Our Lady of Geek

My first post from Japan

2009-09-24T01:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted to this blog in awhile, since I've been consumed with moving and living in Japan. I've been here for just under two months, and there are some things that I really enjoy, and some things that I really don't like. I'm saving those up for a post to my Japanese blog, however.

But for the past few months, but life's been a little boring. It's amazing how dull even a foreign country can be when you don't have much to do. The novelty wore off in a few weeks, and my passion for studying the language disappeared after a few weeks. I really need to get back into it, though.

Since I've been here I've been watching TV, playing games, reading--you know, the stuff I used to do in the States. And while I get to go more interesting places on the weekends, the lack of good friends makes me sad.

I'm planning on updating this blog soon with reviews of the tv shows/movies I've seen lately, games I've played, rants and raves I've been thinking about, and hopefully an eloquent post about how sexism in Japan sucks.

Until then, don't you forget about me.

(Did I get the song stuck in your head?)

My Life without the Internet--or even a computer.

2009-07-31T23:23:00.000-07:00

Well, during the middle of the laptop saga (all resolved now, and for a decent price) the router at my mom's gave out, and there was a big ordeal getting it replaced. Moral of the story, never use Embarq.

What I did instead of playing games/browsing the web:

Knit. A lot. A couple of quick mohair scarves that I gave to my aunt and cousin. Started on my very first sweater. Stopped because I wanted to see knitting videos on the internet to understand circular knitting. Tried to pick up crocheting. Need help with that one.

Watched BBC America. A lot. Luckily, the internet went out starting the week they showed the Torchwood: Children of Earth mini-series, as well as Being Human and Doctor Who.

Rewatched most of the first two seasons of Veronica Mars, and popped some less commonly watched DVDs in. Remembered why most of them were less watched.

But mainly, realized what a pain it is to live without the internet, considering how many bills I pay online, things I need to look up for my flights, etc. Amazing how quickly we as people adapt our life around technology and then struggle without it.

Knitting Extravaganza! The Scarf Edition

2009-07-11T00:52:00.001-07:00

The bulk of what I've done so far in knitting is scarves, with four complete projects.

The first thing I ever knitted was a pale green scarf from a pattern in a knitting book from Better Homes and Gardens. It has an interesting pattern that is wavy on one side and blocky on the other. I think the pattern is interesting, but because I was just starting out, I used a low quality yarn and it was both a pain to work with and not very comfy to wear. The scarf is also extremely short for a scarf, since I was anxious to have my first projected completed, and finished it off a few feet before I should have.

The second scarf was a plain garter stitch, made solely because I found some funky green, blue, and yellow yarn on clearance. My first time making tassels (though they aren't attached right and kind of look funny.) This scarf is long and wide and was my most-used scarf in the my last long Wisconsin winter.

The pink scarf is my favorite scarf I've knitting, mostly because of the amazing yarn used. It was my first time working with luxury yarn. It's baby alpaca wool from Misti Alpaca (also where I got the pattern.) It's a nice, simple diagonal stripe pattern (though I still goofed up the pattern at the end, and bound off the piece before I noticed.) I still have a skein of the same yarn (though in grey) and am looking forward to using it. This piece also showed me that if I was rich, I'd spend lots of money in yarn shops.

I just finished the grey and green scarf earlier this afternoon. It was made for my brother, and is the first piece I've done that I intend to give to someone else. I used leftover yarn from a blanket I knitted, and working in a simple moss stitch, adding a small strand of green every six inches or so. I feel like I could have done the stipes differently, but the uneveness of it kind of gives it a funkier, less-former feel, I suppose. This was my first good experience with this type of yarn (Lion's Brand Chenille) which made me want to stab myself while making my blanket. Also my first experience with fringe.

Noo! Not my laptop!

2009-07-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

So, the day after that last post, I set my laptop, open, on the couch, twisted away to grab something, and turned around just in time to see my laptop plummet a foot to the carpet. My LCD screen was totally cracked.

There's been a huge drama about getting it fixed--my laptop is an Asus, all of which have a one-year accidental damage warranty. Except those bought at Best Buy. Where mine was. Where they get rid of the manufacturer's warranty to make you buy theirs. Ok, so I got screwed on the warranty. Whatever, my fault for not reading the fine print. So, the tech guy from Asus said over the phone that it would be in the neighborhood of 300-400 dollars to fix. Ouch, but I love my laptop. Stupidly, I decided to have Best Buy fix it, since I could just drop it off at the store. Now, two things are important to mention here: One, I asked the Geek Squad guy I handed my laptop to if the over-the-phone Asus estimate was accurate. He was it sounded about right. Two, I asked the guy if it was his opinion that it was worth dropping the money on my laptop versus getting a new laptop. He said it was. Then, almost a week after I dropped it off, they called with an estimate--of 800 fucking dollars. For a 600 dollar laptop. I was not amused, and dislike Best Buy with somewhat of a passion now.

Blah blah blah, Brent called Asus, this time it was ballparked at a 200 dollar fix, which makes me think that nobody in the freaking universe knows anything, but as soon as I get my laptop back from Best Buy, I'm sending it to Asus and having them fix it, hopefully for less than 800 dollars. And hopefully by the time I leave the country. *sigh* For awhile I was tempted just to drop money on a new laptop, but my Asus is a seriously nice laptop, so I'll hold off until I know what Asus themselves would charge for the repair.

What I've been doing:

2009-07-02T02:51:00.000-07:00

What I've been doing since my last post:

Playing large amounts of both The Sims 3 and Civilization IV.
Repeatedly looking up flights from Seattle to Tokushima.
Watching TV shows, not only on the internet and DVD but actually on television! It's so different. There were COMMERCIALS in my Doctor Who!
Sporadically knitting.
Finally getting off my butt and taking long walks in hopes of getting a bit more in shape.
Getting distracted by random stuff on the internet.

Stay classy, Milwaukee

2009-06-21T19:14:00.000-07:00

(A bit late, but I only just transferred the pictures from my camera to my computer.)

Wait... you're saying this is busy?!?

2009-06-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

Tonight, my father said something to the effect of "the street we live on is too busy, I don't like it."

Now, I've known my father hates busy places; he routinely makes disparaging remarks about pretty much every town with more than a few thousand inhabitants. But, my dad lives miles out of town. In the week I've been here, I would guess that maybe one car has gone by his house every 10-15 minutes, on average: more in on weekends and during commute times, practically no cars late at night. And that's "too busy?" Good grief!

Give me cities, with their variety of things to do, and wider variety of people to do it with. I might enjoy visiting my parents in their small towns, but I would go absolutely nuts if I had to live here full time again.

Gaming with Non-Geeks: Board Game Review

2009-06-18T21:29:00.000-07:00

Tonight, while at my dad's, I played a "non-typical" board game with my dad, stepmom, and stepbrother (by "non-typical," I mean something you probably wouldn't find at a Target.)

The game, Dread Pirate:
The Good:
It certainly wins points for presentation. The board is stylish and cloth and the ships are detailed (though more color variation would be good--platinum, silver, bronze, and copper can be a bit difficult to distinguish.) Your personal treasure bag has a satisfying weight and clink to it when you are doing well, and is depressingly empty when you are close to losing.

The Bad:
To me, it was very simple. Go to ports, roll a die. Attack another ship, roll a die. It's also entirely player-vs-player. I generally enjoy some cooperation in my games. It felt more like a Monopoly type game than a true geeky board game.

The Non-Geek:
While to me it was really simple, a lot of rules were misremembered by my family and a quick flip through the book showed what we were doing wrong. They seemed to enjoy it, though.

Verdict:
Fun enough, but a bit simple. I directed my dad to a still pirate-themed but more complex Pirate's Cove.

Back to Blogging!

2009-06-16T14:08:00.004-07:00

I spent this morning setting up a joint blog for me and Brent to use while we prepare for/are in Japan, and so I decided to get my own personal blog up and going again.

The other blog will be a place to talk about what life in Japan is like, what we're doing there, how our jobs are going, how food is, etc. I'll use this blog for more personal entries, as well as to talk about stories that interest me, interesting pictures that I find, and stuff like that.

I wonder if I'll have much to say this time around!

Random thoughs of the day

2008-12-23T09:14:00.003-08:00

I love my car. And I'm pleasantly surprised by how well it handles in the snow. Speaking of snow and driving, why are studded tires so much more popular in Washington than Wisconsin?

A GM factory closed in a nearby town. One worker blamed consumers for buying foreign cars.

Glass said he doesn't like to cast about for blame, but believes the government has helped foreign competitors to the U.S. automakers, and that American consumers have turned their backs on the domestic manufacturers.
"We, as Americans, need to start buying American products," he said. "And we need to take care of the people who take care of this country." (JSOnline.com)

Um. Maybe American car manufactures need to modernize and get with the program.

Prop 8 is STILL pissing me off. Supporters of Prop 8 need to realize that they are bigots, admit it, and then either stop trying to limit the rights of other human beings or go die in a fire.

I still haven't done much work on my senior paper, but I'm pretty settled on a topic: sound symbolism.

I am glad we were able to help a friend out, but I am glad that in a week or so the apartment will be back to me, Brent, and Bellakitty.

Seriously. I live on Hoth. I demand either a tauntaun or a snowspeeder.

The Peanut Gallery

2008-12-17T16:00:00.001-08:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/12/17/seclusion.rooms/index.html

This is a story on CNN about a special needs boy who hung himself after being put into seclusion in a school in Georgia. While the story is interesting, it's the comments that I find fascinating. There seem to be basically two groups of people commenting on the story:

1) Send the teachers to jail! TORTURE! Inhuman! Our education system is evil!

or

2) Teachers are equipped to deal with highly special needs students plus the twenty four other students in their classrooms. Often, students are forced by either the school or the parents into "normal" classrooms when it's not to their benefit and even to the detriment to the other students in the class. The education system is broken!

Well, glad they can agree on something. But I really think every adult should spend some time in a modern day public school classroom. It's amazing at all the shit teachers go throug, some of it because of NCLB or the admistration, other times because of parents. Frickin' saints, most teachers are.

I need to learn how to make this.

2008-12-15T19:31:00.001-08:00

http://carissaknits.blogspot.com/2007/06/r2d2-beanie.html

My Final Speech

2008-12-12T08:32:00.002-08:00

This is my final project for first semester Japanese. Today is a study day--test tomorrow. On a SATURDAY. I need to have this speech mostly memorized.

私はリサ・エイブルです。二十六さいです。四ねん生です。げんごがくをべんきょうします。たくさんのものがすきです。
おんがくがだいすきです。ロックは私のいちばんすきなおんがくです。えいがもすきです。スター・ウォーズは私のいちばんすきなえいがです。私はインディ・ジョーンズも好きです。テレビも見ます。でもあまり見ません。私のうちはテレビがありません、だからコンピュ─タ─で見ます。
ねこがすきです。私のねこはベッラちゃんです。私のルームメートのねこはアットくんとフィフルちゃんです。かわいいですよ。
本をよむのがすきです。ファンタシ─の本がすきです。こんしゅうジーアをよみました。　ジーアはかんこくの女の人です。よんでください。
たいていテレビゲームをします。ロールプレイングゲームがすきです。ワールドオブウォークラフトがだいすきです。
スポーツがきらいてすから。ズすポーツをぜんぜんしません、でもウィー・スポーツとウィー・フィットをします。
りょうりするのがきらいです、でも食べものがすきです。時々とんかつをりょうりします。おいしいです。
いろいろなことをするのは。　たのしいです！　

My Goals Over Break

2008-12-11T08:34:00.003-08:00

1) Choose a topic, research, and begin writing (and maybe hopefully finish) my senior paper in linguistics.

2) Take a picture and post about my knitting.

3) Start another knitting project.

4) Practice my Japanese to be prepared for next semester.

5) Install all my old games and programs on my laptop.

Laptop

2008-12-10T21:10:00.003-08:00

I'd been thinking about it for awhile, what with going to school and planning on leaving the country, but today Brent and I finally went down to the Best Buy across the street from our house and got one. A friend linked it to us, and it was a pretty good deal. It should run programs like WoW much better than my current desktop, since it has lots more RAM. WoW and my video card would often get into fist fights, and my video card would bring a pipe wrench.

When I was first thinking about getting a laptop, I was all set on getting a Dell, mostly because I know their reputation and the laptop would come in spring green. This one I wasn't sold on until I came to the realization that my laptop is in Star Wars colors. I have named my laptop "The Death Star." And I put a sticker on it!

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9050242&type=product&id=1218012522418#tabbed-customerreviews

I need the internet to function

2008-12-03T16:05:00.001-08:00

Seriously. It went down while I was at school yesterday. It was ridiculous how many things I couldn't do because of it. I routinely watch TV, listen to music, play games, read the news, etc. online. I couldn't figure out what to do with myself last night. Finally I played Civ 4 for about an hour and then read for the rest of the night.

I'm such an addict.

OMG AN UPDATE?!

2008-12-02T09:11:00.002-08:00

Yeah, it's been awhile.

I've been busy with the following:

School. Midterms and finals have blended together this semester. Paper-tacular!

WoW. The day of my last update was the release of Wrath of the Lich King. It's not a coincidence there hasn't been an update since.

JET application. That thing was a monster to fill out.

Thanksgiving. We didn't go anywhere, but had friends over on both Thursday and Friday. Fun times.

How True

2008-11-13T06:59:00.004-08:00

This is rather confusing, when you think about it.

Someone says it better than I ever could.

2008-11-11T16:00:00.003-08:00

If you watch this, and still don't believe everyone has the same rights you do, then I honestly do not respect your opinion. People who oppose this are wrong. Churches and religions who oppose this are wrong. This is about supporting the good things in the world like love and opposing the things like hate in the world. Funny which side a lot of churches come down on--better to hate and make people miserable than to bring love into the world.

And people wonder why I stopped being religious.

Stop and Smell the Corpses

2008-11-06T08:24:00.003-08:00

This is a corpse flower, a titan arum, at the Milwaukee Public Museum. It's claim to fame, aside from being probably one of the very very few in America, is that not only does it take six years from seed to bloom, but when it blooms it smells like... you guessed it, a corpse. A corpse that you can smell from miles away.

The article The webcam

Reflections

2008-11-06T07:40:00.003-08:00

Ok, so I am happy 53% of Americans felt the same way I did in the presidential race. It's nice to finally vote for a winning president. But as incredibly happy as I am with our soon-to-be President Obama, I am so incredibly disappointed with the passing of Prop. 8. It saddens me when people think it's okay to pass laws limiting the rights of others.

I think the Wiccan religion is a little silly, but I like their rede: "Do what you will, so long as it harms none." I can get behind that. It's how I feel about most things. I guess the issue lies in what "harm" means. I think some people express harm when their worldview is questioned. I look at harm in a physical/wellbeing sense.

If I wanted to outlaw what I felt was morally wrong, there would be no churches, abstinence classes, SUV's, or glittery backgrounds on MySpace. But I respect the right of people to go to church, teach their children abstience instead of safe sex, to drive their SUV (though I will still frown at them) and have nothing on their MySpace except for glittery sparkles shooting from a unicorn horn. Those things don't harm me at all. Not in a real sense. I might get irritated at the amount of gas that's being used, or saddened when a teenage girl gets pregnant because she was too afraid to ask for/use birth control. When I have kids, it might be a pain for me to explain about church and religion, but it's something they need to know about to function in the real world anyway. And I can just avoid MySpace.

But none of those things actually hurt me. How does gay marriage hurt people? By forcing them to admit that other people hold different morality structures? Well, gee. I have to admit that every day when I see a Jesusfish on a car, or a girl wearing a headscarf in class. But, here's the thing. Religion is a choice that is yours to make. BEING GAY IS NOT A CHOICE. Yet why do people have the right to practice religion but not to marry whomever they love?

One of my friends just had surgery on Tuesday. The surgery. And hearing about what she had to go through to finally get the body that she should have been born with was amazing. NO ONE would go through that if they had a choice. It's painful, and hard, and scary, and dangerous. But it was the only way she could ever feel comfortable in her own skin. My mind boggles when I think about the changes she is going through.

Sexuality is not a choice. Being gay, transgendered, straight--it's just how we are born. And Prop 8 was about taking away the right of marriage from someone because of how they were born. Sounds a bit familiar, doesn't it? Remember when blacks and whites couldn't marry because of the color of the skin they were born with?

In closing, an anecdote about my personal hero, Mr. Rogers.

Mister Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Mister Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, “God loves you just the way you are.”

Hype and other pet peeves

2008-11-03T21:02:00.003-08:00

One of the main problems with video game marketing is the hype surrounding a product. Instead of telling us "it's an innovative game that will be enjoyable to play," companies (and media doing previews) say things like "revolutionary" and "will change the future of all video games." And what do we normally get? Something completely meh.

Spore is on Fortune magazine's list of "9 top tech flops" for this year. Why? Because it's a mediocre game that was hyped to be so incredible and revolutionary. They released part of the game (a creature creator) months in advance. So people spent this time creating and recreating a variety of creatures they to populate Spore when the game came out. Instead, gameplay was stilted and jumpy and you didn't have much control of your little dude.

Other video game pet peeves:

Breast physics. Yes, breasts bounce and move a little. They do not, however, move that much. If they did, we'd be black and blue and complaining all the time.

Non-sporty sport outfits. No, we do not play volleyball in a string bikini. We might lounge around the beach in one, but we'll put on a sports bra to play volleyball in.

Celebrity games. You are a musician. You are not supposed to be the main character of a GTA clone.

WTF!? storylines. Final Fantasy, I'm looking at you. Do you even understand your own plot?

Video game magazines and websites and their patronizing "Get your girlfriend to play video games" articles. No, I don't want to play Hello Kitty FunFun Happy Land unless it's an entertaining game. No, I don't need dress up features in every game I play. Yes, sometimes I do like a challenging game.

Boring romances. If you're spending the time to put romance in your RPG's, do two things. One, make an equal amount of romantic possibilites for both male and female characters. Two, make at least one possibility for each gender interesting.

I have more pet peeves. Which I think explains why I'm so very picky about which games I play.

I've decided...

2008-11-03T20:50:00.003-08:00

that I'm kinda in love with Russ Feingold. I was reading up about who represents me in various political offices, and decided to finally read his wikipedia page. I'd heard lots of good things about him, but finally read about them myself. This dude is badass. He is totally not afraid of being the lone senator voting for or against something.

From the wiki:

Feingold was the only Democratic senator to vote against a motion to dismiss Congress's 1998–1999 impeachment case of President Bill Clinton.^[31] In a statement, Feingold said House prosecutors must have "every reasonable opportunity" to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clinton should be removed from office on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice. Feingold ultimately voted against conviction on all charges.

In 2001, Feingold voted for the confirmation of Attorney General John Ashcroft. This decision was not popular with his party, but Feingold explained that he voted based on respect for the right for a President to choose his Cabinet, not because of his own personal opinions on Ashcroft.^[32]
Feingold was the only senator to vote against the USA PATRIOT Act when first voted on in 2001.^[43] At the time, Feingold stated that provisions in the act infringed upon citizens' civil liberties.^[44]

I could go on and on, especially in regards to his budget. The dude is amazing.

eye roll

2008-11-03T07:14:00.003-08:00

Today I read not one, but two different news stories about how the media negatively affects children.

They said that teen girls who watch a lot of sex on TV are more likely to get pregnant and that children who play violent video games are more likely to be violent.

Umm... call me crazy, but don't the parents also have something to do with that? I grew up playing video games, both violent and not, and watching soap operas and movies with sex in them. I am neither pregnant nor violent. I mean, the type of parent who lets their 10 year old kid play Grand Theft Auto IV without talking to them about what they're doing is probably also less likely to care if their kid is violent.

But, some parents just don't want to take any blame. Blame movies, blame the media, blame music, blame video games just don't blame them? Now, I'm not saying that I don't think these things have any influence at all, but I also think that parents can diminish or even negate this influence. Seemed to work for me.

Well, now I know.

2008-10-31T15:29:00.001-07:00

48%

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Dating Site

Add one more to the "what's making me happy" list

2008-10-27T08:36:00.001-07:00

Alan Rickman is going to play the Caterpillar in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland.

I love love love love Alan Rickman. I have ever since that Robin Hood movie with Kevin Costner. (BTW, the entire movie and cast was fantastic EXCEPT for Costner.)

Lists lists lists

2008-10-27T08:26:00.003-07:00

What's making me happy:

Being married does great things to car insurance rates.
Holiday coffee creamers are out. I love the Peppermint Mocha one.
I'm having a blast playing WoW again.
I'm making tacos tonight.
My early class was canceled today. While it's a great class that I like going to, I'm glad I get to bum around two extra hours at home.
Being almost done with my awesome blanket I'm knitting. I need to just sit down this week and finish it.

Things that are "meh:"

My Korean history class. Bleh.
Hearing Lauren's alarm go off every 10 minutes for a frickin' hour. Get up already or set your alarm later.
I can't skate by on prior knowledge in my Japanese class anymore. I have to actually *gasp* apply myself. I'd almost forgotten how to do that.
I'm still a little sick.

Dear Red States....

2008-10-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

Taken from this post on Craigslist, of all places.

Dear Red States...

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and
we're taking the other Blue States with us.

In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon,Washington,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We
believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially
to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states.
We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get Elliot
Spitzer. You get Ken Lay.

We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.
We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.
We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss.
We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You
get Alabama.
We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states
pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the
Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a
bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and
anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at
once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have
kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no
purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their
children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and
hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our
resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent
of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple
and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of
America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners)
90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most
of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and
condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools, plus Harvard, Yale,
Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT.

With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88
percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care
costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the
tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern
Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh,
Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was
actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred
unless we're discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say
that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved
in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy b*****ds believe you are people
with higher morals then we lefties.

By the way, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt
weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,
Blue States

VOTE VOTE VOTE

2008-10-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

I signed up to volunteer on Election Day. I'll basically be a voter cheerleader. College campuses have notoriously long lines (several hours or more) so I'll be encouraging people to stay in line, and passing out cookies and granola bars and stuff so people don't get hungry and leave. Yay civic service!

I hope they look stupid 50 years from now...

2008-10-21T07:08:00.003-07:00

well, more stupid than they look now anyway. The support f0r Proposition 8 is California is ridiculous. Gay marriage will hurt children? How? By teaching them to be tolerant? By showing them not not everyone believes the same thing they do? Wait... wasn't their something else that the government allowed people to do that was going to "hurt the children?" What was that? Oh yeah. INTEGRATED SCHOOLS. How horrible for kids to have the learn that their beliefs aren't the center of the universe.

Actually, judging by some other things adults do, people probably do think it's horrible for kids to have to learn that they aren't the center. The whole teaching the creation myth in science classes? God forbid students should learn actual science and not comparative religion in science class. And why the Christian creation myth? I mean, if you start there, why not teach the Hindu creation myth too? Or maybe the Norse one. Why do Christians assume they are the center of the universe? Yes, it is the biggest religion in the world. But that doesn't give them the right to steam-roll over people who don't believe in the same things.

I hope the people who are anti-gay look as ridiculous and outdated in 50 years as segregationists do now.

Teehee

2008-10-13T15:11:00.000-07:00

I just learned that there's a "Valhalla Cemetery" in Milwaukee. Awesome.

OMG KITTIES!!11!!

2008-10-12T08:56:00.005-07:00

To make up for all the political blah lately, I present our kitties:

Otto vonBismark Kitty:

He's really Lauren's cat, but he's almost half ours. He is smelly, but the most affectionate cat I've ever met. He'll actually gesture for you to pick him up, and then he'll give kitty hugs. I usually call him Ottobot Kitty.

Fievel:

Fievel is a surly cat who always always always meows for food. Probably the prettiest of the kitties, she also sheds the most and hates being brushed. She is the most playful, though, and loves catnip and chasing laser pointers.

Bellatrix LeMewMew Kitty:

I only gave her the first part of her name. Brent did the rest. Bella is the one kitty that's actually ours, and she's the best one. She's very pretty and elegant looking. She's the least playful of the kitties (catnip does nothing for her) but she's also the one with the fewest drawbacks. Her favorite things are a nap on a book Brent is trying to read, and anything that makes a crinkly noise, like the pompom in the picture above, or plastic bags.

There! A politics free post! YAY!

Reasons to Vote for McCain

2008-10-11T22:47:00.003-07:00

Ok, I admit this is a little cynical and bitter, but meh, I feel like being snarky.

You think health care is a privilege that only a few should have.

You think gay people have cooties.

You are pro-life...

But are also pro-war.

Obama isn't really your "kind."

You don't want your taxes to pay for social programs, only guns.

Sarah Palin is a woman, you're a woman. She has five kids, you have five kids.

In all seriousness, I have been trying to figure out *why* people would vote for him. The only thing I can think of is that it comes down to one or two key issues for people. Just like I would have a hard time voting for someone who doesn't support gay rights, or wants to overturn Roe v. Wade, I guess some people would have a hard time voting for someone who did support those things. I don't agree with them, but I acknowledge that they're out there.

Ever notice that? Republicans want to "keep the government out of your business," but want to tell you who you can have sex with, or what you can do with your body. Democrats want greater social freedom, but want to limit your ability to have a gun. Funny how the issues fall.

(Also, the last reason about Sarah Palin I actually heard someone seriously give as a response to an interview question about why she really liked Palin. Really. SHE HAS FIVE KIDS? THAT'S WHY YOU WANT TO VOTE FOR HER?)

This is an interesting quiz but it also highlights the flaws with America's two party system. There were quotes where I couldn't really see any difference at all.

God, I can't wait until after November when I can stop thinking about politics all the time.

Craaaaazy People

2008-10-09T22:29:00.001-07:00

Some people should just not speak when it comes to politics. I mean, seriously. "He has the bloodline for it." WTF?

WiiFit

2008-10-06T16:33:00.003-07:00

Our good friends Sarah and Brad got us a WiiFit for our wedding. I tried it out today, and it was fantastic. I think I'm going to get a lot of use out of it.

Highlights:

Follows the same sort of system as BrainAge, and since I play BrainAge every day, I don't think it will be that hard for me to play WiiFit every day. I enjoy having a daily routine for stuff like that.

The randomness of Mii's. I did step aerobics inbetween Voldemorte and Teddy Roosevelt, and had Ron Jeremy, Hitler, Mr. T, and Obi Wan Kenobi cheering me on as I did the running.

We'll see how I do on my goal-- to lose 15 pounds in 3 months, to get down to a 22 BMI. Somehow, I don't think I'll make it, but even trying for the goal will be an improvement from my computer chair lifestyle now.

For Heather

2008-10-06T16:15:00.003-07:00

Heather sent me this, but I'm only going to do numbers 1 and 2, since the rest isn't my style, but I do enjoy sharing random facts about myself.

1. Halloween is tied for my favorite holiday season (yes, it is so a season!) and I love coming up with a costume. This year I'm tied between Sarah Palin and a corpse bride. The corpse bride was in the works for awhile, but I was recently inspired to be Sarah Palin this year, since I have a cute suit that I never get to wear, and can do her voice fairly well. I walk around saying "I'm a hockey mom from Alaska" all the time anyway.

2. My constantly saying "I'm a hockey mom from Alaska" comes because I've recently started to listen to the Rick Emerson Show again. I used to listen when I lived in the Portland area, and just started downloading the show to my iPod and listening on the bus. I love it.

3. My current favorite thing to drink (if you can call it that) is a Pumpkin Spice Shake from Culvers.

4. I have always loved the Christmas season, but not for any religious reasons. I just love the trees and the lights and the music (both secular and religious.) But the whole "War on Christmas" thing just makes me want to scream. War on Christmas my ass. Christmas was placed at the end of December to replace a pagan celebration, just like Easter was. Stop acting like the only purpose of December is to celebrate the Christian religion. If that's what it means to you, great. Celebrate and worship away. But stop yelling at other people (I'm talking to you, Bill O'Reilly) for having the sheer audacity to say "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas."

5. Having realized that fully half of my answers so far I turned into mini-rants, I thought I would list a fact I don't really like to share. I envy people like Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly who get paid a ridiculous amount of money to just yell at the top of their lungs about stupid things that I sometimes think they don't actually think/believe.

6. I'm kind of in love with John Stewart.

7. I'm not usually this political, but with this whole year being dedicated to the election, it's been on my mind lately.

My Little Cthulu and other awesome things.

2008-10-06T07:16:00.006-07:00

This deviant artist does amazing thing with My Little Ponies. I wish I was this talented.

Two of my favorites:

Health Care Plans

2008-10-03T07:55:00.006-07:00

As someone who recently married a Type 1 diabetic, I find the health care plans offered by the candidates extremely interesting. I mean, no matter who wins, they're going to try to enact their health care policy, so I should read up on both.

My verdict: If John McCain wins, we'll need to leave the country and become expats to freaking afford insurance.

My reasoning: McCain's plan centers around taxing the money your employer pays towards your insurance, and giving that money to the health insurance companies as a subsidy for an individually purchased health care plan. The problems with that?
1. With an employer-based group health care plan, 9% of your premiums go towards administrative costs. With individual plans, that goes up to 30%. 30%! That's the amount of your money being used for administrative costs.
2. With an employer-based health care plan, they can't turn you away. The very worst they can do (and it's still pretty bad) is deny you coverage for your specific pre-existing condition. Oh, by the way, Obama wants to get rid of their ability to do that.
3. With the tax on employers for health care, many employers are going to stop offering it, and let their employees fend for themselves in the private market. The problem with that is that private health care plans will either laugh at Brent when he applies for coverage (it's actually happened) or charge ruinous premiums.
McCain's solution is to make High Risk Pools, for people who can't get private insurance on their own. The problem with this is that those pools are widely panned by health care experts as providing worse coverage and higher prices... if a person can even get into a pool. Many states with pools like this often have a waiting list.

As for cost, I've seen reports that show Obama's will actually save money in the long run, and I've seen reports that it will cost a ton of money. Most reports lists McCain's plan costing more than what we're spending now, but the cost they give varies widely.

McCain's plan is widely panned as being harder on people with lower income and people with pre-existing conditions, such as asthma, type 1 (or 2, I suppose) diabetes, a previous history with cancer, etc.

After spending my morning reading about health care plans, I'm shocked if anyone who lists health care as a top priority can in good conscious vote for McCain. I guess they hide their head in the sand on health care issues and vote for him based on Iraq or... umm... dudes kissing is icky? Planned Parenthood is a multi-million dollar abortion industry? Both untrue, but you know how people can get. BTW, McCain was pro-choice in 2000. Funny how he switched his position because it was unpopular with conservative Republican voters in that primary. What a maverick.

But yeah. Even the current messed up state of health care right now is better for us than what McCain is proposing. We simply won't be able to afford insurance for Brent under his policy. Oh well, I guess Brent should do what Sarah Palin suggested and "just live healthier." Because that's really going to cure Type 1 diabetes...

Links I used:
http://www.familiesusa.org/election-2008/report/

http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/federal/presidentialrace/comparison2008.html

http://www.health08.org/sidebyside.cfm

A Very Geeky Wedding

2008-09-21T20:18:00.002-07:00

The bride and groom:

From Wedding Pictures

The wedding location:

From Wedding Pictures

The ceremony:

From Wedding Pictures

The kiss:

From Wedding Pictures

We believe in a thing called love, just listen to the rhythm of our hearts.

From Wedding Pictures

We can dance if we want to, we can leave our friends behind.

From Wedding Pictures

NERDGASM

2008-09-15T15:25:00.003-07:00

This was a wedding gift from our friends Jen and Keith. It's so amazing.

yawn

2008-08-26T07:24:00.004-07:00

Ok, so it's been awhile. I have a busy house now, although now that my new roommate started her job, it's quieter.

It's the last week of summer vacation, and I'm excited. Financial aid got disbursed yesterday, so I should be getting a nice check in the mail. I need to decide between paying of my private student loan, saving the money in case I need it later, or buying a laptop. I don't need the laptop right away, but I'll want it before we leave for Japan.

I've already purchased some of my textbooks from Amazon. One of the 5(!) textbooks for my architecture class is GORGEOUS. It's a coffee table book, and the pictures are amazing. I'm looking forward to hopefully seeing some of the sights in person.

Also, I'm glad to see Brent and I aren't the only ones planning a Star Wars location wedding cake:

WTF?

2008-08-14T07:41:00.003-07:00

So, I got an email from MoveOn.org that was simply appalling. Earlier I talked about how a friend joined the Facebook group "The Pill Kills"... well, now it seems the government is taking that same logic. The email in its entirety:

Dear MoveOn member,

Can you imagine living in a place where birth control is considered an "abortion" and health insurers won't cover it? Where even rape victims are denied emergency contraception?

It seems unbelievable, but the Bush Administration is quietly trying to redefine "abortion" to include birth control. The Houston Chronicle says this could wipe out dozens of state laws that protect women's reproductive freedom and protect rape victims.¹ Access to basic health care for millions of women would be jeopardized. And it's being pushed as a "rule change"—meaning, it doesn't need congressional approval.

Can you sign an emergency message to Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, whose department is considering this rule change right now? Tell him: "Contraception is NOT abortion. The Bush Administration's proposal to change the definition of abortion and reduce women's access to birth control must be stopped."

Clicking here will add your name to this message:
http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/o.pl?id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=4

The best way to beat back this proposal is to show Secretary Leavitt massive public outrage—that's why today we're launching this petition jointly with Planned Parenthood Action Fund. Together, we'll deliver every signature to Leavitt. You can help add to our momentum by forwarding this message to friends.

Here's what some others are saying about this proposal:

The draft regulation would define birth control as abortion...it could deny access to critical family planning for women across the country.—Letter signed by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators.²

The draft rule could void laws in 27 states that require insurance companies to provide birth control coverage for women requesting it [and] laws in 14 states requiring that rape victims receive counseling and access to emergency, day-after contraceptives.—Houston Chronicle editorial³

The administration needs to stop playing word games with women's health and state clearly they will reject any regulations that will undermine women's access to basic health care.—Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.⁴

[It's] a spectacular act of complicity with the religious right... —RH Reality Check, Information and Analysis for Reproductive Health⁵

The birth control pill, the IUD, and emergency contraception might all become unavailable—illegal—as a result.—Brigid Riley, executive director of a Minnesota teen pregnancy prevention organization⁶

Can you help send a loud message to Secretary Leavitt that birth control is NOT abortion? Clicking here will sign your name:
http://pol.moveon.org/contraception/o.pl?id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=5

Thanks for all you do.

–Nita, Laura, Patrick S., Adam G., and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. "Redefining abortion; Federal officials considering a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide contraceptives," Houston Chronicle, August 10, 2008
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5935532.html

2. Letter to Secretary Mike Leavitt from Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and 26 other senators, July 23, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4042&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=6

3. "Redefining abortion; Federal officials considering a rule allowing health care workers to refuse to provide contraceptives," Houston Chronicle editorial, August 10, 2008
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/5935532.html

4. "Birth control: is administration backing down—or not?" Los Angeles Times blog, August 8, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4043&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=7

5. "HHS Moves to Define Contraception as Abortion," RH Reality Check, July 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4041&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=8

6. "White House Considering Contraception Restrictions," Public News Service, August 11, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=4040&id=13468-9814446-cmgy9Ox&t=9

Do you like Jesus? Check yes or no.

2008-08-11T13:52:00.002-07:00

So, as Brent and I were getting out of our car early Saturday afternoon, two nice ladies stopped us in the parking lot and told us about their church, which was opening up across the street. Neither Brent nor myself were even the little bit interested, but listened and took pamphlets to be polite. However, when we got inside we discovered that one of the things they handed us was a Chick tract.

The one they handed us was their one on Mormonism. Having a bit of background in the subject, I can actually report that the 15 or so pages are accurate, if not a bit mean spirited. Stuff like God was once a man, Kolob, war in heaven, etc. I lost it and started laughing hysterically on page 17 though, where it says "I can tell you for a fact that it is nothing but a modern-day form of Baal worship." It calls Mormonism a mix of "Babylonian and Jewish religions."

Even better than Baal worship however, was the very last page, where it tells you how to "get to heaven." There is, honest to god, a question that asks "Do you accept Jesus Christ as your own personal Saviour?" AND THEN THERE ARE CHECK BOXES FOR YES AND NO!

Btw, here is the link for the actual track we were handed: The Visitors. Scroll down to the bottom to see the check boxes for yourself.

EVERYONE who has even the slightest bit of RPG nerd in them owes it to themself to read this one: Dark Dungeon. It has to be one of the funniest things I have ever read in my entire life. Even more absurd than the comics are the links down at the bottom of the page... one of which suggests that casting a spell in D&D might actually summon a demon in real life!

And, as a bonus link: Why do people laugh at creationists? This is a series of YouTube videos poking fun at the absurd arguments that creationists sometimes make, like that the Grand Canyon was made in 5 minutes, or that the banana is absolute proof of God.

Busy Week

2008-08-07T07:16:00.002-07:00

I haven't posted this week because I've been astonishingly busy. One of our close friends needed a place to stay, and so Brent and I have gotten three new roommates--her and her two cats. So, I've been busy helping her move her stuff, get settled, etc.

I'll try to think of something funny and witty to post later today. Right now, the caffeine has not kicked in.

Noooooo!

2008-08-01T15:59:00.002-07:00

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2008, 1:23 p.m.
By Thomas Daykin
Leinenkugel drops Apple Spice, adds Nut

Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. is dropping its Apple Spice seasonal brand and replacing it with Leinenkugel's Fireside Nut Brown Lager, it was announced today.

The new holiday seasonal beer will be sold during November and December. The Chippewa Falls-based brewer says it will be "the perfect complement for holiday foods such as glazed hams, roasts, gravies, pies and pastries."

Apple Spice, which had been Leinenkugel's winter seasonal beer, is being dropped. Apple Spice had good sales, but its growth is currently limited by production costs and ingredient availability, a company spokeswoman said.

I'm going to cry. I loved Apple Spice. It was delicious and I was looking forward to it this year. /wrists

Roger Ebert gets it.

2008-07-31T10:57:00.006-07:00

I like a movie reviewer who can admit that sometimes you don't need a thought provoking story. Sometimes you don't need character development. Sometimes you just need fun.

From his 1999 review of The Mummy, which he quoted in today's review of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor:

There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor, except that I was cheered by nearly every minute of it. I cannot argue for the script, the direction, the acting or even the mummy, but I can say that I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased.

Yay trailer!

2008-07-30T08:30:00.002-07:00

Half Blood Prince trailer.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first Harry Potter movie since everyone and their mum has seen a naked Daniel Radcliffe, right?

Things I've thought about lately...

2008-07-29T07:42:00.005-07:00

Last night it struck me that if I could think of a catchy, beautiful fully instrumental theme from a movie, it was John Williams 9 out of 10 times. The Harry Potter theme was stuck in my head, and I confirmed with Brent that it was John Williams. Then I thought about Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, etc., and they all these amazingly beautiful and catchy songs.

The ones I'm thinking of specifically: "Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter (Williams scored the first three movies, this theme is now used in all of them.) Pretty much anything from Star Wars, but specifically "The Imperial March" and "Princess Leia's Theme" (I threw in an extra special video for "The Imperial March, btw.) Also, the main theme from Indiana Jones and "Welcome to Jurassic Park."

Two side factoids: I could completely ruin "Duel of the Fates" from Episode 1 for you, but I won't. And every ringtone I've ever had with the exception of Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode version) has been a John Williams song.

Last night, Brent was being surveyed by some government thing, so I needed to get out of the house. I drove down the street to Borders, and grabbed one of the Stephanie Meyer books that they are heavily promoting right now. I didn't want to like it. I dislike reading books that are heavily hyped (I didn't start reading Harry Potter until just before the fifth book came out,) and to be quite honest, I was nervous about the author. I didn't want another Tracy Hickman level... thing. But, I had an hour to kill, so I grabbed the first book, Twilight. And damned if it didn't catch my interest.

Previous to reading the book (which I finished last night,) I had read something about the author, in which she said something along the lines of writing enjoyable, intense romances without the sex. I don't have anything against sex scenes in book as a general rule, but I can see her point. I don't mind them on principle, but I have read quite a few books where I thought "Oh, for crying out loud, not another one,"--here I'm thinking you, Laurell K. Hamilton, or where I've thought "But... but... you didn't need that sex scene, it doesn't fit in with the rest of the book!"--here I'm thinking of Jim Butcher.

/tangent I wanted to like the Harry Dresden novels. I just couldn't get past the main character. I guess when I read popular, for entertainment novels, I really need to stick to ones where the main character is female. Or, doesn't evaluate the breasts of every single woman he ever meets. / end tangent

Anyway, Twilight was a quick ( I finished in maybe three hours) and enjoyable read. It helped that both main locations of the book were places I've lived before--Phoenix, Arizona, and the Olympic Peninsula. It also does romance between a century old vampire and high school girl WAY better than seasons one through three of Buffy. So, evidently I have another young adult series to read. I promise my reading tastes will grow up one day. I'm currently reading a Japanese novel about sheep.

This, people, is how you smile.

2008-07-25T20:22:00.003-07:00

Just look at the cheek crinkles. Adorable.

When will summer end?

2008-07-24T07:02:00.003-07:00

I'm freaking bored. School ended two months ago, but because of both the job market and the cost of gas, I couldn't find a part-time job that would be worth my time--it doesn't make much sense gas-wise to take a 4-hour a day summer school job that pays 8 dollars an hour, but is 25 minutes away. So, I've been bumming around this summer. And I'm bored. I've done a little studying, a few craft projects. At this point, I'm considering trying to remember how to knit and working on that. I mean, I can usually entertain myself with reading and/or games, but I'm running out of material.

Side note: Brent and I were having our periodic "how to we feel about the concept of kids" discussion. We agree: we understand why people want kids (at least, we can think of reasons why we do) and it's something we'll consider in five or so years. But neither of us can understand baby love. I can see why you'd want a 4 year old--someone to teach new things to, help them start enjoying different hobbies, etc. But why do some people obsess over babies? Little squirming babies that can't talk, can't walk, can't do anything for themselves? I think maybe if we ever decide to pass our awesomeness on to a second generation, we'll heavily consider adoption.

It's my party...

2008-07-20T19:20:00.005-07:00

It's my party... and I'm exhausted. People just cleared out at about 8-ish, after having been here for 26+ hours. Hours full of drinking, gaming, and general craziness.

The highs:

The loot. My friends know me--Lindor truffles, Harry Potter, sheep, and swashbuckling.
I'm now in love with Mike's mango mohitos.
Ice cream birthday cake. Technically, frozen custard birthday cake. Cookie dough craving. Oh so yummy.
Hanging out with friends who live an hour or so away. Thanks for coming out guys!

The lows:

Because nearly everyone (except me!) had at least a minor hangover, people didn't feel up to much today, so I didn't get to play all the games I wanted.
Some friends had to work early today, so they didn't stay very long. :-(
Waking up at 7 in the morning (after going to bed at about 2:30) because my boyfriend had an EXTREMELY bad low blood sugar attack. Which is why I was super glad I barely drank (and also the reason I didn't--I wanted to be prepared for something like this.)

Here's me and Sarah at my party:

What our bookmarks say about us...

2008-07-18T15:54:00.002-07:00

My internet tell me I'm a dork. Especially the one titled "Star Wars font info." I guess even more telling than the bookmark itself is how often I visit that site...

The Many Faces of Gary Oldman

2008-07-15T11:56:00.008-07:00

I saw a picture from the premier of The Dark Knight, and was once again astonished by Gary Oldman's looks. A) He always looks different, and B) he always looks fantastic, unless he's not supposed to. He's been in some shit movies, but he's always something to look at. Unless you don't recognize him. Which I didn't, in Batman Begins, until the credits were rolling. The man has also been in some highly nerdy movies: Batman, Harry Potter, Lost in Space, Fifth Element, Dracula, etc.

(If you were wondering, my favorite Gary Oldman is the tortured reverend in The Scarlett Letter. Crappy movie, so watching him was about the only thing to do.)

At the Dark Knight premier, 2008:
As Sirius Black, 2004:

In Air Force One, 1997:As Rev. Dimmesdale, 1995:
As Dracula, 1992:

My life in short doses

2008-07-14T13:36:00.002-07:00

* There are several things I should be doing, and even more that I could be doing, but instead I can't muster up the enthusiasm to even browse websites.

* I am anxious for school to start again. I enjoy learning and like the atmosphere of university. Also, I want my degree.

* I played the hell out of Polarium for the DS last week (I got it, plus a case and some styluses/styli for 5 bucks on clearance.) I now see black and white patterns when I close my eyes.

* I enjoy the Star Wars RPG Brent is running so incredibly much. I will be sad when it finally has to end.

* I've been on a city building game kick lately. I picked up what I thought was going to be a city builder at Half-Price books on Sunday, but turns out it's just an economic simulation, with no real city building. I might give it a go later, but it doesn't satisfy my immense craving to build sprawling metropolises. Luckily, it was only 5 bucks.

* HBO is making a television series out of a series of books I read. I'm too nervous about their quality to be excited.

* I've been slowly (for me) re-reading the Harry Potter series. I can't decide if flaws I find are flaws in the writing, the plot, or simply the characters themselves.

* I FINALLY found something that tastes reasonably like old-fashioned glazed donuts. Entemmans makes glazed poppers that satisfy my craving.

* I feel bad that I spent money on my adorable little green iPod nano, and now it's not getting any use, since I'm home all summer. I know I'll use it constantly once school starts up again, though.

* I don't have kids, and I don't even work with kids anymore, but I still buy children's books. Doreen Cronin writes amazing children's books about politics and labor relations.

Hilarious, irreverent link

2008-07-11T16:07:00.003-07:00

The 9 Most Badass Bible Verses.

Hilarity. I especially enjoyed the comparisons to Star Wars.

//edit//

OMG! I am so addicted to cracked.com right now. Ever since reading about the Bible verses, I've been going from link to link. My second favorite (after the Bible one) is the 5 Most Badass Presidents.

Dude, just take up golfing or something...

2008-07-11T15:20:00.004-07:00

Ok, I'm going to do something that's totally not me. I'm going to blog about... football.

I can't help it. I feel like I'm observing a scientific study on sports obsession, coming to Wisconsin after living in Washington for 20+ years. In my experience, Washington football fans cheer the Seahawks at their games, are pleased when they do well, and generally just forget about the team when they're having an off year. That is so not the case in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin, on the whole, has this bizarre obsession with the Packers. People will sell their soul for season tickets (and probably their firstborn too.) So, it was big news earlier this year when Brett Favre announced his retirement. The quarterback HIMSELF announced his own retirement. That fact will be important later. Less than a day later, they were selling Brett Favre memorabilia "The Career of a Legend" and stuff like that. Sports Illustrated put out a special Brett Favre issue about his whole career (I know because every store in the area had about 2,000 copies each--they must have printed two issues for each person who lives in Wisconsin.) Anyway, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth, but eventually, the cheeseheads got over it, celebrated his career, and then made predictions on how Favre's replacement, Aaron Rodgers, would do in the coming season.

And today... today every news outlet is reporting that Favre asked the Green Bay Packers to release him from his contract. Wait... hold on. Why would he do that if he was retired? Turns out, he asked the Packers if he could come back, they were like "Uh... dude, you said you were retiring. We built this year's team on the idea you wouldn't be back. So, uh... no. Stay retired." Evidently, Favre didn't like this, and wants to be released so he can seek out other teams to play for this year.

So, know Packers fans appear to be split. The majority support the Packers brass for having the balls to tell Favre to stay retired. A very very vocal minority are yelling about how Favre is bigger than the Packers and they should bow to his every whim.

To me, this is all very fascinating. I mean, the dude is thirty eight years old. Even if he comes out of retirement, he only has a few more years. Also, from what I've read in the news stories today, he's pulled the "Will I retire or won't I" stunt for a few years now, he made it "official" this spring, and is now trying to pull out of retirement already. But dude... just take your vast stockpile of money, buy a country club membership, maybe a sailboat, and retire like normal people do. Well, normal people who are twice your age. Go into broadcasting, go into coaching. Just stop looking like a pathetic old (for football) man who thinks he's still shit hot (I actually don't know if he is shit hot or not... I have no idea, I don't follow the Packers.)

Anyway, from my outside perspective, this is an interesting turning point for Packer's fans. Do they prove themselves cheeseheads for life and support the Packers brass, or do they prove themselves Favre-heads and wail about how one man is more important than the whole rest of the team combined. Really, my only personal interest in this is to not have to see 2,000 more copies of "Favre Retires" Sports Illustrated in my local grocery stores next year too.

YAY!!!!

2008-07-09T07:34:00.003-07:00

A while ago, I posted about how adorable this was. And guess what Brent got me for my birthday! So adorable!!!!

I'm kind of dumb.

2008-07-08T19:32:00.001-07:00

I managed to put a hole in my bathtub. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box.

2008 Movie Review, pt. 1

2008-07-03T07:34:00.002-07:00

Movies I've seen in 2008:

Forgetting Sarah Marshall: While not as good as other movies made by the same people (Knocked Up, etc.) this was a pretty cute movie that doubled as an advertisement for Hawaii. The musical the main character is writing is brilliant, too. It helped that I already really liked all four of the main actors. Jason Segel is great in How I Met Your Mother (even though I haven't seen it in a few years--no cable/antenna for me!) and he's just as good in this movie. I already liked Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis from their respective TV shows too (Veronica Mars, That 70's Show.) However, the biggest draw for me was Russell Brand. The man is fantastically funny. In the movie, he basically plays a slight variation on himself, but it works. Check out this to see Russell Brand in all his hilarious glory. (Side note: British TV interests me so much more than American TV.)

Iron Man: Best superhero movie I can remember seeing, hands down. It was engaging, and, to quote the popular nerd phrase, it really is amazing they got Tony Stark to play himself. I wasn't sure how much I would like the movie, since my biggest exposure to the franchise before this was the Marvel Superheroes board game (which is actually one of my favorite games.) But the movie did a great job introducing the franchise. Also, I need to congratulate the movie on having a cutesy robot with a personality that didn't feel overdone and stupid. Plus, the movie came with The Dude. The movie also had the best ending line and music ever.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: I liked it. A lot. And I think a lot of people who talk about how it was a huge letdown built their expectations up too high and are misremembering the intent of the original trilogy. That's not to say there were no flaws--there were. The cast was overinflated. As much as I like the guy, John Hurt's role could have been cut completely and his plot points given to Marion. The gophers were silly and obviously part of George Lucas' love with all things CGI. And the ending was too long. But, I enjoyed the hell out of the movie. Harrison Ford wasn't too old to be in the movie, and they did a good job letting him be his age without making a huge deal out of it. Karen Allen has held up AMAZINGLY well. Cate Blanchett was a decent villian, not as good as Beloch or Mola Ram, but decent. Shia LaBeouf was good, and had some of the best parts in the movie. It was good 50's pulp.

So, that's it. The only three movies I've seen in theaters this year. Possibilities for part 2: Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Dark Knight, The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, *maybe* Quantam of Solace.

(SIDE NOTE: I JUST SAW THEY ARE RE-RELEASING NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN THEATERS!! OMG, I might be able to get it on DVD now!!)

This guy is pretty cool.

2008-07-01T18:54:00.001-07:00

I hope Gen. Wesley Clark is Obama's VP candidate. Aside from the fact that having a VP named "Wesley," who happens to be former top military, would aid me in my quest to prove to everyone that I'm not insane for ever wanting to name a son Wesley, he's pretty cool, as evidenced here.

Another online rec

2008-06-26T08:52:00.004-07:00

The Japanese Cute Overload.

You should probably have your Japanese-language pack installed before you visit, or it will probably all be boxes or something.

(Navigation tip:

犬 is dog,

猫 is cat.)

The site is ADORABLE! The cute dog category was my favorite. It was also a good place to practice my rudimentary Japanese. But mostly, very very cute. A sample:

Read this.

2008-06-26T07:38:00.002-07:00

It's short and it's cute. Marry Me.

Also, the RIAA is stupid. They want to charge radio stations for playing music. Err... I always thought of the radio as advertising. How else are people going to know when new music is coming out? But then, just as my faith in the music industry had completely gone, I was able to download the entirety of Nine Inch Nails new album from the internet for free. Thank you, Trent Reznor. Your music is angry, but damn if you don't know how to make and distribute music.

I didn't think people could actually be perfect

2008-06-24T08:35:00.002-07:00

even in concept. I was wrong.

My favorite online comic

2008-06-23T10:24:00.002-07:00

Everyone with even a little bit of fantasy geek in them should read The Order of the Stick.

This is a filler comic from the series, and one of my very favorite things ever:

The Pill kills babies?

2008-06-23T09:32:00.005-07:00

Stupid things I have read today:

"Planned Parenthood is a multi-million dollar industry interested in making money off contraception." Planned Parenthood often gives out contraception for FREE, has a large sliding scale, volunteers, and WILL help young women, regardless of their ability to pay.

In other Planned Parenthood quotes: "Planned Parenthood pumps hundreds of thousands of dollars into advertising and getting children to have sex." Just... wow. Way to be willfully ignorant. That's like me saying the Catholic Church exists to give men an opportunity to have sex with little boys. Both are extreme falsehoods.

It's amazing how in the name of religion people will lie and twist facts, but say that it's ok because they are doing it for their religion. The two Planned Parenthood quotes I found on a Facebook group called "The Pill kills." Which, according to their definition of life, I suppose it can, very very rarely. However, instead of saying "In our view of life, which begins the instant a sperm fertilizes an egg, anything that might prevent the implantation of that egg into the uterus is murder," which is a very weighted statement, but not inherently false from their point of view, the group spends most of it's time talking about the evils of Planned Parenthood, quoting statistics about weight gain and permanent infertility caused by the pill, but are unable to give any facts supporting those statements. Why not just stick to what you know? I'm sure a Catholic who believes in the same view of life as you is more likely to be swayed by religious arguments about the instant a soul enters a cell, and less likely to be swayed by non-factual statements about the HIV virus being able to permeate condoms.

Religious arguments should be made on the basis of religion. Throwing science in their is often counter productive, since they tend to quote religious-based "scientific" papers instead of scientific journals.

As a side note, I can't get behind the idea that life begins the instant the egg is fertilized. It's my understanding that fertilization is much more common than implantation in any woman, regardless of birth control method or lack thereof.

Ok, I fact checked on Wikipedia (they referenced articles, so I'm going to assume they did their research.) "Current research suggests that fertilized embryos naturally fail to implant some 30% to 60% of the time.^[20]^[21] Of those that do implant, about 25% are miscarried by the sixth week LMP (after the woman's Last Menstrual Period).^[22] As a result, even without the use of birth control, between 48% and 70% of zygotes never result in established pregnancies, much less birth."

So, if that scientific research is accurate, AND we go by the Catholic churches definition of life and souls, between 48% and 70% of souls are never born. I suppose whether or not this seems silly to you depends on your religious views.

My biggest problem with the whole thing is religious-based science (doctors who are quoted because of their religious beliefs, "scientific studies" that mention God or his plan, etc.) and the dismissal of actual scientific fact. If you feel that oral contraceptives are against your religious beliefs, that's fine. But make your point quoting scripture or religious authorities, since you are dealing with a religious matter. When you invoke science, be prepared to deal with people asking you to back up your statements with quotes from studies published in scientific journals. Them asking you to do that is not cheating. You are the one who moved the discussion from a faith-based argument to a scientifically-based one. Live with it.

Interesting Addendum: Evidently, breastfeeding helps prevents implantation, not fertilization. In essence, it does what this Facebook group considers killing, but it's hard to imagine them accusing breastfeeding of being immoral.

Hmm...

2008-06-20T13:24:00.002-07:00

McCain says he can't stop outside groups from attacking Obama yet somehow Obama stopped groups like Progressive Media from running attack ads on McCain.

Also, I think the dregs of society are the ones who post comments on political news stories. They give me eye twitches. I always appreciate a well thought out comment, no matter what candidate they support--I might disagree, but I appreciate the thought they put into their comment. Saying stuff like "Obama apparently does not believe in free speech, just dictatorial control" in response to him asking groups not to run attack ads just shows you jump to the far end of whatever conclusion you instantly reach.

Also, saying you love Clinton and agree with her on her positions, but are going to vote for McCain just shows that you are a voter led by passion instead of reason. Hello, there are very few differences in policy between Obama and Clinton.

Obama: Pro-Choice
Clinton: Pro-Choice
McCain: Anti-Abortion

Obama: Wants to increase gun control
Clinton: Wants tougher gun control
McCain: Opposes increased gun control

Obama: Voted against Iraq war, wants troop withdrawal
Clinton: Voted for Iraq war, but says she wishes she hadn't, wants to put limit on troops in Iraq
McCain: Voted for Iraq war, wants to send more troops

Obama: Opposes privatization of Social Security
Clinton: Opposes privatization of Social Security
McCain: Supports privatization of Social Security

How can you be both a Clinton and McCain supporter? Only if you don't care about the issues, I suppose.

Bella

2008-06-19T15:38:00.007-07:00

There was just too much text lately on the blog, so I decided to post a picture of our cat, Bella (short for Bellatrix--I insist that every cat I have be given a Harry Potter related name.) She's adorable and meows loudly and loves batting dice and eating Bespin Guards.

Bah.

2008-06-19T13:26:00.002-07:00

I think freedom from religion is more important than freedom of religion. Mainly based on cases like this.

Letting your 15-month old baby die from treatable pneumonia is not religious freedom. When there are two young people dead in one family in the last 4 months because of unwillingness to treat illness, that's criminal. Ok, faith healing families--it's pretty obvious prayer doesn't work like that. Maybe... just maybe... your prayers for a healthy child would have been answered if you GOT OFF YOUR ASSES AND TOOK YOUR KID TO THE DOCTOR.

My Biggest Weakness and other Random Things

2008-06-18T09:34:00.003-07:00

Lindor Truffles.

I can, and have, eaten an entire bag in one sitting. And I'm not a huge chocolate or sweets fan. They are insanely yummy.

Speaking of yummy, I want these.

*sigh* I still haven't gotten my gold or macaw back from Blizzard yet. I'm not sure how long it's supposed to take. I'd rather have the bird than the gold. It's more important and not as easily replaceable.

RE: Toplessness Post

2008-06-17T18:40:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to a story the AP is running about a woman in Oregon exercising her right to be topless.

Carrying a Laser

2008-06-17T14:17:00.003-07:00

I was sitting at my computer, reading the news, when"Kyrie" by Mr Mister starting playing on my iTunes. No song manages to carry the same amount of disappointment for me. I have no idea what kyrie eleison means (ok, I looked it up, and it's Greek for 'Lord have mercy') by there is no way it can top "carrying a laser." The song even makes more sense if you think that he's carrying a laser down the road he must travel! There could be aliens or zombies! Of course he needs a laser.

Side note: spelling laser "lazer" makes my eyes bleed.

Three Things I'm Oddly Obsessive About...

2008-06-13T09:42:00.004-07:00

1) Sheep. I love this animal. In the immortal words of Neil Gaiman: "But the Creator like the sheep best, because it was all funny and fluffy and white."

2) Gelatinous Cubes. Best. Monster. Ever. 3) The color green. Pretty much any shade, but I'm partial to lime green and the kiwi green color of my car.

Going Topless

2008-06-12T22:53:00.003-07:00

I spent most of my night reading about the GoTopless, or Topfree, movement in North America. I only stumbled upon the movement because of a link and a CuteOverload comment, but I was intrigued. It's something that I've never really given much thought to before, but it's an interesting social issue.

Basically, the movement states this:
1) Men and women are equals, and should have equal rights to go shirtless.
2) There is nothing inherently sexual about female breasts. They are natural and nurturing.
3) Their sexuality and taboo-ness come from the obsession with both keeping them covered up and uncovering them only in sexual situations.

The reading I did brought up a few very interesting facts, which I think paint a sad picture about the American view of the body.

Breastfeeding Tangent: I admit it, breastfeeding creeps me out. I know it's natural and healthy, but I have a very selfish view of my body (one of the reasons I've chosen not to have kids right now--I know I'm not ready for them.) However, it's generally accepted that breastfeeding is not only natural, but better for the baby. While I personally am against calling someone a bad mother because they choose not to breastfeed, most doctors consider it the healthiest option.

However, women are ashamed to breastfeed, in public at least. They run the risk of being on the receiving end of rude comments, getting kicked out of restaurants, and even being reprimanded by their boss for breastfeeding where they can be seen by others. This whole situation strikes me as being rather oxymoron. Government health agencies say it's best for babies to be breastfed, but then women are harassed and humiliated for doing in public places. And heaven forbid you accidentally expose your nipple while doing it. Some people have claimed that breast feeding is a sexual experience, all because of the obsession America has with breasts. Perhaps this is where some of my own hangups about breast feeding come from. (Although personally I think quite a few of my hangups come from the militant breastfeeding moms that talk about their breast milk as a living entity and talk about it as a religious experience--again, it may be best for the kid, but I'm selfish. At least I have the balls to admit it.)

Ignoring the breastfeeding issue, I inherently dislike the fact that because we hide breasts, they become sexualized, and so we hide breasts. It's a nasty cycle.

Fun Fact: At times in Victorian England, it would have been more scandalous to show part of your leg than your whole chest.

Fun Link: NYC (where it is legal for a woman to walk around topless) photographer Jordan Matter has taken a fantastic collection of topless women in non-sexual situations. To me, the best photos were the ones where the subject commented on her self image, or the experience of being in the shoot. I highly recommend giving it a look.

What is wrong with Wisconsin?

2008-06-12T21:14:00.002-07:00

I mean, seriously. Wisconsin has issues with the Hostess company or something. You know, Hostess. The cupcake people.

I have yet to find either Ding Dongs or, more importantly, Hostess Old-Fashioned Glazed Donuts. I CRAVE those donuts more than I ever thought I could crave any type of sweet. And what kind of grocery store doesn't stock Ding Dongs? I thought they were a snack food staple?

Making an Effort

2008-06-12T21:12:00.004-07:00

For whatever reason, I have decided to make an effort to blog more. I have things to say, but I sometimes actively make the decision to not blog about whatever it is I'm thinking about. I haven't come up with a good excuse why, so I suppose it's my mid-year resolution to stop being so quiet about things.

It's been awhile...

2008-05-24T09:44:00.003-07:00

But finally finals are over and I have free time again. Writing over forty pages of paper in a few weeks was a feat I never hope to accomplish again. I practically lived in the school computer lab the last two weeks of the semester. But, grades are back, I have over a 3.8 GPA, and all is well.

I'll be looking for a part time job this summer, but not until after my dad's visit. I already have enough stuff going on that weekend that I don't want to have to fit work into it as well. I'm really looking forward to seeing Dad and Laurie. It's been almost a year since my brother's visit, which was the first (and so far only) time family has come out to visit me. I'd like to go back and see Washington, I'm just not sure money wise. Maybe I'll take a look and my bank account and try to squeeze in plane tickets.

I'm all registered for next semester. Overall, it looks harder than this last semester, which worries me a bit. Art History 482? Yikes. Hopefully Japanese Architecture is as interesting as it sounded when I signed up. Also, I need a non-Western history class, and the only one that sounded remotely interesting for fall semester was Modern Korea. That has the potential to be a bit depressing. I swear though, if we need to write a paper, I'm going to try to write it on Starcraft. :-P

In other news, springtime is gorgeous near our apartment. There are ducklings and goslings out on the lake and they are adorable. It's still a bit chillier than I'd like, but then I remember the oppressive heat and humidity of last summer, and try to enjoy 60 degree days.

Some spring pictures:

OSBP

2008-04-24T19:25:00.006-07:00

Sometimes, when you know your culture has a stereotype, maybe you should, I don't know, try not to be the embodiment of said stereotype?

Behold: The Open-Source Boob Project.

You can't make shit like this up. Way to live up to the mouth-breathing, socially retarded gamer stereotype. :-\

From wikipedia

2008-04-17T07:13:00.002-07:00

cuteness is an ancient and useful survival technique.

A fun day of classes.

2008-04-17T06:46:00.005-07:00

This semester, I was an idiot and scheduled all my classes on Mondays and Wednesdays. It's painful going into classes at 9:30 in the morning and not getting out until 7:10. I only have one hour long break, everything else is back-to-back classes. It sucks.

It was made a little more bearable yesterday by showing 3 out of 5 classes just how big of a nerd I was. Sadly, I could not work nerditry into my grammar or phonology class. I should ponder how I could accomplish that.

But in my Intercultural Communications class I talked about the racial diversity of Star Trek. In my History of American Pop Culture Class, I talked about how Bruce Campbell is the master of camp, and then I got to call Frank Miller a misogynistic dick. And finally, in my Sociolinguistics class, I got to help out with a mini-lecture on leet speak.

I think I've also figured out my fall schedule, though I probably should clear it through my advisers. As I've figured it out though, I'll be taking Japanese (for my major), Art History 482 Japanese Architecture (for my general university requirements), History 402 Modern Korea (for my minor,) Linguistics 464 Word and Sentence Structure and Linguistics 410 Linguistics and Grammar in ESL Education (both for my major.) Most of the classes sound interesting, thank goodness. I'm a bit worried about the Modern Korea one, but we'll see. I'm not even really sure why I'm getting a history minor. I think it was because I had all these extra credits I needed to take.

Also, why am I considered a senior? I've been considered that since I registered for Spring semester. I've only really had two years of college. I'll be graduating a semester ahead of the 4-year plan already. Maybe they're counting the year I spent in a Computer Information Systems program. I think I'll try to finish up that Associates when I move back to the northwest. Degrees like that are useful no matter what your field of work is.

I desire one

2008-04-08T19:40:00.003-07:00

OMG SHEEEEEEP!

What's the point of religion?

2008-03-31T20:55:00.007-07:00

What's the point of religion? Is religion something you should just give your whole life over to? What about the lives of your children? I'm not talking about giving up your Sundays to church, or taking the time to pray 5 times a day. I'm talking about murder and torture.

In Wisconsin last week, an eleven year old girl died from Type One diabetes because her family believes in prayer over medicine. Dying from that type of diabetes means that you have been incredibly sick for weeks. It's being reported that she was barely more than a skeletal waif when the authorities found here. It's also important to note that the only reason the authorities went to her home, although they were sadly too late, is because relatives IN CALIFORNIA had heard how sick she was and knew that her parents wouldn't take her to see a doctor. After all, they hadn't taken her to the doctor since she was three. They had also pulled her out of school this semester.

Going on what I've been told, from someone with firsthand evidence, being sick with diabetes like that is extremely painful and a miserable and horrible experience. Those parents tortured their daughter to death because of religion. The thing that makes me the angriest was this quote:

"They said it was the course of action they would take again... They firmly believe even if they had taken her to a doctor, if this was the time God had chosen for her to die, she would die regardless of medical interference."

You know what, fuck that god of theirs. If that's what their god thinks, IT'S THE WRONG GOD. How any parent could ever feel like they shouldn't provide the most basic of care to their child because of religion, then THEY ARE WRONG. Type One diabetes is one of the most treatable illness in the world. Insulin injections and the right diet mean a long, healthy life. They took 50+ years off of their own daughters life because of their selfish religious beliefs.

So... if religion causes parents to torture their children to death... then what's the point of religion? I'm pretty agnostic at this point in my life, but I always thought of religion as something uplifting... something that fills your life with purpose, something that gives your respect for other people and for this planet. I suppose that's a pretty naive view of religion. Religion has been used to enslave people, start wars, murder, terrorize, etc. since recorded history. But... why? What's the point in believing in something bigger than yourself if that's the outcome?

Sometimes I feel that other people think they have no choice but to be religious, or to follow a certain religion. I don't think that's the case. A bad religion is like a bad marriage--it might be painful, and you might have to start over from scratch, but you can leave it. A few months ago, there were lots of stories about the polygamists in Utah/Arizona, and stories about how some people left that religion. It was hard for them. It was tough. But I don't think many people would argue that they aren't better off for doing it.

Maybe I just don't understand that level of religious devotion. Maybe I just don't understand the devotion to a belief that will let your child die when a simple trip to the doctor can save her. Maybe I just don't understand the conviction that a higher power will rain hellfire down on you if you drive your own car.

Maybe I'm better off this way.

Link to article about girl in Wisconsin.

Two of my favorite stories/songs: one, a Judea-Christian flavored very short story, the second, a humanist flavored song by Voltaire.

A man is sitting on top of his house during a flood, praying to God to save him from drowning. As the water rose up over the windows, a canoeist paddled by and offered a ride. The man demurred, saying he was confident his prayers would be answered. As the water came up over the gutters, rescuers in a speedboat stopped - and were told the same thing. As the water lapped at his feet, a helicopter hovered overhead, the pilot imploring him to save himself. He replied that God would take care of that, and was stunned when the waters finally submerged him.

At the end, the drowned man asks God why he hadn't answered his prayers. "I did," comes the response, "I sent you a canoe, a boat and a helicopter."

God Thinks
God thinks all blacks are obsolete farm equipment
God thinks the Jews killed his son and must be punished
God thinks the white man is Satan
God, they know what God thinks

God thinks we should all convert to Judaism
God thinks we must all be Christians and
God thinks we should all embrace Islam
God thinks the only true religion is Hinduism

And I
I know what God thinks
God thinks you're a waste of flesh
God prefers an Atheist

God God
God thinks all people like you are hateful
God thinks all people like you are an embarrassment to creation
self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw a stone
and using His name for your own protection

God thinks the sun revolves around the Earth
God thinks there was something very wrong with Copernicus
God thinks abortion is murder and
God thinks everything that science gave us is wrong
God thinks women deserve it
God thinks AIDS is a form of punishment

I hate people who blame the Devil for their own shortcomings and
I hate people who thank God when things go right

And I
I know what God thinks
God thinks you're an idiot
God prefers a heretic

God God
God thinks all people like you are hateful
God thinks all people like you are an embarrassment to creation
self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw the stone
and using His name for your own agenda

God is a liberal
God is a democrat
God wants you to vote republican
never trust a man who puts his words in the mouth of god
and says it's absolute truth
its lies and it smells like death
its all in a day's work taking money from the poor
Why do you think that God would need your dirty money
if you want to start a holy war?

self-righteous, judgmental, first to throw a stone
and using His name for your own protection

God thinks puppies need to die and
God thinks babies need to drown
'cause God is neither good nor bad
God is you and me
God is Everything

This is how I feel

2008-03-24T19:30:00.001-07:00

Nostalgia

2008-03-16T22:24:00.005-07:00

Tonight was just one of those nights when I thought about how things used to be--the people I knew, my family, what I did. It put me in a very nostalgic mood. I'm comfortable with where I am in my life right now. I'm further behind education-wise than I'd like, but I think 15 year old Lissette wouldn't have been appalled with where I am today. I'm getting a degree in an interesting, but not profitable, field. I have a great boyfriend who is sweet and funny and nerdy (that last one is especially important--being a geek and dating, or marrying!, a non-geek is a PAIN!)

But... I feel a bit out of touch. People who I used to consider my family have had kids that I didn't know about until I found them on MySpace.

Sidenote: I consider MySpace the devil. Seriously people, I don't want to look at flashing glitter graphics just to see what you're up to. It's called Facebook. Use it. /end sidenote.

Also, I just feel old. People I graduated high school with are putting their kids in grade school! Meanwhile, sometimes my cat feels like too much work.

Ah, enough being melancholy about the past.

On the bus home...

2008-02-28T09:30:00.004-08:00

A week or so ago, on the bus home from classes, I saw this poem by Walt Whitman on the bus wall:

When I heard the learn'd astronomer,

When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,

When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,

In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,

Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

I'm usually not one for poetry, but I adore this one. All the stuff you learn about the universe, and how old it is, and how mind-bendingly big it is--it can make your brain hurt. It's nice to just sit and look at the stars every now and then, and just appreciate how beautiful and magical they seem.

Women and Gaming

2008-02-28T09:01:00.003-08:00

When I saw this article on CNN.com, my first instinct was to roll my eyes. I thought it would be yet another condescending article telling guys that to get their girlfriend to play video games, all the had to do was get her "cute" and "easy" games, like Animal Crossing or Princess Peach, and help her with the bosses, because they would be too hard for her. However, it mostly dealt with how one group is trying to get more females into the game industry.

I remember getting so mad at the articles I saw in gaming magazines about women and gaming. They were usually accompanied by sexually suggestive pictures of women, and talked about women like we wouldn't know how to jump and hit a Goomba on its head. Ugh, I did a Google search trying to see if I could find any of those old magazine articles. Instead I found this crap.

I suppose I shouldn't get too worked up. I know some women that love the girly-girl games, and I'm just coming at it from a "I've been gaming since I could hold a controller" mind set. Not everyone can be as awesome as me. :-)

A few YouTube favorites

2008-02-22T16:03:00.004-08:00

Absolutely one of the most beautiful songs ever, paired with an amazing video:

The most comedy packed into 5 seconds:

Probably only funny if you play MMO's, but my favorite web show:

Nerd Thesis

2008-02-17T21:57:00.004-08:00

Well, I've finally decided on the topics for my two big research papers I have to write this semester. I've managed to make both of them fairly nerdy topics.

For Language and Society, a paper about how internet/gaming speech is moving into "normal" conversation. For instance, how "blog" and "google" are now commonly used verbs.

For Popular Culture (1850-Present), a paper about how comic books now tell stories as in-depth and thought provoking as novels on the New York Times best-seller list. I'm not the biggest comic book nerd out there, in fact, I hardly ever read comics or graphic novels. But there are a few I'm quite fond of.

Some snow actually melted today. I about had a heart attack from surprise. There has been just a ridiculous amount of snow this winter. 70-some inches. Why did people ever settle in Wisconsin?

Tuesday is the Wisconsin Democratic primary. I'm very excited about being able to get out there an make a difference. But this whole super delegate thing is just a big farce. How do they think the voters will feel if the person we voted for, the person we want to be the Democrat running for president, looses because of some overpowered super delegates? This election has had just an outpouring of involvement by the youth voters--do we really want to disenfranchise them? If they feel their vote in the primary didn't count because of some super delegate, don't people think that will translate into them thinking their vote won't count in the actual election? Bah, politics. It's just to.... political for me.

Whew....

2008-02-06T11:37:00.001-08:00

Ok, I've made if few the first few weeks of school. 18 credits can be exhausting! The ease back into school has been helped by all the cancellations on campus. Professors have been sick, and all classes today have been canceled because of the storm.

I'm anxious for the rest of the presidential primaries. I desperately want Obama to win the nomination. I came to the realization that there has been either a Bush or Clinton in office as The President since I was 6. I'm ready for a change! Also, the concept of super delegates is stupid.

In nerdier news, evidently I should be hot for Spiderman.

I always pictured myself as more of a Batman girl.

And Yet They Complain...

2008-01-24T09:05:00.001-08:00

about not being able to find (and keep!) qualified teachers:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=710766

This is honestly one of the dumbest things I have ever read about education.

He loves his job.
The kids love him.
And they're firing him.

Fun Fact: I live in the same ZIP code he does, only in the Milwaukee part.

Suck It, Sony

2008-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

From The Wall Street Journal:

The Wii finished the year as the top-selling console, with nearly 6.3 million units sold domestically. That compares to 4.6 million units for the Xbox 360 and nearly 2.6 million units for the PS3 for the year, according to NPD data.
Among handheld devices, the Nintendo DS fared even better, with 8.5 million in sales for the year compared to 3.8 million for the Sony PSP.

I have no idea why I take such joy in seeing Sony decimated, but I do.

A Side-Effect

2008-01-18T09:46:00.000-08:00

Today I realized that as a side-effect of leaving my job, I no longer will look at the Journal Sentinel homepage, and see all the shootings that are within a half-mile of my work. The shootings won't stop, sadly, but I never have to come on this side of town again. Thank goodness. It is a bit nerve-wracking to see that most of the homicides and shootings in Milwaukee take place near my work.

The Decline of Civilization

2008-01-17T18:07:00.001-08:00

This was the most heartbreaking photo of the Vietnam War. It won a Pultizer Prize. It captured the absolute horror that is war. It showed the evils of napalm. It was taken by photographer Nick Ut. You know what he's doing lately?

Yes, the photograph of Paris Hilton crying, a photo that shot through the glass of a car, was taken by the same Nick Ut.

So, he went from taking photographs that made people stand up and sasy "End this war!" to taking photographs of rich young women in horrible situations. *sigh*

The End of an Era

2008-01-17T10:56:00.000-08:00

Today is my second to last day of work. I'm so relieved that it is amazing. I never thought much about how much stress my job put on me. It was never the "take your work home with you" type of stress. It was more of the "this is hard, it's not a good fit, I feel like throwing up" when I go to work type of stress. Quitting was the the best thing to do in my situation. My stress level will drop considerably, I can go to school full time and be done in just over a year, and I can pursue night-time activities that I otherwise would have missed (dance classes, for example--I've been wanted to learn belly dancing for years.) And, to be quite frank, me quitting was the best thing for the kids as well.

Last night, as we were getting ready to leave, a 6-year old boy look at me and said "You know, everyone's really glad that you're leaving." He ran away before I could give a response, but I probably would have said "You know, I'm glad too." I've never really made a connection with the kids. I'm not sure how I could have. Before when working with kids, I've always made connections through common ground. "Oh, you play Halo? I did the Library level last night, I love using the shotgun," or "Really? I enjoyed Final Fantasy VIII. I think it only gets a bad rap because of how much people adored VII." or "Of course I know who Korn is!" With this group of kids though... nothing.

I'm not into fashion and hair and make-up, which is what the little girls talk about most of the time. Fair enough, at previous jobs I've always connect with the boys much easier than the girls. Only these boys... not at all. I don't like sports. I don't like rap music. I don't like playing Def Jam Vendetta. I could not find anything in common with them.

They also seemed to resent me when I told them to do something, even if it was as simple as cleaning up their area. Last summer, one of the summer workers, a lady about my mom's age who was a teacher's aide during the school year, told me that in all probability, it honestly had something to do with my race. "They don't want to listen to you because you're white. They try to get away with more stuff." I can see how that could be true, as much as I hate to admit it. My boss or co-work tell the kids to do something, to them it's like a parent or aunt or uncle ordering them around. I tell them to do the same thing, all of a sudden it's this random white chick telling them to clean up after themselves.

I tried. I spent a year and a half trying, although to be quite truthful I wasn't trying very hard this past school year. But there's only so much one person can take. I tried to help the kids out. I tried to show them new stuff and expose them to new things. But I'm sick of trying. That might say something bad about me as a person, but if they don't want my help, it's time I help myself.

Yesssssssssssssssss!

2008-01-16T18:12:00.001-08:00

This is perfect.

Gogo Packers fans...

2008-01-16T17:44:00.000-08:00

I know that not all Packers fans are like this... but you never see child abuse over sports in the Northwest. At least, not anything that I've seen reported.

From the Journal Sentinal:

Charge: Dad made son wear Packers jersey
Portage - A 36-year-old man tied up his young son with tape for an hour after the boy refused to wear a Green Bay Packers jersey during the team's game on Saturday, local authorities said.Mathew Kowald, 36, was cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the incident with his 7-year-old son at their home in Pardeeville, Lt. Wayne Smith of the Columbia County Sheriff's Department said. Pardeeville is about 30 miles north of Madison.Kowald was arrested on Monday after the boy's mother, Kowald's wife, told authorities about the incident. Kowald was taken to the county jail and held until Wednesday, when he pleaded no contest, paid a fine of $186 and was released.Kowald's wife filed a restraining order on Wednesday, so Kowald will not be able to have contact with his family, Smith said. Smith said other domestic issues have surfaced, though he wouldn't elaborate.The boy refused to wear the jersey on Saturday, when the Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks in a playoff game, Smith said. The father was accused of restraining the boy for an hour with tape and also taped a jersey onto him during that time.Smith said the incident sounded strange when reported at first, but the mother took pictures with her cell phone and that type of evidence is difficult to dispute.The boy's refusal to wear the jersey may have just been rebellion, he said."We've been unable to uncover any evidence to suggest that this boy was not a Packers fan," Smith said.

Dr. Tom?

2008-01-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

Wow. Tom Cruise has been quoted as saying that Scientologists are "authorities on the mind."

Gee, Tom. I thought neuoroligsts were.

Poor Pluto...

2008-01-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

I was reading an FAQ about the MESSENGER, the spacecraft currently buzzing by Mercury right now, and I got a little sad...

"9. How big is Mercury?
Mercury’s diameter is 4,880 kilometers (3,032 miles), roughly 38 percent of Earth’s diameter. Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system. For comparison: If Earth were the size of a baseball, Mercury would be the size of a golf ball." (emphasis added.)

It was weird seeing Mercury mentioned as the smallest planet. Don't worry Pluto, you'll always be the 9th planet to me.

ZOMG CUTE!

2008-01-15T17:10:00.001-08:00

Mimoco has fulfilled wishes I didn't even know I had. They make designer USB drives, and they are adorable. I mean, just look at this Boba Fett. He's precious! Along with Star Wars they also have Happy Tree Friends and Halo USB drives. And I'm going to need a USB drive for school...

Another company has sushi USB memory drives.

Sushi animals!

2008-01-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

Sushi puppy:

Sushi kitty:

An adorable sushi mouse:

I Can Has Cheezburger?

2008-01-15T12:34:00.001-08:00

Yes, that is a mouse. ADORABLE.

Our Lady of Geek

My first post from Japan

My Life without the Internet--or even a computer.

Knitting Extravaganza! The Scarf Edition

Noo! Not my laptop!

What I've been doing:

Stay classy, Milwaukee

Wait... you're saying this is busy?!?

Gaming with Non-Geeks: Board Game Review

Back to Blogging!

Random thoughs of the day

The Peanut Gallery

I need to learn how to make this.

My Final Speech

My Goals Over Break

Laptop

I need the internet to function

OMG AN UPDATE?!

How True

Someone says it better than I ever could.

Stop and Smell the Corpses

Reflections

Hype and other pet peeves

I've decided...

*eye roll*

Well, now I know.

Add one more to the "what's making me happy" list

Lists lists lists

Dear Red States....

VOTE VOTE VOTE

I hope they look stupid 50 years from now...

Teehee

OMG KITTIES!!11!!

Reasons to Vote for McCain

Craaaaazy People

WiiFit

For Heather

My Little Cthulu and other awesome things.

Health Care Plans

A Very Geeky Wedding

NERDGASM

*yawn*

WTF?

Do you like Jesus? Check yes or no.

Busy Week

Noooooo!

Roger Ebert gets it.

Yay trailer!

Things I've thought about lately...

This, people, is how you smile.

When will summer end?

It's my party...

What our bookmarks say about us...

The Many Faces of Gary Oldman

My life in short doses

Hilarious, irreverent link

Dude, just take up golfing or something...

YAY!!!!

I'm kind of dumb.

2008 Movie Review, pt. 1

This guy is pretty cool.

Another online rec

Read this.

I didn't think people could actually be perfect

My favorite online comic

The Pill kills babies?

Hmm...

Bella

Bah.

My Biggest Weakness and other Random Things

RE: Toplessness Post

Carrying a Laser

Three Things I'm Oddly Obsessive About...

Going Topless

What is wrong with Wisconsin?

Making an Effort

It's been awhile...

OSBP

From wikipedia

A fun day of classes.

eye roll

yawn