I've been trying to update the look of my blog for the holiday season, but I can't seem to get colours that I like or that look good.
I just installed Front Page 2000 on my pc at home, and I'm going to try and come up with a new template and new look for my bloggie over the weekend. I should probably just stick with one colour scheme, and decorate my bloggie with seasonal holiday images since I've finally figured out how to have images show up. I'd love to have some holly and candy cane stripped letters on my bloggie for Christmas. I love being festive for the holidays!
Friday, December 06, 2002
Thursday, December 05, 2002
The following is from the SFChroicle/SFGATE.com's only "conservative" columinst, Debra J. Saunders, Food fight in tofu-land.
This is the second time I've agreed with her. That's spooky! What's interesting is how it was started by one angry consumer; talk about the power of one person. Who says your one voice doesn't count in our country?
This is the second time I've agreed with her. That's spooky! What's interesting is how it was started by one angry consumer; talk about the power of one person. Who says your one voice doesn't count in our country?
The day after reaction on the Rainbow Grocery Coop's ban on Israeli products,Ban on Israeli goods has shoppers in uproar Some demand Rainbow co-op end boycott .
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees Rainbow's decision as anti-semitic. These are the same people, who after 9/11, said that the terrorists had a right to crash commercial jets into the World Trade Center because of America's international policies. These are the same people who approve of and justify the use of terrorism to kill innocent civilians to make a political point.
If the guy in the article organizes a protest, I am so there! When I was interning in Washington, DC, I loved going to protests! There hasn't been anything to me worth protesting about since I left college, but this issue is definitely worth it. It will be my way of honoring the people who died on 9/11, and to say that terrorists acts where innocent people are killed to prove a political point, is SO WRONG!
And if you disagree, think about what your reaction would be if you were to read in the paper one day, that a terrorist went into a busy mall or on a commuter bus somewhere in the US and blew themselves up to protest American policies abroad. Or, if a terrorist blew themselves at a church on a Sunday. This is what Israelis have to read about practically every day in their papers, see on their televisions, hear on their radios, talk about in their places of worship, sermonize about at their endless funerals.
Think about it really hard, then tell me if you still support the Palestinian cause. Think about it really hard, beacuse if all the reports are true, then we in the US will one day live just like the people in Israel. And I'm afraid that day is not that far away.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees Rainbow's decision as anti-semitic. These are the same people, who after 9/11, said that the terrorists had a right to crash commercial jets into the World Trade Center because of America's international policies. These are the same people who approve of and justify the use of terrorism to kill innocent civilians to make a political point.
If the guy in the article organizes a protest, I am so there! When I was interning in Washington, DC, I loved going to protests! There hasn't been anything to me worth protesting about since I left college, but this issue is definitely worth it. It will be my way of honoring the people who died on 9/11, and to say that terrorists acts where innocent people are killed to prove a political point, is SO WRONG!
And if you disagree, think about what your reaction would be if you were to read in the paper one day, that a terrorist went into a busy mall or on a commuter bus somewhere in the US and blew themselves up to protest American policies abroad. Or, if a terrorist blew themselves at a church on a Sunday. This is what Israelis have to read about practically every day in their papers, see on their televisions, hear on their radios, talk about in their places of worship, sermonize about at their endless funerals.
Think about it really hard, then tell me if you still support the Palestinian cause. Think about it really hard, beacuse if all the reports are true, then we in the US will one day live just like the people in Israel. And I'm afraid that day is not that far away.
Wednesday, December 04, 2002
I'm not sure what to think of all these scandalous catholic church priest sexual abuse stories. I just read in Cleveland, they indicted all these people including a catholic priest on a child pornagraphy ring. So scary! What is is with the attraction to children for sex with some people? It's sick, sick, sick! It's beyond sick. It's pure evil, nothing more and nothing less. And I don't care what kind of psychological crap people are giving for justifying sex with children; it's just pure EVIL.
Then there was that story over the weekend about the Boston Diocese thinking about declaring bankruptcy, because of all the lawsuits being filed against them from people who were sexually abused by priests.
Everyone doing their tell all about catholic priests, so I may have to do my own blog tell all since I have four of my own catholic priest scandal stories.
This first one is benign at least. I put an relationship ad in the Bay Guardian, a SF bay area weekly paper. This was before online dating, and all my friends were doing it and meeting really cute guys to date, so naturally I had to put an ad in too.
One of the guys who answered my ad said he was ex-catholic priest. Of course, I had to go out with him. I was one of those typical catholic young girls who used to have crushes on priests and fantasize about dating one, so this guy was my chance to fulfill my sick teeny girl fantasy. Now who knows if he really was an ex-catholic priest because as I was to find out later, people totally lie about themselves like crazy when they answer personal ads for relationships. But that was his rap.
We met for dinner at a greek restaurant on Polk Street, and we didn't really hit it off which was fine, but I had to just ask him why he left the priesthood. He wasn't embarrassed at all, and told me that he found some things about how the catholic church put together bible which freaked him out enough to leave the church. He was like some kind of biblical scholar type priest, and he was doing research on the bible. He said he found out things, which so rocked his faith, he had to leave. He wouldn't say what he found, only saying that the Catholic Church withheld information in the bible that was supposed to be there.
At the end of dinner, I wished him luck in his new profession of therapist and we said goodbye. But what he said has always intrigued me. I mean what did the guy find that he wouldn't even talk to me about and was so serious that he would leave his chosen profession, a profession and faith that he said he loved, still loved very much?
More Catholic Church priest scandal stories later.
Then there was that story over the weekend about the Boston Diocese thinking about declaring bankruptcy, because of all the lawsuits being filed against them from people who were sexually abused by priests.
Everyone doing their tell all about catholic priests, so I may have to do my own blog tell all since I have four of my own catholic priest scandal stories.
This first one is benign at least. I put an relationship ad in the Bay Guardian, a SF bay area weekly paper. This was before online dating, and all my friends were doing it and meeting really cute guys to date, so naturally I had to put an ad in too.
One of the guys who answered my ad said he was ex-catholic priest. Of course, I had to go out with him. I was one of those typical catholic young girls who used to have crushes on priests and fantasize about dating one, so this guy was my chance to fulfill my sick teeny girl fantasy. Now who knows if he really was an ex-catholic priest because as I was to find out later, people totally lie about themselves like crazy when they answer personal ads for relationships. But that was his rap.
We met for dinner at a greek restaurant on Polk Street, and we didn't really hit it off which was fine, but I had to just ask him why he left the priesthood. He wasn't embarrassed at all, and told me that he found some things about how the catholic church put together bible which freaked him out enough to leave the church. He was like some kind of biblical scholar type priest, and he was doing research on the bible. He said he found out things, which so rocked his faith, he had to leave. He wouldn't say what he found, only saying that the Catholic Church withheld information in the bible that was supposed to be there.
At the end of dinner, I wished him luck in his new profession of therapist and we said goodbye. But what he said has always intrigued me. I mean what did the guy find that he wouldn't even talk to me about and was so serious that he would leave his chosen profession, a profession and faith that he said he loved, still loved very much?
More Catholic Church priest scandal stories later.
I'm boycotting one of my favorite health food stores in San Francisco, Rainbow Grocery Coop, because some of their departments have stopped selling products made in Israel. Here's the article, Middle East unrest hits grocery store.
I've been shopping at Rainbow for years. They're one of the best stores for vegetarians in San Francisco, and since I've been an off and on vegetarian for most of my adult life, I spend at least $300-$500 there a year. Now I know that's not a lot of money, but in this competitive tight economy, every dollar accounts.
As soon as I read the article, I sent an email to Rainbow telling them their politics disturb me and that I will no longer be shopping at their store. The destruction of the Jews at the hands of Hitler's Nazi party, started with the boycott of jewish products. What's next? Yellow Stars of David on stores that sell jewish products? Anti-semitism scare me, and what Rainbow is doing freaks me out.
The best thing about capitalism is you can vote with your economic dollars. If you don't like something, you don't buy it. Now my $300-500 might seem like teeny weeny sum, but it's a large sum of money to me. I'm also telling all my friends to boycott Rainbow Grocery, and if they do it, then that's more voting economic dollars. And since the San Francisco Bay Area is in a recession, maybe me and people who think like me will have an effect. It's not like Rainbow Grocery is the only health food store in San Francisco.
Now I'm not the kind of person who boycotts stores, but this whole anti-semitism thing so disturbs me. They make me think of Nazis and the Holocaust. They make me think of friends' relatives who were in the Nazi death camps during World War II, and had unbelievably horrifying stories to tell. They make me think of how the world just watched as six million jews were systematically killed. They make me pay attention to all the articles I read about the rise of anti-semitism. They make me think that if I don't individually act to stop it now, then I am as guilty of anti-semtism as the Nazis were.
I've been shopping at Rainbow for years. They're one of the best stores for vegetarians in San Francisco, and since I've been an off and on vegetarian for most of my adult life, I spend at least $300-$500 there a year. Now I know that's not a lot of money, but in this competitive tight economy, every dollar accounts.
As soon as I read the article, I sent an email to Rainbow telling them their politics disturb me and that I will no longer be shopping at their store. The destruction of the Jews at the hands of Hitler's Nazi party, started with the boycott of jewish products. What's next? Yellow Stars of David on stores that sell jewish products? Anti-semitism scare me, and what Rainbow is doing freaks me out.
The best thing about capitalism is you can vote with your economic dollars. If you don't like something, you don't buy it. Now my $300-500 might seem like teeny weeny sum, but it's a large sum of money to me. I'm also telling all my friends to boycott Rainbow Grocery, and if they do it, then that's more voting economic dollars. And since the San Francisco Bay Area is in a recession, maybe me and people who think like me will have an effect. It's not like Rainbow Grocery is the only health food store in San Francisco.
Now I'm not the kind of person who boycotts stores, but this whole anti-semitism thing so disturbs me. They make me think of Nazis and the Holocaust. They make me think of friends' relatives who were in the Nazi death camps during World War II, and had unbelievably horrifying stories to tell. They make me think of how the world just watched as six million jews were systematically killed. They make me pay attention to all the articles I read about the rise of anti-semitism. They make me think that if I don't individually act to stop it now, then I am as guilty of anti-semtism as the Nazis were.
Tuesday, December 03, 2002
The "Taken" series on the SciFi channel by Steven Spielberg was hyped so much in the paper here, that I decided to watch it. I'm hooked. The sets are wonderful and so is the acting. Plus, it's all about alien abductions, government black ops, conspiracy theory, psychic powers, reversed engineered alien technology, etc. These subjects are so fascinating to me only because if it's not real, you've got to hand it to the fantastic imaginations of the people coming up with this stuff. I wish I had their imagination, and could write books about it because I could totally make bucko loads of cash.
Twenty hours of a series. That's alot of TV. I was thinking about taping it, but that's alot of TV to tape, so thank god the SciFi channel is repeating all the shows so I can get caught up if I miss a show.
The SciFi channel is also advertising a new movie, Frank Herbert's "Children of Dune". I so love The Dune Series by Frank Herbert, and wish I could create such strange and beautiful worlds the way he does.
Twenty hours of a series. That's alot of TV. I was thinking about taping it, but that's alot of TV to tape, so thank god the SciFi channel is repeating all the shows so I can get caught up if I miss a show.
The SciFi channel is also advertising a new movie, Frank Herbert's "Children of Dune". I so love The Dune Series by Frank Herbert, and wish I could create such strange and beautiful worlds the way he does.
I watched Monsters Inc on video last night. I wish I'd seen it on the big screen because it's a great movie. The monsters were so cute. I loved how Sullie, the big blue monster, was so hairy. If I was a little girl, I'd think he was a kitty too. I loved the woman who had the snake hair like Medusa, only her snake hair was so cute.
One of the funniest parts of the movie was when Mike, the one eyed monster, was asking Sullie for cologne and he put on "wet dog." Wet dog is one of the worst smells in the world.
I don't remember if I had any monster out of the closet fears when I was a kid. If I did, those memories are gone now.
One of the funniest parts of the movie was when Mike, the one eyed monster, was asking Sullie for cologne and he put on "wet dog." Wet dog is one of the worst smells in the world.
I don't remember if I had any monster out of the closet fears when I was a kid. If I did, those memories are gone now.
Monday, December 02, 2002
It's Christmas and I totally love Christmas music! I have this really old version of Handel's Messiah, that's sung in english and not german by the London Symphony Orchestra, that I'm listening to right now. It came with this 5-cd set I bought of Christmas music a long time ago.
The sound quality is really bad, like I'm listening to some old TV program, but it's kind of cool and so cheesy because maybe you're supposed to pretend it's Christmas eve and you have the TV on and some choir is doing Handel's Messiah. Only who needs to wait till Christmas eve and TV, when I have the CD. And it's not my stereo, because my little baby has great sound.
I definitely need a new version of Handel's Messiah in stereo.
The sound quality is really bad, like I'm listening to some old TV program, but it's kind of cool and so cheesy because maybe you're supposed to pretend it's Christmas eve and you have the TV on and some choir is doing Handel's Messiah. Only who needs to wait till Christmas eve and TV, when I have the CD. And it's not my stereo, because my little baby has great sound.
I definitely need a new version of Handel's Messiah in stereo.
Sunday, December 01, 2002
I love these long weekends. They really make me feel like I've gotten away from the office, even though I didn't leave town.
I've got the "I finished my writing project" blues. I always feel so "blah and bleh", after I finish a writing project. That sense of urgency to complete my writing total for the day is gone now, and I've stopped living in that heightened sense of every day is a deadline. It's kind of an emotional let down really. Writing that intensely for me is like being on some kind of weird drug and when I stop, it's like I've crashed down to earth with a big thump and I can't get up again. Maybe the best thing is keep writing, or at least plan to start another writing project as soon as I finish one.
I know I should enjoy my writing time off when I have them, because there's the screenplay to finish before December 14. But it's hard not to feel like I've ground to a halt, because I've stopped writing. I wonder if I'm one of those people who has to be in perpetual motion to feel worthwhile.
I know I used to feel that way sometimes at work, that if I wasn't getting promoted every year there was seriously something wrong with me and I was failing at my job. Because what I'm going through right now, which is a vague sense of dissatisfaction, is sort of how I used to feel after I got my promotions. It's not exactly like I'm dissatisfied, but there's definitely a feeling of some kind of letdown. It's hard to explain.
I've got the "I finished my writing project" blues. I always feel so "blah and bleh", after I finish a writing project. That sense of urgency to complete my writing total for the day is gone now, and I've stopped living in that heightened sense of every day is a deadline. It's kind of an emotional let down really. Writing that intensely for me is like being on some kind of weird drug and when I stop, it's like I've crashed down to earth with a big thump and I can't get up again. Maybe the best thing is keep writing, or at least plan to start another writing project as soon as I finish one.
I know I should enjoy my writing time off when I have them, because there's the screenplay to finish before December 14. But it's hard not to feel like I've ground to a halt, because I've stopped writing. I wonder if I'm one of those people who has to be in perpetual motion to feel worthwhile.
I know I used to feel that way sometimes at work, that if I wasn't getting promoted every year there was seriously something wrong with me and I was failing at my job. Because what I'm going through right now, which is a vague sense of dissatisfaction, is sort of how I used to feel after I got my promotions. It's not exactly like I'm dissatisfied, but there's definitely a feeling of some kind of letdown. It's hard to explain.
Saturday, November 30, 2002
I just saw "8 Mile" with Eminem. The reviews were right. It's a standard Hollywood plot, updated for the Detroit 313. What makes this otherwise boring movie a standout is Eminem. He has the same kind of intensity I've seen in Sean Penn's film, and which I saw up close when Penn was in a Sam Shephard play with Nick Nolte at the Magic Theater a few years ago.
Eminem is very watchable. You see all these emotions wash across his face, which is great for a movie audience. I loved the guys arguing in the car about the difference between west coast and east coast rap styles, and how Tupac Shakur influenced rap style. I'm sure half the people in the audience with me, had no clue what these guys were talking about.
And Kim Basinger. She looked almost too natural, too familiar playing Eminem's trailer trash mom role. The music was great, but I wished it had more of Eminem's own music. I'm not sure Eminem would do well in another kind of movie role, but he was great in this semi biopic of himself.
"Contact" the movie was on TV last night, and every time it's on TV, which seem like once a month, I have to watch it. I love the Ellie Arroway character. I so relate to her focus, her single mindedness, her intensity and how her driven qualities lead to her inevitable incredible loneliness. But in the movie, she's at least got her JC man, Palmer Joss, the ruggedly beautiful Matthew McConaughey. I'm like so jealous! Like where's my spiritual, beautiful JC man?
Eminem is very watchable. You see all these emotions wash across his face, which is great for a movie audience. I loved the guys arguing in the car about the difference between west coast and east coast rap styles, and how Tupac Shakur influenced rap style. I'm sure half the people in the audience with me, had no clue what these guys were talking about.
And Kim Basinger. She looked almost too natural, too familiar playing Eminem's trailer trash mom role. The music was great, but I wished it had more of Eminem's own music. I'm not sure Eminem would do well in another kind of movie role, but he was great in this semi biopic of himself.
"Contact" the movie was on TV last night, and every time it's on TV, which seem like once a month, I have to watch it. I love the Ellie Arroway character. I so relate to her focus, her single mindedness, her intensity and how her driven qualities lead to her inevitable incredible loneliness. But in the movie, she's at least got her JC man, Palmer Joss, the ruggedly beautiful Matthew McConaughey. I'm like so jealous! Like where's my spiritual, beautiful JC man?
WOOHOO!!! I finished National Novel Writing Month a day early, and wrote 50,184 words. I'm not even done with my story, but I do intend to finish it soon.
I even figured out how to post a graphic to my bloggie. I'll have to post more pics soon.
I'm exhausted from writing like a fiend this whole month, but now I have to get back to writing my screenplay. I'm taking a class from Richard Schultz, who I believe is the head of the screenwriting department at UCLA and has taught most of the current screenwriters who have Hollywood films out. The class is in two weeks, and last year in a radio interview, Schultz said he would read screenplays if people brought them to class. I would so love to get feedback from him on my screenplay.
I can't believe I completed another year of Nanowrimo. It's so hard, so maddening, yet in the end I always feel good that I've pushed myself and accomplished something really cool like write 50K plus words in 30 days. Now that's great writing production.
I even figured out how to post a graphic to my bloggie. I'll have to post more pics soon.
I'm exhausted from writing like a fiend this whole month, but now I have to get back to writing my screenplay. I'm taking a class from Richard Schultz, who I believe is the head of the screenwriting department at UCLA and has taught most of the current screenwriters who have Hollywood films out. The class is in two weeks, and last year in a radio interview, Schultz said he would read screenplays if people brought them to class. I would so love to get feedback from him on my screenplay.
I can't believe I completed another year of Nanowrimo. It's so hard, so maddening, yet in the end I always feel good that I've pushed myself and accomplished something really cool like write 50K plus words in 30 days. Now that's great writing production.
Friday, November 29, 2002
I've got the day off, and I can't decide if I want to venture outside and brave the shopping hordes. I need a new watchband for my Timex Ironman triathlon watch, and would love to pick it up today but I'm not in the mood to deal with crowds.
Today is the supposed to be the best day to shop for deals at the stores, but it's you and everybody else in your neighborhood doing the same thing.
I feel like such a slug though. I finally made myself take a shower, after lounging around in my jammies for most of the day and picking at my leftover Thanksgiving food. I feel like I should at least get out, and do something like maybe go see a movie or something or run some errands. But I've got two more days of my weekend to do it, and part of me just wants to kick back and relax like a stuffed whale at the beach. Too bad there's no blazinlgy hot sun for me lie around in, to make the image complete.
There are three movies I want to see; Die Another Day, 8 Mile, and the new Harry Potter. But even these aren't temptation enough for me to want to leave the comfort of my own home.
There's a Mervyn's up the hill from where I live, and I'm pretty sure they sell watchbands, so I might just take the bus up there. If I go to Union Square, it will be a crazy zoo and crawling with way too many people. I feel to do just one productive thing today.
God, and I really have errands to do. My company Christmas party is next Friday, and I want to see if there's anything out there that I absolutely need to wear for Christmas this year. I want to see what's in style, what's hot and trendy, and then decide if what I have in my closet is still okay for another wearing. Now that I've lost some pounds, I can wear some holiday clothes that I haven't worn in a few years. Maybe they'll look kind of new because no one has seen me wearing them for quite some time.
I also want to look at Christmas decorations. I always buy at least 4-7 ornaments every year, just to have new things on the tree. But those darn crowds!
And then there's christmas shopping. I haven't even started that yet, although I did buy some stocking stuffer type things a few months ago.
Maybe if I just go for an hour, it won't be so bad. I just hate shopping when it's crowded.
Today is the supposed to be the best day to shop for deals at the stores, but it's you and everybody else in your neighborhood doing the same thing.
I feel like such a slug though. I finally made myself take a shower, after lounging around in my jammies for most of the day and picking at my leftover Thanksgiving food. I feel like I should at least get out, and do something like maybe go see a movie or something or run some errands. But I've got two more days of my weekend to do it, and part of me just wants to kick back and relax like a stuffed whale at the beach. Too bad there's no blazinlgy hot sun for me lie around in, to make the image complete.
There are three movies I want to see; Die Another Day, 8 Mile, and the new Harry Potter. But even these aren't temptation enough for me to want to leave the comfort of my own home.
There's a Mervyn's up the hill from where I live, and I'm pretty sure they sell watchbands, so I might just take the bus up there. If I go to Union Square, it will be a crazy zoo and crawling with way too many people. I feel to do just one productive thing today.
God, and I really have errands to do. My company Christmas party is next Friday, and I want to see if there's anything out there that I absolutely need to wear for Christmas this year. I want to see what's in style, what's hot and trendy, and then decide if what I have in my closet is still okay for another wearing. Now that I've lost some pounds, I can wear some holiday clothes that I haven't worn in a few years. Maybe they'll look kind of new because no one has seen me wearing them for quite some time.
I also want to look at Christmas decorations. I always buy at least 4-7 ornaments every year, just to have new things on the tree. But those darn crowds!
And then there's christmas shopping. I haven't even started that yet, although I did buy some stocking stuffer type things a few months ago.
Maybe if I just go for an hour, it won't be so bad. I just hate shopping when it's crowded.
Thursday, November 28, 2002
I just got back from my aunt and uncle's house in San Jose. It's nice to see the relatives, since we don't get together very often. I brought a green bean and onion dish that I found at Epicurious that I debuted last Christmas. It's simple, easy to make and very tasty.
I arrived at my aunt's house at around 1:00 pm, and helped her with some last minute preparations. We ate at 3 pm, watched the football game on TV, and gossiped about the family. My other aunt and uncle from Oakland also were there, and it was nice to see them as well.
Then armed with leftovers, I drove home. I would have stayed longer, but my aunt wasn't feeling well so I decided to leave. I think she has the flu that everyone is getting. I hope she didn't cough on the food. She made a ton of food, and there was so much desserts to eat, I kissed my eating plan goodbye for the day.
I was so sleepy on the drive home, probably from the turkey. I was glad I only had a glass of wine with appetizers and a glass of wine at dinner, and no beer during the football game, even though I really wanted one. We were done eating by 4 pm, so I had a couple of hours to sober up before the drive home.
Maybe I got sleepy from the pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate cake, pumpkin cream cheese cake and ice cream that I had for dessert. Yes, I really did eat all those desserts and they were so heavenly and yummy. I thought I was going to burst at the end, and felt like a distended fat cow couch potato watching the football game .
Thank god I wore stretchy waist pants. I had better exercise double tomorrow, so I can work all that dessert off. I don't know how I fit a plate full of thanksgiving food and all that dessert into my tummy, but I did.
Speaking of football? What is up with Steve Spurrier and the Washington Redskins? Wasn't he that great college football coach who was supposed to make a splash in the NFL? At least, that's what all the sports talking heads were predicting about him. My uncles were bitching about their fantasy football league teams, and how they thought for sure Spurrier was going to be a winning coach in his first season. One of my uncles was pissed because he picked a couple of players from the Redskins teams for his fantasy football team.
Fantasy football sounds like such a trip. One of the companies I worked for had their own Fantasy Football League. It was run out of the Finance department that I was a part of. The draft was like such a big deal, and was very serious business. All the VPs played, and the directors, and what other football nuts they could find. Everyone took it so seriously.
I asked if I could join, and the director that I worked for said I could join up with him and this other guy. But then he started telling me about all the work involved and I was like "NO WAY". You have to watch the games, and keep track of the stats. Then when your players are doing badly, you have to research trades. Everyone did their research at work of course, but then you have to watch a ton of football games. So much work, and for what? A little money and prestige. It's such a guy thing.
I arrived at my aunt's house at around 1:00 pm, and helped her with some last minute preparations. We ate at 3 pm, watched the football game on TV, and gossiped about the family. My other aunt and uncle from Oakland also were there, and it was nice to see them as well.
Then armed with leftovers, I drove home. I would have stayed longer, but my aunt wasn't feeling well so I decided to leave. I think she has the flu that everyone is getting. I hope she didn't cough on the food. She made a ton of food, and there was so much desserts to eat, I kissed my eating plan goodbye for the day.
I was so sleepy on the drive home, probably from the turkey. I was glad I only had a glass of wine with appetizers and a glass of wine at dinner, and no beer during the football game, even though I really wanted one. We were done eating by 4 pm, so I had a couple of hours to sober up before the drive home.
Maybe I got sleepy from the pumpkin pie, apple pie, chocolate cake, pumpkin cream cheese cake and ice cream that I had for dessert. Yes, I really did eat all those desserts and they were so heavenly and yummy. I thought I was going to burst at the end, and felt like a distended fat cow couch potato watching the football game .
Thank god I wore stretchy waist pants. I had better exercise double tomorrow, so I can work all that dessert off. I don't know how I fit a plate full of thanksgiving food and all that dessert into my tummy, but I did.
Speaking of football? What is up with Steve Spurrier and the Washington Redskins? Wasn't he that great college football coach who was supposed to make a splash in the NFL? At least, that's what all the sports talking heads were predicting about him. My uncles were bitching about their fantasy football league teams, and how they thought for sure Spurrier was going to be a winning coach in his first season. One of my uncles was pissed because he picked a couple of players from the Redskins teams for his fantasy football team.
Fantasy football sounds like such a trip. One of the companies I worked for had their own Fantasy Football League. It was run out of the Finance department that I was a part of. The draft was like such a big deal, and was very serious business. All the VPs played, and the directors, and what other football nuts they could find. Everyone took it so seriously.
I asked if I could join, and the director that I worked for said I could join up with him and this other guy. But then he started telling me about all the work involved and I was like "NO WAY". You have to watch the games, and keep track of the stats. Then when your players are doing badly, you have to research trades. Everyone did their research at work of course, but then you have to watch a ton of football games. So much work, and for what? A little money and prestige. It's such a guy thing.
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
Pet peeves of mine this morning. God, I hate that SF Chronicle radio ad for classified ads, only because it bugs me that the woman answering the phone says “chello”? I mean who the hell says “chello” Isn’t it Hello? Is this some new way of saying Hello that I’m blissfully unaware of?
I hate when people say “often” and they hard pronounce the “T”. This is a relatively new phenomenon. No one in England says often with an over annunciated “T”, and no one said the word this way ten years ago. Why are people saying it now? I asked my acting speech teacher, who was a stickler for speaking correct English, and he said it was so totally wrong and people are over annunciating the “T” to sound intelligent. Whenever I hear someone saying it, and everyone seems to be saying it lately, I think of that person as snooty and snobby, and trying to prove to other people that they’re intelligent. And if they’re trying to prove they’re intelligent, it must mean they think they’re stupid. And you know what, they’re right.
I hate when people say “often” and they hard pronounce the “T”. This is a relatively new phenomenon. No one in England says often with an over annunciated “T”, and no one said the word this way ten years ago. Why are people saying it now? I asked my acting speech teacher, who was a stickler for speaking correct English, and he said it was so totally wrong and people are over annunciating the “T” to sound intelligent. Whenever I hear someone saying it, and everyone seems to be saying it lately, I think of that person as snooty and snobby, and trying to prove to other people that they’re intelligent. And if they’re trying to prove they’re intelligent, it must mean they think they’re stupid. And you know what, they’re right.
Monday, November 25, 2002
I'm at 41,881 words for Nanowrimo and back on schedule. Unlike last year when I only was behind a couple of times in my word count, I've spent most of this year's Nanowrimo always being behind and having to play catch up. The loss of a fully functioning computer for three weeks didn't help me either.
So many participants have already passed the 50K mark. I have half a mind to write more every day, just so I can finish early. My writing limit seems to be 5,000 words. I think Stephen King said in his book "On Writing", that he wrote 10K words a day. I don't know how he does it, and the only explanation I can come up with is 1) his only job is to write and 2) he's been doing it so much longer than I have.
Working a full time job really does take up alot of my energy, energy that I could be devoting to writing. Still, 5,000 words a day isn't that bad for a day's worth of writing, but those 5,000 words don't come easy. The first 3,000 words pretty much flow out, and the last 2,000 I have to really figh to get out. 1,667 words a day is by comparison relatively easy compared to the 5,000 word days I've been forced to do.
And on November 30, I still won't be done with my novel. I think the Nanowrimo folks wanted a fully completed novel, and my novel will be completed, but the story just isn't finished yet. By November 30, I will have finished the the first part of the story, but I still have parts 2 and 3 to go. Part one of this story could stand on its own as a mini novel or be part of serial novel. Dickens wrote this way I believe.
I definitely intend to finish parts two and three though, only because I'm curious to see how it all works out. I mean I know how the story ends, I just don't know the details and it's the details that I'm most interested in knowing.
So many participants have already passed the 50K mark. I have half a mind to write more every day, just so I can finish early. My writing limit seems to be 5,000 words. I think Stephen King said in his book "On Writing", that he wrote 10K words a day. I don't know how he does it, and the only explanation I can come up with is 1) his only job is to write and 2) he's been doing it so much longer than I have.
Working a full time job really does take up alot of my energy, energy that I could be devoting to writing. Still, 5,000 words a day isn't that bad for a day's worth of writing, but those 5,000 words don't come easy. The first 3,000 words pretty much flow out, and the last 2,000 I have to really figh to get out. 1,667 words a day is by comparison relatively easy compared to the 5,000 word days I've been forced to do.
And on November 30, I still won't be done with my novel. I think the Nanowrimo folks wanted a fully completed novel, and my novel will be completed, but the story just isn't finished yet. By November 30, I will have finished the the first part of the story, but I still have parts 2 and 3 to go. Part one of this story could stand on its own as a mini novel or be part of serial novel. Dickens wrote this way I believe.
I definitely intend to finish parts two and three though, only because I'm curious to see how it all works out. I mean I know how the story ends, I just don't know the details and it's the details that I'm most interested in knowing.
Interesting article from the National Revie Online about The Possible Collapse of the Government in Iran. There are many whispers around the net, that the true source and supporter of the all the muslim terrorists and Bin Laden, is Iran.
The following was taken from a DOD transcript of Secretary Rumsfeld En Route to Prague, Czech Republic. It's interesting to hear Rumsy speak about what other countries are offering to do, in the event we go to war with Iraq.
I love reading the DOD transcripts whenever Rumsy speaks. You learn so much more about the Iraq situation by reading these transcripts, than you do reading or listening to the news. My college profs were right when they said, always use original source materials and never trust secondary sources.
<[Q: Mr. Secretary you said you'd been getting offers every day from other countries to help disarm Iraq by force could you talk at all about the details of those offers? Do you expect further such offers at the NATO summit]?
Rumsfeld: I don't know that I've said we're getting offers everyday. I may have, if I did, I think we're getting more accurately to say we're getting responses every day. And they fit into a variety of categories, one category is That we would like to be helpful and start planning now in the event that force is used with or without the UN resolution. Another category is we would like to be helpful and begin planning now but only if there is a UN resolution indicating that it's appropriate for member states to use appropriate force. Still others are saying we are not in a position to cooperate with Iraq but on the other hand we would be willing to provide assistance in other ways. That might be force protection in a host country. It might be back-fill and support for some of the things we're doing elsewhere in the world where as they don't feel they'd like to be involved in the event force is used in Iraq but they could be helpful to us and free up some of our capabilities.
A forth category would be we don't want to help. A fifth category would be in the event force is used and the regime is changed we would like to cooperate with a coalition of the willing after the fact to assist Iraq from a humanitarian standpoint, and that type of thing, like so many countries are doing in Afghanistan. So they're these various baskets and a large number of countries have responded to those and a recently some additional inquiries have gone out and there are a number of countries that are in the planning process.
I think one of the reason so many countries are currently involved with planning that they recognize that there would not have been a UN resolution absent the potential of the use of force. That the build up that's taken place and the cooperative arrangements that are being fashioned among a coalition or the willing reinforces the diplomacy and creates a much better environment for the united nations because it ought to persuade the Iraqi's that the united nations and the coalition countries are serious. >
I'm dying to know which country is in what basket. Like who would volunteer to rebuild Iraq in the case of a regime change, but wouldn't to get involved in the war? To the victor goes the spoils? Who is the victor in Iraq's case, and who would have the most to gain by being involved in Iraq's rebuilding. My guess is Iran, Saudi Arabia maybe.
I love reading the DOD transcripts whenever Rumsy speaks. You learn so much more about the Iraq situation by reading these transcripts, than you do reading or listening to the news. My college profs were right when they said, always use original source materials and never trust secondary sources.
<[Q: Mr. Secretary you said you'd been getting offers every day from other countries to help disarm Iraq by force could you talk at all about the details of those offers? Do you expect further such offers at the NATO summit]?
Rumsfeld: I don't know that I've said we're getting offers everyday. I may have, if I did, I think we're getting more accurately to say we're getting responses every day. And they fit into a variety of categories, one category is That we would like to be helpful and start planning now in the event that force is used with or without the UN resolution. Another category is we would like to be helpful and begin planning now but only if there is a UN resolution indicating that it's appropriate for member states to use appropriate force. Still others are saying we are not in a position to cooperate with Iraq but on the other hand we would be willing to provide assistance in other ways. That might be force protection in a host country. It might be back-fill and support for some of the things we're doing elsewhere in the world where as they don't feel they'd like to be involved in the event force is used in Iraq but they could be helpful to us and free up some of our capabilities.
A forth category would be we don't want to help. A fifth category would be in the event force is used and the regime is changed we would like to cooperate with a coalition of the willing after the fact to assist Iraq from a humanitarian standpoint, and that type of thing, like so many countries are doing in Afghanistan. So they're these various baskets and a large number of countries have responded to those and a recently some additional inquiries have gone out and there are a number of countries that are in the planning process.
I think one of the reason so many countries are currently involved with planning that they recognize that there would not have been a UN resolution absent the potential of the use of force. That the build up that's taken place and the cooperative arrangements that are being fashioned among a coalition or the willing reinforces the diplomacy and creates a much better environment for the united nations because it ought to persuade the Iraqi's that the united nations and the coalition countries are serious. >
I'm dying to know which country is in what basket. Like who would volunteer to rebuild Iraq in the case of a regime change, but wouldn't to get involved in the war? To the victor goes the spoils? Who is the victor in Iraq's case, and who would have the most to gain by being involved in Iraq's rebuilding. My guess is Iran, Saudi Arabia maybe.
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