Okay, so this is a big weekend for me for two reasons: One, the Georgia Bulldogs are in the SEC Championship Game, and if they win they face Notre Dame for the national championship, and I don't care folks are saying, we have a chance at a win. As long as I wear my red-and-black-striped toe socks. Which I totally will.
The other big part of the weekend is that Saturday is December 1, which means I get to start decorating the house for Christmas. Which I will be doing every moment I'm not watching football, meaning that by sundown our house is going to look like it just got brutally attacked by one of those Christmas Villages that pop up in the retail spaces vacated by Spirit Halloween Store shortly after Halloween.
So that's two things that are good this weekend. But wait! There's more!
What's good (for the indeterminate period ending 11/30):
- Dame Judi Dench. I loved her in the new Bond movies, I love her in "As Time Goes By," and I love her even more knowing she embroiders charming little needlepoint pillows that say "You Are a Fucking Shit." She's on my list of women I want to have lunch with, along with Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, and Jennifer Lawrence (just for variety).
- My imaginary lunch with Judi Dench, Tilda Swinton, Viola Davis, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, and Jennifer Lawrence
Showing posts with label Friday Ten. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friday Ten. Show all posts
Friday, November 30, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten: Final frontier edition
Okay, so I was really sad to see the space shuttle program go. I know NASA has its reasons for backing off of manned space flight, but for me--a child of the 80s--that's just what the space program is about. Huge, powerful telescopes and rovers on Mars are super cool, and I get a thrill every time astronomers report the discovery of a new celestial structure, but space exploration has to involve people in jumpsuits doing slow backflips in outer space and eating pudding out of midair while talking to second-graders live via video feed. I wanted to be Sally Ride.
That's why the science-fiction-y concept of commercial space flight is such a thrill to me--even if the government doesn't feel compelled to put humans back into space, private companies (hopefully) will be able to pick up the slack in terms of discovery and general childlike wonder. And this morning, I got to watch via live feed as the SpaceX capsule Dragon docked with the International Space Station. The Boy and I both remember the thrill of watching rocket launches when we were little, and we were sitting rapt the entire time as the docking happened in real time, right in front of us. It made me hopeful for the the future, and not a lot of things really do that a lot.
What's good (for the week ending 5/25):
- The Replacements. I'd spent enough time quoting this movie that I finally managed to convince The Boy to sit down and watch it, even though he doesn't care about football or Keanu Reeves. But of course he loved it, and now when I say, "Get the ball! Get the ball! I'm comin' for ya, blue eyes!" he laughs because he knows what I'm talking about, not because I seem slightly unstable and it's best to humor me.
- Google Chrome
- Otis Redding
- Kayaking. I'd never done it before, but The Boy bought a kayak, because it was half-off, and who can resist a half-price kayak? and I thought it would be fun to try. Dude. That's the most intense upper-body workout known to man, and it's transportation, and it puts you right next to the water on a hot day.
- Nutrisse Nourishing Color Foam in Light Intense Auburn
That's why the science-fiction-y concept of commercial space flight is such a thrill to me--even if the government doesn't feel compelled to put humans back into space, private companies (hopefully) will be able to pick up the slack in terms of discovery and general childlike wonder. And this morning, I got to watch via live feed as the SpaceX capsule Dragon docked with the International Space Station. The Boy and I both remember the thrill of watching rocket launches when we were little, and we were sitting rapt the entire time as the docking happened in real time, right in front of us. It made me hopeful for the the future, and not a lot of things really do that a lot.
What's good (for the week ending 5/25):
- The Replacements. I'd spent enough time quoting this movie that I finally managed to convince The Boy to sit down and watch it, even though he doesn't care about football or Keanu Reeves. But of course he loved it, and now when I say, "Get the ball! Get the ball! I'm comin' for ya, blue eyes!" he laughs because he knows what I'm talking about, not because I seem slightly unstable and it's best to humor me.
- Google Chrome
- Otis Redding
- Kayaking. I'd never done it before, but The Boy bought a kayak, because it was half-off, and who can resist a half-price kayak? and I thought it would be fun to try. Dude. That's the most intense upper-body workout known to man, and it's transportation, and it puts you right next to the water on a hot day.
- Nutrisse Nourishing Color Foam in Light Intense Auburn
Friday, April 06, 2012
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Not-Even-Random Ten: I Feel Pretty edition
Okay, so for those of you (for instance, say, ZenBubba) who were wondering when I got back: Um, whenever. Not sure. March 23? We'll call it that. Sounds as good as anything else.
The good (for the two-week period ending 4/6/2012:
- Good Friday
- Good Fridays (the kind where your boss lets you out early on a sunny day)
- Hard-to-schedule interviews that, once scheduled, turn out stellar
- Cocaine shaped like shoes. (I mean, obviously cocaine is bad, but painstakingly crafting it into Manolo Blahniks to sneak it through airport security? That's at least got some class)
- Feeling inspired. Even gooder? Acting on that inspiration
The good (for the two-week period ending 4/6/2012:
- Good Friday
- Good Fridays (the kind where your boss lets you out early on a sunny day)
- Hard-to-schedule interviews that, once scheduled, turn out stellar
- Cocaine shaped like shoes. (I mean, obviously cocaine is bad, but painstakingly crafting it into Manolo Blahniks to sneak it through airport security? That's at least got some class)
- Feeling inspired. Even gooder? Acting on that inspiration
Friday, March 23, 2012
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Not-Even-Random Ten: I'm Back, No Seriously, This Time It's for Real edition
Okay, so I've become irrationally obsessed with The Hunger Games. I'd heard about it from here and there, and it was always somewhere toward the back of my reading list. When the first movie trailer came out, I found it intriguing and decided I definitely wanted to see the movie and should probably read the book first.
I loved it way too much. I'm saying I loved it more than is reasonable for a book that is solidly readable but not in any way spectacular. It's a good book, but not a great one such that I should be thusly fixated on it. No explanation. But this is all by way of saying that the movie is coming out today and I'm so inexplicably excited. The Boy teases me. He's probably teasing me right now.
What's good (for the indeterminate period ending 3/23/2012):
- Dirty Signs With Kristin, wherein Kristin teaches you to say things you probably shouldn't in American Sign Language. Today's lesson: how to sign "giant cock-topus."
- Firefighters doing their job like a boss.
There's a story behind this, and I could tell you, but I'm… not. (Totally feeling for the guy who has to pull up his dress while he's running. Strapless is a pain. I have to do that all the time.)
- Getting paid to do something you actually enjoy, not just something you tolerate doing because it pays the bills
- The Motorola Droid Bionic
I loved it way too much. I'm saying I loved it more than is reasonable for a book that is solidly readable but not in any way spectacular. It's a good book, but not a great one such that I should be thusly fixated on it. No explanation. But this is all by way of saying that the movie is coming out today and I'm so inexplicably excited. The Boy teases me. He's probably teasing me right now.
What's good (for the indeterminate period ending 3/23/2012):
- Dirty Signs With Kristin, wherein Kristin teaches you to say things you probably shouldn't in American Sign Language. Today's lesson: how to sign "giant cock-topus."
- Firefighters doing their job like a boss.
There's a story behind this, and I could tell you, but I'm… not. (Totally feeling for the guy who has to pull up his dress while he's running. Strapless is a pain. I have to do that all the time.)
- Getting paid to do something you actually enjoy, not just something you tolerate doing because it pays the bills
- The Motorola Droid Bionic
Friday, October 07, 2011
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Not-Even-Random Ten: Bueller? Bueller? edition
Okay, so it was just a quick break. Making sure you'd miss me while I was gone. Did it work? [cricket sounds… cricket sounds…]
What's good (for the indeterminate period ending 10/7):
- The Nobel Peace Prize, this year awarded to three women: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkul Karman. These leaders and activists demonstrate that women's issues aren't just some niche concern and that world peace can't exist without addressing the needs of fifty percent of the world population.
- See that last link? That's me, yo! Having a fancy-schmancy big-time blogging job is good.
- Nuts.
- Whatever lipstick Amy Pond has been wearing throughout her tenure on Doctor Who. I've taken to calling it Amy Pond Red, and I want it. If anyone can find a color match for Amy Pond Red, please let me know.
- Sally Hansen Tough as Nail Xtreme Wear nail polish in Gunmetal.
What's bad:
- Alabama's new immigration law. Listen, I recognize that illegal immigration is a problem. It's not like I'm completely ignorant of that and Pollyana-ish that it's problematic. But profiling drivers and demanding immigration papers at traffic stops, requiring schools to determine the immigration status of their students, and forbidding anyone to give an illegal immigrant a sandwich or an afternoon's work or a ride to the hospital is sick. As a nation, we're supposed to be better than that.
- Not having a parade to sing in when you're skipping work in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
The Ten:
1. Big Audio Dynamite, "Bad"
2. The Dream Academy, "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"
3. The Beatles, "Twist and Shout"
4. John Williams, "Star Wars (Main Title)"
5. Zapp, "Radio People"
6. The (English) Beat, "March of the Swivelheads"
7. Yello, "Oh Yeah"
8. Blue Room, "I'm Afraid"
9. The Flowerpot Men, "Beat City"
10. Wayne Newton, "Danke Schoen"
Your Ten, your favorite Ferris Bueller quotes, and your--Okay, screw it, find that lipstick for me and put the name of it in comments. Find it. NOW.
What's good (for the indeterminate period ending 10/7):
- The Nobel Peace Prize, this year awarded to three women: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkul Karman. These leaders and activists demonstrate that women's issues aren't just some niche concern and that world peace can't exist without addressing the needs of fifty percent of the world population.
- See that last link? That's me, yo! Having a fancy-schmancy big-time blogging job is good.
- Nuts.
- Whatever lipstick Amy Pond has been wearing throughout her tenure on Doctor Who. I've taken to calling it Amy Pond Red, and I want it. If anyone can find a color match for Amy Pond Red, please let me know.
- Sally Hansen Tough as Nail Xtreme Wear nail polish in Gunmetal.
What's bad:
- Alabama's new immigration law. Listen, I recognize that illegal immigration is a problem. It's not like I'm completely ignorant of that and Pollyana-ish that it's problematic. But profiling drivers and demanding immigration papers at traffic stops, requiring schools to determine the immigration status of their students, and forbidding anyone to give an illegal immigrant a sandwich or an afternoon's work or a ride to the hospital is sick. As a nation, we're supposed to be better than that.
- Not having a parade to sing in when you're skipping work in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
The Ten:
1. Big Audio Dynamite, "Bad"
2. The Dream Academy, "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want"
3. The Beatles, "Twist and Shout"
4. John Williams, "Star Wars (Main Title)"
5. Zapp, "Radio People"
6. The (English) Beat, "March of the Swivelheads"
7. Yello, "Oh Yeah"
8. Blue Room, "I'm Afraid"
9. The Flowerpot Men, "Beat City"
10. Wayne Newton, "Danke Schoen"
Your Ten, your favorite Ferris Bueller quotes, and your--Okay, screw it, find that lipstick for me and put the name of it in comments. Find it. NOW.
Friday, March 25, 2011
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Not-Even-Random Ten: now with double The Good Stuff
Okay, so this newest triumphant re-re-return of TGTBATF(NE)RT is due almost entirely to the kindness of the doctors (and damned if I can remember which ones) who stole my wisdom teeth from me yesterday morning. I think it was yesterday. Anyhoo, they're the reason I'm sitting on my couch instead of my desk chair at lunchtime on a Friday, and the reason I'm eating blueberry yogurt here instead of proper lunch. But there's a silver lining to even the yickiest of dental clouds.
The Good (for 3/25):
- a day off. It's not everything, but it helps.
- post-anesthetic comedy--in this case, "I see rhinoceroses. And when I close my eyes, there's a couch over there."
- Burn Notice, my TV marathon of choice for my convalescence. Deadpan voiceovers, improvised gadgetry, unconventional advice for living, and Bruce Campbell: a universal good.
- blueberry yogurt
- a loved one willing to pour Muscle Milk milkshakes down your face until you're in a condition to chew
The Bad:
- the pain
- the yick
The Ten:
1. God Lives Underwater, "From Your Mouth"
2. Garbage, "Shut Your Mouth"
3. Johnny Cash, "Hurt"
4. Jimmy Eat World, "Pain"
5. Lauryn Hill, "When It Hurts So Bad"
6. The Police, "King of Pain"
7. Lenny Kravitz, "Let's Get High"
8. U2, "Miracle Drug"
9. Mono, "The High Life"
10. Sade, "Feel No Pain"
Your Ten, your most entertaining anesthesia stories, and your favorite tasty, no-chew snack recipes go in comments.
The Good (for 3/25):
- a day off. It's not everything, but it helps.
- post-anesthetic comedy--in this case, "I see rhinoceroses. And when I close my eyes, there's a couch over there."
- Burn Notice, my TV marathon of choice for my convalescence. Deadpan voiceovers, improvised gadgetry, unconventional advice for living, and Bruce Campbell: a universal good.
- blueberry yogurt
- a loved one willing to pour Muscle Milk milkshakes down your face until you're in a condition to chew
The Bad:
- the pain
- the yick
The Ten:
1. God Lives Underwater, "From Your Mouth"
2. Garbage, "Shut Your Mouth"
3. Johnny Cash, "Hurt"
4. Jimmy Eat World, "Pain"
5. Lauryn Hill, "When It Hurts So Bad"
6. The Police, "King of Pain"
7. Lenny Kravitz, "Let's Get High"
8. U2, "Miracle Drug"
9. Mono, "The High Life"
10. Sade, "Feel No Pain"
Your Ten, your most entertaining anesthesia stories, and your favorite tasty, no-chew snack recipes go in comments.
Friday, February 04, 2011
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so this week has been kind of a serious one: The posts of note were about the State of the Union and the opposition response, we faced down dumbassery from Bill O'Reilly and no fewer than 173 Representatives, and The Boy had a birthday that we'll just wasn't 29. So I invite you to take a minute and revisit this post.
See? Wasn't that nice?
What's good (for the two-week period ending 2/4):
- self-righteous unintentional hilarity. "Where do the tides come from, huh? Answer me that. See, you can't! That's bec--Oh, really? Huh. Uh… well… Where did the moon come from, Mr. Smartypants?" When you screw up, your two options are to own up to it and look humble or keep digging and look like a bigger douche with every shovelful. Quit digging. Well, not you, Mr. O'Reilly.
- home warranties
- Roger Ebert vs. a Nicholas Sparks movie starring Miley Cyrus. He's actually pretty gentle with Ms. Cyrus; the last three paragraphs are the winners.
- the source of Ebert's Cormac McCarthy comment (at the link previous). It's one of those you-laugh-or-you-cry things, and I choose to laugh, and the reason why is "'A Farewell to Arms, by Hemingway. Good stuff. That's what I write." That is the reason why.
- Bach's Toccata and Fugue on a giant foot piano
- the state of the salmon. Okay, funny/sad.
- Baby Monkey (Going Backwards On A Pig). Oh, hell, here's the embed:
- someone else who doesn't get Bieber's 'Bama Bangs. The money quote: "At my age, I have to wonder: Who the heck is this kid, and why can't he get a haircut?"
- a template for every awful Facebook discussion you've ever witnessed. I'm always The Thoughtful One, I swear.
- the Big Top Cupcake cake mold. It is (God willing) going to turn out a huge, enormous cupcake for The Boy's birthday tonight. I haven't even used it yet, but I'm calling it a Good, because even if I screw things up and the cake is horrible it's still a huge, enormous cupcake, and that's awesome.
What's bad:
See? Wasn't that nice?
What's good (for the two-week period ending 2/4):
- self-righteous unintentional hilarity. "Where do the tides come from, huh? Answer me that. See, you can't! That's bec--Oh, really? Huh. Uh… well… Where did the moon come from, Mr. Smartypants?" When you screw up, your two options are to own up to it and look humble or keep digging and look like a bigger douche with every shovelful. Quit digging. Well, not you, Mr. O'Reilly.
- home warranties
- Roger Ebert vs. a Nicholas Sparks movie starring Miley Cyrus. He's actually pretty gentle with Ms. Cyrus; the last three paragraphs are the winners.
- the source of Ebert's Cormac McCarthy comment (at the link previous). It's one of those you-laugh-or-you-cry things, and I choose to laugh, and the reason why is "'A Farewell to Arms, by Hemingway. Good stuff. That's what I write." That is the reason why.
- Bach's Toccata and Fugue on a giant foot piano
- the state of the salmon. Okay, funny/sad.
- Baby Monkey (Going Backwards On A Pig). Oh, hell, here's the embed:
- someone else who doesn't get Bieber's 'Bama Bangs. The money quote: "At my age, I have to wonder: Who the heck is this kid, and why can't he get a haircut?"
- a template for every awful Facebook discussion you've ever witnessed. I'm always The Thoughtful One, I swear.
- the Big Top Cupcake cake mold. It is (God willing) going to turn out a huge, enormous cupcake for The Boy's birthday tonight. I haven't even used it yet, but I'm calling it a Good, because even if I screw things up and the cake is horrible it's still a huge, enormous cupcake, and that's awesome.
What's bad:
Friday, January 21, 2011
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so I've been trying to come up with something witty, topical, and timely to head up this week's TGTBATFRT, and I've come to the conclusion that I got nothin'. I did try, though. Like, hard.
Sooo... how 'bout those Trekkies, or whatever? Right?
What's good (for the week ending 1/21):
- memories of a Mexican beach vacation to stave off the cold. And if you were my friend on Facebook, you'd know all about it. And if you knew all about it, you'd hate me forever, so it's probably best that things are as they are.
- new hotness. I'm cranking this baby out on a new MacBook Pro, and I gotta tell you, it's a thing of beauty. It's so shiny. And it's got a bomb-ass processor and a beefy hard drive. And it's shiny.
- new glasses. It might not seem like a huge thing, but when you've been wearing the same pair of glasses you've had since college, getting a pair that has the proper prescription and fits your face is a lovely thing. (I have been getting my contacts taken care of regularly, kthx.) They're a little bit naughty-librarian and a little bit put-my-hair-in-a-ponytail-and-wait-for-the-captain-of-the-football-team-to-ask-me-to-prom-on-a-bet. I'm calling it a good thing.
- being back on the job. It's nice to get back to the blog, even if I'm still not doing it at the rate I've been meaning to. Thanks to all of my reader who's nagged me about it.
- Clairol Perfect 10 Hair Color in Auburn Flash
What's bad:
- the Tea Partiers. I know, it's a really awful thing for me to say as a liberal and a more-or-less-moderate, and I'm supposed to… do something, I don't know, but I'm tired of them. In the beginning, it was kind of cool, at least in concept--I've never really followed them on their politics, but I liked their spunk. Now, it's completely misguided, and suddenly a bunch of old white guys are running around waving Obama signs with Hitler mustaches and blurting out idiotic Glenn Beck talking points every time a camera points at them. The whole thing in Tennessee is only the most recent example--guys, if you're going to name yourselves after a vehement and dramatic protest against unfair taxation, you need to try to stay at least a little bit on-message to not sound like some wandering kook with a committee. Or if you're going to back this particular horse, call yourselves the Revisionist Historians or something.
- My. Big. Redneck. Wedding. Great. Because our fumbling governor and ban on sex toys and bingo haven't made us look dumb enough already.
The Ten:
1. Ramsey Lewis, "Do What You Wanna (Mr. Scruff's Soul Party Mix)"
2. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Andante" (from Violin Concerto in D major)
3. Dean Fields, "Irish Bars"
4. Heather Nova, "Paper Cup"
5. Chicane, "No Ordinary Morning"
6. Giuseppe Verdi, "Libiamo" (from La Traviata)
7. Dirty Vegas, "7 AM"
8. Billy Idol, "Hot in the City"
9. Linkin Park, "Figure.09"
10. Frank Sinatra, "The Lady is a Tramp" (with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.)
Your opinions on stuff, and things, and your Tens go in comments.
Sooo... how 'bout those Trekkies, or whatever? Right?
What's good (for the week ending 1/21):
- memories of a Mexican beach vacation to stave off the cold. And if you were my friend on Facebook, you'd know all about it. And if you knew all about it, you'd hate me forever, so it's probably best that things are as they are.
- new hotness. I'm cranking this baby out on a new MacBook Pro, and I gotta tell you, it's a thing of beauty. It's so shiny. And it's got a bomb-ass processor and a beefy hard drive. And it's shiny.
- new glasses. It might not seem like a huge thing, but when you've been wearing the same pair of glasses you've had since college, getting a pair that has the proper prescription and fits your face is a lovely thing. (I have been getting my contacts taken care of regularly, kthx.) They're a little bit naughty-librarian and a little bit put-my-hair-in-a-ponytail-and-wait-for-the-captain-of-the-football-team-to-ask-me-to-prom-on-a-bet. I'm calling it a good thing.
- being back on the job. It's nice to get back to the blog, even if I'm still not doing it at the rate I've been meaning to. Thanks to all of my reader who's nagged me about it.
- Clairol Perfect 10 Hair Color in Auburn Flash
What's bad:
- the Tea Partiers. I know, it's a really awful thing for me to say as a liberal and a more-or-less-moderate, and I'm supposed to… do something, I don't know, but I'm tired of them. In the beginning, it was kind of cool, at least in concept--I've never really followed them on their politics, but I liked their spunk. Now, it's completely misguided, and suddenly a bunch of old white guys are running around waving Obama signs with Hitler mustaches and blurting out idiotic Glenn Beck talking points every time a camera points at them. The whole thing in Tennessee is only the most recent example--guys, if you're going to name yourselves after a vehement and dramatic protest against unfair taxation, you need to try to stay at least a little bit on-message to not sound like some wandering kook with a committee. Or if you're going to back this particular horse, call yourselves the Revisionist Historians or something.
- My. Big. Redneck. Wedding. Great. Because our fumbling governor and ban on sex toys and bingo haven't made us look dumb enough already.
The Ten:
1. Ramsey Lewis, "Do What You Wanna (Mr. Scruff's Soul Party Mix)"
2. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Andante" (from Violin Concerto in D major)
3. Dean Fields, "Irish Bars"
4. Heather Nova, "Paper Cup"
5. Chicane, "No Ordinary Morning"
6. Giuseppe Verdi, "Libiamo" (from La Traviata)
7. Dirty Vegas, "7 AM"
8. Billy Idol, "Hot in the City"
9. Linkin Park, "Figure.09"
10. Frank Sinatra, "The Lady is a Tramp" (with Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr.)
Your opinions on stuff, and things, and your Tens go in comments.
Friday, January 14, 2011
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so this past weekend was beautifully icy. I know a lot of people don't feel that way--say, homeless people, first-responders, and that dickwipe who kept bitching because his charter flight out to Arizona for the game (ooh, dude, you've impressed me…) might not take off--but I always love to put on my blue, fleecy comfy pants, pull a dog over my feet, and drink a cup of cocoa whilst being glad I don't have anywhere to be. So that's one of the things falling under the category of
What's good (for the week ending 1/14):
- Snow. Or "snice," at least (which makes me think of smizing, which I suppose I was doing at the sight of all the snice). Even though it wasn't the fluffy awesomeness of real snow, it still made for snow falling from the sky and cold, white stuff all over the ground. Not really good for sledding (which is a shame, because we live at the top of one hell of a hill), but Dave seemed to find it acceptable.
- Getting a day off. Being so far south, Birmingham happens to be completely unprepared for things like snice, and so the city shut down most of Sunday and all of Monday. We were prepared, of course, with propane for the grill and ingredients for French toast (which is, I assume, why people always snap up bread and milk in preparation for a storm). Stew was made (not from the bread or milk). And as I remained snicebound on Tuesday (see below), I got another day working from home.
- A sense of satisfaction in a job well done. Whether it's seeing something I wrote go through editing unchanged or shaking hands with a client as she gushes about the work you've done, that is the ultimate and undeniable shit, and I will clutch this feeling to my bosom and nurture it like a baby bird.
- French toast by the fire while the dog sleeps, the cat snores, the flurries flurry, and idiot drivers slide up and down the hill outside our window.
- Maybelline Color Sensational Lipgloss in Sugared Honey
What's bad:
- Getting stuck at home. One of the problems with icy roads is that those which can be traversed by a four-wheel-drive truck (which we happen to have) are unmanageable on two wheels. As mentioned, this got me a free day of working at home on Tuesday, but it's also left me dependent on The Boy for transportation until all the ice is melted (which will probably be by this weekend, thankfully).
- Being a freaking Ophiucus. What the eff is an Ophiucus? Can someone tell me the personality traits of an Ophiucus? 'Cause if they include wondering what the eff an Ophiucus is, they're right on.
(Wait, it's the "snake bearer"? Okay, that's kind of cool.)
The Ten:
1. Queen, "I Want to Break Free"
2. John Coltrane Quartet, "Acknowledgement"
3. Paul Oakenfold, "Ready Steady Go"
4. Michael Bublé, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
5. Sarah Vaughan, "Misty"
6. Darren Hayes, "Unlovable"
7. Hector Berlioz, "Au cimetière" (from Les nuits d'été)
8. Dave Matthews Band, "Rhyme & Reason"
9. Johnny Cash, "I Walk the Line"
10. Glasvegas, "Geraldine"
How about you? Where's the worst place you've ever been trapped by weather? (Easy: Toronto, 2008, and I still haven't gotten the smell of the arrivals lounge out of my nose.) That and your Ten, go in comments.
What's good (for the week ending 1/14):
- Snow. Or "snice," at least (which makes me think of smizing, which I suppose I was doing at the sight of all the snice). Even though it wasn't the fluffy awesomeness of real snow, it still made for snow falling from the sky and cold, white stuff all over the ground. Not really good for sledding (which is a shame, because we live at the top of one hell of a hill), but Dave seemed to find it acceptable.
- Getting a day off. Being so far south, Birmingham happens to be completely unprepared for things like snice, and so the city shut down most of Sunday and all of Monday. We were prepared, of course, with propane for the grill and ingredients for French toast (which is, I assume, why people always snap up bread and milk in preparation for a storm). Stew was made (not from the bread or milk). And as I remained snicebound on Tuesday (see below), I got another day working from home.
- A sense of satisfaction in a job well done. Whether it's seeing something I wrote go through editing unchanged or shaking hands with a client as she gushes about the work you've done, that is the ultimate and undeniable shit, and I will clutch this feeling to my bosom and nurture it like a baby bird.
- French toast by the fire while the dog sleeps, the cat snores, the flurries flurry, and idiot drivers slide up and down the hill outside our window.
- Maybelline Color Sensational Lipgloss in Sugared Honey
What's bad:
- Getting stuck at home. One of the problems with icy roads is that those which can be traversed by a four-wheel-drive truck (which we happen to have) are unmanageable on two wheels. As mentioned, this got me a free day of working at home on Tuesday, but it's also left me dependent on The Boy for transportation until all the ice is melted (which will probably be by this weekend, thankfully).
- Being a freaking Ophiucus. What the eff is an Ophiucus? Can someone tell me the personality traits of an Ophiucus? 'Cause if they include wondering what the eff an Ophiucus is, they're right on.
(Wait, it's the "snake bearer"? Okay, that's kind of cool.)
The Ten:
1. Queen, "I Want to Break Free"
2. John Coltrane Quartet, "Acknowledgement"
3. Paul Oakenfold, "Ready Steady Go"
4. Michael Bublé, "Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
5. Sarah Vaughan, "Misty"
6. Darren Hayes, "Unlovable"
7. Hector Berlioz, "Au cimetière" (from Les nuits d'été)
8. Dave Matthews Band, "Rhyme & Reason"
9. Johnny Cash, "I Walk the Line"
10. Glasvegas, "Geraldine"
How about you? Where's the worst place you've ever been trapped by weather? (Easy: Toronto, 2008, and I still haven't gotten the smell of the arrivals lounge out of my nose.) That and your Ten, go in comments.
Friday, January 07, 2011
On the triumphant return (again) of the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so we’re just on the far end of Christmas, and I both a) had a fantastic holiday, and b) was oddly glad to see the back end of it. Not whew-I’m-back-at-the-office glad, but at least whew-I’m-glad-to-be-back-in-pajama-pants-on-the-couch glad. In general, I try to keep my vacations short enough that I’m not ready to leave when it’s time to go, but I think I’m at the point in life where the winter holidays don’t really qualify as a vacation anymore. Sigh. Being a grownup sucks. I think I’ll stop doing it.
Things that don’t suck, though, in the form of a very special post-holiday
What’s good (for the whatever period of time ending 1/7):
- The Nook Color. This was one of my favorite Birthmas presents. Now that I have a single device to read a thousand books, listen to music, do crossword puzzles, and dick around on the Internet, I have no reason to leave my living room. (And as soon as they come out with a word processing app for it, I probably won’t leave the couch.)
- GoGo Gear. Not gear for go-go dancing, alas, but still cool. It’s protective scootering gear that looks like (really cute) regular clothes. This was another Birthmas gift. (Check out the site for a video of the founder throwing herself down a hill to demonstrate the effectiveness of the gear.)
- My 30th birthday. No, I’m totally lying; it sucked. I always said I wouldn’t be one to freak out about a number--and I almost wasn’t--but it was six months to the day before the event itself that I did, in fact, start freaking out. (Who knew?) I was teased for clinging to 29 like a piece of driftwood from the Titanic until the very last moment, although I like to think I accepted 30 gracefully when it became unavoidable. Still, it’s odd to think that my 20s are closed. (See below for the story of my 20s driving out of my front yard with a stranger behind the wheel.)
- A bangin’ ride. Through luck, friend-pricing, and machinations I still don’t entirely understand, The Boy managed to pick up a brand-new Toyota Tundra while we were down in Mobile. Normally I’m not a pickup person, but even I have to admit it’s pretty pimp: It’s the dealership’s show model, so it’s got a lift kit and fender flares and big tires and shiny wheels and flex fuel and Bluetooth everything and it’s about eleven feet tall and I need a spiraling library staircase to get in. It’s pretty okay.
- Being surrounded by friends on New Year’s Eve, and having someone worth kissing. And swilling lots of excellent champagne.
What’s bad:
- A white Christmas. Normally something I dream of, this white Christmas sucked ass because I wasn’t there to see it. The snow started in Birmingham on Christmas Day while we were waking up in Columbus, it continued in Birmingham while we were driving through passive-aggressive drizzles to The Boy’s family in Mobile, and it disappeared completely in Birmingham while we were driving home on Monday. My snow experience took place entirely from the wrong end of the Weather Channel. Fuck you, white Christmas.
- The end of an era. The aforementioned monster truck came at the expense of my darling 2001 Cabrio, Bonnie Blue. She’d been sitting in front of the house for too long, rarely getting driven, particularly in the zippy, borderline-dangerous way she deserves. So it made sense to trade her in toward a vehicle that would actually get driven, at the same giving her to a new driver who can appreciate her the way I did.
Bonnie Blue has been my constant companion for a decade now. I got her for my 20th birthday (my uncle tells the story of how I jumped this high), and she was with me through the rest of college, an engagement and un-engagement, eight moves, two jobs, a dog, a house, the happiest relationship imaginable, and numerous bad and good decisions and haircuts. It seems poetic that she now has left me around the time of my 30th birthday. It was comforting to me that the grandfatherly type from the dealership who picked her up expressed interest in buying her himself. Whether he pretties her up for his own use or hands her off to a granddaughter, it’s nice to know that she’ll have a good home. And maybe she’ll give some other young woman another ten meaningful years.
And yeah, I cried when she left.
The end-of-holiday Ten:
1. Londonderry Boys Choir, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
2. Frank Sinatra, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
3. Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “Carol of the Birds”
4. Otis Redding, “White Christmas” (Oh, screw you, Otis.)*
5. St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
6. Darlene Love, “All Alone on Christmas”
7. Dean Martin, “Winter Wonderland”
8. Diana Krall, “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
9. Nat “King” Cole, “The Christmas Song”
10. Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
Who’s your life-changing car? Or other life-changing inanimate object, for that matter (not that Bonnie Blue was inanimate, because she was obviously sentient, or else I wouldn’t have developed such an emotional relationship with her). Your stories, and your Tens, go in comments.
*Oh, Otis, I can’t stay mad at you.
Things that don’t suck, though, in the form of a very special post-holiday
What’s good (for the whatever period of time ending 1/7):
- The Nook Color. This was one of my favorite Birthmas presents. Now that I have a single device to read a thousand books, listen to music, do crossword puzzles, and dick around on the Internet, I have no reason to leave my living room. (And as soon as they come out with a word processing app for it, I probably won’t leave the couch.)
- GoGo Gear. Not gear for go-go dancing, alas, but still cool. It’s protective scootering gear that looks like (really cute) regular clothes. This was another Birthmas gift. (Check out the site for a video of the founder throwing herself down a hill to demonstrate the effectiveness of the gear.)
- My 30th birthday. No, I’m totally lying; it sucked. I always said I wouldn’t be one to freak out about a number--and I almost wasn’t--but it was six months to the day before the event itself that I did, in fact, start freaking out. (Who knew?) I was teased for clinging to 29 like a piece of driftwood from the Titanic until the very last moment, although I like to think I accepted 30 gracefully when it became unavoidable. Still, it’s odd to think that my 20s are closed. (See below for the story of my 20s driving out of my front yard with a stranger behind the wheel.)
- A bangin’ ride. Through luck, friend-pricing, and machinations I still don’t entirely understand, The Boy managed to pick up a brand-new Toyota Tundra while we were down in Mobile. Normally I’m not a pickup person, but even I have to admit it’s pretty pimp: It’s the dealership’s show model, so it’s got a lift kit and fender flares and big tires and shiny wheels and flex fuel and Bluetooth everything and it’s about eleven feet tall and I need a spiraling library staircase to get in. It’s pretty okay.
- Being surrounded by friends on New Year’s Eve, and having someone worth kissing. And swilling lots of excellent champagne.
What’s bad:
- A white Christmas. Normally something I dream of, this white Christmas sucked ass because I wasn’t there to see it. The snow started in Birmingham on Christmas Day while we were waking up in Columbus, it continued in Birmingham while we were driving through passive-aggressive drizzles to The Boy’s family in Mobile, and it disappeared completely in Birmingham while we were driving home on Monday. My snow experience took place entirely from the wrong end of the Weather Channel. Fuck you, white Christmas.
- The end of an era. The aforementioned monster truck came at the expense of my darling 2001 Cabrio, Bonnie Blue. She’d been sitting in front of the house for too long, rarely getting driven, particularly in the zippy, borderline-dangerous way she deserves. So it made sense to trade her in toward a vehicle that would actually get driven, at the same giving her to a new driver who can appreciate her the way I did.
Bonnie Blue has been my constant companion for a decade now. I got her for my 20th birthday (my uncle tells the story of how I jumped this high), and she was with me through the rest of college, an engagement and un-engagement, eight moves, two jobs, a dog, a house, the happiest relationship imaginable, and numerous bad and good decisions and haircuts. It seems poetic that she now has left me around the time of my 30th birthday. It was comforting to me that the grandfatherly type from the dealership who picked her up expressed interest in buying her himself. Whether he pretties her up for his own use or hands her off to a granddaughter, it’s nice to know that she’ll have a good home. And maybe she’ll give some other young woman another ten meaningful years.
And yeah, I cried when she left.
The end-of-holiday Ten:
1. Londonderry Boys Choir, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”
2. Frank Sinatra, “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear”
3. Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “Carol of the Birds”
4. Otis Redding, “White Christmas” (Oh, screw you, Otis.)*
5. St. Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”
6. Darlene Love, “All Alone on Christmas”
7. Dean Martin, “Winter Wonderland”
8. Diana Krall, “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”
9. Nat “King” Cole, “The Christmas Song”
10. Mormon Tabernacle Choir, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
Who’s your life-changing car? Or other life-changing inanimate object, for that matter (not that Bonnie Blue was inanimate, because she was obviously sentient, or else I wouldn’t have developed such an emotional relationship with her). Your stories, and your Tens, go in comments.
*Oh, Otis, I can’t stay mad at you.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
On the Good, the Bad, and the Not-Even-Friday Random Ten
Okay, so I so I totally want an empire-waist morning dress and a leopard fur coat. That's my new look. Gotta be.
What's good (for the week ending 7/23, even though right now it's 7/25, but whatever ):
- Jane Austen's Fight Club
- 15 years of Clueless. I recall hearing somewhere that the "Haiti-ans" bit was real, that Alicia Silverstone genuinely didn't know how to pronounce "Haitians" and that no one was about to correct her because it was so funny. I can only imagine her five years down the road: "I was just so concerned about the Haiti-ans--What? It's--Hold on, it's Haitians? Ohhhh, shit..."
- AUGMENTED REALITY LEGO BOXES OMFGPONIEZ!!!!
- prawn pr0n
- the return of the Russian spy. Okay, yes, espionage is bad, yes. Yes, it's dangerous, and whatever. But admit it: James Bond films were way cooler when we had the Soviets to worry about. Admit that.
What's bad:
- the way we treat animals. Isn't there some saying about being able to measure a society on how it treats its least powerful members, or something? Man, the things we have to learn from eight-year-olds.
- Girls Gone Publicly Assaulted. So a woman is forcibly exposed in a bar and taped for Girls Gone Wild--and is saying no on the tape itself--doesn't deserve damages when her boobs made it to video without her consent. Why? Because if she was willing to go to a bar and dance in front of the photographer, she was probably cool with Joe Francis selling her boobs. Y'know, she's one of those girls.
The Ten:
1. Oasis, "Some Might Say"
2. Vertical Horizon, "Great Divide"
3. Les Nubians, "Les Portes Du Souvenir"
4. The Capital Steps, "Old Man Rumsfeld"
5. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Valse (I)" from Swan Lake
6. Zero 7, "Destiny"
7. Jimmy Buffett, "Margaritaville"
8. Dave Matthews Band, "Pay for What You Get"
9. Black Eyed Peas, "Let's Get It Started (Spike Mix)"
10. Evanescence, "Exodus"
And while we're on the subject of music: I was out for karaoke with a bunch of friends on Thursday night, and I appeared to be the only one who showed up without a set list. Is this something one is expected to have? Are there rules for what makes a good karaoke song? Your suggestions and your Ten go in comments.
What's good (for the week ending 7/23, even though right now it's 7/25, but whatever ):
- Jane Austen's Fight Club
- 15 years of Clueless. I recall hearing somewhere that the "Haiti-ans" bit was real, that Alicia Silverstone genuinely didn't know how to pronounce "Haitians" and that no one was about to correct her because it was so funny. I can only imagine her five years down the road: "I was just so concerned about the Haiti-ans--What? It's--Hold on, it's Haitians? Ohhhh, shit..."
- AUGMENTED REALITY LEGO BOXES OMFGPONIEZ!!!!
- prawn pr0n
- the return of the Russian spy. Okay, yes, espionage is bad, yes. Yes, it's dangerous, and whatever. But admit it: James Bond films were way cooler when we had the Soviets to worry about. Admit that.
What's bad:
- the way we treat animals. Isn't there some saying about being able to measure a society on how it treats its least powerful members, or something? Man, the things we have to learn from eight-year-olds.
- Girls Gone Publicly Assaulted. So a woman is forcibly exposed in a bar and taped for Girls Gone Wild--and is saying no on the tape itself--doesn't deserve damages when her boobs made it to video without her consent. Why? Because if she was willing to go to a bar and dance in front of the photographer, she was probably cool with Joe Francis selling her boobs. Y'know, she's one of those girls.
The Ten:
1. Oasis, "Some Might Say"
2. Vertical Horizon, "Great Divide"
3. Les Nubians, "Les Portes Du Souvenir"
4. The Capital Steps, "Old Man Rumsfeld"
5. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Valse (I)" from Swan Lake
6. Zero 7, "Destiny"
7. Jimmy Buffett, "Margaritaville"
8. Dave Matthews Band, "Pay for What You Get"
9. Black Eyed Peas, "Let's Get It Started (Spike Mix)"
10. Evanescence, "Exodus"
And while we're on the subject of music: I was out for karaoke with a bunch of friends on Thursday night, and I appeared to be the only one who showed up without a set list. Is this something one is expected to have? Are there rules for what makes a good karaoke song? Your suggestions and your Ten go in comments.
Monday, July 19, 2010
On the Good, the Bad, and the Slightly-After-Friday Random Ten
Okay, so as we sat in the parking lot of Burger King, sipping our drinks and waiting for someone to bring our meals out, The Boy peeled the Twilight game piece off the side of his cup and looked at the little scratch-off piece.
"'Choose your team'?" he read. "Duh. I always pick Team Jacob."
He got really pissed off when I immediately pulled my phone out and tweeted it.
What's good (for the week ending 7/16):
- Verizon Wireless, and Leonard at the store on 280. We went in on Thursday to see about a) switching service from T-mobile, which has been touching goats in the bathing-suit area for a year now, and b) getting a Droid X each. Well, of course they managed to sell every X they had within the first hour, but we got an LG Ally for me and a regular Droid for The Boy with an option to trade them in for an X as soon as more come in. They're good, they're nice, and their 3G coverage map is jaw-dropping. Much love to Verizon.
- my new Ally. Sorry, I'm magpie-like in my attraction to shiny things.
- positive feedback on something you worked really hard on and felt really good about
- the Minion Berry pancakes at IHOP--tastes like lemon pound cake with triple-berry compote and whipped cream, except if the pound cake was actually pancake and the compote was... still compote. And since it's a kids' meal, you don't leave with that oh-Jesus-God-I-just-ate-at-IHOP feeling. Although you definitely leave with that oh-Jesus-God-I-just-had-dessert-for-breakfast-and-also-turkey-sausage feeling.
- this stuff right here:
What's bad:
- not napping. Long story (although not anything shameful or private--just long), but the punchline is that until my doctor can hook me up with a sleep specialist, he says I'm to "keep a regular sleep schedule." Apparently, my tendency to take a regular nap at lunchtime and another regular nap after dinner and then regularly sleep through the night isn't "regular" enough for him, so instead it's a week's worth of caffeine packed into every day to keep me up until bedtime, and then half the time I overshoot and end up wide awake at, for instance, midnight, completely unable to go to sleep despite wanting to. Thanks a heap, doc.
- this stuff. Obviously, I've already posted on this, but when I see responses like this, it just makes me wonder if people really pay attention. (Not to me, obviously, but to the world around them.) Yes, by all means, we should "listen to [Mel's] side of the story." It's actually quite easy to listen to, as it's right there on the tape. Let's please, please try to teach our friends and nieces and daughters: Yes, people make mistakes all the time, but no, beating the shit out of someone isn't a mistake. It's a felony. But it's easy to get the two confused, I'm sure.
The Ten:
1. Michael Bublé, "The Way You Look Tonight"
2. Josie and the Pussycats, "Pretend to Be Nice"
3. Bic Runga, "Sway"
4. Sonic Youth, "Superstar"
5. Etta James, "I'll Be Seeing You"
6. Marilyn Horne, "Pineapple Rag"
7. Goodie Mob, "Soul Food"
8. Buena Vista Social Club presents Omara Portuondo, "No Me Vayas A Engañar"
9. Johnny Cash (with June Carter Cash), "It Ain't Me, Babe"
10. INXS, "Not Enough Time"
Your Ten, and your home remedies for insomnia and/or narcolepsy and/or apnea, go in comments.
"'Choose your team'?" he read. "Duh. I always pick Team Jacob."
He got really pissed off when I immediately pulled my phone out and tweeted it.
What's good (for the week ending 7/16):
- Verizon Wireless, and Leonard at the store on 280. We went in on Thursday to see about a) switching service from T-mobile, which has been touching goats in the bathing-suit area for a year now, and b) getting a Droid X each. Well, of course they managed to sell every X they had within the first hour, but we got an LG Ally for me and a regular Droid for The Boy with an option to trade them in for an X as soon as more come in. They're good, they're nice, and their 3G coverage map is jaw-dropping. Much love to Verizon.
- my new Ally. Sorry, I'm magpie-like in my attraction to shiny things.
- positive feedback on something you worked really hard on and felt really good about
- the Minion Berry pancakes at IHOP--tastes like lemon pound cake with triple-berry compote and whipped cream, except if the pound cake was actually pancake and the compote was... still compote. And since it's a kids' meal, you don't leave with that oh-Jesus-God-I-just-ate-at-IHOP feeling. Although you definitely leave with that oh-Jesus-God-I-just-had-dessert-for-breakfast-and-also-turkey-sausage feeling.
- this stuff right here:
What's bad:
- not napping. Long story (although not anything shameful or private--just long), but the punchline is that until my doctor can hook me up with a sleep specialist, he says I'm to "keep a regular sleep schedule." Apparently, my tendency to take a regular nap at lunchtime and another regular nap after dinner and then regularly sleep through the night isn't "regular" enough for him, so instead it's a week's worth of caffeine packed into every day to keep me up until bedtime, and then half the time I overshoot and end up wide awake at, for instance, midnight, completely unable to go to sleep despite wanting to. Thanks a heap, doc.
- this stuff. Obviously, I've already posted on this, but when I see responses like this, it just makes me wonder if people really pay attention. (Not to me, obviously, but to the world around them.) Yes, by all means, we should "listen to [Mel's] side of the story." It's actually quite easy to listen to, as it's right there on the tape. Let's please, please try to teach our friends and nieces and daughters: Yes, people make mistakes all the time, but no, beating the shit out of someone isn't a mistake. It's a felony. But it's easy to get the two confused, I'm sure.
The Ten:
1. Michael Bublé, "The Way You Look Tonight"
2. Josie and the Pussycats, "Pretend to Be Nice"
3. Bic Runga, "Sway"
4. Sonic Youth, "Superstar"
5. Etta James, "I'll Be Seeing You"
6. Marilyn Horne, "Pineapple Rag"
7. Goodie Mob, "Soul Food"
8. Buena Vista Social Club presents Omara Portuondo, "No Me Vayas A Engañar"
9. Johnny Cash (with June Carter Cash), "It Ain't Me, Babe"
10. INXS, "Not Enough Time"
Your Ten, and your home remedies for insomnia and/or narcolepsy and/or apnea, go in comments.
Friday, July 09, 2010
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so I love me some fireworks. I grew up close to Fort Benning, and so the Fourth of July would frequently involve a trip to post to watch badass fireworks and hear the Army band play the 1812 Overture with actual cannons. (I'm now spoiled for cannons.) And so it's been cool for the past four years to live right at the base of Red Mountain, an ideal viewing spot for the fireworks that are shot off of Vulcan's pedestal each year.
Not as cool? Musical accompaniment courtesy of 106.9 The Eagle. Just a hint, guys: You might want to try listening to the lyrics of the songs you play before you play them. "Fortunate Son" isn't really about being fortunate, and the song "America" from West Side Story isn't about how awesome it is for immigrants in the U.S. Points, though, for leaving out anything by Lee Greenwood or Toby Keith. More points for working in some James Brown.
Meh. We shouldn't have been listening to the radio anyway. Fireworks are best accompanied by nothing other than the sound of fireworks. Next year, we'll do it right.
What's good (for the week ending 7/9):
- Alo fruit-tea-whatever drink. Awesome simply because it has little chunks of actual aloe pulp, which makes it the tea that drinks like a meal. Sound gross? Of course it does; fruit-tea-whatever drinks aren't supposed to be chunky. But for some reason, I'm hooked. (Try: Enrich, with pomegranate and cranberry. Avoid: Elated, with olive leaf. Ew.)
- sectional sofas, which I used to hate but now kind of like
- Law Abiding Citizen. Great performances by Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler, and a fairly deep, nuanced storyline that keeps you thinking. And there are also some of those moments where you find yourself feeling guilty about how much you enjoy the creativity with which Butler kills people.
- RunPee.com: One man's inspired mission to help you find the best time to pee during a movie--and help you catch up on what you missed while you were in the can
- Dr. Seuss Chuck Taylors. (My birthday's just five months away...)
The Bad:
- the roads in Birmingham. I'll be the first to admit they desperately need resurfacing, and I almost feel like I'm looking a gift horse in the mouth here. But the chosen approach seems to be stripping every single street that is to be repaired and then starting the repairs. Right now, Southside is one pitted, cratered, washboard wasteland striped here and there with smooth, fresh pavement. Strip a road, fix a road, strip the next road, people. We don't all drive Hummers.
- Arizona come east. I'm sure it was just a coincidence that the Irondale City Council passed their resolution on immigration enforcement the same day the Justice Department sued Arizona over a nearly identical--extremely controversial, potentially discriminatory--law. And, yeah, the councilman who proposed the resolution said he based it on that Arizona law. Interesting star to hitch your wagon to, Irondale.
The Ten:
1. Tears For Fears, "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)"
2. Erykah Badu, "Next Lifetime"
3. Elvis, "Heartbreak Hotel"
4. Donny Hathaway, "Je Vous Aime"
5. New Order, "Krafty"
6. Lady Gaga, "Paparazzi"
7. Richard Cheese, "Guerilla Radio"
8. Garbage, "The World Is Not Enough"
9. Richard Cheese, "Welcome to the Jungle"
10. Kula Shaker, "Govinda"
What's good for you this week? That, your Ten, and three types of state-issued ID (one with photo) go in comments.
Friday, July 02, 2010
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so you had to know this was coming back, right? I love me some recurring features, if only because a) they require me to post more than once a month and b) they're pretty easy to write. So here's a super-sized TGTBATFRT to make up for four months of radio silence.
What's good (for the four months ending 7/2):
- scooters. I finally got my new (used) Eaglecraft Spider insured, licensed, and ready to roll, because I certainly haven't been riding around without those things since February, and I can't get enough of it. It's fun, it looks cool, it gets 65 miles to the gallon, and I can park it on sidewalks. Seriously, what's not to like?
- the HJC CL-MAX helmet and Fieldsheer Breeze II motorcycle jacket. Scooter wreck on gravel, and I didn't feel a thing (until the next day, at least, which is to be expected). I will shill for y'all any day of the week and twice on Sundays, HJC and Fieldsheer. Motorists: Summer's a bitch, but remember that helmet, jacket, gloves, long pants, and real shoes are a hell of a lot more comfortable than skin grafts and body casts.
- people who are able to make significant, concrete efforts. I know I'm just after saying that I wasn't going to post about the Gulf spill, but the fact that Dragonfly Boatworks has had both the inclination and the impetus to do something that will have a real, positive impact is so striking to me, it makes me want to have good tears. (Okay, so I'm a crier. Deal with it.) Apparently, they're going to be selling DEA (Dragonfly Environmental Army) t-shirts to help fund the efforts, so as soon as I can find out how to get them, I'm on it.
- plastic + paper. Painting the entire damn new house has made us near-experts in the art of screwing up painting projects, and we've made lots of discoveries through trial and error. One of the biggest is that if you lay down a huge swath of painter's plastic, it protects the floor, and if you lay down a runner of painter's paper on top of that around the edges, it cuts down on time spent cursing the plastic for sticking to your socks.
- Oh, right--the new house
- that side project I mentioned
- Tim James and Dale Peterson. Oh, sweet mother of God, did I need the comedy inherent in those campaigns. The earnestness of Tim plus the indignant quasi-rage of Dale equal gold--and if we're honest, who wouldn't like to get that kind of pissed off on TV? A lot of the yuks come more easily, of course, knowing that neither candidate cleared their primary. But Dale has been good enough to give us an awesome endorsement ad for John McMillan, and I'm hoping Fox News will bring him on as a commentator. (If you agree, e-mail Fox and Friends to let them know.)
"It makes sense. Does it to you?" No, Tim, it does not make a lick of damn sense. But promise me you'll run again in 2014.
- J-Lo's ass. And not just because it brought a new appreciation for naturally badonkadonktastic women like myself--the Huffington Post's Erica Kennedy talks about the way not just her ass but her attitude and self-confidence changed the world--for women who felt that they finally had permission to appreciate themselves for who they really were, and for the society around them that was suddenly obliged to appreciate that appreciation. For that, and for Out of Sight, I salute you, JLo's Ass.
- Smucker's Uncrustables (in grape)
- The Baskits on Green Springs Highway
What's bad:
- road construction in Birmingham. Listen, guys, I'll be the first to thank you for finally getting around to fixing the horrific streets in Southside. (My new vehicle doesn't take well to potholes and patches.) But your approach of stripping every single bit of nasty pavement before starting to restore anything leaves much to be desired. My bike is getting torn up, my body is getting torn up, and that aforementioned patch of gravel (and accompanying pavement dropoff)? Guess where it came from. Strip a road, fix a road, move on to the next road. Lather, rinse, repeat. It takes a little bit longer, but it also leaves the rest of the streets traversable for vehicles not equipped with monster-truck tires.
- toxic mold. One reason of many to leave the old house.
- most fast-food joints after dark. My last few trips to Wendy's, Burger King, and Rally's have found me unable to get unsweet tea, milkshakes, pie, baked potatoes, apple pecan chicken salad, any kind of a chicken sandwich, any kind of fish sandwich, and, for that matter, anything close to decent customer service. The exception? Arby's, which came through with all requested items and a smile. Y'all, if your sign says "open late," you might want to add, "but don't come expecting to get any food."
- Love at First Bite: The Unofficial Twilight Cookbook--although this could be placed in the category of "so bad it's good" (see Jonah Hex). The absolute best part, though? The five-star review from the author herself. Just a tip, Gina: If you're going to try and pimp your own work in customer reviews, at least have the sense to use a fake name. On second thought, this doesn't belong in The Bad at all, because it's overflowing with awesome.
The Ten:
1. Luigi Boccherini, "Adagio" from Concerto in G Major
2. Dirty Vegas, "I Should Know"
3. Alphaville, "Big in Japan"
4. Fiona Apple, "Criminal"
5. Kimya Dawson, "Tree Hugger" (with Antsy Pants)
6. Fine Young Cannibals, "She Drives Me Crazy"
7. Rose Royce, "Car Wash"
8. Peter Gabriel, "While the Earth Sleeps"
9. J.S. Bach, "Var. 13" from Goldberg Variations
10. Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
For all of my reader here in the Good Ol', happy Fourth of July, and remember that if you're going to shoot off fireworks yourself, try not to blow off your thumbs. They're really important. For my reader elsewhere, happy... Sunday. Otherwise: I know it's been quite a while and you're probably out of practice, but if you're up to it, feel free to leave your Goods, Bads, and Tens in comments.
What's good (for the four months ending 7/2):
- scooters. I finally got my new (used) Eaglecraft Spider insured, licensed, and ready to roll, because I certainly haven't been riding around without those things since February, and I can't get enough of it. It's fun, it looks cool, it gets 65 miles to the gallon, and I can park it on sidewalks. Seriously, what's not to like?
- the HJC CL-MAX helmet and Fieldsheer Breeze II motorcycle jacket. Scooter wreck on gravel, and I didn't feel a thing (until the next day, at least, which is to be expected). I will shill for y'all any day of the week and twice on Sundays, HJC and Fieldsheer. Motorists: Summer's a bitch, but remember that helmet, jacket, gloves, long pants, and real shoes are a hell of a lot more comfortable than skin grafts and body casts.
- people who are able to make significant, concrete efforts. I know I'm just after saying that I wasn't going to post about the Gulf spill, but the fact that Dragonfly Boatworks has had both the inclination and the impetus to do something that will have a real, positive impact is so striking to me, it makes me want to have good tears. (Okay, so I'm a crier. Deal with it.) Apparently, they're going to be selling DEA (Dragonfly Environmental Army) t-shirts to help fund the efforts, so as soon as I can find out how to get them, I'm on it.
- plastic + paper. Painting the entire damn new house has made us near-experts in the art of screwing up painting projects, and we've made lots of discoveries through trial and error. One of the biggest is that if you lay down a huge swath of painter's plastic, it protects the floor, and if you lay down a runner of painter's paper on top of that around the edges, it cuts down on time spent cursing the plastic for sticking to your socks.
- Oh, right--the new house
- that side project I mentioned
- Tim James and Dale Peterson. Oh, sweet mother of God, did I need the comedy inherent in those campaigns. The earnestness of Tim plus the indignant quasi-rage of Dale equal gold--and if we're honest, who wouldn't like to get that kind of pissed off on TV? A lot of the yuks come more easily, of course, knowing that neither candidate cleared their primary. But Dale has been good enough to give us an awesome endorsement ad for John McMillan, and I'm hoping Fox News will bring him on as a commentator. (If you agree, e-mail Fox and Friends to let them know.)
"It makes sense. Does it to you?" No, Tim, it does not make a lick of damn sense. But promise me you'll run again in 2014.
- J-Lo's ass. And not just because it brought a new appreciation for naturally badonkadonktastic women like myself--the Huffington Post's Erica Kennedy talks about the way not just her ass but her attitude and self-confidence changed the world--for women who felt that they finally had permission to appreciate themselves for who they really were, and for the society around them that was suddenly obliged to appreciate that appreciation. For that, and for Out of Sight, I salute you, JLo's Ass.
- Smucker's Uncrustables (in grape)
- The Baskits on Green Springs Highway
What's bad:
- road construction in Birmingham. Listen, guys, I'll be the first to thank you for finally getting around to fixing the horrific streets in Southside. (My new vehicle doesn't take well to potholes and patches.) But your approach of stripping every single bit of nasty pavement before starting to restore anything leaves much to be desired. My bike is getting torn up, my body is getting torn up, and that aforementioned patch of gravel (and accompanying pavement dropoff)? Guess where it came from. Strip a road, fix a road, move on to the next road. Lather, rinse, repeat. It takes a little bit longer, but it also leaves the rest of the streets traversable for vehicles not equipped with monster-truck tires.
- toxic mold. One reason of many to leave the old house.
- most fast-food joints after dark. My last few trips to Wendy's, Burger King, and Rally's have found me unable to get unsweet tea, milkshakes, pie, baked potatoes, apple pecan chicken salad, any kind of a chicken sandwich, any kind of fish sandwich, and, for that matter, anything close to decent customer service. The exception? Arby's, which came through with all requested items and a smile. Y'all, if your sign says "open late," you might want to add, "but don't come expecting to get any food."
- Love at First Bite: The Unofficial Twilight Cookbook--although this could be placed in the category of "so bad it's good" (see Jonah Hex). The absolute best part, though? The five-star review from the author herself. Just a tip, Gina: If you're going to try and pimp your own work in customer reviews, at least have the sense to use a fake name. On second thought, this doesn't belong in The Bad at all, because it's overflowing with awesome.
The Ten:
1. Luigi Boccherini, "Adagio" from Concerto in G Major
2. Dirty Vegas, "I Should Know"
3. Alphaville, "Big in Japan"
4. Fiona Apple, "Criminal"
5. Kimya Dawson, "Tree Hugger" (with Antsy Pants)
6. Fine Young Cannibals, "She Drives Me Crazy"
7. Rose Royce, "Car Wash"
8. Peter Gabriel, "While the Earth Sleeps"
9. J.S. Bach, "Var. 13" from Goldberg Variations
10. Amy Winehouse, "Rehab"
For all of my reader here in the Good Ol', happy Fourth of July, and remember that if you're going to shoot off fireworks yourself, try not to blow off your thumbs. They're really important. For my reader elsewhere, happy... Sunday. Otherwise: I know it's been quite a while and you're probably out of practice, but if you're up to it, feel free to leave your Goods, Bads, and Tens in comments.
Friday, April 24, 2009
On the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so our TGTBATFRT is fairly tech-y this week, because I've been involved in some rather tech-y involvements. It's weird; I've never really been all that computerish, nor desired to be all that computerish, but over the past few days, I've spent more time face-down in my tiny, tiny computer than I have in just about any activity. Like sleeping.
What's good (for the week ending 4/24):
- tiny, tiny computers. It's not big enough to do much more than write stuff and surf the Internet, but then, I bought it to pretty much do those two things. Anything else is gravy.
- open-sourceness. Carefully crafting a code creation, then leaving the guts of it out in the open for others to fiddle with and improve upon, usually at no cost. A community of developers who not only give their stuff away but encourage others to improve upon it and pass it along. Now, that's generous. And stupid, kind of. But generous.
- open-source stuff. I'm currently able to manipulate images on my new tiny, tiny computer through the generosity of GIMP, and while it's not quite as spiffy as Photoshop, the few missing features count for little when compared to the absolute lack of price.
- those funny e-mail forwards that promise to make you laugh out loud, but they never do, except this time, it does
- Emerald roasted walnuts
What's bad:
- conscience clauses
- this thing I can't talk about yet. But the upshot of it is that I'm HOSED.
The Ten:
1. OMD, "Electricity"
2. Etta James, "The Very Thought of You"
3. Chicane, "From Blue to Green"
4. Dean Martin, "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You"
5. Richard Cheese, "You Oughta Know"
6. Ben Folds Five, "Brick"
7. OMD, "Secret"
8. Pet Shop Boys, "We Came From Outer Space"
9. Frank Sinatra, "The House I Live In"
10. Frederic Chopin, "No. 13 in C Minor, Op. 48-1" from Piano Works
In other news, I read a quote the other day that made - and rather summed up - my life.
Anyone who can tell me the attribution of that quote will win one (1) chocolate pavlova on a delicate, blown-glass plate in a large, unpadded box. Otherwise, your Ten goes in comments.
What's good (for the week ending 4/24):
- tiny, tiny computers. It's not big enough to do much more than write stuff and surf the Internet, but then, I bought it to pretty much do those two things. Anything else is gravy.
- open-sourceness. Carefully crafting a code creation, then leaving the guts of it out in the open for others to fiddle with and improve upon, usually at no cost. A community of developers who not only give their stuff away but encourage others to improve upon it and pass it along. Now, that's generous. And stupid, kind of. But generous.
- open-source stuff. I'm currently able to manipulate images on my new tiny, tiny computer through the generosity of GIMP, and while it's not quite as spiffy as Photoshop, the few missing features count for little when compared to the absolute lack of price.
- those funny e-mail forwards that promise to make you laugh out loud, but they never do, except this time, it does
- Emerald roasted walnuts
What's bad:
- conscience clauses
- this thing I can't talk about yet. But the upshot of it is that I'm HOSED.
The Ten:
1. OMD, "Electricity"
2. Etta James, "The Very Thought of You"
3. Chicane, "From Blue to Green"
4. Dean Martin, "You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You"
5. Richard Cheese, "You Oughta Know"
6. Ben Folds Five, "Brick"
7. OMD, "Secret"
8. Pet Shop Boys, "We Came From Outer Space"
9. Frank Sinatra, "The House I Live In"
10. Frederic Chopin, "No. 13 in C Minor, Op. 48-1" from Piano Works
In other news, I read a quote the other day that made - and rather summed up - my life.
When you wish upon a falling star, your dreams can come true. Unless it's really a meteorite hurtling to the earth which will destroy all life. Then you're pretty much hosed no matter what you wish for. Unless it's death by meteor.
Anyone who can tell me the attribution of that quote will win one (1) chocolate pavlova on a delicate, blown-glass plate in a large, unpadded box. Otherwise, your Ten goes in comments.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
On the Good, the Not-Bad, and the Not-Even-Friday Not-Even-Random Ten: Loins of My Fruit edition
Sheesh.
Okay, so as Doug mentions, Friday marked our mom's 60th birthday. It's an impressive accomplishment, considering the crap we've put her through for the past three decades that would have laid a weaker woman flat. But she's still here, she's still kicking, she's cooler than ever, and she's got the legs of a 20-year-old, dammit to hell.
Doug recounts some of his favorite moments from life with Mom, and I was there for all of them and remember them with great fondness. She's just a cool person and has gotten, if possible, cooler as time goes on. I thought I might take a page from his book (i.e., blatantly steal from him) and share some of my own:
1. This was something we discussed in the car just the other day. I was a heinous bitch as a young teen (no, no, don't argue; and Mom, stop nodding like that), and I gave the parents a lot more trouble than they deserved. At one point, I got myself grounded ("Rehearsal ran late," I said, when in fact I was going out after rehearsal with the cast), and my punishment was that I had to take the bus to school. I, of course, left the house on foot, walked to Kacie's house, and got a ride with her. When the parents found out, they were understandably enraged, and for the next two weeks my mom stood with me at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to high school.
2. Not that hanging out with Mom was bad. When we first moved to Columbus, I was within walking distance from my elementary school, and she and I would walk together in the morning, enjoying the weather and the chance for some good conversation. Of course, if you're 11, walking to school with your mom is the dorkiest thing evar, and as the new kid I was taking all kinds of torment on top of that, so I stopped. I still regret not having the balls to tell those kids to fuck off, because honestly, I really enjoyed walking with my mom.
3. We took a family road trip up to my grandparents' house in West Virginia to scatter my great grandmother's ashes (sounds kind of grim, but really, ashes-scattering is something that can easily be made into a party if you're up for it). After dinner on the road, we rearranged cars so that Doug and Dad were in Dad's car and Mom and I were in Mom's Miata for the duration of the evening. I can't even tell you what made that portion of the trip so specifically memorable, but we just had a great time singing along with the radio and bitching about stuff.
(Bonus memory: After my grandparents' house, Mom went to see her family in Woodford and Doug, Dad, and I drove back down together. Moving south through Virginia, we, with some trepidation, put on the soundtrack to Avenue Q and were gratified to find that Dad was nearly peeing himself with laughter at songs like "The Internet is for Porn" and "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist." Dad, too, has deeper, cooler depths.)
4. Every time I come to visit, when I first get home, we sit down at the kitchen table with a bottle of white wine and talk until we're sleepy. It's usually a matter of two hours or so and at least two glasses of wine each. It doesn't matter if we've talked on the phone that morning or if I've only been gone a couple of weeks; that's the ritual. This weekend, of course, we couldn't do it because I gave up alcohol for Lent, and I feel unfulfilled and lacking.
5. This one I can't tell you about. But trust me, it's a good one.
So here's to my mom, by far the coolest one around. I know I've mentioned this before, but I had so many friends growing up who hated, or at least purported to hate, their parents, and I never even pretended. I've been blessed with good ones, and I'd love to see Mom's current 60 matched by another 60, should medical science allow. (And at 120, she'd still have better legs than me, dammit.)
And now, a Not-Even-Random Ten of songs that Mom likes:
1. The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
2. Iz, "Over the Rainbow"
3. The Cranberries, "Dreams"
4. Was (Not Was), "Baby I Need Your Loving"
5. Fountains of Wayne, "... Baby, One More Time"
6. Pet Shop Boys, "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing"
7. Andy Gibb, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything"
8. Original Broadway cast of Avenue Q, "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Making Love)"
9. Nancy Griffith, "Spin on a Red Brick Floor"
10. Jeff Buckley, "Halleluja"
11. CB4, "Sweat From My Balls" (Just kidding, Mom.)
Okay, so as Doug mentions, Friday marked our mom's 60th birthday. It's an impressive accomplishment, considering the crap we've put her through for the past three decades that would have laid a weaker woman flat. But she's still here, she's still kicking, she's cooler than ever, and she's got the legs of a 20-year-old, dammit to hell.
Doug recounts some of his favorite moments from life with Mom, and I was there for all of them and remember them with great fondness. She's just a cool person and has gotten, if possible, cooler as time goes on. I thought I might take a page from his book (i.e., blatantly steal from him) and share some of my own:
1. This was something we discussed in the car just the other day. I was a heinous bitch as a young teen (no, no, don't argue; and Mom, stop nodding like that), and I gave the parents a lot more trouble than they deserved. At one point, I got myself grounded ("Rehearsal ran late," I said, when in fact I was going out after rehearsal with the cast), and my punishment was that I had to take the bus to school. I, of course, left the house on foot, walked to Kacie's house, and got a ride with her. When the parents found out, they were understandably enraged, and for the next two weeks my mom stood with me at the bus stop, waiting for the bus to high school.
2. Not that hanging out with Mom was bad. When we first moved to Columbus, I was within walking distance from my elementary school, and she and I would walk together in the morning, enjoying the weather and the chance for some good conversation. Of course, if you're 11, walking to school with your mom is the dorkiest thing evar, and as the new kid I was taking all kinds of torment on top of that, so I stopped. I still regret not having the balls to tell those kids to fuck off, because honestly, I really enjoyed walking with my mom.
3. We took a family road trip up to my grandparents' house in West Virginia to scatter my great grandmother's ashes (sounds kind of grim, but really, ashes-scattering is something that can easily be made into a party if you're up for it). After dinner on the road, we rearranged cars so that Doug and Dad were in Dad's car and Mom and I were in Mom's Miata for the duration of the evening. I can't even tell you what made that portion of the trip so specifically memorable, but we just had a great time singing along with the radio and bitching about stuff.
(Bonus memory: After my grandparents' house, Mom went to see her family in Woodford and Doug, Dad, and I drove back down together. Moving south through Virginia, we, with some trepidation, put on the soundtrack to Avenue Q and were gratified to find that Dad was nearly peeing himself with laughter at songs like "The Internet is for Porn" and "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist." Dad, too, has deeper, cooler depths.)
4. Every time I come to visit, when I first get home, we sit down at the kitchen table with a bottle of white wine and talk until we're sleepy. It's usually a matter of two hours or so and at least two glasses of wine each. It doesn't matter if we've talked on the phone that morning or if I've only been gone a couple of weeks; that's the ritual. This weekend, of course, we couldn't do it because I gave up alcohol for Lent, and I feel unfulfilled and lacking.
5. This one I can't tell you about. But trust me, it's a good one.
So here's to my mom, by far the coolest one around. I know I've mentioned this before, but I had so many friends growing up who hated, or at least purported to hate, their parents, and I never even pretended. I've been blessed with good ones, and I'd love to see Mom's current 60 matched by another 60, should medical science allow. (And at 120, she'd still have better legs than me, dammit.)
And now, a Not-Even-Random Ten of songs that Mom likes:
1. The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
2. Iz, "Over the Rainbow"
3. The Cranberries, "Dreams"
4. Was (Not Was), "Baby I Need Your Loving"
5. Fountains of Wayne, "... Baby, One More Time"
6. Pet Shop Boys, "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing"
7. Andy Gibb, "I Just Want to Be Your Everything"
8. Original Broadway cast of Avenue Q, "You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Making Love)"
9. Nancy Griffith, "Spin on a Red Brick Floor"
10. Jeff Buckley, "Halleluja"
11. CB4, "Sweat From My Balls" (Just kidding, Mom.)
Friday, April 03, 2009
On the triumphant(?) return of the Good, the Bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Both are cute, but only one has ever snapped a baby's neck on purpose.
Okay, so I'm sure you've been wetting yourselves to hear what my iPod can come up with--it's probably what's kept you up at night lo these many months--but I've got the cure for your wetting.
That sounded less weird in my head.
There's been plenty of time to amass goodness and badness over the past, what, eight months or so. So consider this a mega-TGTBATFRT to account for/atone for my absence.
What's good (over the past eight months or so):
- the democratic process. Yeah, yeah, I know a lot of us disagree on politics in and of itself, but just the chance to speak our opinions and choose our own government leadership (out of a pitifully small slate of pre-vetted, pre-selected, major-party candidates) is a truly great thing.
- Barack Obama. SUCK IT!
- puppies
- freelance work. Copywriting. Feature writing. Hell, technical writing or screenwriting or skywriting or whatever you can throw my way. You know how to find me.
- honesty, within reason
- BBC America. I finally shelled out for digital cable, and now this is my favorite channel evar. Top Gear, Graham Norton, How Clean Is Your House, I will watch British people being snarky and British all day long. My three dreams in life are to be a guest-star on Doctor Who, qualifying me to be the Star in the Reasonably Priced Car on Top Gear, after which performance I would be verbally castigated by Gordon Ramsay.
- the Google G1
- Dead Like Me, until it was cancelled
- Snuggies. Yes, I know, I look like a douche, like my Snuggie should have come with $5.75 and a pair of brand-new Nikes. But it really does keep me warm whilst leaving my hands free to knit or tell a racist joke or roast my dog over an open fire.
Besides, it was a gift.
- Lemon Sugar Cookie ice cream from Publix
- relationships that last
- sympathetic mechanics
- gays settlin' down
- ponies
- high-thread-count sheets
What's bad:
- the economy. And bailouts--and I might be taking the unpopular track here, but I'm talking about all bailouts. Part of me is all about bailing out the automakers, because so many people without seven-figure paychecks are depending on them, but at the same time, come on. Realistically, what we're doing is a pinkie-finger in the dike of impending financial collapse, and the sooner that collapse comes the sooner we can start digging ourselves out of it. It's going to happen anyway; we might as well save our money, budget it for recovery efforts, and let the old girl die gracefully.
- respiratory infections. Oh, good Lord. My coworkers will be pleased to know not only that my miserable, incessant, gurgling cough is not the result of walking pneumonia but also that I will be keeping it at home today and treating it with a cocktail of antibiotics and Robitussin with codeine.
- being given responsibilities but not the authority to back them up
- the series finale of Battlestar Galactica
- sexism at home and abroad, and people who sincerely don't see why it's a big deal
- the "r-word." Blah, blah, blah, politically correct, blah, but it actually means something. People with cognitive disabilities are faced with a lot of difficulties in their lives, they're forced to try a lot harder than most of have to, and they don't deserve to be slapped into the same category with coworkers who make your life hard or people who recently vacated the White House or people who drive around everywhere with their left turn indicator on. I don't care if you don't mean it "that way"; if something is stupid or ridiculous or poorly conceived or inane, just say that. Or make up a new word. Just give the r-word a rest.
The Ten:
1. Tina Turner, "Better Be Good to Me"
2. Howie Day, "Numbness for Sound"
3. Frank Sinatra, "The Birth of the Blues"
4. Michael Bublé, "I've Got You Under My Skin"
5. Ella Fitzgerald, "Angel Eyes"
6. Hugh Maskela, "Mama (Metro Area Birthday Dub)"
7. Dean Fields, "Irish Bars"
8. Fountains of Wayne, "...Baby One More Time"
9. Morrissey, "Hairdresser on Fire"
10. Foo Fighters, "M.I.A."
And for the coming weekend, that means... Oh, who the hell cares? I'm taking my bottle of Robitussin and a straw and going back to bed. Your whatevers go in comments.
Friday, June 20, 2008
On the good, the bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so it's amazing* 'cause it's Friday, and it's amazing* 'cause for the first time in weeks I don't have any work to take home with me tonight, and it's amazing* 'cause I'm, like, the most prolific writer my office has ever seen and I'm, like, amazing*, yo.
It's also amazing* because of Frappuccino. Aren't they great? Aren't they great in mass quantities? Aren't they icy delicious and full of awesome, amazing* sugar and caffeine? Amazing*!
What's amazing* (for the week ending 6/20):
- the first Frapp of summer
- the first moment of realization that the physical therapy is starting to work
- baseball
- the second season of Veronica Mars on DVD
- The Golden Compass. Seriously, it was a really good movie. Kind of a shame they almost certainly won't be making the other two.
What's bad:
- pharmacists who won't dispense pharmaceuticals. Yes, you have a right to your religious beliefs and your morals, but if you think you might be called upon to dispense something you disagree with, don't become a pharmacist. If you're Muslim and can't touch pork, don't become a butcher. If you believe solely in the healing power of prayer, don't become a surgeon. And if you're an anti-choice fundie who disagrees with birth control pills, don't become a pharmacist.
- preggo teens. This isn't an abstinence issue or a birth-control issue or even, really, a teen-sex issue. These aren't the Lost Children of Rockdale County, although they seem to suffer the same lack of parental supervision; these are kids who deliberately got pregnant all at the same time. Why? A search for unconditional love? Looking for a living baby doll? Had no one ever impressed upon them the difficulties and responsibilities of parenthood? Whatever it is, that stuff is messed up.
The Ten:
1. Kool & The Gang, "Jungle Boogie"
2. Frank Sinatra, "Luck Be a Lady" (with Count Basie)
3. Georges Bizet, "Toreador Song" from Carmen
4. The Bloodhound Gang, "Why's Everybody Always Picking on Me"
5. John Coltrane Quarter, "Psalm"
6. Phats & Small, "Respect the Cock" (White Label mix)
7. Elvis, "Heartbreak Hotel"
8. Athenaeum, "Suddenly"
9. Soft Cell, "Tainted Love"
10. Ella Fitzgerald, "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China"
Well, if my Friday Random Ten is any prediction of the success of my weekend, it's going to be... less than amazing*. Oh, well. What about you? What's amazing* for you this week?
*This post thoroughly amazing in honor of Katie Holmes. Why? Dunno.
It's also amazing* because of Frappuccino. Aren't they great? Aren't they great in mass quantities? Aren't they icy delicious and full of awesome, amazing* sugar and caffeine? Amazing*!
What's amazing* (for the week ending 6/20):
- the first Frapp of summer
- the first moment of realization that the physical therapy is starting to work
- baseball
- the second season of Veronica Mars on DVD
- The Golden Compass. Seriously, it was a really good movie. Kind of a shame they almost certainly won't be making the other two.
What's bad:
- pharmacists who won't dispense pharmaceuticals. Yes, you have a right to your religious beliefs and your morals, but if you think you might be called upon to dispense something you disagree with, don't become a pharmacist. If you're Muslim and can't touch pork, don't become a butcher. If you believe solely in the healing power of prayer, don't become a surgeon. And if you're an anti-choice fundie who disagrees with birth control pills, don't become a pharmacist.
- preggo teens. This isn't an abstinence issue or a birth-control issue or even, really, a teen-sex issue. These aren't the Lost Children of Rockdale County, although they seem to suffer the same lack of parental supervision; these are kids who deliberately got pregnant all at the same time. Why? A search for unconditional love? Looking for a living baby doll? Had no one ever impressed upon them the difficulties and responsibilities of parenthood? Whatever it is, that stuff is messed up.
The Ten:
1. Kool & The Gang, "Jungle Boogie"
2. Frank Sinatra, "Luck Be a Lady" (with Count Basie)
3. Georges Bizet, "Toreador Song" from Carmen
4. The Bloodhound Gang, "Why's Everybody Always Picking on Me"
5. John Coltrane Quarter, "Psalm"
6. Phats & Small, "Respect the Cock" (White Label mix)
7. Elvis, "Heartbreak Hotel"
8. Athenaeum, "Suddenly"
9. Soft Cell, "Tainted Love"
10. Ella Fitzgerald, "(I'd Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China"
Well, if my Friday Random Ten is any prediction of the success of my weekend, it's going to be... less than amazing*. Oh, well. What about you? What's amazing* for you this week?
*This post thoroughly amazing in honor of Katie Holmes. Why? Dunno.
Friday, June 13, 2008
On the good, the bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so no comment. No. Effing. Comment.
What's good (for the however many weeks ending 6/13):
- my big brother, who hit 30 last Wednesday but doesn't act a day over 25. All the cool kids celebrated at the Monkey on Saturday; everyone not there was, obviously, not one of the cool kids. Sorry.
- my dad, who is thriving after an ever-so-slightly terrifying bout with heart disease. I wanted to write something at the time, but Doug said it better than I ever could.
- gratitude to God and whatever angels were looking out for my family
- the end of primary season. Good God, it almost--almost--came to the point where I didn't care who the nominee was as long as we had one. I'm glad it didn't quite get to that point.
- crabmeat empanadas at Sol y Luna
- Handbrake. All of my favorite DVDs are now at home on my iPod, and I couldn't be happier. Who's going to be listening to Pride and Prejudice on the way to Tuscaloosa this weekend? This gal.
- inspiration
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, despite a few elements I didn't quite remember from the book. Did C.S. Lewis really have Susan gettin' some play before returning to her world?
- shade on a sunny day
- the end of a massive project
What's bad:
- overwork. And stress. Bad and not healthy.
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I could tell you in two words how bad this movie is, but I'd be giving away the ending. I mean, see it, of course, because it's the first Indiana Jones film in nearly two decades, but don't expect it to be good. Expect to come out of it muttering two words.
- this mess. Between this and her terrorist dap, Michelle Obama just can't get a break. Nice to see the right can stay classy.
- while we're at it, this mess. I didn't actually believe that a black man could run for president without this kind of thing happening, but golly, I sure hoped.
The Ten:
1. Etta James, "At Last"
2. Cornershop, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
3. Diana Krall, "Devil May Care"
4. Yaz, "Don't Go"
5. Johnny Cash, "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town"
6. Led Zeppelin, "Kashmir"
7. Athenaeum, "Comfort"
8. Howie Day, "Collide"
9. The Police, "Roxanne"
10. The Perishers, "Trouble Sleeping"
There it is, your TGTBATFRT, fully phoned in. What's good for you this week?
What's good (for the however many weeks ending 6/13):
- my big brother, who hit 30 last Wednesday but doesn't act a day over 25. All the cool kids celebrated at the Monkey on Saturday; everyone not there was, obviously, not one of the cool kids. Sorry.
- my dad, who is thriving after an ever-so-slightly terrifying bout with heart disease. I wanted to write something at the time, but Doug said it better than I ever could.
- gratitude to God and whatever angels were looking out for my family
- the end of primary season. Good God, it almost--almost--came to the point where I didn't care who the nominee was as long as we had one. I'm glad it didn't quite get to that point.
- crabmeat empanadas at Sol y Luna
- Handbrake. All of my favorite DVDs are now at home on my iPod, and I couldn't be happier. Who's going to be listening to Pride and Prejudice on the way to Tuscaloosa this weekend? This gal.
- inspiration
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, despite a few elements I didn't quite remember from the book. Did C.S. Lewis really have Susan gettin' some play before returning to her world?
- shade on a sunny day
- the end of a massive project
What's bad:
- overwork. And stress. Bad and not healthy.
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. I could tell you in two words how bad this movie is, but I'd be giving away the ending. I mean, see it, of course, because it's the first Indiana Jones film in nearly two decades, but don't expect it to be good. Expect to come out of it muttering two words.
- this mess. Between this and her terrorist dap, Michelle Obama just can't get a break. Nice to see the right can stay classy.
- while we're at it, this mess. I didn't actually believe that a black man could run for president without this kind of thing happening, but golly, I sure hoped.
The Ten:
1. Etta James, "At Last"
2. Cornershop, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)"
3. Diana Krall, "Devil May Care"
4. Yaz, "Don't Go"
5. Johnny Cash, "The Night Hank Williams Came to Town"
6. Led Zeppelin, "Kashmir"
7. Athenaeum, "Comfort"
8. Howie Day, "Collide"
9. The Police, "Roxanne"
10. The Perishers, "Trouble Sleeping"
There it is, your TGTBATFRT, fully phoned in. What's good for you this week?
Friday, May 16, 2008
On the good, the bad, and the Friday Random Ten
Okay, so it's been a while, I know, and I also know I say that at the beginning of every TGTBATFRT, usually because it's been a while. Work continues to be a pain in my assholes, and the personal life is... good, actually, really good, but time-consuming. But quit you're whining, because TGTBATFRT is back, baby, we're back, and we're... back.
What's good (for the bunch of weeks ending 5/16):
- gays settlin' down
- chicken and vegetable potstickers
- Iron Man - a seriously entertaining movie, whether or not you care about comic books. And it brought teh hotness back to Robert Downey Jr.
- POKE!
- Bonnie Richardson is very, very good.
What's bad:
- all this bulljive over gays settlin' down. Seriously, people, I've heard the legitimate arguments and given them due consideration before refuting/dismissing them, but this whole "gay marriage destroys straight marriage" thing? How? For the love of the invisible pink unicorn, would someone please tell me how marriage becomes weaker when more people are allowed to do it?
- George W. Bush quitting golf... to show empathy for mothers who've lost kids in Iraq. Now, I'll grant him that playing golf while people die draws some pretty significant fiddling/Rome-burning associations, but if you've just lost your husband and the father of your children to a roadside bomb, is your first thought going to be, "Well, at least President Bush cares enough to sleep in on a Saturday"?
The Ten:
1. Dion, "Runaround Sue"
2. Queen, "We Are the Champions"
3. Cheap Trick, "Surrender"
4. Sarah Vaughan, "All of Me"
5. Brian Whitman, "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me"
6. Frank Sinatra, "Fly Me to the Moon"
7. Chicane, "Low Sun"
8. Franz Schubert, "Das Fischermadchen" from Schwanengesang
9. Guster, "Born to Be Wild" (live, with Jump, Little Children)
10. Sarah Brightman, "Scene D'Amour"
What's good for you this week? That and your Ten go in comments.
What's good (for the bunch of weeks ending 5/16):
- gays settlin' down
- chicken and vegetable potstickers
- Iron Man - a seriously entertaining movie, whether or not you care about comic books. And it brought teh hotness back to Robert Downey Jr.
- POKE!
- Bonnie Richardson is very, very good.
What's bad:
- all this bulljive over gays settlin' down. Seriously, people, I've heard the legitimate arguments and given them due consideration before refuting/dismissing them, but this whole "gay marriage destroys straight marriage" thing? How? For the love of the invisible pink unicorn, would someone please tell me how marriage becomes weaker when more people are allowed to do it?
- George W. Bush quitting golf... to show empathy for mothers who've lost kids in Iraq. Now, I'll grant him that playing golf while people die draws some pretty significant fiddling/Rome-burning associations, but if you've just lost your husband and the father of your children to a roadside bomb, is your first thought going to be, "Well, at least President Bush cares enough to sleep in on a Saturday"?
The Ten:
1. Dion, "Runaround Sue"
2. Queen, "We Are the Champions"
3. Cheap Trick, "Surrender"
4. Sarah Vaughan, "All of Me"
5. Brian Whitman, "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me"
6. Frank Sinatra, "Fly Me to the Moon"
7. Chicane, "Low Sun"
8. Franz Schubert, "Das Fischermadchen" from Schwanengesang
9. Guster, "Born to Be Wild" (live, with Jump, Little Children)
10. Sarah Brightman, "Scene D'Amour"
What's good for you this week? That and your Ten go in comments.
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