Manic Scribe

Breaking the Magic Wand

2010-04-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

I decline
To walk the line
They tell me that I'm lazy
Worldly wise
I realize
That everybody's crazy
A woman's voice reminds me
To serve and not to speak
But I myself am just another freak

When I was 8 or so, a magazine I read had a DIY computer program in it. It was a strange, text-based version of “The Incredible Machine.” You had to type in different items to use in order to solve a problem or perform an action in order.

The neat thing about the game was that you could manipulate code to add extra items not in the core set.

I created the item: “magic wand.”

Which, of course, you’d wave, and the task would be solved instantly.

I’ve been trying to break the wand ever since.

With a cough
I shake it off
And work around my yellow stripe
Should I hide
And eat my pride
Or wait until it's good and ripe
My life is boiling over
It's happened once before
I wish someone would open up the door

It was a small event, but reveals much about my character. I’ve always gotten frustrated too easily, given up too soon on things, wanted the easy way. I’ve always known this is bad for me, that it holds me back from being truly great in my endeavors.

I hate to fail. So, often, I don’t try.

Or, I can have a great idea, then think ‘but what about this? Or this” and in moments, I’ve come to a roadblock in my plan that seems insurmountable. And then I give up.

I think I know what I want to do. Just look at what I talk about or write about on a regular basis. But I don’t know how to do it. I need to make the choices, and sacrifices, for the future, and I don’t seem to be willing or able to.

Too many distractions. Twitter, dinner, dog hair, dancing.

There's fire in the hole
And nothing left to burn
I'd like to run out now
There's nowhere left to turn

Lyrics from “Fire in the Hole,” by Steely Dan

Apologetics: An Open letter to the students of Itawamba Agricultural High

2010-04-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

I know prom’s a big deal. I get that. And I’m sure that not all of you felt comfortable with the decision to Punk your lesbian classmate by sending her to a “fake” prom while you all attended the “real” one.

And I don’t fault you for not standing up to the wave of hatred, bigotry and mean-spiritedness that was coming from your classmates and your administration. I know how vicious things can be. I was on the fulcrum of outcast in high school myself, and stayed silent more than I should have just so bullies would have a target other than me.

It’s hard to do the right thing, especially when people you like, or respect, are telling you that it’s the wrong thing. And you want them to like you too. So you don’t dare disagree.

I’m mad at your parents and teachers, more than anyone. They’re the ones who are supposed to be setting a good example about loving the sinner, not the sin, do unto others, and whatnot.

The one time I ever actually teased someone--at an overnight camp that was school-sponsored--my teachers set me straight. All of us, the half dozen girls who were sharing a cabin, had participated, and we all got a stern talking to. I can’t speak for the other girls, but I took the lesson to heart. I was ashamed for not being strong enough to go against the flow, and it was a lesson I carry with me to this very day.

So, since none of your adults are doing that job, please allow me to chastise you in their place. I’ll try not to be too mean about it. This is for your own good, after all.

If you consider yourselves Christian, which many of you do, please remember how Jesus treated sinners. The poor, the needy, tax collectors and prostitutes. He went to their parties, drank their wine, ate their food. “Love the sinner, hate the sin” is a phrase that comes to mind here.

Of course there were no Dykes at these parties, at least the New Testament doesn’t say one way or another. But that still doesn’t make it OK.

Also, just so you know, you weren’t being very original with the fake prom thing.
Back in 1965—I know, like the stone age, before your parents were even born—this same prank got pulled on a girl in Alabama. Thing is, she wasn’t gay. She was black.

Anyway, it’s no skin off my nose. I’ve long ago forgiven the kids who teased me, threw gum in my hair, said I was related to Saddam Hussein because my skin seemed a little too dark. They were just kids; They knew not what they did.

Although the Catholic in me really hopes that the guilt churns you up, just a little bit.

What I've learned from NaNoWriMo (so far)

2009-11-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

It can’t be this easy, I keep thinking as I type word after word after word. I watch my daily word counts fly by. Even on days I don’t write—and they are rare—I’m still catching up and making my word count on a regular basis.

I think back to my first National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), 7—or was it 8—years ago. Feverish, marathon typing sessions. A bundle of nerves and sore wrists.

What changed? Maturity? Medication (I’ve always been ADD, but have only been on medication for the past 5 years)? Mahalo? The writing at the people-powered search engine was a trial by fire—multiple daily deadlines, and pressure to produce at a prodigious rate. Nine months of daily word counts that were, come to think of it, pretty close to the 1,667 words a day average that NaNo demands.

I’m sure that all of those things have helped. But there are a few other strategies I’ve identified that have helped make this year’s NaNo so smooth.

1. Be Prepared.
I went with a novel idea that I’d come up with many years ago. In fact, it’s basically a reboot of my original NaNo concept from my first time through. A few of the main characters, personality traits, and plots remained the same, but I never went back to my original notes, only thoughts I had had about the story between then and now.

Also, remembering my plot struggles from before, I made sure to take several days in October—mostly during bus rides and in the shower—to think about plot and characters, where they might go, and what they might do. This made it a lot easier for me to write during November. And I continued to use little blocks of time, that were not long enough to get much writing done, to think about plot and what might happen next. As a result, I wasn’t running out of plot nearly as much as last time.

2. Have Fun!
I made sure to use a novel idea that was interesting and engaging for me, and made sure that, whether my writing was good or bad, I was having fun while writing. If that meant that a character did something silly, or I had a random aside describing the character’s dinner, or I inserted a graphic sex scene (pun intended), then I’d do it. Sure, a lot of this won’t survive any edits or rewrites, but a lot will. In fact, me having fun caused a major character to spontaneously appear out of nowhere—a character that helped solve a major plot problem in my novel.

Fun also meant that I could not be anxious about things. I couldn’t worry about my stock clichés, spelling errors, or inconsistencies in the plot if I were focused on having fun. I can always fix problems if and when I edit it.

3.Find time to write, every day.
I made it a goal to write on a daily basis, and to change my lifestyle to make it easy to find opportunities to write. That included having a pen-and-paper in my purse at all times, writing on my lunch hour, and begging my husband to let me lug around his huge laptop on a recent vacation so I could write on the train and before bed. As a result, I found out which writing times worked best for me, and I only missed three, maybe four days of writing (so far).

4. When in doubt, summarize.
If there was a place in the novel where I got stuck, I simply summarized the basics of what I wanted to happen, then moved on. Like if I needed details on something I didn’t have, or I wasn’t sure how the heroes would get out of a tough scrape (though I knew they would). I know the basic points of what I want to happen, but the details are sketchy. For those scenes, I am doing either some basic narration, or I am just putting in a placeholder paragraph of summary. I may go back to clean those paragraphs up before the end of November, or, I may leave them until I revise.

5.Use shame and social networking.
I don’t use the NaNo forums much, but I do use the “Buddies” system there. I see how my nano friends are doing. Those who are ahead of me, or are close to my word count, it spurs my competitive edge. Those who are behind me, it makes me want to give them pep talks and help spur them on to greater things. And, to be honest, I get a bit of schadenfreude knowing that I’m doing better than them.

I also use sites like Facebook and Twitter (mostly Twitter) to keep friends who aren’t writers updated on my NaNo status. My tweeps will often reply back with short notes of encouragement, and just putting it out there makes me feel more productive.

Even with all these strategies, I’m not out of the woods yet. I’ve got 20,000 more words to go As an old English major (and an Old English major), I know that hubris is a dangerous thing. So I guess that strategy #6 and #7 are “stay humble,” and “keep writing.”

And now, if you’ll excuse me…

Calvin and Hypatia boarded the train bound for Chicago. He was wearing his new hair and face…

Thank you, Rhianna

2009-11-05T12:29:00.000-08:00

Rhianna's ABC Interview with Diane Saywer

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7223

For those who care to read my previous thoughts on the subject, you can find them here.

Pessimism, positive thinking, and horse poop

2009-09-24T10:53:00.000-07:00

I was reminded recently how much I hate the following anecdote. It goes, more or less like this:

A little boy is given a pile of poop as a gift. Instead of being sad, he is gleeful and starts playing in the scat. When asked why, he says "With this much poop there's got to be a pony somewhere!"

Cute story. But back in the day, when I was much, much (much) younger, this story always gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I have always thought it a horrible motivator, because this logic makes no sense.

First off, what kind of pile of poop is so incredibly big that it can hide an entire horse? Either a ginormous pile, or a very small pony, and both are unlikely scenarios.

Second of all, just because there's poop doesn't mean a pony is nearby. It means a pony was nearby. But the pony could have just as well rode off. The little boy may be happy now, but soon enough, he'll be sorely disappointed. And that makes my inner child cry.

Now, the thing is, there are certainly ways to spin this story so that the little boy comes out on top of the heap, so to speak.

1. If the boy is a gardener, he's got a wonderful fertilizer for his fruits and vegetables.
2. If he's not a gardener, but he has entrepreneurial spirit, he can package and sell the horse poop to others who are.
3. If he's just fallen off of a horse, the horse poop, though uncomfortable, could cushion his fall.

And so on.

I just wish that motivational peoples would be a little more realistic when they tell this type of story. With a little bit of creative thinking, the story can be turned into something realistic and motivating. Because otherwise, if you're someone who is into critical thinking, or has a pessimistic/realistic worldview, this story's not gonna sway them.

Brief thoughts on Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T05:56:00.000-07:00

I can't not dance to Thriller.

Everytime I hear it, I wait with embarrassed anticipation through the 30 second, atmospheric laden opening, for those first synthesizer chords, hoping I can stop myself from popping my hip to the side and throwing my arms up in the air (maybe grabbing my crotch), but knowing I won't.

My first "real" album was Thriller on vinyl, had an ill-concieved perm in elementary school that made me look like him, won a local adio contest for impersonating him by singing "Beat It."

I never idolized him, never went to one of his concerts, and I didn't quite know how to reconcile his later image with his Thriller heyday. I felt guilty sometimes enjoying his music because of his alleged crimes, felt guilty about passing judgement on an uber-superstar who no one, least of all me, could really ever know as a human being.

As such, I can't really mourn him. We see "famous" people every day, they are saturated into our culture, but they aren't real to us, though they may seem so. They're like someone from a history book, or are like a piece of furniture in a room. Something part of the landscape but not really interacting with it.

I don't mean to minimize the pain his family is going through right now. Death is always tragic, and especially when it comes unexpectly and to one so young.

But the best I can do for him is to dance. Which is what I've been doing all along.

Buffy Movie Fail

2009-05-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Reports surfaced today that the owners of the Buffy franchise are seriously considering a reboot/reimagining of the valley-girl slayer in big-budget movie form.

Nope, not Joss Whedon. Fran Rubel Kuzui, who bought the rights to make the first Buffy movie in 1992.

At last accounts, none of the cast from the movie or the TV series, nor Joss himself, would be involved with the project.

Now, I'll admit up front that I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan, and so I had a pretty negative emotional reaction when I first heard the news. However, I'm putting that aside for this post. After all, there have been some great franchize reboots recently that many people scoffed at but that came off well. I'm thinking Lord of the Rings here, and, of course, Star Trek.

However, allow me to take off my "Joss Whedon is my Master Now" T-shirt and analyze the numerous other reasons why this is a bad move.

1. Too early for a reboot. The Buffy series has only been off the air for seven years. Admittedly, things are getting rebooted earlier and earlier--Hulk had 5 years between its first and second movies, but Hulk had a few things going for it. One, the second movie was only partially a reboot. Sure, different characters, timeline, continuity, but the second movie did not retell the origin story. Also, the Hulk has a huge fanbase apart from any film adaptation.

2. Alienating the audience. The majority of Buffy's success is inextricably linked with Joss Whedon. I know I said that I wasn't going to be a fangirl, but hear me out. He wrote the first movie (even though he wasn't involved with it much beyond that) and he pretty much created the universe of the television series. The things that people love about Buffy--the mix of humor and drama, the snappy one-liners, the character development, that's all Joss. Everything I've heard from the reboot is that they're going darker and bigger in scope. I believe that a large number of Buffy fans are, not necesarily Joss Whedon fans, but fans of the campy side. A Buffy apart from this is not going to appeal to the same fans that the other Buffy prodcuts have.

3. Tabula rasa. The success or failure of this new Buffy movie hinges on the quality of the people picked to create it. Yes, the premise of Buffy leaves a ton of room to do lots of different things. Each generation, a girl is born who has superpowers and fights vampires. Beyond that, it's a blank canvas. A huge canvas. My worry is that the canvas will be too big for all but the most talented individuals to wield successfully.

If you ask me? The Kuzuis should forget the whole "Buffy" thing and get behind Joss to produce his Goners movie. It's a similar premise--girl gets strong and fights the monsters--and it has the potential to be a lot darker than the Buffyverse, such as it is.

And there's not all the baggage of a movie, a 7-season series, a comic book, and a legion of pissed off fans.

My Toothpick Moment

2009-04-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

I was just listening to So Long and Thanks for all the Fish, by Douglas Adams, on my ipod. There is a key scene in the book where minor character "Wonko the Sane". talks about how he decided to withdraw from society and become a hermit after he saw that there were instructions on the side of a toothpick box.

See Wikipedia reference here.

A society that needs to be told how to use a toothpick, he reasoned, is not one he wanted to be a part of.

Well, I’ve had my own toothpick moment recently. It came when I was flipping through some vegetarian cookbooks that I picked up at the library to try to figure out what the heck to do with the veggies that keep coming in from my CSA.

A little background here. I’m the type of girl who uses recipes as guidelines. For better or worse, after I’ve made something for the first time, I’ll often go off the reservation, adding more of one thing, less of another, and doing the dish from memory. Most of the time, say, for meat marinades and soups, this works fine. Other times, for, say, chocolate mousse for example (and this is purely hypothetical, I assure you), substitution is a bad idea and blows up in your face.

Hence why I’m a fruit cobbler girl, not a fruit pie girl. Pie crusts are an exact science. Cobbler topping is not.

Anyway, I’m reading this cookbook (which shall remain nameless), and on the inside front cover, there’s this disclaimer:

The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written. The Publisher is not responsible for your specific health and allergy needs that may require medical supervision. The Publisher is not responsible for any adverse reactions to the recipes contained in this book.

What. The. Fondue.

The recipes contained in this book are to be followed exactly as written.

Seriously? Gee, thanks Big Brother! I guess I’ll just turn myself in if I have butter beans but no kidney beans.

OK, I get it that pre-packaged products need to label allergens. I'm friendly with many people with life-threatening allergies, and they say it's a lifesaver, literally. But if you are allergic to nuts, and you make a recipe that calls for nuts, isn’t that more of a suicidal streak than a legal liability?

A society that needs to be told how to use a cookbook is not one that I want to be a part of. Excuse me while I go build The Outside of the Asylum now.

No Excuse. None.

2009-03-05T11:11:00.000-08:00

Chris Brown got charged today with assault and making threats against his girlfriend Rihanna. I was helping Mahalo to cover the Grammys when I first heard about it. It was first reported as a car accident. Rihanna and Chris are fine, the publicist said, but they’ll not make the Grammy Awards. They’ve gotten back together since he beat the shit out of her before the Grammy’s on February 8.

Sure, I should say “allegedly” here, and sure, I should be euphemistic and say “domestic violence, and sure, since she’s of age and her live is hers to live, if she’s the forgiving sort, then I should keep my mouth shut and keep my opinions to myself. I am, after all, a sporadic blogger who has no stake in the situation and who could really care less about the music of either Chris Brown or Rihanna. The Internet certainly doesn’t need another blogger adding to the noise of this already huge story.

Okay then, fine. Let me tell you another story.

A black woman with a couple of kids is staying on a friend’s couch. To say she is down on her luck is an understatement. Early in the morning, she is woken up out of a dead sleep, by her boyfriend pulling on her hair. He also slammed her head against the wall.

She was so freaked out, and disoriented, that she ran, half-clothed, out of the apartment in the middle of winter, just to get away from him.

The police were called, but she declined to press charges. No photographs, no news reports. Maybe she left him, maybe not. Maybe she’ll end up dead. That is the reality of most domestic violence.

And it’s a true story, too. I was the one who called the police. She was running, half-naked, down the street, screaming for help.

I do not fault either woman for their decisions or their situations. I feel so sorry for them that they feel like they have to stay with people who hurt them, or are too scared to do anything to prosecute those who have hurt them.

But Rihanna is lucky. Very, very lucky. Her gut instinct told her to do the right thing, even though she was not willing or able to follow through. She called the police and made sure they were waiting when she and Brown got to their destination. They were then able to record evidence, take statements and get a clear picture of what happened. Her blood in Brown’s car. Phone calls. Police reports and photos.

You see, in criminal cases, the victim does not have to want to press charges for charges to be pressed. If there’s enough evidence during the altercation, they can press charges anyway. Which is what the police did today.

Brown is lucky, too. He’s lucky that he “only” beat and bit and bruised her (according to reports). And he’s lucky Rihanna was wearing her seatbelt. Brown reportedly tried to push her out of a moving car. If she’d forgotten to buckle up, he could have succeeded. His actions could have broken her legs, her arms, her spine, her neck, could have killed her. He’s lucky he gets to apologize to a live person. Even so, Brown should be punished for his actions, and the law agrees. Whether Rihanna agrees is irrelevant.

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7223

Chris Brown and Rihanna latest news

"Dollhouse" Debriefing

2009-02-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

I'm writing this less than two hours after I've seen the pilot episode of Joss Whedon's new show Dollhouse. I'm probably one of the first people to see it, a little over a week before it airs.

I saw it in a furniture store with about a dozen others, surrounded by love seats, sofas and a plethora of salespeople circling around.

I'll be getting into some spoilery territory here about the structure of the show and some of the basics of the plot, as well as what I believe to be the strengths and flaws of the show. I'll try not to give away any specific plot points. You have been warned.

The show starts out with a lot of eye candy--Fast cars, fast women, sexy outfits, co-ed naked showering--but not a lot of dialogue. With all of this visual stimulation, it's a little hard to follow what's going on. After the first act, though, you figure out the basic rules of the Dollhouse, and how the main character, Echo (played by Eliza Dushku), fits in.

Briefly: The Dollhouse is dormitory for young men and women who have agreed to give up their identities in exchange for a clean slate. In this case, literally, for the memories of their past lives are wiped. They are given new memories and identities as needed, and are sent out to do assignments. When they return, they are wiped again. A little Bourne Identity, a little Alias, as some who watched the pilot with me remarked.

Though the Dollhouse is seen, it remains terribly mysterious after this first episode. Is the Dollhouse a government organization? A bunch of mad scientists playing god? A precursor to Firefly's Academy? We don't know. We do learn that the Dollhouse contracts its services out to a wide variety of clients and is run by an icy British woman. We also learn that somebody at the FBI knows something about the Dollhouse and has assigned the hunky Heilo from Battlestar Galactica, Tahmoh Penikett, to find out more.

We see Echo on assignment, which takes up the majority of the episode. For me, this was the most engaging part of the story, because we actually got to see Echo in character, see her handle an assignment, and watch a story arc that is easy to relate to.

During the pilot, we also meet a couple of the workers and residents of the Dollhouse, including Echo's handler, played by Harry Lennix (dude from the Matrix who was Morpheus' rival for Jada Pinkett's affections).

Although there are a few humorous parts, the pilot episode of Dollhouse seems to indicate that this is a dyed-in-the wool drama, with lots of sexy eye candy thrown in for good measure. Joss does not make with the funny so much here but the bodies are toned and oiled and beautiful and many scenes are visually stunning.

Though Joss is known for his strong characters, the character development was weak for most of the cast, including Echo. The most fleshed out character was Echo's handler, who came across as a very protective, father-figure type.

He was in stark contrast to the rest of the workers at the Dollhouse, who were extremely businesslike. The entire feeling was cold and impersonal, which may have been intentional, but it made it hard to relate to many of the characters.

At the end of the episode, I wanted to know more-much, much more-about the Dollhouse. It felt like there was too much to get across in a one-hour episode, and certain things were barely hinted at.

The people I saw it with had mixed reactions. Some felt that Eliza did not have the gravitas to pull off the role since she needs to play many different characters. Some were even more confused than I was as to what was going on. Everybody enjoyed it to a certain extent, and some of the salespeople who were hovering about sat down and had a look. That's a good sign I think.

I have a lot of confidence that the show will get better with age. For one, Joss likes to write stories with a ton of characters in them, so not everybody gets to shine right off the bat. I am certain that the characters will grow and develop and get really cool as the show goes on.

Also, the person who was running the screening, a local entertainment writer, told us that she had seen the first few episodes, and that the show did start to get tighter. There was a groove and a more consistent tone that emerged.

I also have confidence that the show will have a chance to ripen. According to our emcee at the screening, The new exec at FOX, a guy named Kevin Riley, is known for letting shows develop over time. He was apparently the guy that greenlit The Office at NBC and let it find its audience over a season or so.

Dollhouse is a bit confusing, but it has the potential to be a lot more accessible than some of Joss's other shows. No vampires, no Cowboys in Space.

Dollhouse was good, but not great. There's been only one great.

Dollhouse is premiering on Friday the 13th at 9PM, right after Terminator: The Summer Glau, er, Sarah Connor Chronicles. Take that as an omen, for good or for ill, as you wish.

Superbowl Commercials, post-game

2009-02-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well, now, this is interesting.

Before the game, when everyone else was excited about the hype, my expectations for this year's Super Bowl commercials were pretty low.

But then, as the game, and the commercials, progressed, while others began to be underwhelmed, I found that there were some pretty good ones this year.

The Clydesdales I've mentioned already, but I also liked Hulu's commercial. Alec Baldwin as a space alien trying to rot your brain was wonderfully funny and refreshing.

I was surprised that the GI Joe movie actually looked like fun, too. Part of this is because The Doctor, er, Christopher Eccleston, is going to be in the movie (you never forget your first Doctor, they say).

Yes, of course there were some busts. I despise talking baby commercials. They give me the creeps and I don't think they're funny. The GoDaddy commercials were all tease and no substance. And most commercials featuring animals were not very funny.

It also seemed to be that the best commercials, IMHO, were at the start of the game, and the commercials were not quite as good as the game progressed.

But overall, much happier with the 2009 commercials compared with the commercials from last year. Were they all that better? I don't really know. But I do know that the lower I keep my expectations and the less hype I buy into, the more I will enjoy the process.

First Half Update: Looking good

2009-02-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

Superbowl Sunday so far: Not only is the game competitive, the ads have been pretty good so far.

I am particularly partial to the Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl Ads. They are so cute and well-done. The big Clydesdale horse has so much personality, it practically jumps off the screen.

Doesn't really make me want to drink but anymore, but it's a great set of commercials which deserves to get some recognition.

Commercial Curmudgeon

2009-01-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

Forgive me, but I’m a commercial curmudgeon. I see great commercials like this one for Skoda motors in England, and in my own country, it’s all fart jokes and shock value.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the Superbowl.commercials. And if you're like me, and want to see the commercials, not the game, Mahalo is the best place for Superbowl commercials live coverage. You can find out what is airing when, and see the commercials online mere minutes after they have aired.

But when every company puts out a press release or a teaser to let you, the coveted viewer, know that you can see their product shilled on February 1, you expect more than what is generally given.

I'm fine with knowing what commercials will be aired before they air. It builds buzz, excitement and anticipation. But, frankly, the commercials for the past few years have not been up to par. This is the best that creative marketing minds can come up with? Admittedly, I like that Doritos uses audience participation in creating and choosing the ads, but the ads themselves are hit and miss.

Give me some real creativity, something innovative and exciting, and, oh, I don’t know, risky? Remember those Intel commercials from the 1990's with the dancing astronauts in the psychedelic lame spacesuits? Whether it's a good commercial is debatable, but it sure was memorable. And it was certainly something out of the ordinary.

The big fad this year is purported to be 3-D ads. Dreamworks and Sobe are both going to run ads in 3-D. Seems creative, but it seems more like ploy to get you out to check out the products and locales that offer the 3-D glasses. A bad commercial in 3-D is still a bad commercial.

Even so, If you are interested in getting those 3-D glasses, or making your own, check this out.

I’m watching the commercials at a friend’s house this year, a friend who has TiVo, so we can pause, replay and capture some of the better commercials this year. I just hope they’re worth it. But, I’m an optimist, and I an hopeful that we’ll get more than a few good commercials this year. Besides, any excuse to hang with friends, eat and drink is worth it.

If you'd like to skip Superbowl 43 and don't have Tivo, Mahalo is the place to go. They are super-exhaustive about this sort of thing. Here's a list of the commercials that will air on Superbowl Sunday.

Amy Borkowsky
Angels and Demons Super Bowl Ad
Budweiser Clydesdale Super Bowl Ad
Carreer Builder Super Bowl Ad
Cars.com Super Bowl Ad
Cheetos Super Bowl Ad
Chuck Super Bowl Ad
Denny's Super Bowl Ad
Doritos "Free Doritos" Super Bowl Ad
Doritos New Flavor Pitch Super Bowl Ad
Doritos Power of the Crunch Super Bowl Ad
Doritos Super Bowl Ad
Doritos The Chase Super Bowl Ad
Doritos Too Delicious Super Bowl Ad
Fast and the Furious Super Bowl Ad
Frosted Flakes Super Bowl Ad
GI Joe Super Bowl Ad
Go Daddy Danica Patrick Super Bowl Ad
Go Daddy Super Bowl Ad
H and R Block Super Bowl Ad
Heineken Super Bowl Ad
Heroes Super Bowl Ad
Hyundai Genesis Super Bowl Ad
Hyundai Super Bowl Ad
Jay Leno Super Bowl Ad
Kings Super Bowl Ad
LMAO NBC Super Bowl Ad
Land of the Lost Super Bowl Ad
Medium Super Bowl Ad
Miller One Second Super Bowl Ad
Monsters vs. Aliens Super Bowl Ad
NFL Network Super Bowl Ad
Pedigree Super Bowl Ad
Pepsi Super Bowl Ad
Sobe Lizard Lake Super Bowl Ad
Sobe Super Bowl Ad
Star Trek Super Bowl Ad
Super Bowl Ads 2009
Super Bowl Commercials 2009
Super Bowl Commercials Live Coverage
Teleflora Super Bowl Ad
Transformers Super Bowl Ad

Oscar Time

2009-01-22T08:16:00.001-08:00

Cross-posted at my other blog, Garlic is Love.

Oscar nominees were just announced today.

I'm a huge Oscar fan. Not so much for the movies but for the social aspect.

I usually do an Oscar party with my good friend B. Last year I skipped it. I hope to get back into the tradition this year. I like to realy glam up the food I serve, but this year, I am just about partied out. Not to mention that I should be more budget-consious than I have been due to the current economic doldrums.

However, I've got a turkey in the freezer and half a lamb's worth of meat. And I've got a steady supply of root and leaf vegetables coming in weekly from my CSA. So I think I'll be able to put together a nice spread for my guests that won't break my budget.

Hm. Maybe I'll even ask them to bring some canned goods to donate to charity, make it something more than appletinis and red carpets.

The Christians and the Pagans

2008-12-30T10:30:00.000-08:00

"But now when Christians sit with Pagans only pumpkin pies are burning." — Dar Williams, The Christians and the Pagans

Don't know the song? Click here!

It's a silly line from a cutsey folk song, but think about it. The line is describing one of the rare times in human history where people with different opinions can sit down and talk with each other without calling for blood. It's unfortunate that some areas of the world like Israel and the Gaza Strip can't do this right now, that tensions are too high. But the simple fact is that we're in a more tolerant age than we ever have been before.

The message of the song focuses on tolerance. Essentially, that family, friendshp, and connecting is more important than any strongly held religious belief. Yes, many of us disagree about religion, sometimes very vehemently, but what it comes down to is everybody wants to be able to live a good life and provide for their families.

And, in fact, I believe it's essential to expose yourself to different views and beliefs. It allows you to see different perspectives and really examine why you think the way you do. You You may even change your beliefs, just a little bit, but it also strengthens the beliefs you have and choose to keep. You get to the core of what you believe and why.

How many of us really critically examine the beliefs we grew up with? How many of us are just taking what we learned for granted?

That's why, when I'm on Twitter (and also in real life), I follow athiest skeptics and religious traditionalists, although I fall somewhat closer to the skeptic end of that scale (I'm a theistic agnostic. Confused? Click here). I made a decision very early not to exclude people as friends based on religious belief. People are more alike than different, IMHO. If people are interesting, have interesting things to say and if we have something in common, then they're someone worth knowing, even if they are a Christian and I am a Pagan.

What were the ten best films of 2008?

2008-12-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Jason over at Mahalo Answers has posted another $100 Question of the day. Today, it's:

What were the ten best films of 2008?

If you've not tried Mahalo Answers yet, this is an easy, entry-level question that anyone can participate in by answering. It's not like you have to have any specialized knowledge to give a good answer. You just have to think of your 10 favorite films this year, and give a short blurb on why you liked them. If you do that, you have a real chance to win $100 dollars! How cool is that?

As I've mentioned before, I'm not in this for the money. Nevertheless, I'll be throwing my hat into the ring on this question to see what I can come up with. I do so hope you'll join me.

I <3 Mahalo Answers

2008-12-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

According to Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis, the thing that you do where somebody asks you a question on a the web, and then you answer them, is called a "knowledge exchange." I always just called it "fun."

As an online friend once said about me, "If you happen to ask an open-ended question around her, you will find your question answered." I enjoy working with information, and there's nothing more satisfying than finding the answer to a tough question through research.

I've been the go-to person for questions at my office and in my circle of friends for years, especially for questions about language, science and cooking.

So it's no surprise that I am in love with Mahalo Answers.

Mahalo Answers is a lot like Yahoo Answers, which has been around a while. Essentially, peoople ask and answer questions in a Web-based format. The askers look at all the responses, and choose the best answer. But there are a few key differences.

First, there is a real emphasis on quality of the answers. Citations, and refutations are encouraged. I dabbled in Yahoo Answers for a while, but found there were a lot of stupid questions and snarky answers. It really turned me off.

Second, there is a monetary system that can allow you to earn money when using Mahalo Answers. You buy Mahalo Dollars, and then can offer them as tips as part of the questions you ask. The person you select with the best answer gets the tip. Then you can eventually cash out your tips and actually make money. Not only is the making money angle cool, in theory, this also helps to increase the quality of an answer, or at least the number of responses.

Third, the Mahalo Answers is incorporated into Mahalo's Search Engine Results pages. So people who surf over to Mahalo's page on, say, Bob Dylan, can see the questions that people have asked about him. If they have a question that is not answered on the Search results page or in those Mahalo Answers questions, they can hop over to Mahalo Answers and ask it themselves.

Fourth, there's already a community of people built up around Mahalo that is working with Mahalo Answers. This includes guides who work for Mahalo, like me, and others who simply enjoy the site.

And the types of questions that are asked and answered are quite varied. I've seen very few questions so far that didn't have at least two answers, even the very technical or obscure ones.

So, to sum it up in Reading Rainbow style:

"Do you like helpingn people find answers to their questions? Or do you have some questions you haven't been able to answer but want to? Then heck out Mahalo Answers. You'll be glad you did...but you don't have to take my word for it."

RIP Bettie Page

2008-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

Although not unexpected, as she had been ill for several weeks, and had fallen gravely ill in early December, it's still sad news that Bettie Page has died.

Read More Here.

She was such a beauty. Great hair, great smile, girl-next door features, and such a playful and adventurous spirit that shows through in all her photos.

Even though she herself really never knew of her fame until later in life-she gave up the modeling and pinup career in 1957 to become a born-again Christian-her legacy is simply amazing.

In our modern times where things can be much more, er, graphic, she is an example of a classier form of sexy that has, to a certain extent, gone out of vogue.

Page pushed boundaries, appearing in photoshoots with sadomasochistic themes which, for their day, were scandalous, but now seem tame. We owe her a great debt.

So, if you're already a fan of Bettie Page, take today to celebrate her. If you don't really know what she's all about, then check out some of her images and her official Web site. But don't do it at work, because although her poses are tamer than those of today, there's still a fair amount of topless photos.

Bettie Page

The Notorious Bettie Page (movie)

More pinup girls

Mumbai attacks

2008-11-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

A bunch of terrorist are in the midst of a co-ordinated attack on Mumbai, India. The reports first started trickling in on Twitter, of all places, as I follow a few people who live in Mumbai. They have actually heard the explosions.

The terrorists have hit at least 7 locations with grenades and automatic weapons. At least 25 are dead. A hospital, a hotel and a restaurant have been hit.

This is bad news all around. The situation is pretty chaotic. This is still going on. It's scary as hell. Mahalo's working on updates, which can be found at:

http://www.mahalo.com/Mumbai_Terrorist_Attacks

Quantum of Solace parody earworm

2008-11-21T05:51:00.000-08:00

I've stumbled across a parody of the newest James Bond Film "Quantum of Solace." I can't get enough of this video.
The vid is by comedian Joe Cornish. He had a comedy show with Adam Buxton on the BBC called "Adam and Joe" and is apparently friends with the "Shaun of the Dead" guys.

This is addictively funny. You have been warned.

The Video is here

This is just a stellar video, for several reasons. First, the production values on this are top-notch. The song is fun to listen to and musically interesting. The vocals, though sung by a guy who is obviously not the strongest singer in the world, are solid and in tune. And the somewhat dorky delivery adds to the song's charm. The music video that goes with the song is also high quality, splicing several clips from Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and a few other sources together to enhance the song and make it even funnier.

And the lyrics are some of the funniest I've heard in a while. They capture the essence of the new Bond films perfectly. My absolute favorite part of the song is where the singer slides into a diatribe about how he misses Roger Moore and the wry humor of the earlier bond films, without missing a beat.

I'd never heard of Joe Cornish before but I'll be seeking out more of his stuff. Largely because I hope it will help wean me off the video. I mean, I've watched it about 50 times already. I sing it at home and on the bus.

Sometimes I wish Roger Moore would come back
With his underwater car and some kind of jetpack...

YEEAAAAARGH!

Election Day Drinking

2008-11-04T14:37:00.000-08:00

(cross-posted on Garlic is Love.)
Whether you're a Republican or Democrat, a teetotaler or a lush, there's a libation for you on Election Day.

I did an informal Twitter poll, and most people are drinking hard liquor, of all things. Gin, scotch, Tequila (if "their man" loses), Goldschlager and bitters (aka "Conservative's Tears."

I'm having a small party, two political junkie friends are coming over later, but mostly I'm helping Mahalo make sure that the election returns are updated as fast and accurately as possible.

If you want to avoid the Internet traffic disaster that CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC will be, check out these fun and fast sites over at Mahalo:

Electoral Map
Exit Polls

But I digress. I wanted to offer some drinks of my own for this election cycle. Although I've tested these drinks, or versions close to them (ask me about the "flaming kitten" sometime), Imbibe at your own risk, don't drink and drive.

The Obama
1 to 2 oz peaty scotch, like LaPhroaig
1/2 oz Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
1/2 oz banana liqueur
splash of heavy cream
Combine, stir. Serve on the Barocks.

The McCain
2 oz whiskey
Juice of 1/2 lemon, fresh squeezed
1 Tablespoon of sugar
Shot of Tobasco sauce or other hot sauce (for that Maverick-y edge)
Shake, strain, serve.

The Palin
Essentially a Cosmo, but make sure you make it with Russian vodka.
2 oz Russian vodka
1 oz Cointreau, Triple Sec, or other citrus liqueur
1 lime, fresh squeezed (or 1 oz lime juice)
1 oz Cranberry juice

The Biden (called the Hrab in some circles)
Diet coke in a highball glass over ice.
Biden is a teetotaler, you see.

Other options

*Are you a Joe (or Jane) Six-pack? Celebrate being a demographic with a six pack of your favorite beer.

*Make a red-white and blue layered drink called a pousse-cafe. The trick is to use a narrow glass and pour each layer over the back of a spoon. You can use any liqueurs for this, but you'll want to experiment to make sure they have different enough densities to separate.

*Drink wine. There's a company doing "red" and "blue" wines, but any red, white, or blue wine will do.

And a few drink ideas for those who don't (or won't, or can't) drink. AAA is big on mocktails, to encourage people not to drink and drive. Check your local state AAA group, and/or the links below.

AAA Oklahoma "mocktail" contest winners

20 Mocktails from AAA Wisconsin

Red, white and blue layered drink (nonalcoholic)

One final note on non-alcoholics: Infusing herbs like mint, basil, or any herb you like is a great way to impart flavor, and a touch of bitterness, into a drink without adding the booze.

Remember, drink early, drink often!

I think that's how the saying goes...

Wardrobegate revisited

2008-11-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

Okay.

After a few days to simmer down, some interesting discussions on Twitter, and a great Slate article detailing how easy it actually is to spend 150 G's on couture, I've revised my position on Sarah Palin's wardrobe upgrade.

1. It's not taxpayer money. It's money donated to the GOP by numerous individuals.
2. A sharp, snappy wardrobe is necessary to Palin's appearance as the vice presidential candidate.
3. Whether a house-priced wardrobe or a $1.5 million house (aka the Obama's new digs), conspicuous consumption is conspicuous consumption.

I'm still not happy about the decision, but I'm no longer angry about the decision. The Republicans are right: there are more important issues in this election.

The Candidate's New Clothes

2008-10-22T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have this fantasy, when I win the lottery, that I'll go on a shopping spree with my style savvy little sister and get myself a whole new wardrobe.

I've seen the prices in the fashion magazines, but I figure, with a bit of thrift, I can probably get all the clothes I'd ever need for $10,000. That'd get me 50 outfits at $200 per outfit, or 20 outfits at $500 per outfit.

So how the hell does Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin spend $150,000 on clothes!

This is literally as much as my mortgage.

Hell, even Warren Buffet's daughter spent only $50,000 on her wardrobe upgrade after making a deal with her dad and losing a lot of weight.

It's irresponsible, it's unconsionable and its hypocritical.

Way to normal: The Music

2008-10-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

"Ben Folds new album "Way to Normal" is out. I just got my copy yesterday. Two words. Old school.

It came in a big, pinkish-burgundy fabric-covered box embossed with gold lettering. It had 60's "high quality boxed set" feel to it. The box held the CD, the DVD, a CD of extra improv tracks, and the album. I'm not being redundant here. An actual double vynyl album was included in the bundle.

Not only is the presentation of the album old-school, but many of the songs are a real throwback to the irreverent, fuzzy-bass, f-bomb laced rocking out sound of Ben Folds Five. Ben's last two albums, solo efforts, have been pretty mellow. Beautiful, yes, but it seemed that marriage and children and toned him down somewhat.

Well, Ben's gotten divorced, which you can read between the lines in many of the songs, and it's apparently been liberating for his music. While the feel of the album is old-school, He's certainly matured as a songwriter, and has taken the route where his lyrics aren't nearly as tight or as structured as they used to be. At times, he doesn't even attempt to rhyme. His arrangements are also much more elaborate and complex, and many of the songs wouldn't work for radio play.

Everyone will be focusing on the single "You Don't Know Me," which features the considerable vocal talents of Regina Spektor. It's a great song, don't get me wrong, and Spektor's amazing on the track.

But my vote for best pop song on the album is "Brainwascht" (pronounced brainwashed). It's a response to someone who wrote a song talking trash about Ben. It's brilliant, and shows that yes, Ben still knows how to write a pop song. Personally, I'm impressed that he's turned "online rhyming dictionary" into an insult.

Even without all the extra bits, the album is worth listening to, especially if you are a fan of old school Ben Folds.

Power trip

2008-10-03T13:46:00.001-07:00

I've seen others use social networking to get jobs. I've also gotten a job that way. But, not until this week have I actually influenced other people using the new media.

First, some context. If you ask an open-ended question in front of me, about something you want to know and don't, I'll probably try to find out for you. Usually this is just a quick google search. But, still, there's something very deep in my personality that wants to please AND wants to research that makes this happen. More than 80 percent of the time.

But lately, I've been more agressive about promoting cool things that I've found rather than helping others find things.

Nothing earth-shattering, mind you. I only turned someone on to a CD which she later bought, and helped someone expand his job search whish may or may not help him get a much-needed job.

But I am getting a bit of a power trip from this.

I was doing a quick survey on twitter, and about 30% of my tweets have links to stuff: either stuff I found that's cool, or re-tweets.

Now that I know that I have this power, I must use it wisely.

Extreme Home Makeover in my hometown

2008-09-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

The Mister: Hey, did you hear that Extreme Home..."
Me: Makeover's in town? Yes, I did.
The Mister: (pouts)
Me: What's wrong?
The Mister: Your spies are better than mine

I heard through the gossip grapevine that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was in my hometown of Holt, MI this week. Apparently they've got the entire block closed off for camera and construction crews.

The family story is thus: Dad, a nurse, died from Hepatitis C after a needle stick and a long struggle. Mom and kids are off to Disney World while the crew fixes up the house. It's a sad story, as are all the Extreme Makeover stories, and it will hopefully turn out for the best.

I don't know when this one is going to air, but the new season just kicked off Sunday, September 28th.

Michigan's been hit pretty hard by the economic storm that everybody's facing right now. Our economy and housing market has been slumped for longer than most. So it's nice to see a Midwest family getting some spotlight here.

However, Extreme Makeover isn't a free pass. The sad thing is some Extreme Home Makeover houses have gone into foreclosure recently. Usually because of not being able to pay taxes, change in family situation and that sort of thing. It's something to keep in mind that as much as the show can help people, it's entertainment first, and charity second. If the producers were really serious about helping people, they'd donate some seed money for taxes and would offer financial counseling and advice.

I mean, It's nice that the family gets to go on vacation while other people redo their house, but perhaps they should instead go to counseling boot camp. Or stay in town and help work on the house. To contrast, "Habitat for Humanity requires homeowners to put in "sweat equity," to work on the house with the other people who are volunteering their time. That gets them more emotionally invested in the house, I think. Also, Habitat's houses aren't so Extreme. They are modest, comfortable houses for families with mortgage payments and property taxes that the families can actually afford.

You can't have Manga (or, maybe, you can)

2008-09-25T16:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I shall do reviews of things. This post is one of them.

Mahalo Page Review: How To Draw Manga

Context: I’m a writer, not an artist. I have read a couple books and drawn a few pencil sketches but had never gotten much further than that. I can draw a pretty decent Dalek, though.

Pros: Very comprehensive. Good info on the basic supplies that one will need to get started. Page is divided into 10 sections: 2 intro sections, 6 how-to sections and a conclusion. Lots of links to several different sites with good visual examples. Straightforward and well-organized.

Cons: A little too comprehensive. The “what is manga” info is unnecessary and could be shortened. Doesn’t work as a stand-alone, that is, without clicking on the links. Needs a section on using 3-dimensional models for people (like me) who have trouble visualizing. Maybe a troubleshooting section. I can draw a cube by looking at it, but not from memory.

Bottom line: Mahalo’s a content clearinghouse, not a content creator. If you use the how-to page as a starting place and a jumping off point, it’s a great resource that’s not limited to a specific web site. But you’re not going to go from stick figures to busty anime babes just by reading the guide.

New gig

2008-09-23T11:58:00.001-07:00

I've been working for the search engine Mahalo for the better party of three months. It's been keeping me very busy.

Mahalo is a people-powered search engine that is half Google and half Wikipedia. Paid guides write pages on news, sports, celebrities and general interest topics.

I love the job, because I get to write factual blurbs about tons of different topics. I've written notes about the FDIC, presidential polls and Lindsay Lohan's ex-girlfriend's new girlfriend.

It's grunt work, not glamorous, but it's the type of work I like to do. And the people at Mahalo are pretty amazing. It's a fast-paced environment with high standards, but it's also very friendly and open.

And it pays. Now if I can just balance Mahalo with the day job with keeping my household running smoothly with spending time with friends, I'll be all set.

Look for a time management post coming sometime soon.

A literary hangover

2008-04-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

I've got this annoying habit. I'm like the Cthulhu of books. Most of the time, I'm dead but dreaming. I don't read much. But when I wake up, I devour every book in my path.

This is a problem because I'll pick up a book around 8 or 9 at night, and I'll still be up reading 'till 1, or later. The last two books I read--The Amber Spyglass and Scott Sigler's Infected--went this way.

I used to be an avid reader, when I had fewer things that demanded my attention. But now, I can't find much time to read, and when I do, it throws my schedule completely out of whack.

I've taken to reading short-attention-span work, like short stories, magazines, cookbooks, and non-fiction, to try to counteract this problem. But then I'm not getting enough fiction.

I don't know what to do, except for suffer through a literary hangover every month or so to make sure that I'm still getting in some long-fiction.

I'm just lucky that Infected hasn't given me nightmares. Yet.

What's up with all the white space?

2008-03-21T05:18:00.000-07:00

This has been bugging me for a while. I go to a blog site, like PZ Myer's blog Pharyngula, and I have to scroll down literally a foot of white space to get to the actual blog posting.

The blog is great, but I really do consider this a design flaw. And it's not just PZ's blog. Several other blogs I frequent also have this issue.

Is this so people are forced to look at the links in the left or right side of the Web site? Is it a flaw in the blog software being used? Or is it because my Version 6.0.2 of Internet Explorer is just too old to render new-fangled blog technology properly?

Can anyone help me out?

The Resume

2008-03-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

I just sent off a resume that, if I'm lucky, will change my life.

I'm now celebrating with a Grand Marnier and lemon on the rocks, and a brownie, but that's more my other blog.

The freelance gig I'm trying to get is very competetive, but would be a great opportuinty for me. Very prestigious, I could fit it into my schedule with my day job, and it's doing work I would enjoy doing.

It took about four days to take the resume I had, which was in good shape, and make it even better. I took my cover letter-writing skills to a whole other level. I solicited some advice from family and friends.

Worst-case scenario, nothing will come of it, but I'll have a much stronger resume to send out for freelance writing jobs. And, my skin will toughen at rejection.

But pessimism's my old style. My new style is much more optimistic. I'm already thinking of ways I can use new media to help drive traffic to my future employer. I'm taking advantage of technology like RSS feeds to keep my finger on the pulse of news and current events. And I'm already planning what to do with the added income I'll be getting.

If it turns out well, I may post some of what I've learned about cover letter writing in a later post. Of course, if it turns out well, I'll be doing much less blogging. But I promise I won't go away completely.

Coming out: My spiritual orientation

2008-03-06T18:50:00.001-08:00

I've decided that I'm a theistic agnostic.

Let me 'splain. No, there is too much. Let me sum up. I believe that there is a God, but I don't believe that I or anyone can ever *prove* that.

I know that the deck is stacked against there being a God. When I was a kid, about 7 years old, I was scared to death of dying. Now, if I were a good Catholic, like I was raised to be, I shouldn't have been scared.

Clown: Good madonna, why mournest thou?
OLIVIA: Good fool, for my brother's death.
Clown: I think his soul is in hell, madonna.
OLIVIA: I know his soul is in heaven, fool.
Clown: The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's
soul being in heaven.
--William Shakespeare, "Twelfth Night"

In plain English:

Skinner: Ah yes, Renata. How is she?
Linguini: She's good…well, not g…she's been better. I-I mean, uh…
Horst: She died.
Skinner: [awkwardly] Oh. I'm…sorry.
Linguini: Oh, no, don't be. She believed in heaven, so she's covered…you know, afterlife-wise.
"Ratatouille"

But I'm not sure about that. The whole possibility of non-existence after death has scared the shit out of me for years. And the only way I can deal with that is to believe that there is an afterlife, and, by extension, that there is a God. I can't not believe. (I'm not believing in God because of Pascal's wager, either. Hell is much less scary than non-existence to me.)

It's irrational, but faith is irrational. You can't prove faith, and those who try are seriously misguided. That's one of the main reasons that I think Intelligent Design and Creationism are so silly. Additionally, the debates over the Shroud of Turin or the James Ossuary should be meaningless for people who really have faith. Faith is believing something that can't be proven and doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It's very counter-intuitive. But we all do it to a certain extent. For some, religion is their faith, for others, it's secular things, like democracy.

The argument runs something like this. "I refuse to prove that I exist", says God, "for proof denies faith and without faith I am nothing." "But", says Man, "the Babel Fish is a dead giveaway isn't it? It proves you exist, and so therefore you don't. QED." "Oh dear", says God, "I hadn't thought of that", and promptly vanishes in a puff of logic.
--Douglas Adams "The Hitchikker's Guide to the Galaxy"

I'll live my life on this world doing my best to improve myself, be nice to others, and leave things in better shape than when I got here. Maybe leave an heir if I'm lucky. And I will do it for the benefit of that heir, and everyone who comes after. And, because it's the right thing to do. Not for some fear of divine punishment.

I'm also still going to pray sometimes, go to church sporadically, and search through religious texts to find meaning. I'm not going to consider those texts inerrant and infallible, and I won't just keep to religious texts, or texts older than 500 years old. There's wisdom everywhere. Even in Oprah magazine. Sometimes.

I'm coming out as a theistic agnostic for several reasons: For one, writing it down helps clarify my thoughts, to figure out exactly what I believe. Second, it's a confession of sorts. There's my Catholic roots showing again. Many times, I present myself as far more religious in the company of my devout friends and acquaintances, but I present myself as more atheistic in the company of skeptics and rationalists. I do this mostly so as not to get into huge debates, and not to hurt feelings. But that practice is intellectually dishonest.

That doesn't mean I'm going to randomly blurt out to my mother "I'm not a Christian," or post “I believe in God” in the comments of the Geologic Podcast, but I need to say the words out loud, write them down, get them in order, so I can learn to be true to what I believe, and not change how I present myself because I'm worried about what other people will think or how they will feel.

Dude! There's my lexicon!

2008-03-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

I was thinking the other day about all the odd words and turns of phrases that I use, and why I use them. Here’s a list of some of my favorite words, and where I first remember picking them up. Most of these are from movies and TV shows.

In no particular order, let’s start with:

Plethora. Got this from an old Rocky and Bullwinkle episode. Something about the Ruby Yacht of Omar Kayyam, which was set on a cruise ship. (the Yacht was an artifact, not a ship). One of the guys used the phrase “plethora of rain,” and all of a sudden, the cartoon went into a quick vocab lesson. An early attempt at getting smarts into cartoons? I’d say so. Every term paper ever written should have at least one use of “plethora.”

Cool. I grew up in the 80’s. I never remember a time that I didn’t use this word. ‘Nuff said.

Dude! Although I never actually saw Dude, Where’s My Car? I picked up the use of this word after the trailers for the movie came out. I use this like I use cool, but it’s more multipurpose. More like that Superbowl Ad.

Clandestine. An old college joke. For many years, my husband’s e-mail sig file was a quote of mine: “Clandestine is a cool word.”

F*cktard. Picked this up recently from an episode of the Wingin’It Podcast. Thanks, Debbie!

Behemoth. A conversation between a co-worker and me many years ago. A word that’s not used nearly enough.

Metric Crap-ton. My preferred word for something very large. I don't like the word Ginormous, so I use this instead.

Pronoun Trouble. Apparently, I picked this up from Daffy Duck in an old Looney Toons episode. If you have to pick one phrase to adopt from this list, this is it. Terribly useful in the workplace. The whole concept of pronoun trouble can save your sanity, especially when your co-workers talk to you like you can read their minds.

Wonky. Used in The Norm comic strip, a strip that I used to love. Still do, but it’s no longer free or in the local papers.

Wiggy. Picked this up from Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV show. I use it like wonky, but less frequently.

Shiny, gorram, techy, tussle, palaver, and others: Pretty much any word, phrase or quote from Firefly I can and have incorporated into my vocabulary. What can I say, I’m an obsessed Browncoat.

Crap on a Crap cracker. Uttered by podcaster Mur Lafferty. Less of a swear word than an F-bomb, so good in situations where swearing is frowned upon.

Made of Awesome. Also used by Mur and assimilated by me.

Brilliant/Fantastic. I was saying this before I started watching Dr. Who. I have some British friends who use the term, so I picked it up from them.

W00t! Well who isn’t using w00t! these days in their written communications? More people should say it aloud--it's fun! Try it!

I can has? Oh Noes! WANT! and others: This is LOL Cats speech: LOL cats are funnier than the have a right to be. I sometimes use the ungrammatical I can haz and other phrases from the LOL Cats.

Groovy: From Army of Darkness. I don’t say it as much anymore, because I find it silly. Like any of these other words and phrases are any less silly. Just color me logically inconsistent.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? I don’t know where I picked this up, but I’ve been using it over the past year.

Oh my Stars. Again, not sure where I picked this up, but fairly recent. During a time I was trying to swear less. For the record, that time has passed.

I'd love to hear from others about what wierd words they use and where they picked it up. Acronyms, abbreviations, it's all good.

The thing is, is that...

2008-02-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

Has anyone else noticed the "double is" construction in everyday conversations?

For example, one might say "The thing is is that she's allergic to shellfish." Or, "The thing was, was that I had pneumonia." Note that the verb "is" shows up twice. I've heard several people use this type of phrase and I use it often in conversation.

Why do we do this? Isn't it technically ungrammatical? Anyone? Bueller?