House of Pies

2009-11-10T23:37:00.000-08:00

Is it really November?
Hmm, well back in September I went to L.A. It was an insane week for my brother and sister-in-law. In fact, my sister-in-law was unexpectedly sent to England on business, and my brother ended up shooting a national commercial, getting ill, and hurting his back all while I was there. Despite everything, he was a very gracious host.
Part of the inspiration for the trip was spending my birthday at Disneyland, since it's free and all. It was very hot and there is only one incredibly unflattering picture of me. Please, enjoy this instead:

Other California institutions to check off my list: In'N'Out Burger, seeing the Los Angeles "river", celebrity sightings (I saw NPH at Magic Castle and Steve Carrell's wife at Barnes & Noble on Ventura Boulevard), the Magic Castle, and Magic Mountain.
At Magic Mountain there is such a thing as Muslim Family Day, and it is very popular. You don't have to be Muslim to attend, but it is encouraged, although some of your fuller hijabs may make harnesses awkward. As we approached the first ride after almost an hour of waiting I said to Brett, "I hope I like roller coasters." Turns out, I do. I'm only really afraid during the first slow ascent. click

click

CLICK
Anywho, that first ride was Tatsu - 17 stories high, 62 miles per hour FACING THE GROUND. That's right, put your flip flops in a cubby, lock yourself into a seated position, and rotate parallel to the floor. Which is all fine and good until you go into a head first spiral towards the ground. I'm pretty sure the previous guy in Brett's seat threw up.
See, there are several cars of riders, and after your ride is complete you wait to be brought back into the main loading area and, well, unloaded. There's a metal floor beneath you, painted yellow except for all these round eroded patches in front of each seat. Brett's eroded patch had vomit on it.

This is what 17 stories looks like from the ground.

On an evening while Brett was working, I spent a few hours at the Redondo Beach Pier. It's a slightly gross touristy spot but it got me out of the house and gave Brett some time alone. I was trying to see fire dancers at a lobster festival but I had Brett drop me off at the wrong place and missed them. So, I got shrimp in a kitschy bar where a bottle of beer was $5 and ate funnel cake. I watched fishermen fishing with glow sticks and pelicans floating on the water. After awhile I tried my hand at some night photography. Not great, but I think they're cool.

I also took some glamour shots of the resident cats, who were just beginning to accept and appreciate my presence when I left. Here's my fav.

Many internet videos were watched, Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion was re-visited, very yummy doughnuts were eaten, and my new favorite movie quote was discovered - That's a lot of thinking for a bear.

Since returning home, things have been quiet. We hosted a costume party for children at work, complete with library mascot photo ops . Her name is Sophie and she is an otter. What I am is open to speculation.

I had another fabulous time at the Wallin's annual pumpkin carving fun.

I'm looking ahead to Thanksgiving with Grandma Doris in Yuba City. I haven't been there since high school and this time I can help drive.

Whew. Happy? ARE YOU HAPPY NOW? Katie!

read recently: Fablehaven books 1-4, The Monstrumologist, Catching Fire, The Sookie Stackhouse novels 1-4

2009-09-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

cat bath or cat anorexia?
you be the judge

2009-08-15T15:28:00.001-07:00

heart

It's a problem.

2009-08-13T15:48:00.000-07:00

Since December...
it feels like not much has happened, though plenty of time has passed. Reasons I find it difficult to maintain a blog: it showcases my general lack of activity.

Nich and Meghan got married, which all of you already know about having been there. I will say, it was the most "true to the couple" wedding I've ever attended. Awesomely awesome (new favorite thing to say).

Ten years after being legally allowed, I got my driver's license. It only took two tries! Thanks for the learning, little brother. And the use of your car, Jerry. I didn't even damage it. Mostly.

Just kidding.

Mostly.

I had a run in with the police, actually. Housesitting for the McConnells, like I do, I'd forgotten to take the trash out. I asked M to do it, and in classic "I don't hear loud noises or acknowledge that I'm making them" form, he slammed the back door repeatedly as he took it out at 11pm. A neighbor heard the racket and tried calling the house to see what was up. I didn't answer, since the owner's of the house were away due to a family tragedy. Whoever it was either knew where to reach them or didn't need to talk to them immediately. The phone rang again, and again so I finally answered. It was the neighbor. She asked for the owners. I said they were out of town and she said, "I know. Who are you?"
"The housesitter."
"I heard slamming. What are you doing?"
"Taking out the trash. Why?"
"Well, I tried calling and no one answered so I called the police. They said they'd been by."
"Well, they haven't."
"Oh, how funny. Never mind then!"
General irritation ensued on my part. About ten minutes later the phone rang AGAIN and M answered. It's the police. They're outside and they want everyone in the house to come outside immediately. But I'm in my pjs sans pants, so M says we'll be out in a minute. Apparently, not something you say to the police.
We opened the front door and a big light is shining on us. We can't see and they tell me to take my hands out of my pockets. Then they act highly suspicious and all 4 of them pile into the house and interrogate us for about ten minutes. They didn't seem to want to believe that anyone would ask two tattooed young people to spend the night for just 1 cat that isn't even sick. But since they couldn't get a hold of the owners of the house and had no real reason to believe we were lying, they left. Henry Louis Gates, I feel you.
I mean yes, they were doing their job, but yes, they were also jerks.

We moved to a two bedroom apartment in our complex. Still crappy, but on the ground floor, still cheap, and new carpet. Unfortunately, this has increased my orange kitty's tendency to jump out windows. He has escaped twice and spends a lot of time scheming. It's like he just figured out he can cut class without getting caught.

My dad got re-married. Congrats again! The happy couple had an intimate ceremony and were positively glowing the whole day. Or at least once the ceremony got started. Dad looked a little green beforehand. Plus, there were kittens at the reception. Oh, and all my brothers. That was cool, I guess.

~An interlude of discoveries~
Band: The Tiny
Books: Marcelo in the Real World; If I Stay; Dust of 100 Dogs
Movie: 500 Days of Summer
TV Show: Dating the Dark
Quote: Babies like to breath, but they're sneaky.

2008-12-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays!
I know it's been ages, but I said I wouldn't be good at keeping this up. Work has been quite busy but the good news is I get to keep my job. We (and everyone else) had layoffs recently but I was neither laid off nor bumped into a lower-level position.
Last I posted we were headed to Seattle. We had a lovely time. M met Dad, Cindy and Grandma Annie, whose laugh he loved. (He said it was jolly.) He impressed them with his ability to not say a thing. Amazing...
Probably my favorite part of the trip, besides Meghan's meatloaf, was the Underground Tour we did. Just the kind of nerdy educational fun I love. Plus, our tour guide was possibly an idiot savant.
Thanksgiving. I made rolls from Grandma Doris's recipe and got the yeast to rise on the first try! M and I went to a friend's house, where there were a dozen or so dogs. It was the biggest dog in the pack that decided to bite me on the arm, but at least everyone had eaten dinner and pie already so the blood didn't kill anybody's appetite. It was scary but not serious.
Soup I made.
Grandma Doris turned 86, surpassing her own mother by ten years and becoming the oldest person in her family. Katie had another birthday, too. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SISTER!
And now we're in the thick of the Christmas season. M and I made a paper chain to count down the days, which I'll also be adding a photo of soon. His family doesn't have many Christmas traditions, which made me realize how many our family does have. We watched "A Christmas Story" and "White Christmas". M had never seen "White Christmas" and joked that he would leave the house when I turned it on, but he found himself strangely compelled to watch. He asked me why they spoke so quickly, and we've been singing "Snow" to each other for the last few days. We've had a few sightings.
Look forward to photo documentation of M's first time making cookies in his almost 30 years on earth. OH! and funny cat pictures. Cheers!

2008-11-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

new with me

I've been a bit lax on the blog front because I've been distracted. A certain someone has returned to the Pacific Northwest, and in addition to a busy schedule at work, we went on vacation to the Long Beach peninsula.

Our second stop, aside from a coffee break in Kalama, was Astoria. We ate at the Elliot Hotel restaurant (which is not in the Elliot Hotel, but across the street). We had AMAZING open-faced crab melts and I took this picture from the grounds of the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

We stopped at Fort Columbia just across the bridge in Washington, then headed onto the North Head lighthouse. We didn't walk the 65 steps to the top because we didn't bring the required $2, but the view was still beautiful.

After the lighthouse it was late enough to check into our hotel, the Inn at Discovery Coast. It was a lovely room with a huge tub, and warm scones with yogurt instead of continental breakfast. We took a walk along the boardwalk and took this picture, which is my absolute favorite, ever.
We walked back along the main drag where M tried on the ugliest hat I've ever seen and tried to convince me that its being practical was worth the cost. We did not buy the hat.

The following day we explored Ocean Park and all the other little communities north on the peninsula. We spent an hour or so at the Willapa Bay National Wildlife Reserve. On our way back to town we saw a bear on the side of the road. M just kept saying in a really high-pitched voice, "What do I do?"
I wanted to get a picture but M wouldn't slow down. This is the resulting photo.

After the Wildlife Reserve, we visited the Cape Disappointment lighthouse. We also visited the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center, which made me feel like a fourth grader all over again, in a good way. It was raining on and off that day, including some wicked downpours so the trail to the lighthouse was very muddy. No one slipped though and I got a some beautiful shots of the afternoon sun.

In addition to my first grown up vacation we
*went to Joe's Place Farm and picked pumpkins
*rode our bikes all the way up the street before mine went kerpluey
*attended a couple fun and quite disparate Pumpkin Parties
*celebrated Obama's crushing victory with BV pumpkin shakes
AND
*planned a train trip to Seattle this Veteran's Day weekend to meet the family and karaoke our little hearts out

Here we come, Seattle!

2008-10-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

"His perfectly round face hints Orient Express and beautiful spies."

Katie challenged me (assuming I'm the only Lou you know) to
1- Get the nearest book to you, or one you're reading that contains over 123 pages.
2- Go to the 123 page.
3- Find the 5th sentence.
4- Post the 5th sentence.

I am sitting in a library surrounded by books, but I picked up the first 123 page book within reach of my chair, which happens to be this Steinbeck novel I've never heard of. Awesome tag, my dear.

2008-10-12T15:47:00.000-07:00

just because

[My Sully makes a noise almost like this.]

2008-10-11T17:07:00.000-07:00

It's been a crazy week, but I had a minute and was virtually catching up with my sister, when I noticed she had "tagged" me. I think that means I'm supposed to answer the questions she answered. (If I'm wrong, let me know.) I have about 50 minutes to do this and close up at work. Ready, set...

8 Shows I Love to Watch
1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2. Project Runway
3. The Office
4. Lost
5. Weeds
6. Six Feet Under
7. Tim Gunn's Guide to Style
8. What Not to Wear (Really, you'd think I dress better than I do)

8 Places I Love to Eat
1. Pepper's Taqueria
2. Olive Garden (guilty pleasure)
3. Cup & Saucer
4. Tizzle Bizzle
5. Burgerville
6. Blind Onion
7. Mom's Holiday House (not an actual restaurant)
8. on my couch

8 Things That Happened Yesterday
1. Teen'Scape, or barely controlled chaos which I lord over
2. alien storytime, which only 45 people attended
3. M might have been tipsy when we talked
4. dinner solo at Little Italy's (They sat me at a tiny table in the front window so all the passers-by could pity me)
5. Mom called right as I was finishing dinner and drove me home, which was great because it was in the 40s
6. Jerry had successful heart surgery. Seriously.
7. I started to watch "Leatherheads" and turned it off.
8. went to bed early. Heaven.

8 Things I Look Forward To
1. M leaving Indiana on Sunday
2. M arriving in Washington next Wednesday evening, or more likely Thursday morning
3. snuggles
4. breakfast together
5. rides to work
6. 5 days of vacation
7. going to an adorable eco-friendly hotel for three days in Long Beach
8. the waiting being over

8 Things I Love About Fall
1. warm drinks
2. colorful leaves
3. pumpkins
4. Halloween
5. Mom's rolls
6. family times
7. sweaters
8. dark clouds with sun

8 Things On My Wish list
1. a bike helmet
2. a steel water bottle
3. a quieter, slightly larger apartment
4. a lack of big changes; consistency
5. an awesome dress for Nich's wedding
6. Obama for President
7. time and focus to read
8. commitment to cooking more

2008-10-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

things i love

[Quick shout-out to YUMI, whose birthday was last weekend: May birds poop on you each day of this, your 30th year.]

I realized that I said I hated something in each of the last two posts. I don't hate that much stuff and I certainly don't want y'all to think of me as consumed by haterade, so I decided to run a little PR campaign called "things i love." Enjoy!

i love not capitalizing things

i love this
i love my dad's dogs

i love my kitties. (this is one half of the duo; Oscar)
i love happy family times AND this kid

i love sarcasm and wit

i love books

i love the smell of shoe stores and gas stations

i love johhny depp, but that's like saying "i love cake" or "i love breathing." much more the rule than the exception
i love spicy hot chocolate and cider

i love bjork. man, i really love bjork, swan dress and all.

i love Sunday mornings

i love mom's rolls

i love pumpkin pie, and fall in general

i love blank journals and notebooks

i love wrapping things nicely

i love details

i love smirking, and thoughts that make me smile to myself

i love birds. this is my fav, the american avocet

what do you love?

2008-09-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Terrible News

So, I don't have cable, but that's not the tragedy. It does put me at the mercy of others when my fav reality show, Project Runway, is on. Lately I've been house sitting for the McConnel's and abusing their cable. I recorded this week's Project Runway and watched it last night, after "The Office" premiere, of course.
Sadly, Jim and Pam's amazing news (SPOILER: They're engaged!) was eclipsed by horrible news over at Bravo. Despite creating a hardly passable non-hip hop look, ridiculed by guest judge LL Cool J, KENLEY SURVIVED ANOTHER WEEK!
I don't think I can handle this, y'all. Her argumentativeness and severe case of Johnny One Note are grating on my last nerve. If she makes it to Bryant Park I may not be able to watch another season. I am shaken. What is reality TV coming to when the snarkiest, rudest, most self-involved AND deluded cast member makes it to the very end? Oh, wait.
Well, I still hate her stupid face. Print this and throw darts at will.

2008-09-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

my sissy is inspirational, and that's something beautiful about today.

I decided that it might be nice to give family (and friends if they wanna) the opportunity to keep up with me, whenever there's something to keep up with. Since the last time I updated this blog was February, I can't promise daily or even weekly updating. But I'll give it the ol' college try.

For those of you visiting for the first time, I formerly used this space to review media and other silliness. I may still do that from time to time.

And now for...

RECENT UPDATES
* I turned 26 this week. Katie Katie Duh celebrated with me over at her blog, as well as texting me at 8:30 in the morning. Really? Yes, really. Taylor and Nich left "happy birthday" messages with almost identical inflection. Brett sent a rapping e-card, Damion sent a smiley faced text, Grandma Farnsworth sent her delicious cookies, and Jerry sent a cat-themed birthday card (for the record, both my cats are fixed). The sisters-in-law both sent nice notes. So unexpected, and awesome! Dad sent a quite thoughtful email and Mom texted, called, and promised a forthcoming dinner and gift. All in all, my family is where it's at.
Plus, a bird pooped on me for the first time maybe ever. (I didn't avoid walking under the bird because, I thought, how often does one really get pooped on? And what are the odds you'd be pooped on ON YOUR BIRTHDAY? Pretty good, is the answer. For those dying to know, it wasn't runny, white poop. It was sandy, grey poop - easily dispensed with a wet nap I was grateful to find in my cavernous purse.)

* I finally got a bicycle! It was a birthday gift from Michael, and I wish I had a picture. It came in a bike box, which I was assured meant just the handle bars and peddles would be removed (it came from a third party, you see). It came in so many pieces I don't understand how they make a bike. It's comical, and endlessly entertaining to the household's four-legged friends. Everything is a chew toy!

* I began doing a weekly preschool storytime a couple weeks back. It's about a dozen kids and their adults watching me behave ridiculously. I sing, read stories, do fingerplays, and blow bubbles to the oldies. My first week we read stories about school, including one where the new teacher is a dog. My favorite moment was when I had all the kids raise their legs like they were peeing on trees. The power! The control! The hilarious mental imagery!
Last week Parker stood up in the middle of "Duck on a Bike" to tell me he could only stay for one more story because he had to pick up a friend. He just wanted me, and the 25 other people present, to know. Maybe it's funnier and more adorable when you're there.

And that's the news from Lake Wobegon.

Just kidding.

No, really; I hate that guy.

2008-02-14T13:46:00.001-08:00

Know a woman? Are you a woman?
Watch this.

Now, click the link to take a quiz. It's good for you.

2007-10-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

2007-09-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

Has it really been almost 6 months? Let me catch you up with some things I love now.

Big Love [tv] A polygamist family in contemporary Utah struggle to keep the peace amidst the stress of constant secrecy, sharing a spouse, and sinister manipulations from the leadership of a fundamentalist compound.

Heroes [tv] started it's second season without skipping a beat. Yes, four months have passed and you missed it. If you were a real fan, you'd understand what's going on.

I Love You, Beth Cooper [fiction] A hilarious "what if" novel that opens with the debate club captain and valedictorian professing his love for the head cheerleader in his graduation speech. What follows is a night of discovery, debauch, sexual awakening, and violence. But funny. I lol'ed

Ghost Map [non-fiction] A study in hope, this book recounts the mapping of a cholera outbreak in 1850s London. Be sure to read the epilogue. It argues that city living is good and green, and that we have no reason to fear a worldwide epidemic. Just nuclear warfare. We're SOL there.

The Departed [movie] Yes, I know everyone else already saw this movie. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Leo can still act. The last thing I bothered seeing him in was The Beach. Ick. And Matt Damon played evil with believable ease, a nice change from his good guy niche. The twists were satisfying, even if the ending left questions. I actually liked that the story didn't wrap up cleanly, and the men I know liked it for its violent sense of justice.

And finally...

2007-03-11T19:40:00.000-07:00

Bliggity Blog.
So, like all cool things I seem to have done in the past year or so, especially as pertain to the web, my buddy Sam (somewhat inadvertently) lead me to something new. And cool, and hopefully catching.
It's a website called 43 Things and all it appears to be is a list, del.icio.us-style. And it can be if you want it to. It's a place to make a list of 43 goals, add entries about said goals, see other users with the same goal and what they're saying, and other cool things. It came out of the Northwest, don't you know. The 2nd goal on my current list (the originators recommend mixing up your list to keep it "alive") is to blog twice a week. So, HA! I'm half way there this week, suckas!
Please, join and compare, but do not mock.

2006-11-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm a bad bad blogger
Life outside the internet has been getting the better of me. But I plan to recommit to publishing my useless thoughts on this confounded machine. Today's topic?

Contemporary Musicals I Love:

"American Astronaut" 2001 recommendation courtesy of Sam
A gritty indie B&W flick about an astronaut crossing the universe in a scheme to get rich, followed by a demented birthday boy and his raygun. It's interesting to note that no women sing in this movie. Whoever said musicals were gay? American Astronaut got under my skin very quickly, and I hope someday to own it and sing along to "The Girl with the Vagina Made of Glass." Any questions?

"Dancer in the Dark" 2000
Devastating, as is expected of Lars von Trier. Rich, emotionally charged music, as is expected of Bjork. It was a surprise to some that Bjork pulled off this weighty role, but I knew she could. Who knew Catherine Deneuve could sing though?

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" 2001
A show in the showiest sense. I saw this at Cinema 21 and fell instantly in love with John Cameron Mitchell. The songs are of a variety of sap that makes me instantly nostalgic for a time and place that never really existed. It doesn't take itself or the medium too seriously, which I would have thought was the only way to make a contemporary musical (until I saw "Dancer in the Dark" see above) Plus, that blonde hair and red lipstick made me jealous in a way only a man in drag can.

"Moulin Rouge" 2001
Oh, the theatricality! I love the color saturation, the frenzy, the sparkle, and the pop music. Add Ewan McGregor and what's not to love? A Vegas style show that Vegas never had the class, creativity, or music rights to pull off.

"Once More, with Feeling" 2001 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episode (not technically a movie)
I'm way too embroiled in Buffy fandom to be a good judge of the quality of this episode. I tend to think it might not be appreciated by the casual viewer as few of the actors or songs are outstanding. That being said, within the framework of the show, it makes most fans' top 10 lists. That includes the writer and creator of the show, Joss Whedon. The show overall is all about camp but this episode takes it to a new level while still advancing the plot in exciting ways. I've seen this episode more than any other single episode. More of a comment on me, I think, than on the show. ::cough.cough. NERD. cough::

2006-09-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

Robots and web comics are fun. If you like them, too, check out www.deiselsweeties.com

2006-09-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

And now it's time for Three Line Reviews

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby - Wow. I was pleasantly surprised at the not-too-low-brow humor. Plus, the soundtrack was almost as cool as a demon cobra riding a skeletal steed.

Short Bus - John Cameron Mitchell's second movie about a salon (not of the hair variety) features full frontal male nudity and actual sex, which means I automatically put it in the porn category until I had the pleasure of hearing said director speak after the film. He pointed out that sex in a person's life is not porn, and he wanted to use sex as a 'cinematic language' to explore his characters. This movie is a 2006 must see.[ I'm cheating. This is line number 5. Favorite line from the movie: "It's like the 60s with less hope."]

My Antonia by Willa Cather - At the persistent behest of a friend I read this Great American Novel and was not disappointed, although it's not heavy on riveting plot, or plot at all, really. My Antonia is about place and memory and beautiful writing. I can sympathize with all the kids forced to read it in high school, though.

2006-09-05T20:12:00.000-07:00

THE BALLAD OF JACK & ROSE-
written and directed by Rebecca Miller, Arthur's daughter, and starring her husband, Daniel Day-Lewis.
This is a movie with a plot always on the move, each moment strange and slightly uncomfortable. The only quiet moments are those between Rose and her father, Jack. Given their ambiguous relationship, I'm sure that's no accident. It's a coming of age, love, and loss story, but without being trite. At least those aspects aren't trite. There are some overt and possibly ridiculous references to loss of innocence (i.e. A snake under the bed while the heroine is deflowered), but I got around that by thinking of the movie more as a story than something literal. Where others might see this movie as aimless or too obvious, I saw it as a little magical and just as jumbley as life. At key points, reality breaks through. The scarcity of those moments make them all the more impactful. And while Rose is obviously still a child, at times her character is as powerful as her adult male counterpart. The supporting cast is pretty amazing , too. Catherine Keener, Beau Bridges, Jason Lee, the boy from L.I.E.(Paul Danno). (Just ignore Jenna Malone and she goes away.) All in all, I really liked it. Enough to want to buy it, even. I was made to see a how something morally reprehensible can happen, and be depicted, without turning the people involved into monsters. I love a good tweak on any perspective. Last word: I don't think I've seen this movie before, in the sense that this kind of story hasn't been beaten and bled to death by Hollywood. And I like that.
Let me just add, where have you been all my life, Daniel Day-Lewis?

2006-08-23T16:42:00.000-07:00

An Ode to Ape, and her genius
"My garbage monkey and our dishes fairy can get a hold of the Mythical Chorebeast Escort Service and invite the hotpocket pixie over for a few drinks. See what happens."
Oh, how I will miss the times we spent being lazy, watching TV and leaving the house only for snacks or adventures, often also involving snacks. Also I will miss living with the lady behind Regina DuBois, baginas, Poopsie Doo, Garbage Monkey, and so on.

2006-08-10T19:12:00.000-07:00

Demi Moore's Boobs

I can't prove it, but I think this movie is the reason for the latest backlash against feminism.
It may be one of the worst scripts ever.
It's the most quintessentially 80s movies I've ever seen.
In conclusion, I don't know if I can recommend it, but hey, I laughed heartily once or twice.

2006-08-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
I occasionally read non-fiction, and am especially drawn to non-fiction about amazing people. Greg Mortenson, a mountain climber turned aid worker, is just such a person. His book about building schools for Muslims in remote Pakistan and Afghanistan for the last decade epitomizes the term "timely." Mortenson addresses how to stop terrorism in a way that has to work at least better than GW's plan. I have a habit of constantly checking the number of pages until a book is finished; it helps me feel accomplished. I didn't do the once with this book.
Another biography I loved is Destined to Witness: growing up Black in Nazi Germany by Hans Massaquoi.

2006-07-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I am a lazy blogger + Work has been busy. Please, enjoy this picture while you wait.

2006-07-19T14:25:00.000-07:00

Bleeding Heart Newsletters
Being who I am, I subscribe to several e-newsletters that make me aware of issues and things I can do something about, which mostly involves "signing" my name to a form letter and hitting "send." When one does these kinds of things, one is always asked for the email addresses of friends who might be interested in the same issue. I almost never whore out my friends' email addresses, out of respect and embarrassment. This newfangled blog, however, allows me to make these issues known to anyone who wants to do something as well.
The latest notice I got is from the Environmental Working Group, about fluoride. The EPA is having a public comment period about the use of fluoride in pesticides, which may increase already high levels of public consumption. Studies show that too much fluoride is a bad thing.
Read more about it here.
Give the EPA your two cents here.

2006-07-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

"DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?" by Philip K Dick
Since I love the movie "Bladerunner," and I've been reading about Sam's love of Dick(tee hee), I figured it was time I read this book. I was at first surprised that the book didn't feel at all like the movie. The book feels like a group of folks trying to withstand the forces of nuclear winter, whereas the movie felt very busy and populated. That busy feeling made scenes like the one in which Rutger Hauer dies more intimate and stark.
After getting over that, and obvious plot differences, I was sucked in and devoured the novel pretty quickly. I was annoyed with a certain hint of misogyny and pettiness around the Rachel character, but ultimately impressed with Dick's ability to leave me so emotionally affected by sci fi. Deckard's journey touched me in a way I can't really describe. Maybe I identifed his becoming more human with my growing up, whatever that means.
Also read recently: She May Not Leave Fay Weldon, History of Violence John Wagner

2006-07-13T17:30:00.000-07:00

Buy Citgo gasoline
Available in our area exlcusively at 7/11s, because Jeff Cohen told you to. If by some chance you don't care what good old Jeffy tells you to do, than at least care that money from Citgo, "a subsidiary of the Venezuelan state's oil company," aids the poor of Venezuela in the form of government programs.

2006-07-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Ani DiFranco Rocks & Hurricane Katrina was f'ed up.
Not that we needed reminding about either of these things. However, Ani's got a new album coming out, and I didn't pay detailed attention to Katrina. Just enough to know it was messed up and yet another G Dubbla/FEMA debacle. Here's an eye-opening quote from her interview for those of us who don't religiously follow news or disaster.

"We cruised right into town, and saw not one Army truck, not a single National Guard person, no FEMA people, nothing. No one. The storm hit Monday morning, and this was Thursday afternoon. Flooding, absolute flooding, craziness. Devastation, people on their roofs, and we saw nobody there to help. And any reports of "you can't get in there" were, I can tell you, bullshit. We couldn't believe this was the United States of America. I felt more naive than I have in a long time. We just saw a lot of poor, mostly dark-skinned people abandoned, thirsty, hungry, roaming the streets, under and on bridges … it was insane."

The interview goes on to be inspiring and awesome. She expounds on the feel good feelings of local activism. My favorite part is when she says, and I'm paraphrasing, "Don't like your city? Don't move; improve it."

2006-07-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

And The Truth will set you free.
And possibly entertain. Or at the very least scare my friend, Raw Bryan.
*I should note up front that I have a tendency to steal from other people and sources, and also to hear about things later than everyone else. Saw-wee*

2006-07-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome! In an effort to find new and interesting ways to waste time at work, while pretending my time suckage relates to work, I have birthed le blog. How will I achieve this psuedo-work like task, you ask? By reviewing my almost constant intake of media and searching out the coolest "resources" the interweb has to offer.
Now, I will admit that I did not invent blogs. I believe that was Al Gore. I also did not invent the format for or idea behind my blog. That was my awesome co-worker, Sam, whose blog will more consistently be good and updated than mine.
Anway, enjoy your stay at the House of Pies. (Slice of pie to the first one who can tell my what my blog name references, besides LA's supposedly overrated restaurant.)