T. This doesn't mean I read those day-to-day horoscope things like a crazy person, though.
72. I am a grammar nazi.
73. I have 2 boxers (Frazier & Sasha) and two cats (Mango & Baby Kitty).
74. If I had to choose, I would be a dog person.
75. In the Star Wars movies, the Jedi way of life always bothered me a bit (this especially pertains to Anakin Skywalker in Episode III). Minus the whole being evil thing, the Sith dudes are pretty cool.
76. Sometimes I have a hard time accepting things (and people) for what they really are.
77. I love to laugh.
78. My favorite show is Grey's Anatomy. I don't get to watch much TV these days, though.
79. My favorite color is green.
80. I would do almost anything to own a Mini-Cooper, Z3 Coupe Bimmer, and/or a Nissan Xterra.
81. I will never, I repeat NEVER, drive a mini-van.
82. I love the city of Chicago.
83. Procrastination is one of my worst habits.
84. My favorite snack as of late has been sunflower seeds. That'll probably change pretty soon.
85. If it were even remotely possible, I'd have a chimp as a pet. But it definitely isn't.
86. I have freckles.
87. I am very white.
88. I tend to be slightly shy when meeting someone for the first time.
89. Though I've doubted it in the past, I am a strong believer in Karma.
90. I act differently around fellow high school students for some reason than I do with other people. It's like I feel the need to "immaturize" myself in order to fit in sometimes. I feel most like myself when I'm in the company of my close friends outside school.
91. This, by no means, is to say that I'm the most mature person out there. In fact, that's laughable. I'm laughing right now just thinking about it.
92. After a highly stressful event I usually have a migraine the next day. They're REALLY bad.
93. I would love to someday renovate a colonial-style home to my liking. One with a big front porch.
94. Three things that I always seem to lose are my keys, glasses, and cell phone.
95. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the Christmas season.
96. Heritage-wise, I am almost entirely Irish. I love Irish accents, too.
97. The one thing I can draw well is a caricature.
98. I go to the movies more than any person has any business to.
99. Though nowhere near "Feminazi" status, I am a strong believer in equality.
100. I’ve never finished one of these before. *gasp!*
1. I believe in fate/divine intervention/whatever you want to call it. All I know is I am where I am because it is exactly where I am supposed to be right now.
2. Because of that faith, I can get through just about anything.
3. I was brought up as a Roman Catholic.
4. I left the church at 15. My mother has never forgiven me.
5. I've made it a point to go to other houses of worship and to study other faiths. I even went through a brief agnostic phase.
6. Speaking of faith, I am more spiritual than secular. Therein lies my problem with the Catholic church. Oh, that and original sin. And purgatory.
7. I know we are not alone. There is no possible way that humans are the most intelligent life form. If so, we have wasted a golden opportunity by being so egoistic.
8. I frequently think about the tenuousness of life, of how random and delicate the balance is. And it frightens me, sometimes to the point of panic. We are surviving because a star is burning at the perfect temperature the perfect distance away from this perfectly chemically balanced blue marble… yet we continue to pump chemicals into our atmosphere and our water and destroy rainforests and obliterate whole species. Who’s to say we aren’t next?
9. If we were next, I don’t think it would bother me very much. Except for that whole dying thing, I would say we deserve what we get.
10. I think too much.
11. I don’t tell people what I’m thinking very often.
12. I get the feeling I’ve done this before quite a lot. Yup, déjà vu. A LOT.
13. I am allergic to idiots.
14. I am a clean freak because I have to be, but there is actually nothing I hate more.
15. If I could afford it, I would have a housekeeper. Like that's ever going to happen!
16. I hate going to the doctor.
17. I hate going to the dentist even more.
18. If I make more than one dentist appointment in a six-month span, someone has held a gun to my head.
19. Because of the above, I’m pretty good at self-diagnosis.
20. I’m happily involved in a wonderful relationship. It’s not perfect (the distance sucks right now) but it’s better than I ever thought I deserved. Yup, I'm in lurve.
21. I am, by nature, a jealous person. This comes from being cheated on and blindsided with it. Trust is tough for me... I'm working on it.
22. I am also, by nature, a loyal person. I have a select bunch of close friends and only one love. Just the way I am.
23. My family tree is full of alcoholics. Don't worry, I'm nothing like them.
24. I don’t lose my temper very often. I tend to simmer. When I do lose it, however, watch out.
25. I am passive-aggressive. I don’t always tell you when something is bothering me but you will know.
26. I don’t like conflict, but will always stand up for myself or others if necessary.
27. I love to sing along with loud music… loudly.
28. I even sing in the shower.
29. I hate Hate HATE being late.
30. I don’t like fast food much… unless you call hole-in-the-wall Chinese fast food.
31. I love daisies. They have a fresh, clean grass smell, unlike other stinkier flowers like lilies (funeral) and lilacs (old ladies). Not yellow ones (though I wouldn’t object to a thousand yellow daisies someday).
32. I love to move. Not just dancing, but looking in someone’s eyes and just moving together, as if there is no one else watching.
33. Hoping to get a tattoo next month. They don't hurt as much as people say they do.
34. I have three sisters.
35. I love to hold hands.
36. I love to be held, too.
37. I don’t like wearing makeup. Oddly, this doesn't stop me from doing so.
38. I love getting manicures and pedicures, but don't regularly. Not good at caring for my nails.
39. I hate glitter… and sequins… and ribbons and lace and other embellishments.
40. I’m not high maintenance.
41. I wish I was taller. It's a disappointment to stop growing at 5'3".
42. I hate my hair. It's thin and loves to fall flat.
43. I have hazel eyes.
44. My eyes are my worst feature… they show every flicker of emotion, every flinch, every wince. Damn them.
45. I don’t like to try clothes on before I buy them. Dressing rooms are evil black holes of destroyed self-esteem.
46. I don’t wear perfume very often. Too many of them smell like "old lady."
47. I do use body wash and body spray from Bath & Body works. It’s one indulgence I enjoy.
48. Coffee… nectar of the gods.
49. I love to read.
50. I hate romance novels. These people wouldn’t know romance if it hit them on the head.
51. I hate stereotypes, bigotry, ignorance and small-mindedness.
52. I also don’t see how people can put so much stock in the color of someone’s skin. It’s just SKIN, people. A bag that keeps your insides in. People of different colors don’t act differently… I do think people of different cultures act differently, but colors? I don’t see it. I don’t think it should be so emphasized with kids, either. You are raising a generation of bigots by living as if its all Us vs. Them.
53. I like Spring. Rebirth, a new chance. Watching buds unfold and eggs hatch gives me hope.
54. I like Fall better. Perfect temperature outside, the leaves are beautiful, and there's just something about Autumn air that smells good.
55. I don’t feel 18.
56. I live with my father; it's just us.
57. Sometimes I feel like I'm the parent. I just don't pay the bills he does.
58. I have an I.Q. of 139. Not the best, but not too shabby either.
59. Everything having to do with computers interest me. My laptop is my baby.
60. I love to travel. London this past summer was amazing.
61. Camping trips are the best with the right people by your side.
62. The only way to shut me up short of duct-taping my mouth is to take me fishing.
63. Once upon a time I was very athletic, as in "best on the team" status. I still miss softball and basketball very much.
64. Debate & Forensics have replaced those two things. Last year, my debate partner and I took 8th at the state championship.
65. I am the proud owner of an Olympus E-510 digital SLR camera. Photography intrigues me.
66. I recently quit smoking. I miss it.
67. More exercise is being forced on me as a result, which I hated to begin with. But I need to.
68. Politically speaking, I am slightly left-of-center. Barack Obama is currently my candidate for President in 2008.
69. Someday I hope to become an English/Debate/Amer. History/Amer. Gov. high school teacher.
70. Getting married and having 2-3 kids is the thing I want most in life.
71. My astrological sign is Libra, and it describes me to a T. This doesn't mean I read those day-to-day horoscope things like a crazy person, though.
72. I am a grammar nazi.
73. I have 2 boxers (Frazier & Sasha) and two cats (Mango & Baby Kitty).
74. If I had to choose, I would be a dog person.
75. In the Star Wars movies, the Jedi way of life always bothered me a bit (this especially pertains to Anakin Skywalker in Episode III). Minus the whole being evil thing, the Sith dudes are pretty cool.
76. Sometimes I have a hard time accepting things (and people) for what they really are.
77. I love to laugh.
78. My favorite show is Grey's Anatomy. I don't get to watch much TV these days, though.
79. My favorite color is green.
80. I would do almost anything to own a Mini-Cooper, Z3 Coupe Bimmer, and/or a Nissan Xterra.
81. I will never, I repeat NEVER, drive a mini-van.
82. I love the city of Chicago.
83. Procrastination is one of my worst habits.
84. My favorite snack as of late has been sunflower seeds. That'll probably change pretty soon.
85. If it were even remotely possible, I'd have a chimp as a pet. But it definitely isn't.
86. I have freckles.
87. I am very white.
88. I tend to be slightly shy when meeting someone for the first time.
89. Though I've doubted it in the past, I am a strong believer in Karma.
90. I act differently around fellow high school students for some reason than I do with other people. It's like I feel the need to "immaturize" myself in order to fit in sometimes. I feel most like myself when I'm in the company of my close friends outside school.
91. This, by no means, is to say that I'm the most mature person out there. In fact, that's laughable. I'm laughing right now just thinking about it.
92. After a highly stressful event I usually have a migraine the next day. They're REALLY bad.
93. I would love to someday renovate a colonial-style home to my liking. One with a big front porch.
94. Three things that I always seem to lose are my keys, glasses, and cell phone.
95. My favorite holiday is Christmas. I love the Christmas season.
96. Heritage-wise, I am almost entirely Irish. I love Irish accents, too.
97. The one thing I can draw well is a caricature.
98. I go to the movies more than any person has any business to.
99. Though nowhere near "Feminazi" status, I am a strong believer in equality.
100. I’ve never finished one of these before. *gasp!*
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