this too shall pass

ANDROGYNY

2008-08-28T09:34:24Z

check it:

EDIT: grrz, other images aren't working so here are the URLs.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_qjpwnPW4c1o/SLPqhHQUC8I/AAAAAAAAD8A/IqHTsj6ViBI/s1600-h/8228MiriamJohannaWeb.jpg

http://genderfork.com/?p=325

Poke-poli-mon

2008-03-14T17:30:05Z

Regardless of who you're voting for, there's no denying the cuteness factor of this. Gotta catch 'em all!

Rick Astley would never

2008-03-06T23:46:15Z

David, that's for you.

BAM!

2007-09-25T17:25:21Z

Haven't updated in a while, but I guess I need to keep up with LJ more often. Apparently, I miss important friend developments IRL when I don't check the LJ. Quick summary, major developments in my life:

Updates

* Moved out of 2000 Chestnut and into the 3805 house. It's nice keeping this house within the friend group. We still haven't set up the living room. Friends, I promise a housewarming soon. Though as of the start of fall, we may have passed the date for a virginal-white-attire-only queer cotillion. Thoughts?

* Gf-gf with a nice asian lady who helps me do laundry and dishes. She met the 'rents back in July. It was sufficiently awkward, but I think we all made it out okay. What's funny is that Brea, apparently, tried to hook me up with this girl two or three years ago, but I wasn't interested at the time. So instead, we met over MySpace, doh!

* Got a promotion at my work. Since we're a nonprofit with no money, so far it means the same amount of overwork for the same pay but a better title, heh. Hopefully, if some of our projects go through, things could change by the end of the year.

* Started working part-time on a consulting gig in Houston. It's nothing too strenuous yet. The only hitch is that I can't work on this stuff during my regular work hours. 6.5 day work weeks, here I come.

* Joined the board of Pro Arts Collective, which is another non-profit in Austin focused on the production of "exemplary works of theater, dance, music, and spoken word that highlight local, national, and international African and African-American contributions." The executive director of Pro Arts used to be the programming director for Ballet Austin, and she's a very talented lady. We had our first board meeting this past weekend, fun.

Also, I just wanted to take a quick moment to plug:
.
This is an annual performing arts series that Pro Arts sponsors every fall. Catherine and I were planning on going to the urban ballet / dance performance this Thursday, if anyone is interested in joining us.

Things to Look Forward to in October

* Soulfest - set for the final night of BAM! Soulfest is my organization's annual community jazz/soul festival. They're still looking for volunteers, so if anyone is interested, contact me. :)
* The return of Brea G
* Monthly AFO dinners? Liz suggested a topic of feminism & eugenics. Also, Mahjong nights? Any volunteers?
* Mama & Papa Chu back in TX airspace for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer walk and a trip to Uchi
* Flying to San Francisco with the gf to see my favorite Zub at the end of the month
* Rereading of important things like "The Man Who Ate Everything" and "Good to Great" and utilizing GoodReads as j_style does

Questions to Ponder

* How does one maintain balance amidst all the pressures, pushes, and pulls of life? I know I'm not the only one here.
* Do I shave my head for Halloween Monchichi? Or do I keep growing it out, page boy style?
* What is your take on habeus corpus?

R.I.P. Nuni

2007-05-20T15:24:27Z

our kitty is gone. cross posted from panaripoff's LJ.

so it goes

2007-04-12T19:28:11Z

Kurt Vonnegut is up in heaven now. [NY Times]

"We had a memorial service for Asimov a while back, and at one point I said, ‘Isaac is up in Heaven now’. That was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of Humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored. If I should ever die, again God forbid, I hope some of you will say, ‘Kurt's up in Heaven now.’ That's my favorite joke."
-Kurt Vonnegut

nerd out

2007-03-29T16:09:34Z

So, I ran into this article on Digg, "How to Look Good When Your Recruiter Googles You."

Okay, interesting. Most of what's in the article is fairly obvious, I think. Only post things online that you're okay with sharing with the world. Keep your MySpace private or at least screen it. Et cetera. Simple enough. But just for fun, I Googled myself. I was pleasantly surprised what a little digging could yield. My finds:

1) Undergraduates Compete to Save Regional Malls - written by our very own, sandieshewrites.

2) Delta Consulting Takes First Texas Win at USC Competition

3) Statesman.com: Community Matters - a shout out from one of my former professors!

4) Defense Class Kicks Into High Gear - Yeah, AFO! We were so rockin' back then. There's this article and the one below.

5) Party Concludes Pride Week

6) Ladyfest - this one by our very own bookfairlady

7) Piano Journey - my former piano teacher!

8) Carroll ISD 1 - High School Debate, whaat?

9) Carroll ISD 2

I think I was also student of the week in high school. I couldn't find that online, but I know my grandmother has a laminated copy of that somewhere in her closet.

Anyway, my last year of college was definitely rough. There were several points where I just wanted to quit and almost did. I'm glad I didn't. Now, being able to look back now on all the things that I've done feels really gratifying.

It's been nice feeling happy lately.

.... bwahaha

2007-03-28T23:50:47Z

Wal-mart Gives Up: No Stores for New York City

request

2007-03-26T20:37:05Z

bookfairlady, can you play a 14 y/o and if so, will you please star in this (Hanna)?

So, despite starting my weekend with high hopes for some much needed restorative CT (chill time, yo), I spent most of my weekend irritated and mindlessly busy. Highlights, however, include:

*Lion King - not as grandiose as I remembered, but Julie Taymor still rules my heart
*Brunch at Mr. Natural's with margotamelia and lizzfest
*SoCo shopping and Vivo margaritas also with lizzfest
*Passing out asianredfacestyle only to awaken three hours later, still drunk and ready to partay
*80s prom party ft Mermaid Blonde & panaripoff's bangin' glasses
*Spending Sunday morning meet & greeting the coolest group of woo-woo people I've met in a while
*Tortilla soup madness Sunday night because I'm eating my feelings

I spent two hours this morning meeting with the City on what should have taken half that time. Break. More meetings. Break. It's only Monday and already I feel overwhelmed. This is not what I want to be doing with my life.

Deep breath, think blue hues tinged with purple and sparkly gold bits. Inhale. Exhale. This is what I learned this weekend and remarkably, it helps, if only for a minute.

So, my goal for the week (and I'm putting this in writing so ya'll can be witness): accomplish at least the top five on my new to do list (of 20+ items, my schedule fills up quick); take time out to see friends, smell the flowers, alone time, etc...; maintain sanity.

Ya'll feeling me?

ATTENTION DAVID DIDONATO

2007-03-09T19:10:51Z

R2D2 Mailboxes. F'real.

And in other news, went to see 300 @ midnight. It was spectacularly bloody. Plot wise, I found it a little flat. I mean, come on, it's history. The Battle of Thermopylae is probably one of the best known military battles ever exceeded only, perhaps, by the Rebel attack on the first Death Star (doh, two Star War's references in one LJ entry? I am really nerding out today). You know from the get go that the Spartans are all going to die. So especially combined with the lack of subtlety and complexity character wise, the director's attempt at adding intrigue and suspense to the narrative did very little, for me at least. Still, critique aside, I don't this negates its aesthetic appeal. The CGI animation for the monsters are probably the best I've seen since LOTR. And the cinematography, similar to Sin City, retain the visceral and lush feel of Frank Miller's original graphic novel, while creating its own distinctive impression as a film. The Anglo looking Spartans threw me off a little, but that's a topic for another day. All in all, thumbs up.

it's all that and a bag of chips

2007-03-05T18:02:24Z

Picture - Homegirls: The Potato Chips

Judging from comments in my last post, it sounds like there is interest in having an AFO dinner this Friday. I'll send an e-mail out later today. But for now, let's say 7 o'clock at Titaya's?

Calling all AFOers in the Austin area

2007-03-02T19:13:57Z

Dear ladies,

So, after following this discussion on aka_imelda's LJ, I was reminded that I haven't seen many of my AFOers since 2006. Ladies, we are now three months into oh-seven and I am experiencing withdrawal. Last year, we got together at Mother's to discuss feminism & pornography. To my recollection, there was good food, good company, good discussion, and fun was had by all. I propose that we start doing this on a regular, monthly basis. Liz and I have talked about doing this briefly, but we couldn't settle on a day. Is anyone else interested in doing this? If so, when is a good time for you? Non-AFOers are also welcome (for the unintiated, afo = alliance for a feminist option). Let me know soon before I wander off into the AFO-less abyss.

Love,
Melissa

P.S.
I also propose that the first topic be Feminism and sexuality simply because that was the topic of conversation that prompted this post. Is that too broad? Any other ideas?

happy v-day

2007-02-14T17:20:57Z

i love you all.

nothin' personal, ya'll

2007-02-13T18:03:01Z

just some links...

It's that horse from Amelie!

How fast can you type? (PS, my score - Typing speed (with 2 mistakes) is: 103.27 wpm, 463.45 cpm)

MSNBC: The End of Anonymity on the Internets?

VW Ball

Make me a free website? (this one's for you puella)

Interpretations of Department of Homeland Security Safety Pictures

i'm living like a rock star on two hours of sleep. on the upside, my boss said i can take monday off if i can finish this proj for him by weds. i'm pro mental health days. the end.

soviet bus stops & street art

2007-01-18T19:58:31Z

SOVIET BUS STOPS

STREET ART

courtesy of the people at polar inertia: journal of nomadic and popular culture.

dear austin friends...

2007-01-17T19:26:05Z

snow day, yay! working, boo!

an advantage, though, to working today is that i work with a bunch of home builder / developer types who are savvy to all of the home upkeep sorts of tasks for wintry weather. one nugget of wisdom that i am passing on: icicles, in the words of lily allen, knock 'em out. i know they look so pretty and festive all glistening up on your rooftops. but those pretty glittery things turn into pretty glittery projectiles of frozen head piercing death. so just, you know, be safe kids.

hope ya'll are staying warm!

Shh...

2006-12-13T17:45:38Z

though, i appreciate the community rating system of Digg and the editorial quirks of Will Femia of Clicked, i think i may be referring more to Metafilter in the future for my daily fix of odd news and assorted linkage.

in case you were curious

EDIT: how embarrassing, you could see my HTML

Season Greetings

2006-12-13T17:16:13Z

EDITH CAVELL HOSPITAL: LITTLE PREMATURE XMAS CARD

SCARED OF SANTA GALLERY

77 DESIGN GIFTS UNDER $77

And this is really more exciting to me, but Michel Gondry solved the Rubiks Cube with his feet!!!

hi_bye @ 2006-12-12T17:22:00

2006-12-12T23:22:56Z

possibly the most genius blog ever. diagrams for every day life. i present to you:

indexed

take my advice, or i'll spank you without pants

2006-12-04T18:52:27Z

This article showed up on digg [Original Link].

Do any of these sound familiar, Michael? My favorite translations are probably 10, 17, and 18.

ACTUAL ENGLISH SUBTITLES USED IN FILMS MADE IN HONG KONG

1. I am damn unsatisfied to be killed in this way.

2. Fatty, you with your thick face have hurt my instep.

3. Gun wounds again?

4. Same old rules: no eyes, no groin.

5. A normal person wouldn't steal pituitaries.

6. Damn, I'll burn you into a BBQ chicken!

7. Take my advice, or I'll spank you without pants.

8. Who gave you the nerve to get killed here?

9. Quiet or I'll blow your throat up.

10. You always use violence. I should've ordered glutinous rice chicken.

11. I'll fire aimlessly if you don't come out!

12. You daring lousy guy.

13. Beat him out of recognizable shape!

14. I have been scared shitless too much lately.

15. I got knife scars more than the number of your leg's hair!

16. Beware! Your bones are going to be disconnected.

17. The bullets inside are very hot. Why do I feel so cold?

18. How can you use my intestines as a gift?

19. This will be of fine service for you, you bag of the scum. I am sure you will not mind that I remove your manhoods and leave them out on the dessert flour for your aunts to eat. [sic, of course]

20. Yah-hah, evil spider woman! I have captured you by the short rabbits and can now deliver you violently to your gynecologist for a thorough examination.

21. Greetings, large black person. Let us not forget to form a team up together and go into the country to inflict the pain of our karate feets on some ass of the giant lizard person.

hey jeff

2006-11-28T00:50:08Z

who will win?

EDIT: I vote Wii

what's the deal with kramer?

2006-11-20T21:01:09Z

Michael Richards (aka Kramer from "Seinfeld) went off at a comedy show at one point yelling "Fifty years ago we'd have you upside down with a f***ing fork up your ass" to some Black men in the audience who had been heckling him. Watch the video on YouTube Here. Story from TMZ and MSNBC. Somebody left a comment in the TMZ article that it wasn't Michael Richards. I don't know if that's the case, but damn. Whoever it was, that's just inappropriate. I think being offensive as a punchline is all well and good (Sarah Silverman does this well; so does Dave Chappelle). But I didn't find this funny at all, just pathetic. If this is Michael Richards, whatever is left of his no-wheres-ville career post-Seinfeld is about to be shot beyond repair.

a wha??

2006-11-13T21:32:11Z

Like.com - GO THERE! new search site let's you upload an image (say of a celebrity) and locate vendors for the accessories they're wearing. article about it on Techcrunch. seriously, are we living in the future?

p.s.
does anyone remember back to the future II with the flying cars with composted fuel, self-tying shoelaces, and the best invention of all, hoverboards?? what happened to that? EDIT: oh, and obviously there was the delorean with the flux time capacitor, which is what makes time travel possible. but that should've been a given.

hey politicos

2006-11-13T21:20:44Z

The Right was right - now that the Dems control Congress, here's a preview of what to look forward to this year. a satire, clearly. or is it?

Power to YouTube

oh rlly?

2006-11-09T19:23:56Z

You are a
Social Liberal
(73% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(60% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Libertarian

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test