August 2003 Archives

Earlier in the week, Andrew sent me an email asking if I had gotten The Neon Bible. I wrote back indicating that I had not yet purchased. But after getting my mail yesterday, now I know why he was asking. Via Gifts R Us, he had sent me a hardcopy 1st edition of the novel written by John Kennedy Toole of A Confederacy of Dunces fame. Now I can't wait to read. I've been meaning to get a copy for the longest, but never got around to purchasing. So thank you Andrew for your thoughtful birthday gift.

Btw, if you haven't checked out Andrew's blog American Idle, I would encourage you to do so. He writes about the highs and lows of being a Peace Corp volunteer in Samoa. In addition to great storytelling, he also takes beautiful pictures as well. :)

I went to see Scrabylon last night which was showing at the Landmark Theatre as part of the Chicago Underground Film Festival. It's a documentary about the competitive world of scrabble. If you've seen Spellbound, then Scrabylon is in a similar style. It spotlights 7 top players who are trying to be crowned 2001 World Scrabble Champion. I totally loved the film as I got to learn more about some of the fascinating personalities behind the game and more importantly some of their strategies for winning. I should note though, that my friend preferred the short feature titled: Compulsory Breathing. This short tells the story of a guy who contemplates killing himself after his wife leaves him on their anniversary, but ends up saving the life of another woman.

After the movie, another friend met us and we went to dinner at Cousins, which is my favorite Turkish/Middle Eastern restaurant in the city. Normally I have the vegetable moussaka but this time I had the rack of lamb which was just perfect. After dinner we headed to East Ukrainian Village as one of my friends, wanted to check on her dog at home. Considering all the drama she's had with this dog in the two months she has had him, let me say that I'm thankful I'm a cat person. Choo-Choo is definitely low maintenance. In any event, we ended the evening hanging out at Joy Inn. All in all, not a bad Saturday night.

Yet another reason why I'm not a big fan of Las Vegas.

A Gamble On Hitting The Payroll In Las Vegas For Texas Couple, Living On Margin Just Got Worse By David Finkel, Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, August 31, 2003; Page A01

LAS VEGAS: The worst year in the life of Alex Arreguin III ends where it began, in the Greyhound bus station on Main Street.

This time Arreguin, 43, isn't arriving, he's leaving. It isn't midnight, but the afternoon, and instead of walking out of the bus station, he is sitting on the dirty floor while his companion, Diane Garcia, 39, is out front, wrestling down her doubts with a cigarette.

Stay or go? That's what she is out there wondering.

What happened? That's what he is wondering.

In search of a better life, the two came here from recession-hit Texas last summer. With Las Vegas's distinction as the fastest-growing area of the United States, there seemed no better place for two people to find good jobs.

But 54 weeks have taught them a hard-earned truth: that in a fragile economy, if one thing goes wrong, a person on the margins can very quickly skid into what they have become -- broke, jobless and without a home. Silly with promise when they arrived, they are now creatures of charity, from the donated clothes they are wearing, to the dismal places they have been sleeping, to the bus tickets back to Houston that they were presented with just an hour before by a local social services organization.

Earlier tonight I had dinner with someone I hope will become a good friend. She'd seen my blog profile in the Chicago Tribune and had left a comment on a recent post about my apartment which I had referred to as my prison. That lead to a series of emails where we discovered we have a lot in common. Thinking it might be nice to make a new friend, I invited her to lunch one day. In that she worked in the suburbs, we ended up going to dinner @ Platiyo a "modern Mexican eatery." I'd been next door a few times eating at Mia Francesca so it was nice to finally check out Platiyo. Luckily, things were not awkward and I was pleased with my food. I had the pork chop which was just yummy! More importantly, the conversation flowed and it further confirmed that we have so many things in common so I'm sure we'll hang out again. You know, I’ve talked to a lot of wonderful people online since I started this blog, but it’s really great when you meet one in person that has the potential to be a real life friend. So here’s to new friendships.

YOU ARE CATNIP

What herb are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Quiz via Suburban Blight.

For all you brothers out there on the “down low,” knock it off. Embrace your sexual preferences and be honest with yourself and the people around you. But if you don't feel comfortable being open about your bisexual tendencies, be responsible and use condoms. It's selfish and cruel to intentionally expose your so-called loved ones to a disease that has no cure. Goodness. It breaks my heart every time I read one of these stories that talks about how so many women (particularly black women) are unknowingly getting AIDS from their partners who are engaging in unprotected sex outside of their primary relationship.

HIV-Positive, Without a Clue Black Men's Hidden Sex Lives Imperiling Female Partners By Jose Antonio Vargas, Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, August 4, 2003; Page B01

She tested positive for HIV in October, infected by the man she had married the year before.

He hadn't told her that he was HIV-positive and that he slept with men. She got pregnant. They got married. And, at 26 months old, their daughter died from HIV complications.

"If only he told me he preferred men over women. If only he came out with it. We could have been just friends," says the 50-year-old social worker, who lives in Southeast Washington and is black. The woman, who asked not to be named out of concern for her privacy, sits in her office for a moment, the only sound a light summer rain pattering at the windows, the near silence unnerving. Then the demure woman suddenly contorts in a minute-long tirade: "I'm very angry, I'm very hurt. . . . This is someone who killed my child. . . . I want revenge. I mean, I've wanted revenge. . . . . Should I kill him? Sue him?"

She collects herself, and with half a smile edging back onto her face, she asks, "What can women do?"

The question is familiar to Patricia Nalls, who hears similar stories with numbing frequency. Three weeks ago, a 25-year-old woman was infected by her boyfriend, who then left her for a man. A week before, a 52-year-old woman found a pill, which turned out to be HIV medication, in the pocket of her boyfriend's pants. She hurried to a clinic to be tested. She is HIV-positive.

Nalls, 46, runs the Women's Collective, a nonprofit organization in Northwest for women living with HIV and AIDS in the Washington area and the only organization of its kind in the country, local and national health officials say. With the District ranking highest among major cities in the rate of new AIDS cases a year -- blacks account for 80 percent of those cases -- Nalls fears that there's a trend that has gone unnoticed: an increasing number of HIV-positive women, infected by their husbands or boyfriends, who come knocking at her office, unsure what to think, not knowing who to turn to.

I suppose it's somewhat symbolic that Michigan rolled out their new undergraduate admissions policy on the 40th anniversary of March on Washington. Based on what I've read so far, it looks like the policy is being modeled after the law school program which the US Supreme Court upheld. I'm sure some will think it doesn't go far enough, but I'm proud of the fact that Michigan has responded in a timely fashion with a plan that will ensure adequate representation of qualified minority students. More importantly, that Michigan continues to be at the forefront of the whole diversity issue. Education truly is the great equalizer.

University of Michigan Unveils Admission Policy By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Filed at 5:37 p.m. ET

The new undergraduate policy was modeled in part on the less-rigid law school policy, which tries to ensure that minorities make up 10 percent to 12 percent of each class.

Undergraduate applicants will now be asked to give more information about their socio-economic status and give a short answer explaining their thoughts about diversity. There will be also be other short-answer questions and an optional essay that will allow students to tell more about their background and expected contributions to campus.

While race will continue to be a factor, ``how much it matters in any individual file will be determined by that file,'' Courant said.

The school expects to spend $1.5 million to $2 million on the new policy in the coming academic year because of the additional staff needed to read the essays, along with the necessary training and technology, Courant said.

The new application will be used for freshmen entering in 2004. It also will be in effect for a small number of transfer students applying this fall, spokeswoman Julie Peterson said.

Part-time readers and admissions counselors will separately review each application and make recommendations about whether to admit. The two recommendations will be given to a manager, who will make a final decision. A committee will review any disagreements.

Ever eat something you thought you had a craving for and then get disgusted with yourself because once you had it, you didn't really enjoy it? Ever call an old friend but immediately realize what a mistake it was? Ever go someplace where you thought you missed and then wonder, what was I thinking in the first place? I just had such an experience. Yuck! Hmmm. I suppose sometimes you just have to experience that thing one more time to realize exactly what you're not missing. So lesson learnt!

I've been thinking about how difficult it is to end relationships of any kind. If it's toxic, you know you should leave because things really aren't going to get better, but yet you hold on thinking I can fix this. I can make it better. Just one more chance I keep telling myself. But now I’m starting to ask myself, why postpone the inevitable? Things will only get better once I've moved on. While there will be a period of self doubt, in the end, things could only get better. Sticking around to be emotionally abused is not healthy. Plus, I don't really want what I’ve been trying to hold to. So as difficult as it may be, it just might be time to be single for a while, so I can clear my head, recharge, and then start to pursue all those new opportunities I've ignored.

Yet another long stressful day at work. The only thing redeeming about today is that in the end, I got to work on my creative memories photo album with friends. Oh yeah, and how could I forget, I went to see a chiropractor about my lower back. I sort of re-injured it on Sunday when I was moving things around in the apartment. As part of the session, I got a 30 minute deep tissue massage with the therapist. I felt so relaxed that I didn't really want to go back to work. Plus, I'm sort of embarrassed to admit that I was totally turned on and wanted to moan out loud. Thankfully, I had the good enough sense to just do it in my head. Hey, the guy who was doing the massage was wicked good looking. Hmmm, I wonder if he was turned on? Hmmm. Probably not, but I guess I'll never really know.

I was going to write this long entry about coming home to find a check in the mail from my grandfather's estate; then trying to grill on roof deck in the dark with only a flashlight -- but I got distracted by my ex-boyfriend who called from Colorado. Now I'm too exhausted to write. So maybe tomorrow I'll share what happened to me today. Until then, goodnight!!

Earlier today I went to Grand Lux Cafe for brunch with my friend and her parents who were visiting from Texas. Then, I headed up Michigan Avenue with William-Sonoma in mind. Along the way, I stopped at Pottery Barn, then Borders where I couldn't resist buying yet another book. After gawking at about two dozen people who were holding signs protesting the current situation in Middle East, I then crossed the street and stopped at the Water Tower Theatre to see what was showing. Once I got there, I learnt that the theatre was going out of business today. According to the clerk, the theatre just couldn't compete since they showed mostly independent and low budget films. A major bummer. Thus, I felt obligated to see one last movie there. I ended up seeing Northfork which "centers on the residents of a small Montana town that is about to be flooded by the completion of a hydroelectric dam." It's the sort of movie that I'm sure will be studied by film students as it had lots of subplots and symbolism. In fact, mixed into story about evacuation of the last few stragglers in town, was the death of a young boy who thinks he's the missing member of a group of lost angels. Weird I tell you, just delightfully weird! After the movie, I finally made it over to William-Sonoma. I was thinking about buying some bread and butter plates, but once I got there, I changed my mind and ended up purchasing 4 settings of highgrove dinnerware. Ok, I'll admit, I really didn't need them, but I got such a fabulous deal that I couldn't resist. Plus I had been eyeing them for quite some time. After a bit more window shopping, I headed home where more weekend chores awaited me. But I’ve have to say, if I ever leave Chicago, I'm going to miss shopping on Michigan Avenue. It truly is the Magnificent Mile.

Last night while doing laundry (yes, that's how lame I can be on a Saturday night), I watched The Glass House and then Joy Ride both starring Leelee Sobieski. As I watched The Glass House, couldn't help but think that Leelee was a dead ringer for Helen Hunt. In fact, I thought I was watching Helen Hunt at first but since the movie was made in 2001, I realized it couldn't be. This actress was younger. Upon further research, I uncover that she's actually 20 years younger. In any event, she (Leelee) gave great performances in both movies, so I look forward to seeing her work in years to come.

For three years, I held on to a TV/VCR combo that didn't work. This was not just any TV/VCR, it was the one my mother gave me for Christmas my sophomore year in high school. So I held on to it for sentimental reasons. Today, I finally took it downstairs and put it in the trash. Not the easiest thing in the world, but I felt the time was right. I'd been inching it out of my apartment for over a year. So patting myself on the back. I can be such a packrat sometimes. Heck, I have bank statements from college. I know, I know, I need to shred and throw them out and over the next year, I anticipate that I will -- primarily because I'm determined to move somewhere. So I've got to lighten the load. Plus God forbid something should happen to me. I would hate to be the person who would have to go through my stuff. Yeah, it's organized and in files, but do I really need to hold on to pay stubs from high school? So the purging must begin. Here's hoping I'll have the courage to get rid of all the unnecessary crap crowding my apartment.

A new phenomenon is storming the globe. Personally, I think these people have way too much time on their hands.

A Fast-Moving Fad Comes Slowly to Washington 'Flash Mobs' Gather, Just Because By Jackie Spinner, Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, August 21, 2003; Page A01

Their watches synchronized, about 75 young professionals swarmed through the doors of the Books-a-Million store on Dupont Circle at precisely 7:28 p.m. on Tuesday.

They drifted to the magazine racks and grabbed copies of GQ, Out, Budget Travel, PC World and Modern Bride.

Six minutes later, everyone swapped magazines and began to read aloud. Sixty seconds later, they cheered and high-fived as puzzled customers stared. Then the pack walked back out the doors and dispersed onto the surrounding streets.

This was not a Washington protest. This was a "flash mob," the latest fad among the digitally connected, people eager for whimsy in this summer of suicide bombers and war, looking for a chance to do something wacky.

Like eating bananas in a department store in Berlin. Or banging their shoes on the street in Sao Paulo. Or swarming the student store at Harvard University to ask for a card for a friend named Bill.

Don't try to get the point.

"There is no point," said Tom Grow, a Florida-based Web developer who is attempting to become the official historian of flash mobs by documenting the craze at www.mobproject.com. "It's catching on mostly because of the spontaneity. With world events the way they are, people look at it as an escape. It's just for fun."

Link via About-Face.

I'm home on a Saturday night in the summer, which is almost a no for a single gal in the city. But, it's been a hectic week, and I really just want to relax. Earlier today I spent most of the day cleaning my apartment. I keep telling myself that I'm not going to let things pile up, but they just do and sometimes it's so overwhelming to get things back in order. In any event, I went out last night. First stop of the evening was Crush. This was my second time there in a week. Last night they had a happy hour for the Michigan alumni association since the board chose them as the new official game watching bar. Of course, some Michigan fans will always go to Duffy's on Saturdays to watch Michigan football, but at least with Crush, we'll get drink and food specials. After the happy hour, headed to the movies where I finally got a chance to see American Splendor. I was not to be disappointed. As indicated at movies.com, "the story is based on the real life of Harvey Pekar (Paul Giamatti), a curmudgeonly Cleveland Hospital file clerk who writes comic books about his everyday experiences. Pekar serves as narrator and appears as himself occasionally as well, as interviews, file footage, and re-enacted scenes are blended to form a docudrama.” It was such a delightful film that most people in the audience clapped as the credits rolled. In my opinion, it’s worthy of two thumbs up.

My new drink of choice besides water which I'm trying to drink more of is Diet Rite. I get upset when I go to the grocery store and can't find the tangerine flavored one. It's just yummy!

Everyone in high school was shocked that I decided to go to Michigan sight unseen. After all, you don't leave a college town like Boston to go just anywhere. So, I use to walk around wearing a t-shirt that said: "Michigan, The Harvard of The West." I also use to have in my book bag a copy of the October 1987 US News & World Report magazine which had Michigan listed as the #8th best school in the country as ranked by college and university presidents. That about shut everybody up.

Harvard You're the best -- you know it, as does everyone
else (except for US News and World Report every
few years). You might not be hip, you might not
be pretty, but you're smart as a whip and you
never need to do another impressive thing in
your life.

Which Ivy League University is right for YOU?
brought to you by Quizilla

And now, let's all remember that the Ivy League started off as just another college sports league. So don't believe the hype!

The 2003 Chicago Underground Film Festival runs Wednesday, August 27 through Tuesday, September 2nd. The one movie I'm gunning to see is Scrabylon: A documentary on the cut-throat world of tournament Scrabble. I've never competed in one of these tournaments, but the summer after my freshman and sophomore year at college, I was a tutor for the Urban Scholars Program at University of Massachusetts of Boston. During both summers, I played a lot of scrabble with fellow tutors many of whom where from Ivy League schools. At the end of each, I took great pride in being crowned Scrabble Champion. Of course, now I suck and can't even beat my best guy friend. Well to be fair, he beats me at every board game we play which bites even more but hey, he went to Michigan too. Anyway, can't wait to see Scrabylon. So I've got to figure out how I can rearrange schedule to see this movie.

One of the worst parts of my job is dealing with coworkers who are unethical. I know sales people are not particularly known for their honestly, but goodness! There has got to be a better world out there. Hmmm, maybe I should put a copy of Stephen Carter's Integrity book on their desk. These people (really just two) that I'm speaking of, have NONE!!

The exodus at work continues. Earlier this evening I went to Cactus for a going away gathering for another colleague who decided to quit without having another job lined up. I admire her for saying enough is enough and just walking away; but I'm not sure how smart that really is in these difficult economic times. Oh well! Here’s hoping she'll land something soon. She'll be missed not just by worker bees like me but by the President of our company who showed up for the soiree.

I know I hype a lot of books on here, but very rarely do I read a novel that makes me want to do further research. That's exactly what happened while reading The Da Vinci Code. On the surface level, the novel is about a granddaughter who is trying to figure out who murdered her grandfather. However, as the story unravels, I started to question things I had taken for granted related to Christianity. I started to wonder if there really was any truth to notion that many aspects of Christianity like the divinity of Jesus was the result of a vote by the Council of Nicaea. Also, did the pagan Roman emperor “Constantine the Great” really fuse pagan symbols, dates, and rituals to create a hybrid religion from the cult of Sol Invictus and Christianity? Furthermore, do we really go to Church on Sundays because Constantine shifted the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday so it could coincide with the pagan's veneration day of the sun? Is it not because God created the world in six days and on the seventh (Sunday), he made it a day of rest? Is Jesus really the Son of God? And what was his real relationship to Mary Magdalene a decendent from the House of Benjamin? Was she really his wife who gave birth to his child? Or is she really just a prostitute as it portrayed in the bible today. Was the Holy Grail, a woman also believed to be Mary Magdalene? All of these questions and many more popped into my head while devouring this book. In addition, there were times when I ran to my computer to look up great arts of work referenced in the book. For example, I checked out an image of the Mona Lisa painting because I wanted to see if on closer inspection she looked more like a hermaphrodite. In addition, I also looked for an image of The Last Supper painting, because I wanted to see if there really was a woman sitting to the right of Jesus. Beyond these questions related to Christianity and a renewed interest in art, I now have this desire to learn more about cryptology, secret societies like The Priory of Sion and Opus Dei which is a prelature of the Catholic Church. So my friends, this was definitely a great find. Thanks to my former boss for recommending and my best guy friend for purchasing from my wish list; and if you don't already own, run (not walk) to the bookstore and buy a copy. It’s a thought provoking read.

This might be hard to believe, but according to article in September issues of Business 2.0, a job boom is coming in the next year or two. So yes, we should all forget those grim unemployment numbers. NOT! We can thank the baby boomers for our good fortune.

The cause of the labor squeeze is as simple as it is inexorable: During this decade and the next, the baby boom generation will retire. The largest generation in American history now constitutes about 60 percent of what both employers and economists call the prime-age workforce--that is workers between the ages of 25 and 54. The cohorts that follow are just too small to take the boomers' place. The shortage will be most acute among two key groups: managers, who tend to be older and closer to retirement, and skilled workers in high demand, high-tech jobs.

The article goes on to state that the 10 fastest growing occupations through 2010 are in high-tech and medical fields. No real surprise here. Specifically, they include: medical assistants, systems analyst, personal and home care aide,
database administrator, desktop publisher, network systems and administrator, systems software engineer, support specialist, and software engineer. Too bad I'm not interested in any of those jobs. Oh well!

Finally, the article also goes on to list the cities were the jobs are growing: Las Vegas, Orlando, West Palm Beach (FL), Ft. Lauderdale (FL), Riverside (CA), Phoenix, Jacksonville (FL), Tampa (FL), Raleigh-Durham (NC), Sacramento (CA), Austin, Charlotte (NC), Atlanta, San Diego, Washington, Dallas, Oakland (CA), Miami, Denver, and Orange County, CA. Hmmm. Too bad I don't want to live in any of those places. Oh well. As least more people are starting to talk about a recovery. This non-recession has gone on way too long.

I've run out of things to talk about. Well not really. I'm just wicked tired. Hopefully, I'll have the energy to write more tomorrow.

For three years, I organized and ran a book club. It was great fun in the beginning as anywhere from 6-10 people would show up each month for dinner and what was sure to be a lively discussion about the book of the month. However, during that last year, I got so discouraged as the numbers dwindled (mainly because a few of the more serious members moved out of town) and many who showed up didn't finish the book. Nothing irked me more. So I put it to rest. In any event, below is the list of books we read. There are very few I would not recommend from the list.

Jun-97: Beach Music by Pat Conroy
Jul-97: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Aug-97: Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
Sep-97: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Oct-97: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Nov-97: A Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Dec-97: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Jan-98: Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Sarah Louise Delany & A. Elizabeth Delany
Feb-98: Paradise by Toni Morrison
Mar-98: Antony & Cleopatra by William Shakespeare
Apr-98: Einstein's Dream by Allan Lightman
May-98: Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
Jun-98: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Jul-98: Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding
Aug-98: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
Sep-98: Heart of Darkness and the Secret Sharer by Joseph Conrad
Oct-98: A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
Nov-98: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Dec-98: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Jan-99: The Postman Always Rings Twice by James Cain
Feb-99: Geek Love by Katherine Dunn
Mar-99: The Handmaid's Tail by Margaret Atwood
Apr-99: Even Cowgirls Have the Blues by Tom Robbins
May-99: A Widow for A Year by John Irving
Jun-99: No Meeting/Wine & Cheese Party
July-99: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Wolf
Aug-99: On the Road by Jack Kerouac
Sep-99: Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
Oct-99: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
Nov-99: White Noise by Don DeLillo
Dec-99: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling
Jan-00: Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Feb-00: Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller
Mar-00: Women's Room by Marilyn French
Apr-00: Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux
May-00: White Teeth by Zadie Smith
June-00: Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns
July-00: The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain
Aug-00: The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

Did anyone out there view 60 Minutes last night? I cringed as I watched the rebroadcast of segment on a woman's biological clock. I've said this many times before and I'll say it again, if someone had told me that I would be unmarried without any children at 33, I'd call them a liar. Heck, my mother had 3 children at my age and I’m feeling a little pressure, as both my sisters are already mothers. Ok, sure the pressure is self-imposed, but the fact that my ability to get pregnant has decreased since I’m over 30 worries me to no end. Plus according to the medical experts “by 37, fertility is dropping steeply, and even with the most advanced medical techniques, virtually no women over the age of 44 are able to have a baby using their own eggs.” Yikes! So I’m thinking about taking precautionary measures. Particularly, since I have a finite number of eggs, which are being lost at a preset rate, I can't control. I've thought about having my eggs frozen, but knowing that the chances of them surviving on their own are slim to none; I've abandoned that idea. So now I'm thinking about asking someone to give me their sperm to fertilize my eggs to make embryos. Of course, there are all these legal and ethical ramifications, so it’s a bit tricky on whom to ask. I've joked about it with my best guy friend, but I'm not sure if I seriously asked him he would agree and so I think I'm going to do some research on sperm banks. I know it's somewhat drastic to be thinking about sperm banks since I've got a few more good years before my own eggs become unusable, but this is more a precautionary measure. Hopefully it's not cost prohibitive. I simply don't want to reach 45/55 and be one of those women who say their biggest regret was not giving birth to a child. Of course, I know I could always adopt, but I have to believe there is nothing greater than looking at your child and knowing you created him/her from your own DNA.

Best guy friend's birthday gift is finally here. Yippee! He ordered on August 5th from my amazon.com wish list but the package only arrived yesterday. Oh well. Better late than never. In any event, can't wait to read:

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Weeping Susannah by Alona Kimhi, Dayla Bilu (Translator)

The novelist Jennifer Weiner writes about my life. Well at least it seems that way. In her debut novel Good In Bed which I read earlier this year, she tells the story of a young woman who is trying to come to terms with her body after her ex-boyfriend starts to write a monthly column about loving a larger woman. And now with her second novel, In Her Shoes which I just finished, it's almost like Ms. Weiner picked up where she left off. Here she tells the story of two sisters, who have a dead mother, the older one (Rose) trying to take care of the younger (Maggie) who makes one poor choice after another and is constantly in need of rescuing. The only thing missing from my own life is the estranged grandmother (Ella) who reappears and the former male colleague (Simon) who is lurking in the background waiting for me to take him seriously as a potential boyfriend/future husband. Heck, there was even a mention of her parents meeting at the University of Michigan which as you many of you know is my alma mater. Ok, I have to admit that my younger sister never slept with one of my boyfriends, but she aged me considerable during those years I was her primary caretaker. And like Rose & Maggie, our relationship continues to be a roller coaster ride. Heck, she's currently not speaking to me but that's a whole other story. As I finished the novel, I couldn’t help but wonder like Rose why I wasn't blessed with a normal family. Oh well! I suppose that's what makes me interesting and unique. I just hope that when I meet my "Prince Charming", he doesn't get overwhelmed by it all. Btw, if he’s out there lurking, I just wish he would step forward. :)

Is it my imagination, or is smoking making a comeback with the 20something and 30something crowd? Sure it's normal to see quite a few smokers in bars, but there are smokers all around me in every day life. 3 of the 4 guys on my sales team all smoke. Never might some of the other young people at work in various departments I see out on smoke breaks. What is up with that? Do they not comprehend that smoking causes cancer and that its one of the main reasons why healthcare is so expensive in this country? Hmmm. Maybe they just don't care. We're all going to die eventually, right?

I woke up this morning with a raging headache. No I'm not hung over from the night before. Heck, I didn't even drink any alcohol. It's mostly from the loud noise. I guess it's my fault for not taking my headache medication. Anyway, last night some friends and I started the evening at Comedy Sportz which was pretty fun. I'd been introduced to this brand of team sports by my best guy friend many years ago at Milwaukee Summerfest and ever since then I've been sort of hooked. It's entertaining to watch people complete against once another doing improv comedy. After Comedy Sportz, we went next door to Crush (formerly known as Coyle's Tippling House) to hear Pat McCurdy sing. He has a cult like following of "Patheads" some who see over 100 shows a year and now I know why. While he sings his own brand of wacky songs, he mixes those with snippets of popular 80s and 90s song. Thus the audience gets heavily involved in the performance chanting out the words to popular songs you'd long since filed away. For any of you out there who want to experience Pat, he plays every Monday night in Chicago @ Beat Kitchen.

Last night I saw Le Divorce. It was neither good nor bad. Just sort of middle of the road. Below is description from movies.com:

Isabel (Kate Hudson), an American film-school dropout, heads to Paris to help her eight-months-pregnant stepsister, Roxy (Naomi Watts), whose adulterous French husband (Melvil Poupaud) has left her. Roxy may face divorce and single motherhood, but the two siblings hit the social scene, and eventually Isabel finds herself in the arms of a 70-year-old man … a French diplomat who also happens to be related to Roxy's cheating hubby.

The chemistry between the sisters and everyone else for that matter was a bit off. Plus while there were a few laughs particularly when the Americans made fun of the French and vice versa, this fell short of being a romantic comedy. But, one subplot of the movie that I did like dealt with a large oil painting of Saint Ursula, the patron of young girls. Once it was discovered that it was painted by a famous painter (Georges de La Tour) it was interesting to see how the families went to war to maintain or get possession of the painting. I wouldn't exactly recommend that anyone go see this movie, but if you do, go to the matinee. It's not worth $9.25 which is what I paid.

I got yet another sign last night that I need to move out of the apartment I’ve lived in for the past 7.5 years. Specifically, as I checked my email last night, I realized that a portion of the carpet in my home office was wet. On further investigation, I discovered that there was some water leakage from the kitchen. I was so disgusted and frustrated by the whole situation. This is not the first time I’ve had water damage in my apartment. Last Christmas a pipe in the apartment above me broke and caused damage in my bedroom. The summer before that, there was a similar problem. It’s one of the reasons I got the management company to replace the entire carpet early spring. I suppose this is what happens when you live in an old building. Of course, it’s not that old. If I had to date it, I’d say circa 1960s. Anyway, as I was throwing out some of the stuff that got wet (mostly papers thank goodness), I came across some of the research I’d done re moving to a apartment/condo in Chicago, another city in the US or possibly somewhere in Europe (ideally London). If you hadn’t guess, I’m totally restless and ready for a change and since I don’t have a husband or kids, I thought I’d explore all options. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet decided where I want to be. Prior to moving to my current apartment, I had moved 8 times in 24 month. After graduating from college in Ann Arbor, I moved back to Boston; then from Boston to Washington DC for law school. Then back to Boston when my Mom took sick. Then to Chicago (apartment 1) after my Mom’s death to live with then boyfriend. Since, we broke up two months later, I took a summer sublet to decide if I wanted to stay in Chicago. After sampling most of the summer festivals that Chicago had to offer, I decided I wanted to say and took a year lease at apartment 3 with a wacko roommate. Once my younger sister came to live with me, I moved into apartment 4 and this is where I’ve been since then. So as to be imagined, I didn’t want to move again for quite sometime. However, after all these years, this apartment is starting to feel like my prison. Being the packrat that I am, lord knows how I’m going to get all must stuff out (mostly concerned about my books). But I need to get out, I need to move on. I’m so ready for new beginnings. Now it’s just a matter of where.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

States goes online to auction goods RedEye, Thursday, August 14th, pg 6 After slashing programs and firing workers to balance its budget, the state has a new idea for raising cash; an online auction of its surplus stuff. Call it iBay. Looking for a deal on a used Corvette? Interested in a hyperbaric chamber or some antiques? How about a collection of organ pipes? Now shoppers can go to ibid.illinois.gov to place their bids on everything from cars seized by the Illinois State Police to antiquities unwanted by the state's Historic Preservation Agency. “This is just another way to raise money for the state,” said Michael Rumman, director of Central Management Services, the state agency charged with getting rid of surplus property. “In light of our deficit, we have to look at every.” If the program works, Rumman sad, the agency will run more auctions via cyberspace.

Ok. Great idea. But, why don’t they just use Ebay to sell the stuff and increase the chances they'll make more money? Major companies like Dell and Disney already do. Plus with millions of people buying and selling on Ebay, the likelihood that the program will be successful increases. Why reinvent the wheel? Arrh, yes -- some bureaucrat probably just wants to protect their job.

It's good to meet your friend's family, especially their parents. You get to learn so much more about your friend's childhood by the stories their parents tell. Sometimes the stories are sad or even embarrassing, but for the most part, what gets shared are wonderful memories. Between the laughter, new stories emerge and most sentences start with: "remember when." So it's sort of sad that my friends will never meet my Mom. So much of my childhood is a distant memory to me that I'd love to hear her reminisce about what I was like back them. I suppose I could ask my father since he’s still alive, but he wouldn’t be able to tell me much as he wasn’t really in our lives. We did spend a few summers with him during our pre-teen years, but he often left us in the care of the hired help without a thought in the world about our welfare. Oh well! Maybe in another life. I bring all of this up as earlier tonight I met one of my friend's Mom and her Aunt. They came in from Washington State & Colorado as my friend is getting married next June and they're here to help with wedding preparations. So a bunch of us went over for a welcome barbeque. My friend landed a true gem for a future husband so I know they’ll make a wonderful couple. Hopefully one day I'll get to rally my own troops (probably my sisters) to plan a wedding. Then again, maybe I'll just run off to Hawaii and get married on the beach. Of course, when I (we) get back, we’d throw a party for family and friends. Weddings while a wonderful thing to share with family and friends have gotten way too expensive.

Is it juvenile of me to not add someone to my blogroll because they have someone I no longer like on their blogroll? I use to be friends with this person online and offline. I know it’s my blog and I can do whatever I want, but feeling sort of guilty since I've been reading this new person almost everyday for the last month and they have me on their blogroll. I know, stupid huh?

Yesterday I got a letter from my HMO indicating that they would not be paying for the MRI/MRA I had done last month until they got further documentation from my doctor as to the exact nature of injury, prior treatment, etc. This just sucks. The bill is approximately $4000. Why it cost that much is a mystery to me. I sat in that closed machine for like maybe 30 minutes maximum. What sucks is that even if they do end up agreeing to pay some of it, I'll probably have to pony up a good chunk of change. Goodness, I hate PPOs. I know a lot people have problems with HMOs but I miss the one I had. Ok, sure I didn't have to battle with them since I haven't really been sick, but I never had this much trouble getting bills paid. As long as my doctor wrote a referral, they always processed right away. Being in a PPO I sometimes feel like I'm just paying for the right to go to the doctor. There is no real discount for paying into the system all these years without taking much out. Goodness! Here's hoping my PPO provider comes to their senses and pays this bill.

If my life or death I can protect you, I will.

Aragorn is a character in the Middle-Earth universe. There is a description of him at TheOneRing.net.

Link via Outside the Beltway.

Continuing a birthday tradition I established for myself when I joined the ranks of worker bee, I took a personal day on my birthday yesterday. Something about working on my birthday just rubs me the wrong way. I had planned on spending the day at the beach, but that idea when out the window once I woke up and saw what a gloomy day it was. So I went back to bed, slept late and just kind of bummed around the house for a while. Mid afternoon, I went for a stroll and did a bit of window-shopping. Later, I met friends for dinner at Merlo Ristorante. The service was a little slow at times, but the food was delicious and the company divine. I only wish my birthday could have lasted more than 24hours. Perhaps next year I'll have to go back to taking a week off. One day is just not enough!

The next 24 hours are all about me. It's my 33rd birthday.

Update: Thanks to everyone who sent public and private birthday wishes. These were much appreciated!!!

Last night was yet another wonderful evening of poetry at Navy Pier. After four days of performances, 4 of the 63 teams that competed made it to the championship round. This included teams from: Austin, Oakland, New York City & Los Angeles. At the end of the night, the Los Angeles team walked away with the $2000 prize and 2003 National Poetry Slam championship trophy. They totally rocked. All of the teams did in fact. So can't wait for next year. I just might take a road trip to the 2004 championship which will be held in St. Louis.

Last night was just slamming. I got to see ten of the absolute best poets in the country perform. It's was totally amazing and somewhat spiritual to watch these men and women do their thing. As such, I was honored to be the official time keeper. Based on the rules of the slam, contestants are allowed 3 minutes to recite their poems. If the poet goes over the allotted time, there is a half point penalty for each 10 seconds over that mark. Knowing how close the scores would be, I took my job quite seriously but still managed to enjoy the performances. Luckily only one poet went over the allotted time.

The 10 poets who competed last night were: Omari (Hollywood, CA), Corinna Delgado (Anchorage, AK), Jive Poet (NYC, NY), Mike McGee (San Jose, CA), Anise Mojghani, Shane Koyczan (Vancouver, BC), Da Shade (Austin, TX), Delisile Godeffroy-Taylor (Boston, MA), Soul Evans (Chicago, IL) and Suzy La Follette. All the poets did an amazing job but after three bouts, Mike McGee walked away being crowned the 2003 Individual Championship for National Poetry Slam. He totally brought the house down.

Anyway, it's still not too late to get tickets for tonight’s Team Championship at Navy Pier. If you're not in Chicago, be sure to check out your local poetry scene.

Thanks to Becky, I'm now the owner of Gumbo: A Celebration of African American Writing by Marita Golden (Editor), E. Lynn Harris (Editor). I can't remember where I heard about this anthology, but I'm glad that I decided to add it to my wish list. I'm so looking forward to reading the collection of short stories by over 70 leading authors. So thanks Becky!!

On the way home from work on Thursday night, I decided to get off before my stop and go to the movies. I’d read several reviews for American Splendor and decided I wanted to go see it. However, when I got to the local Landmark Theatre which shows a lot of independent movies, I found out that American Splendor was not yet out. I was totally bummed! But instead of going home, I decided to go see O Fantasma since I'd seen most of the other movies playing. Oh what a mistake. O Fantasma a Portugese import was just awful. It told the story of a garbage collector who goes around having anonymous gay sex. Then he starts stalking this guy who he eventually rapes and I think kill. What was weird was that in this 90 minute movie, there was probably 15 minutes of real dialog. I'm not kidding you. In the last half hour, I don’t think a word was spoken. When it finally ended, I sat there and busted out laughing. It was just the most ridiculous movie I’d ever seen. Halfway through, a few people walked out; wishing I had done the same. It was just dreadful. Considering how difficult it is to get a movie made, I couldn’t believe that some studio had green light this project. What a total waste. Well maybe not completely, I did sit there for 20 minutes after it was over just laughing hysterically. I don't do that enough. Laugh that is.

Is anyone using Mailblocks or another similar service to deal with spam? It sounds like a great idea in theory, but wondering how in plays out in real life. Even if it's only 50-75% effective, I'm almost willing to try. Lord knows I spend enough precious time deleting unwanted emails from unscrupulous vendors trying to sell me a mortgage, penis implant, diet drugs, etc.

Mailblocks service simplifies challenge-response By Paul Roberts, IDG News Service, 07/28/03

A new e-mail service aims to put an end to spam by collecting the addresses of legitimate e-mail senders on to a master list that will take the "challenge" out of "challenge-response" for many e-mail users.

Four month-old Mailblocks Monday unveiled Challenge/Response 2.0, the latest incarnation of its patented Challenge/Response technology.

Challenge/Response is similar to technology used by other ISPs, including Earthlink.

Using the technology, Mailblocks quarantines inbound e-mail messages to its accounts, sending an e-mail "challenge" message back to the sender with a request to type a seven-digit number into a box.

The challenge requires the human sender to view a unique number displayed on a Web page and transcribe it, something computer-generated spam mailers can't do.

Once a valid response is received from the sender, the initial e-mail is retrieved from quarantine and delivered. The sender's e-mail address is then added to the user's valid sender list, enabling subsequent messages to be received without challenge.

If you're in Chicago this weekend, consider checking out the National Poetry Slam. The festivities and competition started today and will go until Saturday night. I'm an official volunteer so I'll be at the Metro on Friday night keeping score for the Individual Finals competition. I'll also be at Navy Pier on Saturday night for the Final Night Championship. If you're not familiar with a poetry slam, here's how it's described in the official program:

There are many ways to look at a poetry slam. One way is to see how words and performance can merge and play in a unique intermingling of art. A second way is to see the creation of a community of poets and audiences from people in every niche of society. Another way to see a poetry slam as a performance contest where poets compete in the hopes that they will charm provoke or inspire their audience.

Overall, it's going to be lots of fun. So hopefully I'll see one or two of you there.

Tigger! You enjoy the company of your friends, and would
much rather have a good laugh than focus on a
problem. However, if a friend is in need you
are always there for them... Because Tiggers
are wonderful things!

Which Winnie the Pooh Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Quiz uncovered at: Return of the Ghost of Ferro Lad.

Damn! Here is further confirmation that one should think twice before blogging about certain aspects in their life.

Quite a few people out there are thinking about password protecting their blog. Heck more than one person on my recommended blog list have taken a break from blogging because they don't feel comfortable sharing what's going on in their personal lives. One person even took her site offline. As such, I'm been giving some serious thought about the future of this blog. I want to remain as open and honest about what’s going on in my life, but time will only tell whether or not that it a reality. When I started blogging, all I could think about was documenting my own personal history. As my readership has grown, I'm starting to think more about protecting my privacy. In that I use my real name, I'm feeling a bit more exposed than most, and it's tough sometimes when I get critical emails about who I am as a person. Just so you know, there's more to my life than what's written here in this blog. Due to personal editing, many things are left on the cutting room floor. Some of them would probably portray me in a better light, but at the end of the day, I just can’t write about everything. So I write about what’s interesting. I write about things I want to remember years from now and unfortunately, some of that doesn't always paint me in the best light. My life is not perfect, but it’s real. Maybe when it gets to be too much I'm just morph this site into what it was really suppose to be in the first place; a place where all the Barzeys of the world can find and get to know each other well. I just don't think I ever want to password protect my blog. It just wouldn't be the same. But never say never right?

Yet another interesting link from my former boss. Be patient, it may take a while to load but you'll be greatly rewarded. There you will find quite a few pictures of athletes in mostly embarrassing positions. Enjoy!

Thanks to a college friend who now lives in Oregon, I'm listening to Jack Johnson's CD Brushfire Fairytales. Way cool. I saw Jack live at 2003 Milwaukee Summerfest in July, so I'm reliving his awesome performance. In her card to me, my friend wrote:

Ursula, I'm so glad you've made the effort to keep in touch since we left U of Michigan. You're a great friend, and I still don't think I would have graduated without you!

How sweet. I totally feel the same way about her. Senior year was wicked stressful for both of us and we provided much needed support to help each other finish our senior honors thesis on time. I look back now and smile because while that year was hectic, there were so many wonderful moments. It's one of the reasons why when most people were scared to fly shortly after 9/11/2001, I got on a plane about 3 weeks later for her wedding in Newport Beach, Rhode Island. I totally valued her friendship and wanted to be there for her on her special day!

While watching Good Morning America this morning, I was reminded about a new buzz word used to describe some men. This word is metrosexual. Key attributes of a metrosexual according to Daniel Peres, the editor of Details magazine are:

He is straight. An urban male, strong, stylish, interested in fashion, design, architecture and personal style.

Also,

Metrosexuals wear designer clothes, crave facials, and shop with their girlfriends.

While their brothers are drinking beer and belching, metrosexuals are unabashedly heading to art galleries and shoe shopping — activities more commonly associated with women or gay men.

It is a new masculinity. This guy is not relegated to the sports page and eating hot dogs. It's a cultural shift and a generational one too.

Based on description above, I think I work with a few metrosexuals. This is not a bad thing necessarily, but it's making me a lot more self conscious about my weight, clothing, etc. It's one thing to be around women who obsess about this stuff, but when you hear straight men talk about fashion, facials and their weight, it gets to be a little too much for a girl like myself to handle.

There might be a sliver of truth to the allegations that there was some sort of sexual misconduct by Rev. Gene Robinson. But I can't help but find the last minute announcement as somewhat suspicious. Did the Episcopal Church not investigate and vet this guy before they nominated him to become the first openly gay bishop? His diocese in New Hampshire selected him and according to CNN article, "The House of Deputies -- a body of clergy and lay members of the Episcopal Church -- voted Sunday to approve Robinson's candidacy." I don't want to discount the victim’s side (if there really is a victim here), but this announcement smacks of desperation on the part of someone who doesn't want the vote to take place. As an active member of a Methodist church a few years ago, I saw how "the gay issue" had the potential to split the church. As the discussions raged on whether or not to become a reconciling congregation, the debate got heated and ugly. I was amazed, disgusted and turned off by how some so called christians were treating one another. Quite a few including myself ultimately left the church. I left not because I opposed open recognition for gays in the church, but I became so appalled with how some of the members treated one another on this issue, that it was hard to see people in the same light again; and even after taking a sabbatical, I just couldn't go back. I now regularly attend a Presbyterian Church which is also wrestling with this issue. I just don't understand why people can't just live and let live.

I read somewhere last week (I can't remember where), that a movie was going to be make about the craiglist community. If you’re not familiar with the list, well it’s basically an online bulletin board where you can find a job, a friend, a therapist, a pet, or anything else your heart desires. Having cruised the site before, I thought, way cool! Here's what's written about the movie on their website:

We’re going to take one day, Monday, August 4th, 2003, and make a documentary based on the CL postings from that day. Not just the "Best-Of" or the "Success Stories", but a real, down-to-earth look at the fastest-growing grassroots cyber-community in the city that started it: San Francisco. Personal ads, job listings, missed connections, homemade helicopter sales, transgender counseling - everything that moves through the flow of the city's consciousness within a single 24 hour period. There is no script and no agenda other than what the community itself creates on that day, and postings will be followed up to their logical conclusions-- days, weeks or perhaps months afterwards. Stories within stories, worlds within worlds, unforeseen connections and unpredictable encounters across all strata of society-- it all comes together in "24 Hours on Craigslist."

In any event, as I was checking out the site today, I came across a rant about how women behave when they're taking a #2 in a public restroom. I almost keeled over laughing. Funny stuff and oh so true. Go check it out.

After lounging around the apartment for most of yesterday, I decided to head out and see movie titled: Dirt Pretty Things which focuses on the invisible class of illegal immigrants in London. The movie revolves around Nigerian born Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who drives a cab and also works at a hotel. While working at the hotel, he fishes out of a human heart in a clogged toilet. Eventually, he finds out that his boss the hotel manager is part of a criminal ring trafficking human body parts from illegal immigrants who get in return a small sum of money and a fake passport. I won't give away much more of the movie as I highly recommend to anyone out there who seeks an alternative to the parade of big budget sequels. It offers social commentary without being preachy and is somewhat disturbing, but also quite engrossing at the same time.

Below is an excerpt from recent Slate article on situation in Liberia. Who knew that cross-dressing could be used in the art of war.

According to the soldiers themselves, cross-dressing is a military mind game, a tactic that instills fear in their rivals. It also makes the soldiers feel more invincible. This belief is founded on a regional superstition which holds that soldiers can "confuse the enemy's bullets" by assuming two identities simultaneously. Though the accoutrements and garb look bizarre to Western eyes, they are, in a sense, variations on the camouflage uniforms and face paint American soldiers use to bolster their sense of invisibility (and, therefore, immunity) during combat. Since flak jackets or infrared goggles aren't available to the destitute Liberian fighters, they opt for evening gowns and frilly blouses.

The cross-dressing "dual identity" isn't just a source of battlefield bravado, though. Cross-dressing has deep historical roots in West African rites-of-passage rituals involving "medicine men" who would recommend wearing masks, talismans, and bush attire as a means of obtaining mystical powers. Rebels dressed in gowns and wigs and adorned with bones, leaves, and other "forest culture" trappings are practicing a modern variation on this technique of using symbolic "clothing" to access sources of power far stronger than their own. And in common Liberian initiation rituals—which exist in memory throughout the country, if not always in practice—a boy's passage to adulthood is symbolically represented by the donning of female garb. He must first pass through a dangerous indeterminate zone between male and female identity before finally becoming a man. A soldier dressed in women's clothes—or Halloween masks, or shower caps, etc.—on the battlefield is essentially asserting that he's in a volatile in-between state. The message it sends to other soldiers is, "Don't mess with me, I'm dangerous."

Yesterday (August 2nd) was Serenity's 34th birthday. Go wish her a happy belated birthday. Tomorrow (August 4th), is Andrew's birthday. He's all the way in Samoa serving in the Peace Corp, so I know he'll appreciate hearing from folks in the states. So go wish him a happy 33rd birthday.

Bill Maher of Politically Incorrect fame has a a weblog. Go check him out. Does anyone else out there miss Politically Incorrect as much as I do? I'm warming up to Jimmy Kimmel's show, but he's no Bill Maher. It's a shame that ABC bowed to pressure from some network sponsors and affiliates and took Maher's show off the air. Ok maybe he stepped over the line somewhat with his comments about September 11th, but Maher has always been politically incorrect and that's why many people (myself included) enjoyed watching his show. He said so much of what others thought but never really had the courage to say. Now we know why.

Link via Oliver Willis

For the first time this summer, I saw live fireworks. I didn't feel like dealing with the crowds on July 4th so I just watched on television. Thankfully, I didn't have to go down to the lakefront last night but just over to one of my best friend's house who was having a roof top barbeque. This friend who lives about 1800 West from the center of downtown, has an incredible view of the city so we were able to see the beautiful Venetian Night fireworks without having to deal with the crowd which usually tops 1 million plus. The only thing missing was the music, but we made our own. Beyond the fireworks, it was good to see some of many real world friends and also meet a few new ones. I met a guy who had studied for a month with the Dalai Lama. Way cool!

Anyway, this was the first time I'd seen many of them since the Chicago Tribune article was published and I was a little nervous since hadn't told any of them I was keeping an online journal. I had told my immediate family and a few friends mostly in far flung states, but no one I hang out with on a regular basis here in Chicago. I suppose I wanted to find my voice first. In any event, everyone was pretty supportive and that pleased me to no end. One of the reasons why I started this journal is that I tend to keep secrets about everything and I was determined to change that about myself. So I'm glad the article provided the perfect opportunity to share with my friends. Just so you know how out of character it is for me to be writing so openly and honestly about my wants, thoughts and desires, read this email I got from a friend. Hopefully she won't mind that I'm sharing.

What the heck? I had no idea you were doing this! It seems so out of character, because you strike me as a private person. Anyway, you kept me up late last night because I was reading it. I relived Summerfest through your account of the Greyhound station. I laughed like a crazy woman- thanks for the entertainment. Thanks for the heads-up on the Tribune article. I almost threw out my Wed. Tribune without seeing that section. You were salvaged from the trash, my dear. Good picture- that shade of blue is flattering on you.

Yup! It’s totally out of character – but this is the new me! Hopefully I won’t revert back to my old ways.

Choo-Choo and I are both a little offended by this cat joke found at FunninestPets.com but we couldn't help but share.

What is a cat?

- Cats do what they want.
- They rarely listen to you.
- They are totally unpredictable.
- When you want to play, they want to be alone.
- When you want to be alone, they want to play.
- They expect you to cater to their every whim.
- They are moody.
- They leave hair everywhere.
- They drive you nuts and cost an arm and a leg.

Conclusion: They are tiny women in fur coats.

President Bush is on yet another vacation. Does anyone know how much vacation time he gets officially? He seems to be on vacation like every other month. I know being the President is a 24 hours/7 days a week job, and as such he deserves a little rest and relaxation every now and then, but when American soldiers continue to die at 1 a day in Iraq and the economy is in the crappers, I don't want to hear that my President is on a month-long vacation in Crawford, Texas. I want to hear that he's holding court in the White House trying to figure out how to get the economy going again and more importantly how to bring our soldiers home safely.

Update: Below is an excerpt from Washington Post article re the vacation matter:

A CBS News tally shows this is Bush's 26th presidential trip to Crawford. He has spent all or part of 166 days at the ranch or en route -- the equivalent of 5 1/2 months. When Bush's trips to Camp David and Kennebunkport, Maine, are added, according to the CBS figures, Bush has spent 250 full or partial days at his getaway spots -- 27 percent of his presidency so far.

Yikes! Am I the only person who thinks there is a problem here? If I were to spend 27 percent of my time away from my job, I'd be fired. Hmmm. Maybe I'm just jealous because I only get two weeks vacation.

Last night I attended yet another sent off for a coworker who was leaving the organization. The meeting place was Rivers which has a huge outdoor deck overlooking the Chicago river. As a group of us were sitting outside chatting, rain started to come down really hard which required us to move the tables inward in an effort to avoid getting wet. Lightening even struck a few times. At one point, the gal who was leaving turned to me and asked: “are you going to blog this?” I started laughing after saying, “maybe, maybe not.” This woman who was actually born on the same month, same day, and same year as me had seen the Chicago Tribune article. Besides her, no one else at work had mentioned the article to me and I didn’t bring it to their attention. So it was kind of funny trying to talk to her about it, without involving others who I really didn’t want to know about my weblog. All in all, I had a really good time at Rivers. It always good to bond with coworkers outside the office as well as catch up with those who have moved on. At one point the conversation turned to marriage and everyone sitting at my table (about 6 people) was engaged except for me. One other guy wasn’t engaged but he recently called off an engagement. Somehow I felt like I missed an important memo. Oh well!! After one too many glasses of chardonnay I decided to go home but changed my mind after hearing that some were going to dinner at LaLo’s on LaSalle Street, the former home of Michael Jordan's Restaurant. I’d seen this restaurant many many times as I pass it on my way to work in the morning, but I’ve never been there, so I thought why not? My chicken faquitas dinner along with virgin margarita were really good but I bolted out of there shortly after the Mariachis serenaded our table with La Bamba. Those drinks from earlier were started to catch up with me; goodness -- I am such a lightweight. Thus after taking a taxi home, I was soundly in bed singing La La Bamba over and over again in my head by 10:3pm when I knew some of my coworkers had possibility moved on to a piano bar.

Not to gloat or anything, but I'm well on my way to dethroning science fiction author Ursula K. Le Guin from top of list when you Google with search word as Ursula. Oh yeah!

One of the people who contacted me after reading my weblog profile in the Chicago Tribune article mentioned that her friend had started a company called RedPaper where regular folks could publish their journal articles and get paid. Considering that so many people provide unlimited access to their online journals for free, I was (still am) skeptical about the business model. However, after reading a press release from RedPaper (excerpt below), it looks like there are quite a few people who are willing to pay a fee to read other people's journal entries. Thus, it will be interesting to watch the development of this company over the next few months. RedPaper is backed by backed by Adobe Systems, Granite Ventures (formerly H&Q Venture Associates LLC), and Sextant Group.

CHICAGO, Jul 30, 2003 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- RedPaper, LLC, recently announced the official launch of its information-trading forum, RedPaper.com. A vehicle for the exchange of citizen-based news, the site is designed to give anyone the opportunity to buy and sell information.

"We believe that information can be as valuable as any other commodity, if not more," said founder and editor Mike Gaynor. "There is no other infrastructure on the internet like this. Whether it's breaking news or your mother's pie recipe, a whole collection of information can be exchanged through this site."

Since its official launch on July 4, 2003, RedPaper.com has accrued over 600 registered users who have published several hundred articles, including favorite recipes, homebuilding tips, dating experiences and short fiction. In just one month, the site has been witness to more than 1,000 article transactions.

Porn King Larry Flynt has filed the necessary papers to run for the Governorship of California. Good Lord! This situation is totally getting out of hand. Gray Davis may not have been the best Governor during his first term, but the voters reelected him. So why not let him serve out his term? This sideshow is taking away from the real issues that need to be tackled in The Golden State. According to Washington Post article, "more than 250 people statewide have taken the very first step of filing the paperwork with county registrars." No wonder Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided not to run. In this sort of race, there is a strong possibility that his candidacy would fall flat just like his latest Terminator movie.