Lots of Media...

Not that my opinion on books or movies is or should be the end all or be all... I just like documenting my media experiences.

Audiobooks:

Naked, by David Sedaris. This is my least favorite of the 4 David Sedaris books that I have listened to, but I still really liked it. I admire his style of thinking & writing a lot. I listen to his audiobooks in the car on the way to & from work and it actually makes me look forward to the drive a bit. It makes the stressful & horrible drive 1000x more enjoyable.



Holidays on Ice, by David Sedaris. Initially I was disappointed in this book. It wasn't like the other 2 I had listened to before this (Me Talk Pretty One Day & Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim). However, one of my methods in judging books & movies is if they get me thinking of them later. I wasn't expecting the dark humor & disturbing issues addressed, but once I thought about it a little more... I really liked it!


DVD:

If you find your time valuable, then avoid Failure to Launch starting Matthew McConaughey & Sarah Jessica Parker. Don't get me wrong, Mr. McConaughey can be nice to watch... but after a while it gets tiring watching him play the same character. I'll admit there were a few funny lines, but not enough to save the stale script. Want to see Matthew doing the same thing in a more interesting way? Just re-watch How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days.



The next I Love Lucy DVD came in to day from Netflix (Season 1, Disk 6). Though I haven't seen it I am confident in saying that I'm going to LOVE it! :)






Syriana, this movie kept me on my toes. The acting was good, I just felt like there was something missing, but I can't put my finger on it. Due to computer problems & needing to sleep I was forced to watch the movie in 2 parts, which I hate. I think of a movie as an 'experience.' I feel like it should be watched straight though, from beginning to end the way that it is intended to be watched to get the full impact. When I turned the movie off I was anxious to find out what was going to happen. By the time I put it on again 2 days later, the hype was gone & I calmly watched the climax... I ended up getting a bit bored. Despite that, I still think it is a good movie for people to see! And though I like George Clooney as an actor & I think he did a good job in Syriana, I'm not sure I agree with him getting an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor... but congrats to him anyway :)

The Family Stone is a christmas move starting Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson(yea!), Rachel McAdams, Claire Danes, Dermot Mulroney, Diane Keaton, & a few others. All of the actors made some good & bad decisions. The script wasn't all that great, but what do you expect from a modern christmas movie!?! Somehow it made me laugh & cry... it's not a 'must see' just in the pile of 'if it's on I'll watch it.'

OK, that's enough for now... :)

Tony Royster

My sister just shared this YouTube video w/me... This kid is 12 & is AWESOME!



YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMn2ZC8m-DM

Thanks Jen!

Prescriptions for Preschoolers

My right eye is messed up AGAIN in a different way! I think it is due to an eyelash that wandered behind my eye that I went after. It feels bruised & the bottom lid is swollen... not pretty. I went to Walgreens for lunch to fill a prescription from my eye doctor. It is for the previous problem, but I figured that the medication would probably help. Just in case the initial problem was still there.

Anyway, once they filled the prescription I asked the woman what the drops actually did. "If you step over here I can bring someone over to explain it to you." This woman came over, picked up my prescription, & read the prescription information to me. I HATE THAT CRAP!!! I KNOW how to read, but I didn't know that information was going to be there... in the bag to read. It's not like it was hard to understand either.

Common Uses: "This medication is a corticosteroid used to treat swelling, itching, redness, and irritation of the eyes and eyelids...."

Congrats, your pharmaceutical school gave you the ability to read... now you get a white coat! Grow a brain & just point me in the right direction, please!

Puppy Snatcher

This is too cute.



youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBYI_OONSNc

Note: I don't think it's right for that dog to be tied up on such a short chain :(

So Happy to Entertain You

Despite all of the loving and planning that I've done in my life. All of the thinking and hoping. The reasonable and well thought decisions, the good intentions, unconditional love and support... right now I feel like my life is just a joke.

1/2 way there!

I just completed carpayment booklet 1 of 2!!

YEA!

Sleep deprivation (very long)

Basically, from the time that I started working here until now I have gotten more and more and more behind on sleep... and it has really started to catch up to me this last month. I don't have insomnia, my sleep deprivation is completely because of my stupidity.

With hopes of getting motivated to make a change, I decided to do some research to see the negative side effects from sleep deprivation. I came across a study done by the National Sleep Foundation. They surveyed Americans and put them into 5 categories. I fall into the category of "Dragging Duo's." The description is summarized as:
"Members of this segment tend to be out of bed early, work long hours and not get the amount of sleep they feel they need to function at their best. Most say their partner has some symptom of insomnia. Their sleep habits have some negative impact on their daily lives and relationships."

Week nights I don't lay down until after 11:30, sometimes as late as 12 or 1. My alarm goes off at 7. With every day of the week that goes by I get deeper & deeper into the hole with lack of sleep. By Friday I'm worthless. People encourage me to "go out & do things," but I literally don't have the energy. I'm done.

When the weekend finally gets here I crash into it. I try to sleep as much as possible, while not totally screwing up my "sleep schedule," but what schedule is there really? I guess I'm just used to doing that before my lamictal days.

I'm sure that Dave's schedule doesn't help. He doesn't go to sleep usually until b/w 2:00-4:00 am on weekdays. When he gets into bed, 90% of the time I wake up. I'm able to fall asleep again within a 1/2 hour, but it totally interrupts my sleep.

I don't blame him though, when we lived together before it wasn't as bad because we had a real bed, but when someone else gets on an air mattress you're up, literally. Then if he gets out of the bed, I drop down at least 2-3 inches. It's not a slow sinking, but literally a drop. It's also really loud. He does his best to be quiet, but there is nothing he or anyone can do to prevent that.

Anyway, I am fully aware that I have to do something. I have to take more responsibility and just f'in lay down earlier!!! It's harder than it sounds. One of the symptoms below is working more than 40 hrs/week. On a technicality since I get an hour in the middle of my day for lunch, thus "not working" I do "work" 8 hrs.

But somehow the people who work "9 to 5" are also considered to work for 8 hours, so how the F*&% are the people working 9-5 getting paid & viewed to work the same amount of hours as me when I have to be here from 8-5, or 8:30-5:30!?!?!?!?!? Do they not eat lunch, NO! It's bullshit! I work f'in 45 hour weeks! Not 40 hr weeks like I get paid for. This country is a piece of shit and is twisting the work day trying to squeeze the life out of the people working in it. And honestly, I would be a lot more productive if I had only 7 hours to complete my tasks as opposed to 8. To help correct this I have started to not take lunch. Work through it & leave 1/2 hr early. Thus being in this place for 8 1/2 hrs which I can handle a lot more easily. On a human factors level not taking a big break isn't 'healthy,' but my little blogging breaks take up that 1/2 hr of lunch through out the day... so I am being somewhat honest by not leaving after 8 hours.

Nate gave Dave advice a while ago, which I agree with. He says that a job won't suck as much if you're not exhausted. Is my lack of sleep the reason that I'm frustrated with my job? Probably not, but I'm sure that it's a significant factor in the equation.

Anyway, I have to get back to working. Numbers need to be crunched. You can read about the study here. At www.sleepfoundation.org. Below is the section on me, a Dragging Duo. (the italicized bullets don't apply to me, but are on the list).

Who are Dragging Duos?
-More than any other segment, Dragging Duos are likely to be partnered(80%, compared to 67% overall).
-Most Dragging Duos are employed(76%, compared to 65% overall) and many are putting in long hours on-the-job, working over 40 hours per week(55%, compared to 42% overall).
–Dragging Duos are more likely than the average working adult to be employed in technical(33%, compared to 27% overall) or professional managerial(21%, compared to 15% overall) occupations.

How are the Dragging Duos sleeping?
-Compared to the average sleeper, Dragging Duos are less likely than the other segments to report that they “had a good night’s sleep”every night or almost every (35%, compared to 49% overall).
-Many Dragging Duos feel that they are getting less sleep than they need to function at their best (41%, compared to 23% overall). They try to make up their sleep on the weekends by sleeping an average of 7.8 hours (compared to 6.8 hours during the week).
-Dragging Duos tend to rise early during the week, as most are out of bed by 7:00 am (72%, compared to 63% overall).
-The Dragging Duos appear to bring their work home with them, since many (30%) say that at least a few nights each week they are still engaged in activities relating to their jobs within an hour of going to bed(compared to 18% overall).
-Dragging Duos are the most likely of all the segments to be able to fall asleep in less than fifteen minutes(83%, compared to 53% overall).
–In fact, it only takes Dragging Duos an average of about 11 minutes to fall asleep on most nights (compared to 23 minutes overall).
-Most Dragging Duos report that their partner has at least one symptom of insomnia(92%, compared to 76% overall).
–Yet, more so than the average sleeper, they prefer to(73%, compared to 62% overall) and do usually sleep with their significant other(71%, compared to 61% overall).
-Only 19% of Dragging Duos feel they have a sleep problem, which is very similar to all adults (21%). And, they are no more likelythan the typical adult to be at risk for any sleep disorder(34%, compared to 34% overall).


How does the Dragging Duos' sleep habbits impact their daily lives?
-The sleep habits of the Dragging Duos do appear to have some negative impact on their daily lives and relationships.
-During their wake time, some Dragging Duos say that they feel tired, fatigued or not up to parat least three days each week (36%, compared to 29% overall).
-Many Dragging Duos say that because they are too sleepy they have missed events or activities and/or have made errors at work at least once in the past three months (37%, compared to 28% overall).
-Furthermore, either their or their partner’s sleep disorders have caused little problems with their relationship(33%, compared to 25% overall) and about one-fourth say that being too sleepy has affected their intimate relationships(25%, compared to 19% overall).
-More than any other segment, Dragging Duos report that their sleep problem affects their operating a motor vehicle, with 73% having driven while drowsy during the past year (compared to 60% overall) and 48% having nodded off or actually fallen asleep at the wheel (compared to 37% overall).

*I wish today was Friday*

There is a New Elmo!

Need to laugh? Go Here!!!

Weekend with hang-ups & yummy.com

I'm just now getting around to posting about last weekend, though it wasn't the most eventful one... there are a few things that were cool to note:

I'm finally getting a chance to "decorate" a bit. That sounds more glamorous than it really is. I got a few things for the bathroom. A ring to hang a hand-towel, hooks for our bath towels, NEW towels that are oversized & oh-so-soft, and a shelf-unit thing for the corner of the shower. (I was really excited about my new towels as you can see!)

I really really love working at places that have mechanical shops. I think I've borrowed the electrical drill from here at least 6 times. I've also gotten a lot of advice & help from the guys in the back. I love it!

~~~
We did it... on Sunday we ordered our groceries online from Yummy.com!! The prices were the same as Albertson's, but w/o the "preferred savings." The thing we couldn't believe is that they have 30 minute delivery! I was in shock! We placed our order on Sunday night at about 8:30 and they were in our kitchen by 9:00!!! WE can't even pick out our groceries in 30 minutes! It was VERY impressive!

Now I am a complete online junky! Groceries, movies (netflix), paying bills, etc... All we need now is a laundry service & we're good to go :)
~~~~

I'm sure that there is more, but my lunch break is over & I actually have things to work on. Data Analysis... Yea!

"Phone telepathy"

Hopefully this will be the last "news" entry for the day:

From CNN.com

Phone telepathy: You knew it was true
POSTED: 8:32 p.m. EDT, September 5, 2006

NORWICH, England (Reuters) -- Many people have experienced the phenomenon of receiving a telephone call from someone shortly after thinking about them -- now a scientist says he has proof of what he calls telephone telepathy.

Rupert Sheldrake, whose research is funded by the respected Trinity College, Cambridge, said on Tuesday he had conducted experiments that proved that such precognition existed for telephone calls and even e-mails.

Each person in the trials was asked to give researchers names and phone numbers of four relatives or friends. These were then called at random and told to ring the subject who had to identify the caller before answering the phone.

"The hit rate was 45 percent, well above the 25 percent you would have expected," he told the annual meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.
"The odds against this being a chance effect are 1,000 billion to one."

He said he found the same result with people being asked to name one of four people sending them an e-mail before it had landed.

However, his sample was small on both trials -- just 63 people for the controlled telephone experiment and 50 for the email -- and only four subjects were actually filmed in the phone study and five in the email, prompting some skepticism.

Undeterred, Sheldrake -- who believes in the interconnectedness of all minds within a social grouping -- said that he was extending his experiments to see if the phenomenon also worked for mobile phone text messages.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This seems really farfetched and that the study probably wasn't too extensive, but I also can't say that it's never happened to me. Ironically it happened 2x yesterday. Once w/an e-mail & another w/a phone call! Eh, who knows... but they'll have to do better than 45% to get me!

Big Comeback

Yesterday the LA Dodgers were down going into the 9th inning, then they hit 4 consecutive homeruns to tie the game! Then finishing up in the 10th to win the game 11-10 against San Diego. That's pretty impressive I have to admit.* Unfortunatly, I've been unsuccessful at finding a video that I can post here of the event. I guess diehard Dodger fans haven't jumped onto youtube yet.

*No worries... I'm still a Cubs fan!!! & YEA for them winning over the Phillies (11-6)!!

Ticket Tailgaters

I was given an article by our library yestderday from the Corvallis Gazette Times (9-11-06).

Oregon Launches tool to carck down on tailgating
State is first in US to use system

I guess Oregon, Arizona, New Mexico and Tennessee are taking steps to "crack Down on Tailgating!" To do this they're bringing technology into it. There is an upgraded lazer that pinpoints the distance between cars. It's been used in Hong Kong, Australia and parts of Europe for years now and Oregon starting trying the tool last year.

I personally HATE tailgaters. It's such an ignorant thing to do. People seem to think that being 3 feet away from someone's bumper is going to get them somewhere sooner! When in reality it's just asking for a rear-end collision. Reading the article I was hoping that California would be on that list, but not yet :-( To upgrade to these lazers it would be $600-700 each. That would be a major cost for Cali. My proposed solution to pay for that? Just ticket all LA born drivers! V6 + engine? Double the fine! :) It's like the drivers here went through extensive training on how to be bad drivers!

Jiffy Lube Scams

The video below was sent to me by a friend. NBC4 did an investigation on 9 different Jiffy Lube locations. Repeatedly the undercover investigators were charged for services that the employees NEVER performed!

The video below is of the investigated report. The report was aired in 3 parts. It's 10 minutes long, so if you don't have time for the entire video I recommend watching at least the first part (~4-5 min).
Part 1 shows what they did to find out how Jiffy Lube was scamming their customers.
Part 2 shows Jiffy Lube's initial reactions.
Part 3 is of what Jiffy Lube is doing/has done to correct the problem.

Mechanics have the general reputation for ripping people off. Charging too much, telling you that you have problems with your car that aren't there, etc. It just happened to Dave last week. Somehow his battery got drained, probably due to leaving the lights 1/2 on. Anyway, after getting a jump & stopping by a mechanic shop they looked at his car for all of 2 seconds & told him that he needed a new alternator. How much? $250! He declined. Instead he drove the car home, let it sit idle for a long time to charge the battery. I brought home a voltmeter, tested the alternator and it was FINE!!! I always expect the mechanics to attempt to screw you, but I thought that they actually performed the service!

WTF is wrong w/this world! I don't know how they do that... I think the guilt would end up consuming me!

78 GoldFish Crackers Tall!

This morning I took the time to make tuna for my lunch. I usually bring the slices of bread seperate because I don't like cold bread... I forgot the bread!!

Triscuit crackers usually make for an OK subsitute, but since we're almost out of mayo my tuna is really dry & the combo just isn't the same :-(

I'm left w/a yogurt, GoldFish crackers & a Diet Cherry Coke because of course I forgot my apple too! Oh Well! :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BTW... GoldFish Crackers are awesome & they've got a fun website w/games & videos. From it I found out that I am 78 GoldFish crackers tall! Check it out!

Ghetto Spelling Bee

If you are not familiar with Ebonics (AAVE-African American Vernacular English), this will probably fly over your head!

From funnies.com

- HOTEL - My Momma said that she ain' gon tell her friend Shaqueta nothing else, cause that HO TEL everthang she know.

- Honor Roll - We was playing bidwiz on the stoop the other day and man, I was HONORROLL.

- Planet - Leroy got arrested cause he got him some seed to grow weed, and he PLANET in the backyard.

- Dismay- I went for a blood test, the doctor pulled out a needle and said DISMAY hurt a little.

- Omelette - I should punch you for what you jes said but OMELETTE it go dis time.

- Stairway - Getting high is stupid. It makes you STAIRWAY into space.

- Mobile- I went to buy some food, I was short on cash, and my man said gimme one MOBILE.

- Defense - I saw this dude running from the cops, but he hopped DEFENSE and got away.

- Afro- I got so mad at my girl, AFRO a lamp at her.

- Aftermath- I don't feel like being at school today so AFTERMATH, I'm out.

- Locket - I slam the door so hard, I LOCKET.

- Domineering - My girl's birthday was yesterday, so I got her a DOMINEERING.

- Kenya- I needed money for the subway, so I axe a stranger KENYA spare some change.

- Derange- DERANGE is where da deer and da antelope play.

- Data - At my basketball game, I scored thirty points My coach say DATA boy.

- Beware - I asked the man at the unemployment office, "Is dis BEWARE I can get a job?"

- Dimension - I be tall, dark, handsome and not DIMENSION smart.

- Coatroom - The judge said, "One more outburst, you'll be thrown out de COATROOM."

- Decide - My boy fronting' like he love his girl but eribody know he got a couple of chicks on DECIDE.

- Facinate - Her dress got 10 buttons, but she so big she can't FASCINATE.

Alternators and Planners

~Yesterday, I learned how to test an alternator with a voltmeter, yea! It's very easy, but it is a new and useful thing to be able to do!

~I also had a great experience on my way home...

Basically for the last 6 years I have had a planner. I've said repeatedly, "if it's not in my planner, most likely, it's not going to get done." Which was the truth. My memory and attention span just aren't compatible with remembering what needs to be done and when. The last planner I purchased was about a year ago... well the planner that my company purchased for me. It is 9"x7". Significantly bigger than any previous planner I have had.

Anyways, this planner has been failing me completely. I don't use it. It is too big to fit in my purse and a nuisance to carry around. Finally fed up because I forgot to send Nate & Jennifer's cards on time, I decided to go planner hunting... luckily the school year just started, so I thought that I had a good chance to find an academic planner that starts & ends in July or August. I first went to Barns and Noble, but their selection sucked. I was extremely disappointed!

My next attempt was Office Depot. After looking through their planner section I was disappointed again, NO academic ones! I asked a clerk & they pointed me to the back of the store, "our academic planners are on an island back there." As I walked I was very happy to see a small section with a variety of planners. I found one that would work for me even though it was a bit childish.

Then I looked around to the side of this island (just in case). I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a HUGE section of planners! My excitement could be compared to when I wakjed into my surprise b-day party! I even said "woah," "yes," & "oh my god!" (quietly) I was SO excited that I took a picture! (There are just as many on the other side)

I'm a total loser. It took me at least 15 minutes for me to finally pick one. I tested each candidate by quickly opening them, putting in my purse, taking it out & opening it again. Finding a random date... seriously, it's a big deal... lol. In the end I found one that's perfect for me! I'm pretty sure that store security was monitoring me cause not a lot of people stick merchandise in their purse while shopping!

I know I probably won't ever be 'understood' with this craze of mine... but at least I have loved ones who humor me with repeated comment, "well, I'm happy for you!" They're great!

Now today I have the added excitement of filling it up w/dates, phone numbers and events! Yea!

Wish List

2 things we hate about our apartment:
1. No laundry facility on the premises
2. No dishwasher

I think our apartment is too small for a little washer/dryer stacked thing... but I found 2 dishwashers that could fit into the little utility closet in our kitchen.

1. From Best Buy for $369.60
Danby Designer 18" Portable Dishwasher

2. From Wal-Mart for $233.43
Haier Portable Dishwasher, 6 Place Settings

After listening to The Wal-Mart Effect I would prefer to avoid shopping there, but the difference in price is HUGE! Pro's & Con's:

Pro Wa-Mart, Con Best Buy
1. Cost: we don't exactly have an extra $126 lying around that we want to spend on a dishwasher.

2. Warranty:
- Best Buy has a 1 year labor warranty, 2 year limited warranty. For an extra $130 we could get a 5 year warranty. So that would be up to ~$260 extra... totaling $500!
- Wal-Mart has a LIFETIME warranty, no extra charge! That's huge!

Pro Best Buy, Con Wal-Mart
1. Quality: I'd imagine that Wal-Mart's dishwasher wouldn't perform as well as Best Buy's... but it seems like the warranty should make up for that, right? But at the same time, who wants to have a shitty dishwasher that someone else is willing to fix.

It really is annoying how Wal-Mart is able to sell at such a lower price w/a good warranty and I hate how there is no way to really tell what the quality difference is! I definitely would rather spend an extra $120 for something that lasts, than throw away $243 on a crappy dishwasher... it just seems like there's no way to tell :-(

Anyways. This is just the brainstorming/shopping phase. We'll see. Happy Monday!

*yeah right :-/

By Mid-Saturday...

I made a frozen DiGiorno pizza for breakfast this morning. I've never done that before. Cold left-over pizza, yeah... but never brand new. It was interesting, but won't become a tradition.

I still feel like I have 'something.' Due to this 'something,' I ended up leaving work early yesterday and told my boss that I will finish up my last hour at home. I fully intend to now that I actually have things to do. But despite Friday's early escape I still managed to find terrible traffic and I'm still not feeling well. I asked the question to the air, "When am I going to finally feel better." The air answered sounding remarkably like Dave and said, "When you start taking care of yourself." I answered, "I am. I got lots of sleep last night and I'm going to take some EmergenC right now!" I got up, took some EmergenC. He responds, "Then you should start feeling better any day now." (I don't want to have to wait that long!)

That's all for now. Happy Saturday All. Also, Happy 25th Birthday Nate (yesterday). And Happy 15th Birthday Jen (tomorrow)!

The Media & Me

Friends with Money has been added to my list of movie favorites. I'll admit that after I read the description once the movie arrived from Netflix I was very unsure. It reads, "Set in Los Angeles, Nicole Holofcener's bittersweet tale examines the evolving lives of four women friends..." YIKES! I was so unsure that I declined Dave's offer to watch it with me. I couldn't bring myself to do that to him. It sounded like torture... but Turns out, it's actually an awesome film!! The 4 leading ladies did a fantastic job; Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Aniston, Joan Cusack. I loved ALL the performances, from every actor! I highly recommend it. It really is a quality film!!

I watched Capote today (Staring... Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Catherine Keener, & Chris Cooper who didn't play a dick for once!) semi-interesting, but uneventful. I'm slightly cloudy now due to 'something,' so I'm probably not the best judge of quality right now... it did manage to keep me entertained, so that was good.

Finally, I got a new David Sedaris audiobook today, "Dress Your Family in Corduroy & Denim." I wanted something to entertain me. He's doing a pretty good job. From reading reviews I guess that Sedaris isn't the author for everyone... but I really enjoy his essays. The key might be to hearing him read it. If someone else spoke the words I don't think it would have the same impact.

Symptoms w/o a Cause

I feel like crap and I have for so long that I can't remember how 'normal' feels. I thought today that maybe I've been sick for more than 3 weeks! I just don't know it because I've almost gotten used to feeling sick!?!? Is that possible?

Basically, most nights I go to bed and feel just OK. I wake up in the middle of the night and feel terrible. Stuffy nose, uncomfortably puffy eyes, etc. I usually just attribute it to being exhausted. Then in the morning I feel even worse. Not just tired, but like I've got that 'something.' It includes stuffy nose, MORE sneezing & pressure behind my eyes, I'm achy... All through the day I feel groggy. My nose has been stuffed up the majority of the time for the past 3 weeks. I've been sneezing a lot... and I just don't get it!!

My family doesn't have allergies and as far as I know, I haven't ever shown symptoms of having allergies before. I'm wondering if maybe it's due to lack of sleep. That seems really likely. When I'm low on sleep I feel it and tend to get sick more easily. I just feel that now I'm so backed up on sleep that I don't know how I'll ever recover. LOL, how tragic I'm making this sound.

All I do know for sure is that I'm going to be so f'in pissed if this damn city gave me allergies!!!

*TGIF*

Math Jokes

I found these silly math solutions tody online. The first one hangs in my office and was donated by a friend after he left the company. I find these SO SO hilarious!!! I'm not sure if you have to be a math person to laugh... but hopefully some of you do :)

(if this one is hard to see... I think you can click on it to enlarge it a little bit)

~ i know... i'm a dork~

A Day in the Life of a Criminal

Today I was wondering... how often are criminals thinking about commiting a crime and how often are they just living?

We all need to do the basic things eat & sleep. We also shower, do laundry, go grocery shopping, have hobbies, jobs, etc... For a criminal is commiting crimes just a job? The way my engineering is my job?

I never really thought about it before, but criminals sleep. they go grocery shopping. they do laundry. they get stressed out... they're people. In Quentin Tarantino films, he write scripts with the dialog between criminals that is beyond what you would expect first off. My mind was just taking that a step further today. I pictured a bank robber making a PB & J. :)

Anyway, it was an interesting thought/moment that I wanted to share.

My Anger

You Are 57% Angry

Generally, you are not an angry person. But you're easily frustrated and enraged. You have one heck of a temper. And because of your anger, you tend to feel resentful and even spiteful. You already know how to quell your anger. You just need to do it more often.

How Angry Are You?

When I took this quiz I already knew I would score pretty high. Most of my life I've been full of anger. It may be hard to believe, but I used to be SO much more angry & easily irritated. If I took this back in high school or the beginning of college I wouldn't be surprised if I was at least 80%! I wasn't a depressed wearing black all the time teen, there was just a fire inside of me all the time. Every little mistake someone made around me annoyed the hell out of me. I've been working on my anger for years. I think that between my great level of effort and maturity due to age, my anger is at a good place... although it is still very high.

While taking the quiz I thought about what is it that makes me angry? My primary sources of irritation are work, people, money, and traffic. This lead me to wonder what my anger level would be in the middle of a really long vacation. Not a 10 day vacation home where I spend everyday running from family to friends trying to see everyone or a 7-day vacation somewhere new where there's too much to see w/too little time, but a 1-2 month long vacation where I had a reasonable amount of money and NO obligations. I know that I wouldn't be free of getting irritated w/really slow & incompetent people in public places, but I really believe that I would become extremely laid back, at least during that time. Dave seems to think that I will get angry wherever I am no matter how good/bad the circumstances, I tend to disagree, but there really isn't any way to know the answer right now.

Anyways, that was my quick thought in long drawn out detail...

Wouldn't that be nice though?... a long vacation. no obligations. no time constraints. no money worries. just do what makes you happy!

OK. ENOUGH DAYDREAMING... BACK TO REALITY... TIME TO WORK!

What Should You Study?

Your Learning Style: Innovative and Independent

You are determined and driven. Confident in your abilities, no field is too difficult for you. You Should Study: Astronomy Biology Chemistry Design Engineering Philosophy Physics Political Science

What Should You Study?

I like this quiz!
Especially because it says I did something right! WooHoo!

Pics, Open/Closed

A follow-up on yesterday's post, Blinds Open or Closed?

Open


Closed

*what's funny is that it looks brighter in there w/the windows closed...lol

Stalker Singers

Right now there's a song on the radio called "Doing Too Much," by Paula Deanda. The lyrics for the chorus are as follows:

I'm leaving messages and voicemails
Telling you I miss you
Baby am I doing too much (too much)

Why you tryna diss me
When I just wanna kiss you
Baby am I doing too much (too much)

Tell me what's the issue
Who I give these lips to
Baby am I doing too much (too much)

This is turning into
Something I ain't hip to
Baby am I doing too much (too much)

The answer is... YES YOU DUMB ASS! You're f'in stalking him & now you're telling the world how crazy & dense you are! She asks the question at least 16 times in the song... by the end of it I want to reach through the stereo & knock her out!

I will admit that Kelly Clarkson is also a bit of a stalker in her song, "Since You've Been Gone" ... but Kelly is cool & has an awesome voice, so we'll forgive her!

Bushtit

There was a little bird singing and flying around DRI last night. She ended up perching on a light & got her head covered in dust. She couldn't see & ended up flying into a door. Kevin (aka The Lizard Guy) took her & got her cleaned up & later identified it as a Bushtit.

OK, now whoever named this little bird was stretching his power... the preverted mind takes the name & breaks it into the 2 obvious words, but it's not a preverted thing... that's actually how you pronounce the word. From M-W.com: bush·tit. To hear the pronunciation yourself go here.

Anyway, the bird is the cutest little thing. Here is a picture of a female Bushtit.

Blinds Open or Closed?

I love that my office has a window. It's big & covers the entire wall, ceiling to floor. Since I'm in California the sun is always out. I have made it a point to keep the blinds open, so that I don't get bogged down. Then I discovered something happening. I was getting depressed that I couldn't be out enjoying the day. So, for the past 2 days at work, Today & last Friday I kept the blinds closed. It's darker in here & it almost feels like night since the blinds are black & block out the light really well. There's a haze that has settled over my desk. I'm extra sleepy & moving slower than usual.

So, which is better. Slow & tired from lack of sunlight? Or depressed because I can't go enjoy the day? Be unaware of what's out there? Or know what you're missing... it's a tough decision, but I think tomorrow should be a sunshiney-day because today sucked like no other!

*i'll post pics of my 2 options once i'm home... or maybe tomorrow.

Highlights & Bed Head

Friday evening I spent way too much money to get my hair trimmed & dyed at Paper Scissors Rock. The place is AWESOME! The style is the same, just a bit shorter, but still long. The color: 1/3 really blonde, 1/3 dark brown, 1/3 light brown. I like it & Dave likes it a lot... so I'm pretty happy! I haven't taken a picture yet, I really should. hhmm... maybe tonight :)

I got a product from the hair salon that helps control frizz & helps w/straightening hair. I can't find the name or a picture of it, but the bottle is really riskay... an appealing shape for the erotic woman inside!

I also bought a new heavy duty conditioner that I really like. TIGI Bed Head Dumb Blonde Reconstructor. It works well & smells really good!

My Eye

Good news, my eye shouldn't be falling out anytime soon... Yea! I've been diagnosed with Conjunctivitis (aka Pink Eye) AND my eyes are irritated from my contacts. The irritation is attributed to my eyes being dry due to using the computer for so many hours each day & not blinking enough. This caused the contacts to rub on my eye lids, which now means that I have to lay off of my contacts for a few weeks.

That sucks because 1. I hate my glasses. 2. Since it is bright outside, I have to wear sun glasses while driving, but I also need my other glasses to see... How do I solve this problem? I will confess that I wear both. Yeah, I'm a TOTAL dork!

Anyway, He gave me 2 kinds of eye drops, 4x a day each. So I've had to spread out 8 drops/day. It's been interesting, but I'm feeling a lot better!!

Random Photos

The sign in Cafe 50's reads, "This clock will never be stolen... Our employees are always watching it!"

I thought it was pretty funny... a lot of us can relate!


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One morning shortly after I woke up I looked out and saw our laundry mat. I saw that we really do have a beautiful view... even if it is of the laundry mat...


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This really old antique car was getting gas as we were bringing in the groceries this morning... I thought it was pretty cool. I think my step-dad would really get a kick out of it and all of the other unique & old cars in LA.


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I took this picture last week as I was leaving work...
Which car doesn't belong???
This is just at work. It's worse on the road & even where I park. Everyone in my building has a white car! I know, it really stands out*

*A Short Rant: I just want to say that it gets really annoying having LA-ers 'educate' you that, "you're going to get a ticket cause you have a red car." Yeah yeah, "statistics" say that people w/red cars get picked up more than any other color. I've heard it before, anyone who hasn't has been living under a rock. With that out of my system, I just want to say that I would LOVE to analyze the data myself. Because it seems ridiculous & unreasonable that cops would be so petty & blind to see that a red Hyundai Accent is more recless & irresponsible & more likely to break the law than a guy in a black Mustang, Corvette, Lexux, BMW, etc.... What kinds of cars are these "red" ones?? Sportscars? With irresponsible idiots behind the wheel who feel that it's necessary to drag-race at every red-green light & stop sign?
Really, if cops are stupid enough to keep up this tale, then they're just as lame as the people who started it.

Song Tapper

I discovered the site SongTapper.com today.

'Tap' out the song using the spacebar. Then the site finds that song for you.
It's pretty cool & worked really well for me!! Check it out!

I Want Some REAL Pizza!!

Dinner-time was approaching & I really wanted some good pizza. Dave suggested the Albertson's Cheese Pizza we have in our freezer, but I was hoping for something w/a bit more quality. I got on Yahoo-Yellow Pages & found Numero Uno Pizza. Their slogan is "One Bite and We Gotcha!" And their site said that they have "Original Chicago Thick Crust Pizza" with that, I was sold!

BIG MISTAKE! I'm not exaggerating when I say that Pizza Hut comes closer to Chicago Style Pizza than these guys. It was nasty! They couldn't even get the garlic bread right. It tasted like cardboard that they forgot to add garlic to! What idiot can't make garlic bread!?!?

I really think they forgot to post the rest of the slogan... "One Bite and We Gotcha... RUNNING FOR THE Door!!"

... I just needed to take a moment to vent about that because I'm so disappointed & filled w/crappy greasy pizza! YUCK!

LIVE YOUR LIFE!

Some thoughts for you:

yesterday was pretty good. although i'm still in a semi-lathargic state. i feel like my inspiration and excitement are at an all time low... the ironic thing is that i'm being inspired to fing something to get excited about!

My new favorite shirt!

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I've been extremely irresponsible lately. In the selfish act of trying to stretch out my days to be as long as possible I have been sacrificing my sleep. Which is a terrible thing to do. It's just really hard because I've nearly reached my daily tolerance limit for bull-shit.

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They are painting the closet that is next to my office. I think I'm getting high from fumes... that should increase my productivity!

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I called a doctor's office today:

Receptionist, "Hi, can I help you?
Me, "Yeah, I'm interest-"
Receptionist, "Please hold"

WTF?!?

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OK, off to the eye doctor. Hopefully they'll let me keep it! (my eye that is)