annika's journal
annika's journal
...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...
What a year it's been. i almost hate to see 2004 go. But it's time to celebrate an even more exciting year to come. Wow, 2005 already!
Have a great NYE everybody! Be safe. You know the drill: designate a driver and don't forget to bundle up when you're out in the weather. Don't want to start the year off with a nasty cold.
Thanks for all your many kindnesses this past year, and for just stopping by to read my nonsense. i love you all and i'll see you next year!
This and this is not just an example of masterful blogging, it's an entire year's worth of masterful blogging. And i'm not just saying that because i hate the L.A. Times.
Bravo Patterico.
Why was the band on the run anyway?
Why indeed.
The story of how Hannes Bergstroem was found really got to me.
A 2-year-old boy who was found dazed and alone on a roadside in the wasteland of a tsunami-devastated Thai resort was reunited Tuesday with his uncle, who spotted the child's picture on the Internet.Little Hannes was reunited with his father today. That's them in the heartbreaking picture above.The boy, identified by his uncle as Hannes Bergstroem, was found Sunday night on a road in Phang Nga province near the beach resort of Khao Lak, about 60 miles from the island of Phuket. He was taken to Phuket International Hospital where the staff posted pictures of the blond-haired boy with red spots all over his face from mosquito bites on its Web site on Monday. They also published his photo in a local newspaper.
. . .
A man, who identified himself only as Jim, told the Associated Press on Tuesday in a telephone interview that he found his nephew after he saw his picture on the Web.
'When I saw Hannes on the Internet, I booked an air ticket to come here in less than five hours,' said Jim, who rushed to the Phuket hospital on Tuesday from Chonburi province in Thailand, hours away from Phuket, where he was staying. 'This is a miracle, the biggest thing that could happen.'
Hospital staff said the boy had been babbling but workers did not know what language he was speaking They thought he might be Swedish because he was enthusiastic when a man spoke Swedish to him.
On Wednesday, a Swedish toddler, Hannes Bergstroem, was reunited with his injured father at a Thai hospital, days after being found wandering alone in the wreckage. The 2-year-old's uncle had spotted the child's photo posted on the Web by another hospital and claimed him Tuesday, setting up the reunion with Hannes' father, Marko Karkkainen.But Hannes' mother, Suzanne Bergstroem, was still among some 5,000 people missing in Thailand.
Here is a poem by a third grader in Tempe Arizona named Michelle, who happens to be a very gifted poet. This poem, written in January 2004 is a fine example.
The TsunamiI silently aim
towards the land where I'll pour
I send myself to the city
Here comes the crash that I hate
I brush the sand
I cover and say goodbye
to the homes, buildings and carsI sink back in the ocean
and offer thanks to the earthquake
How sweet. Honey, don't worry about the rhymes. i think they're wonderful. Keep writing, Michelle.
Can you get a stye in your lip?
Would that be called a slip?
Do squids have lips?
Dreyer's now makes an excellent spumoni flavor.
excellent spumoni flavor.
To my dad, great comedy = Jeeves and Wooster.
To my mom, great comedy = Dumb and Dumber.
How they ever got together i'll never know.
Of what substance is the crusty black shit that collects on a mousepad and on the bottom of a mouse made of? It's hella gross.
i honestly don't see how Subway can stay in business with Quizno's out there.
My dad picks Pittsburgh to go all the way this year. Who am i to go against the old man? But i'm not so sure.
The most poetic Bible translation is, i think, the New International Version. I don't know anything about its accuracy, but the NIV sure has beautiful rhythm.
Here's Isaiah, chapter 40. Read it as if it were a poem, listen to the meter, and you'll see what i mean. Feel the beauty and power in these words of prophesy, whose fulfillment we Christians celebrate this-coming Saturday.
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.A voice of one calling:
"In the desert prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the wilderness
a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all mankind together will see it.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?""All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."You who bring good tidings to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
"Here is your God!"
See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power,
and his arm rules for him.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand,
or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket,
or weighed the mountains on the scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has understood the mind of the Lord ,
or instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him,
and who taught him the right way?
Who was it that taught him knowledge
or showed him the path of understanding?
Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket;
they are regarded as dust on the scales;
he weighs the islands as though they were fine dust.
Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires,
nor its animals enough for burnt offerings.
Before him all the nations are as nothing;
they are regarded by him as worthless
and less than nothing.
To whom, then, will you compare God?
What image will you compare him to?
As for an idol, a craftsman casts it,
and a goldsmith overlays it with gold
and fashions silver chains for it.
A man too poor to present such an offering
selects wood that will not rot.
He looks for a skilled craftsman
to set up an idol that will not topple.
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
Have you not understood since the earth was founded?
He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.
No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.
"To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.
Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the Lord;
my cause is disregarded by my God?"
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
O thou that tellest good
tidings to Zion,
get thee up into the high mountain.
O thou that tellest good
tidings to Jerusalem,
lift up
thy voice
with strength;
lift it up,
be not afraid;
say unto the cities of Judah,
behold your God!
behold your God!
behold your God!Arise,
shine,
for thy light is come,
the glory of the Lord
is risen upon thee.
Since both of my parents are big fans of traditional jazz, Derrick and i grew up hearing that music almost exclusively in the house. My listening tastes branched out when i got into high school, but now that i'm older, i find myself returning to the old standards more and more. i'm not an expert, but you might be surprised how many standards i can sing along to. And i probably have as many opinions on jazz as i do on popular music.
That's just my way of prefacing the following helpful hints for those visitors here who may have one or more jazz lovers on your gift giving list. Trust annika. i've built a pretty decent CD collection over the years and since the standards, by definition, never go out of style, i'd like to share some of my wisdom with you. Here are my recommendations from out of my own collection. i could never get tired of listening to any CD on this list.
Big Bands:
Kansas City, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - i never saw the movie, but this disk is full of loud, hella fun big band horns. The one Kevin Mahogany vocal is a highlight.
Slide Hampton & The Jazz Masters, Dedicated To Diz - i saw this band in concert at San Francisco's Masonic Hall. There's a back and forth battle of the high note trumpeters on one song that knocked me out when i heard it live. It is my number one favorite CD of my entire collection.
The Best of Woody Herman & His Big Band, The Concord Years - This one features a trombone version of Round Midnight. Yes, trombone. But it's one of the best versions of that song i've heard.
Count Basie At Newport - Basie, live. What more do you need to know? The all-star appearances include Lester Young, Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge and one of my favorite vocalists, the late Joe Williams.
Small Combos:
John Coltrane, My Favorite Things - The title song is my favorite Coltrane tune.
The Best of Bill Evans Live on Verve - A great selection of very romantic and soft piano standards.
Johnny Griffin, The Little Giant - i heard 63rd Street Theme on the radio once and i was compelled to rush to the nearest music store for this CD. i was not sorry. Puts me in the mood of being in the big city on a cold wintry day, i don't know why.
Wynton Marsalis, Standard Time, Vol.3: The Resolution Of Romance - One of the first jazz CDs i ever bought. Very romantic stuff, and brings back some nice personal memories every time i listen to it.
Vocals:
Mack The Knife, Ella In Berlin - This classic jazz recording shows why Ella was and always will be the best, ever. She puts on a clinic.
Carmen McRae, Carmen Sings Monk - Another classic jazz CD. The only way i can remember the names to any of Monk's instrumentals is to think about Carmen singing the words.
Sammy Davis Jr., The Sounds Of 66 - Anyone who likes Sammy will absolutely love this live recording from the Sands Hotel's Copa Room.
Mel Tormé, The Great American Songbook: Live at Michael's Pub - i got a ton of Mel Tormé, but this is my favorite.
Compilations, etc:
Duke Ellington, Reminiscing in Tempo - This is a great intro to the music of America's best composer. Some of it's in mono, but one of the stereo songs is an eight minute version of Come Sunday by Mahalia Jackson that brings tears to my eyes.
Frank Sinatra Sings The Select Rodgers & Hart - Every song is a winner.
The Essential Dinah Washington - My mom and Dad wore out the grooves to their Dinah Washington records when i was a kid, so when i finally bought my own CD, it was this one.
All The Things You Are: The Jerome Kern Songbook - Lots of different artists here; mostly hits and a few misses. But Ella's version of All The Things You Are is so beautiful i have to recommend it for that alone.
Don't believe chicks dig tanks? Go read Redsix's latest installment of his Fallujah experience. It's all about firing that bad boy called the 120mm smoothbore. There's quite a few chicks in the comments section. i find myself looking forward to every new post by Lt. Prakash. Call it penis envy if you want, but chicks dig tanks.
Powerline has been named Time Magazine's Blog of the Year, to go along with their Wizbang Weblog Award. Both well deserved, in my opinion. Congratulations guys, you have done us all proud!
As my holiday gift to all of my visitors, i'm going to let you in on a secret i discovered. Overstock.com is selling Season One of 24 (the TV show) for only $14.99. That DVD set retails normally for 70 bucks! If you're interested, go to the site and search for "24: Season One." But for pete's sakes keep this quiet. i'm pretty sure Overstock.com fucked up and meant to price it at $41.99. We don't want them to realize their mistake. Don't worry, i completed the transaction, and indeed i was only charged $14.99! Shhhh!
In case anyone’s interested, here’s my take on law school exams. i finished with civil procedure, torts and contracts (my favorite). Next up are criminal law and property. i've been in school most of my life and i've mastered just about every type of test there is. But the law school exam is a different kinda bitch altogether.
One key to taking a law school exam, which i just learned this week, is panic management. How come nobody told me about the panic thing? i first discovered this phenomenon while doing timed practice exams during the week before finals. Panic attack severity seems to be inversely related to the amount of time remaining for exam completion.
i’ve finished three exams so far, and i’ve had three panic attacks. Each one occurred somewhere between the halfway mark and three quarters of the way through the exam. Each was accompanied by dry mouth, an increased heart rate, and a curious rushing sound in my ears; not to mention a morbid feeling of dread helplessness, as if i were drowning or being buried alive.
The first panic attack occurred soon after i congratulated myself for having completed question two of the civil procedure examination well ahead of schedule. That should have been a warning - i ain't that smart. i suddenly realized that i had completely missed the arcane issues of ancillary and pendent jurisdiction. Instead of having extra time for the third question, this blunder required me to go back and add shit to my previous answer. I ended up having to rush through the third essay. Luckily, i managed to finish just as time was called.
The torts panic attack came not from any brain fart of my own - i got that subject down cold - but from the sick realization that there was too much to write and not enough time to do it. Time management again rears its ugly head. The final essay, though easy, simply had too many issues for the amount of time left. i raced through it, abbreviating as much as i could without degenerating into something akin to IM speak.
D prvlgd by prvt ncssty b/c D’s invsn of P’s ppty was rsnbl 2 prtct D’s ppty, t/f no trspss, h’ver b/c prvt ncssty = qlf’d prvlg, D mst py 4 dmg csd by non-trts cndt.Well, not quite that bad, but i was definitely in what i like to call “finished product mode.”
By Friday, i greeted the panic attack as if it were an old friend. The thing to do is recognize that it is coming and push through it. i never had panic attacks in undergrad or grad school exams. That’s the cool thing about the liberal arts. i always knew if i got stuck i could always b.s. my way out of it. If i wasn’t sure about one aspect of the subject, i could always emphasize the stuff i knew really well. Distract the professor with my brilliance on what i did know, so he couldn’t in good conscience penalize me for what i didn’t know. It usually worked.
But the law school exam is not so forgiving. If there are five elements you have to apply, and you do an awesome job applying four of them, but miss the fifth, you still blew 20 percent of the grade. That’s what worries me. i think i spotted all of the issues presented in the exams. But how would i know if i didn’t? i guess i won’t know until grades come out.
Via Serenity:
If you're going to keep eating them, the least you could do is say you're sorry.
Damn. Of course i'm hungry for bar-b-cue now.
i'm in the middle of my first week of exams. i'll let you know how that's going later on. But in the meantime, Sarah of Trying to Grok was nice enough to let me interview her earlier this month, so i could post it during my finals. She's a pretty amazing blogger with a wide array of interests, as you will see. Sarah's blog has been a daily must-read for me ever since she came over to Munuviana. Trying to Grok isn't your typical mil-blog either - Sarah is a teacher and a military wife. i love her honest writing style and she's always got really good links to fun and informative stuff. Enjoy the interview, and i'll try to check in again this weekend.
annikagyrl: hi Sarah
Sarah: hi
annikagyrl: okay my first question has to do with the “Dukakis” picture you used to have on your blog. What was the story behind that? You know the picture with you riding in the Bradley?
Sarah: Actually it was an M1A1
annikagyrl: cool, even better
Sarah: Last year for my birthday, my husband took me to the motor pool to "meet" his tank.
annikagyrl: for those who don't know, your husband is, i believe, an officer in the 1st Infantry Division
Sarah: Yes, he's a 1LT serving with 1ID in Iraq. He's Armor (branch detailed from Finance -- heh), so he's currently a platoon leader and a tank commander
annikagyrl: and also for those who haven’t noticed yet, i have an interest in tanks and military aircraft, which i'm told is unusual for women
Sarah: oh boy do I love tanks
annikagyrl: what's it like inside an Abrams?
Sarah: cramped. My husband and I were in there together, and we kept bumping into each other and banging our arms and legs on stuff. I have no idea how they fit four people in there. It was the thrill of my life though
annikagyrl: i was re-reading some of your old posts and i came across a link to The Strategy Page, which i got lost in
Sarah: Yeah, that's a good site, isn't it?
annikagyrl: i read another link regarding the use or alleged misuse of the M1A1 in Iraq
Sarah: hmmm, I don't think I've seen that one
annikagyrl: the gist of it was that we’re misusing our tanks in urban warfare, which seems silly. i mean, i'm no expert, but if a layperson like myself can imagine how not to use a tank in urban environments, the army has already figured those things out
Sarah: Ha, hopefully! I know my husband feels safer inside his tank, especially since he's been hit by RPGs and lived to tell the story. You know, back in August, one of our good friends from Fort Knox was injured in Mosul. He's with the new Stryker Brigade out of Fort Lewis and even though he nearly got ripped in two, he still swears by the Stryker
annikagyrl: from what i read on the strategy page, the M1A1/2 is a very surviveable piece of machinery. Do you ever worry about your husband in Iraq?
Sarah: My deployment philosophy is that people die every day, and there's nothing we can do about it. I know I have to lose my husband someday, so if I had the choice between losing him to democracy and losing him to being hit by a bus, I'd rather lose him in Iraq. It's just my own way of dealing with the danger.
annikagyrl: as a lietenenant, does that mean he's in charge of a platoon?
Sarah: Heh, spelling lieutenant is a bitch, huh?
annikagyrl: yah
Sarah: Yes, he "is in charge of" roughly 20 men, a fairly formidable task for a 24 year old. He and his Platoon Sergeant work together to manage the platoon.
annikagyrl: i love the way you describe your relationship, it's very inspiring to me as a single girl
Sarah: Ha, thanks. That means a lot to me. He's my best friend.
annikagyrl: it sounds like the type of marriage i would like to have someday
Sarah: I have more in common with him than with anyone on the planet; I got lucky that he was a guy instead of a girl! More than anything I just miss hanging out with him, watching Futurama and talking about politics. Each day we get to chat online for like 30 minutes.
annikagyrl: first war where that's been possible, i guess. Thank you Yahoo!, lol
Sarah: We're sorta an odd couple, I'm sure. For example, yesterday we spent our entire time talking about why the dollar is so weak against the Euro. Probably most couples don't talk about that stuff!
annikagyrl: that's cool.
Sarah: Yes, we have it so good that I can't even complain. When I start to feel down -- because there are times when we'll go 12-16 days without talking -- I think about the men who went years in WWII without talking to their families. I have nothing to complain about.
annikagyrl: You come from a military family don't you?
Sarah: No, actually my family isn't that military. Neither is my husband’s. His father served in the Army for a few years, and two of my uncles were in the Army and AF, but that's about it.
annikagyrl: didn't i read that your grandpa was a pilot?
Sarah: My grandfather was in WWII, flying bombers. He and his brother enlisted in the AF to avoid being drafted into the Army... ha, even back then guys knew which side was sweeter!
annikagyrl: lol
Sarah: He served during the war and then met my grandma and had thirteen babies. He's an interesting guy.
annikagyrl: What bomber did your Grandpa fly, if you know?
Sarah: Oh goodness. You know, before I met my husband, I neither knew nor cared about the military. I'm sure my grandfather told me once, but when those things don't mean anything to you, they're in one ear and out the other. Now that the military has become such a big part of my life, I have so much more in common with my grandpa. I send him Veteran's Day cards and Memorial Day cards and all sorts of stuff. But he's sorta past the age where he can really talk about specifics.
annikagyrl: i've had the pleasure of meeting three or four men who flew in bombers during WWII and they were all lovely old men, very fascinating personalities. And they all wore hearing aids, too. It was loud in those things, i can imagine.
Sarah: I mentioned a few days ago that my grandfather flew with Chuck Yeager. They were in the same squadron, and they have remained friends. Pretty cool, huh?
annikagyrl: Yah. We lost over 50,000 aircrew over Europe in bombers alone. i am amazed at the bravery of those guys.
Sarah: I've gotten into watching military movies since my husband left, and I can't watch a WWII movie without feeling an overwhelming mixture of pride, sadness, gratitude, and horror.
annikagyrl: You live in Germany now, and i'm curious about your opinion of the German people.
Sarah: Dang, my thoughts on the Germans could take hours. In a nutshell... I was a French major and lived in France for a year during college. I later studied Swedish and lived in Sweden for a summer. I was about all Europed out when we learned we were being sent to Germany, and I really wasn't interested in coming. However, I have found that the Germans in our area are generally very accomodating and helpful. They like having us here -- especially when we spend money at their restaurants! -- and they've been good to us. I went north to visit my Swedish friend in Hamburg last weekend, and I was a little nervous. Up north, they're not used to us Americans like they are in the little belt of bases down at the south of Germany. I was honestly afraid that my car might be keyed or something, but luckily everything was cool. My Swedish friend's boyfriend is a rabidly anti-war German, and I was nervous about him too!
annikagyrl: How did that go?
Sarah: He asked a million questions, but it felt like he really wanted to listen and learn, so I went away with a good feeling. I'm sure I didn't change his mind, but maybe I gave him some things to think about. My favorite moment from talking to him... He was asking where we lived and if we lived "in an apartment or in a room where you like share a bathroom at the end of a hall." He nearly choked when I said that we have a three bedroom house.
annikagyrl: lol
Sarah: I don't think he could related to the size and might of the US Army, that they have enough money to give everyone a house! The Army takes care of us, that's for sure. I don't think he could relate, since in his mind military service is mandatory and the German soldiers live in barracks.
annikagyrl: i think the Europeans have the luxury of being anti-war because, unlike Americans and Israelis, they are not in the crosshairs... yet.
Sarah: Oh of course.
annikagyrl: At least not since the end of the Cold War.
Sarah: But with the Muslim population growing by the day, they might have to face reality sometime soon...
annikagyrl: i think they already are being forced to deal with that issue. The van Gogh killing was a big wake up call.
Sarah: Sometimes I feel like patting Europe on the head and sending them back to the "kids table" while the grown-ups discuss the real issues.
annikagyrl: moving on... Who in your opinion is the most influential rapper?
Sarah: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
annikagyrl: lol
Sarah: certainly not what I expected you to ask. I think I'll never admire anyone like I admire Dr. Dre
annikagyrl: reeeaaaaally? What about Snoop?
Sarah: Ha. Well, of course he was in on the ground floor too
annikagyrl: Eminem?
Sarah: Eminem is one of my favorites, simply for the mess that he stirs up.
annikagyrl: very true.
Sarah: In case your readers don't know, I'm a college English professor who enjoys rap for the use of language
annikagyrl: i don't follow hip hop that much, but i do think that Snoop Dog is a genius. On a related subject, do you still have The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock memorized?
Sarah: When I started memorizing it, I would learn it piece by piece. I started with the beginning "Let us go then you and I..." and then the next day I started from the beginning and went further, and then further, and then further. Thus I remember the beginning quite well, but I'm starting to get hazy on the ending
annikagyrl: Can you imagine someone doing a hip hop version of Prufrock?
Sarah: I love that poem
annikagyrl: If we had more time, i'd ask you to explain what the fuck The Wasteland is all about, i never had patience for that poem. But Prufrock is beautiful. “Oh do not ask “what is it”/ Let us go and make our visit” was my favorite line
Sarah: My favorite was always "is it perfume from a dress that makes me so digress?" Man, I can think of ten stanzas I love about that poem. I admire someone who can use words well... it doesn't matter if it's a rapper or T. S. Eliot, if the words feel like silk, I love it. And don't even get me started on how amazing I think freestyle is.
annikagyrl: How long has it been since you've been in the United States?
Sarah: About a year now... we went home last Christmas before my husband deployed. On Valentine's Day, mind you. Ha
annikagyrl: Do you feel like an expatriate travelling so much?
Sarah: I feel like my heart will burst if I don't go home soon.
annikagyrl: And travelling has not turned you into a liberal, like it does to some people
Sarah: I love my country more than anyone can fathom, and if anything, travel has made me appreciate my own country and shown me that there's nowhere else I'd rather be.
annikagyrl: Thank you Dorothy, lol
Sarah: Which is hard to deal with when you're forced to live elsewhere...
Sarah: Ha, yeah I'm sorta like Dorothy
annikagyrl: You live on the base, right?
Sarah: Yep, but actually I live on a post. One of the things you learn when you become an Army wife is to stop calling them bases. Base is the generic form, which covers AF and Marines. But Army lives on "posts", not bases. I can't tell you how many times my husband corrected me on that. It's burned in my brain.
annikagyrl: yes and i learned from reading your blog that it’s a "weapon" not a gun
Sarah: ha, yeah, he corrects me on that one too
annikagyrl: Were you blogging on 9/11?
Sarah: No, I wasn't even reading on 9/11. I was totally insulated and stupid and ignorant
annikagyrl: What is your 9/11 story? Where were you, etc..
Sarah: It's almost too embarrassing to repeat I woke up and was getting ready for class, and my roommate told me what was going on on the TV. I barely paid attention because I was in a hurry for school. I'm ashamed of how uninformed I was on 9/11, but I'm proud of how far I've come since
annikagyrl: somehow i doubt that you were ever as uninformed as you say. Your writing is so very thoughtful and articulate.
Sarah: Oh but I was. My philosophy was one of humming-with-fingers-in-ears whenever my husband (then boyfriend) would try to get me interested in history/the middle east. I was one of those typical grad students who only cared about what was needed for class
annikagyrl: Speaking of your blog, and it's title, are you a big Heinlein fan?
Sarah: Um, I'm definitely a big Stranger in a Strange Land fan
annikagyrl: What was the deal with that novel? Was the martian dude supposed to be like Jesus?
Sarah: HAHAHAHA
annikagyrl: i didn't get it
Sarah: I guess what I took from the book was that people get so caught up in what they think is right or what they're doing at the moment that they forget there are other ways of doing things. Mike came along and taught them to understand things and not just accept what they'd been told was true
annikagyrl: You know, i’m afraid to admit that i tried and tried to get into Heinlein in college but i couldn't do it.
Sarah: Hey, that's OK. I don't like Shakespeare, and I'm sure people think that's treasonous.
annikagyrl: Oh that segues into another question: i'm sick and tired of having liberals say that conservatives don't think for themselves, and just regurgitate whatever Limbaugh and Hannity tell them. What do you think? i think its totally the other way around.
Sarah: Hmm. I think that very few people really know how to think. I know I struggle with it every day.
annikagyrl: You know, i was against the Iraq war at one time... for about two days.
Sarah: Ha
annikagyrl: Then i thought about it and came to my own conclusion
Sarah: Den Beste was my inspiration to really learn to think. I believe I'm getting better at it, but I honestly don't think most people have much practice at thinking on their own.
annikagyrl: Was Steven Den Beste’s blog the inspiration for Trying to Grok?
Sarah: Den Beste was the first blog I ever read, when my husband sat me down right when we got married and said, "You read this while I go to work." And I was hooked.
annikagyrl: Wow. The first blog i ever read was probably TranceJen, quite a difference there
Sarah: My husband had been reading for a while, so he knew all of these things that I didn't know. Now I'm the one who's throwing around references that he doesn't understand
annikagyrl: haha, cool
Sarah: like MSM... he had no idea what that was when I typed it once on IM. He doesn't get to read blogs much from Iraq. I try to keep him updated on the current stuff
annikagyrl: Did you get to follow Rather gate from Germany much?
Sarah: Sure, via blogs, which was where all the action was anyway.
annikagyrl: Very true
Sarah: I just don't get the stuff that's not blogged about. My mom mentioned the controversy surrounding Pat Tillman's death last night, and it was the first I'd heard.
annikagyrl: i heard the friendly fire story months ago, i don't know why it’s just now being reported widely
Sarah: See, I never had. And that's a hard one for me, I guess.
annikagyrl: yes
Sarah: I thought a lot last night about how I would feel if a coalition soldier killed my husband. I had just watched The Big Red One (where the Americans were fighting the French in Africa!) and with Pat Tillman, it got me thinking. It's a rough call... would I rather live with the truth, which sucks, or not. I wouldn't be angry, but I would be sad.
annikagyrl: Tillman's death was a milestone in the war for me, too. Like the Private Lynch story. Both turned out much differently than they were first reported. You know there are so many other heroic stories out there that are not being told
Sarah: I know. Instead we get Abu Ghraib
annikagyrl: and i think that's where we don't give the mainstream print media enough credit. Broadcast media has never been good at telling us about the heroes
Sarah: But hometown newspapers do it well
annikagyrl: and the recent Time magazine and even New York Times articles have given me hope that the big time press is coming around too, albeit slowly.
annikagyrl: i have a theory that blogs are a way for conservatives to be activists, since we all have jobs and are too embarrassed to march around with signs chanting. How do you think Trying to Grok has had an impact?
Sarah: Hmm, has it? I don't know...
annikagyrl: Oh i know it has. You definitely have a following
Sarah: Yeah, but think of the number of my friends and family who hate me now. I can't say if I've had an impact on anyone, but I know blogging has had an impact on me
annikagyrl: how is that?
Sarah: I felt so alone before I started, and now I don't feel that way anymore. Word has gotten out around here that I blog, and my friends now want to talk politics with me. When I worry about my husband, I turn to Bunker for advice. When I need laughter, I look to Farm Accident Digest. When I wonder about language, I turn to Amritas. I have a world of experts at my fingertips too. And I feel connected, and like there's always someone out there who will understand me.
annikagyrl: The blogosphere is amazing. i think we tend to pat ourselves on the back a bit much, but then other times i think we deserve all the praise we give ourselves
Sarah: For years I had this whole part of myself that I had hidden away, and now I don't have to do that anymore. And with my best friend thousands of miles away, I have people who can "fill his shoes", so to speak.
annikagyrl: Well thank you Sarah for letting me pick your brain like this
Sarah: It was fun. Thanks
Cas-a-cading style sheets,
You've got me on the go!
Cas-a-cading style sheets,
i'm all a-quiver.
When a mess i’m writing!
The neighbors want to know
Why i'm always typing
Sounds like a flivver.
Each morning i get up with the sun -
Start a-blogging,
Never stopping -
To find at night no work has been done.
i know that
Once it didn't matter -
But now i’m doing wrong;
When i start to patter
i'm so unhappy.
Can't i take a day off?
Decide to run along
Somewhere far away off -
And make it snappy!
Oh, how i long to be the gyrl i used to be!
Cas-a-cading style sheets,
On won't you stop picking on me?
Just when i think CBS can't get any farther off the deep end of partisanship, they amaze me even further.
The owner of Nonviolence.org, Martin Kelley, said he got an interesting phone call yesterday from a CBS News publicist for—you guessed it—Dan Rather's 60 Minutes Wednesday, the same program that carried the infamous bogus memos.i'm waiting for my call from CBS, the next time they do a story that highlights a conservative point of view. Think i should hold my breath?'Yesterday I got a call from a publicist for CBS News’s 60 Minutes. They’re running a story tonight on "Deserters," U.S. military personnel who have fled to Canada rather than serve in Iraq. She was requesting that I talk up the program on Nonviolence. In nine years of publishing the peace site, I can’t remember ever getting a call from a publicist before. I’ve talked to reporters from major news networks and papers, and I’ve talked a booking agent or two to arranging appearances on radio shows, but never a publicist.'
'So now CBS News publicists are courting bloggers. That’s great: hey, if y’all want to buy me that new Treo Smartphone or a gift certificate to Gohn Bros I’ll say Dan Rather is hotter than an armadillo sunning himself between the yellow lines on the interstate'
. . .
Other liberal/anti-war bloggers who have talked about the upcoming story in preparation for tonight's broadcast include No Capital, Daily War News, Bankrupt Artist v.3
These blogs link to the same CBS News story that Kelley linked to after being contacted. [links omitted]
That's just outrageous. CBS is not a news organization; it's op-ed on TV. They should stop lying and admit it.
Via RatherBiased.
A very Happy Hanukkah to all my Jewish visitors. Here is the text of President Bush's 2004 Hanukkah Proclamation:
I send greetings to all those celebrating Hanukkah, the festival of lights.Hat tip to commenter Shelly.On the 25th day of Kislev on the Hebrew calendar, Jews around the world commemorate the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago. During this time of darkness, the Temple had been seized, and Judaism had been outlawed. Judah Maccabee and his followers fought for three years for their freedom and successfully recaptured Jerusalem and the Temple. Jewish tradition teaches that the Maccabees found only one small bottle of oil to be used for temple rituals, but that oil lasted eight days and nights. The miracle of this enduring light, remembered through the lighting of the Menorah, continues to symbolize the triumph of faith over tyranny.
The bravery of the Maccabees has provided inspiration through the ages. We must remain steadfast and courageous as we seek to spread peace and freedom throughout the world. This holiday season, we give thanks to God, and we remember the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and their families. We also pray that all who live under oppression will see their day of freedom and that the light of faith will always shine through the darkness.
Laura joins me in wishing you a blessed and Happy Hanukkah.
GEORGE W. BUSH
That sickeningly sweet and condescending tone of voice that Joe Rogan and Bill O'Reilly use when talking to pretty women is way unattractive. Way unattractive.
Try to avoid using it.
Thanks to the Instalanche, word is getting out about my great idea. Check out this exclusive photo, from last night's Kennedy Center Honors gala, where i imagine there was a lot of behind the scenes lobbying on behalf of Sir Elton.
It's only a matter of time before the mainstream media picks up on this, and when it happens, i plan to take full credit, of course.
And at wide receiver, in his twentieth season out of Mississippi Valley State, at 6'2" and 200 lbs., number 80, the legendary Jerry Rice.
i was eight years old when Jerry Rice played his first NFL game. i remember watching the victory parade and cheering as he rode by me on Market Street after winning the Super Bowl in 1995, arguably his best year.
Tonight, Jerry Rice and the Seahawks play the Dallas Cowboys in Seattle. The Seahawks are favored by seven. This may be Jerry's final Monday Night appearance, so for sentimental reasons i'm going to go with Seattle minus the seven points.
...comes the constellation.
Cassiopeia, that is.
WTF is the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl? Are there goldfish in it?
Oh well, the BCS sucks, but at least Cal will have the consolation of playing in "America's Most Exciting Bowl Game."
Right Wing News has posted the results for its Third Annual Warblogger Awards.
There's no question in my mind that Kofi Annan is on his way out as the U.N.'s generalissimo. But who should take his place? Perhaps you can guess who i would like to see as the next Secretary General.
i'm totally serious about this. Totally serious. Let's look at Elton John's qualifications, shall we?
Please join me in this crusade. Now that Dan Rather is quitting, i need a new crusade. You can help. Next time the subject of the United Nations comes up at work, mention to your co-workers that you think Elton John would make an excellent Secretary General. Word will undoubtedly spread to the right people. Also, if you like to call radio talk shows, why not mention it on the air? That'd get the word out even faster.
If you have a blog, feel free to copy and post my sidebar ad, which you'll find if you scroll down my main page. And i guess the best way to help would be to email the United Nations itself. Their address is inquiries@un.org.
The motto of my new grass-roots movement will be "Why the 'ell not you bloody sons-a-bitches!" Which is what i would imagine Sir Elton would say if he were on board with this whole thing. Or if he knew about it at all. Which he doesn't, since i have no idea how to contact him. But i'm sure he'd be okay with it, because the idea is sure to catch on like wildfire.
Channel surfing this morning i saw Trapper John, M.D., arguing about investments on a Fox News stock market show. i thought i was watching a Saturday Night Live skit, but apparently, CPT McIntyre has built a pretty successful investing business since the end of the Korean conflict.
Interesting. He likes eBay, by the way.
As promised, in the extended entry you'll find my interview with Ginger, who along with co-blogger Candace, runs one of my all-time favorite blogs, Candied Ginger. i apologize for it's length, but i do get chatty when i'm chatting. Plus, we had a lot of ground to cover. Topics include, blogging, fashion, books, TV, politics, plastic surgery disasters, a certain really cute blogger, and of course, shoes! Please read on...
annikagyrl: i think everyone should know, by how much i have pimped your blog, that you are one of my favorite bloggers
Ginger: aww thanks. You too-- seriously
annikagyrl: its true, Candied Ginger is on the short list of blogs that i check more than once a day
Ginger: yeah, you are definitely on that list for me too
annikagyrl: thanks. How did you and Candace decide to start Candied Ginger?
Ginger: we were both a little disenchanted, and feeling a little lazy, so we decided to join powers and rule the world
annikagyrl: haha. Its an interesting mix. You are an east coast lawyer, and Candace is a west coast Russian language expert
Ginger: yeah, but we are both shoe lovers
annikagyrl: as am i. So it’s all about the shoes?
Ginger: basically, with a little politics and life thrown in
annikagyrl: i want to talk about blogging some more, but footwear is on my list of topics too, so lets just cut to the chase
Ginger: works for me
annikagyrl: do you hold to the rules regarding the use/non-use of white shoes after a certain seasonal deadline?
Ginger: I don't own white shoes
annikagyrl: ohhhhhh
Ginger: they are disgusting
annikagyrl: i just bought some white pointy mules
Ginger: sorry.. but I imagine the rules in Cali are different
annikagyrl: now you have generated an unhealthy attack of buyer's remorse in me
Ginger: did you wear them yet? return them if you haven't
annikagyrl: fuck no, i never wear white after labor day, or is it memorial day?
Ginger: um, labor day. But it should be never. I think I may own a white t-shirt, but that's the extent of my white apparel. Mostly because I am a slob
annikagyrl: did i ever tell you about the guy i went out with who wore all white to our second (and final) date?
Ginger: ouch. You actually went on the date??
annikagyrl: i had no idea. The first date was a setup. i mean, what kinda guy wears all white?
Ginger: Jesus
annikagyrl: it wasn't even off white, lol
Ginger: okay, we are way off topic... what happened to shoes?
annikagyrl: oh okay. i got another question, sort of related. i have formed the opinion during the last year or so, that the toe ring jumped the shark as a fashion accessory when women over 50 started wearing it.
Ginger: hell yeah. That is so stupid looking
annikagyrl: i'm so glad you agree.
Ginger: I really don't get it. It was cute on twenty-something girls a few years back -- for about three months
annikagyrl: i even saw a guy wearing one recently. That's going too far. It was in San Francisco, but still
Ginger: was it the same guy who was wearing all white?
annikagyrl: haha, noo. That would have been too weird. Next question: So how many shoes do you own?
Ginger: That's really difficult...
annikagyrl: of course it is
Ginger: the last time I tallied it, was years ago, before my shoe fetish really took hold, and the only number I can remember was that there were 27 pairs of black shoes. Yes, black shoes. Since then, I have obviously purged a lot, but I would have to venture a guess at around 100. Maybe a few less. Probably at least 40 pairs of black now
annikagyrl: Wow. What organizing system do you use?
Ginger: i don't really have an organizing system...
annikagyrl: its called a closet i guess, lol
Ginger: it works itself out, the ones I wear the most are scattered at the base of my closet, secondary are in a rack in the bottom of the closet, tertiary are on hanging racks on both sides of the closet door, the fourth level is three hot pink crates stacked by the closet, then, fifth, there are boxes in the attic
annikagyrl: describe for our readers what goes into putting together a suitable outfit for say, just going to work in the morning. A lot of my visitors are guys, and i think guys have no idea
Ginger: this sounds so silly, but the outfit usually just comes to me... I wake up, and get a feeling for a shirt or something that I want to wear, and the outfit just falls into place, based on what items of clothing I like to pair with that particular piece
annikagyrl: personally, i change clothes a minimum of five times a day. Unless i'm deathly ill. But then, i’ve always had severe decisionmaking issues. Describe the most comfortable outfit for blogging, is it pajamas, as they say?
Ginger: absolutely... my laptop is on a tray table in front of my sofa, and I like to sit curled up, so definitely always have the pjs on
annikagyrl: i like yoga pants and a sweatshirt myself, but i live with roommates
Ginger: well, the pjs I wear are basically like yoga pants, so same dif
annikagyrl: now, would it be fair to say that you and i are sort of feminine curmudgeons?
Ginger: totally
annikagyrl: in that we have a semi-distrust bordering on dislike of our fellow human beings?
Ginger: yes. it's called misanthropy
annikagyrl: isn’t misanthropy when you think you're a wolf?
Ginger: huh?
annikagyrl: ooops that’s lycanthropy (sorry. too much sci-fi)
Ginger: i was just thinking about this the other day... my real problem is that I have ZERO tolerance for stupidity. ZERO.
annikagyrl: how did we get to that point of curmudgeonliness, do you think? Because as for myself, i think its one of my most attractive attributes
Ginger: I don't know... most people find me a little hard to take sometimes, until they get to know me. Then I guess that's one of the things my real friends love about me.
annikagyrl: when i was in undergrad i went through this phase where i thought everyone i met was "totally amazing" as in “OMG, i just met your roommate and she is such an amazing person!”
Ginger: no... I never feel that way about someone. Usually it's "what an asshole"
annikagyrl: well, lately i have determined that most law students are either boring or assholes
Ginger: yeah, that's probably where both of us got this bitter.
annikagyrl: but your personal misanthropy has been the source of some of your funniest writing, i think.
Ginger: thanks... it's the stuff I'm most proud of!
annikagyrl: there’s one particular incident you wrote about, which to this day still makes me chuckle. It was an example of perfect comic timing, if that's even possible on a blog. Do those crazy things really happen to you?
Ginger: yes. That's one thing that's consistent in all of my writing... it is all 100% true
annikagyrl: Youre the anti Tony Pierce in that respect, lol
Ginger: yeah i guess, although he is one of my own personal gods
annikagyrl: what do you like about Tony’s Busblog?
Ginger: his creativity. It's very nuanced. Sometimes you almost miss it, but when you get it, you're like "damn." Other times he's just silly
annikagyrl: i'm a big fan too. i once wrote Tony a gushy drunken fan email
Ginger: ha ha, I probably have too
annikagyrl: i think he thought i was weird. i do that kinda shit sometimes
Ginger: you are weird. But that's a good thing
annikagyrl: Weren’t you drunk when you wrote your first post, and did you know much about blogging when you started?
Ginger: not much... here's how I came to it all.... y'know those free magazines laying around law school... well there was a write up on one about Glenn Reynolds. I was immediately intrigued... and from there, I just clicked the links on his site (found Moxie, and then found you through her very early on)... it only took a few days before I was totally hooked. It took a while until I actually started for myself... and yes, I was drunk.
annikagyrl: Beer, wine or what?
Ginger: I forget... but I think it was wine, because I remember making a post about how sauviginon blanc tasted good with Sno-Caps.
annikagyrl: haha. You actually left one of the first comments on my blog.
Ginger: seriously? That's funny, because I thought you started before me...
annikagyrl: i was so excited that i googled your name "Ginger" and i got a recipe, which really confused me, lol.
Ginger: ha
annikagyrl: is it a conscious decision for you to write more on pop culture than on politics?
Ginger: no... except maybe for the days leading up to the election... I was sick of it... I have never been an extremely political person, so it's just that pop culture is what interests me more
annikagyrl: what do you think of Desperate Housewives, (i've heard it compared to Sex and the City, which i think is way off.)
Ginger: I think it's crappy
annikagyrl: Thank you!
Ginger: I tried to watch the second episode... it was so stupid and campy, and not in a good way
annikagyrl: i think they were trying to fill the vacuum created by the end of SATC, but they were totally clueless about why SATC struck such a chord
Ginger: yeah, they missed it completely
annikagyrl: you loved 90210 too, right?
Ginger: best show in the genre. I actually had been watching it religiously for the past year on F/X, but they just took it off completely at the beginning of the fall... I was SOOOOO bummed
annikagyrl: i think that was the show that defined our generation
Ginger: yeah, you could say that.
annikagyrl: what else could fit in that category?
Ginger: hmmm, I really don't know about that... I thought My So Called Life was lame
annikagyrl: it had potential, but it didn't last long enough
annikagyrl: Okay, okay: true or false:
Ginger: i'm ready
annikagyrl: Jennifer Love Hewitt's boobs are unnaturally too large for her skinny ass
Ginger: true. Plus her hair is too big for her body
annikagyrl: you see, when chicks do that, it makes it hard for all of us. Tori Spelling too
Ginger: she is a monster
annikagyrl: hahaha
Ginger: have you seen the gap between her boobs? Scary. And there were a few episodes of 90210 (college years I think), that her nose was TOTALLY FUCKED up and mutated from botched plastic surgery. they tried to cover it up with makeup, but it looked awful
annikagyrl: do you remember an episode where Tori Spelling was in a pool after she got her operation? It was like two cantaloupes stuck on a skeleton
Ginger: sick... how is that even attractive?
annikagyrl: OMG yes! Not much you can do with that square head of hers either. Or am i being too cruel?
Ginger: not too cruel. She is abusing her body, so it's fair game
annikagyrl: who were your favorite 90210 characters?
Ginger: first of all, let me just get this out of the way, that I hate Emily Valentine... I know she's a secondary character, but she was the worst. And I wasn't too fond of Claire either.... my absolute favorite was Kelli Taylor. I love Jennie Garth so much
annikagyrl: Claire, yah, me too. How bout the guys?
Ginger: ummm, I don't know, they were all cheezy. I guess Dylan
annikagyrl: haha, you gotta admit Jason Priestly had some good years
Ginger: maybe even David... even though he was portrayed as a dork for the first years, he is actually kinda cute
annikagyrl: i saw him in a mall once. Back in his dorky days. He looked pretty good in real life
Ginger: Jason Priestly was so emotive that his fake acting always got in the way. But my friend Weezie swears the he was probably the best kisser on the planet
annikagyrl: Did she ever?
Ginger: no, she never actually kissed him, except maybe in her daydreams
annikagyrl: how about Noah?
Ginger: too brooding.
Ginger: I actually liked Jesse until he cheated on Andrea with the clerk of the Judge that he went to interview with in somewhere like Idaho... and I always wondered why you would go to Idaho (or wherever for a clerkship). But Andrea cheated on him too, and then they talked about it at their kitchen table in their pjs, and it like cancelled each other out or something, because they were fine with it. That was wierd.
annikagyrl: Steve?
Ginger: Steve is a goon
annikagyrl: i remember the first season, Steve defined cheesy high school guy with the cool car
Ginger: that black corvette. UGH
annikagyrl: lol. Come on, there was one of those guys at your high school too, wasn’t there?
Ginger: probably... I am from Jersey
annikagyrl: haha. i wanna ask you about being a lawyer. Is it all you thought it would be?
Ginger: Yeah... I knew it would suck
annikagyrl: lol... And yet...
Ginger: it sucks. That's basically it
annikagyrl: haha
Ginger: either you make not enough money to cover you debts, or you are raking in the cash, but have no free time to spend it
annikagyrl: i hear that the first year of being a lawyer is tougher than the first year in law school. And the first year in school is pretty intense
Ginger: definitely... I have it somewhat easier, because I work for a judge... don't have billables, don't have to do much lawyering, it's mostly analysis of other people's work and the law that applies to it. First year of law school can be rough... I actually thought it was okay though
annikagyrl: So you get to goof on other lawyer's work and get paid for it, cool
Ginger: yes! I sit next to a clerk for another judge, and we just sit there and laugh at people's shitty work product all day long
annikagyrl: is it really that bad?
Ginger: plus lawyers call all the time with their sob stories about how they can't make it for a motion hearing because they stubbed their toe or something, and we just laugh. A word to all the lawyers out there calling clerks asking for something: niceness counts! Some of these people call up and they are such assholes to us... we don't really go out of our way to help them, but if someone is nice, we will accomodate them however we can. You wouldn't believe some of the crap that people submit either. It's unbelievable... some of it's not even spell checked
annikagyrl: do you ever deal with pro pers?
Ginger: yeah, we have some pro se litigants that come through the system... they are ALL loony. Every single damn one of them. And they normally can't write properly
annikagyrl: "he who chooses to represent himself has a fool for a client"
Ginger: exactly!
annikagyrl: okay okay, i got another topic: Scott Peterson. Discuss
Ginger: that guy is skeevy.
annikagyrl: i can just imagine how many marriage proposals he's gotten. i was quite surprised they found him guilty, and of 1st degree too
Ginger: although I always thought he HAD to be guilty, I never got the strong reaction in my gut about him that I got for Susan Smith... remember her, she drowned her kids or something...
annikagyrl: yes, and then she blamed it on some black guys?
Ginger: I just remember seeing her on the news the next day. Her bangs were done with a curling iron... and I thought: that lady killed her kids... she is too eerily calm. Scott Peterson was a dumbass. What the fuck was he thinking?
annikagyrl: not as dumb as Mark Hacking in Utah though, a Scott Peterson wannabe
Ginger: I always think it's so weird when people have last names that relate to something about themselves...
annikagyrl: like Jack the Ripper, lol
Ginger: Mark Hacking -- hacked up his wife
annikagyrl: he should blame his parents for naming him that
Ginger: yeah, or blame Ellis Island, if his ancestors came through there... the name was probably Hackinowskiosidine.
annikagyrl: lol
Ginger: Jack the Ripper was some English artist guy...
annikagyrl: Not the Prince of Wales?
Ginger: nah, Patricia Cornwell financed a bunch of research and wrote a book about how she thinks it was this dude
annikagyrl: We both signed up for last year’s NaNoWriMo. i notice that neither of us has said anything about it this year.
Ginger: yeah, I couldn't be bothered... it's a dumb ass way to write anything of substance
annikagyrl: i quit after about a week last year, how did you do?
Ginger: probably about the same... although I did keep working on the story I had started... only to have it lost when my hard drive crashed
annikagyrl: Oh no!
Ginger: yeah, I lost EVERYTHING... all my law school writing, all the music I had downloaded, stuff I had written, a zillion recipes I had downloaded, pictures. It sucked
annikagyrl: do you think you'll ever write a novel?
Ginger: yeah, I dream about it every day, seriously...
annikagyrl: Really?
Ginger: but I am also impatient, so that's why blogging works for me now
annikagyrl: the guy who runs NaNoWriMo wrote something i thought was very interesting
Ginger: what's that?
annikagyrl: He said that its not a good idea to plan the story out too much before NaNoWriMo because then you fall in love with it, and when you rush to get it done, you just quit because you want to do it right. That’s exactly what hapened to me. i started thinking that my idea was too good to waste on NaNoWriMo, and i wanted to do it right, then i ended up never doing it
Ginger: yeah. I could have done it if I wanted to write 200 pages of junk
annikagyrl: i still want to write it someday though
Ginger: yeah, so do we all
annikagyrl: i see you as a chicklit novelist, am i right?
Ginger: true. I wouldn't be capable of anything else
annikagyrl: a Jennifer Weiner who's heroine is in better shape
Ginger: yeah. I love her books... looking forward to reading Little Earthquakes
annikagyrl: my novel is going to be a sexy sci-fi shoot-em-up novel about a futuristic police woman
Ginger: that's cool... I could totally see you writing that. I am reading Ann Coulter right now... that's as far from chick lit as possible, while still being written by a woman
annikagyrl: i love Coulter, she and Laura Ingraham are my neocon chick idols
Ginger: I saw Ann Coulter give a talk on election night eve. It was so fucking cool. We were all so jazzed up about the election... and she fed off of it
annikagyrl: wow! Did you ever read any of the Bridget Jones books?
Ginger: yeah, read them both... decent
annikagyrl: who's the best chicklit author?
Ginger: I really like Jennifer Weiner. I just read a book called Big Love by Sarah Dunn. I loved it
annikagyrl: do you get into the romance genre?
Ginger: no, never have read a romance novel. The thought of Fabio peering out at me from the cover skeeves me out.
annikagyrl: can i adopt the term “skeeve?” i like it
Ginger: yeah, it's very useful
annikagyrl: yes, i notice you used it as a verb and an adjective, it’s versatile
Ginger: yeah, it's like the word "smurf"
annikagyrl: or "fuck"
Ginger: I read a lot besides chick lit... one of my fave contemporary authors is Paul Auster.
annikagyrl: what kind of books does he write?
Ginger: um, just stories. It's crazy though... here's my story about Auster's work: I had just read The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett... in that book, the character Sam Spade tells a story about a man named Flitcraft who up and abandons his life after a freak mishap on the street where he could have been killed. So right after that, the very next book I read, coincidentally, was The Book of Illusions, where the main character up and abandons his life after a freak occurence. At that point I didn't make the correlation. A few books later in my reading schedule, I read Auster's Oracle Night, about an author, who upon conferring with another friend, discusses the Flitcraft story and then writes a story within the novel which is a Flitcraftian tale. It was kinda trippy because I kept getting all the stories tangled up in my head when I was reading that last book.
annikagyrl: how coincidental
Ginger: okay, that's kinda dorky getting excited over plotlines of books!
annikagyrl: not at all. Do books ever make you cry?
Ginger: nah, I'm not a sissy
annikagyrl: ha
Ginger: seriously no. I don't usually get moved by books that way. Although movies sometimes make me cry. And I cried the other night while watching the rerun of the Sex and the City where Harry proposes to Charlotte
annikagyrl: oh, that's totally understandable. i got all teary eyed reading Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel trilogy -- three smutty fantasy books -- and i totally don’t even like fantasy
Ginger: I never read that kind of stuff... there are so many books out there that I want to read, I try not to waste my time on trash
annikagyrl: Well, i loved the Kushiel trilogy. It’s beautifully written, but it didn't make me want to read more fantasy stuff. In my opinion, once you've slogged through the Lord of the Rings, why bother with anything else in the genre
Ginger: Well, i've certainly never done that either. Sounds silly, unless you are an eleven year old boy -- which I have never been and will never be
annikagyrl: okay im gonna rapid fire some random topics at you to finish up
Ginger: sounds good
annikagyrl: have you ever met Ken Wheaton?
Ginger: yes
annikagyrl: is he as cute in real life as the picture on his blog?
Ginger: yes. He is actually cuter
annikagyrl: no way!
Ginger: way
annikagyrl: okay, of the following choices, which is the ultimate fulfillment of the promise of the internet? eBay, blogs, or amazon.com
Ginger: eBay. There is some crazy stuff going on there
annikagyrl: Glenn Reynolds: genius or madman?
Ginger: both
annikagyrl: why didn't Bush win Pennsylvania? i totally thought he would
Ginger: sorry, I can't answer that... I really don't know what is wrong with this area... it is liberal soaked. Western Pennsylvania may be a little more Red, but Philly is all Dems
annikagyrl: when you go out for fun, do you like live music, or dance clubs, or something more sedate?
Ginger: what is going out for fun? That does not compute
annikagyrl: lol
Ginger: No, I used to love going to clubs, but now I'd much rather just chill at a bar/restaurant
annikagyrl: oh yah, that should have been one of the choices. i have a guy friend who is not comfortable eating in a restaurant unless he's at the bar, its odd
Ginger: sounds like he needs some medication
annikagyrl: Okay, do you have any tattoos?
Ginger: yes
annikagyrl: interesting, i would not have guessed that
Ginger: it supposedly stands for "bravery and fearlessness" but I joke that it means "drunk girl." I wish I didn't have it.
annikagyrl: lol, do your parents know about it?
Ginger: yeah, my mom loves it, and my dad couldn't be bothered. My grandmother thinks I'm a sinner
annikagyrl: my parents were not happy when i got my first one, and they were pretty pissed about the second
Ginger: why? it's your body. you're an adult
annikagyrl: they really flipped out about my tongue stud too. Which i don't wear anymore, btw
Ginger: that's reversible... speaking of which, I have had my navel pierced for NINE years now (geez I'm old), and it's definitely time to take it out. I want to take it out, but can't do it... I have to go to a body piercer and get them to take it out for me
annikagyrl: i like mine, but i guess it will eventually have to come out someday. But i couldn't be taken seriously in law school with a pierced tongue, that just wasn't going to happen. It’s funny, i justified piercing myself by saying i needed to express my individuality, but everyone does it now
Ginger: that's why I hate mine... so many people have it now
annikagyrl: okay, what was the last cd you bought?
Ginger: Christmas cd: Christmas with the Rat Pack. Last regular cd: Turin Brakes, Ether Song
annikagyrl: who's your fave rat pack member?
Ginger: Dean Martin
annikagyrl: cool, mine’s Sammy. Okay babe, i’m out of topics, is there anything i haven't covered that you feel people must know?
Ginger: San Dimas High School Football Rules!
annikagyrl: hahahahaha
Ginger: nah, that's it... but we'll definitely do this again sometime!
annikagyrl: you gotta say woooooooooohoooooo after that, lol
Ginger: yeah
annikagyrl: okay, let me reiterate how much i love your blog and thanks for the fashion guru guidance tonight
Ginger: Thanks... glad to be of service
annikagyrl: even though, when i get off tonight, i'm going to have to log onto eBay and see if i can get rid of those white shoes... and the toe ring, haha
Ginger: It's a moral imperative
annikagyrl: lol, bye
Wegglywoo reminds us girls that it is indeed that time of year again?!
Okay this one is for the guys. Since most guys seem to like Bukowski and i haven't posted anything by him yet.
You know his story. Born in Germany, lived in San Pedro, brutally funny poet and story writer, drunk, total mysogynist, the polar opposite of PC.
Long before Dr. Laura came up with the idea for her book, The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands, Charles Bukowski knew the score:
She Saidwhat are you doing with all those paper
napkins in your car?
we dont have napkins like
that
how come your car radio is
always turned to some
rock and roll station? do you drive around with
some
young thing?you're
dripping tangerine
juice on the floor.
whenever you go into
the kitchen
this towel gets
wet and dirty,
why is that?when you let my
bathwater run
you never
clean the
tub first.why don't you
put your toothbrush
back
in the rack?you should always
dry your razorsometimes
I think
you hate
my cat.Martha says
you were
downstairs
sitting with her
and you
had your
pants off.you shouldn't wear
those
$100 shoes in
the gardenand you don't keep
track
of what you
plant out therethat's
dumbyou must always
set the cat's bowl back
in
the same place.don't
bake fish
in a frying
pan...I never saw
anybody
harder on the
brakes of their
car
than you.let's go
to a
movie.listen what's
wrong with you?
you act
depressed.
