don't miss the video of the jiggling.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
san fransisco- in jello?
lit from underneath and set to jiggle, this scale model of san fransisco is making me a little hungry.
don't miss the video of the jiggling.
don't miss the video of the jiggling.
selfish? self centered?
lately i've been feeling really bitchy, selfish and self centered. either i really have been those things, or i'm imagining that i am those things. or maybe some of both.
either way, i'm sorry world. i want to try to be more positive and less about selfish expectations.
hopefully this weekend will give me some good time to chill and get back to center.
either way, i'm sorry world. i want to try to be more positive and less about selfish expectations.
hopefully this weekend will give me some good time to chill and get back to center.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
i am uncool (when it comes to music)
i may be uncool when it comes to other things as well, but when it comes to music, i'm so uncool, i define the word uncool. i just can't help but love my eighties favorites.
all those one hit wonder ballads are perfect for turning up the volume in my car and belting out my love for some fine woman with big hair and dark eye makeup.
aaron says we're not going to apologize (or hide) our love for 80's ballads anymore- 'those are good songs and it's cool to stick by our preferences'.
but sometimes i long to join the 'in' crowd. i like to turn on 'the current' whenever other people are in my car and pretend i listen to it all the time.
so when i find a site like http://www.google.com/trends/music, i get a little excited.
now here's a site that makes joining the next generation of music easy. i can check out popular songs (popular based on what others are choosing to listen to, not what the overly commercial radio stations are forcing down our throats because it's what they've been paid to do), and i can find some stuff i like easily, without having to dig through the proverbial haystack.
now the tricky thing is to find time to explore, when i can barely find time to water my plants.
okay, but i feel like i have to say something like- long live the 80's!!
all those one hit wonder ballads are perfect for turning up the volume in my car and belting out my love for some fine woman with big hair and dark eye makeup.
aaron says we're not going to apologize (or hide) our love for 80's ballads anymore- 'those are good songs and it's cool to stick by our preferences'.
but sometimes i long to join the 'in' crowd. i like to turn on 'the current' whenever other people are in my car and pretend i listen to it all the time.
so when i find a site like http://www.google.com/trends/music, i get a little excited.
now here's a site that makes joining the next generation of music easy. i can check out popular songs (popular based on what others are choosing to listen to, not what the overly commercial radio stations are forcing down our throats because it's what they've been paid to do), and i can find some stuff i like easily, without having to dig through the proverbial haystack.
now the tricky thing is to find time to explore, when i can barely find time to water my plants.
okay, but i feel like i have to say something like- long live the 80's!!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
can you catch a human?
so this week i was trying to reach a company to discuss a charge they had made to my credit card that I wasn't expecting.
I needed to call back several times to try to re-navigate my way through their automated phone system, since I wasn't able the first few times to find the exact right combination of buttons that would get me a live, breathing human.
haven't we all been there?
and what a coincidence... i ran across this site shortly thereafter: http://www.gethuman.com/us/
you can go to this site and get phone numbers (sometimes unreleased) and detailed instructions for how to get ahold of an actual human.
I have to laugh at some of the instructions on the page... my favorite is:
SUNOCO- 800‑278‑6626- Press 0 five times, then mumble when prompted for an account number.
it's such a frustrating state of customer service affairs in america, when companies decide to bury their human support.
my other favorite is the statement- 'i'm sorry, it's our policy'
roughly translated, that means 'someone way high up in the company made a decision to fuck you, and i'm the front person who is completely unempowered to do anything more than listen to your complaint and pretend like i care.'
I needed to call back several times to try to re-navigate my way through their automated phone system, since I wasn't able the first few times to find the exact right combination of buttons that would get me a live, breathing human.
haven't we all been there?
and what a coincidence... i ran across this site shortly thereafter: http://www.gethuman.com/us/
you can go to this site and get phone numbers (sometimes unreleased) and detailed instructions for how to get ahold of an actual human.
I have to laugh at some of the instructions on the page... my favorite is:
SUNOCO- 800‑278‑6626- Press 0 five times, then mumble when prompted for an account number.
it's such a frustrating state of customer service affairs in america, when companies decide to bury their human support.
my other favorite is the statement- 'i'm sorry, it's our policy'
roughly translated, that means 'someone way high up in the company made a decision to fuck you, and i'm the front person who is completely unempowered to do anything more than listen to your complaint and pretend like i care.'
Monday, August 21, 2006
the visual dictionary
this site is pretty neat: http://thevisualdictionary.net/
they have over 3000 images (and growing) of words, catalogued so you can find them easily.
someday, i'm going to be glad for this site, i just know it.
they have over 3000 images (and growing) of words, catalogued so you can find them easily.
someday, i'm going to be glad for this site, i just know it.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
rmg connect- company picnic
we played a little kickball, pounded a few nails, ate a little food, enjoyed all the kids.
pictures
video- kids
it was a good time.
pictures
video- kids
it was a good time.
ever need something to do tonight?
if you ever wanna see what there is to do in your location tonight, or in the near future, check out this site: http://busytonight.com/
if you're like me, when you want something to do, or somewhere to go, you think of all the things you've done before. it's hard to get out of that box and do something new. that's what's cool about this site, it helps with the i-wanna-do-something-new-and-i-don't-know-how-to-think-of-new-things situation.
if you're like me, when you want something to do, or somewhere to go, you think of all the things you've done before. it's hard to get out of that box and do something new. that's what's cool about this site, it helps with the i-wanna-do-something-new-and-i-don't-know-how-to-think-of-new-things situation.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
internet video ratings- most popular videos
video is exploding on the net, for better or for worse.
well, if you're looking to find more of the 'better' than the 'worse', you can check out this site: http://www.worldtv.com/charts/
supposedly, this site is supposed to show the most popular video on the net from four of the main video sites, with filters for inappropriate content and stupid content that just gets a lot of visits.
i found a few things on here that were worth checking out and a few things that probably should have been caught by the 'stupid content' filter.
it's still fun to get an overall view of what's goin' on out there, eh?
well, if you're looking to find more of the 'better' than the 'worse', you can check out this site: http://www.worldtv.com/charts/
supposedly, this site is supposed to show the most popular video on the net from four of the main video sites, with filters for inappropriate content and stupid content that just gets a lot of visits.
i found a few things on here that were worth checking out and a few things that probably should have been caught by the 'stupid content' filter.
it's still fun to get an overall view of what's goin' on out there, eh?
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
the star tribune can help you with your marriage
aaron and i went out to breakfast, and grabbed a newspaper to read while we waited for our eggs and bacon.
poor aaron was trying to read the sports page, but i kept interrupting. cause all i could do was bitch about this shitty article the star tribune printed about marriage.
okay, seriously, marriage is tough. aaron and i have been through plenty of shit and we still happen to have some crap still on us. it has been a wonderful relationship, but it hasn't always been easy.
what pisses me off, is the stupid star tribune has decided that it's going to hand out clever, cheeky marriage advice to those of us in the early part of our marriage, including # 3 from the list- have more sex. i would expect this from some stupid '10 things to drive him mad in bed' magazine, but from the star tribune? seriously.
so i'm reading, and i figure it's really no big deal. the strib thinks they can give sweeping generalizations to pass as marriage advice to all the people out there, and somehow, the 2 paragraphs they have for each suggestion will be enough to actually accomplish something for someone.
and as i read, i encounter stupid little suggestions like this one: Know when to engage in an argument and when to let it go -- without resentment.
okay, now that they've told me to do that, it should be fairly simple, right? problem solved, eh? shit, we spend half our fucking lives figuring that one out, don't we? come on. does this kind of crap really help anyone?
okay, still reading and at this point i'm just minorly annoyed at the nerve that the star tribune displays in thinking that this is really helping anyone.
then i get to the place where they talk about making up quickly during an argument so that you can move on, which doesn't royally piss me off until i read this part of it:
'Move on to making up. That's the best part anyway, right? Skip the handshake and go straight for sex.'
seriously, that's the end of that section. go straight for sex.
i'm stumped, i don't know what to write. that's just fucking outrageous.
most of the world can't even stomach an argument, because it's uncomfortable. when we probably need to sit with it and really work through our problems, we're told to move on to make-up sex.
article takeaway- if you're in debt, and they gain a few pounds, and the sex slows down, and you fight about your families- you have a shitty marriage.
seriously, strib, you really fucked this one up. you could encourage people to work hard in their relationship, stick with it even when it's tough. stand up for themselves and be real. love themselves and their partner just the way they are. commit to each other on a deeper level and embrace the bad along with the good. work as a team against the crap that the world throws at you. be each other's best friend.
but no, you focus on the superficial crap and reinforce all the shallow expectations of a relationship that americans have come to expect for a few years before divorcing out of sheer laziness.
keep the good stuff coming.
poor aaron was trying to read the sports page, but i kept interrupting. cause all i could do was bitch about this shitty article the star tribune printed about marriage.
okay, seriously, marriage is tough. aaron and i have been through plenty of shit and we still happen to have some crap still on us. it has been a wonderful relationship, but it hasn't always been easy.
what pisses me off, is the stupid star tribune has decided that it's going to hand out clever, cheeky marriage advice to those of us in the early part of our marriage, including # 3 from the list- have more sex. i would expect this from some stupid '10 things to drive him mad in bed' magazine, but from the star tribune? seriously.
so i'm reading, and i figure it's really no big deal. the strib thinks they can give sweeping generalizations to pass as marriage advice to all the people out there, and somehow, the 2 paragraphs they have for each suggestion will be enough to actually accomplish something for someone.
and as i read, i encounter stupid little suggestions like this one: Know when to engage in an argument and when to let it go -- without resentment.
okay, now that they've told me to do that, it should be fairly simple, right? problem solved, eh? shit, we spend half our fucking lives figuring that one out, don't we? come on. does this kind of crap really help anyone?
okay, still reading and at this point i'm just minorly annoyed at the nerve that the star tribune displays in thinking that this is really helping anyone.
then i get to the place where they talk about making up quickly during an argument so that you can move on, which doesn't royally piss me off until i read this part of it:
'Move on to making up. That's the best part anyway, right? Skip the handshake and go straight for sex.'
seriously, that's the end of that section. go straight for sex.
i'm stumped, i don't know what to write. that's just fucking outrageous.
most of the world can't even stomach an argument, because it's uncomfortable. when we probably need to sit with it and really work through our problems, we're told to move on to make-up sex.
article takeaway- if you're in debt, and they gain a few pounds, and the sex slows down, and you fight about your families- you have a shitty marriage.
seriously, strib, you really fucked this one up. you could encourage people to work hard in their relationship, stick with it even when it's tough. stand up for themselves and be real. love themselves and their partner just the way they are. commit to each other on a deeper level and embrace the bad along with the good. work as a team against the crap that the world throws at you. be each other's best friend.
but no, you focus on the superficial crap and reinforce all the shallow expectations of a relationship that americans have come to expect for a few years before divorcing out of sheer laziness.
keep the good stuff coming.
Sunday, August 13, 2006
housewarming gift- realized
when we moved into our new home, our good friends linda and rob offered to give us a fantastic housewarming gift, if we agreed to some conditions.
a while back, linda came into possession of a wonderful set of china (settings and platters to serve 12 people) from a friend of the family that had passed away. the china is probably as old as this house (built in 1916) and simply gorgeous. since she already has china from her own family, she offered to give us the extraneous set on two conditions:
1. We had to agree to use it, not just store it.
2. We had to agree to wash it by hand, rather than use the dishwasher on it.
Well, of course we can handle that!
We finally initiated the china on Saturday night with Kat, Scott, Tawny and Leon. Aaron made us a fantastic meal.
appetizer- caprese (fresh mozzarella, with basil and tomato from the local farmers market)
main dish- rack of lamb with 'minnesota cous cous' (veggies and wild rice mixed in)
dessert (brought by tawny and leon)- homemade carrot cake
lots of wine (brought by kat and scott)
the dishes accommodated us marvelously and we had a terrific evening.
thanks to linda and rob and kat and scott and tawny and leon and especially aaron.
a while back, linda came into possession of a wonderful set of china (settings and platters to serve 12 people) from a friend of the family that had passed away. the china is probably as old as this house (built in 1916) and simply gorgeous. since she already has china from her own family, she offered to give us the extraneous set on two conditions:
1. We had to agree to use it, not just store it.
2. We had to agree to wash it by hand, rather than use the dishwasher on it.
Well, of course we can handle that!
We finally initiated the china on Saturday night with Kat, Scott, Tawny and Leon. Aaron made us a fantastic meal.
appetizer- caprese (fresh mozzarella, with basil and tomato from the local farmers market)
main dish- rack of lamb with 'minnesota cous cous' (veggies and wild rice mixed in)
dessert (brought by tawny and leon)- homemade carrot cake
lots of wine (brought by kat and scott)
the dishes accommodated us marvelously and we had a terrific evening.
thanks to linda and rob and kat and scott and tawny and leon and especially aaron.
conjunctivitis- unspecified
poor aaron. he was working on thursday and got a desperate call from me:
'buddy, i'm really scared. i think i hurt my eye and i want you to take me to the hospital to get it checked.'
so aaron got a ride home from someone and rushed a very nervous me to the hospital. he was freaked out, as was i, by an unusual red marking on my face.
warren was my doctor, he was funny. he put some yellow flourescent stuff in my eye...
... and said that i had scratched the white of my eye (i don't have the slightest idea what got into my eye, or how it got there- i was only watching tv all night). he said the unusual red marking was a blush reaction to the scratching. technically, the injury is called conjunctivitis- unspecified.
it's pretty scary when your eye get's hurt. you realize how much you depend on them and how easily they can be damaged.
i'm glad it wasn't serious. thanks for your help, warren.
'buddy, i'm really scared. i think i hurt my eye and i want you to take me to the hospital to get it checked.'
so aaron got a ride home from someone and rushed a very nervous me to the hospital. he was freaked out, as was i, by an unusual red marking on my face.
warren was my doctor, he was funny. he put some yellow flourescent stuff in my eye...
... and said that i had scratched the white of my eye (i don't have the slightest idea what got into my eye, or how it got there- i was only watching tv all night). he said the unusual red marking was a blush reaction to the scratching. technically, the injury is called conjunctivitis- unspecified.
it's pretty scary when your eye get's hurt. you realize how much you depend on them and how easily they can be damaged.
i'm glad it wasn't serious. thanks for your help, warren.
Monday, August 07, 2006
hero machine
if i were a superhero, what superhero would i be? (well, first of all, i am a superhero)
go to the sci-fi channel website to create your own superhero.
i created the superhero that i think aaron would be. here's the link to him.
i named him 'underwear man' but it doesn't keep the name. this little engine falls a little short of complete usability, but it's a fun idea for kid's i guess.
it's like fashion plates, without all the tactile fun of running a crayon over a piece of paper.
ah, the internet.
go to the sci-fi channel website to create your own superhero.
i created the superhero that i think aaron would be. here's the link to him.
i named him 'underwear man' but it doesn't keep the name. this little engine falls a little short of complete usability, but it's a fun idea for kid's i guess.
it's like fashion plates, without all the tactile fun of running a crayon over a piece of paper.
ah, the internet.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
inxs- need you tonight / mediate MUSIC VIDEOS
my adrenaline is rushing, i am alive!!!!
this is some serious stuff so sit up and listen.
80's music videos
yes, 80's music videos
you heard me right
80's music videos
are on this site!!
and they are the real deal. holy hell, i can't even tell you how thrilled i am to see some of these gems again.
remember these videos?
eric carmen- hungry eyes (dirty dancing)
men at work- down under
europe- final countdown
motley crue- girls girls girls
def leppard- photograph
janet jackson- nasty
whitney houston- i wanna dance with somebody
robert palmer- simply irresistable
Chris De Burgh - Lady In Red
patrick swayze- like the wind (more dirty dancing)
bon jovi- livin on a prayer (they were flying!!)
madonna- like a virgin
and the video to rule all videos... michael jackson- thriller (can you believe that thing was 13 minutes?)
how did i wait so long to find this stuff online? i love you internet!!
this is some serious stuff so sit up and listen.
80's music videos
yes, 80's music videos
you heard me right
80's music videos
are on this site!!
and they are the real deal. holy hell, i can't even tell you how thrilled i am to see some of these gems again.
remember these videos?
eric carmen- hungry eyes (dirty dancing)
men at work- down under
europe- final countdown
motley crue- girls girls girls
def leppard- photograph
janet jackson- nasty
whitney houston- i wanna dance with somebody
robert palmer- simply irresistable
Chris De Burgh - Lady In Red
patrick swayze- like the wind (more dirty dancing)
bon jovi- livin on a prayer (they were flying!!)
madonna- like a virgin
and the video to rule all videos... michael jackson- thriller (can you believe that thing was 13 minutes?)
how did i wait so long to find this stuff online? i love you internet!!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
cello update
suzanne (my teacher) and i have been having delightful fun for the last few months. I've even been playing with a duet partner, errin. cello really is as wonderful as i thought it would be, and i'm really enjoying it.
i've been working on one of the unaccompanied bach pieces (simply amazing music) and something called the scarlloti, or something like that.
i really wanted to have a recital this summer, but the more i play, the more i realize that i want to give myself time to just enjoy playing, and when it's time for a recital, i'll know it. i'm not sure yet when that will be, but you'll all be invited.
in the meantime, don't miss any of our parties. kat and scott always talk me into playing a little cello for our guests.
i've been working on one of the unaccompanied bach pieces (simply amazing music) and something called the scarlloti, or something like that.
i really wanted to have a recital this summer, but the more i play, the more i realize that i want to give myself time to just enjoy playing, and when it's time for a recital, i'll know it. i'm not sure yet when that will be, but you'll all be invited.
in the meantime, don't miss any of our parties. kat and scott always talk me into playing a little cello for our guests.
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