Thoughts for the Day

Over at casa az today, she is contemplating a very real thought for the day. (Go on over, give her the linkie love, then c'mon back here for my addition to such absurdities of modern life.)

Ahem! Still here?
Seriously, go there, and come back. It's easier for you to do that than it is for me to copy the picture, paste it into Paint and save it, then upload it. (And if any of you can tell me why "Save image as..." no longer seems to work for me, I'll give you a big wet sloppy kiss!)

* * * * *

Okay, now that you're back...

Last night, I was perusing the lovely little catalogue from UNICEF's Gifts of Magic campaign...from the comfort of my living room, drinking hot chocolate, wearing fuzzy socks, and my well-fed stomach happily digesting, planning how I am going to help ensure that little babies in refugee camps get high energy biscuits:
Or families get water kits for safe drinking water. Or a community of children get enough pencils to get a bare minimum of education.

I think I'll forgo the nifty little certificates, let them put a bit more of the money towards the projects.

Lori

Fave Words: "Engastration"

Years ago, as a teen, I discovered everyone's favourite odd word: defenestration (to throw someone out a window). I soon discovered engastration (a cooking term, to stuff one bird inside another). Raincoaster, over at her Teeny Manolo gig, has served up a lovely video on the subject, just in time for the holidays:



Note the overwhelming use of Emeril's Essence (a spice concoction with a very eerie name...)

She also mentions in this post, the fine Middle Eastern engastration extravaganza of stuffed camel.

Yum.

Lori

Whoo-hoo!

I think MadHaiku was short-changed with his 'elementary school' literacy rating...it takes some education to write haiku...

Especially when I see my (somewhat over-rated) rating:



And Metro is all pissed off that he's only getting a 'junior high' reading level. :p

Well, I thought my Book Nook might get a higher rating than this silly blog o' mine, being all literary and such...but no, only High School.

Whodathunk?

Lori

Herding Cats

Sure it's an ad, but it's a mighty clever one:


Update: It's a very funny video, but even I got tired of hearing it start every freakin' time I came to my blog! So here is the link, and the above is a screen shot...


Enjoy.

Lori

The Truth about Religion

A tasty comedy piece with a whole whack of good points...

Lori

And now for some inter-species communication...

Source


Lori

A Musical Interlude

Here's a French woman doing a brilliant Nina Simone:

#16 My brightest Diamond - Be my husband
Uploaded by lecargo

How's that for energy?

Enjoy.

Lori

"Homophobia Sux"

No kidding. A guy I know was involved in a very nifty little video production in Vancouver -- using Sonny Bono's "Laugh at Me":



It was posted to YouTube a year ago, but hasn't had much viewage -- Unfortunate, that. It's got 22 actors, who wander around 2 blocks on Davie Street,...and one long, glorious take.

I am a huge fan of a well-choreographed long take. (Cf. Notting Hill, The Player, Touch of Evil, etc.)

Lori

Things to Avoid:

(Courtesy of Too Much Coffee Man.)

I remember one day as a child, We'd picked my grandfather up at the airport, and I was cuddled up between Dad and my sister in the front seat...Mom and Grandpa (her dad), talked non-stop in the front seat, catching up on all the family news.

Grandpa said, "Oh, So-and-so died, by the way."

"Oh," said my mom, "She had such a hard life!"

Warm and half asleep, at 8 years old, I made a vow right then and there -- no one would ever be full of such awful pity for me!

It's mostly in the moments, and how you live them.

Have a great day tomorrow,

Lori

Oh FSM, Help me in this new addiction!

Okay. It's official. I'm a geek.

I get addicted to something on the Internet, and is it something cool, like a game? Seedy, like porn? Edgy, like YouTube?

No. I go to geeksville -- or language geek heaven, depending on your 'take'.

Wordreference.com is a great dictionary reference tool.

And the forums! Lord, love a duck! I've been immersed there for 3 freakin' hours!

Was sent the link to the dictionary by a business associate. Used it a bit, but really got into it yesterday, when I spent most of the afternoon just reading a few articles in French, studying on government time (it's encouraged!). Then I decided to try my hand at translating one of the articles, got stumped on a turn of phrase, posted it on the forum...and haven't looked back!

No computer time for me tomorrow -- unless it's to write my reviews.

Will do laundry instead.

Lori

Fun Words

Ran across a great word today, en français.

un vide-grenier, or a garage sale (or yard sale, or car boot sale, depending on your dialect)...literally an 'empty attic'.

Very cool. Descriptive (a directive almost, one might say), rather than, uh, locational.

Another great turn of (international) phrase that's always been a favourite of mine is dar a luz, Spanish for 'give birth' ...literally, to 'give to the light'.

Any out there for you folks?

Lori

"Col'! Brimey!"

One of those nights, where the wine is flowing, and you end up on YouTube, looking up the weird ass shit that amused you in the past...

Like squirrel fishing...


or Mr. Shake Hands Man


Courtesy of the weird British TV show, supposedly invented by two blokes in a pub....

BANZAI!!
Was blindsided by this show one random New Years night on TV...there was a bit of a marathon on. I've not laughed so much since.

Lori

We need more protest songs...

Here is a powerful offering from Pink:



Lori

A good day for Stumbling

My first two StumbleUpon sites of the day were images that need no other commentary (at least for those who think like I do...):

(Source)

And:

(Source)

I'm going to keep stumblin', you never know what you'll find!

Lori

Not too sure about the Ferraris...

Thanks, Nag, for this gem.

Your home is a Futuristic Magnate's Manor Your kitchen is someplace you never go, because you "have people for that." There's a Chocolatessen, which is rapidly becoming your favorite room of the house. Having one is also becoming a trend among your wealthy neighbors. Your master bedroom is the size of a small barn, with carpet thick enough to reach your ankles. Your study has hardback editions of every classic ever written, plus a special edition of Rich Dad, Poor Dad with the parts you ghost-authored highlighted. One of your garages holds your collection of ferraris, and is measured in acreage. Your home also includes a guest wing and private quarters for your servants. Your guests enjoy your animatronic replica of the cantina at Mos Eisley. Outside is your hedge maze and gardens, meticulously tended by a team of world-class botanists. And, you have a pet -- a doberman pincer named "Warren". Below is a snippet of the blueprints:

Find YOUR Dream House!

I think I got the Romance Library 'cause I read Jane Austen...

And my inner geek seems to have been forced out of the closet. How awkward.

Lori

How do I blog?

Tagged by azahar, so here I go...

1. Do you promote your blog?

No...I'm a member of MyBlogLog, but I don't sign in too often. I also tried BlogExplosion for a bit, but it seems like too much work.

2. How often do you check hits?

I had a hit counter for a bit, but it crashed, so I no longer check hits on this blog, but I'll check the blog stats page on my Wordpress blog just to see what brings people in.

3. Do you stick to one topic?

Yes and no. Here at Celebrating the Absurd, I try to just point out the absurdities of life from my point of view, with the odd foray into the wonderful and the sane. On the Book Nook, I obviously try to stick to topics literary.

4. Who knows that you have a blog?

I have lots of family & friends who know that I blog, but who don't read blogs. So safe there! I'm not shy about having blogs, but I don't hand out business cards with the URLs on them!

5. How many blogs do you read?

Wow. Tough question. I'm behind in my blog reading...I've only got some RSS feeds for friends' blogs, the rest are in my favourites folder. I've got a tab on my Netvibes devoted to GTD blogs that I scan quite often. I don't bookmark gossip blogs, I've just got their addresses memorized, so I pop over to them periodically for a fix.

6. Are you a fast reader?

Fast. Too fast sometimes. But I find that I'll skip through reams and reams of on-screen text, not reading it. (Yes, Az, I think it's perfectly normal, which is why all advice to web content developers/writers begins with "Keep it short".)

7. Do you customise your blog or do anything technical?

No, I don't do anything fancy. I've been given my own URL (through one of engtech's contests), for my Wordpress blog, but I've sadly not done anything with it. I do want to transfer my Book Nook to it, but haven't.

8. Do you blog anonymously?

Yes and no. While I don't come out and say "This is me," I do give out enough information that anyone who wanted to hunt me down can.

9. To what extent do you censor yourself?

Well, the answer to the previous question answers this one -- I say nothing here that I wouldn't want to come back and bite me in the ass one day. If I say something about anyone, I would also say it to their face. (Even Ginger.) But then, I'm not shy.

10. The best thing about blogging?

I'm not sure why I started, but I'm glad I did. I'm a bit of an exhibitionist (but only a bit!), so I like being able to share the interesting stuff that comes to my attention.

So, I'll tag Mr. Mad Haiku ('cause I'd love to see his answers in Haiku!), and Creatrix.

Lori

The Wonders of Nature

[Warning: Not absurd.]

My mother sent me an email with the dreaded FW: in the subject line...She doesn't do it often, but yes, she sometimes sends 'forward this to all your friends' type stuff. So I opened it a little trepidationsly (is that a word?), only to discover something truly wonderful.


"Oh, no!" I hear you say, "Those poor huskies are soon-to-be dinner!" But as the speaker says in this presentation of photos, pay attention to the dog's mouth (no fangs), and the bear's ears & fur (still all normal-like)...and then follow the link to see the photos of husky owner and photographer Norbert Rosing. You'll truly be amazed.

Return soon for your (not quite so) regular dose of absurdity.

Lori

So, up until today, I thought I wasn't too terribly hooked into the Internet. You know how it is, you check out some videos here and there, and show them to your friends who are a little less net-savvy than you...but you just know that you're missin' stuff.

But here's a video that sort of scared me -- I got almost all of the references! Gads.

Lifted from Nag, who stole it from OpticalPoptitude, who took it from the source -- test yourself:


Lori

What's funny?

Since university, my answer has always been "Three rocks." 'Tis a Zippy the Pinhead reference which seems silly now. (The official Zippy website is the most blatantly commercial site I've ever seen -- you can't really look at a strip without buying it. Go and see who Zippy is, then leave. We can't be encouraging that kind of shite.)

What's the line? Humour is pain + time? Does that explain why this is funny:?

We recently went to see a traveling group doing The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), the intensely funny play by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. The warning from the website reads:

This show is a high-speed roller-coaster type condensation of all of Shakespeare's plays, and is not recommended for people with heart ailments, bladder problems, inner-ear disorders and/or people inclined to motion sickness.

Well, this group from the Kootenays did a brilliant job of it -- three of the most physical and naturally funny guys I've ever seen. One of them, who happened to be Jewish, was even able to throw in a joke about concentration camps.

Huh?

Well, you know I won't be trying that soon...

Lori

Time to upgrade my French!!

'Tis time! I work for the Government of Canada, and I happened to mention to my supervisor today that I would be interested in upgrading/testing my French...

5 minutes later, I'm asked "How would you like to handle this agreement?" My co-worker says, "Hey, isn't that one in French?!?"

Gulp.

Okay, I'll be honest. I don't mind, really, because I need extrinsic motivation to learn a language.

Like, being dumped headfirst into a situation where I need it. Kindergarten at a French Catholic school. High school in Brazil.

A French agreement at work.

Just don't forget to test me for my bilingual pay increase -- soon!

Lori

My Book

You're The Hobbit!

by J.R.R. Tolkien

All you wanted was a nice cup of tea when some haggard crazy old man
came into your life and told you it was time to do something with yourself. Now you're
all conflicted about whether to stick with your stay-at-home lifestyle or follow this
crazy person into the wild. While you're very short and a little furry, you seem to be
surrounded by an even greater quantity of short folks lately. Try not to lose your ring,
but keep its value in perspective!


Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Whew!! I don't know about the short and furry part, but I'm glad I'm a book I enjoy!

Via Casa Az, who ripped it from Archie's Archive, who got it from...ah, you know how it goes!

Lori

Ah, finally! Porn for women!

Thanks, Nag. You've made my day!

Check it out. Men too -- you might learn something.

Lori

How to Age Well

A hell of a lot has been said about "you're only as old as you feel" -- and I'm a firm believer in this.

My father was 24 years older than my mother.

As a kid, I loved it! I used to wow my friends with lines like "My grandpa is 3 years younger than my dad!" As a teen, I loved his quiet sense of humour and his respect for words. We used to watch M.A.S.H. together and Bugs Bunny on Saturday mornings.

He and Mom had a brilliant relationship. They'd met when she was in her late 20s, in a small Ontario town, and the rest, as they say, was history.

My dad got his first pacemaker when he was 50, the year I was born. So he didn't expect to see my sister and I finish high school...but instead, he lived until my sister and I were in our 30s, saw me through university, and met and knew his three grandchildren very well.

The best thing about my dad was his attitude about life -- he did not get old until about a couple of years before he died. Everyone who knew him felt young too.

One of his best friends was 50 when Dad died, and I thought he was truly hot. So, in my one experiment with online dating, I thought nothing of going out to meet a 48-year-old man for a cup of coffee. But man, was he old!! That's when I realized that age is in your head.

I had a student from Korea once who irritated me to no end. He was 30, and actually said, in class, that he was old. He went on and on about it -- I was infuriated. How happy can that guy's life be? What had happened in his life to make him feel old at such an early age?

My mom is young. She's turning 70 this week, but doesn't act it, or look it. She's just booked her tickets to Kenya and Ethiopia for the fall, and she was in India the year before. She travels to California every year, and goes to Europe every second year.

My sisters in-laws are a couple of years younger than our mom, but they refer to Mom as "the young grandma" and they are old.

Did I mention that she's now traveling with her friend, a very funny man who is 10 years her junior? They're definitely more than friends -- they spend a lot of time together. He makes her laugh, and they seem very happy hanging out together.

In this week, when both my mom and her friend are celebrating their birthdays, I would like everyone to celebrate your own life, and remember that you are only as old as you want to be.

Lori

Only if I popped off today...

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Improve your life (Warning: Low on Absurd Scale!)

I was browsing my Netvibes GTD blog feed this morning (see Az, I really do use it at home!), and I found a really thoughtful post from over at Lifehack.org on 10 Virtually instant ways to improve your life -- every single point was something everyone needs to have tattooed to the back of their hand to remember (figuratively speaking, of course).

For example:

Don’t invent rules. A huge proportion of those “oughts” and “shoulds” that you carry around are most likely needless. All that they do for you is make you feel nervous or guilty. What’s the point? When you use these imaginary rules on yourself, you clog your mind with petty restrictions and childish orders. And when you try to impose them on others, you make yourself into a bully, a boring nag, or a self-righteous bigot.

Now, I do have life rules, but they are lessons learned rules, so I think they're okay.

Rule #1
"Always wear comfortable shoes."

Rule #2
"Never live with your best friend."
[Corollary to Rule #2: "Live with someone who can be your best friend."]

There really are only 2 rules, but I'll jokingly add them as they come up. Like, Rule #23 (in the Travel subset of rules) "Always use the bathroom when you get a chance."

Any to add?

Lori

The All-New Definition of "Friend"

In the paper the other day (proof positive that not only has Facebook has become mainstream, but that I'm seriously behind the times!):


Even my cats have friends on FB! It's a weird, no stress kinda way of keeping in touch, at a distance, with people. Some you want, others you're not quite sure: "Why is this person asking to be my friend on FB? S/he and I wrote each other off years ago!"

Is it new-found maturity (on whose part?), or just I've-gotta-have-more-friends-on-my-profile syndrome?

Ah well. I'll keep going, mostly because I enjoy the long-distance Scrabble games I've got going!

Lori

You'd think...

...that having regular hours in one's life would create more time for things like blogging.

But no.

I apologize for being so distant lately. I'll get more into a rhythm with the new job and write more often soon.

Cheers,

Lori

Back to the Productivity Search

As my loyal readers know, I'm not only about the absurdities. I've been doing my own search through the various apps for my own productivity package (here and here, if you're interested). I read all the various GTD blogs out there, because they're interesting, and full of ideas.

And all of this was fine and good when I kept my office online as an independent project person. Now I'm working for the government, and can't add anything to my computer, can't get to many of my fave Web2.0 sites, and I've only got Outlook now. What's a girl to do?

I need to start search for Outlook GTD tips, and think text & paper. So I'm always checking the GTD feeds.

And here's yet another great productivity blog that I've only just discovered -- Productivity 501 (doesn't hurt that he's also running a contest!). The name of the blog appeals to the intellectual in me, who would always like to think that I'm functioning beyond the first year, undergrad level. The author, Mark, is a business consultant, with a tech background.

My first browse this morning has netted me a very useful article -- on creating passwords. I've never taken passwords too terribly seriously over the years, but now, working for the government, I must. So here are some great tips! With this advice coming from a techie, I'll be applying some of these principles, as I change my multiple work passwords on a regular basis.

In another article, he's got a great argument for credit cards -- they protect you more against fraud:

"With checks and debit cards, you have to get your money back if it was taken by fraud. With a credit card, the credit card company acts as a buffer. The money doesn’t come out of your account until you pay the bill."

Overall, Productivity 501 has some very good ideas on the subject of productivity... plus a few more topics that strike the writer's fancy -- like his updates on Free Academic Podcasts. The entries on productivity are not, for the most part, which software to use, or tips on using Outlook/Gmail/fill-in-the-blank-program, there are blogs enough on those more technological tips. These are more personal, more personnel, and more about your whole life than just about what you do on the computer, which is a pleasant addition to the whole GTD roster.

All that said, I do have a problem with the site's accessibility. He does have a search box, and the bottom of each entry does have links to 'possibly related' entries, but browsing around I really felt the lack of tags, or some other kind of sidebar thematic linking. I found myself wanting to tag lots of the entries "tools" -- because he seems to share a bit of an obssession with me, finding the right tool for the job (that's my one beef with Metro in the kitchen, he's always using the wrong utensils!).

I continue the search for my own system!

Lori

Wow! I'm floored.

Periodically over the last 12 years, I would do a bit of a phone book, Internet search for a friend I'd lost touch with. A great friend -- a drinking & travel partner, a confidante, a dance partner, a fellow adventurer, ready to go at a moment's notice ...everything you need in a friend, really.

Two weeks ago, when 'Samson' got in touch with me, I went all nostalgic. Actually forced a girlfriend to look at pictures of my two years in the Big Smoke...albums which were also full of this other friend as well. I've been thinking of him again.

So I looked online again.

And I found him tonight. Or else, he found me.

I'm feeling really pumped. Memories of our trip to Niagara Falls. Our flirtations (with the same guys sometimes!), our rather momentous bouts of 20-something drinking, our first-time karaoke...

The internet is a scary thing. (Or is it Facebook?)

Lori

SHH! Don't tell him!

If you've been in M. et Mme Metro domicile in the last couple of years, you would have heard the following:

He (a propos of what-have-you): "That sounds a lot like Dr. Seuss." (pronounced 'soyce')

She: "Please! It's Seuss!" (pronounced 'soos')

I tell you, do not visit 301 Useless Facts, and above all else, do not look at #38!

Gads.

Lori

Will my job be this fun?

If this is legit, then the staff at the Smithsonian are having far too much fun:

We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it represents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago. Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety that one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be "Malibu Barbie."

It gets better:

3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.

and:

We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation's capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it.

Now they're just teasing the poor guy:

We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.

I'll probably run into all sorts of interesting, fun stuff...but I think I won't be blogging about work -- I'll probably have to sign a statement to that effect.

Lori

What more can I share?

Tagged again (here's my earlier post), with the 6 Weird Things about You "meme", this time by a woman who is weird in her own way. [I'm over a month late. Sorry.]

So, 'cause I love talking about myself [why else would I write a blog, now, eh?], here's some more about me:

I re-read books and re-watch movies, a lot. So much new to read, and I find that one of the best ways for me to relax is to watch/read something I've read/watched millions of times before. I'll open the book to the middle, skip the dvd to a scene halfway through...drop right into the story.

I prefer to take pictures of architecture and urban corners than people or flowers. It's so bad that I've got to get Creatrix to photoshop a picture of my husband and I together in Paris on our honeymoon!

Shopping for clothes is an activity I loathe. I have no respect for the fashion industry. I started watching The Devil Wears Prada with a sense of superiority, "Oh, a movie about the fashion industry...", started identifying with the main character (the woman who gets the job), then this scene showed up:

Miranda Priestly: [Miranda and some assistants are deciding between two similar belts for an outfit. Andy sniggers because she thinks they look exactly the same] Something funny?
Andy Sachs: No, no, nothing. Y'know, it's just that both those belts look exactly the same to me. Y'know, I'm still learning about all this stuff.
Miranda Priestly: This... 'stuff'? Oh... ok. I see, you think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean. You're also blindly unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff.

Hmm.

I sometimes feel like I'm pretending to be an adult.

Okay, enough now. Feel free to tag yourselves.

Two days until the weekend, and then my new, all-grown-up-now job.

Lori

Celebrating the 30s

As I near the end of my own 30s, I have a friend who's turning the big 3-0 today.

What is it about ageing? (I'm not even going to start with the big MLC!) When I turned 30, I was in Korea, so it actually happened when I was 28. 'Twas no big deal. I also grew up with a dad who wasn't mentally old until his health caught up with him -- about 80. Mom was 24 years younger than him, and has still forgotten to age. (So why is it that my sister is all weird about her age? She still tries to tell people she's 29!)

Anyway, back to my friend. This morning I searched for some positive statements on 'women turning 30' and in 10 pages of Google hits, only got 2 that were mostly upbeat about moving out of the 20s. The 'oh no, my life is ending' tune that everyone sings is really just annoying.

People! The 30s are better than the 20s!

Proof #1
People take you seriously now.

Proof #2
You've survived your 20s and no longer need to learn things like how to pay bills, how to apply for a job, how to dump a guy gently. (Okay, so you may need refresher courses, but you've done the 100 levels.)

Proof #3
You'll no longer annoy older people with your "I discovered sex" attitude. We can invite you to parties now.

Proof #4
In this day'n'age, you can continue to do the things you enjoy. It's not like you have to give up rock climbing, beer swilling, and movie collecting...you may just find you prefer a better brand of beer.

Ack. I could go on, but I won't, because I'm finding that I'm the other cliché: a 30-something pontificating on the 20s.

Ah well.

Happy Birthday!

Lori

A Hate-on for Microsoft

The computer here at Kidsfest had a huge crash awhile back...conveniently enough (!!) 10 days before the Festival.

If that wasn't enough, when we got a pretty much empty loaner from the shop, a guy here downloaded the new MS Office 3-month trial onto it...Not my first choice, but I was busy.

Then, a woman came in to do some work for us -- brilliant. I was swamped, and she was going to be of definite use. I put her on the new computer, and then when we opened up the all-new MS Word, it was a completely different interface.

Now, I'm mighty skilled with computers, but it took me 30 minutes of f**king around to find "Save As"! Folks, there's something wrong with that.

Then of course, NOTHING you create in this new version of Office can be read ANYWHERE else, even the last version of Office. You have to realize that, and save everything to a different compatibility.

Then today, I needed an Avery template, to make some labels. If I want one that's compatible with this new version, I have to go through the hoops to have Microsoft check my program, make sure it's valid, paid for, etc. Go to the Avery site, and their downloads aren't compatible, of course.

So now, I'm blogging while I download Open Office on this computer.

The next computer I buy will run Linux.

Microsoft, GET STUFFED.

Lori

Irony

I'm a catalyst for the unexpected.

Yesterday, a very close friend I haven't spoken to in maybe 4 years contacts me (finally!), and it's like no time has passed at all. I'm sure we could still drink beer until the wee hours of the morning, dancing or playing euchre.

Today, a very close friend I haven't spoken to in maybe 2 months contacts me, and in no uncertain terms, breaks off the friendship because I've been uncommunicative. (Uh, hello? I've been busy?)

So no more drinking beer until the wee hours of the morning with that one.

The absurd is not always amusing.

Anyway, call that person you've been meaning to call. Today. Just in case.

For me.

Lori

Samson Returns

Interesting how one reference in a day to Samson can quickly become a trend. Recently, I started posting again on my Flikr account, and today I uploaded a picture of Samson getting his eye gouged out (previously seen on my blog here):
Then, this evening out of the blue, the phone rings...it's my best buddy in the world calling from the Big Smog.

Folks, this is a guy I haven't heard from in years (before you all give me shit, yes, I did try to contact him...left messages with his mother even!) -- and from the sound of it, he's still the same sweetie I've known for mumble-mumble years. Prodigious, Samson-like strength of a liver, long Samson-like hair still un-shorn after all these years -- I can just picture the long, curly head banger hair, as always confusing the guys in bars.

Yes, I teased him about being 40-something with 20-something hair, but who knows what change would come over him if he cut his signature locks?

For me, it's the jeans & t-shirts I've worn since high school. Oh, the t-shirts have gotten nicer, and I sometimes wear dress(ier) pants, but it's time for me to change...this free spirit has landed the job with the Feds. I see suits in my future. What else will change?

Are we not all hanging on to something from our 20s that we just can't let go of?

And if you are stopping by, my Luddite Samson, let's not let another few years go by, okay?

Choices

Rented a brilliant movie this week, and I've already watched it 3 times: Stranger than Fiction. It's another of those rare but wonderful films that are hard to categorize, so they use words like "comedy" -- because that's what one expects from someone like Will Farrell.

Rent this movie, watch it. Then come back here and we can discuss the choices one makes in life...

Like the choice I'm making to leave my rather up'n'down work life of networking my way into interesting projects for the possibly mundane 9-to-5 of a government job.

No more Farmers' Market (I'm giving my notice this week). No more Festivals. But, I'll be in a position to help organizations like the Festival get grants to create jobs, so that "working for an Arts Festival" will no longer have to mean "little or no money".

Now I have to shop for some clothes, because I've pretty much been wearing nothing but jeans for two years!

Lori

What's new?

Wow. It's over. The months and weeks and days leading up to the Festival are now a thing of the past.

I was involved in something incredibly big and wonderful.

I saw some fabulous shows. If you ever get the chance, do not miss Teatro Hugo & Ines from Peru. Or the Vietnamese Water Puppets (oh! a video!) Or Big Nazo.

I survived Ginger.

I think I gave myself an ulcer.

What have you been up to?

My Adventures with "Ginger"

I know, I know. I've not been very faithful in either writing or reading blogs lately. I've been busy, doing the Children's Festival, and the Farmers' Market started, and...

Ah, you don't want to read the boring stuff. You're here for the absurd.

I found the Children's Festival a new sponsor this year -- a nice, tasty bundle of money, and some volunteer t-shirts. Our contract with them states that we will have final approval on the t-shirt design, and they would have an activity tent on our field where they could, discreetly, hand out their brochure to interested adults.

Now, this is an Arts festival. The marriage of Commerce to the Arts has always been sketchy, but this company wants to recruit staff, and their product is perfectly suited to doing something fun & educational for the kiddies -- an ideal way to showcase themselves.

Now, I'm dealing with the big man's executive assistant, who we will call "Ginger". She asks for our logo, and off she goes -- getting the t-shirt designed. First design: 'volunteer' on the sleeves, and a big "We're Hiring" on the back.

Uh, no. "Put your logo on the sleeve," I suggest, because that's what's usually done. "Oh, that's too expensive," says Ginger ("Oh," I think to myself, "now she thinks I'm stoopid.") "so we'll do this."

Our company presents
345-6789
www.heresourwebsite.com

On the back of the t-shirt, under the big word "Volunteer."

Uh, no. I email her back, saying "What are you presenting? The Festival? People will think that's the Festival number. How about this?"

Our Company
www.heresourwebsite.com

"Oh, sorry," Ginger writes back, "the t-shirts just had to go to print. It's done."

I grit my teeth, write an email of official disappointment (stating as obliquely as I can that a publishing company should understand the words "final approval" in a contract), and think "Okay, let's make sure she doesn't screw up their activity on the field."

A month ago, when I first got into contact with Ginger, I sent her a looong email, filled with ideas of how they could use their area of expertise on the activities field, to meaningfully engage the kids, and thus impress and hopefully intrigue the adults. I even titled the email "Your Company's Presence at the Festival" or some such.

THEN, over 3 in-person meetings with Ginger, I gave her these ideas again. Her concern was that the kids wouldn't come in without a contest or something. "Ginger," I said patiently, "This is an Arts festival, we cannot have it turn into a carnival. Why don't you bring in a basketball hoop to draw the kids in, as there's no other sports stuff on the field. BUT, this can't be all you do, because we are an ARTS festival, so you could...."

So yesterday, after the whole t-shirt debacle, I sent her a simple email saying "So, what are your plans for the Activities field?"

Her reply? "Other than the baskeball hoop you suggested?????" [I lie not about the 5 question marks. Oh, how I wish I did!]


So, my question to you, my loyal readers is three-fold:

Is she being deliberately obstructive?

And if she is, is she doing it on her own or with the big boss' approval?

Or, is she really just that stupid?

Thanks,

Lori

One day in a Chinese restaurant...

...my cousin was eating dinner with my mom, me and a couple of my nephews. It came time to open the fortune cookies, and he introduced me (us) to the practice of ending each fortune cookie with "in bed!".

If you've never tried it, you're missing out.

Yesterday, my friend and I went for Chinese food. [We were looking for sushi, ended up with greasy Chinese...imagine our stomachs' disappointment!]

Our cookies:

"You will soon be the centre of attention -- in bed!"

"The world will soon be ready to receive your talents -- in bed!"

5 Truly Absurd Movies (but in a good way)

Okay...I know I've not written for a few days. I've been busy. But, here we are, with another entry in another //engtech contest!

This list inspired by a post by azahar, that got me thinking about movies in translation, which got me searching IMDB...which lead me to:

The First
Os Canibais (1988) Ah! This Portuguese film is, as one IMDB reviewer puts it so succinctly, one of the best unseen films around. I saw it alone, at the Vancouver Film Festival, and spent an hour on the phone outside the theatre afterwards, talking to friends to bring me back down to earth. A sinister, romantic Gothic tale of love and cannibalism, all sung in aria.

The Second
Tapeheads (1988) Hmm. What is it about 1988? This John Cusack & Tim Robbins piece is a movie I can watch again and again. It's silly. Over-the-top. Hysterical. Watch for the magically-appearing beers and the ex-Monkee-son-of-Liquid-Paper producer showing up for a cameo. Plus, don't forget to catch them in the movie High Fidelity, which is, in some ways, a reprise of their working-together wackiness.

The Third
Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) Why don't I own this film? I blogged about the star, Bruce Campbell in my 5th blog entry, oh-so-long ago. Premise? An aging Elvis in an old-folks' home, which is haunted by a mummy. Go and rent this one today!

The Fourth
Harold & Kuma Go to White Castle (2004) Sitting here now, I don't really remember much about this movie, but I do remember laughing a hell of a lot. Maybe it was the premise? Maybe the actors? I should watch it again. I mean, how can you go wrong with a quest film?

The Fifth
The Fifth Element (1997) I'm cheating here a bit, putting one of my favourite movies here, not reaching for something more esoteric. (But then, I know my faithful readers will understand...) It's just such a lovely, absurd mess of a SF film. It's got everything...a delightfully dirty but groovy vision of the future, an epic storyline, wonderful comedic moments, a lot of actors you want to watch (Okay, I admit, I'm a fan of Bruce Willis comedies. Like Hudson Hawk. Don't worry, I'm in a support group.), and a fabulous score. You can tell that Luc Besson wrote this film when he was a kid...

A Coincidence? I Think Not...

This started as a comment to be posted in the running discussion under my earlier post Question of the Day. We've got a pretty heated comment thread happening, so go read that, and come back here to discuss! :-)

So, to go back to our previously scheduled programming, here's what I was writing in my comment before I realized I wanted this story to be more prominent:

First of all, I am not saying that ethical behaviour is a knee-jerk instinctive reaction. Should have left an example.

[pause, to think of, find an example]

Here's one: the CFO of Menu Foods sold his stocks before the story of tainted dog food broke. (Coincidence? Ha.) Let's take this at face value -- he knew what was coming, he sold his stocks. In his mind then, the first item on his list of values, when push comes to shove (not necessarily what he would have said if asked to list his values), is to look after No. 1, Himself.

But he calls it a horrible coincidence, and says:

"I hold myself to the highest ethical and moral standards possible. I wouldn't do anything to imperil the high governance standards that I demand of myself or anybody in the company."

Okay. How many CFOs, CEOs, what-have-you, wake up one day and say, "Today, I'm going to sell 42% of my stock in the company, just for laughs." It's completely unwise from a business perspective, isn't it? It would put the stock exchange on alert, panic investors...

In my opinion, here's a guy who if you asked him, would say he was moral/ethical, but when push came to shove, he did the 'wrong' thing, and now he's compounding it, by lying (assuming he didn't sell his stocks on a whim in a "horrible coincidence").

Okay, now Azahar asked an interesting question in the discussion at the other post:

So by definition, if we act outside of what is considered correct, are we being unethical if we are still adhering to our own personal ethical code?

Maybe, this guy is being completely honest with himself, and his set of core values. Perhaps the first item in his personal ethical code is: "Any behavour is okay as long as I'm looking out for Number One."

Comments?

Lori

Another Quiz...

Ripped off from Raincoaster:

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from Cruel Intentions

"I'm the only girl you can't have, and it kills you."

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

Oh. My.

And you?

Lori

Question of the Day

Jason, over at one of the blogs I read, Black Belt Productivity, has revived his personal blog just recently...and in one post, he asks a very important question:

Can you train someone to be ethical?

Well? Can you?

Medical schools sure try. And I've heard of business schools trying. Do they succeed?

Call me cynical, but my knee-jerk reaction is a resounding "NO!"

You?

My Blog is the Wrong Colour

Your Blog Should Be Purple

You're an expressive, offbeat blogger who tends to write about anything and everything. You tend to set blogging trends, and you're the most likely to write your own meme or survey. You are a bit distant though. Your blog is all about you - not what anyone else has to say.

What Color Should Your Blog or Journal Be?

Ah, well. I don't really like purple enough.

And I love that it tells me that I am likely to "write" my "own meme or survey." Uh, you can write a survey, but you can't purposefully go out and write a meme. Memes happen, if a thought is expressed, or something is created that is passed around and around.

Silly rabbit. Memes are for keeps.

Lori

What's next for absurd memes?

In case you haven't been around in the last few years, and perhaps missed it. A meme

refers to a "unit of cultural information" which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes (i.e., the units of genetic information)

And on the Internet, this rather serious, intellectual definition from a social theory has come to mean something absurd that we blog about, or play around with.

Online memes arise from mistakes. Creative cuteness. Or just a desire to know more about oneself. If you travel in the right circles, everything seems to be part of a meme now -- obviously lists are, but also squid.

My question is, what's next? Where do you think the next absurdity is going to come from?

Lori

Today in No Shit Sherlock News...

Has the BBC staff been replaced by Yahoo news writers?

Under the headline: Fairy Fool Sparks Huge Response is this bit of heavy reporting:

Photographs of a mummified fairy supposedly found in Derbyshire have been revealed as an April Fool's prank.

Uh. Yeah, right. I was completely...amused when I saw the story on Raincoaster this morning.

This is not news.

Lori

Gmail goes lo-tech!

I've blogged before about the trend of going lo-tech: here and here.

Now, Gmail is tapping into that newest craze of all, in our high tech world -- they're moving email back to paper. Now, you can get them to print all your emails in bulk, and they'll send them to you.

Environmentally-friendly:

Gmail Paper is made out of 96% post-consumer organic soybean sputum, and thus, actually helps the environment. For every Gmail Paper we produce, the environment gets incrementally healthier.

Free:

The cost of postage is offset with the help of relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements, which will appear on the back of your Gmail Paper prints in red, bold, 36 pt Helvetica.

And will help clarify so much for the Internet neophyte:

"Now that I have Gmail Paper, I understand the difference between labels and folders. I had one message with two labels, but when I tried to stick the paper version into two filing cabinets at the same time, it just wouldn’t go."

Mayumi M., Associate

Go and check it out. Personally, I don't see myself using it in the near future.

Lori

"My Sweet Lord!"

From this news report:

The Easter season unveiling of an anatomically correct chocolate sculpture of Jesus Christ, dubbed “My Sweet Lord” by its creator, has infuriated Catholics preparing to observe some of their holiest days of the year.

The 6-foot sculpture by Cosimo Cavallaro was to debut Monday evening, four days before Christians mark the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. The final day of the exhibit at the Lab Gallery inside Manhattan’s Roger Smith Hotel was planned for Easter Sunday.

“This is one of the worst assaults on Christian sensibilities ever,” said Bill Donohue, head of the Catholic League, a watchdog group. “It’s not just the ugliness of the portrayal, but the timing — to choose Holy Week is astounding.”

Go and take a look at the picture -- it's quite remarkable, and completely un-tasty looking (I'm probably thankful for that).

I got this from my online community, BookTalk.org, where the woman who posted it pointed out:

"I can understand Christian groups being hostile towards this sculpture. There's lots of "art" to which I am hostile. However, the statement that there is an additional problem with the choice of Holy Week to display the sculpture reeks of the privileging of religion. Do Christians own the week between their Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday? A week that changes on the calendar from year to year."

Very good point.

Lori

UPDATE: The gallery caved -- before it even opened its doors, it has canceled the exhibit. Did they not think? Did they blithely assume there would be no uproar? (Here is the discussion at BookTalk.org)

Since we've been rather cat-themed lately...

here's the funniest thing I've read in awhile: the Sneeze on cats in heat.

It's like the old saying goes. "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach that man's cat to fiddle with its cooter, and it'll stop rubbing up on stuff."

Lori

Pilling the Cat -- Revisited

Now that I no longer have to pill my she-demon, I find a very good blog entry (with pictures!) with what seems to be a very good method. I'm sure it would work. Thank you All Tips & Tricks!

Cross my fingers that I won't need the info.

Lori

Save the World Before Bedtime

Have I told you folks that I married a man who has a Powerpuff Girls fixation? (And I married him a year and 2 days ago, to be precise...)

But then, it's an easy show to like. The puns are often over the kids' heads, with a fabulous 'gotta have something for the poor parents' attitude. I think my favourite episode so far is:

Episode 18
Beat Your Greens
When Broccoli Aliens from space invade Townsville, it's up to the Powerpuff girls and all the children to take a bite out of crime.

And yes, we have episodes at home. Metro is a true Powerpuff fan.

The other day, he sent me this fabulous (tongue firmly in cheek) academic treatise on the PPG. Here's a sampling:

This creation (re-creation), then, coupled with an obvious virgin birth (note the reference to a virgin birth, for it shall become important soon) to a single father (a man of science, it is worth noting) with no mother in sight, is an obvious criticism of the christian Jesus birth myth. In short, a rejection of many of the more organised religions of the day.

And it's followed by threads and threads of discussion! I love this stuff!

Go watch some PPG today...you won't regret it.

Lori

International Women's Day

To quote a great woman's post today, here's a bit of the Nag:

If you're female and...
...you can vote, thank a feminist.

.....

...you can get or give birth control information without going to jail, thank a feminist
...your doctor, lawyer, pastor judge or legislator is a woman, thank a feminist.

.....

...you own property that is solely yours, thank a feminist.

There's more to be thankful for, at her post.

Today is also a day to think about what's still wanting:

• women are still subjected to violence and injustice in many parts of the world
• women are not included in the decision-making processes of their countries (or in their homes)
• women around the world often don't have the right to work, or if they do work, they are paid very little
• girl children are more likely to not be in school than boy children

And what about at home? So many young women today recoil at the word feminist, but they still

• are often hired on their looks alone ("You can see they don't hire over the phone here!" is a line I hear from Metro a lot...).
• get paid less than their male counterparts.
• do the majority of the volunteer work (that governments at all levels have come to lean on for so many social services, but that's a different post). A man is more likely to expect to be paid for their skills than a woman.
• are subject to eating disorders arising from societal expectations of how they look -- but then to be fair, so are young men. We've regressed utterly in this.
• are raped at a disgusting rate

So, here's to International Women's Day....may it outlive its usefulness one day very soon!

Lori

Aaawwww!

From Casa Az, the Random Kitten Generator:


I mean, really. How can anyone resist such cuteness? Is this how cats have come to win the evolutionary lottery? A life of no purpose except play, sleep, eat, shit, and look cute, where they have us trained to look after all of their needs?

Lori

Still trying to find a system

As you all know, if you've been reading my blog, I have 3 fixations: the absurd, cats, and gadgets. The latest gadget-focus is on a system to be productive.

How difficult can that be? Well, if you type "GTD" [Getting Things Done] into a search engine, you'll be innundated with options, ideas, and lifehacks. For a start, try the Ultimate GTD Index.

Tips and tricks abound, and there are loads of web applications all vying for your attention, trying to be your solution.

Well, I'm narrowing down my solution. Wanna hear about it?

First
I use Gmail. If you haven't found it yet, go get thee an account. Huge memory, archiving, Google searching of emails, conversation management, great labeling system.

I've added the GTD Extension to my Firefox, which is really just a ramped-up system of labeling your emails. A couple of added shortcuts that I've come to like, but they're only available if you're on a Firefox that's got the extension.

Second
My start page is Netvibes. Sign in from any computer, and all your settings are there -- your email accounts, bookmarks, to do lists, feeds. I'm turning it into my office.

Third
The viable To Do lists. This is a hard one. I'm still toying with just using Netvibes' to do list capabilities, but now I can put a Remember the Milk module on my Netvibes page -- and there's just so much more you can do with its functions. And I've added IMified to my gmail contact list, which enables me to send my To-Dos directly to Remember the Milk. Very simple and elegant!

Fourth
Dealing with documents. This is a tricky one. Do you need a place to just store docs online to access them yourself, or do you need to share them? Or is it bigger than that? Perhaps you need to create an Excel spreadsheet or a PowerPoint presentation, but you don't have these programs on your computer. Two options: Get the OpenOffice suite on your computer -- free and easy to use. Or, get an account with ThinkFree, where you can make these docs online. (I've had some problems with ThinkFree, some recent changes have made it less intuitive, and I couldn't access a spreadsheet. In all fairness, the support people got right back to me, but I've been too busy to follow up on the problem. My bad.)

I would really hesitate to use Google Documents and Spreadsheets (accessed through your gmail/google account) -- it looks really sweet...open docs right from your Gmail account, but then once you change them, you have to download them to the computer you're on, then email them. You'd think, being so closely tied to your email account, that you'd be able to email the docs directly (What if you're on a computer where you don't want/can't download?) -- but no, they want you to invite your people to sign up to a Google account to be able to share the documents.

At the moment, I'm partially using Zoho Projects for one of my jobs. I say 'partially' because I'm working with people who don't function like I do, all online, so they're not using it with me (and I can't make 'em. Boo hoo!). But it has a nice feature where I can upload files with no fuss.

Fifth
The Internet is always there, but the providers fail. I'm not always in front of a computer, so yes, there is one dimension still needed: the paper standby. I still use my daybook, the Polestar Business Calendar, to keep track of appointments and on-the-go notes...with help from the ubiquitous post-its.

Does all this obsess you as well? What are your solutions? I wanna know.

Lori

Five Inventions I'd Really Like to See

I thought I'd enter endtech's contest from this blog (as well as from the Book Nook).

So, for my list, the wonderful things that we see on TV or in movies that I would really like to be real:

Number 1, The Barbie Suitcase -- you know the one. I was watching My Fair Lady (again!) the other day, and off goes Eliza in a huff, with one itty-bitty little suitcase. A couple of scenes later, the housekeeper, Mrs. Pierce, tells the Professor that Eliza's taken all of her clothes!



Number 2, The Portable Hole
The Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes portable hole, a must have for, well, everyone. Hide a multitude of sins, don't worry about losing your house keys...

Number 3, The Transporter
Need I say more? But it wouldn't be "beam me up", I would be getting beamed over to Paris for an afternoon at the Louvre!

Number 4, Rosie, the Jetson's maid
Again. Does anything need to be said here?

Number 5, Viable Space Travel
Wouldn't it be cool to have the options? Tired of backpacking around Europe?!? Why not head out to the outflung Earth colonies, or visit an alien world?

What would you add to the list?

Lori

A definition of love

Just re-reading a great book today, A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold (one of the many books in the Miles Vorkosigan SF saga), and I thought I'd share probably the best definition of love I've ever run across:

"She had felt flashes of profound ease in his company, it was true, brief perhaps, but calm like deep water. There had also been moments where she'd wanted to whack him with a brick."

Just wanted to share that with you.

Lori

Off the wagon!

Damn you, Creatrix! I'd gone days, ages, without posting about cats...and look what you did!

[not that I mind, really!]

So, found in my email inbox, from my dear friend Creatrix, is Nora:



She ain't half bad. Although, as the first commenter could not resist stating: "Her Bach is worse than her bite."

Lori

A flash from the past, and a challenge

So, yesterday, I was blogging over at Gusto.com about great meals I've had. (Yes, I do have yet another blog, but this one is travel-related, and dwells in the very fun and supportive community that is Gusto. I know I've mentioned it before, but I still go over there almost daily to check out people's new reviews, blog posts, pictures...Seriously, if you like travel, check it out.)

Well, you know how it is...you start reminiscing, and suddenly you're remembering being 13, eating your first meal in a Greek restaurant, a couple of weeks before taking off for an educational tour of Europe. This being the modern age, I did a search for the company, New World Educational Cruises, and the ship, the S.S. Uganda.

Yes, you see rightly. That's a link to the Wikipedia page for a random ship. In 1982, the year after me, my sister went on the cruise:

In 1982 the ship served as a hospital ship in the Falklands War with the affectionate callsign of "Mother Hen". She was called up to military duty while cruising - discharging her bemused passengers of school children, who were on an educational cruise, in Naples. When the SS Uganda docked in Naples reporters turned up their microphones to hear a ship full of school children singing Rule Britannia. The SS Uganda then set off for the South Atlantic after a 3 day refit in Gibraltar. She returned to Southampton to a heroes welcome on 9th August 1982.

That's my sister, one of the bemused school children.

Two years later, she was laid up, rusting, in the River Fal and despite efforts to keep her steaming was eventually sold for scrap and, rebadged as the SS Triton, taken on her final voyage to Taiwan (no school children aboard this time - and a crew of just 21) where she anchored awaiting breaking.

She was driven ashore by a typhoon (Typhoon Wayne) on 22 August 1986 near Kaohsiung, Taiwan and there she lay until broken up in 1992.

And a sad ending to one of the most memorable times in my young life.

"So, what's the challenge?" I hear you ask.

The randomness of finding a Wikipedia entry for this ship, my own little bit of history, just struck me.

What isn't covered by Wikipedia?

Here's your challenge: Find me something real, something tangible, that has not been subjected to the (sometimes dubious) Wikipedia treatment. [No fair just searching things like "raincoaster", raincoaster!]

The prize? How 'bout sharing a case of beer with me in our hot tub, next time you're in Penticton?

Go to it!

Lori

THANK YOU!! I mean, why pay for it?!?

Do you live in a city/town/village with drinkable water?

I'm not talking about what your opinion is, I'm asking if your water is potable (suitable for drinking)?

One third (1/3) of the world does not have potable drinking water.

And we, the privileged, pay through the nose to carry filtered tap water from other towns in plastic bottles.

Via the ever-lovely Nag, comes this story of some ad agencies that are undertaking a monumental task -- to wean us from our bottled water.

Tie it in to Creatrix' post on Brita's incredibly misleading ad, and you've got your 8 glasses a day.

I don't know about you, but I'm thirsty.

Lori

However did he get off?

I had to yell 'Dibs!' on this one (Metro wanted it, but its just too absurd.)

Via the fabulousness that is BoingBoing, comes this story, about a police officer that could not control himself:

No one disputes that an on-duty Irvine police officer got an erection and ejaculated on a motorist during an early-morning traffic stop in Laguna Beach. The female driver reported it, DNA testing confirmed it and officer David Alex Park finally admitted it.

When the case went to trial, however, defense attorney Al Stokke argued that Park wasn’t responsible for making sticky all over the woman’s sweater. He insisted that she made the married patrolman make the mess—after all, she was on her way home from work as a dancer at Captain Cream Cabaret.

“She got what she wanted,” said Stokke. “She’s an overtly sexual person.”

A jury of one woman and 11 men—many white and in their 50s or 60s—agreed with Stokke. On Feb. 2, after a half-day of deliberations, they found Park not guilty of three felony charges that he’d used his badge to win sexual favors during the December 2004 traffic stop.

If you read the story, it turns out that he essentially stalked her, and was still found not guilty. Because of her job. Because of his job, he should be measured by, at the very least, the same standards as the average citizen. But he's not. He's a cop, in a position of authority.

The story ends (for the public, but not for Lucy) in a moment of small mercy:

“[Park’s] testimony was just incredible,” said Kamiabipour. Irvine city officials must have doubted his story, too. After an exhaustive police internal affairs investigation, they felt it was prudent to give Lucy $400,000 to make her civil lawsuit go away—for fear a jury might give her much more.

All I can say to the jury of Lucy's peers is: Shame on you. May your version of justice come back and bite you in the ass.

Lori

A week hiatus...

It's been a busy week.

What else would a bunch of women do on a full moon? Dance nekkid in the yard?

First of all, I aged. Gracefully. Thank you to those who left me messages of goodwill, those who thought them, and those who ignored it and just had a good Friday night. My gaggle of local female friends are now eager to start meeting every month to, well, drink wine and laugh. I'd say it was a successful party.


I then went off to the Lower Mainland for some errands and friends. This time, my normal feelings of great, undefined potential while driving across the Port Mann bridge did not well up. Instead, I was hit with a feeling of dread -- of traffic, of expectation...of hangover. Ah well.

Oh, I had a good time, but I felt pressed for time, unplanned, and totally unimpressed with the traffic.

Anyway, I'm back. And I won't be traveling the Hope-Princeton Hwy at night again anytime soon. Gads.

And today, in Groundhog news...

Paws up for spring, groundhogs predict

CBC, Feb 02, 2007 13:26:41 GMT

Three out of three groundhogs polled report that spring will come early this year.

The full CBC story.

Groundhog gender barrier

Does Woody, a female prognosticating groundhog, have an advantage over her male collegues[sic]?

The full Yahoo story.

And here, in the Okanagan, it's 6:49 a.m., and this groundhog is up, and even if the sun were out, we'd find it's currently mostly cloudy -- so no shadow here.

So all raise your coffee cups and toast an early spring! Oh, and later, when you've got a beer in hand, send some good cheer my way, as I celebrate the end to my 30s (39 today, tomorrow I start my 40th year...)

Lori

Tools and Tasks

I've been in a bit of a frenzy lately, not actually doing anything mind you, more preparing to do.

You see, now that it's February, my life is going into overdrive. I've been cruising along in the slow lane for the past two months, watching the world move around me. It's now my turn.

The cat problem is continuing. The black cat is still peeing in corners, despite the Dettol and mothballs -- two things she's supposed to hate. As of today, she's on an anti-anxiety drug which will not only soothe her inner beast, but cure another potential medical issue we suspect she has. Cross your fingers.

So, my house smells like a grandmother's blanket box, just in time for my full moon, Friday night, Groundhog Day birthday hen party tomorrow night. Yup, 'tis my birthday.

Metro is busy himself, every Thursday, Friday & Saturday for the month -- in a local production of Barefoot in the Park. (Which is why I'm having a hen party, 'cause he won't be around.)

And, I've got work starting. Two projects starting next week -- coordinating a study tour from Japan arriving at Okanagan College in March, and yes, helping out with the 5th Annual Penticton Children's Festival. I got the gig!

Plus, it's time for me to ramp up the Farmers' Market for the new season. Marketing plans, vendor applications, the AGM.

So, the point of this post, is that I've been doing my research. Online planning software, productivity aids, and the like. I seem to have joined the Web2.0 revolution. The plan being that I will have the tools at my disposal to ensure that I don't miss anything, that I've streamlined my daily work.

Yeah. Right. I'm just playing with a whole bunch of new toys. Here, check them out:

• 27signals stuff -- Basecamp for projects, Backpackit for notes & lists & what-have-you, Writeboards for collaborative writing
• Zoho tools -- the whole list of productivity tools, plus their online project software
• Gubb.net to do lists
• Joe's Goals -- a fun little game you play with yourself to help you create new habits
• plus, I've changed my browser home page to Netvibes.com, the better to start my life off right every morning

Wish me luck, and an end to procrastination.

Lori