Lofty dreams
La réalisation d'un rêve (Le Journal de Montréal, April 17, 2008)
Isabelle Boulay rêvait depuis longtemps de chanter enceinte sur scène. Sa grossesse sera très avancée quand, au Québec, au mois de septembre, elle montera sur scène. La chanteuse en est ravie.
Isabelle Boulay has long dreamed to sing on stage while pregnant. Her pregnancy will be far along in Quebec in September when she'll take the stage. The singer is ecstatic about it.
I don't really want to overanalyze this, but I will. I can understand having dreams of singing on stage. I can understand dreams of having children and maybe even wanting to be in a state of pregnancy. Well, ok, maybe not that. But really, does anyone put their hands together and dream of singing on stage while pregnant?
I know that happens and I don't have an opinion on it because I've never thought about it before. However, now that the idea has entered my mind, I don't think it's something that's planned ; it's usually just a set of circumstances. I just find it bizarre that Isabelle had this active and ongoing desire to do so.
I know I shouldn't judge other people's... no, I just shouldn't judge. But I do so I'm making faces in her direction right now.
"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so you shall become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil." - James Lane Allen
« April 17, 2008 11:27 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Ha Ha
Sara Jane Olson rearrested (L.A. Times, 3/23/2008)
Labels: News
« March 24, 2008 9:01 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Atlanta tornado
I like seeing Atlanta in the news, but not like this... I can't imagine what my office building looks like, but I'll see on Monday if my windows have been shattered like the Omni Hotel's.
Labels: Atlanta, BlowedUp, News
« March 15, 2008 1:16 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Take me away
Time Travel Possible Very Soon? (Digital Trends, 2/11/2008)
I would name my time machine Calgon and set it to precisely the moment where my family chose the boat marked, "USA or bust!" instead of the one headed for France. I would probably cry today about not being about to speak English, but my whining would sound so much prettier. Wouldn't it?
Et si j'étais américaine...
« February 11, 2008 7:02 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Jefferson-Jackson makes no sense to me
The Georgia Democratic Party held its annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner last night for $250 a plate. Being the main fund-raiser of the year, it's not about the food but giving support to the party. That's how I justify all the uneaten fruit parfaits left on the tables. I didn't swipe one and I wasn't even tempted. Okay, honestly, they didn't look that yummy.
What was my point? Oh yeah, the Democrats let me in the building along with other rabble-rousers for the unplanned Hillary Clinton campaign stop that took place after the dinner. John Edwards had planned to be there, but he dropped out of the race just a few hours earlier. Anyway, Clinton gave a wonderful speech and I'm glad to have had the chance to hear and see her in person before the Super Tuesday primaries next week.
Clinton is solo act at party gala (AJC, January 31, 2008)
Labels: News
« January 31, 2008 11:53 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
She's back
photo Danièle Francis
L'apaisante retenue d'Isabelle Boulay (Cyberpresse, January 21, 2008)
« January 22, 2008 8:42 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Wishy-washy winter
Since winter began about four weeks ago, we've had both the heater and the air conditioner on, although thankfully never on the same day. It's definitely been a strange season. While I'm glad it's been in the 70s some days, seeing snow yesterday was great. It's been so long that when I first saw the flurries, I thought, why is there all this white dust? About an hour later it was coming down in big flakes and my brain went, oohhhhhh. Not that it took an hour for me to realize that... nevermind.
The tree-huggy part of me (yes, she surprisingly exists) wants the cold to last so that there's some hope that global warming isn't worsening at a frightening rate. I know that it'd be false hope, but I can be easily convinced with some stuff. Do you need to be convinced?
2007 Was Tied As Earth's Second Warmest Year (Science Daily, January 17, 2008)
« January 17, 2008 4:56 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Updates
Fantasy Football
My JammyDodgers just won their sixth fantasy football game of the season (6-3). It was a most unprobable win and it was only by 2 points, but I'll take it all the same, especially since I didn't have to resort to cheating. I've been pretty good at not doing that yet (cheating, I mean), but there are five remaining games and I'll probably end up down that shameful but winful path. How do I know? I cheat at solitaire and I've done it all my life. I'm not going to stop now and I know it.
Inner Peace
I've had a few relapses, but overall, I'm a pretty pleasant person to be around. Finally!, you say. The Dalai Lama is like magic! The magic was wearing off a little today, but I don't really expect myself to be calm 100% of the time. I'd have to check my pulse or put a little mirror under my nose every few hours and I don't like carrying around little mirrors.
Nanowrimo
Yes, I'm doing it again. This is how excited I am about it. I'm not really complaining about this completely voluntary competition because that would be annoying. I do look at it like, "another November, another novel" and I wish I could be more excited about it. But there's nothing very exciting about writing and authors unless you're J.K. Rowling and get to re-upset zealoty bigots with the gay wizard Dumbledore. No, not gray wizard; that's Gandalf.
Zoe's Ark
I don't really understand how anyone, let alone a humanitarian group, can believe that they have the right to take children away from their parents (in Chad) and fly them to another country (France) to be adopted. They also convinced some French journalists and a Spanish flight crew into helping them, thus igniting an international crisis. French President Sarkozy came in and rescued some of the hoodwinked journalists and flight attendants from the jails (literally, I think he piloted the plane), but this is strange and it's French and it's not over.
Labels: Books, Football, Games, News
« November 06, 2007 8:38 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Isabelle gagne (bien sûr)
Elle a gagné quatre Felix dont ceux de l'interprète féminine de l'année pour le sixième fois au gala de l'ADISQ dimanche soir.
J'avais deviné qu'Isabelle parle beaucoup (et lentement) pendant tout ses remerciements et mon observation était confirmé dans cet article:
Les gagnants allaient-ils respecter l’avertissement de l’ADISQ d’écourter les remerciements? « On est en compétition avec Occupation double. Eux autres, y’a jamais de longueurs, c’est toujours pertinent, toujours efficace !» a lancé Louis-José Houde, pour convaincre les futurs gagnants de faire court. Ceux-ci ont obéi, même Isabelle Boulay. Incroyable!
29e Gala de l’ADISQ : vive les remerciements courts!
(Cyberpresse, 10/29/2007)
Bravo, Isabelle. Je suis fière de vous...et pour les recompenses aussi.
« October 29, 2007 5:10 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
ATL Dalai Fest 2007
Chillaxin' with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama (Emory Wheel, 10/22/2007)
It was a real honor to have the opportunity to hear the Dalai Lama speak. His life of compassion and kindness is a truly good example for the entire human race.
Heck, I was even moved by his speech when he spoke of being filled with positive and constructive emotions and getting rid of the negativity within oneself so that in any situation, only positive energy can come out because the negativity doesn't exist. I think I'm actually going to try to apply that to my life.
Wish me luck! Actually, I'll check back in a few weeks to see if I've found my inner peace. It won't take much longer than that, right?
Just kidding! I have no idea how to get rid of the little angry monster inside (and oftentimes outside) of me. But I'm going to try.
« October 23, 2007 10:22 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Geek-off
In anticipation for Dragon*Con 2007, here's an ode to geeks of all types:
Walking Sports Database Scorns Walking Sci-Fi Database
(The Onion, October 2001)
So, what I get out of this old, non-newsworthy, fake piece of journalism is that knowing too much about any one subject is geeky and people will shun me and they will be right to do so. Okay....I think I'm in the clear. I know stuff about lots of different things, but I don't know too much about any one of them. I must be immensely cool.
I admit, though, this picture of a gathering of Star Wars costumers is kind of both geeky and cool and I don't even really like SW. But who's the dude in the middle with the fanny pack? That's not supposed to be George Lucas, is it? Haha. That's awesome. This guy probably just resembles Lucas, but when he's surrounded by Stormtroopers, Siths and Vaders, he's suddenly in costume. I'd go to Dragon*Con in costume if it was that easy.
Labels: Atlanta, DragonCon, Movies, News
« August 28, 2007 6:02 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
On being right
Once upon a time when I was younger and afraid of oncoming traffic, I drove around making right turns until I got to where I needed to be. Sure, I thought, it takes longer, but I don't need to make any decisions concerning traffic lights and judgments of distance and other mind-taxing crap. Really, if you make enough right turns and drive around in circles of varying sizes, you'll get to where you mean to go. Look at me! See how far I've come?
Yes, I see how's that a bad example. But these folks with nothing better to do in D.C. have proven me smarter than anyone thought possible:
Making Right Turns Saves Gas, Time, UPS Drivers Make Right Turns Whenever Possible (NBC4)
Honestly, if UPS drivers are doing it, shouldn't you? Hmmmm... that question sounded much more perplexing and soul-searching in my head.
Labels: News
« July 25, 2007 8:24 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Illegal aliens
The news this week of Tom Cruise being banned from filming in Germany because of his being a member of the Church of Scientology made me realize that I had no idea what this so-called religion was all about.
Here's the first summary that I found of the beliefs the Scientologists have:
Scientologists believe that 75 million years ago an evil galactic ruler, named Xenu, solved overpopulation by bringing trillions of people to Earth in DC-8 space planes, stacking them around volcanoes and nuking them. Then the souls of these dead space aliens were captured and boxed up and taken to cinemas where they were shown films of what life should be like, false ideas containing God, the devil and Christ...
After that they supposedly clustered together and now inhabit our bodies. Scientologists believe that if they rid themselves of these body thetans then they will be healthier and will gain special powers like mind-over-matter.
Huh? It's a spoof or satire, right? Only it's not! I can't make this stuff up, but the founder of this religion surely did. He was a science fiction writer and was evidently very adept at thinking up stories with aliens; aliens who live inside us.
The above summary comes from an obviously anti-Scientology site, but there are so many of them. They've made a lot of people mad - the kind of mad that comes from being bilked out of money, I'm guessing. If you have time, read the long version of the story of Xenu at the above site. It's quite entertaining and would make a good summer blockbuster movie.
Earth or bust.
It does stop being amusing for me when I read about how many people have died from refusing modern medicines due to their beliefs in Scientology. And then I found out that my DSL provider Earthlink was founded by two Scientologists who possibly could be funneling corporate profits to this crackpot religious organization.
Damn them. I'm off to make a website.
Labels: News
« June 27, 2007 7:49 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Censorship I can support
Actually, this isn't even censorship since what's done on the job can and should be regulated by employers. They'd be negligent if they didn't care what their employees were doing.
Pentagon Blocks MySpace and YouTube (NY Times, May 14, 2007)
The censorship I'm all in favor of is in the name of common sense. Just because you can doesn't mean you should and just because all your lemming friends have done it, doesn't mean you should, too. I'm speaking specifically about all MySpace users and I'm intentionally lumping all you idiots together when I say this: You're not that bright. And you make me want to hurl.
- You really want to have private conversations made public for everyone to see? You really think other people care?
- You can't find any another way to communicate with your so-called friends except through this piece of crap medium? Are you really that insincere?
- You really want to support a site that enables stalkers, adulterers and sexual deviants? Or are you escaping to a second life that you can hide from and lie to the real people in your life?
- You really want to contribute to the mass of aesthetically-nauseating websites? You're this decade's version of geocities, but much, much uglier. At least geocities faded away and I hope all of you do, too.
Idiots.
Labels: News
« May 14, 2007 4:10 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Anti-climatic
Nicolas Sarkozy élu à la présidence de la République à une large majorité
(Le Monde, May 6, 2007)
The French color their left and right parties blue and red like the USA but they mean the opposite of ours. Really! You can't find this awesome sort of analysis on Le Monde. They're too busy devoting an entire special edition to the election and examining the future of France.
Pfffft. Let's get to the real news: Just where was Sarkozy's wife today?
« May 06, 2007 2:04 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Must be the cheese
Last year, a family in France lost their cat on the a day before they moved to another town. 800 kilometers and 13 months later, the cat finds her family and says, "Found you! Now, your turn to hide."
"Je vous ai trouvé! C'est à vous!" The cat's bilingual, or so I've heard. But, the article isn't cause I can only find it in French.
Un chat fait 800 km pour rentrer chez lui (Cyberpresse, 04/24/2007)
Why can't my cats be this awesome?
All they have are the plump legs.
« April 24, 2007 4:15 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Things to keep to yourself
Amy Henthorn Jones of Marietta, who has six dogs and two cats, said she threw out 50 cans of pet food and several bags of dry food when the recall started.
"I didn't care if it was part of the recall list or not. If it was the same brand as one on the list, I tossed it. [...] I'm just feeding the dry until this is over; foods made with human grade ingredients," she said. "I even tasted it. It was good."
- Pet food recalls rise; so do suspicions (AJC, April 6, 2007)
I have nothing to add. No, wait, I do. Dear Ms. Jones...
This is called a filter - for a camera lens.
This is also known as a filter - for a car.
Oh look, here's another one - for water.
Please choose one (or more) and insert into your brain.
« April 06, 2007 7:28 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
To my peoples
For all my family all over the world, and especially my parents in China...time to welcome the pig.
« February 18, 2007 1:58 AM | Post a Comment | 1 comments »
How ridiculous are those frogs?
Orthographe : les collégiens de cinquième sont tombés au niveau des élèves de CM2 de 1987 (Le Monde, 2/09/2007)
Yes, it's come to this: little French 5th graders are now spelling at the level of 2nd graders of 20 years ago. It's actually not that surprising, considering the way we type online and SMS and all that other crap I don't know about. But the geeky part? The French have been tracking this for 20 years. They...care. They care enough to do studies and pay people to do these studies.
Even better, they have an annual televised national competition on spelling and writing. It's called, "La Dictee," or something equally self-important and people play along at home. The contestants are adults. Not little children in spelling bees. This is a major sport in France. Yes, a sport. That's what they call it.
I have no idea why I love this language and these people. Maybe I'm a little ridiculous myself. Maybe.
« February 09, 2007 10:35 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Molly Ivins, 1944-2007
Her subject was Texas. To her, the Great State, as she called it, was “reactionary, cantankerous and hilarious,” and its Legislature was “reporter heaven.” When the Legislature is set to convene, she warned her readers, “every village is about to lose its idiot.” (02/01/2007, New York Times)
I saw Molly Ivins once, back when I was at Tech. She was giving a speech on some liberal cause or other in a large conference room. I was sitting in the back and what I remember most was her voice. If ever a person fit her voice, she was it. I could hear every single word and she wasn't using the microphone in front of her, being that it was probably too low.
The woman was tall and imposing, funny and genuine, honest and beloved. She'll be missed by both friends and enemies, which in these very, very divisive days, can't be said about very many people.
Labels: News
« February 01, 2007 5:09 PM | Post a Comment | 1 comments »
The dream is over
After almost every grocery shopping trip, I've left cursing the store. Could it be because of my Tourette's? Or my lack of anger management? Who can really say? Shut up, not you. But a lot of baggers at grocery stores are so inept that it makes me wonder if they paid attention during their grocery store training orientation.
What's that? They probably didn't have any training on bagging? WELL, YOU COULD HAVE FOOLED ME. I've actually dreamt of opening a bagging training school because while I've never had professional experience bagging, I have this thing called COMMON SENSE. You see...
More than one item CAN fit into a bag, whether it's paper OR plastic. Just because that's a soda bottle and that's a soda bottle and that's a soda bottle which all belong on the same shelf in the store, it doesn't mean they all belong in the same bag when leaving the store. Blah, blah, blah...
I could go on, but my heart's not into it. This morning, I've been informed that there are people more qualified to open this dream bagging school than me. Stupid AJC. Why do I keep reading you?
Marietta man picks up chance to bag U.S. title (AJC, 12/21/2006)
In addition to this soul-crushing moment of my life, I learned that the competition is in its 21st year. Holy moley. And it's going international in January. Not only am I not qualified to open the school amongst all these award-winning bagging masters, I won't have a paper bag shaped trophy to show for it.
Oh, well. Another day, another dream dead. Now, where'd my CRUSH go...
Labels: News
« December 21, 2006 7:30 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Questionable parenting
"Investigators said Gretchen Morales disappeared from her Davenport home last week and left her two young children there alone. She showed up in St. Petersburg the next day and told police two men in a van had abducted her. Monday, Morales confessed that she really went to Busch Gardens to meet a man."
Woman Who Claimed Abduction Was Actually At Theme Park (WFTV, 11/21/06)
I say her fatal flaw was going somewhere kids actually belong. She should've gone to a casino and that would've been a good enough excuse (for me, maybe not the cops) since kids aren't supposed to be there. My parents left me and my brothers to go to Atlantic City hundreds of times (I mean, once or twice) and we turned out okay. Didn't we? Huh?
Once, they took us to the casinos, but left us alone in the arcade room where we proceeded to stick about 100 quarters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. It was an awesome half hour of our lives.
Labels: News
« November 22, 2006 12:01 PM | Post a Comment | 2 comments »
More like it
Who doesn't enjoy moments when nature enacts sweet, sweet revenge involving no death or loss of limbs? I certainly do! My life would be more complete if there were more (true) stories like this:
Rogue sea lion bites at least 14 (AJC, 11/16/2006)
Stand back. This sea lion is ferocious. Chomp chomp.
Labels: News
« November 16, 2006 5:38 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Ok, now I'm giddy
I don't have time today to think about Georgia's mostly disappointing election results or the people of this state's flippant attitude towards the state constitution and their blind idea of "patriotism" in the face of common sense. I do have time to insufferably gloat over:
- Nancy Pelosi as the soon-to-be first female House Speaker ever: While this is positively historic, it's also negatively historic is that she's ONLY the first.
- Donald Rumsfeld resigning: Pelosi said, "He has to go." An hour later, he's gone. That's awesome and just a little bit hot. (Ok, so it didn't really happen like that, but it sorta did.)
- Republicans losing the House and Senate: I didn't care who they lost it to as long as the president will now be held accountable for all the wire-tapping, science-muzzling, torture-rationalizing, fact-make-upping-so-we-can-go-to-war-war-war crap that has gone unchecked for too long.
- Arizona NOT passing ban on same-sex marriage as a constitutional amendment: As the first state to NOT pass an amendent when presented on the ballot, especially when they passed two more conservative-like amendents (English as the official language and reduced public services for illegal immigrants), I shake my head and applaud lightly in their direction.
Since the news of the day is all of the above, you know I'm not lying. Not today. This is unbelievable, especially since I was very convinced that the Democrats would surely find a way to mess it all up. They still have two years to do just that, but for today, I'm going to find myself a Republican (not hard down here) and just smile.
Like this. Only less furry. And goaty.
Labels: News
« November 08, 2006 1:15 PM | Post a Comment | 2 comments »
Perfect together
For possibly the first (and probably only) time in my life, I'm glad that New Jersey exists.
New Jersey’s Justices Agree on All but the ‘M’ Word (New York Times, 10/26/2006)
The decision was split 4-3 not because the dissenters were opposed to the right of marriage for same-sex couples, but because the majority didn't go far enough. That's just amazing to me.
Now, I'm not going to start advocating the spread of New-Jersey-itis to other states because it's still New Jersey with all of its...
Person A: Hi, I'm from New Jersey.
Person B: Hey! Me, too. What exit?
...which is the dumbest greeting I've ever heard in my life. Where was I going with this? Oh yeah, New Jersey stinks. But yesterday, it began to smell a little better.
Labels: News
« October 26, 2006 7:11 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Invisibility
A real invisibility cloak? (Times Online, 10/20/2006)
If you could be invisible, what would you do? Without hesitation, I'd rob a bank. Actually, banks <-- plural. I know that's not the most ethical, I mean moral, I mean legal, thing to do, but it'd be better than stalking someone (even a worthy CRUSH).
Robbing banks is illegal (and profitable!) but not creepy, whereas stalking someone is illegal and creepy. I think that's an important distinction, if only for my own sense self-respect. Also, I'd like to sleep at night and I imagine prison beds are uncomfortable enough without my conscious keeping me up.
Labels: News
« October 20, 2006 9:41 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Right in this world
There are many, many things not right in this world - things I won't mention since it may seem like I'm making light of senseless wars and hypocrital Republicans and bikini-wearing French Socialist presidential candidates (woohoo!), but...
Somewhere on that list, I have to include my mom high-fiving drunk Raider fans sitting on the 50 yard line at Oakland Coliseum.
That just ain't right. Oh no, not them. They're fine.
Labels: News
« October 01, 2006 10:16 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Best review ever
If I could ever put into words the love I have for my wacky Celine and her magical (not literally) Vegas show, it would be very, very close to this:
"[Celine] transcends cheese, and I have never seen anything like it. She is a one-woman pageantry bandwagon, the Unsinkable Molly Brown with a several-octave vocal range.
At one point, she sings Stevie Wonder's I Wish, without changing one word, including the opening line "Looking back on when I was a little nappy-headed boy." To my knowledge, Celine Dion is not, nor has she ever been, a little nappy-headed boy.
But this is Celine World, her very own stage in a colosseum erected especially for her. And even though it makes absolutely no sense, she makes you believe it. She plants her feet, contorts her face into a serious expression of nostalgic funk-grooviness, and sells that thing.
In Celine World, if a thin French-Canadian woman believes fervently that she was a little nappy-headed boy, then God bless her, you believe her, too."
-- by Leslie Gray Streeter, "Caesar's is Celine World," (Palm Beach Post, 9/18/2006)
The rest of the column rings just as true. It's wacky to think that someone else out there thinks of Celine like I do. Just plain wacky, but also puzzling and possibly for some of you, slightly frightening.
« September 19, 2006 2:06 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Vindication?
For most of my adult life, I have thrown emotional hissy fits whenever the words "woman" or "women" are used in front of a profession. Besides sounding idiotic, it is:
- grammatically incorrect to use as an adjective;
- not used conversely when people speak of a man doctor, for example;
- unless it's a male prostitute, which is grammatically correct.
I have been on a quite fruitless mission to change the way of the world by sharing this deeply held conviction as loudly as I can. This morning, I realized I've been fighting the wrong fight. In the AJC today:
Then again, this is the AJC...
It's not quite the victory I was looking for, but it's something. If we're all going to get dumber together, let's at least be fair about it.
From now on, whenever I get arrested by a man or woman police officer, I'll consult my man lawyer before I mouth off at the man judge. It's okay. He's used to it.
Labels: News
« August 28, 2006 9:36 AM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Dear 7th grade
Thanks a lot for nothing. I don't usually write off an entire academic year, but you... Couldn't you have taught me something that hasn't been rendered obsolete?
First came the lies about Europe. What you said was Czechoslovakia is now 20 different countries. You didn't even bother telling me about Andorra!
I forgave you, though. I can learn new countries. But now you can't even get the planets right? Oh no, I say. Not cool. There are supposed to be nine planets:
I've always been partial to Saturn.
Now astronomers are about to declare that there are 12 planets with the possibility of hundreds more to come! Hundreds! How could you be so wrong?
I should've known you were a waste of time back then. What the hell was Reading class all about? I'm not kidding. I don't remember if I read anything at all.
Kindest regards,
Labels: News
« August 16, 2006 4:18 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Relaxing train travel
The Chinese rock. They built this train that can make every single person on board sick. If I rode it, I wouldn't be so alone with my severe motion sickness. That's awesome. And it goes to Tibet. Subliminal message about Tibetans? Maybe. Here's an article about the sicko train:
It's an interesting article with little jabs at China here and there, including this:
One Tibetan passenger asked a Western reporter what the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, thought of the train. The man, who asked not to be identified by name, said that with China's Internet monitoring, it was too dangerous for him to search news Web sites for the information himself. (AP, 7/3/2006)
I would've included a photo of this awesome train, but do you really want to see:
Older passengers, looking uncomfortable, were lying down, children were crying and some were being sick in the bathrooms. (The Times of India, 7/3/2006)
I didn't think so. Although, this would've been cool to see amongst all the vomiting:
...ballpoint pens and bags of processed food burst due to the low air pressure. Laptop computers and digital music recorders failed, because moving parts in their disc drives are cushioned by tiny air bags that break at high altitude. (AP, 7/3/2006)
If train travel was this exciting and violent (and fun!) in America, Amtrak would be raking it in instead of bleeding it. Stupid, boring Amtrak.
Labels: News
« July 03, 2006 5:47 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
Being Canadian
This is one of the best headlines I've ever seen in my life:
Canadians The Happiest When Drinking Beer and Listening to Celine Dion
Halifax Live (June 28, 2006)
Even though The Simpsons have told me otherwise...
Canada's awesome.
« June 28, 2006 5:10 PM | Post a Comment | 2 comments »
Stupid lists
Ok, so I'm still here. We're going, we're going. THE CRUSH just has to finish her ice cream cone. I don't why it's taking her so long. I only bought a single scoop.
So, while we're waiting...did you see Paste Magazine's list of 100 best living songwriters? No? Good. You're not missing anything. Stupid list. Any list of best songwriters that doesn't include:
...I will not finish this sentence because I was never taught how to swear properly nor effectively. While I'm at it, any list of international songwriters has to include:
- Jean-Jacques Goldman
- Didier Golemanas
I'm not familiar with Golemanas' work for himself, but the songs he's written for Isabelle Boulay, including the mortifyingly beautiful Coeur combat, are all high quality stuff. Stuff that makes grown men cry and hold purses in public. And I'm not talking about no man purses.
Isabelle, by the way, will soon become the NEW CRUSH if this current one doesn't finish her damn cone soon. It's been two hours! Even if she's not eating the ice cream, shouldn't it have melted by now? Isn't that how ice cream works?
« June 06, 2006 8:27 PM | Post a Comment | 0 comments »
The dance is over
I've always been an ardent supporter of my city newspaper since I've moved here some...how long ago...I can't remember...years ago. There's no real reason except for the fact that many people bash it so I (being con...contemptible? contrary?) MUST defend its honor like a virgin princess on a pirate ship or my oddly shaped cat (who was the runt of his litter and that's why his head is small but he's eaten ginormous amounts of food since his non-eating days in the pound so that's why his body is rectangular not unlike a cow).
Zekey's close relative
But today, I say no more. Me and my boxy cat have better things to stand up for.
Why this change of heart? I suppose I've known all along that the AJC was a small-town local paper suddenly stuffed into a ballgown and shoved onto the big city dance floor when Atlanta's population exploded in the 80s. The paper never learned how to dance properly (unlike moi, the dancing queen! oh wait that's ABBA) and it still moves awkwardly in its white-boy hip-hop way.
The ball ended this morning (how painful are these allusions or metaphors or whatever the hell they're called - HEY, English is my second language!). On the front page (front page!) of the online edition was a story about ONE EMAIL CAUGHT BY A SPAM FILTER. Not even a bunch of emails. Not even...nothing, hell there's no way to make this story a story.
It's not like the world is hurting for real new stories. New countries are sprouting up (Montenegro!), the government thinks we're all terrorists (so does AT&T) and Keith Richards is still alive (how?).
I can't even bring myself to link to it. Oh alright, but just so you can't say I'm a liar (about this; I lie so much, though, it's not even...no, it is funny):
First, here's proof that it was on the front page (front page!):
I know the "reporter" is "trying" to make a conspiracy out of it, but one email marked as spam is...just, really, one email marked as spam. End of non-story.
I'm just going to limit myself to reading the headlines of Le Monde from now on. At least when they have stupid stories, half the time, I won't understand it. The rest of the time, I'm thinking, "HOLY CRAP, I CAN READ FRENCH!". Or I pretend I can.
Labels: News
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