Pumpkin Recipes

Holloway's Pumpkin Bread
My mom got this recipe from our next door neighbor when I was a kid, and has been making it as long as I can remember. When I made it Adrian insisted I reduce the oil content, and if you don't reduce it too much, and substitute applesauce (or more pumpkin) for what you do eliminate, then it's still pretty good.

Dry Ingredients:
3c flour
2t baking soda
1 1/2t salt
1t nutmeg
1t cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
4 eggs
1c oil
3c sugar
1c pumpkin cooked & mashed

Combine and sift dry ingredients. Beat wet ingredients well. Add dry ingredients alternately with 2/3c water, into pumpkin mixture; blend. Bake 350° 1 hour. Pour into 3 greased 1 coffee tins or 3 loaf pans.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
I found this recipe on the internet, and made it for a cookie exchange. These are quite good :)

1c canned pumpkin (I use cooked & mashed "fresh" pumpkin)
1c white sugar
1/2c vegetable oil
1 egg
2c all-purpose flour
2t baking powder
2t ground cinnamon
1/2t salt
1t baking soda
1t milk
1T vanilla extract
2c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 chopped walnuts

Combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder,

...I'll finish this blog later. Adrian is threatening to throw away my compost.(resumed)

...ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Best of StrongBad Emails

I first found out about StrongBad/Homestarrunner.com when I was a physics major, and all the other physics majors seemed to be into it. The infamous "Trogdor "was quite popular in our little group - still, I avoided it and didn't actually watch it until I met Adrian (he was into it too). Then, I found out that Rachel and Tommy already knew about it, and after that there was no hope for any of us! Anyway, I finally went back and made a list of some of my favorites:

dragon
car
different town
lackey
morning routine
privileges
impression
the bet
big white face
stupid stuff
date
dangeresque 3
suntan
cheatday
pom pom
crying
origins
secret recipes

Thinking of Spring

Balderdash!

Balderdash is one of my favorite games of all time! It all started when I was about eight years old. We were at my grandparent's house for a holiday (I don't remember which one), and some of the extended family was there too. They brought Balderdash, and I was allowed to join in. For those who have never played, this is how it works: there is a deck of cards, each of which contains a handful of outlandish words that no one has ever heard of! Often, they cannot even be found in dictionaries. Anyway, to play a standard game, you need at least three players (but the more the merrier!). Each turn, one person gets to be the dasher, and takes a card from the deck, and reads a word to the other players. Each person has a slip of paper upon which they write the word, and a definition that they make up - except the dasher, who writes the real definition. Then, all papers are turned into the dasher, and he reads them, and everybody votes on which they think is the correct definition. Based on who votes for yours, how often you can guess the correct definition, and how often people guess the right definition when you are the dasher, you earn points and move your piece along the board.

My first turn as dasher, I pulled a card with the word "ratoon." To this day, I don't remember the real definition, but that first round I didn't quite understand the game. Instead of writing the real definition, I made one up: "a rotten raccoon." So, that round there was no real definition. Such was my induction into the world of Balderdash.

Despite that first blunder, I quickly became proficient at the game, and was quite often the winner in family games thereafter. I think I am best remembered for my definition of flississ: A certain monastic order that lives on the edge of cliffs and makes cotton candy. I was probably about 10 or 12 when I wrote that definition, and my Dad (among others), didn't realize that I knew the word monastic, thus I garnered myself several votes. Later in that same game, I think I earned even more votes by using the word "baobab" (which I learned from The Little Prince). Someone else defined flississ as: "One of Flipper's long-lost cousins." Some of my favorite real definitions would have to be:

omphaloskepsis - contemplating one's navel
somnambulence - sleepwalking (For some reason, I always get this confused with sonoluminescence, which was once thought to be a promising field for fusion research. Now, the word I always think of for either of these concepts is somnoluminescence, which would amount to glowing in one's sleep.)
lexiphane - one who uses long words to impress others (guilty as charged)

At some point, Beyond Balderdash came along, and added several new categories to the game, in addition to words. These categories included dates (what happend on this day in history?), acronyms (what does this stand for?), names (what is this person known for?), and movies (what is the plot of this movie?). Movies are hilarious. My best plots have been:

The Nut Farm (actually, I think this may have been a combination plot co-written by Rachel) - The management of an insane asylum have trouble when the inmates start running away to the chestnut orchard next door, climbing the trees, and refusing to come down.

Life is Cheap but Toilet Paper is Expensive - A small town restaurant owner becomes involved in a mafia plot. Eventually, he is double-crossed and murdered by the mafia, and the body is temporarily disguised as a mummy in a school play.

My favorite actual movie (which I have not seen) is Wild Women of Wongo, which Balderdash describes as: A group of ugly cave men living with a group of beautiful cave women meet a group of beautiful cave men living with a group of ugly cave women.

Of course, in years of playing Balderdash, there are other stories than just the definitions. For instance, Rachel and I once played Balderdash with some family friends, Jason and Justin. In this particular game, Rachel was quite behind, as usual (she was just too phlegmatic to get really competitive about it). Jason was the dasher, and when the definitions were read, one said "I have no idea what this word means. Please vote for me anyway." I felt a terrible pang of guilt for always letting Rachel lose so much. I imagined how I would feel if I always lost. So, I suddenly burst out, "Oh! Poor Rachel! Should I vote for her? OK, Rachel, I'll give you a sympathy vote." ...and proceeded to give her a big hug. I'd pay quite alot of money to see the expressions that were going on behind my back as I did that. As it turned out, Justin wrote that definition - so I was the only one who didn't know that. Jason knew because he was the dasher, Rachel knew because she didn't write it, and now neither had I, obviously. And, of course, Justin knew because he did write it.

Adrian's first game of Balderdash is also very memorable. Apparently, beef is not very common or popular in Europe, at least not in Romania. However, my mom grew up on a farm that raised both wheat and cattle, so beef has always been a staple of our diet. So, when Adrian came to our house for dinner one night and my mom made beef ribs, Adrian got to taste them for the first time and pretty much fell in love (maybe that's why he wanted to marry me so bad?). When we played Balderdash with him, he didn't really take the game seriously, and just wrote every definition about beef ribs. I was a bit miffed with him for this, because I REALLY like Balderdash, and he wasn't even trying *pout*. Last time we played Balderdash, he finally did take it seriously - and won! Not bad for a non-native English speaker!

Now, a word as to Balderdash strategies. The aim of the game is really just to have fun, and to that end the best strategy is always to write and to choose the funniest definitions possible. However, if you can't think of anything funny, or just want to win, there are a couple of things to try. There are methods that are more-or-less cheating, and I won't discuss those here, but I usually have two strategies to avoid writer's block. The first strategy is to try to take what the parts of the words sound like, and create a definition from that. The other is to think of something as totally random as possible, and not even try to relate it to the word. As for guessing the real definitions, I've had the advantage of playing the game so many years with the same people, who I have also known for years, and I find it fairly easy to pick out who wrote which definitions. I've also gotten a fairly good grasp of the grammatical style of the game writers, so it's fairly easy to pick out the right vs. the wrong definitions. I think this is how I managed to win for so many years. At one point, I was dumb enough to explain my tactic to the rest of my family, and at that point my Dad started imitating everybody else's style! He's actually quite good at it, and I can't remember ever having won a single game since he started doing that :P

Anyway, that's a little bit about Balderdash, and why I consider it my favorite game, If you've never played it, you should!

Supreme Court Shirks it's Duties

...note, I'm not being an Obama hater here. I guess I am being a bad loser, given that Ron Paul lost to both McCain and Obama (in a way). Anyway, even if I were an Obama supporter, it would've been nice to have all these rumors put to rest. I find it very suspicious that nobody is willing to even do that.

Las Vegas

Yes. We did go to Vegas. My parents were gone to Mississippi this Thanksgiving, and Adrian's parents, being Romanian, aren't too traditional about Thanksgiving. Last Thanksgiving, they went to Vegas and brought back some cool pictures, and ever since Adrian has wanted to go. This Thanksgiving, we both had some time off work, we hadn't had a real vacation yet this year, and gas was cheap, and there was nothing keeping us here.... so we took off!

We drove. Let me rephrase that. Adrian drove. I slept alot, and sang alot. First we went to the Arches National Park in Utah. The arches were supposedly formed by gradual erosion of different sediments at different rates. So, a long time ago, Utah was probably more-or-less flat, or at least a simple series of rectangularish ridges. A longer time ago, all kinds of different rocks and materials piled up to make this landscape. Then, time, wind and water slowly eroded the landscape. Some materials eroded faster than others. Where there were pockets of weaker material underneath stronger material, arches were formed. In some cases, you have huge boulders balanced on top of skinny spires. It's kinda cool. It almost looks intentional, like modern artwork or something. Or maybe like a Martian surface. We spent our first night at a motel there in Moab, and spent about 4 hours hiking the first day, and about 4 hours hiking the 2nd day. I brought my coat because I get cold pretty easily, but most of the time I was comfortable in a T-shirt. That's was a change from November in Colorado.

When we left Moab for Vegas, there was a long stretch of highway that said "No Services for 100 miles," so you had to make sure you had gas, went to the bathroom, etc, first. It's really amazing to think that there are such large spaces in modern America that are truly desolate. Not only were there no services, but there was hardly any vegetation. Just red cliffs. What's even more amazing, is that about a century and half ago, pioneers crossed this region with much more primitive equipment, supplies, etc than what we have today. I'm suddenly envisioning A Study in Scarlet. Anyway, we got into Vegas late Sunday night, checked into our hotel, ate Mongolian Beef at a Thai restaurant, and went to bed.

Now, for those of you who are curious, there is more to Vegas than gambling and girls. Namely, the hotels. Our hotel was the Riviera - right on the strip. I later found out it was one of the first hotels built in Vegas. Anyway, it was only $30/night (and we had a flat panel TV in our room, and they gave us free Bath & Body Works soap/shampoo/lotion - coconut and lime scented, mmm), which was another reason we chose to go to Vegas. The main casinos are in the hotels, and that is how they made enough money to become the wonders that they are. Most of them are themed, and have the equivalent of a small shopping mall inside of them, in addition to hundreds (thousands?) of rooms, and always a buffet. Some have special attractions as well. Ours had a Russian ice skating show, but since the tickets ran $90 a head, we decided to pass. We were also interested in Blue Man Group, which turned out to be $80-$150 per person. I think Cirque du Soleil was also having some shows, but I never saw any prices. We did consider going to a Magic show with big cats (only $20/person), but we ran out of time. MGM had a few resident lions, and I think they had a free show with them, but we got there too early. A couple of the hotels had cheap(er) shows with dolphins and sharks, but we didn't see any of those. We did see a few free shows with synchronized fountains and music at the Bellagio Hotel. They have these shows every half hour, and we heard/saw Lady Luck by Frank Sinatra, a duet with Sarah Brightman and Adrea Boccelli (I think it was I Hate You Then I Love You, and also there was Time to Say Goodbye), and one that I didn't recognize which Adrian got on film.



We also saw a pirate show at Treasure Island complete with a firework canon fight. There was also supposed to be a free show with a volcano at night, but that was down for construction while we were there. The main themed hotels that we saw that I remember are: Treasure Island (complete with moving, sinking, fighting ships), Paris (shaped like the Eiffel Tower), New York, New York (with a statue of Liberty, small moat with tug boat, NY skyline towers, and a roller coaster), Luxor (shaped like the Great Pyramid, with indoor and outdoor Sphinxes and lots of hieroglyphs),The Ventian (with an indoor canal and boatmen singing Italian songs, and a ceiling painted skyblue with clouds and lights that gave a realistic sky atmosphere if you didn't look straight up - Rachel, I kept thinking you could get a job being a boatwoman. If I were one of the boatwomen, I would just sing L'Italiano), Excalibur (like a fairytale castle), and others that I am sure I am forgetting.

As to gambling, we didn't win anything; for the very simple reason that you can't win if you don't play. Of course, you also cannot lose. Us both being statistics minors, we knew better. However, I was tempted to play the penny slot machines just to see if they would really work on only a penny. It was interesting that mostly, I only saw old people gambling at the slot machines - I don't know if it's always that way or only on Thanksgiving week.

Anyway, quite simply, we went to Vegas just to walk and to eat. The first day there, we probably spent at least 10 hours on our feet. The hotels are so huge, and to see all parts of them, and go back and forth a few times and get lost and cross over to the next hotel... it just takes alot of walking. The first morning we had pastries at some small coffee shop, then for lunch when to the best rated buffet (I think it was called the Carnival Buffet), and then for dinner (we weren't very hungry) we had some soup at fancy Mexican beside the canal in the Venetian (only in Vegas could you have a fancy Mexican meal in Venice). The next morning, we had chocolate filled croissants in Paris, and then went to the Round Table Buffet for lunch (Excalibur - not nearly as good at the Carnival Buffet), and then split a smoked salmon sandwich for dinner (back in Paris). That night, we went up in the Stratosphere, and Adrian took a bunch of night pictures from the observation decks. It's fairly hard to take pictures at night, because if you move even a little the lights will blur, but Adrian enjoys this challenge.

The hotels are always annoying when you first go in, because you have to run a gauntlet of about 2-6 "greeters" trying to entice you with various "free" offers. We left very early the next morning, after two days in Vegas, because Adrian heard the weather was getting bad and worried about the pass being closed and us being able to get back home. It was about a 12 hour drive. I slept most of the way, and when we got home Adrian was tired and I wasn't. The next day, we had a Romanian Thanksgiving with Adrian's parents, then got in some shopping on black Friday (which actually turned out to be white Friday here).

Oh, and last night there was a huge windstorm here, and it knocked a limb off of one of our trees.

My Favorite Lolzcats...

From http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Personal DNA Personality Test

I'm a considerate visionary. What are you?

Captain Blood is Awesome!

His soul was given up to conflict between the almost sacred love he had borne her in all these years and the evil passion which she had now awakened in him. Extremes touch, and in touching may for a space become confused, indistinguishable. And the extremes of love and hate were to-night so confused in the soul of Captain Blood that in their fusion they made up a monstrous passion.

Thief and pirate!

That was what she deemed him, without qualification, oblivious of the deep wrongs he had suffered, the desperate case in which he found himself after his escape from Barbados, and all the rest that had gone to make him what he was. That he should have conducted his filibustering with hands as clean as were possible to a man engaged in such undertakings had also not occurred to her as a charitable thought with which to mitigate her judgment of a man she had once esteemed. She had no charity for him, no mercy. She had summed him up, convicted him and sentenced him in that one phrase. He was thief and pirate in her eyes; nothing more, nothing less. What, then, was she? What are those who have no charity? he asked the stars.

Well, as she had shaped him hitherto, so let her shape him now. Thief and pirate she had branded him. She should be justified. Thief and pirate should he prove henceforth; no more nor less; as bowelless, as remorseless, as all those others who had deserved those names. He would cast out the maudlin ideals by which he had sought to steer a course; put an end to this idiotic struggle to make the best of two worlds. She had shown him clearly to which world he belonged. Let him now justify her. She was aboard his ship, in his power, and he desired her.

He laughed softly, jeeringly, as he leaned on the taffrail, looking down at the phosphorescent gleam in the ship's wake, and his own laughter startled him by its evil note. He checked suddenly, and shivered. A sob broke from him to end that ribald burst of mirth. He took his face in his hands and found a chill moisture on his brow.

Cloud Seeding

I once took a class on weather with former weatherman Mike Madson. I think that was probably one of the three greatest classes of my life (the other two were physics instrumentation labs). Anyway, I finally got a USB floppy drive, so that I could recover some old stuff I had on floppies, because computers don't have floppies anymore. Some of that "old stuff" included my final presentation for that weather class, and I had chosen "Weather Manipulation and Cloud Seeding" as my topic. Unfortunately, I haven't found the notes that go with the presentation, so the pictures by themselves may not be quite self-explanatory. Still, *I* think it was a cool presentation. (Now I need to go find my presentation for "How a Refrigerator Works" from Physics Senior Seminar)

*Breathe*

I'm so glad to finally have the political signs out of my yard. The flowers are much prettier... least they would be if they were still alive :( . Anyway, I'm not exactly thrilled with the results, but I can't say I'm surprised either. McCain won El Paso county (just as I thought he would), and he lost the country (just as I thought he would). If I lived in Denver or Boulder county (which I hope I never do), perhaps I would've voted for McCain, but even if that could've somehow caused him to win Colorado, he still would've lost the country. That's why I'm proud that I voted my heart and went with Chuck Baldwin :D Still, don't anybody accuse me of causing Obama to win. I bet I pounded the pavement for McCain more than anybody who would accuse 3rd party voters. (I was my precinct committee person. I had to. I became a pc in order to help Ron Paul. It never occured to me that McCain would win at that point, I really expected it would be Romney). And, don't anybody accuse me of being racist either, the first vote I ever cast in my life was for Alan Keyes (who later actually opposed Obama for his Illinois senate seat in 2004). So there.

Anyway, here's a COOL video someone sent to me:

Questions are Fun!

This is an email that I wrote/sent in 2005 to some friends and family:

I LOVE surveys! Probably because I LOVE asking questions (and being asked them, or answering them even if I'm not asked). This article has many good questions.

However, I don't know that I've ever met anyone who likes questions quite as much as I do, and more than a few people seem to find questions, specifically MY questions, downright annoying! I thought this article had a good description of those people (though most people give less thoughtful replies - something more along the lines of a groan, not even an answer):

Walters recalls the time she asked Prince Philip of Great Britain if, in the event England elected a president, he would have enjoyed being a politician. Philip replied, without warmth, that this was a hypothetical question, which he normally didn't answer.

"I was crushed," says Walters, "but I learned a valuable lesson about talking to people in very high places: avoid the hypothetical question, of the sort that usually begins 'What if . . .' and then departs into some fanciful situation that never happened and never will. That type of question can be asked of creative people, for whom imaginary situations are intriguing, but practical, crisp people dismiss it as a waste of time."

Well, I guess I am an imaginative, creative person. However, I have often given a similar answer to the question (one of those discussed in the article) of: Would you change anything if you could live your life over again? I usually say that since I never will live my life over again, I don't see the point of searching for regrets. Furthermore, my past has shaped who I am, and if I changed my past I might become a different person who would make a different decision about changing my past, and the process would become an endless loop. Still, at least that's an answer. Saying "That's a stupid question" is not an answer - even if it is a stupid question. I guess it's because I REALLY like questions. So, although it may be a stupid question, I've always got a back-up question to any answer on the tip of my tongue: Why?

Maybe that's why I also liked the description of the other guy, who gave a REAL answer to that "stupid" question:

When the subject is inventive and in the mood, however, hypothetical questions are fecund. Kenneth Tynan asked Richard Burton, "If you had your life to live, over again, would you change anything?" - a question that is as worn out as vaudeville. But Burton's reply was fresh and revealing, "I'd like to be born the son of a duke with 90,000 pounds a year, on an enormous estate.... And I'd like to have the most enormous library, and I'd like to think that I could read those books forever and forever, and die unlamented, unknown, unsung, unhonored - and packed with information."

The Cookie Principle

OK - so I should've posted this here ages ago, but for some reason I just thought of it. Allow me to introduce you to what was the guiding principle of my life up until, probably about age 17 or 18 - after that my attachment to this principle has been somewhat obscured, though I struggle to maintain it. Without further ado, I give you:

The Cookie Principle

Am I Crunchy???

I just found out about this new wing of the right-wing:

What is a Crunchy Conservative? (I like the audio link)
Crunchy Culture

...anyway, in answer to my own questions, I think that I think crunchy, but maybe I don't actually live crunchy enough.

JTG New Book Commemorative Blog

I just found out that John Taylor Gatto wrote a new book, Weapons of Mass Instruction (...did he steal that phrase from Huckabee?? Though, I'm sure Huck had the naive intention to actually use such weapons, whereas Gatto wants only to expose and destroy them.). Apparently it will be available on Halloween. Scary stuff. Anyway, it just got me to thinking about some of the things I've learned thanks to Gatto.

A footnote in The Underground History of American Education alerted me to the fact that both John Kerry and George Bush were members of the secret society of Skull & Bones (see notes at the end for correction on the dramatic reference to Moloch). That piqued my curiosity enough to get me to the library, and a book on the organization made the claim (or was it Gatto again? Now I'm getting all confused) that a Supreme Justice and S&B member had declared corporations equivalent to persons without argument. Wikipedia backs up that claim, and I quote:

"The court does not wish to hear argument on the question whether the provision in the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which forbids a State to deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, applies to these corporations. We are all of the opinion that it does."
- Justice Morrison Waite (though Wikipedia does not seem to ackowledge his involvement with S&B, though it can be verified elsewhere - see the first link posted here on S&B), Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad Company, 1886

Another point of interest, is that corporations as we know them are a relatively new historic development. To quote Wikipedia again, on the history of corporations:

"In the United States, government chartering began to fall out of vogue in the mid-1800s. Corporate law at the time was focused on protection of the public interest, and not on the interests of corporate shareholders. Corporate charters were closely regulated by the states. Forming a corporation usually required an act of legislature. Investors generally had to be given an equal say in corporate governance, and corporations were required to comply with the purposes expressed in their charters." (emphasis mine - and I believe the corporate charters had to be periodically renewed with the consent of the legislature)

Again from the first article linked here, let me give this moving quote from Samuel Adams:

"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen."

The emphasized part reminds me of one of my favorite quotes from Eowyn in Lord of the Rings:

(in response to the question of what she fears) "A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them and all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire."

Sometimes I compare myself to this. I was talking to my mom a couple months ago, and recounting that with the exception of babysitting and a few months spent working for Name Brand Clothing (a reduced price clothing store in Tulsa), all the jobs in my life have been either for government, or a government contractor, or a multinational corporation (Wal-Mart and Microsoft, specifically). She keeps telling me "Jennifer, if you ever did something that you really believed in, you'd be dangerous." Part of me automatically dismisses this as nothing more than motherly pride - but another part of me keeps wondering if it might be true.

What alternatives are there? Be a stay-at-home-homeschool-mom? That requires kids, which I do not currently have. Follow the Atlas Shrugged model and forsake what I value in order to protect what I value? I think I was never able to fully embrace that logic (Which is why "proving" homeschool through traditional academic success always seemed weird to me). Well, a few days ago I was talking to my mom again, and telling her about an invention/business idea that I had as a teenager. I won't go into the details here (lest someone on the internet steal my idea). Perhaps it will never work - but maybe I'm ready to try... otherwise I might spend my life in Eowyn's so-called cage.

Well, Yom Kippur begins at sundown, I believe (if you use the "traditional" calendar, rather than the sighting of the moon). Happy Fasting, All :)

My Debut

I went over to my parents house, and into my Dad's basement recording studio, and belted out Black Velvet... or rather, tried to, since the headphone extension cord was broken and I couldn't make it to a standing position without unplugging my "monitor." Fortunately, I was able to find a kneeling position that didn't force me to cramp my diaphragm.

After recording the main track, my Dad taught me the background vocals (because, of course, I never notice those kind of details on my own), and we did several takes. Then, he played around with the mixing for a few weeks, and added some background takes of his own, and I got this in my inbox earlier this week. My Dad is so cool!

PS - Luna is in the "hospital" today. Apparently, another cat in the neighborhood bit her (the vet says probably 5 days ago). This morning I found her licking a big, oozing abscess on her hindquarters. So, right now she's still waking up from the anesthetic, and I'll go pick her up in a couple more hours. :(

PPS - I finally received the remainder all of my plants orders for this year, so today and tomorrow is planting day.

Pretend to Be Nice

I don't have to work today. I think it's because a large portion of New York celebrates Rosh Hashanah. Anyway, I will preface this post with an excerpt from G.K. Chesterson's Orthodoxy:

"All the towering materialism which dominates the modern mind rests ultimately upon one assumption; a false assumption. It is supposed that if a thing goes on repeating itself it is probably dead; a piece of clockwork. People feel that if the universe was personal it would vary; if the sun were alive it would dance. This is a fallacy even in relation to known fact. For the variation in human affairs is generally brought into them, not by life, but by death; by the dying down or breaking off of their strength or desire. A man varies his movements because of some slight element of failure or fatigue. He gets into an omnibus because he is tired of walking; or he walks because he is tired of sitting still. But if his life and joy were so gigantic that he never tired of going to Islington, he might go to Islington as regularly as the Thames goes to Sheerness. The very speed and ecstasy of his life would have the stillness of death. The sun rises every morning. I do not rise every morning; but the variation is due not to my activity, but to my inaction. Now, to put the matter in a popular phrase, it might be true that the sun rises regularly because he never gets tired of rising. His routine might be due, not to a lifelessness, but to a rush of life. The thing I mean can be seen, for instance, in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"; and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhaps God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy separately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we. The repetition in Nature may not be a mere recurrence; it may be a theatrical ENCORE. Heaven may ENCORE the bird who laid an egg. If the human being conceives and brings forth a human child instead of bringing forth a fish, or a bat, or a griffin, the reason may not be that we are fixed in an animal fate without life or purpose. It may be that our little tragedy has touched the gods, that they admire it from their starry galleries, and that at the end of every human drama man is called again and again before the curtain. Repetition may go on for millions of years, by mere choice, and at any instant it may stop. Man may stand on the earth generation after generation, and yet each birth be his positively last appearance."

Anyway, here's yet another instance of my current pre-occupation:
Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Nocturne in Eb

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
I Saved the World Today

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Stray Cat Strut

Well, that's always a plus ;)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Figlio Perduto

Elvish??

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Eye of the Tiger

Hmmm... (Yo, Adrian...)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Anything

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Fantasy Impromptu

Haha! Probably.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Pure Energy

Well, there was a time...

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Holiday

Yep - Everybody's Working for the Weekend

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
How Much Is the Fish?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
She Blinded Me With Science

Well, if I'm schizophrenic, I guess my best friend could be myself, and that side of me is in remission...

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Head Over Heels

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Gloomy Sunday

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Be My Baby

Is that kind of like the "Be My Own Grampa" song?

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Don't Turn Around

(...because I'll trip on my train)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Maniac

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Utopia

...or, at least, people trying to create Utopia and making things worse.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Scene d'Amour

Oooh la la!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
I'm Not in Love

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Pretend to be Nice

Twin Peak’s Theme

Wow. That last post was so much fun, I just thought I'd do it again. This reminds me of MadLibs.

Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Crazy - Aerosmith

Uh - sometimes.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Paralyzed - Sixpence None the Richer

Not literally, but perhaps metaphorically at times.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Cartoon Heroes - Aqua

Yep, superheroes are usually pretty attractive.

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Accross the Universe - Fiona Apple

Hmmm...

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Hold On - Kansas

Sure feels like it.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Puttin On the Ritz - Taco

Heehee. At least I act like it is...

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
So Into You - Atlanta Rhythm Section

Hmmmm...

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Minute Waltz - Chopin

Wow.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Someone Saved My Life Tonight - Elton John

I guess I do think about God fairly often...

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Pocket Calculator - Kraftwerk

R O T F L - I swear I didn't rig that!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Angel Standing By - Jewel

Hmmm... Now if I could just decide who my bf is?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
I Talk to the Wind - King Crimson

Where've I heard that before?

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Anything - Sixpence None the Richer

HMMMMMM - this could get interesting.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
L'italiano - Toto Cutugno

Well, eating spaghetti with the president has it's own kind of attraction, I suppose...

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Phantom of the Opera

HAHA :D

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
The Wall - Kansas

Actually, I danced to "You're Too Good to be True"

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Canon Rock - Jerry C

Why not?

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Eye in the Sky - Alan Parson's Project

Well, Proverbs says that the fear of God is the beginning of all wisdom...

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Past the Point of No Return - PotO

..and now my secret's out!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
How Much Is the Fish? - Scooter

Hmmm...

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Twin Peak's Theme

Georgy Porgy

Directions:
1. Put your iPod, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Promises, Promises

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Barracuda

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Enjoy the Silence

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Don't Speak

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Melody of You

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Canon Rock

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Too Shy

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Hello

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Twin Peaks Theme

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
YYZ

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
We'll Meet Again

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
The Wall

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Lazarus, Come Forth!

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Who Can it Be Now?

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Modern Talking, No. 1 Hit Medley

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Don't Cry

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
As the World Falls Down

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Crazy

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Stray Cat Strut

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Head Over Heels

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Georgy Porgy

Homeschool Vs. Public School

At HSA, somebody posted a thread fishing for bad stories on public schools. I posted the following reply, and I think it pretty well sums up my feelings on educational systems:

Given that there are many more public schools than any other kind, it only makes sense that there would be more negative stories about them as opposed to other schools. I do, however, object to public schooling quite adamantly on the grounds that uniformity usually turns out for the worse.

...and I do care a great deal how other people school(ed) their children because I live in a world that is dominated by such people and I don't like it. Furthermore, I don't even think that they like it. Even if they do like it, I strongly suspect that they would hold a different opinion had they been schooled differently.

That said, I am always disappointed with homeschooling when I meet homeschool grads who were dissatisfied with their own experiences, and I do meet a surprising number of them (not on this site though, the happy homeschoolers here usually scare them off Wink ). I refuse to follow the model of public schooling and grade on a curve (ie, suggest that we get an A+ simply because nothing better has come along yet). As a movement, I don't think we've made an A+ yet.

Cheap Thrills

I bought The Sims on half.com for about $5 (incl. S&H). According to a FAQ that I was reading, this was the top selling game of 2000. Now, I love Maxis games. But, I never bought the thing until now. The price of the game itself, combined with the price of the processing power to run it (rather hefty when it first came out), was more than I could be unashamed about spending on a game. Well, heck, it was probably more than I had at the time. Anyway, now I have it! It's probably already provided me almost 24 hrs of entertainment. It will probably provide me with several days more ;) Divide $5 by that, and they are indeed, cheap thrills. Think about how that compares to, for example, a movie ticket. So, right now I'm working on making Adrian the most eligible bachelor in the neighborhood (not too difficult, actually, considering that he's the only bachelor in the neighborhood). So, here's Adrian, employed in the pro-athlete career track, and working out late at night:

...I tried to make him look as much like Adrian as possible, but somehow he reminds me more of a former physics instructor of mine. I think it's the clothes. Well, soon I'm going back to half to get the first expansion pack "Livin' Large," ...for a whopping $0.75 (minus shipping). Maybe then instead of a pink flamingo lawn ornament, I could have a llama. Speaking of llamas, here's an old pic I dug up from when I went to a party at a physic's prof's house while at Purdue. He had a small llama farm. The weirdest part was when he thought it would be cool to have us all come with him and take the male llama down to the female's pen so that they could mate and we could watch (it's not weird that llama's mate, it's just weird to make a social event out of it) ...physicists are weird. I'm just glad I stopped where I did.

That's me and my roomate... the other one was my roomate... not the llama.

Ramen Cabbage Salad

1 (3oz) package chicken-flavored Ramen noodles
10oz Cashew pieces
1 (16oz) pkg coleslaw mix, or 1/2 head of cabbage
1 bunch green onions
1/2c white sugar
1/2c vegetable oil
1/4c cider vinegar
2T soy sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Crush noodles and nuts with a rolling pin. Toast until golden brown (usu. takes at least 10 minutes, but check often b/c they can burn before you know it)
2. In a large bowl, combine chopped cabbage (or coleslaw mix) and chopped onions.
3. Mix together sugar, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, and Ramen seasonings.
4. Toss the greens with the toasted nuts/noodles and dressing. Serve fresh - this salad will get soggy if you try to keep leftovers.

The Happening

Adrian and I just finished watching M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening. I think if flowers and plants ever turned against me like that, I'd want to kill myself anyway. I think Shyamalan is the modern Hitchcock.

Here's an excerpt from my day, just in case you were curious:
Me: (talking to myself in the kitchen)
Adrian: (on the computer down the hall) Stop talking to yourself!
Me: But I like talking to myself! I have alot in common with myself... well, not everything, but still quite alot.

Adrian wouldn't let me write this blog, because he was on the computer looking for movies to watch, so I just started spinning in circles. I'm SOOOOO dizzy!

"I wonder what makes dames like you so dizzy??" -Peter, It Happened One Night

(you do)
...Who do?
Remind me of the babe! -Jareth, Labyrinth

More Flowers!

Iron Cross 'Oxalis' that I received from a DGer. They have actually been blooming for a while, but I just got around to taking the pic:

My first Toad Lily:

...and more Torenia:

Classic Rock

OK - so this isn't exactly most people's idea of classic rock. But, then, most people didn't grow up like I did ;)

Adrian becomes a citizen today!

He has to go up to Denver to take his oath, and he's taking the day off work. I can't be there because I have to work :( Anyway, he should be able to vote this November.

Torenia fournieri

I grew this from seed sent from a Dave's Garden SASE trade. They are annuals, but are supposed to reseed well. I love it, it's so dark!

Summer Superheroes

So, in about the last month I've seen Hulk II, Iron Man, and Hancock. It got me to thinking about trends in superheroes...

Superman, Batman, Spiderman, X-Men, Hulk, etc. What do they all have in common? A sense of honor and tragedy. Most of them are just normal people (or aliens) who came to be what they are through a lucky situation, usually something involving science fiction. Quite a few of them are nerds, often of the sensitive/caring personality strain. Many of them don't even want to be superheroes.

Enter: Iron Man. First thing to note is that unlike all the others he doesn't actually have any superpowers... except for Batman... I grew up thinking he was bitten by a bat, and then he could fly, but I just discovered less than five minutes ago that he's just a normal guy. Well, if multi-billionaires are normal. Anyway! Tony Stark doesn't have any superpowers, unless being a genius is considered a superpower. And yet, he's not the nerdy type at all. He's got serious attitude - it's just such an unexpected kind of character. Refreshing, and funny :)

One thing that made me a bit mad about the movie, though, was the hypocrisy of how promiscuity is portrayed. I mean, when Pepper sees the reporter girl to the door she mentions that her duties include "occasionally taking out the trash." Yet, on the balcony, talking to Tony, she says "everybody knows how you are with women, and that's fine." Why, in one case, does such behavior classify a person as trash, and in another case it's totally fine, even attractive? Well, to her credit, she wouldn't get involved with him, citing his reputation as one of the reasons. Guys should have to worry about their reputations too, even if they are cool superheroes!

Now, don't get me wrong, I'll be the first to admit that there are lots of other things to like about Tony Stark. In fact, in some ways he distinctly reminds me of Adrian. Like, when he keeps the general waiting at his plane, and the general says "I've been waiting for 3 hours!" Then Tony breezes past him and retorts "Well, we're waiting on you now!" That SO sounds like Adrian. It would be annoying if it weren't so funny! So, yeah, Iron Man is probably my favorite Superhero now. BTW, Robert Downey, Jr. will be playing Sherlock Holmes! I can't wait! ...I wonder who will play Irene??

Oh, and I did like Hancock. It wasn't super great, I guess, definitely not what I expected. But, it had such a jaw-dropping plot twist that it's going to take a while for the bruise to wear off my chin.

Morning Glory ’Star of Yelta’

Another new flower bloomed! This is Morning Glory 'Star of Yelta' which I grew from seed:

...and Rachel sent me a really funny MP3. It's an acapella overture of John Williams themes sung with Star Wars "lyrics."

New Car

So. We bought my old Honda (a 95 Accord) really cheap, and it turned out to be a lemon. We had to fix/replace several big things, and even after that it was still having problems. In the last 48 hours Adrian has taken to calling that car "the crap-mobile." So, he decided we were getting another car, that it would be much newer, and that it would have warranty. A local dealer (like, REALLY local - < 1 mile from our house) had a 2006 White Nissan Sentra with ~21k miles on it for a pretty good price, actually. We traded in my Accord for more than we thought we could, and now the crap-mobile is history. The only thing I really miss about it is the sun roof (which I really didn't use all that often), and my bumper stickers (one for Ron Paul and one that said "You are likely to be eaten by a grue..."). Anyway, here's me with the new car (Rachel, that's the outfit I told you about last month - top: DEB clearance ~$4, skirt: Goodwill $2.80):

Asian Cuisine

Teriyaki Glaze
From a marinade bottle that I received at my bridal shower. It's cool because it already has the measurements marked on the side. There are 3 other marinade recipes on this bottle, but this one is our favorite. I use it on chicken.

1/2t pepper
1/2t salt
1T garlic powder
1T sugar
1T grated ginger
4oz white wine
4oz soy sauce

Put raw meat and marinade in a large gallon ziploc, and let set for at least 15 minutes before grilling. One time I left this in the refrigerator for 24 hours - that was REALLY good. Usually, however, Adrian decides he wants to grill without giving me 24 hour notice ;)

Quick Sesame Green Beans
From allrecipes.com. This is a good side for the chicken above. I'm not so exact with the spice measurements, and I often end up making this WAY too garlicy.

8oz fresh green beans, trimmed
4 cloves garlic
2T soy sauce
1T sesame seeds
1/2T red pepper flakes (I keep a small jar of these saved from when we have pizza)
1/2T miso paste (optional - I don't use this)
1t grated fresh ginger root (I use dried ginger powder)

1. Steam green beans for 5 minutes or until soft, then transfer to a serving bowl.
2. Mix together all other ingredients, and pour over the beans.

Beef Pho
This is a Vietnamese soup that I first had at a local restaurant. That is the weirdest restaurant, they are almost always closed. Given that they haven't gone out of business yet, I'm beginning to wonder if they are a front for a criminal ring of some kind. Anyway, then Adrian wanted to make it at home, and we found this recipe online. The trick is to use fresh herbs.

225g broad rice noodles (Banh Pho - I found these at WalMart)
100g rump steak, finely shredded (I use whatever kind of beef steak I have)
1 onion, peeled and chopped into rings
1 lemon, juiced
1 pkg fresh bean sprouts
4T fresh coriander, chopped (coriander=cilantro)
4T fresh mint, finely chopped
3-4 hot red or green chili peppers cut into rings (optional - I think I used jalapenos)
90 mL Nuoc Mam sauce (see next recipe)
3 cups beef broth (or water+boullion)

Nuoc Mam Sauce
1 part lime/lemon juice or vineager
1 part fish sauce (I learned that "fish sauce" is made from, among other things, fermented anchovy juice. The mere thought turns my stomach, so I substitute soy sauce and that seems to work just fine.)
1 part sugar
2 parts water

1. Soak noodles for 30 minutes in warm water, until just soft
2. Drain and keep warm. Soak onion rings in lemon juice for 20 minutes.
3. Arrange coriander, mint sprouts, and lemon or lime wedges on different plats and place on the table.
4. First add noodles to the soup bowles, then follow with herbs, then onion and chiles if desired.Add meat, placing it in a single layer over the whole.
5. Pour the stock over the paper-thin meat, turning it from raw to rare and releasing the scnets and flavors of the coriander, mint and chili.
6. Add the Nuoc Mam sauce, a squeeze of lemon or lime, and slurp away.

...Now, I actually boil the meat a little first, out of hygiene concerns. I also add everything to one bowl, and don't both with separate plates of herbs. However, the soup is tough to serve. Maybe I should be cutting up the noodles a bit first?

Some Favorite Sixpence Lyrics from "Divine Discontent"

I bought this album a while back on half.com for $0.75. What a steal.

I dreamt of something last night in my sleep;
I saw you sitting in a room without me;
You were smiling and you had a tattoo;
Of me, in a room without you.

Your mystery is not worth being solved.

another a song, three minutes long
i just need something to do

she fell in shock, the baby kicked,and shed a tear inside the womb

eyes wide open all the time
just like a drug store in the city
where she walks the streets at night
time keeps ticking like the ocean through a siv
ever on ever forward in a march
Hallelujah
she's working for the money
two for the show

But tension is to be loved
For it is like a passing note
To a beautiful, beautiful chord

So I'm changing who I am
'cos what I am's not good
And I know you love me now
But I don't see why you should

And I'm spinning unconcealed
Dizzy on this wheel, for you, my love

in all of these things you reside and I
want you to flow from the pen, bow and brush
with paper and string, and canvas tight
with ink in the air, to dust your light
From the morning 'til the black of night
This is my call, I belong to you
This is my call to sing the melodies of you
This is my call I can do nothing else
I can do nothing else

Guys & Divas

I just realized that I have a thing for movies that have guys with a thing for girls who sing.

My Favorite Comedies

IMHO, these are some of the best comedies of all time:
Arsenic & Old Lace
The Philadelphia Story
Singing in the Rain
The Disorderly Orderly
That Darn Cat (original with Hayley Mills)
The Party
What's Up Doc
The Princess Bride
Surf Ninjas
Picture Perfect
Joe VS the Volcano
Men in Black
Galaxy Qwest
The Emperor's New Groove
Pirates of the Caribbean 1
Over the Hedge

Funny, but contains unnecessary offensive material (Of course, many comedies are comprised entirely of unnecessary material, but that's still no excuse for offensive stuff. I will watch these movies, but I feel duty-bound to warn you if I am to recommend these):
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Murder By Death

Daylily

So, my daylilies finally started blooming this month. The name comes from the fact that each flower lasts only one day. Fortunately, there are several flowers per stalk (and on mature plants, several stalks) to keep the flowers coming for quite a while! In this case I was lucky enough to have two simultaneous blooms from one stalk:

Election Math

What if our votes were counted differently?

...until more Americans learn better math, I don't think we'll head towards anything less simple (not that the current primary methods are simple, but they are more the process of some kind of random evolution rather than an actual plan).

The Age of the Essay

OK - so Rodney gave me a link to this article and told me I should post it. I rather agreed with him at the time (which was about 4 months ago), but never got around to it until now. Anyway, if you ever had an English assignment you couldn't stand, this article is for you. Though the article makes a number of good points, I think I would still have to declare myself in favor of a classical education, which (surprise!) usually centers around 'the classics.' Not that I could really claim to have had a classical education - but I still think I got something better than what is given out in public schools.

Clatite Pie

This is a Romanian recipe, it's sort of like pancakes. Here is the recipe for the pancake part:

1c flour
2c milk
2 eggs
2t sugar
2t butter
salt (to taste - not much)

Mix up all those ingredients, and fry one ladleful at a time. After you make all the "pancakes" (makes about 10), spread a filling on each one, roll them up, and place in the oven at 400° for about 15 min. Fillings can include jam/preserves/dulchatsa, whipped cream, chocolate, and two special fillings that I will give recipes for in a minute. OK, that's how you make traditional clatite. However, Adrian and I always seem to have trouble getting the pancakes to "harden" and flip as they are supposed to - so what we end up with is a mass of mushed clatite, which won't hold filling or roll up into a decent shape. So, I just started layering a baking pan with half of the clatite pieces, put in the filling, then layer the other half on top. It tastes the same, and is easier and faster to cook - it's just not as pretty. Anyway, as promised, here are the other filling recipes:

Turkey Mushroom Filling (appetizer or main dish)
150g chopped cooked turkey (lunch meat, turkey bacon, etc)
100g sour cream
1/2 pkg cream cheese
1 sm (8 oz) can chopped mushrooms
1/4 onion chopped
season to taste with salt, black pepper, italian spices, and garlic powder

Cook as before. This is especially good topped with marinara sauce, sour cream and parmesan.

Cheese Filling (My favorite!!)
Mix equal parts feta cheese (Traditional salty variety - can be bought for a decent price, in bulk, at Sam's. Also good in soups and salad. Freezes well.), farmer's cheese (can substitute cottage cheese - if there is too much liquid mix in a little cream of wheat or flour). I do this in a 4c measuring cup, and so it probably works out to about 1c of each kind of cheese. Add some sugar (I usually use about 1/2c), vanilla (1t ?), and an egg. Mix all ingredients together, and then either spread spoonfuls on individual clatite and roll-up, or use the pie method mentioned before. Enjoy!

Complexity Theory and Environmental Management

A cool speech by author Michael Crichton (he wrote both Jurassic Park and ER). Visit the link. It has a video too, if you are interested. The whole article is good, but one quote reminded me of why I don't care much about news:

"there is nothing more sobering than a 30 year old newspaper. You can't figure out what the headlines mean. You don't know who the people are. Theodore Green, John Sparkman, George Reedy, Jack Watson, Kenneth Duberstein. You thumb through page after page of vanished concerns—issues that apparently were vitally important at the time, and now don't matter at all. It's amazing how many pressing concerns are literally of the moment. They won't matter in six months, and certainly not in six years. And if they won't matter then, are they really worth our attention now?"

Video Game Violence

I know there's a big controversy about video game violence - you know, the idea that between TV/movies/video games, etc kids these days see way too much violence, and it makes them violent? That's not what this blog is about. I mean, seriously, if you decide to be violent just because you saw a video game character do it, then you already needed help.

My take on video game (more specifically, computer game) violence is just that I don't like it. For the most part, I find violent games to be boring. In the event that a non-boring game has a few violent parts, or I'm talked into playing a violent game, then, well... OK, so, it scares me!!!

For example, there's a really cool, old, girl-detective game called Laura Bow (BTW, I found a free download last weekend on an abandonware site which I was able to install and configure on XP). LB2 is "The Dagger of Amon Ra," a whodunit set in a NYC Museum, and centering around the Egyptology craze of the 1920's. Throughout most of the game, you simply have to interview people, collect objects, explore locations, eavesdrop, and discover dead bodies. There are a few ways to die if you do something stupid like: try to cross the street in NYC, walk alone at night in NYC outside a speakeasy, play with the traps in the German security guard's office, inhale too many vapors from large vats of formaldehyde, open a steamer trunk full of hungry carnivorous beetles without bringing fresh meat to feed them (ie other than yourself), etc. However, if you use some common sense, you'll be alright... until the end of the game, that is.

Then, suddenly, ACT 5 springs upon you, and you are being chased through the museum by an axe murderer cloaked in black! Or maybe it's a mace-murderer? Anyway, if you do it properly, the scene goes like this:



... I, however, took SEVERAL tries before I was able to do it properly. If you take too long to get to the next right step, you get axed. So, this ACT both started and ended with lots of screaming. I think the first time the murderer appear, I literally got up and ran around the house (Screaming, of course - and the soundtrack doesn't help. My pulse quickens just thinking about it). Even once I did start figuring out what to do, each new screen had to be "paused" by hovering over the toolbar while I screamed a bit and figured out my next move. And since reinstalling the game... no, I haven't had the guts to play ACT 5 yet.

Another thing about video game violence, and war games in general, is that I'm just not particularly good at them. My little brother had the game Army Men, where you control an army of little plastic army men, and direct them on missions throughout the house and yard using everyday items in your operations. My brother insisted that I play this game with him, so I dutifully went off to boot camp. At one point, I was supposed to learn how to drive a tank. However, I could not figure out how to get inside the tank. So, I just decided to skip that module and walk to the next training activity. My leisurely stroll happened to cross a minefield. My little brother subsequently gave me the most withering of looks, and slapped his forehead whilst groaning "You killed yourself in bootcamp! Aaaaah."

Preteen Silly Songs meets Lexiphanism

You've all probably heard this one, right?

Miss Suzy had a baby, she named him Tiny Tim
She put him in the bathtub, to see if he could swim
He drank up all the water, he ate up all the soap.
And then the little baby got a bubble in in throat.

Miss Suzy called the doctor,
Miss Suzy called the nurse,
Miss Suzy called the lady with the alligator purse.

"Mumps" said the the doctor,
"Measles" said the the nurse,
"Nothing" said the the lady with the alligator purse.

Out went the the doctor,
Out went the the nurse,
In stayed the the lady with the alligator purse.

Miss Suzy hit the doctor,
Miss Suzy kicked the nurse,
Miss Suzy paid the lady with the alligator purse.

...and then my younger sister and I made up this sequel (ok, mostly I made it up because I was being lexiphanic that day and thought all of her additions were too simple *Twisted Evil Face*) several years ago:

Miss Suzy had a clone, she named it Tiny Sue
She looked inside the coloring book to see what it drew.
She saw a pterodactyl, she saw medics in a hearse
She saw a very tiny lady in an alligator purse.

Tiny Sue ate the dino, then she vandalized the hearse,
Then she promptly joined the lady in the alligator purse.
Miss Suzy etched the caskets with poetic Zulu verse,
Then absconded with the handbag to another universe.

Materialism

So, last night, Adrian and I were having a little conversation before drifting off to sleep. He was saying how sad it is that many people can be so materialistic. We both agreed that we were each a bit materialistic too, though perhaps not as bad as some (though, maybe "ranking" shouldn't even matter).

Now, I know if I was a perfectly spiritual person, I'd be perfectly content to fast all the time, continually wear sack-cloth and ashes, live in a grass hut, and never give a second thought to all that I might be missing out on. However, I'm not really like that. I still like convenient comforts, and furthermore I am totally enamored with certain physical things such as clothes, flowers, fish and Luna.

Adrian said those things weren't so bad, because after all, I enjoyed them myself - I wasn't merely trying to impress others. I don't know if I agree with his rationalization. Whether I am trying to impress anyone else or not, these are still physical, material things. I agree that it's more of a tragedy to be a materialist for the sake of impressing others, and not derive any actual enjoyment from it. But, it's still being a materialist, nevertheless. As a matter of fact, since my materialism is only for my own enjoyment, you could say that my materialism is more selfish than others.

I gravitate towards the rationalization that many of the things I like are natural; ie God-made rather than people made. What's wrong with enjoying God's creations? Isn't that part of why he created them? I remember in one CS Lewis book (I'm thinking it was either Miracles or Mere Christianity), he made the point that God is not vague, spiritual, thing. He created the whole physical universe, and he gave us lots of physical laws (don't steal, don't commit adulterly, don't eat pork, etc), and even came down physically himself, to be physically born and to physically die (though, through dying, you could say that he cast aside physical things). But, if God doesn't care about physical things, why did he create so many of them? Anyway, I'm not sure that something being natural is much of an excuse for being obsessed with it. Many things that are natural, such as food, alcohol, sex, fire, etc, can be abused. For that matter, hemlock juice is natural! Even DHMO is natural ;)

So - I guess I'm still confused. What is materialism? Is there a difference between "good" materialism and "bad" materialism? Is God a materialist? Hmmm...

My Brothers On YouTube

They each have their own YouTube channel:

Rodney - onemanpiano
Tommy - aTomaCat

Rachel, you need to get one!

More Music

These are actually fairly old, so many of you might have heard these before. From my current website (which has more or less been eclipsed by MySpace):

Rock and Roll - Dec. 7, 2002 @ The Warehouse

...and from my old geocities website that I no longer have the admin password for:
An a capella clip of me forgetting the words to Toto's Hold the Line
Berlin's Take my Breath Away Part A and Part B (I actually sped this up after recording it, so the original was lower and slower)

Playlist Commentary

OK - y'all have had a while to listen to my playlist, so I figured it's high time I explained why I picked each song. These are not arranged in any particular order. I do plan to add more as Last.fm makes them available. I might take some away too.

1. The Zombies – Walking in the Sun
The Zombies are perhaps more well-known for their song Time of the Season, but that one is SO overplayed. So, I picked this one. The lyrics are just a shallow love song, and I'm considering taking this one off my list, for lack of any truly outstanding qualities other than "I never heard it on the radio before." Yet, perhaps I could claim that it encapsulated Adrian's feelings about PDA (certainly not mine), though I'm sure he would never be so verbose as to explain it like this. Anyway, cool music and nice voices.

2. Aerosmith – Crazy
Adrian showed me this song. I like it because it just seems so sincere. It's not a pure love song, people are imperfect and they hurt you (sometimes they even do it on purpose), and they make you mad! Yet, you can keep loving them anyway. Sometimes, you can't keep from loving them anyway. I love the parts of the song where the guitar seems to be a bit off beat, maybe even off key? It reminds me of the 1st Back to the Future, when Marty is trying to play guitar while fading out of existence. If you imagine that all the music in the song comes from a single source, it lends even more veracity to the claim that the author is being driven out of his mind. Most Aerosmith stuff I find a bit too stylistically homogeneous (though I also like Sing for the Years), and given that I haven't fallen in love with their style, I don't see a need to repeat it endlessly (but it really fits this song). I also like the mandolin or whatever it is in the background that gives a slight feeling of an Italian serenade.

3. Guns N' Roses – Don't Cry
Though the band has certainly gained some notoriety, I had never knowingly heard them on the radio. Adrian introduced me to this song. There's alot to like here, but mostly I go for the voice and lyrics in this one. I suppose it's a good example of the way I'd want to be talked to if I felt like crying. "Talk to me softly/there's something in your eyes" (gentle, and no actual accusation of crying, allowing the hearer to keep up a front)... "Give me a whisper (hissing inhale)/and give me a sigh (exhale)"... "Don't you take it so hard now/and please don't take it so bad"... "you'll feel better tomorrow/on the morning light"

4. David Bowie – As the World Falls Down
This is really the theme song from the movie Labyrinth. I saw that movie once at a friend's house when I was about ten years old, and never saw it again for probably at least a decade. Nevertheless, the ballroom scene in which this song is played (along with Jareth's character) became lodged somewhere in my unconscious along with an odd fascination. In the beginning, I didn't even know the lyrics - but now that I do, I like them, particularly "Deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel" and "Every thrill has gone/Wasnt too much fun at all/But Ill be there for you"

5. Kim Hill – Secret Place
In many ways, this song should probably be too simple for my taste. However, it's simplicity really accentuates the attractions, mainly, HER VOICE! So low and smooth - yet not as unreachably low as Toni Braxton ;) Lyrics are a bit awkward at times (for instance "your words a peace impart to me" - sounds like Yoda grammar), but the subject matter is not too simple. I also really like the guitar bridge. There is another Kim Hill song that I heard on Christian radio once, maybe 15 years ago, and have never been able to forget. If Last.fm uploads this one, and it's as great as I remember, that one will be added to my playlist.

6. Barbra Streisand – Papa, Can You Hear Me?
Like almost all BS stuff (heehee - how would you like to have her initials??), this tends more towards a musical theater style. I just like the piercing quality of her voice in this melody, which matches the lyrics. This song is from a weird movie called Yentl.

7. Vanessa Paradis – Be My Baby
This is really just a catchy pop song - but you never hear it on American radio because the singer is French. As a matter of fact, she is Johnny Depp's significant other (common law wife?). I suppose I like this song mainly because of her, rather than the song itself (though she has other songs that I don't enjoy as much as this one). Growing up, I have always had a fairly large space between my two front teeth. In childhood, that is cute, acceptable, and normal. In adulthood, I'd always thought it a bit weird. However, from a dental point of view, it's actually an advantage: always better to have more space for your chompers than less. Nevertheless, several dentists, while doing routine check-ups, offered to "fix" my little irregularity. I declined, on the grounds that I was content in my natural state. However, each time a new dentist offered "the change," I grew less content. Besides, I have many spending priorities that come higher than cosmetic dentistry. After I met Adrian, he once commented that he thought the space between my teeth was "sexy." I was very surprised! Eventually he got around to showing me a video of Vanessa Paradis - lo and behold, she has the same space, perhaps even a bit wider! So, what I had come to think of as a detraction was actually a prominent feature of a sexy French actress/singer! So, VP is to thank for this small part of my self-esteem. I can't help but like at least one of her songs ;) Dentists are jerks!

8. Eurythmics – I Saved the World Today
In the music section at Mardels in Tulsa, they used to have a big binder that would equate the musical styles of various Christian artists and secular artists. The idea was that if you were new to Christian music, you could find what you liked. Well, I grew up on Christian music, and knew practically nothing of secular music (part of that was self-inflicted; my parents did expose me to a variety of classic rock, jazz, and classical pieces), so I had a more reverse (perhaps some would say perverse?) curiosity. I saw that Margaret Becker was equated with Annie Lennox. I had never heard the name before, but I certainly never forgot it after that. I have since come to doubt the complete accuracy of that assessment (though the song Would I Lie to You REALLY does sound like MaggieB), but once I found out who Annie Lennox was, I listened a bit more intently than I would've had I not had her recommended to me in this way. Anyhow, the sometimes overplayed Eurythmics hits are not bad, but when I heard this particular track, I really fell for it! Her voice, of course, is lovely and I very much enjoy duplicating it. The melody is pleasing, and the lyrics are enigmatically cynical and fatalistic.On a lighter note, I can't help but think of the Arthur Dent character from Adventures in Odyssey (which they stole from Hitchikker's Guide to the Galaxy) "I saved the tower! I blew up the world!"

9. Cher – The Way of Love
Again, more musical theater style, but unlike Streisand, that is not what Cher usually does. The words, melody, etc are pretty simple, and the song itself is really short, basically just two repetitions of one verse! It's so simple, and Cher is not generally high on my listening list, I've considered taking it off this list. But, you also NEVER hear it on the radio (well, ok, I heard it a couple times on the radio, that's actually how I discovered this song ), and it doesn't sound like most Cher (every time Adrian hears this song he's like "I can't believe that's Cher!"), so for now it stays. Plus, it is very pretty, and Cher does have a good voice.

10. Modern Talking – You're My Heart, You're My Soul
There are basically two things that I love about 80's music. One: layered synth instrumentation, Two: something I call "That Eighties Voice." Modern Talking is more an example of the former than the later. Perhaps that makes sense, given that most 80's New Wave and New Romantic stuff was just a continuation of the British invasion - and this band is German! Still I do enjoy the way I do the vocals for this song (I think they miss alot of opportunities for impact with annunciation and tonal control). I also like to imagine performing this one, perhaps in a music video with facial close-ups. When I would sing as a kid I HATED the idea of stage presence, I thought sound should be all that mattered about singing; plus, most of the stage presence I'd seen up 'til then was pretty lame (mostly just insincere arm movements). Now I've begun to see that good stage presence is really a form of acting, and the sounds made by your voice should just be an extension of the emotions of the music, likewise for your whole body, particularly the face. True STAGE presence is about the body, but in any more intimate setting, particularly with the modern advent of video, facial expressions are a crucial part of a good performance. Most Modern Talking stuff is way too homogeneous, so I don't see any sense in overloading, one track is plenty. As a side note, I often thought that Modern Talking is kinda what the BeeGees coulda been if they had ever moved on from the 70s. I guess it's just the falsetto stuff that makes me say that. The lyrics are kinda shallow... unless you have enough imagination to weave your own storyline with them, as I have begun to do ;)

11. Vera Lynn – We'll Meet Again
I think this song was popular during WWII, and would've been forgotten had it not been for it's inclusion in the movie Dr. Strangelove. I think there's also a short scene with it in Hellboy. It's also mentioned in a Pink Floyd song. I guess people back then were used to it, but I find the vibrato style a bit annoying. Still, the modulation of organ and voice actually mesh together quite well, and it stands out among the styles of today. What I really love about this song is her voice (tone and pitch) on the "we'll meet again" strains. I also like some of her "accent," sort of folksy and childish in a womanly kind of way, but not too much.

12. The Lightning Seeds – You Showed Me
Cool music, cool voice - not super outstanding, but just... cool? Maybe I should take this one off too.

13. Kansas – The Devil Game
Wow! I know full-blown Kansas can be overpowering for those who are not used to it, or even for those who are, but are not in an energized enough mood. Kansas is a combination of manic energy and extreme instrumentation - how come all they ever play on the radio is Dust in the Wind and Carry On Wayward Son? From Dust in the Wind you might never even know they were a rock band. All Kansas lyrics are powerful - these sound like they are straight out of some 1800's fire and brimstone sermon! ...and all this from a secular classic rock band? It's just so unexpected, and that's why I love it! Or, maybe I just love the way it reminds me of my Dad going to town on his set... or the image of me hair down long (before I cut it) in a long black skirt and blouse with red fedora and leather gloves, belting this out at the amphitheater in Acacia Park! Yes; I did that. Too bad more people didn't show up. I think I was somewhere between a witch and a cowgirl and a street preacher... Rachel said my costume was over the top. With Kansas, how can you be anything other than over the top? I think over the top suits my stage personality... who says Christian music has to be boring? ;)

14. The Yardbirds – For Your Love
Maybe I'll delete this one too. It's just that the Yardbirds is a fairly unknown band (today) that represents an early coalition of some of the greatest guitar talents known to man: : Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. But, it is a live recording, and whoever is singing at the end is horribly off key, like fingernails on a chalkboard! Yup, definitely gonna have to get rid of this one...just a few more listens first though ;) Anyway, lots of good Kansas songs are worth adding.

15. Elton John – Someone Saved My Life Tonight
I don't generally like Elton John a whole lot, but this song is just too sincere to pass up. It's supposedly about how he almost got married, and someone stopped him. Now, obviously, I'm not anti-marriage, but if you don't think the person you are going to marry is the right one, then maybe this could be called saving someone's life.

16. Sarah Brightman – Figlio Perduto
Rachel told me this was a dirge for an elven prince. I don't know elven, so I can't confirm that, but it's a very pretty in a foreboding sort of way. I've got a few more Brightman numbers that I want to add to this list, once Last.fm brings them online. I'm especially looking forward to getting Gloomy Sunday back (they had it, and then they lost it :P )

17. Charlie Peacock – The Way Of Love
Very interesting melody/instrumentation, unique vocals, not to mention great Christian lyrics - basically 1 Corinthians 13. Incredible background vocals by the late Vince Ebo (suicide). One of the few background vocals that I actually listen to - interesting to note that as a kid, I never realized there were two singers. There are some other Peacock songs that I will probably add later: The Secret of Time, and Dear Friend. The Secret of Time album was the first CD that I ever owned, and I bought it for the song Almost Threw it All Away.

18. Heart – Dog & Butterfly
Great vocals, complex melody, simple instrumentation. What I really love about this song are the lyrics - I didn't understand them for a long time. As I understand this song now, it is using the simple analogy of a dog chasing a butterfly to represent that in life, there are some things that we want, yet simply cannot have. But we try anyway. It's not sensible. We laugh at our own foolishness in pursuing these things. We cry in bitter disappointment at not being able to have them... and we try anyway. We HAVE to. Maybe after a certain point we stop trying, we become sensible. And yet, there's a dullness in that sensibility. Something about being human requires that if you have a dream, you HAVE to try.

19. Toto Cutugno – L'italiano
Here's another one that I know of thanks to Adrian. I LOVE his voice. I think I like the lyrics too, something about singing my song with a piano and a guitar in my hand, something about spaghetti and the president, being a true Italian. I just try to vaguely sound like him, singing syllables that I don't understand, in as scratchy a voice as I can muster. Again, this is another one of those where it's fun to imagine facial expressions to go with everything (you know, I think that's really what made the Numa Numa song such a hit: Gary's expressions!).

20. Margaret Becker – O Come, O Come Emmanuel
I think this is the coolest version of a Christmas song that will ever be made (with the exception of TSO)! Or, maybe I just like this song because I remember awing an audience with it at age 12 ;) The timing and range are the most challenging things about this song. Of course, I pretty much love ANY Margaret Becker song. I also put Find Me on here (I love the baseline, her voice, and the lyrics, particularly the lines : "let my hair grow wild and free," "sit out on the edge of the fire escape/feel a little destitute," "give away my TV"), and I may add some others (especially when they get more of her stuff uploaded). I'm particularly looking forward to getting Pico Boulevard, and might go ahead and put up Soul Tattoo even now.

21. Sixpence None the Richer – self-titled album and Divine Discontent
Most people know Sixpence because of their radio hits Kiss Me, There She Goes, and Don't Dream It's Over (originally by Crowded House - and, as usual, I prefer the original). Most people don't even realize that they are a crossover band (they are Christian, but managed to get some secular airtime). One thing I love about their albums is how fluid the tracks are - like a some soundtrack albums, or Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Sometimes it seems that the tracks just flow together into a single masterpiece (with the exception of the overplayed hits I mentioned above). So, that's one thing I haven't figured out how to convey with this playlist. You will get some of my favorite songs played as individual tracks, but that's not the whole effect. Anyway, complex fluidity is the best way I can think of to describe their stuff: whether describing an album, the instrumentation, the tone of her voice, the lyrics, etc. Gorgeous!

22. Fiona Apple – Across the Universe
For more info about this song, see my previous blog posting my karaoke version of it. Recording Bug. Anyway, mainly I just love her voice and style, very unique.

23. Lisa Bevill – Never Could
This song is so... bluesy? I'm not extremely good with classifying things in the right genre. Anyway, it's like blues, and soul, and jazz - plus a great voice (not that soul is possible without a great voice)! I fell in love with this song at a time in my life when I was feeling very lonely (living at Purdue for a summer internship that wasn't teaching me anything). It just hit home "never could make it/never could make it alone/and if I could make it/I wouldn't wanna make it on my own."

24. Goldfrapp - Utopia
I discovered this one through Last.fm! The lyrics and music are both so cold and ethereal - a perfect match. The music video fort this on YouTube is really short of what I expected. I've got all my own facial expressions worked out. I so need to get a camera. Oh, yeah Mainly just keep an almost blank expression, except for a sort of curiosity, slowly shifting eyes. Then on "Fascist Baby," the beginning of a flirty, almost predatory grin. Then, as the "utopia" refrains begin, a bit of an obsessive glow in the eyes, fixed far in the distance.

25. Petra - Graverobber, Not of this World
Petra is some of the best classic Christian rock out there. Great lyrics, great music, good voices, and alot of passion. As with Sixpence, it would be really nice to link up the instrumental Doxology as an intro to Not of this World, just like it is on the album. That's the way I grew up hearing it, and I was surprised when I realized they were separate tracks - what is up with that? But, can't do that yet. Graverobber is also awesome, for the words as much as anything "Where is the sting tell me where is the bite/when the graverobber comes like a thief in the night/where is the victory, where is the prize/when the graverobber comes and death finally dies" - that's basic Christianity for you right there. I don't know why church praise songs can't do something like that. I'll probably add some more Petra at some point, at least Whole World and Shakin' the House.

26. Toto - Can You Hear What I'm Saying
I mainly love the percussive instrumentation and general nature of this song. I used to be afraid of being associated with the liberalism of the lyrics - but there's nothing in there that I really disagree with (it's just a matter of degree and detail, there are more important problems than what they think, or better solutions than what they propose, or different sources to blame, etc...), so that's a lame reason to not include this song. I used to always think of it at a more personal level, just a misunderstood person asking Can You Hear What I'm Saying.