Notes in Hilley's Class

Complex

2009-07-16T14:59:00.003-04:00

there is something wrong with this sentence from a cnn article i read yesterday ...

"the 7.8-magnitude quake generated a small, 6-inch tsunami in jackson Bay"

... i mean, inch and tsunami probably shouldn't be in the same sentence.

Kittens

2009-01-19T12:18:00.003-05:00

no, i will not stop eating fish just because peta decided to start calling them sea kittens. you see, i don't actually eat fish because of the name. its more that they are tasty. kittens? not so much.

http://scitech.blogs.cnn.com/2009/01/16/would-you-eat-a-sea-kitten/

Solemn

2008-12-04T11:17:00.003-05:00

i’ll seek you out,

flay you alive

one more word and you won’t survive

- eyes on fire, blue foundation

Par for the Course

2008-11-06T08:53:00.003-05:00

lost in this world

i even get lost in this song

and when the lights go down

that is where i'll be found

- lost, anouk

Oh, Anne

2008-07-09T10:34:00.002-04:00

slate informed me today that the book, off of which one of my favorite movies is based, anne of green gables, turned 100 in june. so, as a tribute to bringing imaginations to many for the past century, the following is a list of endearing quotes from the movie. well, at least, i find them endearing. :)

there MUST be a limit to the mistakes one person can make, and when i get to the end of them, then i'll be through with them. that's a very comforting thought.

there she weaves by night and day, a magic web of colors gay. she has heard a whisper say a curse is on her if she stay to down towards camelot. she knows not what the curse may be and so she weavith steadily, the lady of shallot.

my life is a perfect graveyard of buried hopes. that's a sentence i read once and i say it over to comfort myself in these times that try the soul.

ruby gillis says when she grows up she wants to have a line of beaus on a string and make them crazy for her, but i'd rather have one in his right mind.

Annoucement

2008-07-02T08:30:00.000-04:00

me: updates!

her: what?

me: udpates!

her: on what?

me: updates!

her: i hate you

me: you love me

Introductions, Please

2008-06-30T15:35:00.006-04:00

me: 100 calorie packs don't work so well if you eat ten

her: that may defeat the purpose

me: i was trying to think of that phrase ... and couldn't so i went with "don't work so good"

your's was better

her: apparently the three of us share a brain... we "dont work so good" on our own

other: nope, not at all

i think it is time for recess

did i spell that right?

me: probably not

other: it would shock me

i mean wouldnt

me: it loses so much umph when you misspell stuff, doesn't it? unless you're talking about caldrons

her: im going to make oatmeal

dont talk about me

5 minutes later

her: tim russert dies

*died

me: he dies over and over again

other: he dies and emily will be fired as of Monday

her: there is lots of murder tape involved

other: what? what are you looking at?

her: cnn

other: i just scrolled down my page...

her: i was kidding about the murder tape

other: what murder tape?

oh geez

i need to go home...this week has turned me STUPID

her: GET IT TOGETHER

other: I cant...I just cant!

me: i think she's referring to the meeting where the bear died someone

get with it

her: thank you emily

other: what meeting where the bear died?

me: was she there? cause it was hilarious

her: yea she was

other: i was? when?

her: it was the first and only meeting we have had

other: and a bear died?

her: i cant even talk to you

me: yes, in our meeting

emily brought it with her

and it died

her: wow

that was intense

other: yes, yes it was

me: are we all clear now, folks?

her: we better be

other: yes...we are clear

me: i'm off to a very important meeting

talk about me

her: what meeting?

why are you leaving us?

traitor!

And Then There Were 3

2008-06-30T15:21:00.004-04:00

me: great lord of the rings reference in emily's email btw

other: your answers were much better than mine!!! i am jealous!!!

you both need to hug JIGGLES...she needs love and money

me: who is jiggles?

her: i have already told you how i feel about that

other: and i am telling you that you need to amuse me and hug her

it will make you feel good

me: who the hell is jiggles?

her: jiggles is her online "pet"

me: oh dear lord

other: my pet on myspace

her: much like your dragon

me: i don't hug my dragon

i send him into battle

DIFFERENT

other: jiggles is not the battle type

me: i don't like that name, either

other: she likes to be hugged so that she can make money and buy things

me: ralston is WAY cooler

her: its just weird. the whole thing. weird.

other: dont be jealous

me: we'll try not to be

other: i know it will be hard for both of you

her: wait.. what lord of the rings reference? (ten years later)

me: the potato definition is a quote from lord of the rings

i hate myself

her: nerd.

other: how do you know that?

me: because i am me

her: you notice that neither of us got the reference

just saying...

me: i know ... as i was typing it, i remembered that i wasn't actually writing it to people that would appreciate my nugget of trivia

her: nugget!

other: where do you come across all of these nuggets?

her: she watches lord of the rings weekly

THATS how

other: that is NUTS

me: seriously? do you not know who i am? how else would i be able to recite the movie from heart?

7 minutes later

other: i think i am having another heart attack!!!!

her: deep breaths!

other: it hurts to breath....

her: arms up!

other: this is crazy

me: i don't think you'd be chatting if you were having a heart attack

so there's reassurance in that

other: so i dont choke?

her: to open up your lungs

her: always looking for the silver lining

thats emily

me: i'm so empathic

other: nice....i dont think i am going to hold my arms up while they are having their meeting with the door open...they may find it to be a bit strange

me: they already find you a bit strange, darlin

her: no harm no foul

other: thanks, dear

her: i dont think ive ever used that phrase before

way to go me!

other: look at you...using good words and new phrases

her: im practically going nuts with them

other: that you are

i think we need to have a word of the day from now on...yesterday was goiter

me: i'm going nuts with the awesome words

i hate words of the day

they take away from my awesome word usage

other: today is haphazardly

me: because then EVERYONE has an awesome word

her: share the wealth emily

other: that is correct

me: NO

her: dont be so selfish with awesome words

other: didnt your mom teach you to share as a child?

me: i was a very good sharer as a child ... therefore i feel entitled in my adulthood NOT to be

her: that seems reasonable. meanwhile i think i was a jerk as a child.

does that mean i have to be nice to people now?

Rules

2008-06-26T14:02:00.002-04:00

her: im stabbing you with my eyes

me: too bad i'm not looking at you

her: you dont have to be looking at someone for them to stab you

what dont you get about stabbing?

me: when it's with EYES you do

her: no no

me: follow the rules

her: i was stabbing the side of your head

its fine

me: well, i'm not dead ... so apparently you suck at it

her: its SYMBOLIC stabbing

me: well, symbolically i'm not dead

her: no, youre not literally dead

but you are dead to me.. symbolically

me: glad i know where i stand

dead

her: who knew death had so many rules?

me: my head is spinning

her: thats a side effect of the stabbing

it will pass

me: just like my death?

her: much like your death!

me: not funny when you just repeat what i already said

her: i didnt repeat

i agreed

me: perhaps you should come up with our url

instead of killing me with your eyes

her: homicide time is over

me: how 'bout http://www.emilyisstupid.com/

Sugar Shock

2008-06-26T13:59:00.000-04:00

ever reached a point where you had so much caffeine and sugar that you were afraid you might vomit?

well. i'm there.

Haters

2008-06-23T21:28:00.001-04:00

a vole.

what? what?

Charming

2008-04-01T11:59:00.001-04:00

me: you got any chocolate?
her: ive got popcorn, clementines, and a peanut putter granola bar. so no.
me: way to answer my question
i'll take a clementine
her: come on over then
me: i just got a seed
bad clementine ... BAAAAD clementine
her: cry about it
me: if i had choked on it ... i'd be too dead to cry
THAT was my point
her: is there a level of dead where you WOULD be able to cry about it?
me: probably not
but that's NOT my point
her: i just wanted to make sure i understood how dead you would have been
me: you understood smar a$$
her: this is my charm. embrace it.
me: i'll let chamm do that
her: i just gave you a look
because youre absurd
me: it was funny though
her: moderately funny
im not sure i can explain how much i missed chatting this morning
it was so lonely
me: it was horrible
i looked over at your cube wistfully a few times ... ready to make some remark only to be staring at a blank space
her: im not sure ive ever been so devastated
me: thank god you're back
her: i dont know how much longer i could have made it
i would have just sat in kens office calling out for you
im laughing just thinking about that
me: you forgot to mention that you'd be sobbing all the while
her: i thought that was obvious

Quiz

2008-02-29T15:28:00.004-05:00

so .. some of my friends and i still take those "get to know you" quizzes that we took back in high school/college. granted, it's a little dorky ... but they sure help the day pass and gives us an opportunity to be funny. and we're ALWAYS looking for ways to be funny. and not only do we still take them ... but we go back and read them months later. and that brings us to our blog entry today. i found some. enjoy.

1. Have you ever gotten the butterflies?

yeah, it was awful in high school when i was dork.
2. Do you sleep with socks or shoes on?

i don't sleep with either on ... i got the flu once, in the middle of the night, and got vomit on my socks. i haven't worn them to bed since.
3. Do you consider yourself attractive?

sometimes i think i look good and then i look in the mirror and ...
4. Your team loses-are you watching the next game?

i don't know what that means.
5. Have you ever attended a school dance?

sure thing. that's where i got most of my butterflies.
6. What's your favorite thing to do while watching a movie?

eat popcorn made by my roommate.
7. An ideal 24 hours would consist of?

sleeping for half of them ... eating for the rest.
8. Are you very random?
what sort of question is this? am i random human being?
9. What is something you say a lot?
ridiculous ... because I'M ridiculous
10. What would you do if you found a dinosaur egg?
sit on it.
11. 50 Cent shows up at your door, what do you do ?
offer him 50 cents.
12. If you were being chased by an alligator, what would you do?
lay down and die.
13. Can you imagine yourself living in a cardboard box?
i've always had a plan worked out if i had to.
14. Who is the first person you thought of this morning?
i'm not really sure i thought about anyone. i'm pretty self-absorbed.
15. Who was your first grade teacher?
mrs. mears … and i'm pretty sure i cornered her son during class and made him kiss me.
16. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
italy … with my senior italian class.
17. Who was your first best friend and are you still friends with them?
her last name was ahearn … but i can't remember her first name for the life of me. so, no, we're not still friends.
18. Where was your first sleep over?
i'm pretty sure it was at what's-her-face's house. or my friend deb.

19. Who was the first person you talked to this morning?
chris … unless you consider yelling at other drivers "talking to a person".
20. Who was the first person to break your heart?
boyfriend, sophomore year of college. before then … i was the heart breaker. heh.
21. Who is in the room with you?
my bobble head pen that i chat with on occasion.
22. Where do you sleep?
in the closet. is this a serious question?
23. What is the last thing you said aloud?
i'm creating a simpsons avatar.
24. Do you like sushi?
raw fish is my favorite food group. but i'm pretty sure i have worms.
25. Do you have a tan?
i have freckles
26. Do you drink your soda from a straw?
if it's a fountain soda.
27. What does your first memory of your sister involve?
if i had a sister it would probably be of me scratching her or something. cause that's how i think sisters interact.
28. Would you consider yourself a flirt?
other people would describe me as a flirt. i think i'm just being funny.
29. You come home after a night of drinking, what do you hope is there to eat?
french fries, chips, pretzels, or anything really. cat food would work.
30. do u wish u were thinner?
not thinner persay, just more in shape. and, yes, thinner.
31. Last book you bought?
the mists of avalon. go unicorns!
32. A best friend should always ...

... tell you when you have something in your teeth.
33. Ever dropped a cell phone?
dropped mine a couple of times ... but the worst was when i was holding a cell phone for someone i'd just met and was getting beer from a keg at the same time. well, the phone started ringing as i was pouring the beer and i got so flustered that i dropped the phone in the beer. it stopped ringing.
34. Who is the best kisser?
other than me? chris.
35. What foods do you dislike the most?
i'm not really sure i dislike any sorts of food. i eat a lot that most people might find gross (like liver, sushi, etc.). i probably don't like tongue, so i'll go with that.
36. What is the name of your first pet?
black snow (yeah, kind of gross, but he was black and white)
37. What are your super powers?

i can see through walls. also known as windows.
38. What's your most annoying habit?

being annoying.
39. Do you talk to yourself?

i just talked to myself on the way to bathroom ... and made myself laugh. so, yeah.
40. Are you an emotional person?
everyone has emotions ... hence everyone is emotional. i hate that adjective.
41. Whats the most annoying thing someone has said to you?
"you look like a swimmer" ... oh, so i look like an orangutan? great, thanks.

her

1. What was the last thing you did?
made a snarky comment to emily
2. Who was the last person you ate with?
i ate alone. in a corner. listening to sad music.
3. Four words to explain why you last cried...
i am a baby
4. Did you cry today?
not yet, but we have 3 hours to go.
5. Name someone who made you smile today.
kelly clarkson.. she always makes me smile
6. Does your screen name have an "x" in it?
since i'm not a perv, or a little girl trying to seem sexy, no.
7. Have you ever killed an animal?
i once thought i ran over an entire family of racoons.
8. Who is jealous of you?
i think a better question is, who isnt?
9. Do you like the smell of new shoes?
nope. but i bet the other one does. weird.
10. Which Superhero do you wanna be?
i'll go with robin (aka boywonder) I think being the sidekick would take off some of the pressure of saving the world
11. Who made you laugh today?
NO ONE. i hate you all.
12. When is the last time you updated your blog?
blog shmog
13. What was the last thing you gave away?
a carrot to keri. i am so generous
14. Would you rather be mad or sad?
mad - its so much more fun for everyone!
15. What is your favorite cheese?
thats a ridiculous question. you can't pick just one!
16. What do most people call you?
amazing.
17. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex?
eyebrows.. plural. there must be 2 separate brows
18. What are your favorite sayings?

yoink, COME ON, more ___ than you can shake a stick at
19. Do you think kangaroos are cute?
i think they are cute until they punch people. then they are hilarious.
20. There's this girl I know that:
constantly thinks she has cancer
21. You know I like you when:
i tell you i hate you
22. If you spent the night at my house:
my cat might bite you. And you would probably deserve it.
23. The animals I would like to see flying besides birds are:
koala bears.. but in my head they are evil and they would attack you.
24. Once, at a bar:

this girl almost vomited on me

Sleepy

2008-02-22T13:32:00.003-05:00

i'm on the tired side of the moon today ... but the following song is keeping a smile on my face.

i could be wholesome

i could be loathsome

i guess i'm a little bit shy

why don't you like me?

why don't you like me ..

.. without making me try?

-grace kelly, mika

The Cadbury Egg

2008-02-22T12:19:00.001-05:00

her: what? you just bite into it?

me: yeah, what do you do? gnaw on it?

---------- a short time later -----------

her: what did you do last night? me? oh, i bought some baby presents, sat in emily's car, and molested an egg for awhile.

2008-02-19T12:24:00.001-05:00

he must have tired of all the stealthy mashed potato attacks.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/02/19/castro/index.html

Movies

2008-02-18T12:33:00.002-05:00

i think more guys should be willing to take their girls to see movies such as the one below.

they may be surprised at just how appreciative their girlfriends can be.

the last song?

i'm just saying.

Storyboard

2008-02-15T14:49:00.005-05:00

me: this is as crafty as the cia could get?

"Among the more famous misdeeds included a plot against Castro. In August 1960, the CIA recruited ex-FBI agent Robert Maheu to approach mobster Johnny Roselli and pass himself off as the representative of international corporations who wanted Castro killed. Roselli introduced Maheu to "Sam Gold" and "Joe," who were actually 10-most wanted mobsters Momo Giancana, Al Capone's successor in Chicago, Illinois, and Santos Trafficant. The CIA gave them six poison pills, and they tried unsuccessfully for several months to have several people put them in the Cuban leader's food."

her: slipping castro poison pills? clever. it sounds more like the plot of a bad movie than a cia operation.

me: and by unsuccessful, do they mean that they couldn't get anyone to do it? or were they unsuccessful in the actual act of putting the pills in the food? were pills just barely missing plates of food, landing on the floor?

her: i envisioned more like pills being fork-catapulted into a pile of mashed potatoes on his plate, and he would be about to take a bite and then someone from another room would call his name and he would abandon his potatoes.

me: i think that's a likely story …

her: i thought so. and i picture the movie as a comedy.

me: starring the wilson brothers as those failing in their attempts to get the pills in the potatoes.

her: which means that will ferrell would be playing castro, and there would be cameos by ben stiller and vince vaughn.

me: i do believe we have just written the best movie of ALL TIME.

her: i'm laughing just thinking about it. we would definitely make millions.

me: we've got to have a love interest though … i'm thinking kate hudson.

her: she's already done an owen wilson movie.. and didn't they break up?

me: it's called acting. and she's funny enough to fit in with that group.

her: i don't know.. i liked christina applegate with them in anchorman.

me: omg. you're seriously going to ruin this movie.

her: no way! will ferrell as castro is a brilliant casting move on my part.

me: well, i want kate hudson.

her: i'm not convinced.

me: nor will you ever be.

her: when our movie bombs because of her, i'm blaming you.

me: whatever. she'll be a cia operative that falls for castro … and is the one that foils all the attempts (by oil-ing up the forks) by the wilson brothers to get pills in the potatoes!

her: but i like the character development. i'm willing to compromise. we will have to find a third option for the girl.

me: there are very few actresses that i like, though. how 'bout demi moore? or drew barrymore? or any of the charlie's angels for that matter?

her: i veto cameron diaz's gigantic mouth.

There

2008-02-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

in these deep city lights

girl could get lost tonight

i’m finding every reason to be gone

and there's nothing here to hold on to

could i hold onto you?

- city, sarah bareilles

2008-02-07T14:04:00.001-05:00

YAR!

Tuesday

2008-02-05T15:42:00.000-05:00

alright, so political television shows (ie meet the press) rarely interest me. i was not a member of young republicans/democrats. i don't really like discussing/arguing political agendas. and even while writing this blog entry, i mentioned to a friend that i was trying to do so without sounding like a moron (which i'm probably failing at), but ...

... honestly, super tuesday's got me all in a tizzy!

Saps

2008-02-01T14:33:00.000-05:00

so, you know those songs that you LOVE, but would be embarrassed to tell anyone but your closest friends? but even then only after gauging their reaction to a well-placed "you know, some people like this song" or innocently singing some of the lyrics and seeing if she/he will join in? well, we've decided that we're not going to sit alone in our bedrooms eating ice cream/popcorn/peanut butter (peanut butter?) anymore. that's right, we're sappy song listeners and we're saying it out loud for all (5) of you to hear. and if we're going to do this ... we're going to do it right. as such, we've compiled the following list of the worst offenders in the sappy song category. if you find yourself swaying or singing aloud to any of these songs, you might want to consider joining our group. we're the ones with our eyes closed belting out the words to power of love.

welcome.

kiss the rain - billie myers

hero - enrique iglesias

insensitive - jan arden

i wanna be with you - mandy moore

i wanna love you forever - jessica simpson

la song - beth hart

it only hurts when i'm breathing - shania twain

big girls don't cry - fergie

all i wanna do is make love to you - heart

rush rush - paula abdul

stay - lisa loeb

i will come to you - hanson

i would do anything for love, but i won't do that - meatloaf

every time - britney spears

show me the meaning of being lonely - backstreet boys

how do you talk to an angel - jamie walters

2 become 1 - spice girls

love of a lifetime - firehouse

faithfully - journey

hold on to the night - richard marx

it's all coming back to me now - celine dion

we belong - pat benetar

no one is to blame - howard jones

you are not alone - michael jackson

goodbye to you - michelle branch

truly, madly, deeply - savage garden

i'm with you - avril lavigne

Smart One

2008-01-30T11:02:00.001-05:00

yesterday, at work, i was convinced that i should buy chips and cheese sauce from california tortilla rather than eat the tasty frozen meal i'd brought with me. instead of eating it, i tossed it in the freezer with 20 other frozen meals. i forgot about it when i left for the day. you might ask yourself, "why doesn't she eat it today?". unfortunately, i work in that office only 1 day a week. and will probably never see that frozen meal again. it's all very disappointing. and a horrible story. i'm sorry.

Mixes

2008-01-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

on sunday, driving back from west virginia, i found an old mix cd from the college days. these are little treasures for me, especially when i just happen upon them. however, this time it's not the songs themselves that prompted me write this entry. no, no ... it's the title. it would seem that the persons assisting me with making the cds didn't have much respect for my song selections. you see, when i was just a poor college student, i worked in an office with a bunch of geeks. that's right ... the information systems unit. sounds like we should have had a badge or something, doesn't it? well, we didn't. our badges were our warcraft/diablo screennames. are you picturing this, yet? good. so, since i was poor, i didn't have my own burner and would use the office equipment. unfortunately, i never had the pleasure of using the computer with the burner, so i'd ask whichever knight, warlock, or druid was using it at the time for assistance. i'd leave for class and when i returned, inevitably they would have relieved me of the task of naming the cd. and THAT is how i came to own the following mix cds:

em's junk cd
em's crappy cd 1
em's crappy cd 2
cuccumber

not only witty, but descriptive. thanks, fellas.

Man vs. Nature

2008-01-22T13:51:00.000-05:00

me: make out with any bears last night?

her: no.. pretty much stayed in my room and watched tv.

i needed a break from nature

me: yeah, nature can be a pain sometimes

i had a mosquito in my office yesterday

i nearly had a breakdown

her: did it bite you

me: no

her: wow. that must have been terrifying

me: it pretty much was

her: i can imagine... the fear of almost being bitten by a mosquito

me: it's close to the fear of being mauled by a bear

her: im going to disregard your bear mauling comment.

Off Topic

2008-01-09T10:52:00.000-05:00

me: i need to buy the anne of green gables movies

her: what?

me: i need to buy the anne of green gables movies

i'm not really sure why you can't understand that

her: it seems pretty straight forward

im just confused

me: do you not like the anne movies?

please tell me you've seen them

her: i have to admit.. i have not

me: wait ... um ... i'm sorry

you've never seen anne of green gables?

you're a girl, right?

btw .. did you get a cookie?

her: a cookie?

ive never seen the movies

me: yeah ... over by chad's?

okay ... nevermind ... we're not having a sex in the city weekend

we're having anne of green gables night

her: noooooooooo

we still have to have the sex in the city weekend

what kind of cookies

me: i don't know what kind of cookies

alright ... we will have sex in the city weekend ... punctuated with brief interludes of anne of green gables

her: well did you get a cookie

me: no!!!!

her: why not?!

me: i hate you.

her: i heard you say that out loud

me: you were meant to

her: yea right!

me: i said it out loud ... hence you were supposed to hear it

i'm going to vomit from so many animal crackers

her: im going to investigate the cookie situation

Flight of the Phoenix

2008-01-09T10:44:00.000-05:00

her: would you consider university of phoenix a legit school

me: no

her: dang it

i didnt think so

me: it's how allison got her masters

but i think it was a fake masters

her: but you dont trust it?

thats my concern

me: yah ... i'm pretty sure it's not held in high regard that you got your masters at the university of phoenix

her: didnt think so

me: not in arizona mind you

online ... and about magical birds

her: it would be a magical masters degree

me: and instead of a rolled diploma ... you get a wand

wait ... maybe i do want to go to this school

her: ive always wanted a wand. this is like killing 2 birds with 1 stone

2 MAGICAL birds

me: oh the madness

Halloween 2007

2007-11-07T14:39:00.000-05:00

so, apparently, i'm an expressive dancer ... as is evident by the copious amounts of pictures taken at this year's halloween loop (thanks, jason!). as such, i have decided to develop the following "awesome dance moves" key. if you ever find yourself out dancing with me, this could save your life. seriously.

the "this isn't even attractive" pout

the "i'm too cool for you" smirk

the "aren't i cute" smile

2007-09-11T16:35:00.000-04:00

how can i stand here with you and not be moved by you?

- everything, lifehouse

College

2007-08-28T15:36:00.000-04:00

i finally "found" my old computer from college ... a friend of mine was hoarding it for his own purposes. and by "purposes" i mean "bookcase". we wouldn't want those books to get wet when the basement floods, would we? so, imagine my surprise when i found the hard drive intact. immediately, i fired her up ... and stepped back in time. among school papers, saved aim conversations (awful), and a few strange documents (one titled "i'm out" ... what?), i hit the jackpot. my music. oh, how i've missed my music. mind you, in the years since college, i've started up a new music collection ... but nothing can replace the gems i found while in college. here's a sample (with a couple of comments, of course):

when i see you smile - bad english
circle in the sand - belinda carlisle
take my breath away - berlin (top gun, baby, top gun)
kiss the rain - billie myers (the lyrics are ridiculous, but i can't help myself)
hit 'em up style - blue cantrell
amanda - boston
leaving on a jet plane - chantal kreviazuk
look away - chicagorun - collective soul
time after time - cyndi lauper
he wasn't man enough - toni braxton ("i've already had your man")
sweet jane - cowboy junkies (natural born killers version)
kissing you - des'ree
human - human league (i'm pretty sure my brother and i made fun of this song a lot)
walking on sunshine - katrina and the waves (listened to this one every day during exams, sophomore year)
crush - jennifer paige ("it's just some little thing, not like everything i do depends on you")
pretty girl - jon b.
scream - michael & janet jackson
hate me now - nas (for no other reason than for running purposes and when i was angry)
set adrift on memory - pm dawn
6 underground - sneaker pimps
purest of pain - son of four (spanglish version)

now tell me that's not pure gold.

Deep

2007-07-30T08:53:00.000-04:00

chocolate rain made me cross the street today.

think about it.

Hard

2007-07-20T11:49:00.000-04:00

so here i go with all my thoughts i've been saving

so here i go with all my fears weighing on me
...
and i don't know

i could crash and burn but maybe

at the end of this road i might catch a glimpse of me

- sober, kelly clarkson

Robots

2007-07-16T09:11:00.000-04:00

so, i saw transformers last weekend ... and i must say, i was pleasantly surprised. i thought i might have been disappointed simply because i've been looking forward to seeing it since last year. but, it was everything i hoped it would be ... and bumblebee even made me tear up at one point. it says something when a robot can make you cry. i'm not sure what ... but it says something.

anyway, seeing the movie reminded me of a "book" i wrote in 1st grade for young author's. i put "book" in quotes because you see that paragraph below ... yup, that's it ... in it's entirety (no editing). i can't wait till it gets picked up for a movie.

super transformers
once there was a girl transformers. her name was otomus and she had lots of friends. but she had one problem. some girls were after her and they were bad. so the leader and the girls got together to make some plans. otomus went to her office to make some plans to get those evil girls. after that they set off to go and fight. like always, otomus won again. the girls were mad at that time. "we always lose", said the leader. "you're right", said one of the girls. the leader said "i wish we could get rid of her". at the office otomus was writing a note. otomus said "i wish i had somebody to help me but i don't". otomus thought and thought but she could not find out who could help her. the bad girls were still trying to figure out how to get rid of otomus. the leader, of cours, was always mad. "i wish there was something we could do", said one of the girls. otomus said "those girls always have friends to help them so if i programmed their friends to help me then i can have more help!" after that they went to fight otomus again and she won again. finally she got the bad girl friends to be her friends. otomus told the girls that they would have to fight tomorrow. the bad girls and otomus and her friends went to the place where they would fight. this time otomus got hurt so her friends had to take over till otomus got better. finally, otomus go better, just in time to fight. and it was the longest fight they ever had. otomus won because her friends helped.

pictured on the cover: super jet, super star, quiz star, otomus, fire star

SPAM

2007-07-09T13:52:00.000-04:00

so, one of the spam emails i received today had the following subject:

flatulent minivan

interesting.

Reaching

2007-06-08T14:24:00.000-04:00

is it sad that a television show would drive me to want to go back to school? i don't think there is ever a wrong reason to want to go back to school ... but, well, let me explain. i've been a bit obsessed over west wing lately (library card + dvds = happy) and i know it's only loosely based on reality, but something about it makes me want to get involved with government. i already am involved to some extent ... but i want to do more. don't get me wrong, this yearning does not stem only from watching the west wing (because that would be beyond ridiculous) ... it's always been there, but lately the little spark has turned into a blaze. so, i've thought about going back to get my masters in public policy ... a thought i actually entertained a couple of years ago, but was chicken. at that time, i was thinking of applying to a program in which you'd earn your jd and a masters in public policy at the same time. but i think that was a lofty goal. i'd love to study the law, but don't want to be a lawyer. and so here i am ... wanting to get in the game, not quite sure how, but knowing full well i'd excel at it.

Lights (Update)

2007-06-04T14:14:00.000-04:00

the maintenance required light is now off! and for those who told me the correct way to do it and i ignored you because i thought you were wrong ... well, i'm sorry. because you were right. i was wrong. and you don't hear that often from me, so treasure it.

Rewind

2007-06-02T22:03:00.000-04:00

i think you're smart

you sweet thing

tell me your name

i'm dying here

- got you where i want you, the flys

Sweaters and Shoes

2007-06-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

a friend of mine sent me this article from mental_floss magazine (really? mental floss? really?) about mr. rogers because he knows about my dislike for that show. i don't know what it was ... but i just couldn't make sense of that program. to this day, my mom likes to mention the fact that i would get mad when he came on tv ... turn it off ... and prepare for sesame street (snuffleupagus, represent!). and because i turned it off immediately, maybe i never gave it a fair shot. but, honestly, i could never get past the changing of his clothing. WHY? why take off your sweaters and shoes ... and change into sweaters and shoes that are EXACTLY the same as the ones you just took off? who has only indoor shoes? that's right ... nobody.

Magic

2007-05-31T13:22:00.000-04:00

hogwarts ... come to life? i'm almost positive i'd be the first person in line to go to a theme park based on the harry potter books. i've read every book and seen (and own) every movie ... and, no, i don't dress up like any of the characters. plenty of you might laugh and call me a dork (i almost did myself) but secretly you're excited, too. if nothing else, it may remind you what it's like to be a kid again and we can all use a dose of that every now and then. :)

History

2007-05-30T10:41:00.000-04:00

so, i had a pretty wild time last night. i watched the history channel for about three hours. i started the evening by watching the end of "star wars: the legacy revealed" and for someone that watches at least part of a star wars movie (episodes iv, v, or vi) every day, i was close to hysterics. it was pretty interesting, but i wish i'd been able to see the whole thing ... maybe they further explain the correlation between the nazi's and the empire?

next, i watched the season premier of "the universe" ... they spent one hour discussing the sun. i was reminded of all the fascinating facts i'd learned about our solar system in my high school earth science class. remember cme's?? yeah, they're coronal mass ejections. do you know when solar storms peak? in 11 year cycles. we can expect the next peak around 2012. did you know that NOAA monitors space weather? well, they do. anyway, i found the whole thing extremely interesting and i'm very excited to learn about mars (again) next week (tuesdays @ 9:00pm).

Crying

2007-05-29T13:54:00.000-04:00

i hope you know, i hope you know

that this has nothing to do with you

it's personal, myself and i

we got some straightening out to do

- too embarrassed to say

Lights

2007-05-24T12:02:00.000-04:00

if anyone knows how to turn off the "maintenance required" light on the dash of my 2005 toyota corolla s ... i'd LOVE to know. this silly little light is supposed to remind me to change my oil. that's all it does. honestly. i'm not lying. it sounds like i'm lying, but i'm not. and i'm tired of being reminded to change my oil AFTER i've already done so because, believe it or not, i can add and know when i've gone 3,000 miles since my last jiffy lube visit. thanks.

Snakes on a Plane

2007-05-24T11:58:00.000-04:00

you're joking, right?

Car

2007-03-17T18:12:00.000-04:00

check out the new digs ...

... the windows work and everything!

Meatwad ...

2006-11-17T16:08:00.001-05:00

... in a movie??

Peppermint Mocha

2006-11-16T14:26:00.000-05:00

so, on my lunch break today, i was prepared to go out in this cold, blustery weather to get myself a treat ... a peppermint mocha from starbucks. yum! unfortunately, at the beginning of my scheduled lunch break, the sky opened up and buckets of rain fell down. i lack a raincoat, am wearing a white shirt, and don't own an umbrella. therefore, i didn't go out to get my treat. lo and behold, 5 minutes prior to the end of my lunch break, the sun comes out and the rain stops. humph.

Sad

2006-11-13T15:54:00.000-05:00

Tribute

2006-11-13T13:17:00.000-05:00

Beginnings

2006-11-13T11:19:00.000-05:00

she said i think i'll go to boston...

i think i'll start a new life,

i think i'll start it over, where no one knows my name.

- boston, augustana

Halloween

2006-11-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

i don't remember this picture being taken ....

.... but there are 4 others just like it.

Need Help?

2006-09-15T16:39:00.000-04:00

i'll admit, i saw this website on someone else's blog, but i just had to share. on the main page, click on "play song" for a sample. or maybe even personalize it. :)

A Little More Than Like

2006-09-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

when i think of heaven

god, girl, you know i just think of you

do you think of me, too?

- rain king, counting crows (new amsterdam: live at heineken music hall 2003)

New Music

2006-08-28T16:47:00.000-04:00

new albums from pete yorn and ray lamontagne being released on the same day? not sure i could be anymore excited at the moment. okay, that's not true ... but i am pretty psyched. to check out ray's new single, go here. to sample pete's new album, go here. both are in stores tomorrow!

Hershey

2006-08-28T11:29:00.000-04:00

so, when i was approximately 10 years old, my family went to hershey park as part of our vacation (remember, i'm from rhode island, so pa is actually the proper vacation distance from my hometown). at this point in my life, i'd never been on a roller coaster. so, with child-like innocence and enthusiasm, i blindly followed my dad into line for the comet. the ride begins with the, now all too familiar, ascent into the clouds ... the climb right before the rapid descent where you feel as though you've left your stomach back at the beginning of the ride. however, having never been on a roller coaster ... i didn't know what this meant. and as we're climbing, my dad and i are chatting ... he's eyeing me up, wondering how i'm going to fare ... and i'm blathering on like a fool about the lovely weather. i actually don't know what we were talking about, but i do know that the instant we began to "fall" ... i yelled at my dad "you said this was supposed to be fun!". and so began my fear of the roller coaster.

in my sophomore year of college, i went to kings dominion and conquered this fear ... but i'd never been back to hershey park, until this weekend. and i was going to ride the hell out of the comet. but i couldn't start with that particular coaster ... i had to ease myself into it. so, of course, i decided to begin the day with one of the more scarier coasters. i didn't know this, though, until i was actually on the ride. why do most roller coasters look all innocent from the ground? i know the screams should give it away ... but, honestly, i stand there, waiting in line, and think to myself, "this isn't going to be so bad". and when i get off ... my legs feel like jello. anyway, a few coasters (and jello legs) later ... i got in line for the comet. i wasn't as nervous as i thought i'd be, since this was the last ride of the day, and i'd already been on some freaky rides. but as we started that climb ... i gotta tell you, i got a sinking feeling in my stomach. didn't end up being so bad ... i screamed, as usual ... but, i'd do it again. just not soon.

Thundercats

2006-08-22T11:05:00.000-04:00

what's the next best thing to a transformer movie? although, i'm a little bit skeptical that the teaser makes it seem like they came from mars. couldn't we have come up with something a bit more original? like pluto ... what's wrong with pluto? have you heard that pluto was almost ousted from the planet family? okay, seriously, where was i? oh, yes ... iwatchstuff.com has posted a little somethin' somethin' about a thundercats remake. keep your pants on ... it's nothing as cool as a movie, but allegedly, it will be an animated series on the wb. thunder ... thunder ... thunder ... thunder ... CATS!

Manatee

2006-08-21T17:57:00.000-04:00

i love when my little state makes the news, so i thought i'd post this cnn.com article about a manatee siting in greenwich bay, warwick.

FredNet

2006-08-16T15:18:00.000-04:00

one of the guys, with whom i work, recently made the news due to his blog about frederick, frednet. you can read the baltimore sun article here. good stuff, guy!

Congratulations!

2006-08-16T14:39:00.000-04:00

lauren and jon were married on saturday, august 12th ... and i just got some of the pictures. so, without further ado ...

lauren and jon

me and judy

me and chris

80's

2006-08-16T09:58:00.000-04:00

so, i'm a bit of a sucker for 80's music. i know what you're thinking ... 80's music and a space freak, could such a cool girl really exist? yes, yes i do. :) but, no, really ... i love the 80's. is that why i find myself admitting (shamefully, though) to enjoying jessica simpson's remake of you spin me round by dead or alive? actually, looking at dead or alive's web site, i should, perhaps, rethink my enjoyment of the original ... but that's for another time. if you want to check out jessica simpson's version, which you probably don't, click here. then click on "click here to listen & vote!". you see, you could actually assist in picking her next single. that would be, like, so hot. that's sarcasm. maybe.

Space

2006-08-10T16:09:00.000-04:00

two nights ago, i watched "aliens of the deep", directed by james cameron. the documentary explored the deepest depths of the ocean (you know, where the hydrothermal vents exist?) and provided glimpses of the incredible creatures (like those worms) that live down there. however, i thought the most interesting discussions in the film were those related to the comparison between underwater and space exploration. you might remember from one of my earlier entries, that i'm kind of a space dork. so, my fascination with this topic shouldn't be a surprise.

anyway, one of the scientists featured in the documentary was an astrobiologist, kevin hand, from the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) institute. he described, briefly, possible future missions to europa, one of jupiter's moons. the surface of europa is ice, ranging in depths of 20 to 100 kilometers, but the hope is that below the surface is an ocean containing life. the concept is pretty amazing and i spent a majority of yesterday reading more about the seti institute and europa. and you can, too. here and here. kind of makes looking for aliens cool, doesn't it?

Speechless

2006-08-09T10:48:00.000-04:00

Courage

2006-08-09T09:51:00.000-04:00

stones taught me to fly

love taught me to cry

so come on courage

teach me to be shy

'cause it's not hard to fall

and i don't wanna scare her

-cannonball, damien rice

Score!

2006-08-08T12:51:00.000-04:00

it was a proud moment last night when i scored for the first time during my indoor coed soccer game. and why, you ask, am i so proud of a goal? only because it took me four months of playing and 500 million shots (that's a lot). tears were shed.

Gamble

2006-08-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

on my knees, i’ll ask

last chance for one last dance

‘cause with you, i’d withstand

all of hell to hold your hand

- far away, nickelback

Welcome, Niece

2006-08-06T18:05:00.000-04:00

born august 4th, 8 lbs 10 oz, and 21 inches long ... you're beautiful.

Hot

2006-08-02T16:19:00.000-04:00

i feel like this today

Moosejaw

2006-07-31T11:09:00.000-04:00

if you're ever bored, and think laughing is fun, check out the following site:

http://www.moosejaw.com/moosejaw/dept.asp?s_id=0&dept_id=77

oh, yeah, also a great site for hiking/climbing/camping equipment and clothing. that's probably their main purpose.

Expectations

2006-07-31T09:40:00.000-04:00

you put your girl up on a pedestal

then you wait for her to fall

- hard candy, counting crows

Color

2006-06-05T10:03:00.000-04:00

Color me in

Come on color me in

Give me your blue rain

Give me your black sky

Give me your green eyes

Come on give me your white skin

...give me your white skin

- have you seen me lately, counting crows

Soccer

2006-06-02T16:44:00.000-04:00

we've all had our moments ... right? my favorite parts (there i go again) involve the refs ... enjoy!

Transformers

2006-05-31T10:26:00.000-04:00

am i the only one that's really excited about this?

and a little update about the movie here.

Me?

2006-05-22T14:28:00.000-04:00

Your Personality Profile

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant.
Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle.
You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs.

For you, comfort and calm are very important.
You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection.
You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Dangermouse

2006-05-19T16:57:00.000-04:00

today's woot made a comparison between the razer pro 1600dpi gaming mouse and the star of a british animated series, dangermouse. there isn't much of a comparison (that's why it's funny, see) ... but it definitely reminded me of watching dangermouse when i was kid. i absolutetly loved that show ... way better than mighty mouse. penfold, his nerdy sidekick, was my favorite. and he was a hamster of all things. a hamster! but he was smaller than dangermouse ... who was, as his name suggests, a mouse. hmmm. makes you think.

Fear Not

2006-05-16T18:02:00.000-04:00

i was gone, but now i'm back. more to come in the following days.

Silly Putty

2006-04-25T12:42:00.000-04:00

i'd like to take a moment and pay homage to my friend ... the silly putty. yesterday, i discovered (again) the joy of silly putty and i'd forgotten how fantastic this stuff really is. i've been throwing it against walls ... sticking it to random pieces of paper to pick up the print (how is that NOT fun?) ... creating animals that will never been seen in nature ... and just using it as an overall stress reliever. it's like those stress balls ... but squishy. thanks, silly putty. for everything.

Bridge

2006-04-24T14:43:00.000-04:00

so, the old jamestown bridge was blown up last week. that's quite a bit of news for rhody ... and i finally found a video of it, so i had to post. the old jamestown bridge was probably the scariest bridge ... ever. if you didn't have a fear of bridges (or heights) before driving over the old jamestown bridge, then you certainly did afterwards. it was two lanes, undivided and had steal grates at the highest point of the bridge, so you could look down and see the water. oh, yeah, and it swayed in high winds. swayed!

on a side note ... my mom mentioned to me (i couldn't find a news story about it, but i didn't look too hard) that the demo and clean-up crews didn't account for how far the falling steal beams would be driven into the mud of the narragansett bay ... so they are experiencing "difficulties".

Lyrics (2)

2006-04-11T15:43:00.000-04:00

i really enjoyed writing my last lyrics entry ... so, i've decided to post a sequel. i noticed that the previous entry didn't include any songs from female artists. some of the guys i know might say that the reason for this is because female singers "suck" ... and, although a convincing argument, i disagree. so without further ado, a sampling of my some of my favorite songs by female artists:

i grieve in my condition, for i cannot find the strength to say I need you so - i love you, sarah mclachlan

i tell you there’s peices of me you’ve never seen, maybe she’s just pieces of me you’ve never seen - tear in your hand, tori amos

cause someday you’re going to get hungry, and eat most of the words you just said - 32 flavors, ani difranco

push the door, i'm home at last and i'm soaking through and through, then you handed me a towel and all i see is you - thank you, dido

not in contact, not a letter, such communication, telepathic, you've been vilified, used as fodder - this grudge, alanis morissette

leave your things behind cause it's all going off without you - let go, frou frou

and i want to wake up with the rain, falling on a tin roof - come away with me, norah jones

i will show you, you're so much better than you know - by your side, sade

i realize they are girly ... but, i am a girl. so, deal with it.

Weeeee!

2006-03-31T16:32:00.000-05:00

friends of mine shared this link with me a couple of years ago and, to this day, there is nothing like a hyperactive squirrel. nothing.

Lyrics

2006-03-27T23:35:00.000-05:00

i was driving home from soccer tonight, listening to a song, and found myself anxious to get to my favorite part. i thought about it a bit more and realized that i have "a favorite part" in many songs. i'm sure this is the same for a lot of people ... but i think i picked up the habit from my dad. it's a rare occasion to be driving somewhere with my dad and he doesn't shush me so we can listen to his favorite part of a particular song. and i've found that i do the same thing to my friends. so, with nothing else to write about, i picked out a few of my favorite parts to share:

first time I saw you, you did me that way - stolen away on 55th & 3rd, dave matthew's band

and when i see you kitten as a cat, yeah as smitten as that, i can't get that small - high, the cure

she has trouble acting normal when she's nervous - round here, counting crows

and you have stayed, a mile away from me, and you will stay a mile away from me if you know what’s good for you, you could have stayed until june. - june, pete yorn

so what if you catch me, where would we land? - fair, remy zero

and if we were walking down a dead end street, would you be the one to let our eyes meet, or would you just keep on walking down to the turn around, 'cause you know i'd be proud ... if you call my name out loud - out loud, dispatch

take a drink right from the hose, change into some drier clothes, climb the stairs up to my room, and sleep away the afternoon - pinch me, bare naked ladies

say, now it's time to ride, to see lovely girls and to not put the moves on them - tremendous brunettes, mike doughty

there's a chill in the air, nobody could care how you're caught up in the fight of your life - heard the world, o.a.r.

now, some of the meaning might be lost when the lyrics are taken out of context ... but you've got the title and artist right there. go listen for yourself. i dare you.

Tournament

2006-03-16T17:39:00.000-05:00

i don't watch college basketball all season (except for a terps game here or there) ... then the tournament starts and i become a ball of stress watching box scores on espn. oh, the madness.

Pug

2006-03-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

i feel a little weird copying something from google's official blog, so i'm not going to post the picture that prompted me to write this entry, but go here. this little guy was too hard to pass up.

Bug

2006-03-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

a friend suggested i do this to my car.

but, i don't know ... i kind of like my trunk space.

Nyquil

2006-03-07T09:57:00.000-05:00

so, i've been sick. and i'm not a big fan of medicine, so i rarely take anything. but i haven't been sleeping much recently, so for the last two nights i've gone drinking with nyquil. sure, it helps me breathe more easily and knocks me out for a good couple of hours. however, it also screws with my dreams ... and last night did not disappoint. i don't remember much, but i do recall the following scene from which i awoke clutching my comforter and my heart racing.

i was staying in a hotel, in a tropical place. but the room in which i was staying, belonged to a friend of mine. so, it was like i was crashing at a friend's house, but in a hotel. my friend owned a dog. a big dog. i walked out onto the porch ... for some reason. and as i turned to go back inside, i heard snarling. the dog had broken through the sliding glass doors and was actually gnawing on a huge piece of glass, just staring at me. at this point in the dream, i was now, of course, eye level with the dog ... as if i was coming up through a trap door in the floor of the porch. then the dog lunged and bit into my neck. and he didn't let go. if i moved, i knew he'd rip my throat out ... but how long could i sit/stand there with this dog hanging off my neck? so, i sat/stood there shaking until i woke up.

so, after waking up, feeling my neck to see if it's still there, i, of course, had to think about this dream and figure out why the dog attacked me in the first place. i had a feeling that when i first met the dog, he was nice ... but that because i was entering the house from someplace other than the front door, he was alarmed. and felt he had to kill me? yeah, i don't get it either.

i hate nyquil.

edited for incorrect grammar and misspellings. nyquil does more than give me bad dreams. it makes me an idiot.

Speed Limits

2006-03-03T11:31:00.000-05:00

check out this article about a couple of georgia state college students. i'd almost go so far as to call it gutsy. just because i like that word and wanted to use it.

Questions

2006-02-22T22:26:00.000-05:00

i've been going to the dentist a lot lately (don't ask) and i know this question is often posed ... but why do dentists talk to us while they work? i don't know about you, but i don't think the opportune time to ask me 1) am i married, 2) do i have children, and 3) how long is my commute, is when half my face feels like it's missing and i have a drill, that sucker thing that wants to swallow my tongue, and your hands in my mouth.

btw ... no, no, 1 hour.

Snow

2006-02-13T16:51:00.000-05:00

my parents, in rhode island, got 12 inches of snow this weekend ... and my mom had a 1 hour school delay this morning (only one school in the whole state closed). in maryland, we got 12 inches of snow and almost every college, school, and recreational activity was cancelled. interesting. now, you can mock rhode island all you want (i've heard all the jokes), but if it's one thing we know (aside from lobsters), it's inclement weather and how to handle it.

Dreaming or Giving

2006-02-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

why does dmb's song, dreaming tree, remind me so much of shel silverstein's book, the giving tree? they aren't necessarily depicting the same story, but they both evoke the same feeling in me. perhaps it's the following lines from the song?

below it he would sit
for hours at a time
now progress takes away
what forever took to find
now he's falling hard
he feels the falling dark
how he longs to be
beneath his dreaming tree
conquered fear to climb
a moment froze in time
when the girl who first he kissed
promised him she'd be his
remembered mother's words
there beneath the tree
"no matter what the world
you'll always be my baby"

*ponder*

Alien Life?

2006-02-07T16:13:00.000-05:00

i was reading an article on wired.com today about two simulated "worlds", aurelia and blue moon, created by nasa and seti project researchers. don't worry, i'm not going to summarize the whole article (because you can read it here). the basic gist is that researchers fashioned alien creatures that might exist on these "worlds" (located somewhere in our universe). then a description, and picture, is provided for each creature. the article reminded me of when i was a kid and would spend hours (i was the coolest!) reading national geographic's picture atlas of our universe.

each chapter provided information about the type of creature you might find on each planet, taking into account what scientists knew about the planets' climate/geographical factors. i was fascinated then ... and i guess i still am.

Dentist

2006-02-01T19:03:00.000-05:00

nothing like the smell of burning enamel to start the day off right ... yeah, that's right, i said burning enamel. and that's all i have to say about that.

Happy 30th, Boys

2006-01-31T09:57:00.000-05:00

honestly, though ... for all intents and purposes, it could have been mistaken for your 21st ... but we won't go in to details.

Quote

2006-01-26T15:48:00.000-05:00

how selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortune of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it.

-- Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (as published in Freakonomics)

Squirrel Traps?

2006-01-26T12:48:00.000-05:00

so, today, an email from me to a friend elicited advertisements for squirrel traps in the related pages section of gmail. you're probably saying to yourself, "well, she probably asked her friend about squirrel traps". i assure you, i did not. my email went something like this:

i'm excited for your party.

and gmail went something like this:

kill a squirrel.

i know, i know ... squirrel traps don't actually kill squirrels. my point is .... i don't think parties and squirrel traps go hand in hand. unless you're a freak. and then, by all means, continue.

Oranges

2006-01-25T09:48:00.000-05:00

i've got a question. earlier this morning i was reminiscing about playing soccer when i was a kid. then i started thinking about the team meetings we would have immediately after games, when coach would gather players and parents around and separate the stars from the weak links. soon, my thoughts turned to the oranges. sliced oranges to be exact. some team mother was always responsible for bringing sliced oranges to eat after games. no oranges = riot. so, here's my question or questions rather. why oranges? did other teams do this? on any given fall saturday/sunday are millions of children eating oranges?

i don't even like oranges.

Nest Eggs

2006-01-19T13:44:00.000-05:00

ever try to move an egg from one nest to the next? yeah, neither have i. but in this game you've got 12 chances to move an egg up a ladder of nests! hmmm ... that sounded a lot more exciting in my head. anyway, just play it. if nothing else, it can help you waste a lot of time.

edited due to funny image associated with the game link instead of the game. URL removed. and put here.

The Junkies

2006-01-17T13:46:00.000-05:00

the junkies are back on morning radio! okay ... so, they've been back for a couple of weeks now, but this was the first morning i listened to them. and i've missed them. dreadfully. sure, they're a bunch of middle-aged men that sit around and try to talk over each other ... and about nothing (aside from sports every now and then). but they are funny ... and funny is what i want. welcome back, boys.

Fog Warning

2006-01-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

so, maryland has these electronic signs that "hang" over some of the major highways. you know, so they can inform us of traffic that we are already sitting in or provide the 1-800 number to call in case we see any suspicious activity. this is all well and good, but this morning i was actually given a fog warning.

fog?! where?

yes, this morning was foggy. however, i don't think i needed a sign to clue me in. two points.

1) the "warning" caused unnecessary traffic because you couldn't actually read the sign (um, because it was foggy) until you were directly underneath it, at which point everyone slammed on their breaks to read about the fog.

2) if you couldn't tell it was foggy by walking outside this morning, then you really ought to have stayed home.

It's Alright

2006-01-11T09:45:00.000-05:00

that's the title of a song by big head todd and the monsters that i've been obsessing over ... and felt it was necessary to share it with the whole world. and by whole world, i mean the few people that read my blog and probably already know about it, but i digress. it's a simple song and by no means new (think it came out in 1993), but i'm smitten nonetheless. so, check it out if you have the time ... you won't be disappointed. or you will be.

Mouse in the House

2006-01-09T15:32:00.000-05:00

this article on cnn.com is so absurd that i have to post it. let this be a warning to all homeowners that set trapped mice on fire ... wait. what? who does that?

Punch Buggy

2006-01-05T13:08:00.000-05:00

i have a green beetle. you need to know that for this story to have any relevance. you also need to know of a little game we, as children, played that involved punching someone in the arm as soon as you sighted a beetle ... followed up with "no give backs". we all on the same page now? good.

so, this morning, driving to work ... i passed many street corners filled with children waiting for the school bus. well, as i drove by one street corner in particular ... i caught the eye of a little boy, who looked at my car with glee and immediately turned to his friend, and started wailing on him. i'm not sure how his friend faired, as i had to keep driving, but i did laugh out loud. so, thank you to the ten year old that made my morning by beating up his friend at the sight of my car.

New Year's Eve Revelry

2006-01-04T13:57:00.000-05:00

i told them to pose ... one looked up and the other looked down. good job, fellas.

some of the girls.

me and scott.

just because.