tell me what's wrong with this picture
update: the package finally arrived on November 1st. =)
Sunday, October 30, 2005
amazon- technology can be your friend
so for every smart use of technology on the web, there is an equal and opposite example out there.
tell me what's wrong with this picture
update: the package finally arrived on November 1st. =)
tell me what's wrong with this picture
update: the package finally arrived on November 1st. =)
Saturday, October 29, 2005
the older crowd
friday night we met an old friend of mine for drinks (eric). he brought along two friends (james and brandon) and we found ourselves at the 1029 bar (laura's) in northeast. the activities that followed leave me laughing to myself endlessly and feeling just a little bit guilty about what we did.
the 1029 bar is a little hole in the wall bar that james and brandon had suggested. when we walked in the door, i thought to myself 'oh man, this is not going to be any fun'. boy was i wrong.
we found our seat and ordered some beer from a short petite waitress (who was blown away by our modest tipping, she can't be making much money there). as we waited for the band to get started, we checked out the full house crowd.
one guy with long blond hair in a ponytail and an eyepatch (we were split on whether we thought it was real or not) sat at the bar looking very serious.
one very quiet black couple hid themselves in a corner, looking like they were terrified they would be spotted at any minute.
the rest of the bar seemed to be taken over by tons of older woman, dressed in patterned sweaters, big hair, high heel pumps and gobs of makeup like they were still in the eighties. There seemed to be a hope and almost expectation that if they just kept their eyes open, they would see mister right walk through the door any minute. He would spot them across the bar, in the midst of all the other women, be blown away by their hairdo, ask them to dance, and eventually propose to them. the women in that bar were the most hilarious i've seen in a very long time. seeing them made aaron and i feel like we were back in small town muskegon michigan again. fucking hilarious!
(this may seem just a bit judgemental- but that's where some of my aforementioned guilt comes in)
the band was made up of a lead singer (maybe 50), the keyboardist (knight rider 80's hairdo- though his keyboard was on a stand, you could totally see him having one of those hang-around-the-neck keyboards from the 80's), two singer guitarists and a drummer who all seemed young enough to understand why this was so damn funny.
they got started playing and we realized they were doing all 80's cover songs. in groups of two, the woman dared to go up and dance (the 80's kind of dancing, where you don't move your feet and you swing your arms around), doing their best to look extremely sexy in case mister right walked in right then. james and brandon were hilarious as they mocked the dance style, i'm laughing out loud right now remembering it.
as we drank, laughed like crazy and sang out loud to the songs, our mockery was confused as enthusiasm and the lead singer picked us out as the 'rowdy table'. he played the songs we requested, pointed to us often, and came over to sing from our table. somewhere in there, i even forced aaron to slow dance with me to 'every rose has it's thorn' by poison. the laugher was outrageous and never ending.
it seemed no one in the bar could get a read on our sarcasm, and that just made it all the more palpable. this is where more of that guilt comes in. i'm sure the band members are nice, talented guys, and that the women are great people as well, but that scene was the most comic 80's reproduction i ever thought i would see.
going into the 1029 bar is like stepping back in time (except all the teenagers are adults).
the 1029 bar is a little hole in the wall bar that james and brandon had suggested. when we walked in the door, i thought to myself 'oh man, this is not going to be any fun'. boy was i wrong.
we found our seat and ordered some beer from a short petite waitress (who was blown away by our modest tipping, she can't be making much money there). as we waited for the band to get started, we checked out the full house crowd.
one guy with long blond hair in a ponytail and an eyepatch (we were split on whether we thought it was real or not) sat at the bar looking very serious.
one very quiet black couple hid themselves in a corner, looking like they were terrified they would be spotted at any minute.
the rest of the bar seemed to be taken over by tons of older woman, dressed in patterned sweaters, big hair, high heel pumps and gobs of makeup like they were still in the eighties. There seemed to be a hope and almost expectation that if they just kept their eyes open, they would see mister right walk through the door any minute. He would spot them across the bar, in the midst of all the other women, be blown away by their hairdo, ask them to dance, and eventually propose to them. the women in that bar were the most hilarious i've seen in a very long time. seeing them made aaron and i feel like we were back in small town muskegon michigan again. fucking hilarious!
(this may seem just a bit judgemental- but that's where some of my aforementioned guilt comes in)
the band was made up of a lead singer (maybe 50), the keyboardist (knight rider 80's hairdo- though his keyboard was on a stand, you could totally see him having one of those hang-around-the-neck keyboards from the 80's), two singer guitarists and a drummer who all seemed young enough to understand why this was so damn funny.
they got started playing and we realized they were doing all 80's cover songs. in groups of two, the woman dared to go up and dance (the 80's kind of dancing, where you don't move your feet and you swing your arms around), doing their best to look extremely sexy in case mister right walked in right then. james and brandon were hilarious as they mocked the dance style, i'm laughing out loud right now remembering it.
as we drank, laughed like crazy and sang out loud to the songs, our mockery was confused as enthusiasm and the lead singer picked us out as the 'rowdy table'. he played the songs we requested, pointed to us often, and came over to sing from our table. somewhere in there, i even forced aaron to slow dance with me to 'every rose has it's thorn' by poison. the laugher was outrageous and never ending.
it seemed no one in the bar could get a read on our sarcasm, and that just made it all the more palpable. this is where more of that guilt comes in. i'm sure the band members are nice, talented guys, and that the women are great people as well, but that scene was the most comic 80's reproduction i ever thought i would see.
going into the 1029 bar is like stepping back in time (except all the teenagers are adults).
Friday, October 28, 2005
wells miller jackson
a really great guy i used to work with had a son recently.
what a handsome fella!
noitulove
i like this ad a lot. it wins on many levels.
http://www.framestore-cfc.com/commercials/guinness_noitulove/launch_noitulove.html
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
color blender- cool for designers
this is a cool site where you can find six colors that go well together by selecting a specific rgb code or moving sliders around somewhat randomly.
http://colorblender.com/
what fun!
Sunday, October 23, 2005
$500- holy shit!
i mentioned that my friends had gotten together to buy me cello lessens. they gave me five hundred dollars!!!
that is a lot.
thank you, friends!
that is a lot.
thank you, friends!
homeless in minneapolis
a friend of mine who works in the mill city museum sent me this link (thanks saire).http://jobylynn.com/html/
basically, it's a woman who talks about the time she spent homeless and living in the ruins of a mill in downtown minneapolis.
there are a few things that are super fascinating about this site for me:
1. personal story- jobylynn tells of what it was like squatting in the ruins as a homeless person, giving some perspective on what kind things matter most when you have no home.
2. contrast of old and new- i've been in the 'restored' ruins, so seeing this perspective rounds out my impression a bit. makes me wish i could have been there to see what she was seeing.
3. amazing photography- she has a fantastic eye for shooting photos. i'd love to see her entire collection
4. sadness- it is virtually impossible for a homeless person to move themselves out of their situation, but society can't see that barrier. they sure do love to pass judgement, though.
thanks for sharing jobylynn...
Saturday, October 22, 2005
john, wanda and james
i'm spending the afternoon with some good friends here at Crisis Connection. I've been volunteering here for over 3 years, taking calls from people who need help for some reason or another.
today has been a bit busy for us here. there have been lots of calls about drug addiction/use. seems like there's a lot of that in the calls here. We had one suicidal call where we had to send the police to the residence. makes me feel better about the state of things in my own life.
john, wanda and james are great to work with, they are brilliant at what they do. by the end of a shift i tend to get a litte raw, a little down. they're excellent at keeping my spirits up as we take calls. it's best to keep the shifts short around here.
today has been a bit busy for us here. there have been lots of calls about drug addiction/use. seems like there's a lot of that in the calls here. We had one suicidal call where we had to send the police to the residence. makes me feel better about the state of things in my own life.
john, wanda and james are great to work with, they are brilliant at what they do. by the end of a shift i tend to get a litte raw, a little down. they're excellent at keeping my spirits up as we take calls. it's best to keep the shifts short around here.
Friday, October 21, 2005
childhood memories- less than fond ones
aaron showed me this video the other day:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/mean_mom.html
be prepared, it's a bit extreme. when i saw it, i flashed back to my childhood, actually.
a 16 year old kid has turned his video recorder on during a fight he's having with his mom. she is screaming at the top of her lungs at him because she wants money from him and he's insisting she ask him nicely.
let's just say if i ever even thought of speaking to my mother this way when she was angry, i don't even know what she would have done to me, but i can tell you that i'm 30 now, and still scared to imagine.
the part of the video that freaks me out the most is the part where the stepdad is trying to reason with the 16 year old kid that he should give his mother the money because she has supported him all these years.
really people, this is so wrong for so many reasons. and something deep deep inside of me cringes when i hear this 'logic'.
unfortunately, it is the logic of my childhood. i'm tempted to relive some of the worst phrases here in my blog, but instead, i'm taking a deep breath and letting it go tonight.
i have a hard time dealing with the realization that people could have such a disturbing and dangerous view of the parent / child relationship.
please, stay away from the drinking water.
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/mean_mom.html
be prepared, it's a bit extreme. when i saw it, i flashed back to my childhood, actually.
a 16 year old kid has turned his video recorder on during a fight he's having with his mom. she is screaming at the top of her lungs at him because she wants money from him and he's insisting she ask him nicely.
let's just say if i ever even thought of speaking to my mother this way when she was angry, i don't even know what she would have done to me, but i can tell you that i'm 30 now, and still scared to imagine.
the part of the video that freaks me out the most is the part where the stepdad is trying to reason with the 16 year old kid that he should give his mother the money because she has supported him all these years.
really people, this is so wrong for so many reasons. and something deep deep inside of me cringes when i hear this 'logic'.
unfortunately, it is the logic of my childhood. i'm tempted to relive some of the worst phrases here in my blog, but instead, i'm taking a deep breath and letting it go tonight.
i have a hard time dealing with the realization that people could have such a disturbing and dangerous view of the parent / child relationship.
please, stay away from the drinking water.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
bluefly- your opinion?
nuditity everywhere...what do you think of these new ads for bluefly?
http://www.thatswhyibluefly.com/tv_ad_popup.html
i'm curious what people think, so post a comment and then i'll put up my opinion.
kickball captains
aaron and i decided after four season's of coaching our kickball team that we'd like to hand that honor off to the next captain(s). i'm a bit sad and relieved all at the same time. also a bit worried.
sad
hm. well, i've really enjoyed the opportuntities and obligations that go along with leading a group of people for a common goal. i guess that's why i do what i do for a job. and i'm sad to be leaving that behind because there has been lots about it that i've loved.
relieved
to just think of going to play kickball without all the related responsibilities seems like a dream to me. i won't have to:
get all the money together and worry about doing it before the good nights fill up
take all the shit for the name of the team and the color of the shirts when i couldn't make everyone happy
get the t-shirts and hand them out to the right people and get extra's for late joiners
be the first to show up to the field
do the reauchambeau and potentially lose and let the team down
listen to all the suggestions from the team about how to run the team and feel inadequate
worry about whether we'll have enough people to play
feel let down when people don't finish the season
feel like everyone is disappointed in our captaining approach, even though we try so hard
worried
yep, another list makes sense here. worried that:
the kickball ideals that we believe in will cease to be as important (it's only a game, everyone should get to try out the different positions, don't treat other players/teams badly, people can mess up and that's part of the fun)
i won't be very good at not being the leader (keep my nose out of it)
without as much experience, the new captain(s) won't know what to avoid/embrace about everything
i won't be there to make sure everything goes smooth, so we won't get a good night or enough people to play
no one will take the captain job from us and we will either have to beg someone, or disband. =(
okay, this isn't a very positive post, but i suppose i knew that going into it. i just have to remember, it's just kickball. babies aren't dying. and however it works out will be just fine, even if it doesn't work out at all.
thanks to all the teams we've captained for letting us lead. i really loved it.
long live the colonel!
sad
hm. well, i've really enjoyed the opportuntities and obligations that go along with leading a group of people for a common goal. i guess that's why i do what i do for a job. and i'm sad to be leaving that behind because there has been lots about it that i've loved.
relieved
to just think of going to play kickball without all the related responsibilities seems like a dream to me. i won't have to:
get all the money together and worry about doing it before the good nights fill up
take all the shit for the name of the team and the color of the shirts when i couldn't make everyone happy
get the t-shirts and hand them out to the right people and get extra's for late joiners
be the first to show up to the field
do the reauchambeau and potentially lose and let the team down
listen to all the suggestions from the team about how to run the team and feel inadequate
worry about whether we'll have enough people to play
feel let down when people don't finish the season
feel like everyone is disappointed in our captaining approach, even though we try so hard
worried
yep, another list makes sense here. worried that:
the kickball ideals that we believe in will cease to be as important (it's only a game, everyone should get to try out the different positions, don't treat other players/teams badly, people can mess up and that's part of the fun)
i won't be very good at not being the leader (keep my nose out of it)
without as much experience, the new captain(s) won't know what to avoid/embrace about everything
i won't be there to make sure everything goes smooth, so we won't get a good night or enough people to play
no one will take the captain job from us and we will either have to beg someone, or disband. =(
okay, this isn't a very positive post, but i suppose i knew that going into it. i just have to remember, it's just kickball. babies aren't dying. and however it works out will be just fine, even if it doesn't work out at all.
thanks to all the teams we've captained for letting us lead. i really loved it.
long live the colonel!
Friday, October 14, 2005
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
smurfette is dead
i know, everyone is talking about the smurf work. i will add my two cents-- i love that blowing up the beloved smurfs gets through the media to the people. do something peaceful and lovable and no one hears about it.
cello lessons
so there are these cello lessons that are mine for the taking. am i ready? it means i will have to work at it. it means i will have to practice. it means i will have to commit to spending time. i can be honest on my blog right? i'm so freaking excited, but i'm afraid i will get started and then peter out.
okay.
now that i've stated my fear i can move confidently in the direction of my dreams.
okay.
now that i've stated my fear i can move confidently in the direction of my dreams.
Monday, October 10, 2005
no blog inside
i want to blog, i want to say stuff. tell the great internet how my trip to arizona was, how my first atv adventure was, how i love my new job, even still.but there is no blog inside me right now. so i will post this comic and leave it at that for now. i know you, great internet, will forgive me for now.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Nature Quote of the Day- i like this one
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.
--Galileo Galilei
--Galileo Galilei
split rock lighthouse on october 1st 2005
aaron and i went to split rock lighthouse yesterday to see the fall colors and spend some time outdoors.
oh my god it was so beautiful. the whole world was in transition and it felt great to be a part of that. the leaves where changing colors, the sun was setting, and the beach was so peaceful and serene. i love the black sand on that beach, it's my favorite. everything made me feel so alive.
aaron is my best friend.
oh my god it was so beautiful. the whole world was in transition and it felt great to be a part of that. the leaves where changing colors, the sun was setting, and the beach was so peaceful and serene. i love the black sand on that beach, it's my favorite. everything made me feel so alive.
aaron is my best friend.
i have the best friends in the whole world
they threw me a party
they said they love me
they really came through for me on every level
they gave me the gift of believing in me
the one thing i've been wanting to do is play my cello
so they got together to pay for lessons for me so that i can play
what a wonderful, thoughtful thing to do, to give me that kind of boost.
i can't wait to reward them all with a little recital (hopefully i'll learn to play well enough that it will be taken as a reward)
i really feel very lucky that my friends are as good to me as they are.
thanks to all of you, you make me cry a little when i think of all your support.
they said they love me
they really came through for me on every level
they gave me the gift of believing in me
the one thing i've been wanting to do is play my cello
so they got together to pay for lessons for me so that i can play
what a wonderful, thoughtful thing to do, to give me that kind of boost.
i can't wait to reward them all with a little recital (hopefully i'll learn to play well enough that it will be taken as a reward)
i really feel very lucky that my friends are as good to me as they are.
thanks to all of you, you make me cry a little when i think of all your support.
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