Somewhat Classified Information:

Make APPLE Computers Go Green in 2007...Write to Steve Jobs!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:53:36 GMT

I'll make it quick, folks... Apple Computers Inc. scored a FAIL (2.7 out of 10) in the recent Greenpeace "Guide to Greener Electronics" Consumer Guide. Apple has been dumping discarded electronics in rural, underdeveloped regions of China--violating international waste disposal agreements and creating environmental disaster zones. In layman's terms: "What the fuck?!? Apple needs to pull their act together--NOW." I am challenging Apple to become the first leading electronics manufacturer to "go green." I've written the following letter to Apple CEO Steve Jobs, and I'm inviting you to copy, paste, print, and mail my letter (with your signature) to him as well. Believe it or not, letters like this DO make a difference. So at the risk of sounding like a cheeseball, let's make a difference--together! :-) ******************************************* (Your Name) (Your Address) Mr. Steve Jobs Apple Computers, Inc. 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014 USA (Date) Dear Mr. Steve Jobs, I was shocked to learn that your company ranked a shamefully low score of 2.3 (out of 10) regarding your use of toxic chemicals and disposal of electronic waste products in the latest Greenpeace “Guide to Greener Electronics” Guide. As an individual consumer who has faithfully purchased your computers, iPods, and other Apple products for several years (and who frequently recommends them to friends and clients) I was sickened to realize that I have in part been contributing to the proliferation of toxic e-waste dumps in rural China and other developing countries, where your products are weeded through by small children and poverty-stricken people on a daily basis. While the minor strides your company has made in becoming more eco-conscious are admirable, Samsung, Nokia, and Sony are still beating you by a mile in their efforts to become “greener” electronics producers. Furthermore, your primary competitor, Mr. Bill Gates of Windows/Microsoft, donates regularly to causes such as the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, an organization to which the Gates Foundation recently made an initial contribution of 100 million dollars. I want to know what APPLE is doing to ensure that future generations of consumers (as well as those too poverty-stricken to ever dream of buying one of your products) are protected from environmental disaster. I am challenging you, Apple Computers Inc.--a company that has always been on the cutting-edge of consumer-based technology--to rise to the challenge of becoming the first major “green” electronics company. As worldwide attitudes towards environmentalism shift, a renewed commitment to environmental causes would not only be a necessary act of corporate responsibility on your part, but a smart move economically. Do it NOW, Apple. Make the safe and ethical disposal of discarded electronic products a top priority. Make a commitment to completely eliminating brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and other harmful components from your products. Stop transporting e-waste to developing countries, violating the pledge you made in the Basel Convention. Our planet has no time to waste, and no place for e-waste. To drive this point home, I will be encouraging my peers to write to you on this issue, in the hopes that a deluge of letters will demonstrate how important this issue is to us—the young adults and informed individuals who comprise the bulk of your target market base. With great faith and even greater hope, (Your Name and Signature)

Song of My Life! "White and Nerdy..."

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 00:28:08 GMT

Oh. My. Goodness. Where my Nrrrrrds @? I just saw the new Weird Al Yankovich music video for "White and Nerdy" (parody of rap artist Chamillionaire's "Ridin' Dirty") If there ever was a song that summed up my life, this is it, yo. Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6Zc9NyYH-k For your edification, here are the lyrics: You see me mowin' my front lawn I know they're all thinkin' I'm so White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Can't you see I'm white and nerdy Look at me I'm white and nerdy I wanna roll with the gangstas But so far they all think I'm too White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy I'm just too white and nerdy Really, really white and nerdy First in my class here at MIT Got skills, I'm a champion at D&D M.C. Escher, that's my favorite M.C. Keep you're 40, I'll just have an Earl Grey tea My rims never spin, to the contrary You'll find that they're quite stationary All of my action figures are cherry Stephen Hawking's in my library My MySpace page is all totally pimped out Got people beggin' for my top eight spaces Yo, I know pi to a thousand places Ain't got no grills but I still wear braces I order all of my sandwiches with mayonnaise I'm a wiz at Minesweeper, I could play for days Once you've see my sweet moves, you're gonna stay amazed My fingers movin' so fast I'll set the place ablaze There's no killer app I haven't run (run) At Pascal, well I'm number one (one) Do vector calculus just for fun I ain't got a gat, but I got a soldering gun (what?) Happy Days is my favorite theme song I could sure kick your butt in a game of ping pong I'll ace any trivia quiz you bring on I'm fluent in JavaScript as well as Klingon Here's the part I sing on... You see me roll on my Segway I know in my heart they think I'm White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Can't you see I'm white and nerdy Look at me I'm white and nerdy I'd like to roll with the gangstas Although it's apparent I'm too White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy I'm just too white and nerdy How'd I get so white and nerdy I been browsin', inspectin' X-Men comics You know I collect 'em The pens in my pocket, I must protect them My ergonomic keyboard never leaves me bored Shoppin' online for deals on some writable media I edit Wikipedia I memorized Holy Grail really well I can recite it right now and have you R-O-T-F-L-O-L I got a business doing websites (websites) When my friends need some code, who do they call? I do HTML for 'em all Even made a homepage for my dog, yo I got myself a fanny pack They were havin' a sale down at The Gap Spend my nights with a role of bubble wrap Pop, pop - hope no one sees me gettin' freaky I'm nerdy in the extreme Whiter than sour cream I was in AV club and glee club And even the chess team Only question I ever thought was hard Was "Do I like Kirk or do I like Picard?" Spend every weekend at the Renaissance Faire Got my name on my underwear They see me strollin', they're laughin' And rollin' their eyes cause I'm so White and nerdy Just because I'm white and nerdy Just because I'm white and nerdy All because I'm white and nerdy Holy cow, I'm white and nerdy I wanna bowl with the gangstas But oh well, it's obvious I'm White and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy Think I'm just too white and nerdy I'm just too white and nerdy Look at me I'm white and nerdy

\\\Happiness in November///

wouldntyouliketoknow — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 19:02:23 GMT

Oh so happy. So much happy. Here is why: 1. Green hair! Yesterday someone nodded at me and said, "nice grass" in reference to my head. Yesss... 2. Music: Canned Heat, The Clash, Johnny Cash 3: Movies: Serial Experiments: LAIN, Appleseed, Mirrormask 4. Food: Pancakes with pink marshmallows. I feel like a five-year old! 5. Crushes: on every cute girl in Dunedin. I feel like a fifteen-year old! 6. Wise insights: into the nature of reality. I feel timeless... 7. Cuddling: with my new platonic cuddle-buddies! Changed my life. 8. New friends: you know who you are. 9. Old friends: thank Google for you all. 10. Mood lighting: red plastic covering my lightbulbs. Ooh, instant hotness! 11. Bubble baths: how I will miss you so, my darling deep-tub...no other tub can ever take the place of you... 12. Illegal candles! Say no more. 13. Packing: I love the way my entire life fits into six 2'x2' cardboard boxes that say "Old El Paso Burrito Kits" on them. Classic. 14. Family: Ten months! Ten months I've been away! And yet thanks to the miracle of air travel, only 13.5 hours and several mini wine bottles and packets of pretzels separates us now! 15. Getting paid: for lip-syncing?!? Only in Dunedin. Only in my life. 16. The word "infornography." Kind of says it all, don't it? 17. Extra long-lasting batteries. Thank you, Duracel. 18. Socialism. 19. Irony. 20. Strange elderly Croatian men who ask me to take photographs of them in front of the train station, and then tell me how much they love women and good food, and suggest that I visit them in Sydney. You make my world go 'round...it's all about the creepy old men! My kindred spirits in this world.

Just Ask!!!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 10:21:52 GMT

My new motto: Just ask! You've got nothing to lose...except your dignity! Haha. But seriously, it's amazing how much abundance the universe can offer us if we just ask for it. Visualizing, mediating, blah blah blah...yeah, that's all well and good, but there's nothing like a good, old-fashioned, blunt, straight-up request. You really can't lose. Best case scenario = you get what you want. Worst case = at least you know you REALLY tried. I'm a thinker...I ALWAYS over-intellectualize everything, often to the point of paralyzing myself in self-doubt before making a decision. Lame. Beyond lame! Lately I've been teaching myself to act on a more "visceral" level. It doesn't mean "not thinking"--it just means thinking in a different way. Being able to cope with rejection helps, too. Because for goodness sake, it's just rejection! It's not terminal cancer! You can deal! What have you asked for recently? What are you afraid to ask for? What do you really want? Last night, I was hanging out with two new friends and I really wanted them to spoon me in a sandwich. Guess what? They were down. Cuddle party! Yesss! Today, I asked a cute girl on a date, and she said "no." Guess what? I still feel like a bad-ass just for asking. ;-) This is part of what I was trying to articulate in my last post. The world is FULL. The world is OVERFLOWING. It's just a matter of grabbing what you need!

I just want to say something...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 03:40:08 GMT

I'm not sure what I want to say. But I'm so FULL of life right now...overflowing into everyone and everything. I'm not sure how to express it without resorting to horrendous cliches...but it's as if my life before now was a bubble containing my little world, and now the boundaries between my life and the rest of the world are blurred in a wonderful way. Like I'm open to anything and there's no plan...but the sense of rightness and faith in the universe is Awesome with a capital A. OK, I'm starting to sound like a rambling tweaker so I'll sign off for now. But I really want to get this out properly so perhaps I'll reflect a bit and then have another attempt at expression when I'm less-caffeinated. Cheers.

I got the job! That's Mr. Nerd to you!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 22:31:58 GMT

I got the Computer Lab Tutor/Supervisor position I applied for. I was selected (along with 14 others) out of a pool of over 100 applicants. Woot woot woooooot!!! I start next February, and I'm so excited. Not only will I get power and prestige (and a plastic yellow jacket), but I'll get a university staff ID card, access to the Student Computing Services lounge (free coffee! free coffee!) and opportunities to take heaps of free seminars on all kinds of tech-related stuff. At the end of my position's term, I'll have learned so much about computers...it'll be like minoring in computer science, without having to pay the tuition! In fact, they'll pay me instead!!! Yusss! I am stoked. If I get a part-time journalism gig on top of this, next year will truly rock. I'll keep y'all posted. :-) Now I should stop celebrating and start studying for exams! Aw, man. Buzzkill.

NEW ALBUM BY THE KILLERS!!!!!!!!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:21:02 GMT

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! I am so obsessed!!!!!! I feel like one of those wild, busty, be-ribboned, tear-streaked, bouncing girls from 1950s televsion screeching at the foot of the stage on the Ed Sullivan show. The Killers are performing in San Francisco in December, and in Auckland in January. I am literally planning to follow their tour all over the world. New album is insanely awesome. My favorite songs so far are: Sam's Town, When You Were Young, Read My Mind, and Bones. But all of them are amazing. Their sound has evolved into Beatles meets Danny Elfman meets Queen meets the Cure...with lots of Brandon Flowers' fabulous androgynous warbling, and epic guitar/synthesizer swells. I spent two hours last night just lying in my bed with my eyes shut, listening to the album three times in a row. Yeah. It's that good.

Monomania...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 10:31:07 GMT

I love Dictionary.com Word of the Day emails. Recently the word was "monomania": 1. Pathological obsession with a single subject or idea. 2. Excessive concentration of interest upon one particular subject or idea. Ha! Story of my life. Guess I'm a monomaniac? Except my "monomania" has turned to "multimania" this month. Here's what I'm currently obsessed with: 1. "Twin Peaks," the 1990s cult-hit TV series by David Lynch. So unsettling. So bizarre. So awesome. 2. Colorful vintage jackets from thrift shops. Especially rainbow plaid. 3. Turkish bread with olive oil and dukkah. Dude. 4. The new wireless internet system at my university. 5. Hugs. And I'm getting 'em. 6. Convincing everyone that I'm cool. 7. The idea that one day, everyone will have to call me "Dr." Ha! 8. Befriending my flatmate. 9. Scrubbing pots. Ohh...so satisfying. 10. This blog post's photo. It encapsulates my two favorite things: gender-bending and "The X-Files!" Haha.

Yo, yo, yo--I still exist: Life Update

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 11:28:46 GMT

And now a mad shout-out to my Tribe-y peeps!!! 'specially Rebhel, Rapunzel, Theo, JZ, & Silver Bullet. :-) I haven't been online much lately and I kind of got burnt out on Tribe, but I wanted to check in and post a little update about the goings on in my wacky life...where to begin? I suddenly (and quite randomly) became totally obsessed with being a student! It was like some ultra-nerdy switch got flicked on in my brain, and I suddenly went, "fuck yeah! How awesome is LEARNING?!?" So ever since then I've been 200% engaged in my lectures, reading like a maniac, going to every extra seminar and guest lecture and academic conference I can b.s. my way into (and no, not just for the free food), and meeting up with new nerdy friends for extensive literary debates and discussions. Ah, the life of a scholar. How lucky am I? I want to feel this way forever, regardless of whether I'm in school or not. GOAL: to remain an infomaniac, forevermore!!! I also became suddenly (and also quite randomly) interested in politics and social activism. I have never been very political (shame, shame), and I felt it was about time I learned something about how the world is run and how I can help create a better future for one and all. Thus, I joined the International Socialist Organization (ISO) at my university--and before you go, "oh no! Another one lost to the commies," just hear me out. The ISO is not a bunch of fanatical, ravenous demagogues...it's actually a small group of highly intelligent, surprisingly open-minded, tolerant, and inclusive students who believe in equality for everyone and a more balanced economic structure for society. Contrary to popular belief (well, at least MY previous beliefs), socialism is NOT about losing your sense of individual identity and becoming a red robot under a totalitarian dictator. Quite on the contrary, it supports individualism--just not selfishness and exploitation. It promotes the idea that the act of giving to others is inextricably linked with the act of giving to oneself. In a way, its philosophy is very Burning Man-ish. But anyways, I still have a lot to learn about socialism--about EVERYTHING, for that matter. I certainly would not consider myself a "socialist" at this point, but I definitely admire some of the basic ideals, and the ISO is a great way to get tons of information in a low-key setting. Moving on... The Fringe Festival has begun in my little town, and it's actually quite exciting. I'm going to be working as a stage manager for a dance event, and I'll be reading some of my poetry at an open-mic event as well. Several of my friends have wicked awesome projects being featured in the program, such as a Gothic/Rave re-interpretation of the ancient Greek Bacchae ritual, and an eco-conservationist photography/performance art installation. There's loads going on every single day for the next two weeks, and most of the events are free, or around $5, which is super-cool. No esoteric fancy-shmancy stuff in NZ! Art for everyone! Yay! In other news, I recently attended a GhostBusters-themed birthday party, and I had the best costume, hands-down. I went as "Egon," for those of you who are GB savvy: "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost!" What else, what else...hmm...music-wise, I'm really into Leonard Cohen, Alison Krauss, The Indigo Girls, and Simon & Garfunkel right now. Old favorites, revisited. Oh, and The Killers. I can't WAIT for their new album to come out! I think I might actually BUY it!! Like, from a store!!! Omigosh!!! How quaint. It's finally starting to warm up in Dunedin (and by "warm" I mean fingerless gloves instead of fingered gloves). I feel like I'm waking from my hibernation of several months...I actually get edgy and agitated if I stay inside for too long, and I want to spend time with people!!! Imagine that! OK, I think I've passed my daily exclamation mark quota, and it's time for bed, so I'll sign off now. Keep in touch, my precious Tribeys! --A :-)

I need YOU to check out my NEW WEBSITE and tell me what you think!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 05:53:16 GMT

Hello, Tribe Folks! I recently designed a website for a university course I'm taking. The website is about Katherine Anne Porter, a 20th century American novelist and short-story writer. My website will be graded on October 3rd, 2006. Before I submit it to my professor, I want to get as much feedback as I can to make the site as user-friendly as possible. If you have 4 or 5 minutes to spare (and since you're on tribe I KNOW you do! Haha), please click on the link below and surf around my website a bit. THEN, please send me a TRIBE MESSAGE or POST A COMMENT TO THIS BLOG ENTRY with your answers to the quick little 3-question, multiple choice survey I've pasted below. Feel free to add any other comments you like. Your feedback is GREATLY appreciated! Thanks! You all rock my socks! :-) www.katherineanneporteronline.com SURVEY: Please take a moment to tell me your initial reactions to my website. To submit your answers, just put the number of the question and your multiple choice selection: Example: 1) A 2) B 3) C It's easy! :-) Question #1: Content Do you feel the site offers… A) Too much information? B) Not enough information? C) Or just the right amount of information? Question #2: Aesthetic Appearance Do you feel the site's design is… A) Attractive? B) Unattractive? C) Or somewhere in the middle? Question #3: Organization Is the site… A) Easy to navigate? B) Difficult to navigate? C) Or pretty average? Additional Comments? Feel free to share ANYTHING--good or bad. And thanks again for your time!

The Painful Game

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 05:03:33 GMT

As a child, I played a tragic game: let's see how far you can think-- outside the earth is the sky, beyond that, the moon, then the planets, name each one, the fringes of the Milky Way, and then, another galaxy, another and another until until until! and sobbing, I would squeeze my eyes-- this painful game can only be lost. And so the brain devises borders to hold in muddled reality, and if those borders should dissolve, well, then perhaps the game is won-- but at the price of sanity. Some days I wake with piercing joy, and imagine every stranger's mind holds delicious shadows similar to mine, and we are all alike, and we are all alive, and I cannot stop walking and watching and wondering at the unison of the universe, as ecstatic tears collect in the crease of my smile. Then: the littlest catalyst. My perfect vision blurs, and my violet dream collapses like a star; the matter implodes and shivers away, carried off by some invisible solar wind. And next: I am deaf to everything external. My brain, a fissured machine, my savior and maestro, metes out Tragedy, Love, Arrogance, Jealousy, Faith; measured instructions, electric and ephemeral, at first devastating and distracting, then inescapably essential. For I am terrified the painful game and its ungodly prize, And so take refuge within the steel boundaries some wiser Self has hammered into place: I know my brain extends to my skull, that my skin is the border of myself, that everything within is carbon, salt, liquid and logic, that to look further is to tempt an answer that would overthrow my feeble machinery, rip me apart for scrap metal, and scatter me to the solar winds. ***

Haiku for my roommate

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 00:41:02 GMT

I ate your mild cheese, But bought you better sharp cheese; Hence, a cheese upgrade

I would just like to say...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 15:22:12 GMT

...that I really like the new version of the TV show "Dr. Who!!!!" It is campy and British and it makes me smile. Plus the theme song rocks. Hooray for new discoveries. :-)

Wow, almost a week since my last blog entry...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 11:02:49 GMT

...is it possible that my Tribe addiction is wearing off? I think it is! Will wonders never cease. ;-) That being said, it's time for some random bloggy thoughts: I'm feeling much, much better (finally!) and I'm newly committed to taking better care of myself--physically, mentally, and spiritually. I'm reading some great books (V. Nabakov's "Lolita," Dan Simmons' "Hyperion")... playing some fun games (World of Warcraft!!! I'm gonna make level 12 tonight)... going to some cool events (The Phoenix Foundation, my favorite Kiwi band, have a gig next weekend at a local dive--I'm stoked)... and doing some good deeds (volunteering in my university's subsidized meal kitchen, which is run by lots of smiling hippies)... Life is pretty darn sweet...and only getting sweeter... Soon it will be time for a September Happy List. It will be a long one, I'm sure. ---> To all the burners I've chatted with over the last few months: have a stupendous time at BM, and my thoughts will be with you...but not *that* much, because mainly my thoughts will be here, in the present moment! Haha! Too bad for you! But yay for me! ---> To everyone in LA: if you're not going to BM, and you're a proud geek (like me) you should go to the 64th Annual World Science Fiction Convention!! "WorldCon" is in Anaheim this weekend. They've got original Star Trek costumes on display, they're handing out the Hugo awards, and lots of other wonderful geeky stuff. Oh when oh when will WorldCon come to New Zealand?? Wherever you are, whatever you're doing...be safe, have fun, use protection, drink your water, put your glasses in their proper case, look both ways before crossing, don't forget your chapstick, turn off the TV, and call your mom! And so on! Etc, etc!!!

No Burning Man for me...this year, anyway...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 07:12:44 GMT

Hello friends, Well, after months and months of eager anticipation, I've made the difficult (yet mature and wise--I hope) decision that 2006 will *not* be the year of my virgin burn after all. My choice is mainly due to the fact that I been extremely sick for over a week, and am still feeling pretty crappy even today...I don't feel comfortable hopping on a 17-hour flight in 3 days time with my ear still popping in pain, coughing up green goobers, and no voice. On a related note, I've already missed a week of school while I've been sick, and I just can't afford to take any more time off for BM. My top priority right now is finishing college...and as a wise Triber reminded me recently, I've invested too much time, energy, and money into my education to blow it off for an event that happens every year. I've also had some personal stuff going on recently. Without sounding ridiculously "New-Age," I've gotten incredibly out-of-touch with myself lately. I've been allowing my intense excitement for BM to distract me from what's really going on in my life...and that's bad, 'mkay? I've had to critically evaluate my *real* reasons for wanting to go to BM in the first place, and my expectations surrounding the event--I have been disturbed by what I discovered about myself, and it only adds to my conviction that BM needs to wait...for now. I want to go to BM as a whole person ready to share and love and play, not as a damaged little girl who needs hardcore healing on numerous levels. I'll get there, but I'm not ready yet. Anyway, I just wanted to thank everybody who has been helping me get ready for my first burn...just consider me extra-prepared for 2007! I hope you all have incredible experiences, and I'll be thinking of you and sending snuggly vibes from NZ, where I'll be resting and recovering and taking much better care of myself. :-) I'm going to be spending much less on time on Tribe in the near future, but I'll be around...I hope to hear some good stories when y'all get back from BRC! Peace, A

Countdown!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:23:01 GMT

Gah! Less than 6 days to go before my seventeen-hour flight to LA, and I'm still fighting the flu, I'm behind on my schoolwork, and haven't even begun to put together any semblance of a "costume"--to say nothing of "gifts." I think my "gift" to everyone at Burning Man will be the mere fact that I managed to make it in one piece...oh, and lots and lots of hugs, of course. And maybe some Cinnamon Orbit gum...if you're lucky. Sigh...I have a feeling it's going to be a bumpy voyage. Wish me luck! I damn well need it.

Essential YouTube Viewing

wouldntyouliketoknow — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 23:12:04 GMT

For those of you who have not yet discovered the wonder that is YouTube, please--take thirty minutes of your life to enjoy the diverse, ever-expanding assortment of short videos...some of which are awful, many of which are terrific, and all of which are 100% free to download and watch. Here are my top 5 favorite YouTube videos of the moment: 1. Know your Civil Rights! A must-watch for anyone who plans to engage in "recreational" substances, or who even *looks* like they might be planning to. If pulled over by a cop, do you know how to wield your civil rights? Or will you unintentionally waive your rights, incriminate yourself, and unnecessarily yield to the intimidating cop's authority? This video is a little corny, but it gets the point across--sometimes, the difference between walking (or driving) away, and spending a night (or a year) in jail literally rests in your choice of words: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NmC5wHfCdM 2. Remember Roger Glover's psychadelic animated trip-fest, "The Butterfly Ball?" Neither do I...mainly because I wasn't alive when it first aired in Great Britain (circa 1970). I know you'll adore this swirly, rainbowlicious music video that features a singing, guitar-strumming frog who cries, "love is all you need, at the Butterfly Ball!!!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43TlKfLdNRo 3. Another goofy treat: what happens when you've got 8 treadmills, 4 post-modern male dancers, and 1 awesome rock 'n' roll song? Well...a lot happens, of course...you've just got to see this one for yourself. I put the FuguFish link for this one, because it seems to load faster than the YouTube one: http://www.fugufish.org/frog/?p=38 4. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears wide open for young Meghan Julius of Jefferson, Indiana. The first time I heard her cover of the Bright Eyes song, "First Day of My Life," I cried. Just sat at my computer and cried. Fuck, now I'm getting misty just typing about it. She is that good. When that angsty, soulful voice comes tumbling out of that cherubic little face, you almost do a double take. I'm convinced that Meghan is going places...and as much as I despise myspace, check out her myspace music page for a FANTASTIC cover of Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker." Yow! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEPixxM9xFg 5. Oh man oh man...if you're feeling weepy after Meghan's ballad (and by the way--hands off, she is officially my future bride), here's the answer to your prayers. What happens when a devout Christian chap takes control of Sir Mixalot's "I Like Big Butts (and I cannot lie)?" Let's just say there a lots and lots of bibles--you know, "it's gotta be one of them large ones, with plenty of space in the margins." Aw yeah. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEPixxM9xFg

Stupid emotions...where is that damn cyborg implant I ordered off eBay?!?

wouldntyouliketoknow — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 06:15:37 GMT

Ugh. Ugh! UGH!! Yeah, it was one 'o' those days, people. I'm sure the fact that I'm running on 2.5 hours of sleep (see previous blog post on insomnia) didn't help matters, but boy oh boy...today was tough to get through. Let's just say, when the Irish History professor held up a xerox copy of the Irish Declaration of Independence, I got a bit weepy. It was just...so...moving! Later, while writing a random email, I straight up starting crying...in the middle of the university computer lab. No idea what triggered it. It wasn't even a "sad" email...I think I may have a typed a word that triggered some kind of subconscious reaction. Maybe it was "onion?" At lunchtime, I bumped into a friend and was so moved by her very presence that I got extremely misty-eyed. After my friend left, I decided that the woman serving up the lentil curry looked a bit worn and haggard. I reached to give her a supportive hug. She respectfully declined. Bitch. Either I'm completely losing it, or it's that time of the year...but my emotions are tumbling through my weary brain like drunken toddlers. I have never felt so unlike "myself." I wonder what insanity feels like? I bet it feels like sleep deprivation.

Help Me Sleep! :-(

wouldntyouliketoknow — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 17:04:54 GMT

Ugh...lately I've been dealing with some frustrating insomnia and weird nightmares. It's all due to a combination of pre-Burning Man jitters, a bit of academic stress at school, and a bit of emotional stress with a particular relationship. For some reason, it all tends to hit me as soon as I try to sleep...my mind wanders like a schizo bunny rabbit, and I wind up trying to "numb out" by watching DVDs or surfing the net or reading for hours and hours until I pass out--generally at 4 or 5 am. Tonight I actually drank an extra glass of wine hoping it would conk me out. NOT healthy or appropriate, I know. So what do you guys recommend? Any tips? Or should I just "go with it" and accept this energy and restlessness as part of a cycle that will eventually cease?

My 50th Friend!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 02:48:49 GMT

This is so epic...I write with misty eyes and a glowing heart: I have now broken the 40-something barrier and officially have 50 friends on Tribe. (Uproarious applause, applause, applause) This event is a testament to both my utter coolness and severe internet addiction. Nevertheless, a bit of celebration is in order. Allow me to introduce "Jesse," my 50th friend... Jesse is a smoking hot barista (but NOT at Starbucks--she's way too cool for that) who loves wine, pot-bellied pigs, Anais Nin, and Scotland. She is currently in training to become a nerd, much like me. Having been acquainted with Jesse for all of four minutes (100% of them cyber-minutes), I can say with the utmost certainty that she is totally rad. :-) Stay tuned for the next milestone in my life...no, not my graduation from college--my 2,000th profile view, of course!

I LOVE my parents!

wouldntyouliketoknow — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 05:38:34 GMT

I LOVE them soooooo much. Hear that, mom? Got it, dad? Sooooooo much!!!!! Thhiiiiiiiiis much! Mwah! So stop stressing! Love love love! See you in 15 days! A

Irony of Ironies...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Thu, 03 Aug 2006 10:29:58 GMT

So I got my first two assignments of the semester back today. The first one was a series of short essays for my Irish Literature course on Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest." The second was a sample business report and memo for my Business Writing course. Obviously, the first assignment was far more interesting than the second, and I really got quite into it. I studied the play carefully, read outside texts on Wilde's life, checked out some critical analysis on the play, etc, etc...I spent quite a while on my essays and felt pretty damn good about my work when I turned it in. As for the business report? Meh, whatever. I pretty much just pumped it out without really giving it a second thought. Sooo...irony of ironies...guess what I got?? 58% on the Oscar Wilde assignment. Fucking 58%!!! That is downright shameful. The tutor wrote the following comment at the end of my assignment: "What you have described here is a paradox, when the question referred to an inversion." Okaayy...the difference being?!? But anyway--96% on the business report. The professor wrote: "Terrific job!" Fuck. This does not bode well for my career as a creative writer. I am having scary visions of being trapped in a gray cubicle, straining for breath, my Office Space-esque employer patting me on the head and saying "terrific job" as my labor-of-love screenplay is rejected for the millioneth time...nooooooo!!! Haha...don't worry, peeps, I'm not *really* that terrified--yet. But it is kind of ironic, isn't it? What a paradox--or, excuse me, "inversion." Fortunately, I get to drop my two lowest grades in my Irish Lit class, and according to my sources, the tutor always grades really hard at the beginning of the semester to scare you into applying yourself. Interesting strategy. Ah, college...so many brilliant people, and yet sometimes so stupid. What a paradox. Inversion. Whatever.

Phwoar! Happiness in August...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Tue, 01 Aug 2006 09:48:07 GMT

A monthly tradition...my top 10 bits of happiness and joy! 1. The INTERNET!!! Good lord above, how I love the 'net! From emailing mom and dad, to chatting with buddies in LA, to skype-ing with my brother (so much better with headphones), to researching every random topic that pops into my head, to reading entire books online at Googlebooks and Project Gutenberg, to Tribe-ing like a fool until 4 am...the internet rules my friggin' world, yo. 2. ANTICIPATION!!! My favorite feeling in the world. The past eight months or so have felt like one humongous wave of anticipation...first for moving to New Zealand, then for returning to college, and now for Burning Man, as well as for my future in general. Hooray for tingly excitement and sleepless nights (the good kind). Hooray for options, for opportunities, and for hope! 3. BOOKS!!! Although I sometimes whine (internally, of course) about my course reading list that stretches a mile long, I am ever so grateful to live in an age in which books are not censored, banned, or burned. Well...not often, anyway. I love going to the public library and picking out a stack of heavy, hardback books...there's something magical about holding the weight of all those words in your hand. 4. The CRITIC!!! My university's weekly magazine is a total hoot, and I'm delighted to have been asked to contribute so much this semester. Not only is it a great writing experience for me (deadlines every Tuesday morning! Yikes!), but the staff is hysterical. Hooray for Friday afternoon drunken brain-storm sessions! Finally, a bunch of nerdy weirdos who appreciate my sick sense of humor! 5. The word "PHWOAR!!!" Haha...a classic exclamation of enthusiasm (perhaps with loose sexual connotations), courtesy of the twenty-somethings of New Zealand. 6. The CURE!!! I know, I know...I'm a little late to hop on this particular bandwagon. But I've recently discovered the classic alt-rock band, and I'm lovin' it. A big thanks to my neighbor Jimbo for loaning me no less than 6 different CDs of The Cure, all of which are happily living in my laptop now. Hooray for iTunes! 7. The AV SECTION @ the library!!! Fuck yeah! Where else can you watch obscure Japanese anime films, or listen to the entire text of James Joyce's "Dubliners" performed by famous Irish actors, or just chill out with an old record (yes, a REAL record) of a classical symphony while you thumb through a textbook...for FREE? Plus, all the volunteers are super adorable pencil-neck geeks with strange piercings and awkward hairstyles who always have an awesome black-and-white sci-fi film to recommend. Much love to the AV peeps! And speaking of sci-fi... 8. THE X-FILES!!! Godammit, I fucking love this show--forever and always! And that's all I have to say on the subject, because I'm sure I'm starting to sound irritating and obsequious with my constant prasing of the series. 9. FLAVORED MILK!!! OK, this might sound freakish and gross, but Kiwis are really into flavored milk products: chocolate, strawberry, banana, coffee, lime (yes, lime), and even exotic candy bar flavors, like toffee, caramel, and nougat. They sell them in little juice boxes for about a buck. Yum, yum. Sweet boxed beverages with mini bendy-straws make me happy. :-) 10. SYNCHRONICITY!!! It's out there, man. Small, but perfect example: I was dog-tired today, and dreading my 30-minute trek back home in the cold, windy evening air. I decide to grab a coffee to fortify myself for the journey, and who do I see waiting in line at the cafe? My friend Priscilla, who just *happens* to have rented a car for the week, and is heading back to town right this very minute! Cool! It's the little things in life that smooth out the rough edges. Well, that's all for now...I'm sure I'll have at least a dozen more things to add to my Happy List after I get back from BM. So, what're y'all happy about this month? :-)

Film Review: Breakfast on Pluto

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 10:46:57 GMT

“Breakfast on Pluto” Dir: Neil Jordan Starring: Cillian Murphy, Liam Neeson, Stephen Rea, Brendan Gleeson “Breakfast on Pluto” is a surrealistic fairy tale set against the backdrop of civil unrest in Ireland during the 1960s and 70s. Writer/director Neil Jordan crafts a world that shimmers with imaginative pleasures—where sparrows quote Oscar Wilde and roses emerge from teacups. The violence of the Troubles provides a stark contrast to the sensual fantasy world of Patrick “Kitten” Braden (Cillian Murphy). Kitten is a soft-spoken, stylish, self-assured young transvestite from a small town in Northern Ireland. Abandoned on the steps of a church as an infant, he grows up nursing dreamy fantasies about his beautiful mother, despite aggressive measures taken by his Catholic schoolmasters to tame his imagination (and cross-dressing tendencies). At the urging of a mystical, marijuana-smoking motorcyclist, he sets off to find his mother in London. Along the way, he embroils himself in a variety of bizarre showbiz gigs—working as a costume designer for an acid-rock band, a magician’s assistant in a cabaret act, a giant dancing duck at a children’s theme park, and eventually as a peepshow “girl.” Despite almost continual heartbreak, rejection, betrayal, and abandonment, Kitten’s unflappable spirit ultimately leads him to happiness, though the ending to his fairy tale is not at all what he expected. Cillian Murphy’s portrayal of Kitten is positively splendid from beginning to end, yet “Breakfast on Pluto” features several glorious supporting performances as well. Liam Neeson, as Father Bernard, gives a refreshing portrayal of a lapsed Catholic priest who is neither overwrought with grief nor sickeningly hypocritical, but simply accepts his own imperfections. Stephen Rea, as Bertie the Magician, offers a multi-dimensional characterization of a man whose love for Kitten is expressed in peculiarly abusive ways. Indeed, the strength of the film lies in the fact that none of its characters live up to the stereotypes they initially seem designed for. Each transcends his obvious role, just as Kitten transcends the ugliness of a world that is always so “serious, serious, serious.”

Goodbye, Mama Shrimp...

wouldntyouliketoknow — Sat, 29 Jul 2006 04:56:36 GMT

Have you ever listened to a song that you just LOVED, even though you weren't 100% sure what it was about, or even if it was in English? I've been listening to Frank Black's CD, "Honeycomb," obsessively for a couple of weeks. I especially dig track 8, which is a bluesy, twangy, rockin' folk song. I'd never really listened carefully to the words until today. Guess what? It's about singing SHRIMP! Whaa? Obviously, I love the song even more now! How bizarre. The lyrics: I saw three shrimp in the water, two were old and gray I swam a little bit closer and .. I heard the third one say Goodbye mama shrimp, papa shake my hand Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian' Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian' He showed his mama and papa, the shrimp newspaper he read An invitation to all the shrimp and this is what it said Free ride, New Orleans, stay in grand hotel Big Creole gal who help you come out of your shell Big Creole gal who help you come out of your shell If I should live to be ninety, I will never forget The little shrimp and the song he sang as he jumped into the net Goodbye mama shrimp, papa shake my hand Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian' Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian' Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian' Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian' Here come the shrimper for to take me to Louisian'