faith.reason.baseball

Hear, hear. Also, read.

2012-01-31T21:59:00.005-06:00

Here it is - "No More E-Books vs. Print Books Arguments, OK?"

So Jonathan Franzen hates e-books. JONATHAN FRANZEN. Seriously? Dear Jonathan Franzen, I read Freedom. I read it more than once. I don't like hearing so much about bodily functions but you got women's sports right and wrote about my generation in a way that works. I liked it. But it is a MILLION PAGES LONG. I need an extra-large purse to carry it on the bus, it falls on my head when I try to read it in bed, and also, the bird's eye on the cover is a hologram. I think I'd enjoy reading it on an e-reader just fine.

I have a lot of books. People make fun of me for owning them. I don't have an e-reader, but I have been known to read on the Kindle for iPhone (which is also, apparently, hilarious). But e-books! Some of them are free! They're searchable! They have dictionaries and things in them! You can hold all of them at once! And if you hate them, read a real book, because you DO get to choose. It's the modern experience.

Here's the thing. Something about the e-book hatred has been bugging me, and I finally figured out what it is. It reminds me, I think, of when people refused to get cell phones in 2004. If you think they're annoying or keep you too connected, don't get one. Or turn it off and leave it in the car. Or use it in moderation. But some people around you are going to have them and like them, and they're apparently here to stay, and I don't think we can deny that they're a convenience for many people for a reason. (And, friends, I love you and admire your principles, technological or not, both now and in 2004.)

So - let's choose our own reading adventures and enjoy that people are reading, okay?

horses and drama.

2012-01-13T22:06:00.002-06:00

This Illustrated Review of War Horse is, yes, hilarious and charming in the way of Hyperbole and a Half - it was Linda Holmes's "what's making me happy this week" on this week's Pop Culture Happy Hour (which, guys, are you listening?) and it's great, besides the fact that I'm behind the times on this. And also, I consume wayyyy more pop culture commentary than I do actual pop culture. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

Anyway, the best thing about that piece is that it reminds me of Greg's Barbaro Responds to Fans, but I might be biased, since Greg is a real life friend.

I've been watching Dawson's Creek for the first time. I've been watching it all in a row, which has led me to a discovery about predictable network dramas. I keep saying things like, "When is Joey going to date her professor?" and "YESSS closeted gay storyline is here!" (although, to be fair, i thought it was going to have a happy ending) and "Wait, Audrey and Pacey haven't hooked up yet?" I'm not a super prediction machine usually, but watching [a certain number of] seasons in [a certain amount of time]? Kind of revealing about the story arc.

Hulu always asks me if I want to share my watch history with friends. And I'm always like, ABSOLUTELY NOT.

The work of choosing.

2012-01-04T23:15:00.003-06:00

This is the best thing I've read this year. Maybe longer, since it's the first week of January and all.

But if you've really learned how to think, how to pay attention, then you will know you have other options. It will be within your power to experience a crowded, loud, slow, consumer-hell-type situation as not only meaningful but sacred, on fire with the same force that lit the stars - compassion, love, the sub-surface unity of all things.

David Foster Wallace via the Hairpin, on a post that mentioned "the work of choosing," which I originally thought was going to be what my mom calls "picking your battles," but is something a little different. The Hairpin post (and the linked previous one about setting boundaries) are pretty much nice life goals, too.

Remember when Thomas Merton asked, how do you tell people they are walking around shining like the sun? Well, here's the question. How do you choose to notice that people are walking around shining like the sun? This is the work of knowing who we are. Ah, adult life.

"I want you to help me catch a killer of women."

2011-12-30T23:20:00.003-06:00

[crazyintense lisbeth salander eyestare]

remember? from the trailer?

so yeah, saw girl with the dragon tattoo. it's good. and keep in mind that i also saw the swedish version of the movie and read the book, um, more than once. so there you have it.

[SPOILERS]

points:
1. daniel craig is extra craggy, as usual. very nice choice.
2. remember when people were saying that rooney mara wasn't going to be able to look like lisbeth, and casting her was shallow and hollywoody and stuff? they were wrong about that. she's perfect.
3. stellan skarsgard is creeeeeeeeeepy. but genial. kind of like in good will hunting, right? my movie companion and i agreed that he gets point for actually being swedish, and i'm not sure how his character would have come across if i hadn't already known he was the worst of creepers. but really, nice casting.

worth a watch if you liked the book. although! remember what the book is about? it's super disturbing and you need to know that before you see it. i've been through this several times with several people. you know what this movie is going to be about. don't see if it you don't want to.

that said, points for faithfulness to the story. the beginning (libel trial, millennium in trouble, relationship with erika) is fast - maybe too fast, if you didn't know the story. they left out his jail time (because why was that necessary, really) and his relationship with cecilia, and they added a random comment on swedish history and nazis, i guess? but otherwise, very nice job with the plot.

Faith, baseball. Predictable (or not).

2011-07-08T14:24:00.002-05:00

Faith and baseball in one article!

"I think people don't want to believe that events are completely random," said Kay. "Our studies don't suggest in any way that God doesn't exist, but they do point to why the concept was originally attractive to us."

Yeah, I like this. It's an older piece that I read because I know the writer and like baseball. The premise of the article is that it's human nature to believe more in a god or a superstition when events seem more random and out of our own control. But I think that religion can use an openness to science, especially brain science. It's not anti-religion to think that we have scientific reasons for belief, guys. It's actually kind of awesome to think that we have a built-in faith response to difficult situations (and difficult sports).

I couldn't decide...

2011-06-26T23:24:00.001-05:00

... which one of these new and improved book titles I liked better.

(The Scarlet Letter)

(Billy Budd, Sailor)

Spent a good long time looking at Better Book Titles, though.

Validation.

2011-05-10T17:56:00.001-05:00

How have I never seen this video before? It's a short film, really, but worth a watch. Not just because I love T.J. Thyne, either.

Romance! I mean, social commentary.

2011-05-10T14:52:00.001-05:00

just kidding. this is the jane austen comic i've been looking for.

Nice.

2011-05-07T13:38:00.001-05:00

Like seventeen people on the bus just pointed out empty seats for me.
I'm either going to ride this bus or wear this dress more often.

"Yesterday, my life's like, uh-oh, pop quiz..."

2011-04-16T12:35:00.001-05:00

"... today, it's like, rain of toads."

Or, today it's like, SPRING BREAK. I'm experimenting with having
absolutely nothing planned for a day. It's weird.

So, I decided to begin my Buffy obsession today. Stay tuned.

"I want to be governor, but I CAN'T."

2011-04-07T19:42:00.002-05:00

Okay, I love this kid.

And this follow-up, via Jezebel - as they say, it's basically what you'd expect when you have a press conference with two four-year-olds.

El numero uno.

2011-03-13T11:02:00.003-05:00

Okay, this is very cool. (Click the picture to see the artist's site, and the responses.)

Via PostSecret (which is almost always moderately NSFW - you never know when there's going to be a naked secret).

I was hanging out with one of my favorite babies (who is now a walking-talking type of baby) last week and talking about why we don't want to eat mantequilla off the table, and I mentioned to her parents that I learned how to say "butter" in Spanish from this Sesame Street skit...

"Excuse me, it's time for me to do my singing and dancing waiter part."

I was shocked, shocked I say, to hear Sesame Street is getting rid of Grover. Can you believe it, guys? And I knew I was with a psychology nerd slash dad when he snarked, "Yeah, they're getting rid of all the characters with a negative affect." Negative affect, indeed. I loved this skit when I was a kid because, even as a kid, you're in on the trick - if he just puts the food on the table first, he won't drop it. Said friend likes this skit because it's okay when Grover messes up.

Procrastinating ninjas will get you.

2010-11-04T21:12:00.002-05:00

It's going to be all ironic (or whatever) when you read this long, informative article about procrastinating. You're welcome.

Hat tip to the friend who posted this on FB, via GLSEN:

If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off.

Nicely said. Especially the part about the ninja. We're still making fun of my brother for telling his preschool teacher, "When I grow up, I want to be a Power Ranger." His preschool teacher recorded it on the back of an ornament he made, and we unpack it every Christmas. He is not currently a Power Ranger.

Playoffs?!

2010-10-10T21:33:00.004-05:00

Freakonomics blog is asking for recent sports quotations. Don't worry, my favorite one was the fifth comment.

Jim Mora, then-coach of the Indianapolis Colts, when asked about his team making the playoffs: “What’s that? Ah — playoffs? Don’t talk about — playoffs?! You kidding me?! I just hope we can win a game!”

It's just applicable in so many situations. Including right now, when I AM talking about playoffs.

GameCast on ESPN has this new (?) thing with statistics. It's like, "Chances of scoring 1+ runs this inning (2 outs, bases empty): 8.56%." It goes perfectly with tonight's new Simpsons (MoneyBART is the name of it), in which the nerds tell Lisa that baseball is all about statistics. And then then have a predicted winner. And it looks like there's a 91% chance I'm about to be one game closer to losing a bet on my Reds...

anything is possible when you smell like a monster.

2010-10-10T21:23:00.002-05:00

okay, guaranteed you will think this is awesome [FRB says, to the entire internet].

i'm on a horse. [moo!] cow.

SVU recap.

2010-10-09T21:42:00.001-05:00

B: Oh, I think this is the one where Olivia lets a case get to her personally.
N: Next, can we watch the one where Stabler gets mad and crosses the line?

Later, we're going to watch the one where Munch says something
controversial and they all talk about it for five minutes until Cragen
comes in.

Oops?

2010-10-02T15:14:00.003-05:00

Turns out there are a lot of unpublished drafts hanging out in my list of posts. Enjoy, below and on the next page. And the mermaid-normative post is up!

"A little faith in many things."

2010-09-19T16:27:00.004-05:00

Sharron Angle, following up on her statement that she doesn't believe in rape or incest exceptions in abortion law, said, "I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives and that he can intercede in all kinds of situations. So, we need to have a little faith in many things."

Here's Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Princeton professor, responding on Rachel Maddow.

I'm from a people who really did experience the need to hold on to a God who would see them through difficult times, including generations of black women who in slavery were forced to bear the children of their rapists. And I do believe, because I'm a person of faith, in an interceding God that can help people through difficult circumstances. But I'm also an American who believes that the point of government isn't to make life so hard for half of our citizens that the only force there to help them is God. We, as a government and as a people, deserve and should do better.

Here's the full transcript. Totally worth reading. I NEVER get to hear people acknowledge faith in God in their arguments about liberal politics (outside of God's Politics and those guys, obvs), and of course I'm happy to hear that everything, in good theology, does NOT happen for a reason.

I guess that I'm saying that, whatever your politics, bad things happen. Bad things are bad. And I think that there are different ways to address the bad things that happen to people, but can we all start from the fact that sometimes bad things happen to good people?

this has been a moment of grammar.

2010-09-17T18:44:00.005-05:00

This is why it's important to watch your modifiers.

A rocket scientist with strong ties to the government security is found dead with his crotch on fire, and the SVU detectives must determine if that had something to do with his demise. (SVU Season 2 premiere, "Wrong Is Right")

Also in this episode, they arrest a "popular" and "good" kid (he's in a program to mentor kids with special needs, see) at school and they have to bring him through a crowd of kids and teachers, and the teacher goes, "This CAN'T be right. Not Michael."

Yeah, that's what school is like. I mean, I always think my kids are innocent and wonderful. But probably not enough to argue about it with the police, you know?

back!

2010-09-16T14:40:00.001-05:00

There's been some person turmoil in my life, as many of you know. So I'm posting this on October 2, but it LOOKS like I posted it a long time ago - nice, right? I have a few back posts that I'm adding after this one.

At a city building.

2010-09-15T20:22:00.001-05:00

I saw it and had to walk by it again...

We like him a lotto.

2010-09-12T17:30:00.002-05:00

"I'm telling you, if everyone were as dedicated as Joey, we'd have a much better game. He's intense but mellow. He's serious but has a great personality. He's Canadian, you know." - Reds' manager Dusty Baker

Um, what? If only we were ALL Canadian. Right.

Kind of loving this Sports Illustrated profile of Joey Votto. Well, except for the part where they say he "gypsied around." Really playing it fast and loose with cultural stereotypes, aren't we, SI?

Your football blogger.

2010-09-11T17:37:00.001-05:00

Guy behind us, talking about Dayne: He looks like Brady. Or... James
Van Der Beek.
K: [Texas, Varsity Blues accent] I don't want... your life!

Also, for those of you interested in such things: Remember, having an
itch to get home could cause you a rash of trouble.

This just in - they inducted the safety officer into the Monogram
Club! And it was a surprise! Awww.

Notre Dame Plays Football Game, Does Normal Things Fairly Well

2010-09-06T20:05:00.002-05:00

Players followed coaches' instructions, lining up in an orderly fashion and working together to achieve a common goal. After playing for 60 minutes, the Irish had acquired more points than their opponent.

Yes, I love football snark. Football season!

[This article passes, because they're making fun of it - but can I say for the record that I'm so not a fan of this whole "Charlie Weis was a bad coach because he's fat" thing?]

See this dent?

2010-09-03T16:49:00.001-05:00

This is what happened to my water bottle today when it got hit by a
softball. The two smaller dents were already there, but the ball just
nailed it for that bigger dent in the middle.

I was pretty impressed. The kid who accidentally hit my water bottle
with a softball was pretty terrified.

New contender for hipster of the year.

2010-08-21T20:04:00.000-05:00

Riding his bike while playing the harmonica. Yeah.

Science! Attractiveness! Graphs and charts!

2010-08-16T22:15:00.004-05:00

It's been reported everywhere already (or do i just read iPhone-sex-friendly media?), but I've had a request to blog about how iPhone users have more sex. Actually, this whole post from OkCupid is really interesting.

It's actually not that hard. Use a decent camera. Go easy on the flash. Own the foreground. Take your picture in the afternoon. Then visit the nearest Apple store. Done.

I'm super into statistics with sociological explanations. Oh, you already knew that from my links to Freakonomics and Sociological Images? Right.

Eating like my ancestors.

2010-08-16T20:24:00.003-05:00

It's bread from the Bible! So of course I had to buy it.

Ezekiel 4:9 says, "take wheat and barley, and beans and lentils, and millet and spelt; put them in a single vessel and make bread out of them." And then, it turns out that it's a complete protein! (I didn't know about this until I started eating lunch with my health teacher friend, but they are healthy.)

This is so interesting. The Trader Joe's checkout lady said it's eating like my ancestors. (I mean, religious ancestors? Sure.) But I'm always interested in how they knew it was going to be healthy, before all this science. I believe there are combinations in many cultures (rice and beans come to mind) that are also complete proteins. Hang on while I fact-check. (Later edit: Yes. Every successful culture in history has had a complete protein as a part of their diet. I mean, I have no citation for this, but take it for what it's worth.)

"There's no crying in baseball."

2010-08-16T14:24:00.002-05:00

Loving jezebel's "a league of their own: an appreciation" today.

mermaid-normative.

2010-08-11T14:48:00.003-05:00

Interesting points on the Little Mermaid post on Jezebel. It's a little video, via Buzzfeed, of Ariel's advice to girls - such as, "You should always find a stranger to obsess over, and then genetically modify yourself for that stranger." As always, I like to link to Jez because of the comments, which get into a lot of what the message of Disney princess films is, and whether it's good or bad for kids who like them.

If you watch little children re-enact these stories or ask them to summarize the plot of the movie, or watch them when they're pretending to be a princess, or even look at the successful merchandise associated with the films, it's clear that to little girls, the prince is as essential to the Disney narrative as Ken is to Barbie's world--ie, a fun accessory or source of extra storylines, but not a central point at all.
[comment]

But should we be concerned about the messages these movies have, even if kids watching don't realize it? Belle was always one of my favorite princesses, because she reads and stuff. I dressed like her last year for Halloween, which was excellent and also appropriate for the school dance. One of my coworkers, though, pointed out that Beauty and the Beast is about, you know, loving a guy even if he's a beast. Because he'll turn out sweet on the inside! After he kidnaps you!

I wonder what would have happened if Ariel had come out as lesbian, for example. Would King Triton still lovingly oversee her wedding?
[comment]

Right?! Now, please recall that I have ALWAYS said that TLM is a coming-out allegory. Okay, the blog evidence is sketchy. But I definitely explained the concept of heteronormativity to a friend using the part of TLM in which King Triton finds out Ariel's in love, and he asks, "Ariel? In love? Who could the lucky merman be?" His language, in this case, is mermaid-normative. Don't you remember being uncomfortable about that, even as a kid? Because he's assuming she's dating a merman, and we know she's not. Just like I'm trying not to assume my friends are dating someone of the opposite gender. See how that works?

Anyway, Little Mermaid forever.

One of my favorite StoryPeople stories came.

2010-08-09T14:19:00.000-05:00

I finally got to exactly where I wanted to be, she said, so why won't all these growth experiences go away & leave me alone?

I heart Ira Glass.

2010-08-08T19:11:00.002-05:00

Often, when I'm talking about This American Life with any random people, I think of this.

"maybe he's right. maybe there IS something the matter with me."

2010-08-06T19:52:00.003-05:00

BAHAHAHAHA i forgot itunes was on shuffle, and it went from "if she knew what she wants" by the bangles [80s pop = serious getting ready time] to "part of your world" from the little mermaid. of course, i knew what had happened after 2.5 seconds. good old itunes shuffle. [cartoony-NSFW link that is related.]

i'll get back to you on the little mermaid as coming-out allegory. seriously. the disney version only, for all you hardcore original creepy fairy tale fans.

i am cool and awesome.

2010-08-05T19:22:00.002-05:00

so today, i had a taste of how awesome my life could be.

i was at a workshop that started at nine. close to my house. and i have margaret's car. and guys, there is something about leaving my house when it's already light out, and people are outside by choice [not, like, because their dog jumped on them to go outside or they have to go to work so so early] that makes me feel so, so happy. what if i had to be at work at nine every day? i could, like, let the birds chirping wake me up.

so as i was leaving the workshop, this guy pulled up next to me just blasting some very emotional rock music. it wasn't "it's been a while" by staind [i know, sooo 2001], but it was a song very much like that. so just imagine that's what it was. and he had his windows down, too, and his music was so loud that i couldn't hear my NPR story. and then i didn't want to be all awkward, because i knew he'd see me if i started blasting all things considered and it was all, "I'M MAURA LIASON. IN WASHINGTON TODAY..."

so i just waited until we started moving again. i wasn't really following the story very well anyway. and i am cool and awesome.

p.s. okay, i research my blog posts. just a little. and the wikipedia page on "it's been awhile [sic]" is a prime example of why wikipedia is hilarious and awesome. i'd like to especially point out the use of "probably," as in "probably the band's best-known song," and the super-serious discussion of the lyrics. i'm confident this will remain unchanged when you click the link later on.

clean ALL the things?

2010-08-04T03:21:00.003-05:00

this is how i feel when i try to be responsible and productive.

someone recommended hyperbole and a half to me the other day. i was so excited. like, out of the ENTIRE internet, you recommend to me a blog that i just discovered? it's like running into an acquaintance on the street on the way to the doctor's office downtown, which ALSO happened to me this week.

i recently thought of a perfect one-liner for my "about me" thingy on facebook. now i've forgotten it. seriously?

Important skills.

2010-07-31T17:14:00.001-05:00

A girl on the train just yelled, "Show my mom! Show her! She loves
it!" The girl next to her blew a bubble with her gum, shrugged, and
said, "It was bigger last time." We're sure it was, Ms. Champion
Bubble-Blower.

today's best.

2010-07-27T22:38:00.003-05:00

internet version:
this is just to say that i'm tired of sharing an apartment with william carlos williams. funny enough that my roommate asked me why i was laughing. [it is important that you know the poem this is based on.]

internet VIDEO version:
pacey-con with joshua jackson. in which he reads fanfic. about himself. [it is important that you know pacey.]

real-life version:
harried server at the moth storyslam: "excuse me, did you have the grilled chicken salad wrap? no? they told me 'guy with glasses.' everyone here's wearing glasses. too many intellectuals." that's not the word i would use... [it is important that you know that i am often seen hanging out in places where men wear glasses. also beards.]

baseball! babies!

2010-07-27T11:53:00.003-05:00

if you thought i wasn't going to post this video [by deadspin] of dads catching foul balls while holding babies, well, you don't know me at all.

if you think my life is being run by gawker media, well, that's a whole different story. but i try not to read lifehacker too much, because it always makes me want to change my life in many ways that are probably not going to happen today.

things that are free and not free.

2010-07-25T14:21:00.003-05:00

in addition to my sunday routine of reading postsecret, today i read an article about postsecret. it was good. i think my favorite part was the video of frank reading the secrets as they come in. how do i say this? it was cool, okay? i love how he does this out of his house. and there he was, in his house.

also, click through if you hate the bank [video NSFW]. or if you enjoy a fantastical story and some humor based on having no money.
"i'm not being broke just to mess with you..."
"i wish i just had nothing, but i have LESS than that."

[also, and i can't believe i almost forgot - "i want to quit the bank!"]

house rules, UST.

2010-07-22T21:52:00.002-05:00

so, maybe i commented on the obvious sexual tension ["you're my partner. if anyone's going to have your back, it's me."] in last night's episode of SVU. and a gentleman caller at our house was confused.

m: is there a romantic thing there? wait, there isn't, he's married.
b: HELLLOOOO, the whole point of the SHOW is that they LOVE EACH OTHER!
m: is it?
b: [pause] no.
k: in our house, it is.

something else - best. oatmeal. cookies. ever. no lie. because when do i blog about recipes? almost never. but this one. oh my.

also, for your consideration, my roommate just asked me if i know the noble gases. then if i know the third race in the triple crown. sporcle much?

Sweet home.

2010-07-21T21:22:00.001-05:00

The guy next to me on the train has a tattoo of a heart with a Chicago
flag in it. WELL-DONE. As he stepped off the train, the announcer
said, "This... is Chicago." I mean, because that's the stop we were
at, but still. I felt like an extra in the movie of his life.

And then, I went to Planet Earth Live.

Serious Announcer: The next story we're going to play is about an
almost-mythical creature...
Some Guy: YEAHHHH!!!
SA: Yeah. [Laughs, uncharacteristically.] The snow leopard.

So, what do you think he was yelling for? Mythical? Anticipating the
snow leopard? Hoping for a hippogriff?

From the email files...

2010-07-02T21:52:00.004-05:00

This is the part where I go into my email and find all the things I labeled "blog," and then randomly post them.

Talk Deeply, Be Happy?
"Would you be happier if you spent more time discussing the state of the world and the meaning of life — and less time talking about the weather?"

Interview with the First Lady
I forget why I thought this was cool.

A Critical Moment: Barack Obama, Notre Dame, and the Future of the U.S. Church
I mean, it's predictable why I thought this was cool.

Enjoy.

the future looks good.

2010-07-01T11:57:00.003-05:00

via feministing, by kids about gender stereotypes:

"she gets made fun of a lot because she acts 'like a boy.' and she's 'not supposed to.'"

if you watch to the end, there's some pretty sweet kid-speculation about how stereotypes got started.

also, only related in that i'm looking at the internet right now: passive-agressive wi-fi network names. how have i never seen any of these?

100 greatest movie insults.

2010-06-30T19:44:00.002-05:00

via gawker - i haven't even finished watching this yet, but i already think it's awesome.

in the minute i've watched, star wars and the princess bride have already made an appearance. i'm waiting for the scene from the ninja turtle movie in which casey jones and rafael are insulting each other alphabetically - anyone? anyone?

yes, i just ninja turtled you.

I miss Southwest.

2010-06-27T21:34:00.001-05:00

Everything sucks about flying United except the creepy tunnel of neon
lights to the terminal at O'Hare, which is AWESOME.

Also, camraderie: our flight landed late, and the guy next to me kept
looking up other people's connecting flights on his phone as we were
taxi-ing to the gate and telling people how long they had to make
their connections. He kept saying it in military time, though, and
people were semi-confused.

New computer is coming this week! And since opening more than one tab
in a browser will no longer make my computer sound like a jet engine,
it will be time to get Serious. About. Blogging.

Sent from my iPhone

Fencing.

2010-04-24T17:47:00.001-05:00

- I met you when we had fencing together.
- We had fencing together?!
- Wait, you don't remember?
- We were wearing masks!

Sent from my iPhone

2010-04-19T17:51:00.001-05:00

Overheard among 20-somethings: "When I was a kid, we talked to our
friends with our mouths. And ears."

Possibly this happened after we all yelled "hi" over text message.
That doesn't work.

Sent from my iPhone

"if i have weaknesses, don't let them blind me now."

2010-04-18T22:25:00.006-05:00

i think this is one of the best postsecrets i've ever seen.

in my opinion, that's what you want from a secret from a stranger. you have weaknesses? yeah, me too.

[later edit: want to see how people have tried to unscramble it?]

try this.

2010-04-18T22:09:00.002-05:00

okay, a big hit this week, from an email of resources from my principal - this online quiz in which you have to put the united states together by the state shapes. i've heard a lot of complaints about the "little states," but i had the most trouble with the southwestern squarish ones. i'm like, give me some clues, utah!

an original and unpredictable show.

2010-04-14T21:54:00.002-05:00

okay, this is what happens when you watch too much SVU.

me: you missed the crime!!

B: hahhhahahahhaa oh no.

how will I ever follow the plot.

9:10 PM me: oh, i think this is the one where the victim gets upset.

B: is it the one where stabler gets angry at the criminal?

9:11 PM me: oh, i think it's the one where olivia gets personally involved.

B: or the one where Olivia is the only one who truly understands the pain the victim is feeling.

me: wait, OR it's the one where stabler gets in trouble.

B: wait, we're both wrong. it's the one where cragen is there for expositional purposes only.

9:12 PM me: i think this is the one that's really informative about the different viewpoints about a controversial issue.

B: hold on... it's the one with the deli.

me: HAHAHAHA, it's the one with the unrelated creepy guy!

B: ah, now I remember, it's the one with the convenient unrelated - I swear to God I was just typing that.

yeah, we went on for the whole episode. it's possible. this show is awesome.

currently watching the SNL clip whatever show that's on. um, does everyone remember the "lazy sunday" skit? some of the cast members are saying it's the first thing they saw on youtube, ever. is that right? i have reflected before that college would have been a lot different with youtube. [insert short wikipedia research period.] youtube happened in february 2005, and this short was in december 2005. iiiinteresting. i'm so into recent history.

OMG DICK IN A BOX. wait. they can't say "dick" at this hour? hahahaha. did they not say it originally? that part i don't remember. they're saying lorne told them to bleep it because it was the christmas episode and a lot of kids would be watching.

note: the other awesome thing about this show is the 20-second clips of the musical guests.

"I've always felt uneasy about the whole internet thing."

2010-04-12T21:07:00.003-05:00

Just bought a raffle ticket from my high school online, and got this email: "Your payment has been APPROVED. Thank you! We recommend that you keep a copy of this email in a safe place. It may be your only record of this transaction."

[Kristen wisely suggests THE INTERNET as a safe place. I agree.]

It reminds me of Gmail Paper, though! Remember that? I remember this being a big topic of conversation among my friends.

2010-04-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

Overheard at a semi-fancy restaurant, from a group of fancy 20-
somethings: "You know what we should do? We should go to Walgreens and
get you some lashes."

Sent from my iPhone

AWKWARD AWKWARD.

2010-03-24T21:10:00.001-05:00

so i was grading at a coffee shop tonight. [if you remember the time i was groaning about my students' papers and the employees volunteered to grade them for me, this was the same one.] i like it because it's open late-ish and has dinner food. yum.

so the place has tables for two that are put together. i sat down at a double table so i could spread out my stuff, because usually the place isn't super busy. then, a big family came in and stood around awkwardly. there was a triple table next to me, so i said, "would you like this table?" and moved my stuff off the table next to me. the dad was like, "that would be greeeeeeat" with kind of a grimace. so then they went to get their food, came back, and two of the kids SAT at my TABLE. i was like, "hi? did you want to, um, move the table - well, um, of course i don't mind sitting with you!" because, right? i was hoping they were going to rearrange the tables. and then it was so awkward, because i really should have just moved to another table. you know, one of the other empty tables. that these people could have used. the same distance away from their family. not RIGHT NEXT to me. and then it was too late to move. AWKWARD.

so i did the next section of my grading about two inches away from two high school students talking about high school gossip.

also, a dog on the train scared the bejeezus out of me. again, my limit is zero dogs in unexpected places. especially in the seat next to me, disguised as unassuming duffel bags. [it was a dog in a bag.] i will visit dogs, and walk dogs, and say hi to dogs on the street, and i do understand why people take their dogs on the train. i was just surprised, okay? the bag MOVED.

--

these census commercials are silly. why don't they just show that one episode of the west wing? i believe it's called "mr. willis of ohio." [double-checked. it is.] remember, and CJ has to admit to sam that she doesn't understand the census? "i've been playing it fast and loose...." haha, i say that all the time. for those of you who haven't seen this, excuse me. i'm just having a little moment.

so, currently watching SVU. i was afraid my aviator sunglasses were going out of style, but olivia's wearing them, so i'm all set. other than that, it's pretty much the saddest episode i've ever seen. olivia's all, "i don't know a lot about MS," and the doctor's all, "this victim is super depressed, uncommunicative, and about to die." and she's getting ABUSED by her SISTER. and BUS DRIVER. and she can't talk! i'm starting to realize why people find this show depressing.

without my co-workers, you would have none of these useful links.

2010-03-14T20:28:00.003-05:00

this national geographic special on sperm - which, you might think, is just another special. but NO. these are PEOPLE ACTING LIKE SPERM. it's a life-sized demonstration of sperm swimming and stuff, guys. just watch the preview. i apologize that it already aired, but apparently it was fascinating. also, assuming they leave the link up, you can still play the sperm game.

you know when you're watching the oscars, and you think, hey, i've never seen any of these short films? well, here they are. nice.

then, on a more serious and life-applicable note, this article on how to teach teaching. or whether it can be taught. or, hopefully, how i can teach better.

watching tv with an antenna.

2010-03-12T19:52:00.004-06:00

"the deadly game kids are playing,
[flash to mri and brain scan pictures]
and the warning signs that could save your child's life.
[flash to concerned doctor]
next time, on dr. oz."

now THAT is a scare ad.

"that means you love each other!"

2010-03-11T22:17:00.002-06:00

quick, before it gets blocked - appealingly titled "adorable child accepts gay marriage." takes him a minute ["that's funny"], but he catches on real quick.

aww, pilot episodes.

2010-03-11T21:40:00.002-06:00

okay, this made me kind of emotional. [and has everyone seen this site? quotations and tv? bets found it. she loves it.]

but maybe just because i kind of think that friends is real life.

i'm just saying.

2010-03-11T21:28:00.004-06:00

okay, so yes, i'm watching the marriage ref. fine. whatever. but POINTS for madonna on this one, with the couple with the pet lizard.

madonna: i think the lizard's very phallic.
larry davis: what do you mean?
madonna: i'm just saying.

because, excellent use of the "i'm just saying" - avoid explaining! put it out there! nice.

i've been told that my writing about television shows that i don't watch a lot of it. [i think i do, but only crime drama.] then, today, i was reading a magazine and got all rage-y about the AIRBRUSHING. and the EXPENSIVE CLOTHES. i feel like i'm in some sort of movie in which i'm suddenly put into pop culture and am all, "what is this television you speak of?"

but i don't know why. i mean, i watch tv. maybe i read too many blogs?

i'm just saying.

i knew i hated mr. darcy for a reason.

2010-02-28T21:13:00.005-06:00

right. from the catholic blogosphere.

If today's faithful Catholic is represented by Elizabeth Bennet, bright, hopeful, and coming of age, then the liturgical forms would have to be represented by Mr. Darcy and Mr Wickham.

Mr. Wickham is immediately accessible, loves to talk - especially about how bad ol' Darcy is - has some initial minor flash but soon proves to be tedious and unreliable.

Mr. Darcy at first glance looks stuffy and condescending, but proves over time to be noble, true, of high quality and charitable.

The ordinary and the extraordinary.

this blogger says he's a "St. Louis area Catholic who supports the Traditional Mass and Sacraments" and, as some of you know, casual usage of words like "traditional" and "orthodox" really rubs me the wrong way. [as does casual usage of words like "heresy," but that's a whole nother story] here's the thing. if you're talking about going by church tradition [oops, that is, Church Tradition with some extra-meaningful Capital Letters] or you claim to be orthodox, you should be, by definition, WITH THE CHURCH. you know. the catholic church. which has a hierarchical structure that is sometimes problematic, sure, but it's there. and if you're ignoring vatican ii, hello, you are neither traditional nor orthodox. i'm all about the protest, guys, but can you at least recognize that tradition and orthodoxy, in the roman catholic sense, are actually a thing that you don't get to just co-opt?

anyway, it was bothering me. and i get so rage-y that i thought, hey, maybe i'm just not understanding what this means. so i did some wikipedia research.

Traditionalist Catholics generally prefer to be referred to either simply as Catholics or, if a distinction must be made, as "traditional Catholics" (with a lower-case T). However, since Roman Catholics in general consider themselves to be "traditional" in the sense of being faithful to historical Catholic teaching, the term "traditionalist Catholics" is used in this article as a means of clearly distinguishing them from other Roman Catholics.

so, i don't really know what to say about this. i guess it's starting to look a little better, considering that "traditionalist" can be a subset of "other roman catholics" - they're just the roman catholics who think we should be doing things differently.

but back to you, mr. darcy.

beware of hippie modern liturgy, guys. it might seem like the kind of thing that is understandable and accessible to many people, but it will actually end up trying to steal your money and marry your teenaged sister.

okay, here's my problem.

THE FICTIONAL EXISTENCE OF MR. DARCY IS NOT A GOOD REASON TO PUT UP WITH SOMETHING YOU HATE.

in this case, the analogy's not very nice, and to this particular blogger's credit, certainly he intended to make a joke. i'm sure that, if i were of his opinion on liturgy, i'd be all, "you don't understand the liturgy i prefer, just like elizabeth bennet didn't understand mr. darcy." but seriously? darcy's still kind of an ass, and i'm tired of people suggesting [or seeming to me to suggest] that being rude, distant, and superior to others is a virtue in itself. sure, the less-than-attractive appearance might disguise something that's awesome. but it doesn't MAKE something awesome. and i'm not convinced that the old-fashioned-y inaccessibility of mass in latin, super-high liturgy, pre-vatican-ii forms, and the rest necessarily means that it's better. if that's your preference, fine. but don't compare the way i worship to skeezy mr. wickham just because i'd prefer a liturgy that people who haven't read the GIRM can appreciate.

this, plus a similar discussion [um, actually, only similar because they were both about mr. darcy] with a co-worker friend and two lovely students, has convinced me to read pride and prejudice again. so, stay tuned for further developments in my mind and heart.

happy valentine's day?

2010-02-11T21:43:00.002-06:00

i recently realized that i kind of feel like valentine's day is tomorrow. i'm planning my outfit and my class activities. i'll be showing people my valentine's day argyle socks. [it's okay to be jealous.] apparently being a teacher is affecting how and when i celebrate national holidays.

who's seen the worldwide "all you need is love" video? it'll play when you click here. it made a bunch of valentine-haters say "awww" today, guys. i'm just saying. and, according to what seems like a semi-reliable study, you might be more likely to do something nice after watching it.

a google buzz excitement and backlash hit pretty much simultaneously, here's a weirdly accurate and highly popular article about the quarterlife crisis.

bonus rage: "The study included only female participants just in case men might be more likely to want to aid the female instructor." HETERONORMATIVITY FAIL.

television commentary, with some bonus rage.

2010-02-04T22:58:00.000-06:00

so, i'm sure you all watched NCIS on tuesday, considering that it's television's number one drama. i know, i have such good taste in tv, right? [or, i have the same taste in tv as a lot of other people, which is not quite the same thing.] and i'm sure you're all familiar with the trope in which gibbs is so badass that he leaves his door unlocked, and people are always showing up in his house at all hours.

so, in this episode, we meet a new ladyfriend for gibbs, who then is sitting on his couch when he gets home. and they predictably argue. with a predictable amount of UST.

gibbs: you get five requests [to represent pro-bono cases] a week, and you only seem to pick the ones that bring you face-to-face with me.
ladyfriend: are you really that conceited?
gibbs: you're standing in my house!

hahaaa. good one, gibbs. currently, i'm watching the episode where ziva kills ari for gibbs, and it's all intense. and kate's funeral, where everyone has their kate memories. and abby wears that lacy-black-umbrella getup she always wears to funerals. question - is abby mainstream enough that i can dress like her for halloween without people asking me if i'm some kind of goth doctor?

now i switched to svu. an episode i'm pretty sure i haven't seen, and olivia's hair looks good! very promising. haha, eliot's all, "she seems like my daughter. a normal high school kid." your daughter who is ALWAYS IN TROUBLE for DRAMATIC PURPOSES? sure, she's normal. and - oh, crap. this is the one where the guy is leading the double life. he's not in the congo for work for months at a time! he's his own daughter's boyfriend's father, too! that's why they never want to hang out with other parents!

oh, svu. so out of plots. hahaha, and i love how the one wife is so delusional. olivia's talking to her like, "lady, your double-life-leading husband was NEVER planning to run away to cuba with you. and this concerned look means that i'm secretly judging you."

okay, on with the tv commentary. i love valentine's day, right? but i'm currently snarking the hallmark commercial in which the kid is reading the pre-recorded book. it's like, listen to a recording of a parent reading this book about love! it's cute. maybe your parent is far away. [dad always traveled a lot when we were kids, and he was the best at reading books, so i totally get it.] but then the camera pans, and the parents are just hanging out downstairs. while the kid listens to a recording of one of them? so, as i said, i am currently snarking about this.

i got some sort of free consumer reports health magazine in the mail. the headline is literally "how to keep your heart healthy with pistachio nuts." i'm guessing it's by eating them.

and, because i will not let you go without some feminist rage - a woman from an older generation tasted something one of my friends had baked, and she LITERALLY SAID, "this is so good! now you're ready to get married. maybe i'll set you up with one of my sons." i mean, glad that the days when people thought of women as housekeepers for their husbands is over, right? GAHHH.

argyle thursday!

2010-02-04T22:11:00.002-06:00

best part of being a teacher? wearing stuff like this. [that's not the real best part, but i'm just saying, guys.]

Speed.

2010-01-29T18:41:00.000-06:00

So this girl on Megabus asks the driver how far away we are. The
driver goes, "Not far. About 30 miles." And the girl says, "Thirty
miles? So, about 15 minutes."

The driver laughed and was all, "A little more than that!" My seatmate
and I laughed and wondered if this is some sort of magic speed bus.

Sent from my iPhone

reruns and re-captioned pictures.

2010-01-28T20:12:00.002-06:00

It was unclear how her life had become so riddled with obvious metaphors.

yup. this site is going to be important to us. thanks to kris for the tipoff.

office rerun. i feel lachrymose. [every time, that line makes me HA.]

things i've been reading.

2010-01-27T22:17:00.003-06:00

on the heavy side:
this and THIS call-out, regarding the US bishops and health care reform. [with a tip-off from this at dotCommonweal, of course.] i'm a little dsjklasjifhlera about this right now, so draw your own conclusions.

on the light side:
props to this mcsweeney's writer for both current snark and knowledge of the bsc.

in which FRB sort of liveblogs the SOTU.

2010-01-27T20:41:00.004-06:00

drinking wine and watching the state of the union - or SOTU, which keeps accidentally reminding me of STFU.

[before you read this, please remember that i get most of my political knowledge from feminist blogs, the few catholic blogs i can stand, the west wing, and anything that seems relevant to teaching high school ethics. so, if my commentary seems overly snarky, naive, idealistic, one-sided, or approximately at a high-school level - well, it is.]

apparently michelle obama, nancy pelosi, and joe biden are wearing purple because it's symbolic of bringing both sides of the aisle together. [the few minutes before the president walks out are very red-carpety, at least on ABC.]

getting excited about us history! yeahhh. can't fail with this one.

banks banks banks. joke about how everyone hates the bank bailout. nice.

exports? i feel like i'm in a middle school social studies project.

STUDENT LOANS WOOOOT. PLEASE TAKE MY LOANS AWAYYYY. you'll note that i've called for this on my blog before. [okay, maybe that wasn't exactly a call to arms, but wouldn't it be cool if i were that kind of blogger?]

biden just fist-pumped and roommate started singing "living on a prayer." apparently obama is aware that he's living on a prayer, when it comes to health care reform. and he's getting a good laugh for saying it's not good politics, though.

ahhh, our philosopher-king. he's saying that it's his fault that he didn't explain the health care plan fully. that was the problem. he's out of the cave! we don't understand his new health care reality! super interesting angle - if i understand correctly, and he's going for the "if you really understood my reasoning, you would understand that my plan is right." is it just that i'm teaching plato, or is this interesting? [i think it was a small point for him, anyway.]

roommate is still waiting for someone to yell, "you lie!" i kind of appreciate obama's "if you have a better idea for health care reform, let me know" action. throw down.

so he wants to freeze spending except - military, medicare, and social security? i'd heard a rumor that he was going to freeze everything except military. this sounds better. because i'm apparently an obama-lover, though, i'm kind of convinced by his "like any family, we have to choose what's important." am i being tricked, somehow? becaues i'm pretty sure i like it when the government spends money on things we need.

Starting in 2011, we are prepared to freeze government spending for three years. Spending related to our national security, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security will not be affected. But all other discretionary government programs will. Like any cash-strapped family, we will work within a budget to invest in what we need and sacrifice what we don't.

[ed: a little analysis on this, if you're looking for it.]

joke about change. hehehe. aaand we're over an hour.

okay, is it just me, or is biden texting? either way, he seems to have the most expressive face in the room. except for grumbly john boehner, of course.

janet napolitano has a weird clap.

yeah, the military guys don't like it when you tell them what to do. i've heard. but everyone likes it when you support veterans! yay.

so john f. kennedy and ronald reagan go into a bar... and talk about nuclear regulation? oh.

"our destiny is connected to those beyond our shores" + "because it is right" + "human dignity" = why don't you just teach my class, mr. president?

is that guy from haiti? i hope so, or else this is awkward racial profiling.

can i be mad about his "if you follow the laws" talk? i feel like people who have committed crimes still need to be protected by the law.

HOLLA SAYING THINGS ABOUT DON'T ASK DON'T TELL. HOLLA EQUAL PAY. HOLLA IMMIGRATION - oh, wait. "everyone who plays by the rules"? no, actually, i'm not okay with that language.

inspirational ending, here goes!

afterwards - did someone say he sounded like reagan? just checking.

bonus liveblog of the republican response...

thomas jefferson was right.
the government does too much.
we have the best health care system in the world - wait, what?
the republicans want our advice! on facebook and twitter!
and they want to use up the entire earth to lower my utility bills. yes, mine.
dad was right about education.
oops, i got distracted by the internet.

aaand i'm out! goodnight friends.

at CVS.

2010-01-25T20:14:00.003-06:00

so i don't like CVS, since there's a walgreens across the street from school. that's the only reason. and the checkout people are all unfamiliar, not like the ones i love at walgreens. so today, at CVS, there was a checkout guy who was maybe 20 years old and maybe kind of a dudebro. and i got into awkwardness by accident. i swear.

cg: do you have an extra care card?
b: nope, but can i give you my number? [pause] i mean... for the card? to look it up?

then we laughed awkwardly. and i thought about how much more comfortable i would be if i had made that joke on purpose.

roommate and i are laughing at the 2012 commercial that calls it "the best disaster movie ever." i mean, since your movie is already a disaster, it might as well be a comparatively good disaster...

for something a little heavier and more professional...

2010-01-25T11:52:00.003-06:00

let me direct your attention to a series my friend bill's been working on - inside and out, on WBEZ. [the website has sound, for those of you at work.] the first story about youth and prison is up today, and it continues with new stories all week.

Up to date, I think.

2010-01-18T00:42:00.002-06:00

Okay, so all the text wasn't exactly making it into the pictures when I emailed them in.

I think everything's good now - read on, friends.

This is why I rage.

2010-01-17T19:57:00.001-06:00

spotted at target today...

i mean, whimsical cookie pans are one thing, but can we please avoid labeling them "girl" and "boy"?

if you're a boy, you're number one! you can fly a plane! you're on a team! if you're a girl, though, sit in that castle with the lipstick and the purse. we're sure your prince will be along soon.

i think it's the trophy that really gets me. like, that's a boy activity? getting PRIZES? really?

and for girls - well, to quote a lovely friend, these pans are here to tell you that your lips are the wrong color.

Your significant other is trying to steal your wallet.

2010-01-13T20:12:00.002-06:00

This CTA ad says "snuggling or snatching?" under pictures of a couple all arms-around and someone getting their wallet stolen. Then it goes on to give some tips to avoid pickpocketing.

Can someone please tell me what this ad is about? The closest I've been able to figure out (through asking, you know, everyone I know, students included) is that if you're snuggling, you might be distracted. And someone else might take advantage of your snuggliness to steal from you. I guess.

I think it's just a bad ad, and whoever was supposed to approve it wasn't paying attention. "Snuggling or snatching? Sounds great! Put it in every train."

I think I love this guy.

2010-01-13T19:59:00.001-06:00

Chances he's talking about an intentional faith community?

cam is so wise.

2010-01-11T21:37:00.004-06:00

this is something that's going right up there with "there are many different ways to be a woman" - and it's from bones. yeah. in a conversation about dating and what women like, cam says, "'women' is not an acceptable generalization."

AHA. that's what i've been wanting to say.

"this is something that we take incredibly serious."

2010-01-11T20:23:00.003-06:00

is everyone watching the bachelor right now? i'm pretty much liveblogging.

first, a woman is getting kicked off for having a relationship with a staffer. apparently the producers decided that this will keep her from "having a meaningful relationship with jake." jake, you know, who is currently dating fifteen women. i don't get how everyone's all, "well, this is extremely serious and evil and important. she must leave in shame." HE HAS A HAREM. jdksalhjlfdsa.

second, she says, "i don't think my personal life is anyone's business." hahaaaaaaa. reality TV's a bitch, huh?

also, ADVERBS. HONESTLY. you're on TV, people. [although i did feel slightly uncomfortable watching chris give the teacher-style discipline lecture. do i sound that awkward? yes.]

ooooh, now the ROSE is DYING. okay, i have to stop. i've already been yelling at the TV for about an hour. okay, one more thing. can we stop calling them "girls"? thanks.

"If Robert Wagner or Orlando Jones walks through the frame, arrest the sh*t out of him. He did it."

2009-12-30T11:37:00.002-06:00

okay, after reading 3 Universal Truths of Law and Order, i say - hey, someone else agrees with me about how the semi-famous actor always did it. i should get this shit OUT THERE.

christmas music recommendations.

2009-12-20T00:46:00.003-06:00

bets introduced me to a lovely song that she thought i might like. like this: "i mean, it's michael buble, which may be slightly off-putting." and, you know, i like to pretend i don't like his music. but then i keep listening to it, so there you have it. anyway, it's called "haven't met you yet," and it's about how he's going to meet someone awesome, etc. anyway, he has this line that goes, "i guess it's half timing, and the other half's luck." but he kind of buble-style slurs it, and it sounds so much like he's singing, "and the other half SLUT." it makes me giggle every time. i like it.

and here's a song we would have loved in 2003, and that i still love now - "all that i want for christmas (is to give my love away)" by the rescues. i know, right? you already want it. it was on grey's, of course.

and, every year - all i want for christmas is you, and breath of heaven. it's not christmas without those.

2009-12-13T01:29:00.001-06:00

At a bar. People on the dance floor are throwing money in the air.
What is happening.

Sent from my iPhone

oh btw i luvs you.

2009-12-06T15:41:00.002-06:00

THIS. the lolcats version of twilight and new moon.

oh, and sex and the city. i was bored until the sushi part.

amazon is judging me.

2009-12-05T17:44:00.004-06:00

"still shopping for gifts"?! it's DECEMBER FIFTH. yes, i am still shopping for gifts. jeeeeeez.

free will, again.

2009-11-21T18:05:00.002-06:00

okay, in one of the weirdest coincidences of my life: "It's the beautifully terrible thing about free will: we can do whatever we like but we must be held accountable for whatever we do." didn't i just say something really similar? weird. and awesome. oh, and she's talking about being a porn star.

free will and team jacob.

2009-11-19T22:25:00.004-06:00

happy new moon day! word is, it's a juicebomb. i'm so excited. [and i miss a certain former roommate and co-twilight fan who would definitely go see it with me.]

so my students are currently, when they're supposed to be learning, all about looking at taylor lautner on the cover of men's health. guess what, guys? this child was born in 1992. [which makes the accompanying article that much more ridiculous. he's a good cover model because he gained muscle between the ages of 15 and 17? yeah, that's what happens to people between their freshman and junior years of HIGH SCHOOL. blargh.]

interestingly, he came up in class today when i talked about how being in a real relationship is both better and worse than being in an imaginary relationship with a celebrity. the freedom to give and receive love also leaves us open rejection - right? it's the paradox of free will, students! free will gives us the ability to say "i love you" and have it mean something, but then we eat fruit we're not supposed to and get kicked out of the garden! the catechism calls it a terrible mystery. we can choose to love God and each other, but we can also choose not to...

also, this is the kind of blog feedback i get.

Thanks for the shout-out in the blog. Also, I loved your post on UST. Except, they weren't just uncover as a married couple, but undercover as married ASSASSIANS.

she's right, of course.

mmm, the internet.

2009-11-18T21:30:00.002-06:00

because i love food and graphic organizers: where should i eat?
or, you know, you could also just find the nearest burrito.

both the links above are from the gchat trend of posting links in your status. i like it. i feel like it's the grown-up version of away messages. we've all moved on from emotional song lyrics into, "i thought you might find this article interesting."

OR HAVE WE? confession: i wish it were still socially acceptable to post emotional, mysterious-but-obvious-to-all-my-friends, semi-obscure song lyrics in my away message. how else will i let everyone know what i'm feeling?

oh, on this blog? right.

some internet things.

2009-11-15T17:51:00.003-06:00

courtesty of kathr...

big ben clock on twitter. heh. that's what it says, all right.
go fug yourself, which i'm finding very entertaining. the ads are kind of distressing, but they're probably making bank, yeah?

now, excuse me while i go write a pop quiz on the sacrament of anointing. [woot.]

roommates + tv.

2009-11-05T20:24:00.005-06:00

b: you know who was cute, though? that guy at the next table who talked to us.
s: oh no! we should have gone over there and fallen in his lap!
k: wait. all of us?
s: no! frb could have fallen in his lap! or i could have PUSHED her.
b: yeah, if our life were a crime show. with lots of UST.

unresolved sexual tension, friends. thanks to NEW ROOMMATE, i've found that this is the key to every TV show i like. it's all, "we love each other, clearly. we can't get together, though, or ever admit to our feelings. that is, unless we're stuck together in some sort of hostage situation. or undercover as a married couple. or in a drug-induced hallucination."

[in order, those were SVU, NCIS, and house. yeah, you knew.]

clearly, this is all making me think of JAG. some of you may remember the episode of JAG in which mac tells sturgis that she's in love with harm. then she asks him not to tell and, oh right, he never does. one of you may also remember saying, "that's the PROBLEM with watching a show on HONOR. he actually won't tell."

also, if any of you are thinking that the pesky "plot" is getting in the way of the obvious sexual tension between your favorite characters, well - let me direct you to BONES, in which the storylines about midget wrestling [i kid you not] are always secondary to the smoldering glances, awkward pauses, and long discussions about looooove.

WHY DO I NOT WATCH MORE 30 ROCK? this show is hilarious. they just made a GRAMMAR joke. [what. in my world, that IS hilarious.] later edit: spent all day yesterday watching 30 rock, then wore a liz lemon-inspired outfit out. it was awesome.

grey's review.

2009-10-01T20:58:00.003-05:00

i have the same iphone case as izzie. [because i saw it last season, and bought it.]

i will marry alex karev if he keeps wearing that black shirt.

i am going to watch this show until the bitter, bitter end. i kind of love these people.

best moment of the season, so far - when alex, meredith, izzie, and christina laugh at the funeral. the show can drag all it wants, but watch that scene and tell me it's not awesome.

my life, probably.

2009-10-01T17:36:00.003-05:00

the comic's too wide, so you'll have to click on it.

not sure which one of these people i am.

"equality is like gravity."

2009-09-30T17:42:00.003-05:00

if you love joss whedon, the creator of buffy, and you love equality - well, this is for you. it's a short speech that was recommended as "funny and poignant" by the creator of this, the inspiration for this post...

we were watching it at work, and, oh, by the way - check out the info, because it's a feminist critique. i'm trying to finish this post with something witty, but i'm sickish and can't concentrate - so just enjoy the links, okay?

electronic time capsule.

2009-09-16T16:03:00.002-05:00

at trader joe's today, this mom goes, "i'll tell you when you're unfrozen. i'll tell you when you're unfrozen." and i look over, and there's her frozen son, going, "can i be unfrozen now can i be unfrozen now can i be unfrozen now!" and holding on to the shopping cart in a semi-awkward position. i was like, NICE. watch me try that with my students.

i was searching for something else [i know, when is that ever NOT a lie? but seriously] and found some old emails. a few observations.

1. the past seems to have passed. this was an emotional email about an event i semi-remember. out of the moment, it makes very little sense, actually. and yet, at the time i had to record EVERY SINGLE DETAIL.
2. i said this - "[friend's former, kind of hateful boss] totally wants to give you a job! will [even older internship boss] recommend you?" weird to remember being excited about a friend potentially getting a job that, later, she ended up getting, then gradually not liking over a couple of years, then leaving for another job...
3. this prediction - "someday i'll be able to wear nylons more than once." is it true yet?

oh, gchat. thanks for giving us a time capsule for our lives since 2005.

No, I will NOT let friendship shine.

2009-09-10T18:51:00.001-05:00

Arrrgghhhh former Olympians! Get your disembodied voices out of my
commute!

Apparently the Chicago 2016 people have decided to record a bunch of
commercials about how great it would be to have the Olympics in
Chicago - and now they're playing on the bus. Not my favorite thing,
mostly because they're super loud and keep taking me by surprise.

Sent from my iPhone

"other people can see that, you know."

2009-08-31T20:19:00.004-05:00

kid: and dad? cool it with the twitter updates.
dad: [texting] i'm sitting on the patio...

does anyone else love, love, LOVE this verizon commercial? with the parents, and their technology?

also, i'm watching law and order: ci. at first i was mad because it's obvious who the killer is going to be, because the killer is always the most famous non-regular actor in the show. turns out that you know who the killer is all along, and the premise of the show is that he's THE GUY WHO WORKS IN THE CRIME LAB. i know. crazy, right?!

so anyway, i imdb-ed him, and it turns out that this guy has been in every show i like. without a trace? check. the west wing? check. csi, the practice - apparently this guy is successful.

also, i miss the practice. remember that show? dang.

Bus!

2009-08-21T08:10:00.001-05:00

These people who talk on their phones on the bus in the morning amaze
me. I'm not sure many of my friends are awake enough at this hour to
do that...

Also, a little girl on the bus pulled out Charlotte's Web. Awwww.

Sent from my iPhone

oh no! not atticus!

2009-08-03T22:59:00.003-05:00

wow, bad week for guys from books i read in high school. is atticus finch a classist? i mean, i always thought he was supposed to be super understanding, right? and since mayella ewell was ready to have tom robinson die rather than admit she was lying, well - i'd like to say i don't hate how he exposes her lie. but, as this jezebel article points out, he's a complicated character in a complicated situation. which is why he rules.

and he is not an alcoholic dickbag. hahahaha, i'm still laughing at that comic.

also, bad week for guys in general. apparently this is how i'm going to ask you out, guys. [from cosmo, obv, because they suck so bad.]

Invite Him on a Group Date
If you can't quite bring yourself to suggest solo time together, try inviting him out with a bunch of your friends which will make you feel more at ease. One caveat: Avoid having your Giselle look-a-like pal tag along — you want to make sure his eyes stay glued to you.

take note: if a girl asks you to hang out with her friends, but only the ugly ones are there, THAT is a date. because guys only care about looks, amirite? sigh. also, i wouldn't be able to do this, because all my friends are pretty pretty.

they also suggest sending him a drink at a bar as a "stealth" way to let a stranger know you're interested. i'm not sure how stealthy that is, actually. [and i'm pretty stealthy.]

The usual FRB change of heart.

2009-08-02T16:19:00.000-05:00

Okay, no offense, because this is something I know nothing about - but
what are pharmacists doing back there? I mean, sure, look up my info
and all, but really... 15 minutes? How involved is this?

On the other hand, Walgreens is the only place I ever hear "Walking in
Memphis," so I guess I can wait.

Awww, also, a little tourist family (I'm on Michigan Avenue, they have
a huge camera, and now I understand why someone would put a Walgreens
here) just got some allergy medicine for their little boy and the
pharmacist gave them a glass of water for him to take it. He's going
to feel better! Suddenly I'm all warm-hearted.

Sent from my iPhone

Over my limit.

2009-08-01T00:06:00.001-05:00

There are multiple dogs in this bar. I think my limit for dogs in a
bar is zero.

Sent from my iPhone

2009-07-30T22:18:00.001-05:00

Ohhhh I'm on the bus, and the driver just called the cops, and they
bounced these guys off he bus for being drunk and loud. Adventure!

Sent from my iPhone

2009-07-30T17:51:00.001-05:00

Pretty sure I just walked by a couple breaking up. Sitting on the
steps, guy looking earnest, girl crying...

Weird, the things that happen around us, hmm?

Sent from my iPhone

Illusions! On topics of this blog!

2009-07-28T16:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, everyone look at this. Thanks to How About Orange, some optical illusions that are fascinating. And guess what? The first one's about baseball, and the third one's about gender. I KNOW, right?!

On the gender one - look at the faces, and let me know what you think about the issue of makeup and femininity. (That word took me about five tries to spell correctly.)

Dating without judging?

2009-07-28T14:23:00.005-05:00

I was struck by this comment on today's Harpyness post "Huh, So You're Gay Again?"

I feel like anyone who questions someone else’s sexuality just needs a big cool glass of mind your own beeswax. No one but you needs to “understand” who or why you date. Blah, the judginess of the world is getting on my last nerve this week.

I think because I read Jezebel's pro/con on More to Love, including this comment.

My bf always tells me that guys are just lying when they say they don't like bigger girls. They don't want to be "that guy" in their group of friends and be made fun of for not only being into skinny girls. He used to be that guy when he was younger, but now he just tells them that they don't know what they're missing.

Maybe the judginess of the world is also getting on my last nerve this week. Maybe I'm reading too many blogs. And definitely, that thing that happens to me whereby everything I hear seems to surround the same topic. ("Whereby"? Did that work?) But yes, let's allow people to date whomever they'd like to date. And let's NOT have a show about fat girls who, clearly, are all desperate to date - so it's a good thing they found the one guy who thinks they're attractive. Grrrr. (Also, "real women" is derogatory. There are lots of different ways to be a woman. Or a human being.)

Also, I need a tag for my hatred of Mr. Darcy.

If you like him, read this comic. If you hate him, read this one.

[FORMAL BLOG CORRECTION: I got too excited and am embarrassed to admit that the second comic is not, in fact, about Mr. Darcy at all. UNLESS THERE IS A HIDDEN MR. DARCY SUBTEXT. And I think there may be. Betsy would also like me to add that the Bronte sisters hated Jane Austen, or something? Whatever.]

Criticism and helpful advice.

2009-07-28T13:45:00.003-05:00

I'm such a sucker for articles about something I already think about a lot. So in that vein, what to do with your laptop (or other stuff for that matter) when you're working at an internet cafe and have to go to the bathroom. Right?!

A headline that makes me giggle, for some reason - Pope Explains How to Help Jesus. Hehehehe. Like, "Listen, guys. Jesus needs our help. Let me lay it out for you, one more time." What does Jesus need from us right now? And why does the pope need to explain it in so much detail? The article's actually fine (about priests, though, which isn't clear from the headline), but I think the person who wrote the headline is the same person who writes the chapter headings on DVDs of The West Wing. (This might appeal to a very small percent of my readership, but seriously. They're strange, bad-punny, and often only tangentially related to the show. I mean, Aaron Sorkin isn't writing them.)

I'm thinking of switching to capital letters. That is, I'm thinking of being grammatically correct. It's the influence of iPhone auto-correct, I think. Big life change, after ten years or so of insisting on lowercase everything - what do you all think?

Bang Bang.

2009-07-25T21:28:00.001-05:00

Overheard at a wedding: "I mean, I'm not happy Michael Jackson died,
but I have a new appreciation of his music!"

Also, just had a conversation with the bartender about how Love Shack
is the worst song ever. Want to know why I talk to strangers? Because
they agree with me, that's why.

Sent from my iPhone