Monday, October 31, 2005
A Question of Taste?
What did people think about Frist and Alito having a photo opp in the Capitol Rotunda today, right in front of Rosa Parks' coffin and her mourners? I thought it was incredibly crass. There's a discussion thread about it over at DailyKos.
More Book Talk!
I just finished reading Philip Roth's The Plot Against America. If you haven't heard about it, it's a novel that depicts a nightmare scenario: What if Charles Lindbergh, well-known anti-Semite, was actually a prop of the Nazis? What if defeated FDR in the election of 1940 and began institutionalizing that anti-Semitism? Here's my review from Amazon (yes, I love writing reviews there, too!)
Roth's tale of a mirror-image America, one that becomes quickly overcome by hatred and fear in the name of "national security," is both a chilling political suspense story and a poignant look at one young boy recognizing the end of childhood.
Current political allusions aside, Roth creates a very vivid and detailed picture of an America gone fascist under "Lucky Lindy," a President with suspiciously close ties to Adolf Hitler. Viewing the nation's slide into the abyss through the eyes of one Jewish family, the reader shares their terror as their government, their neighbors, and even their extended family can no longer be trusted. Young Philip experiences more than his share of trauma, as one by one his heroes - his brother, his cousin, his President, his country - fall.
Once you get into the real meat of this book, the pages practically turn themselves as you eagerly read on to see what happens to the Roths and to the America that we think we know. My only criticism is in Roth's writing style, particularly in the early chapters. I've never read any of his other books so I don't know what's typical, but I felt that his long passages of exposition read like something out of a textbook rather than a novel. He clearly researched this book thoroughly, but I wished that some of the information was imparted in a more readable way rather than long monologues about stamp collecting, or about the history of the monuments in Washington, etc.
Overall, this book was a fascinating and engrossing read. I strongly recommend it to anyone who's interested in history, politics, or just a good, old-fashioned thriller.
So, it's time for another book check. What are you reading now? Any recommendations?
Roth's tale of a mirror-image America, one that becomes quickly overcome by hatred and fear in the name of "national security," is both a chilling political suspense story and a poignant look at one young boy recognizing the end of childhood.
Current political allusions aside, Roth creates a very vivid and detailed picture of an America gone fascist under "Lucky Lindy," a President with suspiciously close ties to Adolf Hitler. Viewing the nation's slide into the abyss through the eyes of one Jewish family, the reader shares their terror as their government, their neighbors, and even their extended family can no longer be trusted. Young Philip experiences more than his share of trauma, as one by one his heroes - his brother, his cousin, his President, his country - fall.
Once you get into the real meat of this book, the pages practically turn themselves as you eagerly read on to see what happens to the Roths and to the America that we think we know. My only criticism is in Roth's writing style, particularly in the early chapters. I've never read any of his other books so I don't know what's typical, but I felt that his long passages of exposition read like something out of a textbook rather than a novel. He clearly researched this book thoroughly, but I wished that some of the information was imparted in a more readable way rather than long monologues about stamp collecting, or about the history of the monuments in Washington, etc.
Overall, this book was a fascinating and engrossing read. I strongly recommend it to anyone who's interested in history, politics, or just a good, old-fashioned thriller.
So, it's time for another book check. What are you reading now? Any recommendations?
I Hate Electronics Stores
More specifically, I hate Best Buy. I bought my computer there last year and, since the reason I was buying a new one was cuz my old one died, I shelled out the hundred bucks or so to get whatever their warranty/protection policy is. And I opened a Best Buy account to save 10% and to have all of my purchases recorded in that account. When I bought the protection policy I remember asking if you had to show the receipt in order to use the service in the future, cuz I know that although I try my hardest I do sometimes misplace things. They told me not to worry, that I could just come in and they could look it up in my account.
Well, today it was all put to the test. This morning, on what was supposed to be a leisurely, restful, sick day at home for me, I accidentally crunched the laptop's power cord in the gears of my recliner. Yeeowch! So, buh-bye, no computer, I just got the black screen of death. I got on the phone and made 2 calls. Radio Shack, which is just a few blocks away, had a universal power adapter for 120 bucks. I was sorely temptd, cuz I'm all about immediacy and paying money so as not to wait. But I made myself slow down and call Best Buy. They said that yes, a new power adapter would be covered under my plan. I'd just have to come in and get them to write up a maintenance ticket, which would be sent to the factory or whatever, and I'd have a new adapter for free in about 2 business days. I cringed at the thought of no home computer for so long, but I knew that was the more sensible way to go.
So, on my sick day, I got myself out to Tenleytown and went to Best Buy. I started at the Customer Service desk. Oxymoron lately? It's staffed by these young kids who seem extremely disinterested in talking to anyone who needs customer service. When I finally did start talking to people, it's as if it's a nother language. They talk in weird electronics-store code, with PSP's and tickets and departments that don't talk to each other.
Customer Service sent me back to the Geek Squad (now all the way at the back of the store) cuz they couldn't figure out what I was talking about. The Geek Squad sent me back to Customer Service cuz they said I needed to get a print out of my receipt that outlined my service plan. Customer service tried looking up my account. While they found my digital camera and its service plan on my Visa, they said there was no record of my purchase of the computer or any plan on my Best Buy card. Huh??? I KNOW that I bought it on the BB card, and I have the statements to show that I paid it off.
They told me I could call the Customer Service of the credit card, so I stood there at the counter on my cell phone talking to some new guy in a service center somewhere. He looked up my account and found the charge for the computer and the plan, but since it was "so long ago" he couldn't see anything itemized. I asked how I could get a receipt that showed the plan, and he said I could write a letter to their Correspondence Department. Yeah, right.
At this point, I decided to "F**k it" and just buy the damn adapter myself. So I go back to the computer station and talk to 2 different people to see if what they have in stock would work for my computer. One guy said "No, this won't work for your model." The Geek Squad guy said "Yes, this should work for your model." Neither one of them knew Best Buy's return policy, and whether I could actually return something that had been opened to get a refund. By now I was SO done with this place. I figured that if I were to buy something that had to be returned, I might as well do it at Radio Shack just a few blocks away, rather than all the way out at Tenleytown.
So, I headed back to AdMo and went to Radio Shack. Within 10 minutes I had exactly what I needed, and I'd had 3 sales guys trying to help me. Before I paid, I asked what the return policy was. The cute guy said 30 days, and I asked what if it's been opened? He laughed and said "You've gotta open it to see if it works!" Finally, an electronics store with a policy that makes sense.
Now I'm home and happy, cuz the little $120 gadget that I bought - called the Juice! - actually works! But I'm so over Best Buy. All of my experiences with them have been bad. But what's the alternative for those of us carless in the city? Hopefully I won't need to get anything there for a long darn time.
Well, today it was all put to the test. This morning, on what was supposed to be a leisurely, restful, sick day at home for me, I accidentally crunched the laptop's power cord in the gears of my recliner. Yeeowch! So, buh-bye, no computer, I just got the black screen of death. I got on the phone and made 2 calls. Radio Shack, which is just a few blocks away, had a universal power adapter for 120 bucks. I was sorely temptd, cuz I'm all about immediacy and paying money so as not to wait. But I made myself slow down and call Best Buy. They said that yes, a new power adapter would be covered under my plan. I'd just have to come in and get them to write up a maintenance ticket, which would be sent to the factory or whatever, and I'd have a new adapter for free in about 2 business days. I cringed at the thought of no home computer for so long, but I knew that was the more sensible way to go.
So, on my sick day, I got myself out to Tenleytown and went to Best Buy. I started at the Customer Service desk. Oxymoron lately? It's staffed by these young kids who seem extremely disinterested in talking to anyone who needs customer service. When I finally did start talking to people, it's as if it's a nother language. They talk in weird electronics-store code, with PSP's and tickets and departments that don't talk to each other.
Customer Service sent me back to the Geek Squad (now all the way at the back of the store) cuz they couldn't figure out what I was talking about. The Geek Squad sent me back to Customer Service cuz they said I needed to get a print out of my receipt that outlined my service plan. Customer service tried looking up my account. While they found my digital camera and its service plan on my Visa, they said there was no record of my purchase of the computer or any plan on my Best Buy card. Huh??? I KNOW that I bought it on the BB card, and I have the statements to show that I paid it off.
They told me I could call the Customer Service of the credit card, so I stood there at the counter on my cell phone talking to some new guy in a service center somewhere. He looked up my account and found the charge for the computer and the plan, but since it was "so long ago" he couldn't see anything itemized. I asked how I could get a receipt that showed the plan, and he said I could write a letter to their Correspondence Department. Yeah, right.
At this point, I decided to "F**k it" and just buy the damn adapter myself. So I go back to the computer station and talk to 2 different people to see if what they have in stock would work for my computer. One guy said "No, this won't work for your model." The Geek Squad guy said "Yes, this should work for your model." Neither one of them knew Best Buy's return policy, and whether I could actually return something that had been opened to get a refund. By now I was SO done with this place. I figured that if I were to buy something that had to be returned, I might as well do it at Radio Shack just a few blocks away, rather than all the way out at Tenleytown.
So, I headed back to AdMo and went to Radio Shack. Within 10 minutes I had exactly what I needed, and I'd had 3 sales guys trying to help me. Before I paid, I asked what the return policy was. The cute guy said 30 days, and I asked what if it's been opened? He laughed and said "You've gotta open it to see if it works!" Finally, an electronics store with a policy that makes sense.
Now I'm home and happy, cuz the little $120 gadget that I bought - called the Juice! - actually works! But I'm so over Best Buy. All of my experiences with them have been bad. But what's the alternative for those of us carless in the city? Hopefully I won't need to get anything there for a long darn time.
Sunday, October 30, 2005
A History of Violence
So the girls and I went out last night for dinner and a movie. It took a while to find a movie we could all agree on, since we tend to have different tastes. And since I am *really* not interested in North Country (which looks to me like a typical Lifetime, spoonfeeding, gorgeous star-in-a-mullet movie), they were willing to compromise to see my top choice, A History of Violence. I do appreciate their willingness to go along for the ride. ;-)
The basic premise of the movie is this: Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is an upstanding pillar of the community, running a small diner in a quaint little Indiana town. When 2 homicidal drifters roll into town and cause a scene in the diner, Tom takes them down with surprising ease, becoming a local hero. His picture is flashed all over the news, cuz everyone loves a small-town hero. Suddenly, three mobsters from Philadelphia (Ed Harris and 2 flunkies) show up in the diner and start calling Tom by another name, leading to a series of events that call into question Tom's identity and motives. It's a bit of a suspense story and also a drama about a family in crisis, focusing on how events affect Tom's wife Edie (Maria Bello) and their teenage son.
After the movie, the 3 of us had very mixed reactions. I liked it, but had a few criticisms. My friends didn't really care for it, but I hope that with the conversation we had afterward we all can appreciate what the movie was trying to do. Reactions/comments, in no particular order:
1. The violence in the movie is very real. When someone is shot, it's not a clean, pretty scene. There's no quick cut away, it actually shows what a bullet would do to someone's face, or skull, or chest. Even though I was one of the people gasping and hiding my eyes in my turtleneck during most of these scenes, I get it. I get why the director (David Cronenberg) included those gory images. This is a movie about violence, about what it takes for a person to really be able to inflict horrible pain or death upon another person and still be able to live with it. They couldn't show a usual movie scene, with special effects and music cues, and still get the audience to understand the horror of what violence is.
2. A lot has been written about the 2 fairly graphic sex scenes between Tom and Edie. As we discussed it afterwards, it seemed like the point of these (esp. the 2nd one) was to show that passion and violence are often very related, 2 sides of the same coin.
3. The combination of sex and violence means that this was NOT a family-friendly film. MCB's comment as we walked out was "Stef, remember when we saw Hannibal and decided that was a terrible movie for parents to bring their kids to? This was worse." We were all appalled at the woman a few rows ahead of us who had her small child with her. At one point during the movie, I think after a particularly graphic scene, I heard the kid yell out "Mommy, I want a hot dog!" MCB heard "Mommy, I want to leave this place!" It was so inappropriate for a child to be seeing this.
4. My biggest complaint about the movie was a cameo appearance by William Hurt. He was horribly, horribly, horribly miscast. I can see why he would want to do the role, cuz it was a juicy, scene-chewing, vanity role for someone like him. But he was not good. You couldn't figure out the tone of his character and he was just smarmy and not believable.
5. On the other hand, I loved the teenage son. He brought a lot of the humor and humanity to the movie, and it was a pretty difficult role. He was played by a young actor named Ashton Holmes.
6. Like I said, overall, I liked the movie. It falls into a certain genre of films that I really enjoy. AS and I were trying to figure out how to categorize this genre, of minimalist, spare, usually independent dramas. They tend to be very character and story-driven, and don't have flashy special effects or a feel-good soundtrack. Movies like Junebug, or You Can Count on Me, or In the Bedroom. I think of these movies as being "under-produced" in a good way. The best term I can come up with to describe them is "acoustic" - movies, unplugged.
The basic premise of the movie is this: Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) is an upstanding pillar of the community, running a small diner in a quaint little Indiana town. When 2 homicidal drifters roll into town and cause a scene in the diner, Tom takes them down with surprising ease, becoming a local hero. His picture is flashed all over the news, cuz everyone loves a small-town hero. Suddenly, three mobsters from Philadelphia (Ed Harris and 2 flunkies) show up in the diner and start calling Tom by another name, leading to a series of events that call into question Tom's identity and motives. It's a bit of a suspense story and also a drama about a family in crisis, focusing on how events affect Tom's wife Edie (Maria Bello) and their teenage son.
After the movie, the 3 of us had very mixed reactions. I liked it, but had a few criticisms. My friends didn't really care for it, but I hope that with the conversation we had afterward we all can appreciate what the movie was trying to do. Reactions/comments, in no particular order:
1. The violence in the movie is very real. When someone is shot, it's not a clean, pretty scene. There's no quick cut away, it actually shows what a bullet would do to someone's face, or skull, or chest. Even though I was one of the people gasping and hiding my eyes in my turtleneck during most of these scenes, I get it. I get why the director (David Cronenberg) included those gory images. This is a movie about violence, about what it takes for a person to really be able to inflict horrible pain or death upon another person and still be able to live with it. They couldn't show a usual movie scene, with special effects and music cues, and still get the audience to understand the horror of what violence is.
2. A lot has been written about the 2 fairly graphic sex scenes between Tom and Edie. As we discussed it afterwards, it seemed like the point of these (esp. the 2nd one) was to show that passion and violence are often very related, 2 sides of the same coin.
3. The combination of sex and violence means that this was NOT a family-friendly film. MCB's comment as we walked out was "Stef, remember when we saw Hannibal and decided that was a terrible movie for parents to bring their kids to? This was worse." We were all appalled at the woman a few rows ahead of us who had her small child with her. At one point during the movie, I think after a particularly graphic scene, I heard the kid yell out "Mommy, I want a hot dog!" MCB heard "Mommy, I want to leave this place!" It was so inappropriate for a child to be seeing this.
4. My biggest complaint about the movie was a cameo appearance by William Hurt. He was horribly, horribly, horribly miscast. I can see why he would want to do the role, cuz it was a juicy, scene-chewing, vanity role for someone like him. But he was not good. You couldn't figure out the tone of his character and he was just smarmy and not believable.
5. On the other hand, I loved the teenage son. He brought a lot of the humor and humanity to the movie, and it was a pretty difficult role. He was played by a young actor named Ashton Holmes.
6. Like I said, overall, I liked the movie. It falls into a certain genre of films that I really enjoy. AS and I were trying to figure out how to categorize this genre, of minimalist, spare, usually independent dramas. They tend to be very character and story-driven, and don't have flashy special effects or a feel-good soundtrack. Movies like Junebug, or You Can Count on Me, or In the Bedroom. I think of these movies as being "under-produced" in a good way. The best term I can come up with to describe them is "acoustic" - movies, unplugged.
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Movies I Want to See This Fall
Just in case I forget, I thought I'd post the list.... I'll either be seeing these in the theater or adding them to my Netflix queue very soon.
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Memoirs of a Geisha
3. Jarhead
4. Casanova (MG, I'll wait 'til you're back!)
5. Derailed (I forgot to add Clive Owen as one of my celebrity crushes. I hope he can forgive me.)
6. Rent
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
8. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
9. Walk the Line
10. Fun with Dick and Jane
Wow, and there are so many more.... Fall is definitely my favorite movie season. Who wants to join me??? :-)
1. Brokeback Mountain
2. Memoirs of a Geisha
3. Jarhead
4. Casanova (MG, I'll wait 'til you're back!)
5. Derailed (I forgot to add Clive Owen as one of my celebrity crushes. I hope he can forgive me.)
6. Rent
7. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
8. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
9. Walk the Line
10. Fun with Dick and Jane
Wow, and there are so many more.... Fall is definitely my favorite movie season. Who wants to join me??? :-)
Boo!
In the spirit of Halloween.....
I have never seen a ghost. I've loved ghost stories (and vampires) my whole life. Some of my favorite memories are of being a camp kid and then a camp counselor, sitting around the fire getting scared out of my mind with ghost stories.
I grew up in a huge old house on a farm in the middle of nowhere. The perfect place for a ghost, since the old part of the house had been built in the 1830's and just seemed like a great setting for a restelss spirit. The closest I ever came to thinking I heard something was one night when I was playing piano in the living roomn, far from the rest of the family (big house), and I started to hear this screeching sound coming from the corner of the room. I was freaked out for a minute, then I realized it was just two old tomcats fighting on the porch. Best to stay away from that - trust me, if you've been there, you know.
Even though there were rumors of ghosts living in some of the old dorms on campus, I never saw a ghost there either. Those big old Gothic brick buildings would've been perfect, though, what with strange staircases to nowhere and all. Again, the only time I thought I might've been hearing something turned out to be nothing. I was walking home in the woods one night, taking the shortcut from the guys' side by cutting across the bridge on the lake. I started hearing scary noises in the woods, whispreing and branches snapping. A little freaky no matter what time of day. As I was starting to get really scared, a guy stepped out and I saw that it was just ROTC doing some night drills. (MCB, Maj. Downer and Capt. Fail were nowhere in sight.)
The only other semi-spooky experience I've had was when I moved into this apartment. For the first month or so that I lived here, I found that I was really anxious, restless, and uncomfortable whenever I went into my bedroom to go to sleep at night. I remember it being so strange that I commented to friends about it, how I just couldn't figure out why the room felt so strange to me. Was it a different energy? I ended up thinking it must have been because the layout of the room was flipped, that every other bedroom I'd had had the bed facing the same way and the doors on windows on the same side, and this one was the opposite. Maybe that would make me uncomfortable and anxious? I don't know. The feeling eventually went away, but when I think about it now I remember that it did really bother me for a while.
So even though I've never seen a ghost, I still think I'd like to. But only if it's a good ghost, not something really scary. I've always been a little jealous of my friend ET, who is very sensitive and has several ghost stories of his own. I like to think that I could handle the unknown if it were to happen, but I don't know for sure. Check out this story of a woman who confronted a ghost in her new apartment. Could I have handled it so well?
What about you? Any good ghost stories out there?
I have never seen a ghost. I've loved ghost stories (and vampires) my whole life. Some of my favorite memories are of being a camp kid and then a camp counselor, sitting around the fire getting scared out of my mind with ghost stories.
I grew up in a huge old house on a farm in the middle of nowhere. The perfect place for a ghost, since the old part of the house had been built in the 1830's and just seemed like a great setting for a restelss spirit. The closest I ever came to thinking I heard something was one night when I was playing piano in the living roomn, far from the rest of the family (big house), and I started to hear this screeching sound coming from the corner of the room. I was freaked out for a minute, then I realized it was just two old tomcats fighting on the porch. Best to stay away from that - trust me, if you've been there, you know.
Even though there were rumors of ghosts living in some of the old dorms on campus, I never saw a ghost there either. Those big old Gothic brick buildings would've been perfect, though, what with strange staircases to nowhere and all. Again, the only time I thought I might've been hearing something turned out to be nothing. I was walking home in the woods one night, taking the shortcut from the guys' side by cutting across the bridge on the lake. I started hearing scary noises in the woods, whispreing and branches snapping. A little freaky no matter what time of day. As I was starting to get really scared, a guy stepped out and I saw that it was just ROTC doing some night drills. (MCB, Maj. Downer and Capt. Fail were nowhere in sight.)
The only other semi-spooky experience I've had was when I moved into this apartment. For the first month or so that I lived here, I found that I was really anxious, restless, and uncomfortable whenever I went into my bedroom to go to sleep at night. I remember it being so strange that I commented to friends about it, how I just couldn't figure out why the room felt so strange to me. Was it a different energy? I ended up thinking it must have been because the layout of the room was flipped, that every other bedroom I'd had had the bed facing the same way and the doors on windows on the same side, and this one was the opposite. Maybe that would make me uncomfortable and anxious? I don't know. The feeling eventually went away, but when I think about it now I remember that it did really bother me for a while.
So even though I've never seen a ghost, I still think I'd like to. But only if it's a good ghost, not something really scary. I've always been a little jealous of my friend ET, who is very sensitive and has several ghost stories of his own. I like to think that I could handle the unknown if it were to happen, but I don't know for sure. Check out this story of a woman who confronted a ghost in her new apartment. Could I have handled it so well?
What about you? Any good ghost stories out there?
Friday, October 28, 2005
The Art of Being a Regular
I have now lived and worked in DC long enough to start being considered a "regular" at certain dining establishments, mostly around my office in the Penn Quarter area. I love it. I love being able to go into a place and say hello to a friendly, familiar place, maybe enjoy some small talk, and receive a little better service than random/tourist customers might get.
At Austin Grill, the daytime host and the weeknight bartender are both familiar faces who know my name. I usually get bumped up a bit on the list to get a table when I'm friendly and walk in with a smile. At Gordon Biersch, I'm a well-known "friend of" a king of the regulars (thanks!) and also get bumped up in line and some friendly conversation. The 8th Street corner deli is a frequent spot, and when the cute guy makes my lunch I find myself getting TWO pickles with my sandwich. (Now, don't think anything dirty!) At Olsson's and Teaism, it's enough to just get that smile in the middle of a crazy lunch hour and a "Hey, Stefanie, good to see you." And we had a Ginger Reef phase that led to more than a few free shots.....
My next goal? McCormick & Schmick's. Their prices are hard to beat, with cheap drink specials and $1.95 cheeseburgers at happy h9our. But the service takes FOREVER when you're sitting at the bar. So now my plan is to become a regular and start getting a little better attention when sitting at the bar tables during happy hour. I think we've made a start, as this is 2 nights in a row that MH and I have been there. Tonight the lady bartender called me "sweetie" a few times. I think we're on our way to faster cheeseburgers!
I do like being a regular. It's funny that I totally consider it a factor in my quality of life as far as my job and its location. I love the Penn Quarter neighborhood, and a large part of that is all of these fun, friendly restaurants.
At Austin Grill, the daytime host and the weeknight bartender are both familiar faces who know my name. I usually get bumped up a bit on the list to get a table when I'm friendly and walk in with a smile. At Gordon Biersch, I'm a well-known "friend of" a king of the regulars (thanks!) and also get bumped up in line and some friendly conversation. The 8th Street corner deli is a frequent spot, and when the cute guy makes my lunch I find myself getting TWO pickles with my sandwich. (Now, don't think anything dirty!) At Olsson's and Teaism, it's enough to just get that smile in the middle of a crazy lunch hour and a "Hey, Stefanie, good to see you." And we had a Ginger Reef phase that led to more than a few free shots.....
My next goal? McCormick & Schmick's. Their prices are hard to beat, with cheap drink specials and $1.95 cheeseburgers at happy h9our. But the service takes FOREVER when you're sitting at the bar. So now my plan is to become a regular and start getting a little better attention when sitting at the bar tables during happy hour. I think we've made a start, as this is 2 nights in a row that MH and I have been there. Tonight the lady bartender called me "sweetie" a few times. I think we're on our way to faster cheeseburgers!
I do like being a regular. It's funny that I totally consider it a factor in my quality of life as far as my job and its location. I love the Penn Quarter neighborhood, and a large part of that is all of these fun, friendly restaurants.
1...2...3...4...5!
1 Count of Obstruction of Justice
2 Counts of Perjury
2 Counts of Making False Statements
1 Ridiculous Nickname for a Grown Man
Here's the full text of the indictment. Enjoy! Merry Fitzmas, part 1!
2 Counts of Perjury
2 Counts of Making False Statements
1 Ridiculous Nickname for a Grown Man
Here's the full text of the indictment. Enjoy! Merry Fitzmas, part 1!
Pop Quiz
My brother and I are texting each other, trying to remember the answer to a key 90's pop culture question:
Who killed Laura Palmer?
I thought it was her father, possessed by the spirit of some guy named Bob. My brother also said it was Leland Palmer, but then I realized I may be confusing the actors. Was Leland Palmer the guy who had been in West Side Story? Who is the guy who was just in Good Night and Good Luck? That may have been Lara Flynn Boyle's father. Or Audrey's/Sherilynn Fenn's father? I'm so confused?!?
Does anyone remember a clear answer to who really killed Laura Palmer? I want to try to figure it out without looking it up.
Who killed Laura Palmer?
I thought it was her father, possessed by the spirit of some guy named Bob. My brother also said it was Leland Palmer, but then I realized I may be confusing the actors. Was Leland Palmer the guy who had been in West Side Story? Who is the guy who was just in Good Night and Good Luck? That may have been Lara Flynn Boyle's father. Or Audrey's/Sherilynn Fenn's father? I'm so confused?!?
Does anyone remember a clear answer to who really killed Laura Palmer? I want to try to figure it out without looking it up.
Hmmmmm....Fitzmas Morning?
CNN is reporting two tips.... Bob Franken has heard that Karl Rove was told he will not be indicted today, but that he will continue to be under investigation. SSWHC (although he's not a WHC anymore) John King has heard that Scooter probably *will* be indicted today. So.....it's looking like it's Fitzmas morning! At least partially. Maybe it's like we'll get one Fitzmas present today but have to wait a while to get our really big present? I'd love to see Rove go down....
And btw, Ann Coulter was just wearing JEANS in her CNN interview with Miles O'Brien. I hate Ann Coulter.
And btw, Ann Coulter was just wearing JEANS in her CNN interview with Miles O'Brien. I hate Ann Coulter.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
One of Those Survey Things
You can thank and/or blame EA for this one.... I can never back down from a challenge!
7 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
- Fall madly in love and be loved in return
- Live in Boston
- Own a bookstore
- Visit all 7 continents (My parents have done it - I'm on 4 and counting!)
- Raise happy, healthy children
- Sing my heart out in front of people (I have horrible stage fright)
- Learn to love exercise. I aspire to it, just haven't gotten there yet. Maybe try hiking?
7 Things I Cannot Do:
- Draw
- Roll my R's
- Be disciplined about packing my lunch
- Change light bulbs in my apt without the help of someone taller
- StairMaster (I can't ever make it work, I just sink to the bottom)
- Watch golf on television
- Vote right-wing Republican
7 Things That Attract Me to the Opposite Sex (Or the Same Sex, what have you):
- Broad shoulders
- Secretly well-built biceps (as in they're always hidden under shirts/sweaters, but when you happen to grab their arm and feel that it's rock solid, oooooohhhh.....)
- Intellectual curiosity
- Dry, sarcastic wit
- Glasses (Most of the guys I check out on the Metro tend to wear glasses, dunno why)
- A quick smile
- Good relationship with women in general (Mom, sisters, good female friends)
7 Things I Say Most Often:
- Like
- You know
- Stay tuned
- Whatever
- We'll see
- Absolutely
- Is it lunch time yet?
7 Celebrity Crushes:
- Ewan McGregor
- Matt Damon
- Johnny Depp
- Angelina Jolie
- Bono (he's gonna save the world, you know)
- David Boreanaz as Angel
- James Marsters as Spike
7 People I Want To Do This:
I don't know if anyone will, but here's your challenge....
- AS
- CG
- Sharkbait
- SSE
- Lazy Bunny
7 Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
- Fall madly in love and be loved in return
- Live in Boston
- Own a bookstore
- Visit all 7 continents (My parents have done it - I'm on 4 and counting!)
- Raise happy, healthy children
- Sing my heart out in front of people (I have horrible stage fright)
- Learn to love exercise. I aspire to it, just haven't gotten there yet. Maybe try hiking?
7 Things I Cannot Do:
- Draw
- Roll my R's
- Be disciplined about packing my lunch
- Change light bulbs in my apt without the help of someone taller
- StairMaster (I can't ever make it work, I just sink to the bottom)
- Watch golf on television
- Vote right-wing Republican
7 Things That Attract Me to the Opposite Sex (Or the Same Sex, what have you):
- Broad shoulders
- Secretly well-built biceps (as in they're always hidden under shirts/sweaters, but when you happen to grab their arm and feel that it's rock solid, oooooohhhh.....)
- Intellectual curiosity
- Dry, sarcastic wit
- Glasses (Most of the guys I check out on the Metro tend to wear glasses, dunno why)
- A quick smile
- Good relationship with women in general (Mom, sisters, good female friends)
7 Things I Say Most Often:
- Like
- You know
- Stay tuned
- Whatever
- We'll see
- Absolutely
- Is it lunch time yet?
7 Celebrity Crushes:
- Ewan McGregor
- Matt Damon
- Johnny Depp
- Angelina Jolie
- Bono (he's gonna save the world, you know)
- David Boreanaz as Angel
- James Marsters as Spike
7 People I Want To Do This:
I don't know if anyone will, but here's your challenge....
- AS
- CG
- Sharkbait
- SSE
- Lazy Bunny
Timing?
Eeeeenteresting. Any theories out there as to why Harriet might withdraw the day before the Grand Jury is scheduled to close? Might Bush's personal lawyer and the White House General Counsel know something about what's going on in that Grand Jury room? Are they trying to deflect another imminent story? This W. H. loves to control the news cycle, but I'm thinking (hoping) that this time they can't. So what's your favorite conspiracy theory?
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Woohoo!
Jon Stewart just gave a random shout-out to my hometown, tiny little Auburn, NY. Best known for being the home of William Seward, Harriet Tubman, and the first electric chair.
(For those of you in the know, yes, I went to Skaneateles schools but my address was always Auburn. It's a village of 3,000 vs. a town of 30,000. Small potatoes everywhere...)
(For those of you in the know, yes, I went to Skaneateles schools but my address was always Auburn. It's a village of 3,000 vs. a town of 30,000. Small potatoes everywhere...)
Not so Comcastic
I don't think I'm a fan of this whole channel line-up change. Is anyone else just a little upset that Comedy Central has gone from being ironic, snarky, glorious channel 69 to just plain old channel 68? Why, I ask you, why?!?
Through the Eyes of Gods
I went to a great National Geographic Live program tonight, when aerial photographer (and former Yalie lawyer/investment banker) Robert Haas showed images from his new book Through the Eyes of Gods. The photographs and his stories were truly amazing. He was able to reach extremely remote places and capture views of our planet and of the daily struggle of humans and animals like we've never seen before. The color, light, shapes, and shadows in his work were gorgeous. Many of his pictures of geological features actually looked like abstract art rather than photographs of real places.
Thanks, DM, both for giving me the info about this program in the first place and for being my partner in crime tonight. I'm looking forward to the next 4 programs that I have tickets for!
After this program, I am inspired again to come up with a real plan to visit Africa (that Senegal idea for 2007 does seem like it could be a reality) and to keep on working with my own, still very new photographic work. Since I did decide to buy tickets to a number of these programs, and since my life is in a little bit of flux right now, I decided against signing up for CHAW's night photography class in Nov/Dec. I may still change my mind, but either way I need to get back out with my camera and spend some time looking and seeing again. Watch for new stuff!
A Local Treasure
I just got out of a cab in which I had a truly entertaining conversation with the driver. He's an 82 year old jazz musician named Bobby who drives the cab just to pick up some extra cash. Bobby was regaling me with all these amazing stories about his heyday of playing in clubs along U Street and at hotels around town. He's played with Shirley Horn and he even played at Clarence Thomas's wedding, although he was sure to point out "I don't much care for him." He even told me a few off-color stories about the women he's known, and how their husbands have reacted. What a fascinating character, and he's so full of life and energy and totally has that sparkle of mischief in his eye. It made me really wish I was a writer, cuz he would be the great basis of a novel.
The conversation made me think of two things, really. First is that I really need to check out DC's jazz scene. I've been here 3 years and still have never been to any of the live music clubs, and I really should go. Anyone want to venture out with me?
Second, is that I again realized how much I love DC's cab drivers. I spend way too much money taking taxis and should be using the bus or Metro instead, but I have had so many fascinating conversations with drivers that I just love seeing what may happen when I hop into a cab. I have found that, for the most part, DC's drivers are a fascinating bunch of people. They tend to be very personable, extremely informed about current events (many seem to listen to NPR all day long) and often about DC history, and have really colorful opinions that they're usually pretty ready to share.
I've found that it usually just takes me laughing or snorting at something I hear on the radio to get a driver started on whatever the topic at hand. I have learned about the history of this city, about a lot of different countries that people are from, about conversations they've overheard from other passengers, and about a whole wide range of political and social viewpoints that I never would've heard from the usual group of people I talk to. Maybe that's part of why I like it so much, cuz these are guys who I probably wouldn't run into to have a real conversation with very often in my normal daily routine, so it's like it's a whole window into another world of experience right here in DC.
So, my advice: Take a cab every once in a while. You just might find yourself having the best darn conversation of your day.
The conversation made me think of two things, really. First is that I really need to check out DC's jazz scene. I've been here 3 years and still have never been to any of the live music clubs, and I really should go. Anyone want to venture out with me?
Second, is that I again realized how much I love DC's cab drivers. I spend way too much money taking taxis and should be using the bus or Metro instead, but I have had so many fascinating conversations with drivers that I just love seeing what may happen when I hop into a cab. I have found that, for the most part, DC's drivers are a fascinating bunch of people. They tend to be very personable, extremely informed about current events (many seem to listen to NPR all day long) and often about DC history, and have really colorful opinions that they're usually pretty ready to share.
I've found that it usually just takes me laughing or snorting at something I hear on the radio to get a driver started on whatever the topic at hand. I have learned about the history of this city, about a lot of different countries that people are from, about conversations they've overheard from other passengers, and about a whole wide range of political and social viewpoints that I never would've heard from the usual group of people I talk to. Maybe that's part of why I like it so much, cuz these are guys who I probably wouldn't run into to have a real conversation with very often in my normal daily routine, so it's like it's a whole window into another world of experience right here in DC.
So, my advice: Take a cab every once in a while. You just might find yourself having the best darn conversation of your day.
A Tourist's Perspective
I finally uploaded my pics from the parental visit. DC looks pretty nice with a tourist's eye, especially on a sunny fall day. Here are a few of our signature landmarks....
Seasonal Affective Disorder
It's very real. I grew up outside of Syracuse, which ties with Seattle most years on the least number of days of sunshine, and wow do people get depressed for the winter months. I've been struggling this past week, waking up to pitch black at 7 am and then being stuck in gray, gloomy rain all day long. Doesn't it just make you want to crawl into bed? Today I decided to take a few hours off this morning to sleep in and take it easy, and I was so excited to wake up to bright sunshine! Puts me in a better mood right away.
How have you all been handling the dark and gloom? Any good tips? I think we should just adjust our working hours for the whole winter so that no one has to wake up until the sun comes out......
How have you all been handling the dark and gloom? Any good tips? I think we should just adjust our working hours for the whole winter so that no one has to wake up until the sun comes out......
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Mmmmmm
My parents make the best seafood gumbo in the world. Chock-full of lots of unidentifiable seafood-y things and okra. Delicious. When they came on their trip, they brought me a few huge frozen tubs of their homemade gumbo. I just thawed some out and had a big bowl of it for dinner. A little bit of home, right here in my living room. Love it!
Too Little, Too Late
Public opinion is definitely turning. Check out these two CNN stories:
Few doubt wrongdoing in CIA leak
Apparently only 1 in 10 Americans believe that the Bush officials are totally innocent in the whole Plamegate scenario.
And this one, saying that Bush would lose the election if it were held today. Ah, if only we could turn back the clock a year exactly.....
Few doubt wrongdoing in CIA leak
Apparently only 1 in 10 Americans believe that the Bush officials are totally innocent in the whole Plamegate scenario.
And this one, saying that Bush would lose the election if it were held today. Ah, if only we could turn back the clock a year exactly.....
Bizarre Girl Power Moment
Madeline Albright just did a cameo on "Gilmore Girls." She was in Rory's dream, a stand-in for her mother Lorelai. Rory was laying in bed trying to fall asleep and Madeline Albright came to tuck her in, then laid down next to her and started talking about how she was growing up so fast, and she remembered when she was just a little girl, etc. Clearly Rory's dreaming about the unresolved conflict that's driving this season's storyline, as Lorelai and Rory aren't speaking to each other. But what a strange cameo?!? I had read that Madeline Albright was going to appear, but I figured she would be a guest lecturer at Yale who inspired Rory to go back to school, or something along those lines. This was just strange. How'd she agree to that?
Light a Candle
Or say a prayer. The US death toll in Iraq has just hit 2,000. Who knows what the Iraqi death toll is, let alone all of the people who've been horribly injured on all sides.
Fighting the Blahs
I have bad allergies and a life-long problem with my sinuses, so I pretty much have a low-level cold (or what I call the "blahs") for a good 6 months out of the year. I'm getting pretty tired of it! I recently got a recommendation that I should try echinaecha, and I'm thinking about picking up some of that and/or some Vitamin C to start taking daily. Does anyone have any experience with using either as a regular routine to stay healthy and blah-free? Any recommendations or complaints?
Monday, October 24, 2005
Fight the Real Enemy
I'm so glad to see that the White House is choosing its battles wisely. They're now fighting with The Onion about the use of the Presidential seal.
"It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," wrote Rochelle H. Klaskin, the paper's lawyer, who went on to note that a headline in the current issue made the point: "Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country."
"It is inconceivable that anyone would think that, by using the seal, The Onion intends to 'convey... sponsorship or approval' by the president," wrote Rochelle H. Klaskin, the paper's lawyer, who went on to note that a headline in the current issue made the point: "Bush to Appoint Someone to Be in Charge of Country."
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Tapped In
Wow, who's writing for The West Wing these days? It's almost eerie. Last week or maybe the week before was when "Greg Brock," a NYTimes reporter, went to jail for protecting his White House source in a leak investigation with national security implications. And now the source of that leak has been revealed (I was surprised but won't reveal it here in case anyone is anti-spoiler) and is facing all the ramifications of those actions. And wow, what a crushing speech from President Bartlett at the end. The very definition of a fall from grace.
I wish we faced an electoral choice as hard as Smits vs. Alda. Either one of them seem more appealing than the real world these days...
And I forgot to comment a few weeks ago, but I loved the part of The West Wing and flashed forward to a few years from now. I *love* that CJ and Danny end up together and have a baby.
I wish we faced an electoral choice as hard as Smits vs. Alda. Either one of them seem more appealing than the real world these days...
And I forgot to comment a few weeks ago, but I loved the part of The West Wing and flashed forward to a few years from now. I *love* that CJ and Danny end up together and have a baby.
How Did I Not Know?
That my fake-news husband, Jon Stewart, was in DC on Friday night? Did anyone go see him at GW?
The Rise of the Silver Fox
Anderson Cooper is everywhere these days. It seems his combination of righteous indignation, empathy, and his own willingness to jump into the water to save people and animals during the Katrina coverage have made him the face of the new, angrier, more responsible media. And now that Hemmer's been pushed over to Fox (how exactly can one compromise their principles to take a job like that?), A.C. is now CNN's go-to good looking young guy, so you know he's in all their ads and promos. Not to mention the big Vanity Fair spread of the "faces of Katrina" this month.
Have you noticed that he's squeezed in as a co-anchor of NewsNight? Move over Aaron "tears in my eyes, frog in my throat" Brown, cuz now it's "NewsNight with Aaron Brown and Anderson Cooper." That's from 10 - 12 every night, just 2 hours after "Anderson Cooper's 360" ends. Three hours of Anderson every night? Not bad for Gloria's little boy.
And he also writes a column for Details. CNN carries his column each month, so that girls like me don't have to subscribe, and this month it's all about his triumph on celebrity Jeopardy. Last month it was about embracing being prematurely gray. (A friend of mine - maybe not so mistakenly - misread the headline as "prematurely gay." There are those questions about our dear Anderson, but I'll just admire him as a newsman and a snarky, somewhat self-mocking persona and let him decide if he wants the world to know his personal life.)
I never saw Anderson on Channel One or The Mole, but I have had fun watching his star rise. Can't wait to see where he goes next. I'd love to see him take over all of the weeknight programming at CNN, cuz I can't stand that Paula Zahn show. Once she and her husband ruled against Pale Male and his nest, there was no turning back.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Gymtimidation
I don't know why it's such a psychological battle to get myself to the gym. I'm currently in what's got to be close to the worst shape of my life (perhaps only 2nd to the Whopper-every-night phase of Sophomore year or the "I live off campus and drive to all my classes" Senior year in college) so I should be pretty motivated, right? I mean, it's not like it's hard for me to get the gym - it's in my freakin' basement. But what's that rule of inertia? An object at rest likes to stay at rest? And for some reason going to the gym can just be pretty intimidating when you're not a total gym bunny type (I liken myself to that woman in the Diet Dr. Pepper commercial who shoots laser beams of death out her eyes to the little blondes in their cute workout outfits.)
But today the little angel on my right shoulder won out over the devil on my left (it sits on a comfy recliner) and I went to the gym. I think this was the first time since early summer, maybe? Wow, that's bad. A year ago I was going to the gym about 5-6 times a week and my legs were starting to get a nice muscle-y shape. I can't promise I'll get back to that point, but at least I've broken through the other side.... next stop, tomorrow. I think I can face that bike again. Nothing's more motivating than that full wall of mirrors....yeesh! An added bonus? Some guy who lives in my building was working out shirtless, and let's just say that whatever he's doing, he's doing it right. ;-)
But today the little angel on my right shoulder won out over the devil on my left (it sits on a comfy recliner) and I went to the gym. I think this was the first time since early summer, maybe? Wow, that's bad. A year ago I was going to the gym about 5-6 times a week and my legs were starting to get a nice muscle-y shape. I can't promise I'll get back to that point, but at least I've broken through the other side.... next stop, tomorrow. I think I can face that bike again. Nothing's more motivating than that full wall of mirrors....yeesh! An added bonus? Some guy who lives in my building was working out shirtless, and let's just say that whatever he's doing, he's doing it right. ;-)
Books
Time Magazine has come up with a list of the 100 best novels since 1923. I've only read 11 of them! And I think all 11 were either books that I read in school or a few that we picked up through our book club a few years ago. Looks like I've got some reading to do!
(Although I would argue about Atonement as one of the best novels. As many of you know, I freakin' hated that ending!)
(Although I would argue about Atonement as one of the best novels. As many of you know, I freakin' hated that ending!)
Friday, October 21, 2005
Reinvention
I'm watching a documentary on Mtv that follows Madonna's tour from last year. It's very similar to Truth or Dare. I can't tell if Guy Ritchie was involved other than being the "funny, on-camera husband" guy. I like that he's a big goofy guy who sings Irish drinking songs. Madge looks fantastic for someone approaching 50. The doc show more of what you could tell from her last album and the tour, that she's totally focused on religion and wants to make a political statement.
I saw this tour -- MH and I successfully negotiated our way into $50 box seats at the MCI Center. It was a great time, one of probably the top 3 or 4 concert experiences of my life. A lot of that was cuz it was just so much fun being in the box with this group of about 20 yuppie-ish gay guys who worshiped Madonna as much as we did. I have no shame in admitting I've loved her all my life. I haven't always liked everything she's done -- like the whole Bedtime Stories album or her forays into *rap* on the last album - but I still love her.
I saw this tour -- MH and I successfully negotiated our way into $50 box seats at the MCI Center. It was a great time, one of probably the top 3 or 4 concert experiences of my life. A lot of that was cuz it was just so much fun being in the box with this group of about 20 yuppie-ish gay guys who worshiped Madonna as much as we did. I have no shame in admitting I've loved her all my life. I haven't always liked everything she's done -- like the whole Bedtime Stories album or her forays into *rap* on the last album - but I still love her.
Jeopardy
Nope, not that classic trivia show hosted by Alex Trebek. No, I'm talking about the state that good old Karl and Scooter may find themselves in. Check out details on how Fitzgerald is closing in. Could Fitzmas really come sometime next week?
I'm trying to keep my expectations low here, but I sure would love to see some indictments come of this. After all, who could've imagined we would ever see a DeLay mug shot, even if it does look like "Too Old to Be Here Guy" from a Faces book?
I'm trying to keep my expectations low here, but I sure would love to see some indictments come of this. After all, who could've imagined we would ever see a DeLay mug shot, even if it does look like "Too Old to Be Here Guy" from a Faces book?
Cafferty File
Jack Cafferty's current audience poll question:
"Can things get any worse for the Republican Party?
Here's hoping. Newsies are again hinting that something major may come out of the Plamegate Grand Jury investigation. Can't wait.
"Can things get any worse for the Republican Party?
Here's hoping. Newsies are again hinting that something major may come out of the Plamegate Grand Jury investigation. Can't wait.
How Hot is Too Hot?
I took today off to take care of some *ahem* personal stuff, and then I met CG for lunch. FYI, the Austin Grill chili is of the all-beef, all-the-time variety. No beans or veggies or anything. Just a really spicy beef stew. It was good, but I wanted more variety to it.
When we left, I went to Olsson's with the thought that I would get a chai latte to go (Olsson's really does have my favorite chai of all time) and walk around checking out books then head home. I got the tall chai, and the lady handed it to me in the to go cup, and she said "careful, it's very hot." I picked it up in the little heat-sleeve thing, and YOUCH! It was super-hot. I must've yelped or something cuz the lady then gave me some napkins to use outside the heat-sleeve to even hold the cup. I walked over into the book section and started looking around, thinking I might try to find Jeffrey Sacks' book cuz I just had a fascinating conversation about him, but this hot cup was becoming a real problem. I don't think I'm overly sensitive, but my fingertips were burning. There wasn't really a surface anywhere to set the cup down and I couldn't even focus on looking for books cuz it hurt.
I decided to go outside to see if the cool air would help. It didn't, and now I found myself walking around with a super-hot cup and nowhere to put it down. I went to stand near a garbage can and took off the lid, almost laughing when I saw this huge burst of steam come out of the cup. Then I became the weirdo who was just standing on a very heavily trafficked sidewalk with a steaming cup, blowing onto my drink. In my way too matchy-matchy outfit that I regretted wearing today. (Love my green shoes, shouldn't wear them with a green top.)
This went on for about 10 minutes, then I tried taking a sip. YEEEOWCH! It burned my lips, tongue, mouth, throat, maybe even my soul. It was so freakin' hot! It's not good to drink a sip and have tears come to your eyes. I considered just throwing it away, cuz I wanted to hop in a cab and head home. But that was nearly 4 dollars' worth of super-hot chai, and I am cheap at heart. So I kept walking up and down the block, blowing on my drink and taking painful sips.
When I couldn't take it anymore, I did catch a cab. Turns out I got Speed Racer as a driver, so it then became an exercise in "how steady is my hand?" as I tried to not spill the superhot chai on me as Speed Racer hit every pothole on 15th Street. Finally I made it home and set the chai down. After about a half an hour, it was safe to drink. And delicious!
Really, why would anyone order their drink "extra hot?" To me, that sounds way too extra painful.
Aren't you glad I have a blog to tell you such a riveting story??? :-)
When we left, I went to Olsson's with the thought that I would get a chai latte to go (Olsson's really does have my favorite chai of all time) and walk around checking out books then head home. I got the tall chai, and the lady handed it to me in the to go cup, and she said "careful, it's very hot." I picked it up in the little heat-sleeve thing, and YOUCH! It was super-hot. I must've yelped or something cuz the lady then gave me some napkins to use outside the heat-sleeve to even hold the cup. I walked over into the book section and started looking around, thinking I might try to find Jeffrey Sacks' book cuz I just had a fascinating conversation about him, but this hot cup was becoming a real problem. I don't think I'm overly sensitive, but my fingertips were burning. There wasn't really a surface anywhere to set the cup down and I couldn't even focus on looking for books cuz it hurt.
I decided to go outside to see if the cool air would help. It didn't, and now I found myself walking around with a super-hot cup and nowhere to put it down. I went to stand near a garbage can and took off the lid, almost laughing when I saw this huge burst of steam come out of the cup. Then I became the weirdo who was just standing on a very heavily trafficked sidewalk with a steaming cup, blowing onto my drink. In my way too matchy-matchy outfit that I regretted wearing today. (Love my green shoes, shouldn't wear them with a green top.)
This went on for about 10 minutes, then I tried taking a sip. YEEEOWCH! It burned my lips, tongue, mouth, throat, maybe even my soul. It was so freakin' hot! It's not good to drink a sip and have tears come to your eyes. I considered just throwing it away, cuz I wanted to hop in a cab and head home. But that was nearly 4 dollars' worth of super-hot chai, and I am cheap at heart. So I kept walking up and down the block, blowing on my drink and taking painful sips.
When I couldn't take it anymore, I did catch a cab. Turns out I got Speed Racer as a driver, so it then became an exercise in "how steady is my hand?" as I tried to not spill the superhot chai on me as Speed Racer hit every pothole on 15th Street. Finally I made it home and set the chai down. After about a half an hour, it was safe to drink. And delicious!
Really, why would anyone order their drink "extra hot?" To me, that sounds way too extra painful.
Aren't you glad I have a blog to tell you such a riveting story??? :-)
Thursday, October 20, 2005
So I Feel More Now?
I've always, always, always been an INTJ. I think I first took the test (Myers-Briggs?) in 6th grade and it has always come up INTJ. But I just retook a simplified version of the test and now I come up as an INFJ. A Counselor Idealist - Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. So now I think less and feel more? Hmmm. Don't know if that's good or not.
Here's what some guy named Joe Butt says:
Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.
INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ.
"There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.
INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.
Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.
Gandhi, Jimmy Carter and Eleanor Roosevelt were also INFJ's. Good company.
So what are you?
Thanks to DC Cookie for the idea of taking this test. Check out her blog - it's fun.
Here's what some guy named Joe Butt says:
Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.
INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of 'poetic justice' is appealing to the INFJ.
"There's something rotten in Denmark." Accurately suspicious about others' motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.
INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.
Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.
Gandhi, Jimmy Carter and Eleanor Roosevelt were also INFJ's. Good company.
So what are you?
Thanks to DC Cookie for the idea of taking this test. Check out her blog - it's fun.
Senator Lucky Duck
Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) just won more than $850,000 in the PowerBall lottery. Can you believe it? I heard 2 women talking about it on the bus on the way home, saying that people were immediately starting to scrutinize how the money will be spent and that he's supposedly donating a lot to his foundation. But I had to admit I was really confused wondering what they could be talking about, only hearing snippets of "Senator" and "big donation" and "PowerBall." Then I saw this story that cleared it up.
The Republican from New Hampshire -- who chairs the Budget Committee and who has a reputation as a strict fiscal conservative -- said his wife is currently remodeling their home and already has plans for the new money.
"She's already told me, 'Don't spend it. I've already got plans.'"
"I don't plan to quit my job," he said with a smile.
He will owe 25 percent in federal taxes on the $853,492. New Hampshire doesn't have state income taxes and so he will get to keep the rest.
Wow, I could think of a few better ways to use that money. Not remodeling a Senator's house. not even Trent Lott's house. I hope that they do put most of that money to good use.
The Republican from New Hampshire -- who chairs the Budget Committee and who has a reputation as a strict fiscal conservative -- said his wife is currently remodeling their home and already has plans for the new money.
"She's already told me, 'Don't spend it. I've already got plans.'"
"I don't plan to quit my job," he said with a smile.
He will owe 25 percent in federal taxes on the $853,492. New Hampshire doesn't have state income taxes and so he will get to keep the rest.
Wow, I could think of a few better ways to use that money. Not remodeling a Senator's house. not even Trent Lott's house. I hope that they do put most of that money to good use.
Aw, shucks.
I didn't win the Powerball jackpot. I didn't even get more than 1 number. George Carlin has said that the lottery is "a tax on stupid people." I only play when the jackpots are ridiculously huge, like over $100 million, but so far it's still been just a waste. I guess it is worth the few bucks to give me a day or so of dreaming. That $340 million certainly could've made my day!
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Dru-bloggin'
Dru-bloggin' = Drunk Blogging.
Uh oh, watch out. I actually BEAT EA in our usual pace for drinks tonight. After deciding that neither one of us were up for much excitement tonight and deciding to just meet at Ozio for "one or two," we are both now very much drunk. We did meet at Ozio for the happy hour specials, and I indulged in 2 of my favorite things... chocolate martinis and a cheeseburger. Yes, those of you who've knpown and loved me for a while are probably surprised at my newfound love for the cheeseburger. But really, it's the perfect drunk food. And that's the only kind of beef I've had in the last 2 weeks. So I'm not an addict, I'm just a self-indulgent drunk. Right?
So the joke is that usually EA outpaces me at a 2:1 ratio on drinks. But that statistic does not take into account chocolate martinis. I drink those things faster than water. I had four of the cute little mini choc martinis at Ozio. We had the opportunity to call it a night then, as we'd first agreed we would do. But by then we'd had enough to drink to toss away our earlier caution and to agree to go to the blogger happy hour as we'd first planned.
The happy hour was fun! I was a little nervous at first. EA likened it to online dating, as in "I've written to these people about my innermost thoughts but have nver seen them, and now we're about to meet!" I confess that I was a little shier than normal so I didn't get to meet everybody, but I'm so glad I got a chance to meet Kathryn herself. You were just as friendly and down to earth as I imagined - hooray! I saw DC Cookie, Rock Creek Rambler, and I-66, but I apologize that I didn't get a chance to meet you in person. Next time, I promise! I did have fun talking to a few FOBs (Friends of Bloggers), Heather and Caroline, as well as EA and Reporter Boy. Lots of fun conversation about Match.com and Craig's List, plus inter-office interlopers and how I wasted the last 2 years of my romantic life.
Now I'm back at home drinking a LOT of water and sorta half-watching the Astros-Cards game. I can't think of how many times I siad "I've got a strategic planning meeting tomorrow morning!" tonight, so I'm glad I'm home early enough to detox. Thanks, Reporter Boy, for the ride home. Remember to get that new recording device away from EA for long enough to allow her to do some dru'-bloggin' of her own.
And T, my silent reader, thanks so much for being a good sport about my drunk texts. I do appreciate it, especially since you keep the next-day mocking to the bare minimum. You know you're the best!
Uh oh, watch out. I actually BEAT EA in our usual pace for drinks tonight. After deciding that neither one of us were up for much excitement tonight and deciding to just meet at Ozio for "one or two," we are both now very much drunk. We did meet at Ozio for the happy hour specials, and I indulged in 2 of my favorite things... chocolate martinis and a cheeseburger. Yes, those of you who've knpown and loved me for a while are probably surprised at my newfound love for the cheeseburger. But really, it's the perfect drunk food. And that's the only kind of beef I've had in the last 2 weeks. So I'm not an addict, I'm just a self-indulgent drunk. Right?
So the joke is that usually EA outpaces me at a 2:1 ratio on drinks. But that statistic does not take into account chocolate martinis. I drink those things faster than water. I had four of the cute little mini choc martinis at Ozio. We had the opportunity to call it a night then, as we'd first agreed we would do. But by then we'd had enough to drink to toss away our earlier caution and to agree to go to the blogger happy hour as we'd first planned.
The happy hour was fun! I was a little nervous at first. EA likened it to online dating, as in "I've written to these people about my innermost thoughts but have nver seen them, and now we're about to meet!" I confess that I was a little shier than normal so I didn't get to meet everybody, but I'm so glad I got a chance to meet Kathryn herself. You were just as friendly and down to earth as I imagined - hooray! I saw DC Cookie, Rock Creek Rambler, and I-66, but I apologize that I didn't get a chance to meet you in person. Next time, I promise! I did have fun talking to a few FOBs (Friends of Bloggers), Heather and Caroline, as well as EA and Reporter Boy. Lots of fun conversation about Match.com and Craig's List, plus inter-office interlopers and how I wasted the last 2 years of my romantic life.
Now I'm back at home drinking a LOT of water and sorta half-watching the Astros-Cards game. I can't think of how many times I siad "I've got a strategic planning meeting tomorrow morning!" tonight, so I'm glad I'm home early enough to detox. Thanks, Reporter Boy, for the ride home. Remember to get that new recording device away from EA for long enough to allow her to do some dru'-bloggin' of her own.
And T, my silent reader, thanks so much for being a good sport about my drunk texts. I do appreciate it, especially since you keep the next-day mocking to the bare minimum. You know you're the best!
A Fly on the Wall
Wow, I would've loved to listen in on this conversation. I know Bono's trying valiantly to save the world and that he's pragmatic and all, but whoa...this would fall outside of my limits on what I could personally do.
I wonder what they ate.
"And monkey's brains, while popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, D.C.!"
I wonder what they ate.
"And monkey's brains, while popular in Cantonese cuisine, are not often to be found in Washington, D.C.!"
Harry's Day
The Harriet Miers confirmation hearings have been set for November 7. I'll pop the popcorn - who's got the beer?
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
The Last Day of the Parental Visit
It was my last day playing tour guide today. My, it's exhausting! The day started early when Mom drove to my place so that she could pick up some books and clothes from me that she's taking back to donate. Hooray for the parents having a car!
Then we met Dad and made our way back down to the Mall. Today's cultural immersion was all things Asian...via the collections at the Sackler-Freer Galleries. I agree with MCB cuz now I think these are my favorites of all the Smithsonian. I really loved the Buddhist and Hindu art. I was discussing with my Mom my theory on why I love those religious sculptures so much. Even though I was a religion major in college, I know *very* little about Buddhism and Hinduism, so the art is still very mysterious and exotic to me. I know that there is exceptionally rich history and mythology associated with both religions, but I know so little of it so I think that's why I'm drawn to them. And I loved the courtyard in the middle of the Freer. I want to figure out a way that I can have a courtyard with a fountain in the middle of my house when I grow up. It's so cool! The only real excitement in the museum was that I got stuck right in hte middle of a total family meltdown in the "Gold in China" gallery. This woman and her 3 kids got into a screaming match - the oldest girl shouting "Don't touch me! You're embarrassing yourself!" and running to hide behind display cases, and the younger son just squaling at the top of his lungs. Ah, Americans.
After lunch at Teaism (again) we decided to nix the original plan of checking out the new American Indian museum. I've heard so many bad things about it, and we were all admittedly museumed-out and not in the mood to read more labels, so we improvised. I led the way down the street to the E Street Cinema. Mom and Dad both love movies and I thought they'd like to check out a place that shows more than just the usual shoot-'em-up that they get in Bloomington.
We had perfect timing, cuz we made it right as Good Night, and Good Luck was starting. This is George Clooney's 2nd directorial effort, and I've gotta say he's pretty good. It's the story of Edward R. Murrow's crusade against Sen. Joe McCarthy. If you are:
1. Angry about the decline of civil liberties in America post-9/11, or
2. Angry about the media's declining role as watchdog and the increase in infotainment, or
3. Wishing that Robert Downey Jr. would get some more good charismatic roles, or
4. A fan of jazz singer Diane Reeves, then
You should see this movie! Seriously, it's really good and very timely. All of the issues it covers about government overstepping its bounds in the 1950's in the name of "national security" are just as relevant today. There's a great clip of President Eisenhower at the end that I want to find the text of to share. You can certainly tell Clooney's politics, and he ain't no fan of the W.
Following the movie we made our way to Barnes & Noble, where Mom was kind enough to pick up the tab on 2 books I've wanted for a while. (Hooray for parents paying!) But things were winding down. Sitting there in the cafe at about 4:15, struggling to come up with yet another new topic of conversation, my Mom and I sorta realized there wasn't much else to do. I said I couldn't possibly eat again for hours, cuz I'm still full from yesterday. I'm not used to eating Dad-style. And we didn't really want to rush to another museum for just an hour. So we decided that the visit had been a good one and we could part ways - my job as tour guide was done and they'd walk around some more and get dinner on their own. Mom said "Yeah, we know, it's been 3 days. Fish and relatives, right?" ;-)
So now I'm back on my own settling down into normal life, which feels good. But it was a great visit and I hope they had a good time. And I kept my promise and bought some Powerball tickets when I got home, so by tomorrow night we'll see if this was a lucky trip, too!
Then we met Dad and made our way back down to the Mall. Today's cultural immersion was all things Asian...via the collections at the Sackler-Freer Galleries. I agree with MCB cuz now I think these are my favorites of all the Smithsonian. I really loved the Buddhist and Hindu art. I was discussing with my Mom my theory on why I love those religious sculptures so much. Even though I was a religion major in college, I know *very* little about Buddhism and Hinduism, so the art is still very mysterious and exotic to me. I know that there is exceptionally rich history and mythology associated with both religions, but I know so little of it so I think that's why I'm drawn to them. And I loved the courtyard in the middle of the Freer. I want to figure out a way that I can have a courtyard with a fountain in the middle of my house when I grow up. It's so cool! The only real excitement in the museum was that I got stuck right in hte middle of a total family meltdown in the "Gold in China" gallery. This woman and her 3 kids got into a screaming match - the oldest girl shouting "Don't touch me! You're embarrassing yourself!" and running to hide behind display cases, and the younger son just squaling at the top of his lungs. Ah, Americans.
After lunch at Teaism (again) we decided to nix the original plan of checking out the new American Indian museum. I've heard so many bad things about it, and we were all admittedly museumed-out and not in the mood to read more labels, so we improvised. I led the way down the street to the E Street Cinema. Mom and Dad both love movies and I thought they'd like to check out a place that shows more than just the usual shoot-'em-up that they get in Bloomington.
We had perfect timing, cuz we made it right as Good Night, and Good Luck was starting. This is George Clooney's 2nd directorial effort, and I've gotta say he's pretty good. It's the story of Edward R. Murrow's crusade against Sen. Joe McCarthy. If you are:
1. Angry about the decline of civil liberties in America post-9/11, or
2. Angry about the media's declining role as watchdog and the increase in infotainment, or
3. Wishing that Robert Downey Jr. would get some more good charismatic roles, or
4. A fan of jazz singer Diane Reeves, then
You should see this movie! Seriously, it's really good and very timely. All of the issues it covers about government overstepping its bounds in the 1950's in the name of "national security" are just as relevant today. There's a great clip of President Eisenhower at the end that I want to find the text of to share. You can certainly tell Clooney's politics, and he ain't no fan of the W.
Following the movie we made our way to Barnes & Noble, where Mom was kind enough to pick up the tab on 2 books I've wanted for a while. (Hooray for parents paying!) But things were winding down. Sitting there in the cafe at about 4:15, struggling to come up with yet another new topic of conversation, my Mom and I sorta realized there wasn't much else to do. I said I couldn't possibly eat again for hours, cuz I'm still full from yesterday. I'm not used to eating Dad-style. And we didn't really want to rush to another museum for just an hour. So we decided that the visit had been a good one and we could part ways - my job as tour guide was done and they'd walk around some more and get dinner on their own. Mom said "Yeah, we know, it's been 3 days. Fish and relatives, right?" ;-)
So now I'm back on my own settling down into normal life, which feels good. But it was a great visit and I hope they had a good time. And I kept my promise and bought some Powerball tickets when I got home, so by tomorrow night we'll see if this was a lucky trip, too!
More Book Talk
I just finished reading Vicki Constantine Croke's The Lady and the Panda. It's the true story of Ruth Harkness, a Manhattan socialite who carried on her beloved late husband's quest - to be the first to introduce the world to the giant panda. The young dress designer left NY and, over the course of several expeditions, she found adventure, beauty, love, meaning, and - yes - pandas in the wilds of China. Harkness did indeed bring the first panda to the West, and America fell in love with the baby Su-Lin. After making his new home at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Su-Lin drew up to 53,000 people A DAY to see the adorable and exotic black-and-white bear.
The story could have ended there and been a fairly typical adventure/travelogue detailing yet another veiled story of America exploiting another culture. But Ruth Harkness lived an even more interesting life than that. In the midst of China's war with Japan - the outset of World War II - and "panda fever," with hundreds of explorers killing and trapping pandas across China's previously unspoiled wilderness, Harkness made a heart-breaking realization. Her quest and international popularity had in fact hurt the panda, threatening their very existence. She then did the unthinkable, returning a captured panda to the wild, and for the rest of her life became a leading voice for conservation.
Croke's book was a wild ride, as Harkenss herself was a larger-than-life character. I loved the glimpse of the hard-drinking, hard-living expatriate community in China, the poetic descriptions of both the beautiful land and people, and the insights into the relationships between zoos, money and "explorers" of the day.
Next up is Jared Diamond's Collapse. What are you reading?
The story could have ended there and been a fairly typical adventure/travelogue detailing yet another veiled story of America exploiting another culture. But Ruth Harkness lived an even more interesting life than that. In the midst of China's war with Japan - the outset of World War II - and "panda fever," with hundreds of explorers killing and trapping pandas across China's previously unspoiled wilderness, Harkness made a heart-breaking realization. Her quest and international popularity had in fact hurt the panda, threatening their very existence. She then did the unthinkable, returning a captured panda to the wild, and for the rest of her life became a leading voice for conservation.
Croke's book was a wild ride, as Harkenss herself was a larger-than-life character. I loved the glimpse of the hard-drinking, hard-living expatriate community in China, the poetic descriptions of both the beautiful land and people, and the insights into the relationships between zoos, money and "explorers" of the day.
Next up is Jared Diamond's Collapse. What are you reading?
Monday, October 17, 2005
Baby's Got a Name
Welcome to the party, Tai Shan! "Peaceful Mountain" is a good name. It's not the one I voted for, but I'm over it. He just keeps gatting cuter and cuter!
(Aside...That title came out to the tune "Janie's Got a Gun" in my head.)
How I Met Your Mother
I confess, I'm starting to really like this new show. I'm getting used to slimy, sleazy Doogie. I still think Alyson Hannigan would be a great friend to have, and I totally *heart* Marshall/Nick from "Freaks and Geeks." I can't remember his name at the moment, but I loved him on F&G and I still find him really very endearing. I want to give him a big hug. The two dark-haired leads, Ted and Robin, are normal and relatable too. And tonight's episode at a really loud club, complete with subtitles since no one can ever hear each other, was pretty darn funny. It's certainly no "Friends" yet, but I finally feel like there's a show that kinda relates to me and my friends, and where we are in our lives, again.
Another Day with the 'Rents
We enjoyed a sunny but very windy day today, and now my allergies are yelling at me. But it was another good day for the parental visit. I had some personal things to take care of this morning, so Mom and Dad took off on their own and did a great job seeing the city on foot. They walked from Rhode Island Ave down to the Washington Monument and the WWII Memorial. They took lots of pictures to send to my Mom's father. He's not all that lucid anymore, and apparently he often thinks he's 18 and in the Pacific again. He treats the nurses at his assisted living facility like he's a teenager, at least. But hopefully he'll like the pictures of the Memorial and the tribute to Indiana's veterans. Then they walked to Union Station, which is no small feat. (on their small feet!) Mom and Dad collect the little flags of every country they've ever been to, so they love that little shop that's in Union Station. Then they walked over to Gallery Place to meet me for lunch.
I'll give you 2 restaurant reviews today.... first up is La Tasca, a tapas place in all of that new development on 7th Street. This is now my 3rd time eating lunch there in October, which is funny considering I'd never been there before. It's a good place - I love tapas, and it seems to be cheaper and more casual than Jaleo. I had my favorite, the sauteed spinach w/ raisins and pine nuts, plus the patats bravas, the sauteed mushrooms, and about 1/2 of a little plate of the chicken & seafood paella. Mom had similar stuff, except a lamb casserole thing instead of the potatoes. Dad had all seafood - mussels and calamari (both turning into a theme for this trip) and some shrimp thing. We all really liked our choices and I give 2 thumbs up on the food. The service was also great. The last 2 times I was there it was with big groups of coworkers and the service was a little slower, but we were admittedly more difficult groups. We had a different server this time and she was great, chatting with us and checking in, telling us about her driving trip across-country. She was fun. My only criticism is about the seating. We were at one of the tables that was on a bench on one side, covered with big fluffy pillows. Those fluffy pillows are cute, but not all that comfy to sit on/against to eat. I moved the one off of my back and then was pretty far from the back of the bench. It wasn't *uncomfortable* per se, but I didn't love the pillowiness. But La Tasca has definitely made it onto my list of go-to restaurants, so hopefully we'll check it out again soon. I bet it would be great on a movie night with some of their sangria specials. Shall we?
We spent the afternoon - aka the time between meals - going on a tour where I work. I'm not ready to share where I work with the blog world, so I'll keep you in suspense. But TP was kind enough to give us a personal tour and he was a big hit. Thanks for taking the time, Mom and Dad really loved it. By the time we finished, Mom and Dad were getting tired from all of their walking so we had some quality sitting time both at the Navy Memorial and at the Olsson's cafe.
Then we decided to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day and headed over to Georgetown. Dinner was at Tony & Joe's, the seafood place that's on the left at Washington Harbour. Or is it Harbor? Did they pretend to be British? My parents had been talking about how excited they were to be back on the East Coast to get some good seafood so they loved the menu. I would describe this place as a "safe" restaurant. There were at least 2 big groups (like they came on a bus) of older people, and this is totally a place for good "old people food." Nothing too spicy or exotic, nothing too hard to digest. Lots of seafood, some other meat, potatoes, soup, salads. Everything's good, of course, but again I'd call it safe. And everyone's meal was pretty good. I had a grilled tuna steak and the mixed veggie side. Plus I started with a shrimp cocktail, which is a family joke since I've loved them my entire life and always get them when my parents are paying. The shrimp were super-duper jumbo, and that was exciting, but the cocktail sauce was fairly mild. I could've gone for a little spicier. The tuna was good but a little soggy. I couldn't figure out why a grilled tuna steak would be soggy. And the veggies came with an herb butter that was good. Mom had red snapper and the veggies, and she liked it. And Dad had the New England clam chowder and the broiled seafood platter. My father never met a platter he didn't like. It had scallops and shrimp and tilapia and something else. Overall, the food was decent but a little bland. My usual taste is for something with more flavor and pizzazz. I do recommend Bangkok Joe's, which is right off of K Street in the Washington Harbour place. It's got great Thai food. Some of my friends had a bad tummy experience there, but I've always really loved it.
That's all for now -- tomorrow it's back to the Mall for more museums. I like this tourist gig!
I'll give you 2 restaurant reviews today.... first up is La Tasca, a tapas place in all of that new development on 7th Street. This is now my 3rd time eating lunch there in October, which is funny considering I'd never been there before. It's a good place - I love tapas, and it seems to be cheaper and more casual than Jaleo. I had my favorite, the sauteed spinach w/ raisins and pine nuts, plus the patats bravas, the sauteed mushrooms, and about 1/2 of a little plate of the chicken & seafood paella. Mom had similar stuff, except a lamb casserole thing instead of the potatoes. Dad had all seafood - mussels and calamari (both turning into a theme for this trip) and some shrimp thing. We all really liked our choices and I give 2 thumbs up on the food. The service was also great. The last 2 times I was there it was with big groups of coworkers and the service was a little slower, but we were admittedly more difficult groups. We had a different server this time and she was great, chatting with us and checking in, telling us about her driving trip across-country. She was fun. My only criticism is about the seating. We were at one of the tables that was on a bench on one side, covered with big fluffy pillows. Those fluffy pillows are cute, but not all that comfy to sit on/against to eat. I moved the one off of my back and then was pretty far from the back of the bench. It wasn't *uncomfortable* per se, but I didn't love the pillowiness. But La Tasca has definitely made it onto my list of go-to restaurants, so hopefully we'll check it out again soon. I bet it would be great on a movie night with some of their sangria specials. Shall we?
We spent the afternoon - aka the time between meals - going on a tour where I work. I'm not ready to share where I work with the blog world, so I'll keep you in suspense. But TP was kind enough to give us a personal tour and he was a big hit. Thanks for taking the time, Mom and Dad really loved it. By the time we finished, Mom and Dad were getting tired from all of their walking so we had some quality sitting time both at the Navy Memorial and at the Olsson's cafe.
Then we decided to take advantage of the beautiful sunny day and headed over to Georgetown. Dinner was at Tony & Joe's, the seafood place that's on the left at Washington Harbour. Or is it Harbor? Did they pretend to be British? My parents had been talking about how excited they were to be back on the East Coast to get some good seafood so they loved the menu. I would describe this place as a "safe" restaurant. There were at least 2 big groups (like they came on a bus) of older people, and this is totally a place for good "old people food." Nothing too spicy or exotic, nothing too hard to digest. Lots of seafood, some other meat, potatoes, soup, salads. Everything's good, of course, but again I'd call it safe. And everyone's meal was pretty good. I had a grilled tuna steak and the mixed veggie side. Plus I started with a shrimp cocktail, which is a family joke since I've loved them my entire life and always get them when my parents are paying. The shrimp were super-duper jumbo, and that was exciting, but the cocktail sauce was fairly mild. I could've gone for a little spicier. The tuna was good but a little soggy. I couldn't figure out why a grilled tuna steak would be soggy. And the veggies came with an herb butter that was good. Mom had red snapper and the veggies, and she liked it. And Dad had the New England clam chowder and the broiled seafood platter. My father never met a platter he didn't like. It had scallops and shrimp and tilapia and something else. Overall, the food was decent but a little bland. My usual taste is for something with more flavor and pizzazz. I do recommend Bangkok Joe's, which is right off of K Street in the Washington Harbour place. It's got great Thai food. Some of my friends had a bad tummy experience there, but I've always really loved it.
That's all for now -- tomorrow it's back to the Mall for more museums. I like this tourist gig!
Sunday, October 16, 2005
A Tourist in My Own Town
I've never done the sight-seeing with the 'rents thing before, but it's kinda fun. A total excuse to spend 3 days in a row checking out all of the great cultural things DC has to offer. And you know me, I love to write reviews. So highlights of today include:
My first-ever trip to the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. It's one of the smaller museums, sort of tucked away in those gorgeous gardens behind the Smithsonian Castle. Apparently many of those museums in that block - like the Sackler and the International Gallery, maybe the Freer too - are connected underground, but we didn't explore any further than African Art itself. It's a funky space and I really liked the architecture with a grand staircase that draws you down two levels to a big round, tile fountain. Our timing wasn't very good since the museum has 2 galleries closed right now preparing for new installations. I'll check back after January to see them, for sure.
We did see an exhibit of everyday objects that was very cool. Hand carved stools, chairs, head-rests (I have never thought of a head-rest before, but it's a great idea!) pipes, kitchen items, dolls, games, drinking horns, jewelry. All of the carving was really beautiful, from very simple wooden objects to intricately-designed ivory armlets.
Of course, we made a stop at the museum shop. What a great selection! My parents have traveled to Africa many times and they always bring home beautiful and interesting art and textiles, so walking into this shop was a lot like walking into their living room. Hand-woven bowls, fans, gorgeous fabrics, carved figures, jewelry. My dad got 2 African cookbooks and spices, so I hope I get to sample some new dishes at Christmas. I got a Putamayo CD of "Women of Africa" so I'm excited to listen to it soon! My coworkers will probably get to hear it too....
After lunch at Teaism, we made our way to The Shakespeare Theatre to see Othello. Thanks for the tix, JJ, the seats were great! Mom and Dad were excited to see Avery Brooks , since Mom's been a fan ever since he played Hawk on "Spenser: For Hire." And I think he had his own spin-off too. The show was pretty good. I was really impressed with Patrick Page (aka Mr. MPDP). I liked him much better in this than in Macbeth last year. Iago is such an evil character and he relished it. This is now the 3rd show I've seen with Lise Bruneau, and I really like her. As usual, the design was fantasitc - great lighting, sound, sets, and particularly the costumes. The Shakespeare Theatre knows how to make men look good, and those long leather coats were pretty hot.
I did have 2 main criticisms with the production. There was no reason the show needed to be 3 hrs and 20 minutes long. I felt like the entire first scene - 15 minutes or so - was included just to give David Sabin a role. All of that could have been cut with just a minute or two of exposition and the show could've started in Cyprus. And while I hate to begrudge a good scene between 2 female characters, since Shakespeare so rarely wrote good female scenes, but the whole "Barbary's song" part wasn't necessary. Desdemona is already a very sympathetic character, we didn't really need to give her that much backstory. And then there was Avery Brooks himself. Whether it was Michael Kahn's direction or Avery Brooks' choice, I'm not sure, but I did *not* like the physical characterization of Othello. He was so twitchy and animalistic. I know that Othello has to go mad and become violent, but I really didn't like the primal nature of Brooks' version of the Moor.
That primal nature started me thinking.... I'm not sure how I feel about the play itself. Othello is often hailed as a progressive, ground-breaking show because it addresses race and features a black lead (I'm saying black rather than African-American cuz it was a British playwright writing about a Moor, but I apologize if that's not the most PC way to speak about it). But actually watching the show made me wonder if it is really conveying a positive message or not. Putting aside Iago's machinations, we end up watching the downward spiral of a noble hero who becomes an angry black man, who turns his once blissful inter-racial relationsihp into a horrible case of domestic violence. After all of the negative stereotypes shown in movies, tv, and the news, is this really a story that should be perpetuated? If it were written by some unknown playwright last year versus Shakespeare 500 years ago, would more people talk about the race issues in the play? Good food for thought. I'd love to discuss it.
After the show, we had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner with 6 of my closest friends at the ChopHouse. Wow, that was a lot of food....and laughs! Stay tuned for more reviews of DC's finest tourist destinations!
My first-ever trip to the Smithsonian Museum of African Art. It's one of the smaller museums, sort of tucked away in those gorgeous gardens behind the Smithsonian Castle. Apparently many of those museums in that block - like the Sackler and the International Gallery, maybe the Freer too - are connected underground, but we didn't explore any further than African Art itself. It's a funky space and I really liked the architecture with a grand staircase that draws you down two levels to a big round, tile fountain. Our timing wasn't very good since the museum has 2 galleries closed right now preparing for new installations. I'll check back after January to see them, for sure.
We did see an exhibit of everyday objects that was very cool. Hand carved stools, chairs, head-rests (I have never thought of a head-rest before, but it's a great idea!) pipes, kitchen items, dolls, games, drinking horns, jewelry. All of the carving was really beautiful, from very simple wooden objects to intricately-designed ivory armlets.
Of course, we made a stop at the museum shop. What a great selection! My parents have traveled to Africa many times and they always bring home beautiful and interesting art and textiles, so walking into this shop was a lot like walking into their living room. Hand-woven bowls, fans, gorgeous fabrics, carved figures, jewelry. My dad got 2 African cookbooks and spices, so I hope I get to sample some new dishes at Christmas. I got a Putamayo CD of "Women of Africa" so I'm excited to listen to it soon! My coworkers will probably get to hear it too....
After lunch at Teaism, we made our way to The Shakespeare Theatre to see Othello. Thanks for the tix, JJ, the seats were great! Mom and Dad were excited to see Avery Brooks , since Mom's been a fan ever since he played Hawk on "Spenser: For Hire." And I think he had his own spin-off too. The show was pretty good. I was really impressed with Patrick Page (aka Mr. MPDP). I liked him much better in this than in Macbeth last year. Iago is such an evil character and he relished it. This is now the 3rd show I've seen with Lise Bruneau, and I really like her. As usual, the design was fantasitc - great lighting, sound, sets, and particularly the costumes. The Shakespeare Theatre knows how to make men look good, and those long leather coats were pretty hot.
I did have 2 main criticisms with the production. There was no reason the show needed to be 3 hrs and 20 minutes long. I felt like the entire first scene - 15 minutes or so - was included just to give David Sabin a role. All of that could have been cut with just a minute or two of exposition and the show could've started in Cyprus. And while I hate to begrudge a good scene between 2 female characters, since Shakespeare so rarely wrote good female scenes, but the whole "Barbary's song" part wasn't necessary. Desdemona is already a very sympathetic character, we didn't really need to give her that much backstory. And then there was Avery Brooks himself. Whether it was Michael Kahn's direction or Avery Brooks' choice, I'm not sure, but I did *not* like the physical characterization of Othello. He was so twitchy and animalistic. I know that Othello has to go mad and become violent, but I really didn't like the primal nature of Brooks' version of the Moor.
That primal nature started me thinking.... I'm not sure how I feel about the play itself. Othello is often hailed as a progressive, ground-breaking show because it addresses race and features a black lead (I'm saying black rather than African-American cuz it was a British playwright writing about a Moor, but I apologize if that's not the most PC way to speak about it). But actually watching the show made me wonder if it is really conveying a positive message or not. Putting aside Iago's machinations, we end up watching the downward spiral of a noble hero who becomes an angry black man, who turns his once blissful inter-racial relationsihp into a horrible case of domestic violence. After all of the negative stereotypes shown in movies, tv, and the news, is this really a story that should be perpetuated? If it were written by some unknown playwright last year versus Shakespeare 500 years ago, would more people talk about the race issues in the play? Good food for thought. I'd love to discuss it.
After the show, we had a thoroughly enjoyable dinner with 6 of my closest friends at the ChopHouse. Wow, that was a lot of food....and laughs! Stay tuned for more reviews of DC's finest tourist destinations!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
How Can You Make a Puppy Look Evil?
Just ask Harriet and George. The Smoking Gun has all of those Hallmark cards up. I think I need to brush my teeth.
The Amazing Race
I'm watching the first season of The Amazing Race on Netflix. I only started watching TAR about 2 seasons ago, so I'm glad this is finally out on DVD to watch. I already know who wins, cuz I've read about it and seen them on various other reality tv programs, but it's still fun to watch the race and see how it all plays out.
I can't stand Team Guido. Ugh, they're so full of themselves. I *love* Drew and Kevin, who've given me one of my new favorite quotes -- "We're in Namibia, jackass!" I like Lenny but I don't know if I like Karen all that much. She's kinda screechy. And speaking of screechy, Paul and Amie are so not meant for this kind of stress. And I always cry when the old people get eliminated. Don and Margaretta just came in last, and it was such a sweet moment. Well, I take that back, I didn't cry over Gretchen and Meredith. Queen of the screech.
I hope that the rest of TAR comes out on DVD soon so I can keep watching. I can't wait to see when Phil changes his hair from the shaggy rumpled thing to the spiky haircut, which makes him much, much cuter!
I can't stand Team Guido. Ugh, they're so full of themselves. I *love* Drew and Kevin, who've given me one of my new favorite quotes -- "We're in Namibia, jackass!" I like Lenny but I don't know if I like Karen all that much. She's kinda screechy. And speaking of screechy, Paul and Amie are so not meant for this kind of stress. And I always cry when the old people get eliminated. Don and Margaretta just came in last, and it was such a sweet moment. Well, I take that back, I didn't cry over Gretchen and Meredith. Queen of the screech.
I hope that the rest of TAR comes out on DVD soon so I can keep watching. I can't wait to see when Phil changes his hair from the shaggy rumpled thing to the spiky haircut, which makes him much, much cuter!
The Night That Was
So I guess it's a good sign when your entire body aches on a Saturday morning. Right??? Last night we celebrated MH's birthday in true marathon style. Kudos to the birthday girl for assembling such a really cool group of people!
First stop: Lucky Bar
We managed to take over the whole pool table area for the first few hours, which was a great spot! MH and The Johnson were there, of course, plus K&B, S&C, EA & Reporter Boy, AS, JK and her new engagement ring, NKV, our 2 new cool Boston friends, RH and Scenic Artisan, and the always entertaining AP. The beer was cheap, the food was greasy, and the White Sox game was on the tv's. Sure, I felt like I was one of the oldest people in the bar (ah, a Friday night during intern season) but we had a good showing. Thanks, BJ, for the covert empanadas. I'll never forget sneak-eating my first empanada off of the bench between us. Yowza!
Next stop: Sign of the Whale
Finally, after months of hearing stories, we made it out on a night when the coolest dj's ever were at the helm. Great job, T! The die-hards from the first group - AS, MH, BJ, NKV, AP - danced the night away. I was loving the quirky music selection, with a little Depeche Mode and a great Tom Petty/hair band rock block. I felt like I was 15 again, angsty and dying to bust of small town upstate New York. Good times! And I never thought I'd see the day where I both (a) danced on a bench in front of other people and (b) outlasted MH! But there it was. AS (and her new friend) and I stayed until well after 2:30. I loved hanging out in the dj booth - I totally see why the guys do it. It's a lot of fun playing the music and the people-watching is pure entertainment. Between the "get a room" couple and straight-from-the-80's guy who fell backwards into the booth when dancing a little too exuberantly, that last hour is hilarious!
Last stop: McDonald's
AS, thanks for indulging me with the 3 am fast food fix! And thank you, Mickey D's, for always being open in AdMo! A quarter pounder with cheese sure is darn tasty. We made friends with this goofy young guy who was clearly wasted, and he danced for us. But then he totally failed his mission in trying to help us get rid of the guy outside that kept knocking on the window and trying to talk to AS. Drunk boy went outside and *hugged* the guy, then told AS to call him! Not quite what we had in mind, but window guy left and we finally called it a night.
Now it's bright and sunny outside and all I wanna do is take a big long Tylenol-enhanced nap. Maybe watch some Netflix. Mom and Dad are coming into town tonight, so I'm excited for some good free meals for the next few days! Hooray for parental visits!
First stop: Lucky Bar
We managed to take over the whole pool table area for the first few hours, which was a great spot! MH and The Johnson were there, of course, plus K&B, S&C, EA & Reporter Boy, AS, JK and her new engagement ring, NKV, our 2 new cool Boston friends, RH and Scenic Artisan, and the always entertaining AP. The beer was cheap, the food was greasy, and the White Sox game was on the tv's. Sure, I felt like I was one of the oldest people in the bar (ah, a Friday night during intern season) but we had a good showing. Thanks, BJ, for the covert empanadas. I'll never forget sneak-eating my first empanada off of the bench between us. Yowza!
Next stop: Sign of the Whale
Finally, after months of hearing stories, we made it out on a night when the coolest dj's ever were at the helm. Great job, T! The die-hards from the first group - AS, MH, BJ, NKV, AP - danced the night away. I was loving the quirky music selection, with a little Depeche Mode and a great Tom Petty/hair band rock block. I felt like I was 15 again, angsty and dying to bust of small town upstate New York. Good times! And I never thought I'd see the day where I both (a) danced on a bench in front of other people and (b) outlasted MH! But there it was. AS (and her new friend) and I stayed until well after 2:30. I loved hanging out in the dj booth - I totally see why the guys do it. It's a lot of fun playing the music and the people-watching is pure entertainment. Between the "get a room" couple and straight-from-the-80's guy who fell backwards into the booth when dancing a little too exuberantly, that last hour is hilarious!
Last stop: McDonald's
AS, thanks for indulging me with the 3 am fast food fix! And thank you, Mickey D's, for always being open in AdMo! A quarter pounder with cheese sure is darn tasty. We made friends with this goofy young guy who was clearly wasted, and he danced for us. But then he totally failed his mission in trying to help us get rid of the guy outside that kept knocking on the window and trying to talk to AS. Drunk boy went outside and *hugged* the guy, then told AS to call him! Not quite what we had in mind, but window guy left and we finally called it a night.
Now it's bright and sunny outside and all I wanna do is take a big long Tylenol-enhanced nap. Maybe watch some Netflix. Mom and Dad are coming into town tonight, so I'm excited for some good free meals for the next few days! Hooray for parental visits!
Friday, October 14, 2005
Fun Friday Quote
From today's Examiner column by Patrick W. Gavin about cross-party dating. It's all about the perils of reds and blues in love (does that make a purple?):
"In the end, cross-party dating - ignoring the leather coat-cutting, "liberals don't shower" horror stories - may be a net plus for couples. Besides, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that, ultimately, we're all 99.1 percent chimpanzee anyway, so our primal instincts for companionship probably don't care about so-and-so's position on House Resolution 18509."
"In the end, cross-party dating - ignoring the leather coat-cutting, "liberals don't shower" horror stories - may be a net plus for couples. Besides, we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that, ultimately, we're all 99.1 percent chimpanzee anyway, so our primal instincts for companionship probably don't care about so-and-so's position on House Resolution 18509."
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Census Data redux - not the cute part
These statistics aren't fun - in fact, they're very serious. The census report looked at both marriage and fertility rates as they relate to poverty. From that same Post article:
Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of new mothers who were unmarried, at 53.4 percent. The city also had the highest percentage of new mothers living in poverty, at 36.3 percent.
This article doesn't mention it, but I believe DC also has the highest infant mortality rates in the country. America should be ashamed. We can't even take care of families and children in our nation's capital. Does anyone know of people, policies, or programs that are trying to make a difference? I suppose this would be a good segue to another post about the Mayor's race soon. Stay tuned.
Washington, D.C., had the highest percentage of new mothers who were unmarried, at 53.4 percent. The city also had the highest percentage of new mothers living in poverty, at 36.3 percent.
This article doesn't mention it, but I believe DC also has the highest infant mortality rates in the country. America should be ashamed. We can't even take care of families and children in our nation's capital. Does anyone know of people, policies, or programs that are trying to make a difference? I suppose this would be a good segue to another post about the Mayor's race soon. Stay tuned.
Love and Marriage....
So did everyone see the new census report on marriage data? Apparently DC and the Northeast in general are NOT the place to be if you want to get married in your 20's. The media age for (a first) marriage in DC is 30. That means I have exactly 4 months left. Start counting!
It is interesting that this is their first state-by-state analysis. Not at all a surprise that people in the red states get married a few years earlier than people in the blue, and that those blue folks are more likely to cohabitate before marriage. (Why can't I ever think about people living together without getting Bon Jovi's "Living in Sin" in my head? I'm so still a hair band girl at heart. "Is it you and me or just this world we live in? I call it love, they call it livin' in sin....")
It is interesting that this is their first state-by-state analysis. Not at all a surprise that people in the red states get married a few years earlier than people in the blue, and that those blue folks are more likely to cohabitate before marriage. (Why can't I ever think about people living together without getting Bon Jovi's "Living in Sin" in my head? I'm so still a hair band girl at heart. "Is it you and me or just this world we live in? I call it love, they call it livin' in sin....")
Excessive Force
CNN just played the full 5 minutes of the video showing the beating of Robert Davis in New Orleans. You can't have missed this story over the past few days. It's bothered me every time I've seen it - from the footage itself to the interviews with Mr. Davis. He has seemed to be a very reasonable, surprisingly forgiving person. Maybe I'm a sucker, but I believe him when he says that he hasn't had a drink in 25 years. Of course, we'll never know for sure since the officers didn't do a blood or breathalyzer test.
So it's their word against his. And in that horrifying video, it certainly looks like the police are using excessive force. So what's their credibility? The fact that the cop on horseback kept positioning himself in front of the cameras is very suspicious. What does anyone walking down the street do to deserve getting beaten by 4 or 5 cops? And the cops were yelling at, pushing around and handcuffing witnesses who tried to intervene? This doesn't look good for the cops. I saw an interview with Frank DeSalvo, the attorney for the cops. Man, does he seem like a slimeball.
So is it really necessary for us to watch this kind of video? My eyes are glued to it, but I'm a product of the 24 hour cable news cycle. Are we better off seeing this kind of footage? Who knows.
So it's their word against his. And in that horrifying video, it certainly looks like the police are using excessive force. So what's their credibility? The fact that the cop on horseback kept positioning himself in front of the cameras is very suspicious. What does anyone walking down the street do to deserve getting beaten by 4 or 5 cops? And the cops were yelling at, pushing around and handcuffing witnesses who tried to intervene? This doesn't look good for the cops. I saw an interview with Frank DeSalvo, the attorney for the cops. Man, does he seem like a slimeball.
So is it really necessary for us to watch this kind of video? My eyes are glued to it, but I'm a product of the 24 hour cable news cycle. Are we better off seeing this kind of footage? Who knows.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
I'm A-Walking, Yes Indeed
Our bouncing baby boy took his first steps today! Well, I'm not sure if they could actually be called steps. From the reports, it sounds like today was the first time he knda "scooched" himself around using all 4 paws. He'd only been using the front ones before. So congrats, Butterstick! You're growing up so fast!
In other news, he turns 100 days old next week so they'll be announcing his real name. I hope my choice is the winner! But I don't know that I really want the grand prize in that contest -- a round-trip ticket to Washington, DC. Umm, yeah, I can walk to the Zoo. Not such a great prize there.
Random Snippets
After going out on a school night with EA, I'm a little buzzed and feeling list-y again. So here goes:
- I once again had Thomas Friedman's new book "The World is Flat" strongly recommended to me. So as soon as I finish my current book, I think I need to pick that one up off my shelf (where it's been since I got my pre-ordered copy from Amazon) and dust it off.
- The corner deli on 8th & D NW (my favorite lunch spot) makes a fan-freakin'-tastic tuna melt, but be sure you've got some breath mints for the rest of the afternoon.
- I had 2 mojitos after work. That's hilarious for those who know my little bro's "exotic" tastes in Bloomington, Indiana. I have to text him every time I drink one!
- We went to the Raku in Dupont Circle for dinner. I'd been to the one in Bethesda before, and I think I like that one better. This location is just so tiny and crowded that the atmosphere is not very relaxing. But the food was good. With EA is my witness, I can honestly say I got full on soup. Or maybe I just got tired of trying to wrangle those slippery noodles.
- I love the 42 bus! Almost as much as I love the S2/S4 buses. I can pick up the 42 just about anywhere in Dupont and be home in about 10 minutes. Excellent!
- To his credit, little bro was dead on. This Freddie Prinze Jr. / Brian Austin Green show is pretty darn bad.
Well, that's all for now. Since I got a little notice under the door saying maintenance is coming in tomorrow to install a new kitchen faucet, I've got some cleaning and clearing of the kitchen to do.
- I once again had Thomas Friedman's new book "The World is Flat" strongly recommended to me. So as soon as I finish my current book, I think I need to pick that one up off my shelf (where it's been since I got my pre-ordered copy from Amazon) and dust it off.
- The corner deli on 8th & D NW (my favorite lunch spot) makes a fan-freakin'-tastic tuna melt, but be sure you've got some breath mints for the rest of the afternoon.
- I had 2 mojitos after work. That's hilarious for those who know my little bro's "exotic" tastes in Bloomington, Indiana. I have to text him every time I drink one!
- We went to the Raku in Dupont Circle for dinner. I'd been to the one in Bethesda before, and I think I like that one better. This location is just so tiny and crowded that the atmosphere is not very relaxing. But the food was good. With EA is my witness, I can honestly say I got full on soup. Or maybe I just got tired of trying to wrangle those slippery noodles.
- I love the 42 bus! Almost as much as I love the S2/S4 buses. I can pick up the 42 just about anywhere in Dupont and be home in about 10 minutes. Excellent!
- To his credit, little bro was dead on. This Freddie Prinze Jr. / Brian Austin Green show is pretty darn bad.
Well, that's all for now. Since I got a little notice under the door saying maintenance is coming in tomorrow to install a new kitchen faucet, I've got some cleaning and clearing of the kitchen to do.
I am an addict!
OMG. So all of the Verizon land lines were out in my building last night. No phone service = No Internet. Oh, Lordy, I was not doing well! What did we do before the Internet? I couldn't check email, home or work, I couldn't post, I couldn't read other blogs, I couldn't get to the NYT or Netflix. I was just a few steps away from "I have killed the weatherman!!!" What did I do instead? Balanced my checkbook. No fun. But now the phones are fixed and I'll have my Internet connection again tonight. Hooray!
Monday, October 10, 2005
No Indy in Independence
Bah, foiled! I was so excited to check out Independence Air, cuz who doesn't love a cute, cheap option? (Yes, MCB, I realize that was grammatically very close to Sara Lee.) Anyway, I had purchased a very cheap and convenient ticket on Independence Air for my Christmas trip to see the fam in Indiana. I was very pleased that I bought the ticket at the end of August, a few days before Katrina hit and rates started going up. Well, dangit! They called me yesterday to say they were discontinuing their Indianapolis service as of October 31. I can understand, since Indy isn't really a hopping hub for travelers, but still - that was gonna be my way home! They offered to rebook me to Columbus or Chicago, but even the lady on the phone knew that those cities were too far to be convenient. So I will be getting a full refund.
But then I had to find a new flight, and it's more than a month later. So of course, prices have gone up. Even by making my stay a day longer it's still 30 dollars more. And now I have to make connections. No more cute little direct flights. I sure hope there are some good movies out over the holidays, cuz there's not a lot to do in Bloomington for 6 whole days....
But for future reference, the Independence Air customer service folks were super-nice. They just have no love for Indy.
But then I had to find a new flight, and it's more than a month later. So of course, prices have gone up. Even by making my stay a day longer it's still 30 dollars more. And now I have to make connections. No more cute little direct flights. I sure hope there are some good movies out over the holidays, cuz there's not a lot to do in Bloomington for 6 whole days....
But for future reference, the Independence Air customer service folks were super-nice. They just have no love for Indy.
It's Almost 2006!
The Post has an interesting story today about how the GOP is having difficulty recruiting candidates to run in the midterms. Apparently the perfect storm of the war in Iraq, the bungled Katrina response, and Bush's slippery slope approval ratings is seen as pretty darn discouraging to many Republicans who would otherwise run. The GOP isn't able to get their top candidates in some races, and they're stuck with less favored folks in others. (Katherine Harris, I'm talkin' to you.) This is a real chance for us to even up the sides of the aisle -- I really hope the Dems are grooming some good choices. Enough of this Republican control.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
It's All About The Oh Shut Up Already
MBnowL, MCB and I had a conversation today about those horrible Overstock.com commercials. I hate that "It's all about the O" lady and those damn white sets. Apparently CL also hates those commercials, so much so that he changes the channel whenever they come on. I think it's gross that they're obviously trying to make a seedy allusion to orgasms just to sell crappy jewlry, self-help books, tennis rackets, and whatever other junk is on that site. I refuse to even visit it on the web cuz I don't want to support that awful marketing campaign.
In happier news, our trip to the Leesburg outlets resulted in new shoes! That Etienne Algner place was the big winner as we all got mix 'n' match super-cute shoes, in dark red, jungle, mocha, chocolate, and good old black. These are some of the comfiest shoes ever!
In happier news, our trip to the Leesburg outlets resulted in new shoes! That Etienne Algner place was the big winner as we all got mix 'n' match super-cute shoes, in dark red, jungle, mocha, chocolate, and good old black. These are some of the comfiest shoes ever!
Thank You For Riding Metro
I had the most surreal Metro ride ever today. I was soaking wet after walking from 16th to Woodley Park, and all I wanted to do was to ride out to Shady Grove in peace and dry out. Not meant to be. Somewhere around Bethesda, this guy in full death metal costume (black mesh shirt, big pewter skull rings, etc.) got in and started being all chatty. Come on, the last thing you want on public transportation is a loud, outgoing, chatty guy sitting next to you!
In the span from Bethesda to Rockville, I learned that he moved here from Italy, that he hates his father, that he thinks the Black Kat and 9:30 Club are poser places, that he's an accountant and wears a suit all week. He thought I was 24 (haha, not quite!), asked where I like to hang out, wondered if I enjoy cuddling up in front of the fire with a good book (???), and presumed that I prefer guys in Italian suits who drive Lexuseseses (Lexi?). Then he asked me out. Keep in mind, I've just barely been acknowledging him with nods or "uh-huhs" while staring out the window. When I said "Thanks, but I don't think so," he alughed and said, "Oh, I shoulda been like that Italian guy on Friends, How you doin'?" I had to laugh.
Meanwhile, we both noticed a bit of a commotion in the train car. There was this young blonde chick bouncing from seat to seat talking to people - she sounded like a market researcher or something. He started mocking blondes in general - said something like "wow, they sent a blonde to do an idiot's job." We quickly figured out that the blonde and the older redheaded woman on the other side of the train were clearly talking to people about God. Oh great, now I get the Jesus Freaks on my train ride? Guess they needed something to do since the torrential rains have put a damper on that Christian Festival on the Mall.
The older Jesus lady came and sat down right next to me. I kinda hoped she would divert me away from the conversation with death metal guy. Turns out it got to be quite entertaining. She asked if she could talk to me and ask me 3 questions, and I said sure. "Do you believe in God?" Well, I wasn't in the mood to play after all, cuz I said "I do believe in something, but it's private." The she said in a very sing-songy voice, "Well, then I guess you don't want to talk to me after all." And she bounded away. Then she decided to take a risk and start talking to the guy. I smirked and looked forward to this little interaction. It went a little something like this:
Jesus Lady: Can I ask you three questions?
Death Metal Guy: Sure.
JL: Do you believe in God?
DMG: No
JL: Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
DMG: (smirking) Uh, no.
JL: Some people do you believe the 2nd even if they don't believe the first. Do you believe that when you die you're going to heaven?
DMG: No, I'm going to Valhalla.
JL: And where's that? (I laugh quietly.)
DMG: It's a pagan belief.
JL: Pagan? Does that mean you believe in Satan? Are you a Satanist? (she said this very snappy.)
DMG: No, I don't believe in Satan. Paganism is an old religion from thousands of years before Christianity. Christianity and Roman Catholicism came along and initiated the mass slaughter of thousands of people. It was called the Burning Times. Study your history.
JL: The Bible is history. I study the Bible.
DMG: I study the Bible too. Psalms 34, you should look it up. I bet you'd like it. (He starts to walk towards the door to get off the train.)
JL: Just remember Jesus loves you!
DMG: Blessed be.
She walks away as the train is slowing down. He turns to me and says "Oh, you just knew that was coming!" Again, I had to laugh and smile. At this point, he got off the train. Hmmm, maybe I should've said yes when he asked me out after all. He was kinda cute...
The Jesus people stayed on and rode the final leg to Shady Grove as well. I heard the JL go back to her friends and tell the story of this *terrifying* encounter she had just had with a Satanist pagan freak. The guy with her said "he sounds like a goofball!" but they were clearly very bothered by him. Good for him for rattling that cage.
In the span from Bethesda to Rockville, I learned that he moved here from Italy, that he hates his father, that he thinks the Black Kat and 9:30 Club are poser places, that he's an accountant and wears a suit all week. He thought I was 24 (haha, not quite!), asked where I like to hang out, wondered if I enjoy cuddling up in front of the fire with a good book (???), and presumed that I prefer guys in Italian suits who drive Lexuseseses (Lexi?). Then he asked me out. Keep in mind, I've just barely been acknowledging him with nods or "uh-huhs" while staring out the window. When I said "Thanks, but I don't think so," he alughed and said, "Oh, I shoulda been like that Italian guy on Friends, How you doin'?" I had to laugh.
Meanwhile, we both noticed a bit of a commotion in the train car. There was this young blonde chick bouncing from seat to seat talking to people - she sounded like a market researcher or something. He started mocking blondes in general - said something like "wow, they sent a blonde to do an idiot's job." We quickly figured out that the blonde and the older redheaded woman on the other side of the train were clearly talking to people about God. Oh great, now I get the Jesus Freaks on my train ride? Guess they needed something to do since the torrential rains have put a damper on that Christian Festival on the Mall.
The older Jesus lady came and sat down right next to me. I kinda hoped she would divert me away from the conversation with death metal guy. Turns out it got to be quite entertaining. She asked if she could talk to me and ask me 3 questions, and I said sure. "Do you believe in God?" Well, I wasn't in the mood to play after all, cuz I said "I do believe in something, but it's private." The she said in a very sing-songy voice, "Well, then I guess you don't want to talk to me after all." And she bounded away. Then she decided to take a risk and start talking to the guy. I smirked and looked forward to this little interaction. It went a little something like this:
Jesus Lady: Can I ask you three questions?
Death Metal Guy: Sure.
JL: Do you believe in God?
DMG: No
JL: Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
DMG: (smirking) Uh, no.
JL: Some people do you believe the 2nd even if they don't believe the first. Do you believe that when you die you're going to heaven?
DMG: No, I'm going to Valhalla.
JL: And where's that? (I laugh quietly.)
DMG: It's a pagan belief.
JL: Pagan? Does that mean you believe in Satan? Are you a Satanist? (she said this very snappy.)
DMG: No, I don't believe in Satan. Paganism is an old religion from thousands of years before Christianity. Christianity and Roman Catholicism came along and initiated the mass slaughter of thousands of people. It was called the Burning Times. Study your history.
JL: The Bible is history. I study the Bible.
DMG: I study the Bible too. Psalms 34, you should look it up. I bet you'd like it. (He starts to walk towards the door to get off the train.)
JL: Just remember Jesus loves you!
DMG: Blessed be.
She walks away as the train is slowing down. He turns to me and says "Oh, you just knew that was coming!" Again, I had to laugh and smile. At this point, he got off the train. Hmmm, maybe I should've said yes when he asked me out after all. He was kinda cute...
The Jesus people stayed on and rode the final leg to Shady Grove as well. I heard the JL go back to her friends and tell the story of this *terrifying* encounter she had just had with a Satanist pagan freak. The guy with her said "he sounds like a goofball!" but they were clearly very bothered by him. Good for him for rattling that cage.
Friday, October 07, 2005
I Ate the Beef
We had a marathon happy hour and dinner at McCormick & Schmick's tonight (the one at Gallery Place, not the awful K Street version where we had the worst service ever on Wednesday) and I actually did it.... I ate the beef! I took a risk on the $1.95 cheeseburger sliders and guess what??? They were delicious!!! So I guess that's it, I'm back on the beef. Bring on the burgers and dogs!
A few other highlights (I'm in a list-y mood today):
1. The happy hour prices can't be beat. $1.95 appetizers and $3.50 beer specials? Priceless!
2. Successful blending of work friends and outside-life friends, hooray!
3. Freakin' delicious seared Ahi tuna over sauteed spinach.
4. The Red Sox went down 0 for 3 for their series, but at least we could agree that the White Sox may be the team in need of a good story this year.
5. C&M brought me back a bottle of Canadian Vigonier - I can't wait to try it!
6. An insightful conversation about appropriate "dibs" policy
7. The bar music included such gems as "What's Love Got to Do With It" and "Lost In Your Eyes" - how often do you get to hear Debbie Gibson at happy hour?
8. Even with the "I want to get hammered" disclaimer, I only sent one semi-buzzed drunk text. See, T, I can control myself! :-)
Now, in honor of the BoSox, I'm watching "Fever Pitch." I hope it's good!
A few other highlights (I'm in a list-y mood today):
1. The happy hour prices can't be beat. $1.95 appetizers and $3.50 beer specials? Priceless!
2. Successful blending of work friends and outside-life friends, hooray!
3. Freakin' delicious seared Ahi tuna over sauteed spinach.
4. The Red Sox went down 0 for 3 for their series, but at least we could agree that the White Sox may be the team in need of a good story this year.
5. C&M brought me back a bottle of Canadian Vigonier - I can't wait to try it!
6. An insightful conversation about appropriate "dibs" policy
7. The bar music included such gems as "What's Love Got to Do With It" and "Lost In Your Eyes" - how often do you get to hear Debbie Gibson at happy hour?
8. Even with the "I want to get hammered" disclaimer, I only sent one semi-buzzed drunk text. See, T, I can control myself! :-)
Now, in honor of the BoSox, I'm watching "Fever Pitch." I hope it's good!
Today's Theme Song
Thanks, Corey Hart!Just a little more time is all we're asking for
Cause just a little more time could open closing doors
Just a little uncertainty can bring you down
And nobody wants to know you now
And nobody wants to show you how
So if you're lost and on your own
You can never surrender
And if your path won't lead you home
You can never surrender
And when the night is cold and dark
You can see, you can see light
Cause no-one can take away your right
To fight and never surrender
With a little perserverence you can get things down
Without the blind adherence that has conquered some
And nobody wants to know you now
And nobody wants to show you how
So if you're lost and on your own
You can never surrender
And if your path won't lead you home
You can never surrender
And when the night is cold and dark
You can see, you can see light
Cause no-one can take away your right
To fight and never surrender, to never surrender
Don't Fence Me In
So what's the deal with this border fence idea? I hate to let them think I'm a supporter, but I've been spending time checking out the web site of the group that's trying to build a fence all along the US-Mexico border. Immigration is not my area of expertise, but I tend to fall on the liberal side of this as well as most other issues. I know from some exposure to articles during the 2004 election season that immigration along the Mexican border is becoming more and more of a challenge, particularly with illegal immigrants (I hate the word "aliens") creating a burden on many of the emergency/health care systems in the Southwest, along with the labor issues involved.
But do people really think that building a fence is gonna solve the problem? This group cites the Israeli border fence as an example of what they want to accomplish. Of course they're couching this all in the language of national security. I start to get really worried when I hear super-isolationist immigration talk like this. Pat Buchanan and his gang of xenophobes don't seem to jive with Lady Liberty's open invitation to the land of opportunity.
Does anyone know any more about this as an issue? Any better suggestions than just building a fence???
But do people really think that building a fence is gonna solve the problem? This group cites the Israeli border fence as an example of what they want to accomplish. Of course they're couching this all in the language of national security. I start to get really worried when I hear super-isolationist immigration talk like this. Pat Buchanan and his gang of xenophobes don't seem to jive with Lady Liberty's open invitation to the land of opportunity.
Does anyone know any more about this as an issue? Any better suggestions than just building a fence???
Reasons Why I'm Glad It's Friday
1. This has truly been one of the worst weeks of my professional life. Can't wait to kiss it goodbye!
2. I'm drinking a 20 oz Coke Classic and I don't care if I get a caffeine headache, cuz I'm just gonna head to happy hour to drink some beer afterwards.
3. I'm blogging from work and it's SO MUCH FASTER than my dial-up connection at home!
4. At aforementioned happy hour, I plan to eat beef for the first time (intentionally, at least) since 1997. Yep, I think I'm gonna make that cow-eating plunge. I'll let you know how it goes.
5. I have no plans for the next two days, so my weekend is truly mine. Reading, sleeping, cleaning, watching Netflix, eating all the yummy stuff I spent way too much money on at Whole Foods last night.
6. My honeymooning friends are back! So I hope to see them soon - if not tonight or over this rainy weekend, then v.v. soon. They better have good pictures of Canada!
7. I'm wearing a new necklace that is way out of my usual style, but I'm getting tons of compliments (pi-pi) on it, so that's enough to coast on for a few days.
8. I love the CNN headline "Penn Station back to normal after soda scare." Who knows what's really going on there, but that's a dang nonsensical headline.
9. This story about London getting a "sexual theme park" combined with that recent story about Target now selling "toys" makes me think maybe this world isn't careening towards conservatism quite as fast as I fear.
10. It's only 2 hours until happy hour!!!!
Thursday, October 06, 2005
The Dirty Nine
Thanks to MCB for the title of this post, and the roll call below. Thanks for the courageous-only-cuz-of-today's-politics 90 Senators - including 46 Republicans, 43 Democrats, and good old Indy Jeffords - who voted on former-detainee McCain's measure for setting new limits on interrogating detainees. You know, "just say no to torture." Nine Senators - the aforementioned Dirty Nine - voted against it. Let me introduce you...
Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)
Now we need to see if Bush is gonna live up to his threat to veto this. Can you imagine? Vetoing a bill that says America will set limits to what can be done in interrogations? In other words, vetoing something that says "America will not torture people." Is this really our country? Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself.
Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)
Now we need to see if Bush is gonna live up to his threat to veto this. Can you imagine? Vetoing a bill that says America will set limits to what can be done in interrogations? In other words, vetoing something that says "America will not torture people." Is this really our country? Sometimes I have to stop and ask myself.
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Distraction
Enough of politics and pop culture for a minute. Let's focus on how freakin' cute the baby panda is!!!
And you thought Apple was bad....
Kal-el? Really? He named his kid after Superman? Aw, come on, Nic Cage. That's worse than Azz-wee-pay.
Sigh
The most perfect Daily Show ever. Start with Jon Stewart making fun of TomKat, and end up with my favoritest guest of all time, Sen. John Edwards. Wow, John and Jon talking about the failures of the Administration and strategies to address poverty and inequality in America. Call me the happiest girl around! Hmmm....John and Jon.... wouldn't that make quite a ticket???
Monday, October 03, 2005
Remembering August Wilson
In the fall of 2000, I had the rare opportunity of watching a genius at work. I was in the development department at Pittsburgh Public Theater when we moved our company from the North Side to a brand new theater, the O'Reilly, in the downtown cultural district. We'd been planning this move for years and I was working on a capital campaign to help pay for it.
We knew we had to do something spectacular as the first show on our new stage. Fortunately, our Artistic Director and our company itself had a long-term relationship with August Wilson. We had enjoyed huge critical and commercial successes with several of the plays in his "Decade Series," and he loved staging shows in his hometown just blocks away from the Hill District, where he grew up. August was close to finishing what I believe was the 8th play in his series, and he agreed to let us do the world premiere as the inaugural show in the O'Reilly. Thus, our love affair with King Hedley II began.
Since it was a world premiere, August, the director Marion McClinton, and the cast spent several extra weeks in residence with PPT while they workshopped and rehearsed the new show. The cast included Tony Todd, of "Candyman" fame, and I have some funny stories there for another time. Watching the process by which they shaped this play was amazing. From the first table reading through rehearsals on stage through the extended run of the show, we all really felt like we were witnessing artistic magic. August was clearly a poet. This first production of Hedley clocked in at about 4 hours, long before any of the cuts that took place in its tour of regionals before making it to Broadway. As far as I can remember, I saw the show in its entirety 4 times between December and February. Each time I saw it I noticed slight changes - a new monologue here, a change in blocking there, a shortened speech here - and the show kept getting better and better. I don't know if Hedley has ever gotten as tight and crisp as Fences, the first Wilson show I saw, but it was emotional and provocative and spiritual, with more than a few moments of sheer brilliance.
I was intimidated at first when I learned that August would be walking in the same halls as all of us. I had never really met anyone who had been called a genius before, and I wasn't sure what he would be like. Honestly, he was one of the shyest, quietest, and most sweetly modest people I've ever worked with. My clearest memories? Sharing dinner with him, his wife, his daughter, and about 8 other PPT staffers at Lemongrass restaurant. Getting excited with Lane and Teddy Z about buying our daily lottery tickets, and having August chip in on our group pool. We laughed about splitting our winnings with him. And, of course, all of us smiling whenever we passed the "August Wilson Honorary Smoking Spot" for years after.
I think that all of us at PPT at the time still treasure those memories, as it was a chance for us to witness creation. Some have called August Wilson the greatest American poet/playwright since Tennessee Williams, and he was arguably the biggest force in American theater in the late 20th Century. I am proud to say that for just a short time my life coincided with his. Even though he is gone, his words and his characters will continue to evoke and inspire.
We knew we had to do something spectacular as the first show on our new stage. Fortunately, our Artistic Director and our company itself had a long-term relationship with August Wilson. We had enjoyed huge critical and commercial successes with several of the plays in his "Decade Series," and he loved staging shows in his hometown just blocks away from the Hill District, where he grew up. August was close to finishing what I believe was the 8th play in his series, and he agreed to let us do the world premiere as the inaugural show in the O'Reilly. Thus, our love affair with King Hedley II began.
Since it was a world premiere, August, the director Marion McClinton, and the cast spent several extra weeks in residence with PPT while they workshopped and rehearsed the new show. The cast included Tony Todd, of "Candyman" fame, and I have some funny stories there for another time. Watching the process by which they shaped this play was amazing. From the first table reading through rehearsals on stage through the extended run of the show, we all really felt like we were witnessing artistic magic. August was clearly a poet. This first production of Hedley clocked in at about 4 hours, long before any of the cuts that took place in its tour of regionals before making it to Broadway. As far as I can remember, I saw the show in its entirety 4 times between December and February. Each time I saw it I noticed slight changes - a new monologue here, a change in blocking there, a shortened speech here - and the show kept getting better and better. I don't know if Hedley has ever gotten as tight and crisp as Fences, the first Wilson show I saw, but it was emotional and provocative and spiritual, with more than a few moments of sheer brilliance.
I was intimidated at first when I learned that August would be walking in the same halls as all of us. I had never really met anyone who had been called a genius before, and I wasn't sure what he would be like. Honestly, he was one of the shyest, quietest, and most sweetly modest people I've ever worked with. My clearest memories? Sharing dinner with him, his wife, his daughter, and about 8 other PPT staffers at Lemongrass restaurant. Getting excited with Lane and Teddy Z about buying our daily lottery tickets, and having August chip in on our group pool. We laughed about splitting our winnings with him. And, of course, all of us smiling whenever we passed the "August Wilson Honorary Smoking Spot" for years after.
I think that all of us at PPT at the time still treasure those memories, as it was a chance for us to witness creation. Some have called August Wilson the greatest American poet/playwright since Tennessee Williams, and he was arguably the biggest force in American theater in the late 20th Century. I am proud to say that for just a short time my life coincided with his. Even though he is gone, his words and his characters will continue to evoke and inspire.
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