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Friday, August 1st, 2008
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11:44 am - Menudo
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So there was this song I heard on the radio - the refrain started out "I'm losin' my head, I'm losin' my mind, I'm losin' control of myself inside..." or something like that. I COMPLETELY fell in love with it. At first I was afraid it was the Jonas Brothers, and was happy to hear that the artist's name was Menudo. I heard the song again last night and knew I had to have more, so I went to look up this "Menudo."
And it's worse than the Jonas Brothers. The Jonas Brothers are the new Hanson. These guys? They're 16-year-old Latino Backstreet Boys chosen on a reality tv show. Ricky Martin got his start with a previous incarnation of Menudo.
But I'm listening to another song and...I'm buying this album the moment it comes out. Judge me if you wish, but I'm not sure I've ever heard anything catchier.
current mood:  impressed
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| Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
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8:13 am - another post about men
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Is it bad that my perception of my ideal man is a combination of two I can't have/have had and can't have again (Shimon and Ty, if you were wondering)? I think it probably is.
I hung out with a guy last night I've been going out with a lot lately, and I thought he had potential. Two problems: Not my type physically (not that he wasn't cute, just not my type), and...well...kind of illiterate. Not that he can't read, just that he doesn't, and he doesn't know a lot of words that I use pretty regularly (case in point: I use "facetious" in a text message and get the response "um, I think you meant fascist."). But even though I'm an avowed intellectual elitist, I was prepared to overlook these two things because he's a really nice guy and actually fun to be around. Until last night. I was editing my Urban Geography section when he came over, and he made a joke about what was up on the screen. I said something about how you'd say it, and he went (not kidding) "I don't speak Muslim." And so desire was dead, because let's face it, even though I'm not that smart, I AM an intellectual elitist, and I actually do need someone who can keep up with me.
And that got me thinking about all the guys I've dated lately and how, for someone who claims not to settle, I've been doing an awful lot of settling. Everything from "he's kind of an asshole" to "he has no time" to "he's divorced and far away and doesn't want commitment" to "he's really kind of immature" to "I'm really not attracted to him" has been followed by "well yeah, but..." in my head, or to whomever pointed out the first part (if it wasn't me). I'm tired of saying "well yeah, but..." about major stuff.
So I've made a decision. I'm supposed to meet a guy from OkC this week, and I'm having dinner with a PSP guy tonight, but other than that I'm done dating for a while. I'm exhausted. It takes up a lot of time. I'm obviously not getting anywhere. I'm just going to focus on my friends and my dancing, watch more tv, explore more of the city, sleep more, read more, cook more. Someone suggested I do this a few weeks ago, but I wasn't ready to give up yet. Right now, though, I just can't do it anymore.
If anyone's interested in joining me for fun and free/cheap stuff in the city and has suggestions, I'm open to them.
current mood:  exhausted
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| Thursday, May 22nd, 2008
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8:16 am - Another interesting book
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One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
It seems to me that people either love this book or hate it. Blair, whom I usually trust, loved it. Molly, whom I also usually trust, hated it (to the point of saying it was the worst book she's ever read). I was somewhere in between, but on the whole positive. I typically don't read every word - I have a bad habit of skimming, and it seems that his writing style is particularly well suited to skimming, so it was pretty easy to get through. Also, for some reason, I liked the ending. I wasn't a huge fan of the incest and everyone having the same three names, though. It made it harder to follow. But I may read more.
Once I finished that, I needed some literary trash, so I read Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin. Just looking at the cover of this one amused Ben to no end - it was pink, with an elf girl, and the phrase "One girl, a stolen amulet, a whole lot of trouble," and the teaser on the back was no better. But it was a totally cliched girl power book, and I loved it. Couldn't put it down. The characters were likeable, courageous, and funny, there was romance, and even a reasonably good ending. Seriously, Blair in particular, I think you might like this one. It's the chick flick of fantasy novels.
current mood: unspeakably tired
current music: blessed quiet
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| Sunday, May 4th, 2008
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2:06 am - Since I stopped posting about books...
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The top 106 books most often marked as "unread" by LibraryThing’s users. As in, they sit on the shelf to make you look smart or well-rounded. Bold the ones you've read, underline the ones you read for school, italicize the ones you started but didn't finish. A.N.: * = on wishlist, ** = in possession to read.
1984
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
Anna Karenina
Beloved
Brave New World
Crime and Punishment
Dracula*
Emma
Frankenstein
Great Expectations
Gulliver’s Travels*
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences*
Jane Eyre
Lolita
Love in the Time of Cholera
Mansfield Park
Memoirs of a Geisha*
Middlemarch
Moby Dick
Mrs. Dalloway
Northanger Abbey
Oliver Twist*
On the Road
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One Hundred Years of Solitude*
Persuasion
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility*
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
The Blind Assassin*
The Canterbury Tales
The Catcher in the Rye
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time*
The God of Small Things
The Hobbit
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
The Prince - Machiavelli
The Silmarillion*
The Tale of Two Cities
The Unbearable Lightness of Being*
To the Lighthouse
Treasure Island*
War and Peace
Watership Down
Wuthering Heights
Catch-22*
Guns, Germs, and Steel
Life of Pi : a novel
The Brothers Karamazov
The Iliad
Ulysses
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values*
A Clockwork Orange
A Confederacy of Dunces*
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A Short History of Nearly Everything*
American Gods
Anansi Boys
Angels & Demons
Atlas Shrugged**
Cloud Atlas
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed*
Cryptonomicon*
David Copperfield*
Don Quixote*
Dubliners
Dune*
Eats, Shoots & Leaves*
Foucault’s Pendulum*
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Gravity’s Rainbow
Inferno
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Les Misérables
Madame Bovary
Middlesex
Neverwhere
Oryx and Crake
Quicksilver
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Slaughterhouse-five*
The Aeneid
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Confusion
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Fountainhead**
The Grapes of Wrath
The Historian : a novel*
The Hunchback of Notre Dame*
The Kite Runner
The Mists of Avalon
The Name of the Rose**
The Odyssey
The Once and Future King
The Satanic Verses
The Scarlet Letter
The Sound and the Fury
The Time Traveler’s Wife
Vanity Fair
White Teeth
Wicked : the life and times of the wicked witch of the West**
Conclusions: I read a surprising number of classics for fun (more than for school), I don't start much and not finish, and I don't own a lot of classic books I haven't read.
So I'm totally off on the challenge, but I did read two recently that were interesting.
x. Madame Bovary, by Gustav Flaubert
I just finished it, and it took me a while to get through it. While I'm glad to have finally read it, I can't say I really enjoyed it. It did do a good job of describing the emotions throughout a love affair (including falling out of love), none of the characters were the slightest bit admirable, and the ending was one that I didn't think I should have been so relieved about. But now I know what happens, and I feel better educated for having read it.
x+1. Interesting Times, by Terry Pratchett
This was my last Discworld book. My library at home didn't have it, so it took me years to get ahold of a copy (honestly, I wasn't trying that hard...I kind of liked *always* having another one to read since I read his new ones fairly soon after they come out, but I don't remember Reaper Man that well, so there's always re-reading that), but I finally found one at the Arlington library, so decided to go for it. I know I said Making Money was my favorite, but this one actually beat it. It centers on the Chinese Revolution, with a side dish of barbarians. He's always philosophical, but this one had a whole lot of talk (more like pictures with words, really) about what civilization is, what revolution is, and what democracy is. Plus, it was hilarious. Seriously, if you have any interest in China, read this book.
I started the Virgin Suicides yesterday, and I hope to finish it while basking in the sun tomorrow.
Oh, and for those of you who want life updates in this thing: fabulous new job, started three weeks ago writing a cultural training program for Marines. Fabulous new car, bought it three weeks ago, and it's a good thing it's fabulous because I've already put nearly 800 miles on it. Fabulous new house, moving next weekend. Dating is dating, whatever, it's ok-fun.
current mood: sleepy
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| Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
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12:51 am - A random night
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I went to Clyde's birthday party tonight, and wasn't really sure what to expect. I mean, we hadn't really talked all week because he was busy with his show opening, and the idea of being tossed into a bunch of his [female - I could totally handle male] friends when I really have no idea where I stand is rather intimidating. Add that to the fact that I'm still sleep-deprived and think I'm getting sick, and I was pretty nervous. It didn't start out well. I came scarily close to fainting at the apartment I was looking at before I went to Wheaton (after the same thing happened on the metro this morning), he totally ignored me when I walked in, there were a grand total of three other people there that I knew, and I still wasn't feeling well. But it turned out ok. I didn't dance a whole lot, but that was ok. He didn't ignore me the whole night (I might be seeing him Wednesday), and I had fun with the three people I knew.
One of those is the reason I'm posting. It's a guy who is married to a ballroom dancer I know, and who is moderately sketchy in that he's hella flirtatious and doesn't wear a wedding ring. I met him at a west coast dance (though I'd been seeing him at college night for years) a few weeks ago. He teaches west coast, so he's always been really patient and helpful with me, plus he's fun to dance with. The other two things that always happen are that he always tells me I look great, and he always grills me about Clyde, because Clyde is the reason I go to west coast stuff. Tonight he was getting a bit touchy-feelier than usual, so I made sure to mention his wife as kind of a don't-try-anything-sketchy-buddy, and I think it worked. Even if he does try anything sketchy, he's not going to get anywhere with it, because I will NEVER stoop so low as to mess around with a married guy, no matter how hot or flirtatious he is. But it was fun to have someone to talk to, to tell me I'm a good dancer while giving me tips on how to get better, to make much of my haircut. I may have a new movie-star-crush (for those of you who weren't around for the latin coach, this means someone as unattainable as Brad Pitt, whom I enjoy flirting with specifically because they are so attractive and unattainable).
Getting home took forever, but I came home to an OkCupid message from some random guy saying that we probably have nothing in common and I probably outclass him by a lot, but I'm gorgeous. Hooray for much-needed ego boosts when I've been feeling low!
current mood: pretty
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| Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
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7:03 pm - more books!
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18. Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky
This is the guy who wrote Cod. Parts of this book were far more interesting, because salt involves the whole world (including, to a great extent, Salzburg - big surprise,I know), but it went on a lot longer (probably because there was far more to say). On the whole, though, I'd recommend it. Ignore the fact that it took me three weeks to get through, if you would.
Nearly done with the next one. It's really good to be home, but less than two days isn't quite enough time. Molls and I went bikini and sandal shopping this afternoon (successfully, I might add), and right after dinner I'm going to visit my one true love, Walmart, and stock up on things like shamditioner and makeup. Tomorrow's mass at 10, then we leave for the train station around 1 or 1:30. Molly and I are amtraking back, though, so yay for more sisterly bonding time!
PS my kitty is still precious
current mood:  comfortable
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| Tuesday, March 18th, 2008
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10:43 am - fantasy!
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16. Confessor by Terry Goodkind
I fell in love with the series when my sister gave me Wizard's First Rule for my birthday sophomore year of high school. It didn't look that promising, so I put off reading it until February. For some reason I decided to bust it out the day of a bio trip to Hershey Medical Labs to play with brains (possibly because it was a 700-page paperback and therefore easy to carry on the bus), and I finished it that day. It was amazing. I got the second as soon as I could, and read up through the sixth (the newest one at the time) before I left for Germany in June of that year. A lot of people who read them complain about all the S&M, and I'm not gonna lie, it's definitely disturbing, but if you really think about it, it all furthers the plot and contributes to character development. The eighth and ninth books were kind of slow, with lots of magic theory and everything getting continuously but vaguely worse until by the tenth book, I had no idea how they were going to avoid the end of the world. Confessor was the last one, though, so I knew that something would finally have to happen. When the situation was still getting worse halfway through the relatively short book, I was seriously afraid the resolution would be clumsy. This fear seemed to be justified when the hero suddenly got his magic back after three books for no reason that I could see, and other things that seemed to be completely unrelated kept happening. But then it all made sense. The other stuff wasn't completely unrelated, I had just fogotten it happened three books earlier. By the end of the book, everything had been resolved with grace and justice, and it was all totally consistent. The last three hundred pages were full of twists going back to the very beginning of the series and all the way through. It was absolutely masterful, the most satisfying ending to an 8000 page odyssey I could imagine. I would say that if you stopped reading at book one or two or three (or never started), it's worth reading the rest of the series just for this book.
17. The Alchemist's Apprentice by Dave Duncan
Not as good as Confessor, obviously (what could be?), but still fun. Dave Duncan wrote a series I adored about a bunch of swordsmen called the King's Blades, full of political intrigue, dashing swordsmanship, honor and duty and love, so I decided to give this one a try when I saw it in the library on Sunday. It was set in Venice around the 17th or 18th Century, and Duncan was obviously familiar with Venetian politics from the period (maybe not names, but certainly how it worked), so it was pretty fun.
I'm also making slow progress on Salt, and there have (of course) been numerous trashy romance novels I'm not mentioning here.
current mood:  fantastical
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| Saturday, March 1st, 2008
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10:49 am - Falling out of love
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When I fall in love (which isn't all that often, but it certainly happens) I tend to fall hard and fast. I'm not the kind of person who will just casually date someone for months; generally, if I want a relationship, I know it in the first few weeks and would call myself "in love" not too long after that. Then, as we're together, I get more sure of it. This tends to make me take stuff I shouldn't before the relationship ends. But I think that's typical.
I was thinking that if I'm "in love," it shouldn't be so easy to fall out of love. Yet once a relationship ends, it tends to only take a couple of weeks, if that. I guess it's because when I'm with someone, even though I'm aware of their faults, those faults hold a lower value in my opinion because I focus on the good things that are making me happy in the relationship. Once it ends, though, there's no reason to discount the faults, so they come up to their real value, and the value of the good things drops now that they're not immediately in front of me. Maybe it's because I'm a relationship person. I'll never say that my exes don't have good qualities - there are reasons I loved them and was happy with them - but being able to focus on the bad traits definitely helps in getting over them.
current mood:  pensive
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| Thursday, February 28th, 2008
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11:01 pm - Turns out trips to B-mo are good for reading productivity
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14. The Year of Living Biblically by AJ Jacobs
Blair recommended this one, and she was right. It's a really good read, and provides an interesting look at organized Bible-based religion. My favorite part: the unpaid intern as "slave."
15. The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
I borrowed Blink from Ben and loved it, so when I happened upon this at the library, I jumped at the chance to read it. Loved it too. Much of it was very intuitive, but I had a whole bunch of lightbulb moments while I was reading it. He's got a lot of really interesting case studies, too. Fun fact: nicotine stimulates dopamine production, so a lot of depressed people deal with it by smoking. This means that certain antidepressants like Zyban can induce some people to quit smoking.
current mood:  edified
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| Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
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2:19 pm - More books
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Not counting the trashy romance...
11. Banker to the Poor by Muhammad Yunus
This guy started the Grameen bank and the concept of microcredit, and the book was incredible. It made me a total believer in his ideas, and it was easy to read with lots of stories about people who succeeded.
12. The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey
Trashy fantasy, but I decided to count it. It was kind of a variation on the Cinderella story, but a lot bigger than that. The premise is that there's this kingdom where some big magical power called the Tradition tries to guide people's lives into familiar fairytale forms, and godmothers have some control over this, so they try to steer people out of bad fairytales into better ones. My favorite thing about her writing is that she's so good at establishing a world with personality and institutions, and this book was no exception.
13. For Love of Evil by Piers Anthony
I was going to hold off on this one, since it's the last in the series, but I'm giving Ty all his stuff back this weekend, and that includes books. It was really good. It's the story of how a good man becomes Satan, and then gives his perspective of the last one (Being a Green Mother), which is really interesting. So what was happening was familiar, but knowing why it was all happening made a big difference.
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| Thursday, February 14th, 2008
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11:19 pm - More books
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9. The Gate by Francois Bizot
Non-fiction, an anthropologist tells his story of being held captive by the Khmer Rouge and then having to negotiate with them on behalf of the French in Cambodia after he is released. I thought it was fascinating, and he did a good job of expressing the complexity of the situation without leaving me totally lost.
10. No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe
This is the guy who wrote Things Fall Apart, and I liked this one better. An idealistic young Nigerian man returns from school in London to join the civil service, and the whole book is just him falling into corruption. It's absolutely tragic, but beautifully done. Quick, easy read, too.
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| Monday, February 4th, 2008
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10:30 pm - Fabulous
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8. Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
Blair was right, this one was awesome! I finished it in under 24 hours despite having a full schedule during that time. If you're squeamish about what happens to your food before it gets to you, don't read it. Otherwise, you'll love it. Thanks, Blair!
current mood: chipper
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| Saturday, February 2nd, 2008
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10:31 am - Turns out it was worth staying up to finish
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7. High Maintenance by Jennifer Belle
I hated this book. I almost didn't bother finishing. The premise is that a pampered rich girl with no marketable skills is divorced at 26 but doesn't want to ask her father for help, so she becomes a real estate agent in NY. It didn't sound that bad, but she behaves so irrationally, seems mentally screwed up, and encounters the most screwed up men that it was just unbearable at points. It took me a week to get through it. Last night I went to bed early and decided to read the last 100 pages before I went to sleep to get it done. An hour later, I was done but couldn't sleep, so I was pissed. But I went to play around on LJ and Facebook, and lo and behold Ty (who hadn't called me) got on gchat. We exchanged "you have internet access?"/"you're still up?" and he called and we talked for over an hour. It was pretty awesome, and now I'm feeling somewhat better about reading it. But the book itself was still awful.
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| Saturday, January 26th, 2008
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6:45 pm - Beginning the 50 book challenge
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I should probably be posting on these as soon as I finish them, rather than waiting until weeks after the fact. Maybe I'll do better from now on. I started at New Years, because this year I want to read more (but less trashy romance, so those aren't counting).
1. Cod, by Mark Kurlansky
This one was pretty interesting. I learned some little tidbits like England and Iceland had a war for a while over fishing rights with neither firing a shot. I'll probably read Salt, which might be better because it won't be all about something I've never been interested in eating.
2. Tommy's Tale, by Alan Cumming
Brett gave me this one for Christmas and told me I didn't have to like it. It's basically a coming of age story about a 30 year old bisexual crazy British partier. Like would be too strong a word, but I'm glad I read it. I gave it to Ty, who will probably like it better than I did.
3. A Bride Most Begrudging, by Deanne Gist
This is on the border with romance, but I'd say it was more historical fiction (for example, there was no sex scene). It provided a pretty interesting view of life for the earliest colonists in Virginia, particularly women. I'd recommend it.
4. Being a Green Mother, by Piers Anthony
The fifth book in the Incarnations Series that Ty gave me. I loved it. Seriously, couldn't put it down. I think it was my favorite so far, probably because the protagonist is a musician.
5. Making Money, by Terry Pratchett
This was my favorite Discworld book so far, I think. The background is that a con man is blackmailed into taking over the post office and does a remarkable job at improving it (in Going Postal). In Making Money, the Patrician of Ankh Morpork blackmails him into taking over the bank and the mint. It's very snarky about economics.
6. The Warlord's Son, by Dan Fesperman
This one absolutely stunned me. I started it yesterday and finished it this afternoon. It's a novel about an American journalist who goes to Pakistan to try to get into Afghanistan right after 9/11. The author was a foreign correspondent, so he seems to have a pretty good idea of what he's talking about. Seriously, I can't recommend it highly enough.
I think that's it for now, but maybe another will occur to me when I go look at my bookshelf.
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| Monday, January 7th, 2008
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11:12 am - I'm the only person I've seen so far who comes out red
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| Tuesday, January 1st, 2008
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9:56 am - The Obligatory New Year's Entry
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2007 was a pretty good year overall, but I was a neurotic mess through most of it because it was full of instability. I applied for more jobs than I can count, had four (!!), had three different health insurance plans, two different apartments, and dated a whole lot of guys. Even my weight started fluctuating, and I was sick a LOT. It hasn't been all bad, though--I graduated from college and survived in the real world without that much help from my parents, learned about health insurance, made two of the best friends one could ever have (even if I knew Becky before), learned how to make a Sachertorte taste good and how to cook meat, got into Argentine Tango, and moved to a much nicer apartment in Virginia (with, as of yesterday, all but one of my best friends).
It could also be argued, I suppose, that I met a great guy, but this time last year I thought the same thing, so I guess the jury's still out on that.
My over-arching resolution for 2008 is to CHILL THE EFF OUT and enjoy life. I hope this will be more possible this year, since I have a financially-viable job I fully intend to stay in for at least a year, more likely two or more and an apartment I hope to stay in for at least as long, and grad school's not going to happen until at least 2009.
On a smaller scale, I have a few resolutions:
-Dance more. The stereotypical female resolution is to either get in shape or lose weight, but I wasn't having any problem with either of those until I stopped dancing regularly, and dancing makes me happier than anything else, so dancing more is a clear solution. Plus, it's fun so I might actually keep it.
-Eat better. Less pizza, more veggies. And vitamins. It's time to start forming habits for when my metabolism slows down, and now I don't have the excuse of all the uncertainty to just grab a pizza instead of cooking something healthier. Plus, I don't want to be sick so much!
-Travel more. I have friends and family all over the place, and no homework on weekends. So far the plans are Philly a couple of times for weddings, Ithaca, NYC to see Roger, Albany for Easter with my dad's family, and GREECE with my mom and maybe my dad in October or November. It's mostly going to be weekend trips, since I don't have a whole lot of vacation time, but weekend trips can be fun too!
-Make more friends and go out more, and keep in touch with the many different groups of friends I have.
-Read more, and better-for-me books. I'm thinking about doing the 50 book challenge and not counting trashy romances.
-Be careful with money. Even though my job is financially viable, all the travelling and weddings get expensive. Also, this year or next year I want to start a serious retirement plan with the help of my awesome financial-planner uncle.
I've tried to make easily-attainable resolutions in the hope that I won't just dismiss them as impossible. We'll see how that goes.
current mood: optimistic
current music: Amelie soundtrack courtesy of my dear sister
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| Saturday, December 1st, 2007
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11:44 am - A really interesting ad in the Washington Post
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http://www.swgop.com/images/Maybe%20you_re%20a%20Republican.pdf
It's pretty long, or I'd post all of it, but it's definitely worth reading. Don't ignore it just because it says "Maybe you're a Republican." The writer is clearly an intelligent, patriotic, and generous person, and he makes some very good points, though I disagree with some of them. Here are my favorites:
WHAT I AM first and foremost, is a loving husband of some 72 plus years, the father of four and an American who's proud of his country...and his country's heritage
WHAT I AM is the grandson of immigrants who risked every-thing, including their lives and those of their children, to escape tyranny in search of freedom.
WHAT I AM is a man who grew up during the Depression and witnessed first hand the effects of the Stock Market crash and the soup lines that followed. I watched as both my parents and grand parents, who had very little themselves, share what food they had with a half dozen other families, who had even less.
WHAT I AM is someone who worked his way through college by holding down three and four jobs at a time and then used that education to build a better life.
WHAT I AM is a husband who at age 24 started his own business for the "privilege" of working 60, 70 and 80 hours a week, risking everything I had including my health, in search of a better life for myself and my loved ones.
WHAT I AM is a businessman whose blood, sweat and tears and plenty of them..., made it possible for me to provide a secure living not only for my family and myself, but also for literally hundreds of my employees throughout the years. Employees who in turn were able to buy their own homes, raise their own families and give back to their communities and their country.
...
WHAT I AM is tired of hearing from leading Democrats who see only negativity in America; racism in her people; class warfare in her society and "political incorrectness" in her character.
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WHAT I AM is an American who understands the difference between "censorship" and "choice." Evidently, these individuals do not, because when these same "celebrities" receive public ridicule for their offensive actions, the first thing they yell is "censorship." What they seem incapable of understanding is...the right of free speech and dissent is shared equally by those offended...as well as those who offend. I support and will continue to support those films and performers whom I choose to and refuse to support those I don't. It is my right as an American a right I will continue to enthusiastically exercise.
WHAT I AM is a voter, tired of politicians who every time their voting records are subjected to public scrutiny, try to divert attention from their political and legislative failures by accusing their opponents of "attack ads" and "negative campaigning"....and the news media who allow them to get away with it.
WHAT I AM is a Catholic who loves his God and his Faith and who's been taught to respect all religions whose teachings are based in love, peace and charity. As such, I am embarrassed and ashamed of those individuals in both private and public life whose decisions and actions are devoid of any sense of character or morals; individuals who are only driven by what's best for them....rather than what's right... often times at the expense of many.... including our national security.
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WHAT I AM is a human being, full of numerous faults and failures, but a man nonetheless who though not always successful has continually strived to do "what's right" instead of "what's easy." A man who is challenging the religious leaders of all faiths, to not only preach to their congregations the fundamentals of "what's right" and "what's wrong," but to also then hold them accountable for their actions in both the public and private sectors.
WHAT I AM is disgusted with the Courts who on one hand call the murder of a pregnant woman a "double homicide," but then refer to the abortion of her baby as "pro-choice". (my emphasis)
...
WHAT I AM is a man who feels the need to spend, ONE HUNDRED & FOUR THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED & FIFTY FIVE DOLLARS ($104, 655.60, tax paid) of his own money, to purchase this advertisement, in order to set the story straight. Some may say this money would have been better spent feeding the world's poor. At the risk of soundi ng self- serving, as an American and as a Republican, for the last six decades of my life, I have done exactly that...and more. Following the examples of my parents and grand parents, I have used my earnings to feed the poor, shelter the homeless, provide housing for the elderly and medical care for the sick..... and continue to do so...and I'm not alone in that work.
WHAT I AM is someone who is paying for this announcement at my sole expense in hopes of opening the eyes of those led blindly by ill-informed elements of our great nation, who, through either ignorance, or malicious intent, repeatedly attack and belittle those of us who belong to a political party that holds true to the belief, "The rights of the governed, exceed the power of the government." For those interested, I am speaking only as a tax-paying individual who is in no way associated with the Republican National Committee, nor with any of its directors, or delegates.
WHAT I AM is a man who understands, "the American way of life" is a message of self-empowerment for all.
WHAT I AM is an American who is grateful that our nation gives each of us the opportunity of self-determination and the right to benefit from the fruits of self achievement.
WHAT I AM is an American who wants to preserve that way of life for all who seek it.
WHAT I AM is blessed to be an American.... and proud to be a Republican.
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| Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
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6:42 pm - Changes
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I feel...like a grown-up.
There have been a lot of changes that have culminated in this feeling: I paid rent this summer with money my parents didn't give me, I bought my own health insurance, I dealt with losing my job without my parents' help, I moved into a nice grown-up apartment in Virginia, happy hour is a regular part of life, and dates usually involve bars (at least first dates). Even while all this was happening, though, it didn't feel real. It felt like I was just pretending, because even though lots of people intern after graduating, it's hard to feel like an adult when you're an intern and everyone asks what you're doing in the fall and you're paid by the hour.
But today I got a job. A real, full-time job with benefits. It's library assistant at a major law firm, so it's not in my field and it's not my dream job, but I think I'll enjoy it and learn a lot, and it doesn't have to be for that long. I already have connections with a number of organizations I'd like to work for, and you don't need a lot of relevant work experience to work for the government. I'm going to stay involved with the free-market "movement," and keep my eye out for international development events. I'll work on my writing. Now I have some stability, and that feels amazing. I can chill and look for my dream job in my own time, rather than on an unfairly-imposed deadline. If I'm not excited about something, I don't have to apply for it. I don't have to tell anyone why I'll be the best administratve assistant or receptionist they could hire. I won't have to leave this job as soon as I start getting comfortable.
Now I'd like to share what Robyn said when I told her (jokingly) that I was going to be a sexy librarian:
"If I moved to Siberia for a year and came back, and someone told me: 'Kate's a sexy librarian,' I would say, 'And?' This would not be a surprise."
current mood: mellow
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| Wednesday, July 25th, 2007
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11:35 pm - Eeee!
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I have to say, today was not such a good day between some stuff that happened at work and a fairly awkward coffee with Shimon, but it improved dramatically tonight.
-I had what wasn't supposed to be a date, but turned into the best first date I've had in a long time, possibly even ever. He's taking me out to dinner next Wednesday, and I'm looking forward to it immensely even though he's not totally my usual type.
-I just got an email from Becky saying that she's living with me starting in September!!! Our apartment is going to be a place of joy and sunshine and pink :)
Plus, this weekend is Libertarian Summer Camp, which I think will be awesometacularly fun.
current mood:  bouncy
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| Friday, June 8th, 2007
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9:07 am - home update :)
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I came home Wednesday morning, and it's been great so far. Greyhound was as expected, but fine. After I got in, I met Molly and her friend Christine for lunch. Christine is fabulous--we taunted Molly the whole time, then walked down jeweler's row picking out our favorite rings (not that it's the least bit relevant for any of us) and got into a long conversation with the guys who own the oldest diamond store in Philly or something. As I was heading back to get the train home, I ran into Sam and Robert, my former bosses at FIRE, on the street. That was really happy, since I have to say that sometimes I really miss FIRE.
After I got home, I went to the library, hung out and played badminton with my mother, and watched tv with my parents. It was awesome.
Yesterday I got up earlyish to go on a walk in the farm park with Mom, which kicked my butt because it was several miles and there were lots of hills. And I am weak. Then I went to King of Prussia with Melissa to do my last little bit of work-clothes shopping, met Val there to talk about wedding plans (Val's getting married next summer and Melissa and I are bridesmaids), picked up my dad from work, and went dancing with Dave.
I wasn't sure about the dancing because I was tired and he hadn't danced in months (so he wasn't so sure about it either), but it was fabulous. We fit together perfectly for standard and smooth, and it was soo much fun! Since it's all old people, we just dance together when we go, except when a guy asks his permission to dance with me. So I did a v-waltz, paso, west coast, and nightclub two-step/salsa with some other guys, but otherwise it was all Dave.
When we took a break, this woman started talking to us, and she paid me the absolute nicest compliment I have ever received about my dancing. She said that she and some of the other women were talking, and they said that if they come back as a dancer in their next life, they'd like to dance like me because I make it look so pretty and effortless. I was floored.
After dancing, we went to friendly's for food and ice cream. The host actually recognized me from when I came back to Norristown to christmas carol with the orchestra, and a girl I knew from marching band but hadn't seen in years was there too. Super fun, even if we did pay $6.59 for a very small quesadilla that was not very good.
It's good to be home, and I'm already feeling better.
current mood: relaxed and happy
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