I can't remember where I stumbled across this this, but it's pretty cool: lots of pics of Obama and family on election night.

Posted by Zee at 06:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wow. What a great, historic day is today. As I'm sure you might guess, I'm thrilled with the outcome of today's presidential election. And I'm relieved. So very, very relieved.

Now the real work begins, friends. Now, maybe, things willl begin to improve for all of us. I have hope again.

Posted by Zee at 09:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I don't think "opinionatedness" is, strictly speaking, a word, but I'm going to use it anyway. Because I'm all rebellious like that.

Anyway, last night I opened up my newspaper to the gossip section (because there's really nothing else it can be called) where they reported that Angelina Jolie had given her 7-year-old son some daggers.

DAGGERS, people. Not plastic light-saber replicas to play "Star Wars" with, not Legos, not an Easy-Bake Oven... No, she went and bought him some knives. So he could "learn how to defend himself."

Blink.

Blink. Blink.

To learn how to defend himself? Is she expecting him to carry these knives to school just in case? And for that matter, what kind of school does he go to that he needs to defend himself - with a KNIFE - from other snot-nosed kids?

Seriously, who gives their 7-year-old kid a knife?

The story then goes on to say that Ms. Jolie had, as a teenager, engaged in self-mutilation (also called "cutting") and also had "a relationship which involved ritual self-mutilation."

Does anyone else find this as disturbing as I do? It just seems so wrong to me, on so many levels, I don't even know where to start. Again, me being totally judgmental here, but WTF?

(Oh, and I just ran across this rather amusing take on the whole thing...)

Posted by Zee at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

• The election. Obviously.
• How sick Miss Rennie is going to get from eating (without my immediately realizing it) one of the stupid poisonous berries from the tree outside my door, and whether or not it's going to cost another exorbitant amount of money to get her better.
• How I'm going to get facial wax off the butter knife I used to stir the tiny wax container.
• Whether my lips and chin are going to break out as a result of said waxing.
• Work. As usual.
• How I'm going to beat the level I'm on in The Hobbit. Stupid orcses.
• How many autoimmune diseases one person could potentially acquire. (Morbid, I know.)
• My finances.
• Whether my sister is remembering to balance her checkbook.
• Why I had a dream I was pregnant.
• How funny it would be if there were a band called "The Chixie Dicks."
• Whether or not it's going to hurt when Miss Rennie gets her stitches out on Saturday.

Hey, I never said what I was thinking about was interesting.... :-)

Posted by Zee at 09:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So life and work have been crazy busy lately and Rennie is continuing to recover quite nicely (although she continually tries to lick at her healing incision. Ugh.) I don't have a lot of big news to share, but here are a few things that have come up or amused me over the last few days:

Item the First: My aunt called this evening after having seen the talent portion of Sarah Palin's 1984 Miss Alaska competition to make sure I'd seen it. Why? Because I play the flute and the flute, in this video, is what Miss Palin tries to play... To echo my aunt's statement, "My yorkie could play the flute better than that!"

You've got to watch until at least about 1:30 in, when she goes completely off-key and the trumpet comes in and tries (not-quite-successfully) to drown her out. And it all goes downhill from there.

It's one of those "must look away but can't" kinds of situations; laugh-out-loud funny.

Continue reading "Various and Sundry Updates & Observations" »

Posted by Zee at 09:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I don't know about you all, but the idea of having a Republican in the White House for another four years has put the Fear of God in me. I don't much like to write about politics because all it does is end up making me angry, but I feel I need to put a stake in the ground, just in case anyone had an question about where I stand with this election.

I am voting for Barack Obama.

I don't care how much they've touted their "desire for change," the Republican candidates and the Republican party want to continue what we've had for the last 8 years. McCain voted with President Bush 90% of the time and all it's done is line the pocketbooks of the rich while the middle class and the poor get poorer. For the Republicans, this entire race (and actually, the last 8 years) has been about stunts and manipulation and I'm just sick to death of it.

It's time for the people of this nation to open their eyes, take a good look around and realize exactly how fucked up things are.

Heather over at Dooce.com posted some great thoughts yesterday which express a lot of what I feel. The whole post is great, but my favorite line is the last one:

We are just as scared as you are of those around us who have their fingers in their ears and are going LA LA LA LA LA in an attempt to convince themselves that their behavior and their policies are not in direct violation of the teachings of the God they think put them in power.

Frankly, I just don't know what I'm going to do if McCain is elected. The idea makes me a bit nauseated. Despite the fact that I threatened to do it and didn't (obviously) when Bush was re-elected in 2004, I really might find a way to immigrate to Canada if we end up with McCain.

Please, for the love of all that is right and good, vote for true change. Vote Obama

Posted by Zee at 07:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

There's an interesting post floating around personal finance blogging circles today about the rising level of consumer spending on pets. Of course, the discussion has touched on the "pets as kids" debate and on how much is "too much" to spend on pets.

My take is that "too much" is relative, based on your levels of income and other expenses. And each person has to prioritize based on their particular situation. Seems kind of like a "duh" concept to me, but it's really surprising how worked up people get when this topic comes up.

I don't currently spend a lot on Rennie, because I'm trying to dig myself out of debt. But she is well-cared-for, has everything she needs and is, in general, a happy pooch. My costs for her right now run about $700/year:

• Annual exams, preventative medical stuff (like heartworm) and vaccinations, plus periodic county registration costs: ~$230/year
  
• Special "low-residue" food that keeps her tummy from getting upset (and thus, keeps her out of the vet's office!): $30 every three months (~$120/year)
  
• Rawhide, Dingo brand Bones: 1/2 bag a month, or so, at $19.99 (~$120/year)
  
• Treats and toys (~$30/year)
  
• Misc. care items like shampoo/conditioner, toothbrushes/toothpaste (yes, really) and other random things: ($25/year)
  
• Veterinary Pet Insurance, $14.82/month ($178/year)
  

You will notice that there are no "training" costs up there. Going with Rennie to classes is one thing we both really miss, but when I started to live on a budget (i.e. within my means) the cost of obedience classes was just too prohibitive. I simply had too much debt to justify it. This hasn't always been the case: when Rennie was a puppy I had to prioritize her training classes because I just didn't know enough to train her myself and, well, she was a puppy. You gotta train puppies. So I did it and I have no regrets. But she is now (mostly) well-behaved and so the need for training classes just isn't as urgent.

Continue reading "Pets and Money: Finding a Balance" »

Posted by Zee at 07:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So I'm very, very happy that the holidays are finally over. I know we've got New Year's eve coming up but given it's primarily a holiday of excessive drinking, my ringing in of the new year is likely going to involve hanging out with Miss Rennie and perhaps dropping by a work friend's little shindig.

(Actually, hanging out in a beach cabin watching the sun set over the ocean sounds like a lovely way to spend the night, but given that overnight vacations and trips really aren't going to be an option until I get my all my debts paid off, I think I'm pretty much done with my the holidays for the year. And, perhaps, for all time.)

I was chatting w/ a gal I work with today about the excesses of the holiday season and the rabid consumerism in our culture today and I realized how very, very tired it all makes me. Obviously, I'm not immune from stuff-itis, but as I've become more thoughtful about my finances I've found that giving and receiving random stuff just doesn't do anything for me anymore. Of course I love my family, and I enjoy the time that I spend with them. But this year Christmas felt rather empty to me, as if nearly everything I gave was given because of a feeling of obligation.

I don't know how much this empty feeling has to do with the depression issues I had earlier in the month but I can't help but remember that old saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." And right now I feel like I'm more a part of the stuff-centric, overspending, buried-in-debt, excess problem than the solution. I complain about the sorry state of affairs in this country and around the world and yet I do so little to improve things. So at this point, I am planning to do the following during next year's gift-giving holidays:

1) Volunteering my time somewhere on Christmas day, helping serve food to the needy (or something similar),
2) Donating all the money I would spend on gifts to a charity that will help make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than myself, and
3) Directing people to my favorite charities when they ask what I'd like as a gift.

Who's with me?

Posted by Zee at 05:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It's funny how certain things stick with us through time. I'm not sure why, exactly, but I've found myself thinking about the characters in Doctor Zhivago today, off and on. I think that is, in many ways, a sign of a well-written book (or movie or television show): the ones where the characters grab you, suck you in, make you wonder what they'd do in certain situations. I've been thinking about Yuri and Lara and Tonya and their lives and how they all ended up intertwined together and yet so far apart in the end. Good stuff, that story.

I've been watching a number of the new fall shows on TV over the last few weeks. As I've mentioned before, I'm disappointed with Boston Legal this season. I don't know if it's me - and it very well could be - but some of the characters whose antics I used to like so well (Denny, Alan Shore and Shirley Schmidt, primarily) are just poorly written this season. In previous seasons, situations presented themselves which were so absurd they were hilarious and poignantly truthful all at once. This season, the writing is such that these absurdities now just come across as weirdness. Definite downturn. So I'm continuing to watch, but I'm hoping that it's not the beginning of the end.

Continue reading "I'm dating the television..." »

Posted by Zee at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So I am staying home in bed today, trying to feel better.

You'll notice that I've failed, in more than one way, to keep up my end of the NaBloPoMo bargain. But my excuse is that I am much more tired than usual on account of this STUPID viral cold infection thingy.

Tuesday I finally got tired enough of the stuffy nose, clogged ears and scratchy throat to call the nurse, who prescribed Drixoral and called in the prescription to my pharmacy. So I've been taking that twice a day and it is helping with the stuffy nose part - but I still feel awful. I've also, on advice of said nurse, been creating steam-baths for myself by boiling water in a pot, putting a towel over my head and breathing in the vapors.

My skin has never looked better. Meanwhile, my eyes have big dark circles under them, which enhances the look of my freshly-steamed skin quite nicely. :-P

Anyway, I feel too lousy to write much more, but thought I should at least acknowledge that, this year, I have failed in my NaBloPoMo attempt. Oh well.

Also, one other thought before I go: is anyone else disappointed in the quality of Boston Legal's writing this year? It's just... well, it's not funny anymore. Sigh. All good things must come to an end, I suppose.

Posted by Zee at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, one early morning down, four more to go. For this week, anyway.

However, since I have nothing of interest to report since I've spent my day working and then napping, I thought I'd post a couple random items I've picked up over the last couple weeks.

First: in case your pooch is not quite spoiled enough, you can now buy doggie truffles made from carob and peanut butter from a Seattle company called Petite Four Legs. Check out CityDog's page here for a picture. They are adorable.

Second: according to a researcher quoted in this Computerworld article last week, humans will fall in love and marry robots by the year 2050. ROBOTS. You know, mechanical, artificially intelligent "people." This seems ridiculously far-fetched to me, but I can't deny the appeal of having robot friends. Or a robot "maid" that cooks dinner, does dishes, cleans the house and does the laundry... I can't see a downside to that.

But falling in love with, having sex with and/or marrying a robot? That creeps me out just a little bit. Actually, more than just a little bit. I mean, aside from having a really hard time feeling like I was an equal with "somebody" I could just turn off whenever they got on my nerves, it seems an awful lot like inter-species mating. Or sex with a really expensive blow-up doll. Plus, I keep picturing Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation which, just... ew. Ick.

And..... that's all, folks. I told you I had little to say tonight...!

Posted by Zee at 06:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Athough I usually don't write about work, I have to report that we got an email from our HR department today letting us know that we are switching health insurance companies beginning in the new year. Turns out our existing insurance company had a rate increase of nearly 30% for the coming year (with "cost-saving campaigns" like this, I'm not surprised...) so my company did research and chose a new provider. (One with RBCBS as its initials and "Blue" as its signature color....)

The good news is that my neurologist, my internist and my psychiatrist are all "preferred providers" with the new insurance company. Additionally, it appears that Regence will also cover my Copaxone and most of the other medications I'm on. The bad news is that, at a glance, it appears that our out-of-pocket costs for office visits and drugs are going to go up. It also appears likely that alternative care is going to be signficantly cut.

Obviously, we've not gotten much actual information yet so this may be blind speculation on my part. The company itself is not terrible, honestly. I had them when I was in Boston and then again when I came back from Boston and had to get on the Oregon Medical Insurance Pool. (They would have been better in the latter case if I'd picked a plan with a lower deductible.)

Continue reading "Healthcare Changes..." »

Posted by Zee at 07:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Congrats to the 2007 World Champions, the Boston Red Sox!!! Wow, twice in the last five years. Of course, it's not quite as much fun as actually being in Boston, like I was last time they won, but it's still very, very cool.

It's been kind of a strange weekend. Much less busy, thankfully, than last weekend. Unfortunately, the lazier nature of this weekend had more to do with my nursing a migraine off and on throughout my two days off than it did with actual deliberate relaxation. Still, I managed to get some grocery shopping and laundry done, as well as go hear my friend Rob play cello with The Portland Cello Project.

Although it was a bit longer than I expected, the concert was really, really good. Who'd have thought 15 celli on stage at once would be so awesome!? They did a number of "alternative" pieces. For instance, they were joined on-stage by a hiphop group called HurtBird which - despite my general distaste for rap/hip-hop music - I really found interesting, along with arrangements of a Brandenberg Concerto (for 4 cellos and 2 more cellos), the jazz standard "Take Five" and a nifty tango by Astor Piazzola, complete with Argentine Tango dancers that reminded me that I need to get back to my second (or was it third?) love, partner-dancing.

Continue reading "Go SOX! Yahoo!" »

Posted by Zee at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I stopped by the post office today to check my PO Box and in it were a number of useless items. The most entertaining (and also slightly disturbing) item, however, was sent by my health insurance company to help encourage me to to talk to my doctor about the myriad of medications I may or may not be taking. In this case, I think a picture is worth a thousand words:

Continue reading "Absurdities" »

Posted by Zee at 08:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Internet, I hereby declare that I do - on occasion - read the news. Truly I do. Usually said news circles around the world of technology because of my job but, nevertheless, I still do pay marginal attention to the broader world at large as much as I can. (Marginal attention = scanning the front pages of the newspaper's A and Metro sections and reading the stories that catch my interest...)

So I ran across this article yesterday about Stephen Colbert announcing his presidential bid. Like the title of my blog says, it's not the worst idea I've ever heard... :) Granted, I'd prefer to have Jon Stewart run because I find him yummy, but heck - Colbert is a good second choice as long as we're going for comedians.

I mean let's think about it: at least Colbert is intelligent, can string together a sentence and has the capacity for abstract thought. How is that not an improvement on what we have now?? Plus, the guy's funny. And it's not that I typically vote for candidates on the basis of whether their State of the Union addresses will amuse me, but hey: bonus! At least I might be able to sit through an entire presidential speech without becoming ill (something I cannot do with the current administration.)

Here is the "official" announcement on Comedy Central's Indecision2008 blog, whose tagline is, "something approximating election news with something approximating honesty." Check out the "poll" at the bottom of the post... well worth 30 seconds of your time.

Posted by Zee at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Please tell me there's a rational explanation for this:

I logged onto my personal laptop this evening after work and tried to access my blogging software to look over the comments and maybe post a blog post. I should say, I *tried* to log on: this website wouldn't come up. Neither would the one at my new address. And, oddly enough, when I tried going to my web host's website I couldn't get their site to come up either. However, my school's website came up fine, bloglines came up with no trouble, I even went to read posts at some of my favorite blogs. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Everything was peachy-keen. I had even been logged on to my company's VPN for the majority of the day without any trouble.

So, being fairly familiar with how the Innernet works, I said to myself, "self, your website must be down!"

I wondered if, perhaps, my domain name had expired and my hosting company hadn't auto-renewed it (this happened last year). And I'd just received an email from them this morning saying my payment had posted so I knew it wasn't that I was behind. So I sent off an email to their support folks, explaining the situation. They are quick with the responses, over there - I don't think they ever go home - and they told me, "Your site is up, we can see it!"

So I scratched my head and looked at Rennie for a while with (I'm sure) a puzzled look on my face, and then replied to that email, saying, "yeah, but I can't get to it! Why can't I get to it? I can't get to it from EITHER computer in my house!" And Mr. Helpful Tech Guy responded a few minutes later - irritated with me, no doubt - saying "Go to this site: www.alertra.com and put in your domain and see what it says."

So, being the dutiful web mistress that I am, I went over there, stuck in my web address and it came back with OKs from all around the globe. So everyone on the planet - except perhaps those poor souls in China whose Innernet is censored - is able to see my weblog except ME. JUUUUUSSST great. So I responded to his mail with the email-equivalent of sputtering and asked why it was up and yet I couldn't see it?

Guess what he said. Go on, guess: He blamed it on my ISP! Yes, COMCAST. Even though I could access EVERY OTHER site on the Internet except mine and theirs, it was a problem with the ISP.

Frankly, this sounds like a load of malarky to me, but heck, I'm no expert. I did, however, remember that we have MetroFi here in Portland, now, so I logged on to the Innernet through them and I can get to my website just fine! I'm fortunate to live in an area that gets service and it appears to be pretty quick, even.

But I just don't know what to say about this problem with Comcast or how to explain why I could access every other site on the Internet except my own. It doesn't make any sense to me. Anyone have an explanation? Thinking about it is making my head hurt...

Posted by Zee at 09:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So I have not written the last couple nights about my shots (or anything else, for that matter!) because I have been preoccupied with devouring Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am now finished with it - none too soon, I might add - and am thus ready to get back to actually doing school work. I won't give away any spoilers, but I will say I enjoyed the read. I don't know that it's Rowling's best effort, necessarily, but I'm no literary scholar so take that with whatever grain of salt you need to. (Case in point: I used the non-word "idiotness" earlier today... :-P)

So, the Copaxone: to answer a few comments, I've not yet tried the injection after heating the area... the ice has worked so brilliantly I'm afraid to mess with a good thing. Seriously: my shot on Saturday had a small bit of stinging immediately after the injection but nowhere near as painful as Thursday's or Friday's shots, and it faded fairly quickly. (My right leg did, at one point, ache a bit but this was an altogether different sensation from anything I've felt before or since.)

Yesterday's injection in my left arm hardly came with any site-reactions at all. The small mosquito-bite-like welts appeared both days but they went away again quickly and the "bee sting" sensation was minimal. The only real semblance of a reaction is a small lump with a slightly tender area - as if I've bruised myself - around the injection site. But looking at it, there is no bruising or any other indication that I've had anything done at all.

I need to take a shower this evening before heading to bed though, so I'll give it a try in my right arm - just to see what happens - and will report back on my "experiment." (How cool that I get to be a guinea pig in my own experiment! Heh.)

But all in all? Things on the medication front are good. If this is the extent of my body's reactions to the Copaxone, maybe I'll be ok on it to the extent it might have time to do what it's supposed to do. Obviously, I can't know whether things will get better or worse or if any other symptoms might show up (like nausea or depression) so it's still a bit of a waiting game, but the depression seems to be lifting and on the whole, I've been pleasantly surprised and am feeling hopeful.

Continue reading "Pincushion Updates" »

Posted by Zee at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

I went down to the post office this afternoon, on my lunch "hour," to send off a book someone had bought from me off of Amazon.com. At any given time at many US post offices across the Portland area, you can see a long line of people waiting to do something as simple as buy stamps or calculate postage for a package. Easy, right? Well, you'd think so.

Unfortunately, the post offices in this area have no qualms whatsoever about making patrons wait for ridiculous lengths of time to complete a 5-minute transaction. Despite the fact that there are five separate windows that can be used at the same time, there are rarely more than two clerks there. Usually there is only one, and the rest of the clerks are somewhere in the back room doing god knows what - probably snickering at all the dopes waiting in line to send off a package.

I don't know why it irked me so much this time. It's something that happens every darn time I go to that post office and I've come to expect it. I have been there maybe twice in the last 5 years when there hasn't been more than 2 people waiting in line. But it really annoyed me this time, coming into the post office in the middle of the afternoon (2:15 or so) and having a line of 25 people there and one clerk.

ONE CLERK:twenty-five people! And they wonder why people coined the term "going postal."

Continue reading "Someone Please 'splain me this..." »

Posted by Zee at 04:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So this post really has little to do with getting a new president, other than the fact that it happens in January 2009. (Which reminds me. I need to get one of those countdown clocks for when Bush leaves office!)

Anyway! The TeeVee. Yes, the television. Consider this a public service message: apparently, the federal government (FCC) has mandated that on February 17, 2009, they are turning off the analog TV broadcasting spectrum. Which means, of course, that all the lovely little analog-only televisions will cease to work without aid of a set-top converter box or a digital cable box of some sort.

I've known about this for a little while; it's been on my radar but I've not really thought much about it until today when we were talking about HDTV in my class. And, OH MY GOD, I'm going to have to buy a new, High Definition, digital television!!! I'm sure HDTV is lovely. I am. But I've avoided upgrading to HD because, well... I just don't care that much.

Continue reading "New president, and then a new television" »

Posted by Zee at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Can I just say, I HATE THE STATE OF HEALTHCARE in this nation. Contintent. World.

Whatever.

Now, before you start jumping down my throat about the upcoming rant, I offer the following caveats:
a) I know that healthcare in other countries is probably not any better than that in the US. Different yes, but probably no better or worse.
b) I have not done any research to back up my claims. So if I get something wrong? 1) not surprising and 2) I don't care. (For the moment, at any rate.)
c) I might use some nasty words.... You've been forwarned.

Continue reading "Excuse me while I go on a rant..." »

Posted by Zee at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Could someone, please, tell me the draw of Twitter? I've heard chirpings (heheh) about it over the last couple months so I know it's an up-and-coming web-based social networking... thing... but, just, why?

I went up there yesterday (and again today) because I was supposed to be tracking client coverage there (how, exactly? There is no search feature...) and nearly as I can tell, the only thing people are doing is posting what they're doing. Which would be... posting something to the Internet? I just can't see why anyone would want to spend time posting what they're doing to the Internet when they could, I don't know, actually be DOING the thing it is they're posting about? Chicken and egg, anyone?

Seriously, I'm either social-network challenged or I'm missing something. Or both. Probably both. :) Or, at a minimum, leading a very dull life, because I can't seem to find enough material to post on my blog daily, let alone once an hour or every ten minutes. My twitter entries would go something like this:

"Working!"
"Still Working!"
"Eating dried apricots! and working!"
"Taking the dog out!"
"Working."

I don't know about the rest of you, but *I* don't find that terribly interesting. Somebody please, clue me in!

Posted by Zee at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

I've been kind of MIA over the last week. Mostly it's because I've not been doing much since Winter term ended (other than working and sleeping) and as a result, I don't have a lot to say. Sure, I could tell you about my appointment yesterday with the acupuncturist (went well; very minimal response thus far) or regale you of tales of cleaning and how I completed everything on my list of things to do.

But really, the only thing of interest I have to say tonight is this: I absolutely love Boston Legal. It is, in my humble opinion, the best show on TV right now. (Full disclosure: I have not seen every last show that is currently on TV. I'm willing to be proven wrong here.)

Yes, I love 24 as well. But Boston Legal? It's funny, it's bizarre, it's totally un-PC. But often? Often it is very insightful. I love that it is a fictional show that nevertheless includes commentary - usually in the form of closing arguments - on the issues happening day-to-day in this country and around the world. I love the fact that I laugh, out loud, at every single episode. It is witty humor, subtle sometimes, but always irreverant even in the face of the most serious topics.

The writers are genius. I don't know how they do it, but somehow they've figured out a way to, as I said above, make light of serious topics without making light of them. In one episode, for example, Alan Shore (James Spader) stands up in the middle of a restaurant and begins lecturing the diners about wild versus farmed salmon - even going so far as to begin singing "Trouble" from "The Music Man" and in the process horrifies his dinner companion and the restaurant staff. But he gets his point across. GENIUS. HILARIOUS.

The actors are fantastic and the cast plays off each other extremely well. And, speaking of the actors... well, I have talked about my adoration of James Spader before... suffice to say, he is fantastic in this show as Alan Shore. I might have to embark on a "watch everything James Spader's ever been in" quest... Maybe. (Right after I finish my Edward Norton quest, perhaps...)

Anyway, on Saturday I discovered that my local Hollywood Video has copies of BL Seasons 1 and 2, so I 've spent the last couple days watching my way through the episodes I haven't seen and some that I have. In addition to the humor and the intelligent writing, it's also great to see shots of various Boston scenes. In one of the episodes yesterday, there were shots of Boston Common. They frequently show the Zakim Bridge, the Prudential Center and the skyline. So I enjoy it from that perspective as well.

Bottom line: Good show. Go watch it! Or, you know, respond in the comments section and tell me why you disagree!

Posted by Zee at 08:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Last night, I finally got around to watching the latest episode of 24.

Did anyone else get that "deja vous" feeling, during the scene where Jack's about to be killed by his father on the rooftop, of pure evil and "come with me to the dark side and together we shall RULE THE UNIVERSE!" from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back? You know, where Darth Vader is all, "Luke. I'm your father. Join me and we shall rule the galaxy" and Luke's all, "That's Impossssible!" and his dad lops off his hand and he ends up hanging on a pole in the middle of space with no oxygen mask to speak of?

Jack's dad lays some guilt-trip on him about betraying the family and how things could have been different and blah blah blah. (Except in this case, Phillip runs off like a coward rather than shooting his son in the head. But you now, details.)

See? Same thing.

Um, ok, maybe I was the only one who noticed that. Though I doubt it. I'm really not all that clever. Seriously, though, I felt like I was watching Star Wars again, what with the family betrayal garbage. It did, though, get me to thinking about a storytelling class I took once, a while back. And I have to say, upon reviewing them, that the creators of 24 have pretty much captured every single one of Georges Polti's 36 Dramatic Situations, most of them in this one season. Take a look. It's uncanny.

Posted by Zee at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

It's amazing how posting stuff on the innernets gets people to bring you stuff. I posted that I loved Marshmallow Peeps and yesterday, dad brought some over! How cool!

On the "less than cool" front, I still haven't heard from River. Boo. I don't know what that means, if anything. It might mean he hates me. It also might mean he's been busy. Or got called for a last-minute job. Or that he likes me but not in that "must see you every day!" sort of way. It's really hard to say. So I'm trying not to worry about it. Frankly, I'm not sure exactly how I feel about him either, so I suppose it's useless to speculate.

Maybe, if I could go more than a day in a row without some sort of malady, I'd give him a call and see if we could get together....

Anyway, given the above Amazing Marshmallow Peeps Appearance Phenomenon, I've decided to ask the internet for more things I want. Read on!

Continue reading "Sending My Desires to the Universe" »

Posted by Zee at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I went out with a friend last night and after dinner we swung but Hollywood Video and picked up The Illusionist - a film I hadn't seen advertised anywhere in the past year. It stars Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti and Jessica Biel and it is excellent.

Edward Norton is one of my absolute favorite actors (along with Colin Firth and Rupert Graves) and I would see something with him in it even if it happened to star one of the actors whose movies I refuse to see.

If you're looking for an entertaining film, The Illusionist is definitely worth your time. I won't ruin the story line by telling you about it further except to say the film really does keep you on your toes all the way through! And the music was done by Phillip Glass, which is pretty cool too! Sadly, it appears to have been nominated only for Cinematography for an Oscar - which is too bad, because Edward Norton gave a great performance!

Posted by Zee at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Am I the only one who's thinking "BARF" while watching this State of the Union speech? Seriously, we're 2 minutes in and ALREADY I'm ready to turn the channel.

Problem the 1st: President dumbass is reading directly from the Tele-Promp-Ter. I recognize the need to have a prepared speech, but MY GOD, dude, a little spontaneity would be nice. (I do recognize, however, that this poor president isn't to be trusted using words that go directly from his brain to his mouth without benefit of a filter of any kind. But still... Just sayin'...)

Problem the 2nd: I love how Mr. Bush is all, "Let's all just be happy and get along!" now that he has to work with a Democratic majority.

Problem the 3rd: Sure, we cut the deficit in half 3 years ahead of schedule, except for that tiny little problem known as THE WAR in IRAQ, which is increasing our deficit exponentially by the minute. Is there a reconciliation to be had here??

Am I the only one thinking that he said all the "right" stuff without any intention of making good on these "promises." I do have to say I'm glad to hear him talking about making healthcare affordable for everyone. This, I think, is a step in the right direction but the other very real problem is the way the insurance companies work.

If you're a freelancer or independent contractor and/or don't get health insurance through your employer and you're perfectly healthy, getting health coverage is easy. If you have any one of a NUMBER of even minor problems you're shit out of luck. Seriously. Heather and Jon have both written about their experiences trying (and failing) to get health insurance due to very treatable diseases and I had a very similar experience to theirs when I left my job in Boston and tried to buy a plan on my own. This was before I'd been diagnosed with MS and they wouldn't cover me because I'd had Optic Neuritis (frequently the first symptom of MS). The fact that I hadn't shown any other symptoms in 4 years, nor had any lesions in my brain made zero difference to them. (Nevermind the fact that I actually did get MS... my likelihood of getting it at the point I was applying for insurance was about 50%....)

Anyway, my point is, insurance for everyone is a great idea and making it more affordable is a good first step but making everyone insurable seems to be the bigger problem at this point. Plus, (and I'm not entirely sure about this given I don't quite get the particulars upon one hearing) Bush's proposal appears to give people a tax break on the back end, which means they have to pay out a bunch of money before ever realizing the savings. (If I'm mishearing this, please chime in because this is definitely of interest to me!)

So I'm sure there are going to be plenty of digs to make at our president and/or observations to share, but the truth is, I can only stomach watching 20 minutes of this "Leader of the Free World" dancing monkey-moron at a stretch. Plus, I have homework to do. Priorities, right?

Posted by Zee at 06:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I swear to the gods, if it doesn't stop raining soon I'm going to throw myself under a bus. Seriously.

It has been raining non-stop here in Portland for approximately forty thousand years. (But it's pretty, Sara! Really! Please come to Portland and see Happy Feet! with me!) Anyway, it is yucky and depressing and, well, wet.

So I'm supposed to go into the office today for a couple meetings but before I do, have you seen all the garbage circulating about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and how their relationship "just happened"? And how Maddox, Jolie's adopted son, made the choice for them by calling Pitt "Dad"??

BARF. I mean, seriously, people. Puh-leaze. Apparently, Jolie has given an interview to Vogue about their relationship. How stupid does she think we are?

Again, I say, BARF.

This article in the Philadelphia Daily News gives an interesting perspective.

And now I'm off to work; I may skip the shower because I'll get one walking to and from the car. :-P

Posted by Zee at 07:51 AM | Permalink

I know there are probaby hundreds of blog posts out there about the James Kim story, but I wanted to just post a quick link to this piece in the San Francisco Chronicle. Really an excellent read.

Like many others, I had a bit of hope after Kim's wife and children were found, and it just broke my heart when they announced they'd found James Kim's body. It's just such a horrifically sad story, I don't even know what to say. But I do know that - regardless of mistakes made - what Kim did to save his family was just awesome. I just can't even imagine what he might have been thinking and feeling. Just an impossible situation.

So that SF Chron article is a good one. And I'm sending prayers and positive thoughts to his family - no doubt like many of us in this country - because I'm sure they're going to need all the support they can get.

Posted by Zee at 08:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So I've got a few little juicy tidbits of news to share with ya'll, but first, I want to extend a big THANK YOU to Parker Parker and Charles for the insight they shared into the favicon.ico phenomenon. Maybe once I get my act together and figure out a new design I'll come up with a logo for myself too. Or at least some kind of color scheme. Or, er, something. And then I'll have something to put up there! (Or maybe I'll just put up a picture of Rennie. That would work too.)

So apparently, yesterday was the Internet's 16th birthday. Read this article for more details. And yes, that link is to AJAX-World Magazine. I found the story while I was working and sent it to myself for perusal later. I guess I thought I'd have more to say about it. Humph.

For those of you interested in the airline industry, check out this story. Apparently a couple on board a Southwest Airlines flight to Raleigh, NC felt it was necessary to engage in some... er... questionable behavior to the exclusion of all else.

For you TomKat watchers out there, the BIG DAY is just four days away! Apparently they'll marry in a Scientology ceremony in Italy, just outside of Rome, which - considering the locale - seems odd. I wouldn't put it past Cruise, who reportedly has Andrea Bocelli lined up to perform, to get Pope Benedict XVI himself to perform the ceremony, if that was what he wanted. But no, everything shall be Scientology for these lovebirds. Oh, and in case you missed it, Oprah wasn't invited to the ceremony. I know, you totally care.

The latest and greatest on the Britney/Kevin split: apparently there is a sex tape, made while the couple was on their honeymoon, that Fed-Ex is trying to shop around for exposure and to blackmail (cuz let's face it, that's what it is) Brit into giving him more than he agreed to in the pre-nup. I have two things to say about this little development:
First - why, in the name of heaven, would anyone - celebrity or otherwise - make a tape of themselves having sex? Doesn't that just scream, "Oh please, post me on the internet for the whole world to see!!" People, people, people: did we learn nothing from Paris Hilton?

and Second, who the hell cares? They were married, on their honeymoon and - one can only assume - the sex was consensual. Whoop-de-doo. Why on earth would anyone want to see that tape? Kevin and Britney having sex? Ew. Just ... yuck. Ick.

OK, I'm sure there's more entertainment news I could discuss - there's a big brouhaha brewing about Borat, I see - but I have Studio 60 to watch! Priorities, right?

Posted by Zee at 08:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Wow. I just read this BBC report. I can't say I'm surprised by either the conviction or the sentence. However, I'm not at all a proponent of capital punishment - in any circumstance - so it disturbs me a bit because I'm at a loss to determine exactly what killing Hussein is going to solve. He's already been taken out of power, he's in prison and he's been convicted... what is his death going to prove?

Posted by Zee at 10:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So it's been a pretty regular day today... I got up, did my homework, made a dish for a potluck and drove my sister to her new job. The only thing of real consequence that I did today was go to a potluck at my friend Mary's house. Mary is Sara's mom, and Sara's in town visiting for a few days. I actually met Sara at dinner yesterday but it was nice to get to see her again, as well as get together with a group of folks and visit and eat good food and play with Mary's two English Cocker Spaniels, Henry and Quid.

The photo I am posting today is not one that is attractive, well-lighted, well-composed or even terribly interesting. It was taken with the (crappy) camera on my Blackbery Pearl as I was driving down the freeway (yes, I am aware this was a bad idea. I haven't done it again since. Promise!) so I didn't exactly have the time to do anything more than hold the camera up, snap the photo quickly and hope it got something remotely recognizable. (Actually, given the circumstances, what I got was actually not bad. It was followed, however, but a lovely picture of my dashboard which I subsequently deleted. :)

Anyway, the reason I took it is that this is the view I see every time I drive up or down Interstate 5. Where once I could glance over and see Mt. Hood or the Willamette River (pronounced Wil-Am-Ett :), now I see this thing:

(Click to biggify...)

Anyway, the whole purpose of this picture is to visually illustrate the wholly ridiculous decision made by God-knows-who to put an aerial tram in to connect Portland's south waterfront district to OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University), something that could have been done just as easily, less disruptively and MUCH more attractively running buses.

When I first saw this when I returned to Portland from Boston I was appalled. That response has done nothing but intensify since then and it really kind of makes me sick to my stomach every time I see it. Add to its hideousness the fact that most of the people in the area surrounding the tram and OHSU were vehemently against its installation and I just wonder why we bother making our sentiments known in the first place. If private non-profit foundations, in conjunction with the city, are just going to do what they want anyway, what difference does it make? To make matters worse, they're paying roughly $8.5 MILLION of tax payer money for this! GAH!

More info here and here.

I know a lot of people were against MAX when it was first installed and that turned out to be a good thing. Maybe this aerial tram will too... I don't know. But I sure do think it's ugly...

Posted by Zee at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So I've seen (and, sadly, also written) some pretty bad PR pitches in my day, but I ran across this press release today and this one seriously takes the cake. I nearly fell over laughing.

The basic premise is this: the company that makes Cascade 2in1 ActionPacs (Proctor & Gamble) commissioned a study to find out which celebrity couples were seen as "cleanest." And then (THEN!) they compared the grime-fighting action of Cascade 2in1 ActionPacs to the celebrity couples who were viewed by respondents as cleanest. In this case, Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker earned this staggering honor.

Seriously, I kid you not. Check out the press release. Or, better yet, I'll post a little gem from the release right here:

"These survey results reinforce the impact 'two' can bring to cleaning. Much like Cascade 2in1 ActionPacs, which bring together the scrubbing power of Cascade with the grease-fighting power of Dawn, these duos demonstrate how the combined effort of two strong elements can achieve better results together," said Anna Burdick, External Relations Manager at Procter & Gamble.

Excuse me, but WTF?

This, my friends, is what is commonly known in the PR industry as a "momentum release." (In the rest of the world it's commonly known as a STRETCH, but I digress.) This is what happens when the client doesn't come out with a new product or anything to talk about and so news has to be created to continue to get the media to write about the client's product.

As you can imagine, this sort of ploy (because really, that's what it is) works in approximately 0 out of every 100 attempts. In fact, there is an entire weblog devoted to bad PR pitches, though they tend to focus on the ones that are not only stupid but also offensive.

Anyway, I can just imagine the thought processes that went through their heads over there in the marketing department at P&G:

"I know! Let's compare our 2in1 ActionPacs to CLEAN CELEBRITIES! Because people care about celebrities, and perhaps clean celebrities will make people think about clean dishes! YEAH!"

Errr, ok. So then they wrote up the survey, sent it around and then published the results with the flimsy connection that two people who are seen as clean are just as good as Cascade 2in1 ActionPacs. Really, because when I think of Sarah Jessica and Matthew, the first thing I think of is running my dishwasher.

What, don't you?

This is one example of why I'm very glad I'm no longer doing actual PR. Yes, I still work in the PR industry, but thankfully I am no longer responsible for driving coverage of my client, even when there is NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT THEM.

I mean, seriously, is anyone (other than me) actually going to write about this?? I'd be willing to bet not. There is plenty of actual news out there that the mainstream media is going to follow before they ever even look at this press release. The sad thing is, in addition to sending the press release over the newswire, the poor PR person probably had to call all of the the reporters she works with regularly (everyone who follows the "dish soap beat," obviously) to highlight this news for them and ask if they are going to cover it.

Seriously, I would not want to be the PR person in this situation. Because she will be lucky if the reporter answering the phone only politely says, "please stop wasting my time."

Posted by Zee at 08:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mark Morford, whom I adore, has a great post up today about the anthropomorphization of pets. I quote:

It's no secret that happily childless pet obsessors eat this stuff up, even though most dogs would actually love nothing more than a romp through a garbage bin and a swim in a lake and the bone of a large dead cow to gnaw on before rolling in a pile of rotten fish and taking a long nap on the lawn.

But since capitalism always trumps perspective, who's to chastise Molli's Choice for whoring out to this demographic? And what's more, if such pampering of pets means people will require fewer children in our overpopulated, Bush-torn world, can that be such a bad thing? More spoiled Chihuahuas, fewer babies. Not a bad trade-off, you could argue. Or rather, I could.

He's referring specifically to meat-scented purified bottled water for pets which, even to an adoring dog owner such as myself, seems a bit nuts. I mean, Rennie drinks regular tap water like it's going out of style. What possible help could the meat-flavored water be? Now, to be fair, I admit that am a bit too indulgent with Rennie (as everyone knows :) and talking about her adored Poultry-Flavored toothpaste makes me giggle every time. But that truly does have a purpose: I've got to brush her teeth and she's likely not going to let me do it with Tarter-control Aquafresh. Even with the regular spoilage, though, she has been well-trained and is, under most circumstances, generally under control.

Anyway, I could blather on about this all day but I've got to get to work and pretend not to be gazing lovingly at my new Blackberry Pearl. Besides, Morford makes the point better than I ever could. Enjoy!

Posted by Zee at 07:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Dick Cheney, apparently, wants us all to be good little citizens, to stop thinking for ourselves and to believe every last morsel of propaganda and lies the government is trying to feed us about the war in Iraq.

I think I'm going to throw up.

Posted by Zee at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

As several others have mentioned, we all of us remember exactly where we were when we first heard the news of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

I, myself, was in bed - just waking up - when I first heard about what was occurring on the east coast. I awoke every morning in those days to the DJs on 94.7 KNRK (Gustav and Daria) and they typically were humorous and irreverant. I will never forget waking up to solemn voices and stern, serious tones. When I awoke around 6:30 a.m. pacific time, both planes had hit the towers but the breaking news had not yet reached west coast about the second plane. I remember lying in bed, listening in horror as the DJs received the wire reports and read them off about the second plane slamming into the south tower.

I laid there for a long time, tring to grasp the enormity of the situation. When I finally got up, I headed downstairs to turn on the television and see if I could get some visual information. What I found was horrifying and I sat there for a long time, no doubt with my mouth hanging open, watching the early footage. At that early stage, there were very few videos available to the media and the ones they had were played over and over and over again.

Continue reading "Remembering..." »

Posted by Zee at 07:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

So much to write about and so little time... wait, so little to write about and so much time... no, wait... AGGGH... Having a brain seisure, apparently. So here's what's going on in my world:

-- Yesterday, while making my bed, I threw out my back. I wasn't even doing anything strenuous, like moving furniture or shaking out the duvet. I was tucking in the sheet and something in my mid-back just... well, popped. Sort of. It's hard to describe, especially because there are parts of my back I still can't feel, but my torso was sort of immobilized for a little bit. Went to the chiropractor this afternoon and I feel much better, thankyouverymuch! I have to go back again next week because it's not totally back to normal... but still. As Fran said, it's yet another argument against making the bed!

-- I still have not heard back from the Powers That Know at work about my potential part-time schedule. You'd think I would have gotten at least a short reply saying she was looking into info or something. But no; nada... Consequently, I've worked a pretty full week this week and am wiped out.

-- Last week, a good friend of mine became the victim of identity theft. He's not sure how it happened, but since he's not on the Internet (I wonder what THAT is lke?) he's thinking someone stole his mail. My uncle had this happen a couple months ago and I've heard story upon story lately. As a result, I went to the Post Office yesterday and got myself a PO Box, as my mailbox at home sits out on the curb; better safe (and $62 dollars per year poorer) than sorry (and thousands of dollars poorer), methinks.

-- I want one of these. It was just "launched" today and will be available next Wednesday at T-Mobile for $199. I've shied away from Blackberrys up until this point because they've always been so clunky-looking and often more PDA than phone, but this one looks beautiful and useful and sleek and pretty!! Lord, I'm such a technogeek!

-- Pictures of Suri Cruise are finally available. Consensus seems to be that she's a normal baby in every way; there is debate over who she looks like, and questions abound about why her features seem rather asian. I think she's kinda cute, though as far as beautiful babies go, I've seen prettier... I'm just sayin'...

-- Next week, my mom and I are going to hear Dr. Kenneth Johnson speak. He's a Professor of Neurology at the University of Maryland School Of Medicine in Baltimore, and the founder and Director of the Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis. He's apparently a bigwig in the field. Here's the background info that came in the invite email:

Dr. Johnson is recognized as one of the persons most responsible for the development of the first FDA- approved treatments to slow the progression of multiple sclerosis. Dr. Johnson was a key investigator in the early studies funded by the National MS Society, and later in the pivotal clinical trial that led to FDA approval of the first drug ever approved specifically to treat MS by changing the natural course of the disease. The Maryland Center for Multiple Sclerosis, which he founded, cares for 1,700 patients each year, and provides a full array of services to enhance the quality of life for patients. Nurses, physical therapists, social workers, ophthalmologists and psychologists are all part of the team.

Definitely looking forward to hearing what he's got to say. According to the brochure, he's going to be talking about "the latest Multiple Sclerosis research and treatment," which doesn't provide much in the way of specifics but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.

Anyway, that's about all from the trenches at the moment. Thank Gawd it's (almost) Friday!!

Posted by Zee at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I ran across this Fortune story, which cites a study that found that one in 5 people answer their cell phone during sex. I don't know about you, but I find that statistic rather disturbing.

Posted by Zee at 12:52 AM | Permalink

There was an interesting story published in NY Newsday today about a doctor that tried using a chemotherapy drug for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Apparently, the odds of death with this treatment are one in 100 (compare that with the one-in-1000 from Tysabri) but it supposedly obliterates the patient's immune system, which then regenerates new T-cells that don't carry the disease... From the story:

The medicine was infused into patients two hours a day for four days. They stayed in the hospital an additional two weeks. And because it wiped out their immune systems, they lived in a sterile environment with little access to the outside world. ... Results of the study were published this week in the Archives of Neurology. ... The multiple sclerosis patients were followed from six to 24 months. No one got worse, and five people actually got better, he said.

Interesting stuff. What I wonder is, what will happen 3 or 4 or 10 years down the line. Will these patients eventually degenerate and, if so, how quickly? Obviously, this is not a treatment I'm likely a candidate for (and it's probably not even sanctioned by the FDA at this point either) but it's interesting to read about what the doctors are doing to find a cure.

But what if this is it? What if this "cures" MS? To live a lifetime free of the crazy neuro-issues and longterm disability and weekly (or daily, in some cases) injections, how many would choose to put themselves at such risk (1 in a 100, remember) to be completely cured? At this point, I'm not sure I would be willing to do it even if it meant I'd never have to give myself another injection or IV steroid infusion or whatever. If I were significantly disabled, though, I can see how this would be a no-brainer.

Then again, I'm discovering that my mental health is suffering just a bit right now. My neurologist warned me that the Avonex can cause depression, but since I already am being treated for depression I figured I wouldn't have much to worry about in that regard. Well, I've noticed some feelings of apathy and general malaise creeping in over the last couple weeks.

Although I've been through the depression "cycle" mutliple times now and even knew that depression was a potential side effect of the new drugs, this latest episode has kind of caught me off guard. It didn't even occur to me that it might be contributing to my fatigue until this afternoon... I had one of those "A-Ha!" moments, when it all just clicked.

So today I called and made an appointment with my shrink. Spending some time talking about the recent changes in my life is probably a good idea. I have certainly processed everything intellectually but I don't think I've truly digested it all on an emotional level. Unfortunately, since I don't see my psychiatrist on anything like a regular basis I have to wait a month for a full hour visit, so in the meantime I'm going to see him in a week to discuss medication dosages and hopefully that will get me on the right track.

In addition to the depression causing my fatigue and frustration, I think on some levels it's a bit of a vicious cycle: I'm getting depressed as a result of the medication and the disease and fatigue and that, in turn, is creating more depression. And all this as I'm taking anti-depression meds! It's wacky, I tell you. Terribly wacky. And, frankly, not the least bit fair.

It's got me longing to be "normal." Whatever that means.

(P.S. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!! You all are wonderfully lovely. :)

Posted by Zee at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Mark Morford, a columnist and blogger for the San Francisco Chronicle, has an interesting post up on a recent slaughtering of dogs in China (to stop a spread of rabies) and what it says about China's culture and ours as well. Morford makes some interesting points, which I won't regurgitate here because it's late and I'm tired... Suffice to say, the column has me thinking... Go give it a read.

I stumbled upon this piece in Morford's blog a few weeks ago when doing some coverage tracking for a client and I check back in with him on occasion because I find his columns thought-provoking and his brand of humor amusing.

Plus, he seems just a touch odd and possibly a little nuts, and - generally speaking - I kinda like crazy people. :)

Posted by Zee at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So my aunt told me about this yesterday and then, this morning, I ran across a news story on a friend's blog.

From a story in the Globe:

"He just went berserk," said Daniel Medley, general manager of the Wookey Hole Caves near Wells, England, where hundreds of bears were chewed up Tuesday night by the 6-year-old Doberman pinscher named Barney.

Barney ripped the head off a brown stuffed bear once owned by the young Presley during the attack, leaving fluffy stuffing and bits of bears' limbs and heads on the museum floor. The bear, named Mabel, was made in 1909 by the German manufacturer Steiff.

According to the NY Times story (which is an amusing read, btw), Barney destroyed about 100 bears before his handler was able to get control of him.

Naturally, I had to go hunting around for photos:

Credit: Wookey Hole Caves, via Associated Press

Credit: Wookey Hole Caves, via Associated Press

Credit: Wookey Hole Caves, via Associated Press

Gotta say, I just love the expression on the dog's face in this photo. The Daily Mail (UK) has a great story on this little fiasco as well.

Who leaves a Doberman Pinscher alone with a bunch of stuffed animals?? As my aunt suggested, he probably was looking for a squeeker. :)

Posted by Zee at 08:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well, as the title of this post suggests, I'm in a bad mood. Just hot and tired and cranky and did I mention I'm tired?? Oh, and because I don't have enough places on my body that hurt, this afternoon I whacked my forehead on the counter while I was bending over to pick something up. I seriously hit my head - hard enough that I actually fell over and found myself sprawled on the kitchen floor.

Genius.

And now I have a goose egg on my forehead. (Neat!) After that, I decided that driving across town to my new apartment to do some cleaning might be putting my life - or someone else's - in jeopardy and promptly flopped down on the couch with an ice pack and called Fran and chatted with her for a bit.

Even with my battered brain, I did manage to get a little bit of packing done this evening - I boxed up my food processor and KitchenAid mixer, as well as a variety of kitchen gadgets and whatnot. I also pulled out my wine glasses so I can give them to my brother and sister-in-law. I've finally decided it's time to part with them because, frankly, I just don't want to go back to the drinking lifestyle and having the wine glasses as a reminder feels weird.

So I've decided I'm not going to paint my bedroom. At least not right now. Why? Because it is hot out and I am lazy and it sounds like a whole lot of effort for not a lot of return. I still am having a number of MS symptoms (mostly tingling and numbness but also some fatigue) and hanging out in a hot apartment does not sound appealing. And, truthfully, the room looks fine as it is. Doing a bit of cleaning should get it in good shape, I think. So if I decide later that I want to paint it, I will. And if not, I won't.

Continue reading "Tired and Cranky" »

Posted by Zee at 09:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well then, so I haven't been writing. What ELSE is new, I ask you? Not a whole helluva lot on this end, that's for sure. Lesseee.... first off, I am on vacation beginning tomorrow. About a month and a half ago, I scheduled this vacation and finally, FINALLY it has arrived. I've been looking forward, nae pining, for some serious time off since I started working full time; I am thrilled to have 9 days in a row to be a lazy bum. Well, sort of. I'll still have school stuff to take care of but I will have 45 more hours to devote to it over the course of the week. We're currently in the middle of week 4 and my hope is to get all the homework done and submitted next week, as well as get a signficant chunk of my final project completed. The beginnings of said final project are here, in case you want to take a gander. A lot of items up there are just placeholders at the moment but as it is my final project for a scripting class I'm hoping it will be a bit more fleshed out by the end of next week.

In addition to the "must do" stuff, I am also going to take Miss Rennie to the coast one day and treat myself to a day of pampering on another. I am SO looking forward to this...

Also, my older brother and his woman are getting hitched (for those of you who are wondering, I love her and her adorable daughter; I couldn't be happier for my bro). So it looks to be a rather busy week.

Yesterday I celebrated 7 months of sobriety. Yahoo! Go me! Aside from the occasional drinking dream, things are good on this front.

Elise has an interesting Shrimp Ceviche recipe posted here. Looks tasty, no? May give this a whirl this week.

Earlier this week, Newsweek ran a "20-years Later" story regarding its predictions in 1986 that women who were 30 and still unmarried had a better chance of being killed by a terrorist than they did of ever getting married. Despite the fact that these rather desperate odds are refuted in this follow-up story, the piece still seems to proliferate the idea that marriage-and-children is the ideal and that there is something wrong with those who don't have - or want - this situation. What is up with that? Why is the "married" state of being the "ideal" state in this country? Why is there the abounding impression that if you're not "with" someone you couldn't possibly be happy? Bahhh!

Anyway, so the week is shaping up to be a good one, the minor issue with my website (yesterday) aside... For those of you who didn't notice, for some reason my webhost didn't renew my domain name correctly, rendering my website totally screwed up for the last 24 hours. It only recently came back up, thankfully.

Posted by Zee at 12:19 PM | Permalink

That every time I hear the name of TomKat's baby, Suri, I think of that song "Surrey with the Fringe on Top"? Specifically, I picture Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally, singing it into the fakey karaoke machine. Still, fringe aside, it is kind of a pretty name.

Anyway, I just have to say, God help Miss Holmes if she finds herself staring down the barrel of a post-partum depression shotgun. I'd hate to be in her position... I mean, I'm just sayin'...

Posted by Zee at 11:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

One of the bigwigs at my company posted a link to this Washington Post story (by columnist Gene Weingarten) on his blog yesterday and it is absolutely a fantastic read. It illustrates one of the prime reasons I neither enjoyed nor was very good at public relations. Some excerpts:

Continue reading "Exhibit A: Reasons I'm No Longer a PR Flack" »

Posted by Zee at 09:36 AM | Permalink

I was over at Robin's site just now and she has a link to the Random Jack Bauer Fact generator posted.

If you're a 24 fan, you must go there. Rate the fact and you'll get another one. Or just hit refresh. Here is a sampling of some of my favorite "facts":

• In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Jack Bauer could use to kill you, including the room itself.
  
• Only two people dared argue with Jack Bauer: David Palmer and Michelle Dessler. Tony apologized.
  
• The only reason Jack Bauer hasn't killed President Logan yet is because the terrorists have nerve gas.
  
• You don't assign Jack Bauer to a case. You turn him loose.
  
• Instead of tickling Elmo, Jack Bauer shot him.
  
• Jack could strangle you with his penis if he needed to save bullets.
  
• One time, at band camp, Jack Bauer killed a guy with a flute.
  
• Welcome to the Jack Bauer Comedy Club. Rule #1 - laugh only when Jack laughs, which will be never.
  

SO. FUNNY. I can't stop hitting refresh!

Posted by Zee at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Remember Pleo, the dinobot I wrote about earlier in the week? CNet's got a video up of Ugobe's CEO, Bob Christopher, demoing the little guy. Click here to take a look. On the one hand, I find this little guy pretty adorable; on the other? it's really kinda creepy....

Apparently, the target market is for those under 12 and over 22, so it seems I fit right in. I wonder if they intended to elicit the creep factor, though? I'm having a hard time figuring out why I'm having such a mixed reaction to this toy. Maybe it's the rubbernecker response: you see something freaky and you can't look away!

Anyway, they're positioning this little guy as a family pet and, of course, he'll be shipping just in time for Christmas. I can see this either becoming the next Tickle Me, Elmo or completely flopping.

Posted by Zee at 07:41 PM | Permalink