light-rail coyote

Empire Strikes...

2007-04-19T23:46:00.000-04:00

subtitle: keep your theology off my biology!

yesterday the supreme court upheld bush's partial-birth abortion ban. although a majority of abortions will not be compromised because of this, it is only the beginning of a the slow chipping away of women's rights. what is particularly shocking is that this bill does not include a clause to protect the health/life of the woman. the bottom line: what gives anyone, particularly anyone who doesn't possess a uterus, the right to decide anything about anyone else's body? we have so little that we can control in this world, and our bodies are our most sacred possessions. it's not a question of morality, it's a question of a simple human right.

and then today, the family research council filed suit against the FDA for its over-the-counter approval of plan b. i can't help but wonder, if plan b had a lobby as powerful as tobacco would there be an issue? it's ok to blatantly target kids with cigarette ads but god forbid a DOCTOR prescribe a medication! feh!

the last word: if we properly educated our youth about responsible decision making then we could drastically reduce the need for abortions and emergency contraception. logic people!

for more information, or to get involved, see the following sites:
http://www.nyclu.org/
http://www.ppnyc.org/homepage.html

to get information to help educate youth you might know:
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/
http://www.healthyteennetwork.org/
http://www.sexetc.org/

2007-03-20T23:50:00.001-04:00

BUYBCwEC!!

2007-03-20T23:43:00.001-04:00

through my work with the academy for educational development (www.aed.org) i've become involved in emergency contraception awareness campaigns in new york city. many myths and misconceptions (no pun intended) exist around EC/Plan B, the following sites provide useful information that all women should know. even if you don't ever plan on using it, you may have a friend who needs your help.

check out: http://www.backupyourbirthcontrol.org/

from guttmacher.org:

Have you backed-up your birth control?

March 20 is Back Up Your Birth Control Day of Action, a day devoted to increasing awareness of and access to emergency contraception. Emergency contraception, sometimes called the “morning-after pill,” is a concentrated dosage of the same hormones found in ordinary birth control pills that can prevent a pregnancy from occurring when taken after unprotected sex, making it an effective “plan B” for helping women avoid unwanted pregnancies and abortions.

On August 24, 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emergency contraception for sale over-the-counter without a prescription to women aged 18 and older. While the FDA’s decision was certainly a step in the right direction, there is still work to be done to ensure access for all women. To start, adolescents younger than 18 still need a doctor’s prescription to obtain emergency contraception. This can cause delays in obtaining the method, and, since it is more effective the sooner after unprotected sex it is taken, increase a young woman’s risk of an unintended pregnancy.

Additionally, cost can pose a barrier for many low-income women trying to obtain emergency contraception. Many insurance companies do not cover over-the-counter drugs, and only a few states cover emergency contraception for women on Medicaid without first requiring a visit to a physician or clinic, which delays access to the method. The difficulty poor women face in obtaining emergency contraception is especially troubling, given the fact that they have greater difficulty than other women in accessing contraception generally, and therefore have higher rates of unintended pregnancy: A poor woman in the United States is four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy, five times as likely to have an unintended birth and more than three times as likely to have an abortion as her higher-income counterpart.

Emergency contraception has tremendous potential to prevent unintended pregnancy among women who experience contraceptive failure, unprotected sex or sexual assault. We should be working to remove the barriers that young women and poor women face in accessing all contraceptive methods, including emergency contraception. These barriers aside, the fact remains that many women and men still do not even know about emergency contraception, making continued efforts to raise public awareness about the method essential, as well.

define "rehabilitation"

2007-03-15T01:16:00.000-04:00

13-Year-Old Faces 128 Felony Counts

- - - - - - - - - - - -

March 14,2007 | NELSONVILLE, Ohio -- A 13-year-old boy is charged in juvenile court with 128 felonies in what police call a small-town crime spree.

The boy, in juvenile detention pending a pretrial hearing later this month, faces delinquency counts of burglary, theft, vandalism and witness intimidation.

"In my 30 years of doing this, I've never had a juvenile that young with so many charges," Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren said Tuesday.

Police accuse the boy of breaking into homes and businesses in Nelsonville, a small, rural town 55 miles southeast of Columbus, and of stealing checks from elderly residents, Warren said.

He also is accused of beating one of the witnesses who turned him in, Warren said.

At least three other youths, one of them 10 years old, also have been charged, Warren said.

The boy could be freed at 21 even if he is convicted of all 128 counts, prosecutors said.

"We either get him rehabilitated now in the juvenile system or we will be dealing with him for the rest of his life," Warren said.

in memory

2007-03-14T14:05:00.000-04:00

women's history month post #2, better late than never. file under: women making a difference

from guttmacher.org:

Cynthia Dailard, one of the Guttmacher Policy Review’s most prolific and accomplished authors, died suddenly on December 24, 2006, at the age of 38. She was the Guttmacher Institute’s chief policy analyst on issues related to domestic family planning programs, sex education and teenagers’ sexual behavior. Over the course of eight years, Cynthia was a powerful, determined advocate, bent on moving a positive sexual and reproductive health agenda forward even in the most difficult political environment. Six of her most influential articles, providing an overview of her thoughts on some of the issues dearest to her, are excerpted in “Remember Her Words: The Analysis and Advocacy of Cynthia Dailard, 1998–2006.”

A blog in her honor can be found here.

V is for "hoohah"

2007-03-09T16:59:00.000-05:00

women's history post #1: file under -- these women get a big woot!

ucovered from my fav gem broadsheet,

three students were suspended from john jay high school in new york for insubordination surrounding their use of the v-word.

that's right. apparently, the students, who read the "short skirt" monologue from the vagina monologues at an open mic night had agreed to not use the word vagina. however, they said it on stage in front of everyone (horror of all horrors!) and were suspended. the superintendent makes a point of noting that it was NOT about censorship (which he would never tolerate) but about insubordination because they need to be taught that when they make an agreement they need to stick to it.

um.

perdon monsieur...but isn't asking them not to say it in the first place censorship? hate to burst your bubble buddy, but vagina happens to be an anatomically correct term. just like penis (shudder!) .

if it were me, i would have dropped an f-bomb in front of vagina, just to drive home the point.

the full article is here.

currently reading: education week

currently listening: shake me baby by junior senior

currently feeling: mischievous

2007-03-08T11:00:00.000-05:00

Today, March 8, is International Women's Day. For more information visit: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
March is also women's history month, and though I am starting late, I plan to post something here daily related to women's history or women's issues.

equal opportunity objectifying

2007-03-05T23:09:00.000-05:00

doing my part to shed light on the fact that men are objectified quite often as well.
tsk tsk.
shame on .true.
subtext: boys ought be hunted.
subtext: single girls and boys, you want to hunt single boys.
subtext: find him now! (because if you don't you a lose-er).
subtext: there's no such thing as boyfriend season but if we start a marketing campaign that implies there is then we'll have you all feeling less adequate than you already do (if you are single) or like you are missing out on hunting season with the boys/girls (if you aren't).
thanks true for doing your part!

i'm not an addict

2007-03-05T22:16:00.000-05:00

i gave in.

dammit.

is facebook the mac to myspace's pc? discuss.

5-7-5

2007-03-04T21:32:00.000-05:00

haikus are so great.
composed strategically
out of syllables.

could haikus be the latest form of mass expression? all you have to do is be able to count your syllables appropriately and you can convey all sorts of things. could this be the oft overlooked answer to classist underrepresentation in art and literature -- making a simple art form available to all?

i think so. and i've got the evidence to support my case:

exhibit 1:
gangsta haikus
throwing stars by mc sino
me just throwing stars
from back seat of stolen cars
you'll wish you caught SARS

exhibit 2:
samurai appliance repairman
i shit you not, this guy at fixitnow.com writes haikus that advise you on small appliance repair.
for example:
Dryer runs all day
clothes get warm, but wet remains.
replace the vent now.

exhibit 3:
harry potter haikus
Harry soars past us
a song in his heart, the Snitch
in his sweaty palms
—Mirror Girl, 12
harharhar. see post below.

exhibit 4:
there is even a page dedicated to haikus for recently neutered dogs.
First you picked me up
I licked your nose, we were friends
Then you took my balls
- scherrah

exhibit 5: cat haikus, natch
We're almost equals
I purr to show I love you
Want to smell my butt?

exhibit 6:
the always hilarious and often personally relevant hipster haikus
Pop will eat itself:
Hence, t-shirts with wry slogans
About wry t-shirts

exhibit 7: file under "wtf"
this person created haikus using upside down calculators
seriously.
Illegible blob
Legless eggshell oozes oil
Elegize his loss

exhibit 8: redneck haikus
ooohhhh, the potential. the sheer unlimited potential...
HATRED
I curse the rainbow
Emblazoned upon his hood
Goddamn Jeff Gordon

exhibit 9:
the sarcasm society (if you can believe that actually exists) has a haiku page as well
with gems like:
It's Evolution!
People are getting smarter!
God has told me so!
by Andrew N. 16th of May, 2006

and finally exhibit 10: the daily haiku
often political, always satisfying (and illustrated well):
Memories Submitted by tampioca on Thu, 2007-03-01 07:03.

That's my favorite couch.
It's where Bill tagged Monica.
It still smells like him.

well, dear readers, that's all for now. i hope you've enjoyed my foray into creative expression via limited syllabic genius.

all it takes is some
creativity and the
skill to count your words

currently listening: "show me" by mint royale feat. de la soul (addictive! catchy!)
currently reading: not enough
currently feeling: strangely fine

things i learned today

2007-02-27T23:49:00.000-05:00

the following is courtesy of rickey.org (and my good friend k-sib):

HMG* (*Holy Mother of God)

Daniel Radcliffe stars in the stage production of Equus in the West End. I am so speechless right now. Oh Harry Potter! Where can I find an application to Hogwarts?! It’s a gay nerd fantasy come true… with horses! I can’t breathe!

end rickey.org
start me

So, today i learned the following things:
1. HMG = holy mother of god. expect rampant usage of this in the near future.
2. NSFW = not safe for work. a very useful acronym indeed. given these delicate times.
3. gay nerds fantasize about daniel radcliffe.
4. most people fantasize about daniel radcliffe.
5. there are two kinds of people (shout out to jpr!): 1) those who scream scandal and potter pedophilia! and 2) those who make hubba-hubba eyes and say harry hotter!
6. treasure trail.
7. i cannot watch any of the harry potter movies ever again.
8. there are entirely TOO MANY jokes at one's disposal. i.e."harry's wand", "hairy harry" (thx brian).
9. there's a reason for this madness.

discuss amongst yourselves.

currently listening: "trouble" by voxtrot
currently reading: higher power of lucky. hahahahaha. i have to keep with the trend of the post. natch.

2007-02-27T23:21:00.001-05:00

Muggles for Hillary and...

2007-02-26T21:09:00.000-05:00

T-shirts available here.

And while your at it, I'd love the unicorn on the dirt-bike "wishes are unstoppable" tee.

currently listening: "23" by blonde redhead
currently reading: journal of social issues "the maternal wall"
currently feeling: jitterbuggy

need i say more?

2007-02-26T21:01:00.000-05:00

offensive on SO many levels...

subway: not just for tables and sofas anymore

2007-02-22T00:00:00.000-05:00

jason: "is that seat taken?"

just in case you thought he was moderate...

2007-02-20T23:22:00.000-05:00

prior to attending a pro-abstinence-only fundraising event, mccain "flip-flopped" on his previously stated views of abortion to state definitively that roe v. wade should be overturned and left to the states to legislate, rather than you know, upholding a federal ruling that protects women's privacy.

friggin' article is here.

currently listening: "23" by blonde redhead (totally awesome)
currently reading: broadsheet blog on salon.com

cute interference

2007-02-20T00:27:00.000-05:00

while attempting to complete my reading for class i had to reckon with the following furry feline friends...

gov. spitzer: woot #1

2007-02-19T20:32:00.000-05:00

yay man! way to flex those gubernatorial muscles.

from guttmacher.org:

New York State Covers Nonprescription Emergency Contraception Under Medicaid

Although Medicaid normally pays only for prescription medications, as of February 1, Medicaid recipients in New York State may obtain nonprescription Plan B emergency contraception directly from a pharmacy. With Governor Spitzer’s approval, New York becomes one of the few states to ensure that poor women are able to access this time-sensitive method under Medicaid without first having to visit a physician or clinic. Still, many women in New York and elsewhere do not know what emergency contraception is, when to use it or where to obtain it—facts that point to an ongoing need for public education. Also, women younger than 18 in all states still need a prescription to obtain Plan B, making it more difficult for them to access the method quickly and use it when it is most effective.

Initiatives such as New York’s to improve access to emergency contraception are just one way to help low-income women plan their families and prevent unwanted pregnancies: A recent Guttmacher study has shown that expanding Medicaid coverage for contraceptives to match similar coverage for pregnancy-related care would enable low-income women to prevent a total of nearly 500,000 unwanted pregnancies annually, including 200,000 that would end in abortion. By helping women to prevent an estimated 225,000 unwanted births, such an expansion would also save $1.5 billion in annual federal and state expenditures.

Overall, growing disparities between poor and higher-income women with regard to sexual and reproductive health care pose a serious challenge for policymakers. Poor women are twice as likely to lack health insurance, four times as likely to have an unintended pregnancy, five times as likely to have an unintended birth and more than three times as likely to have an abortion as their higher-income counterparts. Most unintended pregnancies could be prevented with consistent, correct use of modern contraceptives.

currently listening: "she fell into my arms" by ed harcourt

weekend service changes

2007-02-19T20:12:00.000-05:00

overheard over a very LOUD and (surprisingly) functional subway intercom:

"ladies and gentlemen, due to weekend construction there are changes in service on the 1, 2, and 3 subway lines. 2 and 3 trains are running on the local track from 96th to chambers street, but are not affected elsewhere. 1 trains are only running on the local track to 14th street. there are no express trains between 96th and chambers street. but 1 trains will be making a stop at 34th street and then skipping 28th, 23rd, and 18th streets. so if you need one of those stops, please exit this train at 42nd street and get on a local running 2 or 3 train. no trains are stopping at south ferry (note that you normally have to be in one of the first five cars of the ten car train to get south ferry service anyways). to get to south ferry, get off this train at 42nd street and transfer to the R train to whitehall street. then walk to south ferry, it isn't far. or you can get off of this train at 34th street, transfer to a 2 or 3 local running train and take it to chambers street and exit the station for a shuttle bus, the shuttle bus is free. also, at 42nd street please keep in mind that there are no 7 trains running between 42nd street and Queens. so if you need queens service also transfer from this train to an R or N train at 42nd street. the MTA appreciates your business and apologizes for any inconvenience.

MTA, please note:
1) NYC is a tourist town, wtf are tourists (let alone those who don't speak english) supposed to do with this jumbled up mess of information?
2) this is why we hate you.

did you know?: a "straphanger" is a person who rides public transport (a colloquialism from the days of the leather straps one used to hold onto for support on the subway)

currently reading: expert psychological testimony in sexual harassment cases
currently listening: "dirty whirl" by tv on the radio

are you there god? it's me, justin.

2007-02-12T14:37:00.000-05:00

cracks. me. UP!

2007-02-11T22:10:00.000-05:00

the hair-petting game.
please, make it stop. this is just too funny. and in a place like NYC it is all too tempting.

the site is here

valentine's day

2007-02-11T19:54:00.000-05:00

i know i don't shut up about postsecret. but i simply can't. it's just too good.

special valentine's day edition, click here.

shame on you veronica

2007-02-11T18:19:00.002-05:00

so, i will admit that i've watched veronica mars. i watched the first season diligently, when it was actually quite a smart show and veronica was snarky, but not to a fault. the second season was lost on me, partly due to school and work, but i caught up with it eventually (although i don't remember who blew up the damn bus). this season, well, i think i watch it every now and then because, despite its many faults, the show still is basically about a kick-ass girl and her nancy drew adventures; i can't help but be drawn to it.

plus it follows the gilmore girls. damn that strategic tv line-up.

but this week, i was tremendously disappointed to see that veronica helps "bonnie" figure out who gave her the "morning after pill which caused her to have an abortion."

dammit veronica. dammit veronica's writers.
(see this blog for more intelligent griping than what follows below)

i haven't watched the episode yet, i will admit. it is stored safely on my DVR. but i did read about it in the feminist-blogs, which were all a twitter.

correction #1: morning after pill does NOT cause abortion. it won't touch an already established pregnancy with a ten foot pole. or any pole. or whatever.
correction #2: the pill that acts as an abortafacient is ru-486. COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
correction #3: ru-486 often has to be administered in a two-dose sequence. if someone slips it in your drink all date-rape-drug-style then it might cause some issues, but it's only half the equation.

now yes, i know it's just tv. and medical information on tv is often askew. of course. but this show has been known for the alternative/progressive image it provides to young girls; its target audience is the main population that needs accurate information about EC (emergency contraception aka the morning after pill aka plan b).

AND whether or not teens (or anyone) should be getting their sex education from television or not is a moot point. after all, with every passing day we are nixing valuable sex ed programs in favor of abstinence only programs (now being funded for people up to age 29, don't EVEN get me started). so if not tv, then where?

dear CW network:
please do a PSA explaining the mishap to your viewers. and while you are at it, toss in a few Plan B adverts. and even better, how about putting some links to accurate sites up on your webpage? come on, step up to the plate.
thanks,
~valerie

for accurate information about EC, click here.

she's back in black

2007-02-11T18:19:00.001-05:00

i promise to do better at posting.
i promise to do better at posting.
i promise to do better...

seems...

2006-12-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

seems...cute:

seems...fun:

seems...sacrilegious:

seems...unnecessary:

seems...strange:

this man doesn't believe in birth control!

2006-12-05T14:36:00.000-05:00

and yet, Bush has appointed him to head up family planning. um, what?

clearly this doesn't make sense. birth control. hello, been around for years now, not going away...

washington post article

please consider signing this petition

currently listening: "casimir pulaski day" by sufjan stevens
currently reading: too much

news flash: birth control makes a difference in teen pregnancy rates

2006-12-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

whodathunk?

AND it does way more to reduce teen pregnancy than abstinence. can ya believe it?!

it's all over the news, but you can access the article by john santelli here (or at least the abstract)

santelli, in a guttmacher institute report says, "If most of the progress in reducing teen pregnancy rates is due to improved contraceptive use, national policy needs to catch up with those realities."

i couldn't agree more.

conservative pundits make me SICK

2006-12-03T21:48:00.000-05:00

especially when these old white stodgy males think they have anything to say about/to/for women.

UGH.

DESPICABLE!

case #1:
rush limbaugh
he actually talks about how he learned more about women from his cat:
LIMBAUGH: My cat -- here's how you can get fooled. My cat comes to me when she wants to be fed. I have learned this. I accept it for what it is. Many people in my position would think my cat's coming to me because she loves me. Well, she likes me, and she is attached, but she comes to me when she wants to be fed. And after I feed her -- guess what -- she's off to wherever she wants to be in the house, until the next time she gets hungry. She's smart enough to know she can't feed herself. She's actually a very smart cat. She gets loved. She gets adoration. She gets petted. She gets fed. And she doesn't have to do anything for it, which is why I say this cat's taught me more about women, than anything my whole life. But we put voices in their mouths.
entire article here

video here: (note - the second half of the video deals with devitos rant on the view and what this show should be about for women, it is also disgusting)

THEN
horror of all horrors. bill o'reilly makes me so sick. i mean i just want to scream when i even hear him. in this clip, he attacks a feminist pro-choice advocate from nyc. now, whether or not his or her position is "morally correct" his tactics are beyond reprehensible. at one point he actually says to the woman, well, not says, yells rather, that "i don't care what you think!"
and he all turns the story into baby killing and raping ten year olds. AND has the gall to say that this woman advocates both. craziness.

by the way, hate to rain on your parade but there's a new study out that links birth control to decreased teen pregnancy rates. NOT ABSTINENCE. BOO-YAH.
asshat.
clip is here if you can handle it. i think i actually had smoke pouring out of my head.

i had no idea...

2006-12-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

but "turducken" is for real.

this word, which has only recently entered my vernacular, but which has apparently been around for ages (how could i be so behind the times?) is a portmanteau for a turkey stuffed with a duck which is stuffed with a chicken. all deboned, of course.

so, after hearing this word in a variety of places (first introduced to me by anne during our conversation about puppykittens) i decided i must know once and for all what the deal is with turducken. so i wiki-ed it.

the results: wikiturducken.

what fascinates me the most is not that this is actually done, but the many variations that can be performed. most impressive: turgoduckmaguikenantidgeonck. let's break it down: turkey, goose, duck, mallard, guineafowl, chicken, pheasant, partridge, pigeon, woodcock.

now, can you imagine going to a restaurant and asking for the chef's finest turducken? didn't think so. that's why those fancy brits decided to call it a three-bird roast. just in case you ever wanted to make such a request.

(please note creepy puppet figure to right of the woman. wtf?)

i must say. at first i was disappointed. maybe it was only because of the recent puppykitten fiasco. but i was thinking someone had genetically engineered the turducken. alas, no.

gobblequackcluck.gobblequackcluck.

currently listening: aimee mann "save me"
currently reading: undoing gender by judith butler
currently hating on rush and bill, see future post

FYI

2006-11-28T00:17:00.000-05:00

my google query for "hot european reference librarian straight male" turned up nothing. nada. zilch. zipperino.

*sigh*

back to the drawing board.

give elmo a break, pleeease!

2006-11-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

maybe it is because i've never actually seen one of these things in action before.
but i can't stop laughing.
hahahaha.

o-oh hush, keep it down now, voices carry...

2006-11-14T00:40:00.000-05:00

when words won't do, music often can...

ps. yes, she's the former singer for that 80s gem 'til tuesday'
pps. yes, she dated noel gallagher, for a moment

i ♥ tunes

2006-11-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

free.

two of my all-time favorite indie radio stations offer FREE daily mp3s.

KEXP
podcasts with free songs

and

KCRW
today's top tune

currently listening: "wildcat" by ratatat
currently feeling: pensive (with tilted head)

heard on the...

2006-11-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

street near my apartment, outside a bodega:
"nah nah man, he called me about the colt .45"

street in the east village:
a happily flamboyant young man walking a greyish mottled dog says to his cell phone
"oh gosh, i can't come out, i've got Fladka with me"

1 train, heading downtown from 79th street:
two girls discussing very very expensive purses change the subject
"yeah, but, i mean, like he's the only nerd that i can actually stand to be around. i mean, he's like sincere you know?"
"yeah, totally"

for more visit overheard in new york
and overheard in the office

currently listening: "in the morning" by the junior boys
currently reading: "the veil unveiled"

things that make me happy

2006-10-28T21:40:00.001-04:00

i keep stumbling across things that people who are way cooler than me are doing/making. so i'm going to post about them. also, i've got my own personal challenge going on. i have got to make it through this entire post without saying "folks" since i noticed i have done so in the last three posts. not cool, val. not cool.

things that make me happy:

1) regina spektor: awesome lyrics, quirky musical arrangements, kick-ass video with a headless man...(ps kudos to tim for this one)

2) ben folds covering "bitches ain't shit": first of all, i love ben folds. love. and yes he's all married now with frally and living in crocodile country in that other hemisphere, but he's still doing righteous stuff, like covering dr. dre staples. although the lyrics clash a bit with my feminist/women's studies upbringing, i can't help but love this song. here he is playing it live...

ben (yeah, first name, i know, **swooning**) also covered postal service's "such great heights" and it basically rocks the kasbah. (kudos to brian for this one)...

AND, on his new EP he has a video of "landed" with a monkey.
monkeys. monkeys make everything better.

3) mtv's "made": now that i have cable i can waste time watching marathons. two weekends ago it was project runway marathon. and today it was "made" on mtv. the basic premise is that youthful types feel like shit with how they currently are (ahh, teen angst) and want to be "made" into something (cheerleader, prom prince, girlie girl, soccer player, breakdancer, etc. etc.) yeah ok, i mean i don't know what i like about this show. maybe it's because the people really work hard for something they really want and make some major changes, even if they are for the most part very superficial things. but according to a made coach "success is in the journey" and by gollie these people are doing something, and also making me crack up while they go about it.

4) new jersey's ruling on same sex unions (can't say the m word yet). sure it's got some caveats. but it's a step in the left direction...

article with lots of info...click here

5) crispy noodles.

6) my new vaccum. dude. i've never experienced suction like this in my life. and i mean that in the cleanest way possible. haha. cleanest. literally. rofl.

this is my new electrolux harmony. hi harmony. you rock.

7) there are some battles you just cannot win. starbucks is one of those battles. on my floor at school it is so NOT COOL to like starbucks. we all bash it but then, like the liberal hypocrites rush and bill refer to us as, we trot across the block and come back with our venti skim latte double shot hold the whip with room. no. i haven't actually ordered that. i stick with my grande coffee and french toast bagel with extra butter. i from the south. gimme a little bagel with my butter. for real.
(ps. starbucks has chocolate powder on their little counter with the half and half and stuff. i pour that in and man, it's total awesomeness).

8) soup weather. i LOVE soup weather. big cups of hot soup that feels like it sticks to your insides. best part of winter is the soup. by far.

9) imac. i love you. i love you and your big screen and remote control goodness. mmmm. i'm so glad to have you as part of my life now. you are sooo sooo hot. h-o-t-t.

10)

k, that's all for now. maybe some of these things will make you happy too.

currently listening: "my love" by justin timberlake. hahahahaha. love it.
currently reading: not enough

holy crapballs batman!

2006-10-27T16:48:00.000-04:00

oh my goodness!
well i am now in love with six feet under. sooo so much. and then today, i'm at work and i hear nina simone's "feeling good" on radio-love-of-my-life kexp.org. wow, i loved it. so i hopped on over to youtube to see if there was a video. lo and behold, there's a six feet under video of that song!

the stars are aligning folks. and it is quite fantastic. check it:

back it up...

2006-10-25T23:48:00.000-04:00

lesson learned folks. back up your shit.
most computers are advanced enough to have scheduled backup routines. however, as i have recently learned, most users are NOT advanced enough to use such innovative methods. instead, we wait until something breaks and then cry and cry and cry and seek refuge in charms blow pops and bailey's irish cream.

currently listening: ben folds cover of "such great heights"
currently reading: computer manual

disturbed

2006-10-23T22:24:00.000-04:00

by the following:

1) "truck nutz" - use your imagination folks. the latest rage in central florida (also known fondly as "the south") are hard plastic -- or chrome, if you are willing pay extra -- testicles that hang on the back of yer pickup truck. every now and then though you get a subversive redneck who wants his balls to be bigger than everyone else's and uses chain and bowling balls to create his own truck nutz. i'll drink to that!

*sigh* check it out here: http://www.trucknutz.com/

2) tim mcgraw has a song with nelly. as in nelly the rapper. talk about crossover effort. frankly i think it is disturbing.

tim and nelly "over and over"

3) the woman in front of me in the cab line at jfk airport. the cabbie didn't know where some county was, evidently it is right outside of nassau. i don't know. she goes "tsk, it's in AMERICA" ...thank you captain obvious.

currently listening: take me back to your house by basement jaxx
currently reading: bodies of law by alan hyde

bubble wrap

2006-10-16T06:34:00.000-04:00

wheeeeee!

raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens

2006-10-15T20:49:00.000-04:00

these are a few of my favorite things...

i just love this song! and the video cracks me up. sure looks like a bugs life.

also, i just got cable on friday. i do not think i've watched any channel except for bravo. not only are they starting six feet under from the beginning, but they are also doing a project runway marathon...

in terms of who can capture val's heart, someone needs to let jon stewart know he's got some competition. i've found my very own mcdreamy and he goes by the name of peter krause. mmm, he plays the vulnerable and "gifted" nate on six feet under.

i have never, EVER seen a man rock the scruff like this one.

my other addiction, which makes me think things like "i want to bitch-slap jeffrey" and "i wish vincent would shut his pansy ass egotistical pie hole"

project runway, you're in.

and now back to work. graduate school is sure screwing up my blogging. my priorities are SO out of whack.

currently listening: "creep" by TLC, throwback...woot!
currently reading: "diagnosis:difference" by abby wilkerson, highly recommended if you have any interest in the intersection of healthcare and social justice

peace out

balanced schmalanced!

2006-10-04T23:56:00.000-04:00

when your dinner comes from a vending machine you already know enough to have exceedingly low expectations for any sort of health or satisfaction that might ensue. so, after spending 11 hours at school i decided that my snickers bar was simply not enough to 'satisfy' (harhar).

so down i go to the vending machine. i get out my crispiest dollar bill. i stand in front of the vending machine, mulling over my choices. mmm cheetos. so as i go to put in my dollar bill i notice this:

[insert tim allen eergggh?]

evidently things choosy moms and choosy grandfathers choose are marked with a little leaf next to their selection number.

hmm..healthy balanced choices, from a vending machine. with the hope and trepidation of a kid in a candy store with a bad report card just waiting to be viewed i scanned back up to D04, my cheetos. oh no. no green leaf. my cheetos are not a balanced choice. you know, this is not what i need dammit! now, on top of eating dinner out of a vending machine i feel irresponsible for not picking the veggie crisps in D05!

well, to balanced choices i say: freck you! (and thanks to a particularly scintillating episode of veronica mars (double har) i know that that is a battlestar galactica euphemism for well, you know).

you know, seriously balanced choices. get with the program. i'm a victim of my culture and if you really want to sway me to push D05 instead of D04 then you have to make some changes. first of all, i need to feel like i have a friend in balanced choices. i need to feel like hey, balanced choices are "cool." i need a marketing incentive. i need...chester cheetah! not this frecking leaf.

tsk. so until i see some real marketing effort i'm going to stick with my cheetos. even if i get a tummy ache and my fingers are orange for a ridiculously long time.

chester:1 stupid leaf:0

currently listening: "your ex-lover is dead" by stars
currently reading: when sex goes to school

more secrets

2006-10-02T22:58:00.000-04:00

so i'm still in love with this site.

http://postsecret.blogspot.com

it updates every sunday. bookmark it. read it. know you aren't alone. understand those around you.

check out...

2006-10-02T00:56:00.000-04:00

this band.
asobi seksu.

a free song via salon.com

their website

myspace

from myspace you can download three songs, of which my favorite is "thursday"

chutzpah

2006-10-02T00:19:00.000-04:00

apparently i'm a lame ass who cannot maintain a blog and finish a thesis at the same time.

so i thought hmm, val, take off some of that pressure. sometimes things speak for themselves. so, that's most likely what you'll be seeing here in the near future. things that speak for themselves.

exhibit a: heard on the street...
1) "all god's children got to get it on. need to feel the love!" - crazy man on the sidewalk on 15th street yelling loudly
2) "nah nah man, he called me about the colt .45" - guy that owns/loiters the bodega on avenue m. woot for crime in midwood.

exhibit b: just the facts ma'am...

spoken.

currently listening: "adventurer" by be your own pet
currently reading: socioeconomic context of new york city schools

i feel a woot comin' on.

He's in the movies!

2006-09-15T23:30:00.000-04:00

it's nico and giuseppe in their first film! woot!

I have a secret...

2006-09-14T23:09:00.000-04:00

we all harbor things. carry things with us. secrets. apologies. often the two are intertwined, woven together with threads of regret. fondly, or not so fondly, remembered with bittersweet pangs of loves/opportunities lost.

secrets and apologies seem to have come up a few times over the past few days. and as i've been hankering for something to blog about, it seemed like a sign.

plastered throughout the union square station were advertisements for "secret" antiperspirant, declaring that all young liberated women share their secret. as though avoiding foul body odor could have an empowering element as well. kitschy, thanks secret. anyways, while stumbling sleepily off the subway most mornings i would see declarations of "i'm ten years younger than i say i am" or "i go through your things when i house-sit." are all secrets bad? i wonder. what is REALLY fascinating is that you can text your messages to "secret" and they scroll across a larger-than-life sign in times square. it doesn't get any more public than that.

then, i was reminded of a particularly poignant piece on "this american life" on national public radio. it's part of the apology project. see www.apologyproject.com . it provided a hotline, aptly named the apology hotline, in which people from around the world could phone in their apologies anonymously. "i'm sorry i broke your heart" "i'm sorry that i never loved you the way you loved me" "i'm sorry i shoplifted" "i really hate your mother" etc. etc. catharsis via anonymous phone calls. brilliant really.

and then this evening. posted on a listserve was the touching http://postsecret.blogspot.com , here people provided their own secrets on postcards. it corresponds to a book available at your not-so-secret barnes and noble or amazon.com.

why do we keep secrets? perhaps we gain something in power by knowing something someone else doesn't know. maybe we are ashamed. maybe we just find it fun or thrilling. maybe we want to save another from hurt. there are probably as many reasons as there are secrets. there is inherently a purpose in either retaining information or expressing it in the form of an apology. it adds to our sense of self and understanding, and also in how others see us. i think the beauty is in knowing when to share...personally...anonymously...intimately...rarely.

currently listening: "swan dive" by ani difranco
currently reading: "the legal vagina" by alan hyde

the origins of woot

2006-09-06T22:22:00.000-04:00

so lately i've been saying woot! a lot. woot! this and woot! that. it's infectious! that ubiquitous four letter word has invaded my thoughts, emails, and yes, sometimes even my conversations (although i usually stop it in my head before verbalizing it). nothing screams aspiring phd student like a few woots in the mix.

i found myself wondering where the hell that term even came from. internet slang is "linguistically bleeding" (b. wells, 2006, personal conversation) into our everyday vernacular. ever found yourself thinking LOL when someone says something funny? or roffle (for ROFL)?

i turned to my trusty everything-slang resource www.urbandictionary.com and here's what i learned...

woot

1343 up, 216 down

Woot originated as a hacker term for root (or administrative) access to a computer. However, with the term as coincides with the gamer term, "w00t".

"w00t" was originally an trunicated expression common among players of Dungeons and Dragons tabletop role-playing game for "Wow, loot!" Thus the term passed into the net-culture where it thrived in video game communities and lost its original meaning and is used simply as a term of excitement.

"I defeated the dark sorcerer! Woot!"

"woot! i r teh flagmastar!" (Think Tribes)

"Woot, I pwnzed this dude's boxen!'

but if you are looking for a good deal, or some "wow-loot!" check out http://www.woot.com

currently reading: brownsville brooklyn by wendell pritchett
currently listening: maria taylor "leap year"
currently feeling: full
woot.

download(s) of the week

2006-09-04T23:05:00.000-04:00

if you can spare the $1.98 on itunes, i must recommend the following:

"leap year" by maria taylor, album: 11:11

"reason why" by rachel yamagata, album: happenstance
(actually, the whole album is great)

cheers :)

Rant: Shoes to DIE for...

2006-09-03T18:28:00.000-04:00

this post could also be called:
reason #651 i will never buy jimmy choo shoes. the previous 650 reasons being single dollar bills. absurd.

anyways. i was flipping through my latest elle magazine. yes, free subscription and sometimes there's coupons for free smoothies from dunkin donuts or undies from victorias secret. or vice versa. hush it.

so flipping through elle, just finished the gawd AWFUL lindsay lohan interview, i tried to give her a chance, really i did. but the girl is delusional! she's crazy! i can't take it. but back, again, to the flipping of the glossy elle pages when i come across this:

what we have here is model molly sims and film score composer quincy jones in a bit of a pickle. evidently, molly and quincy had a night on the town, she enjoying her frollicking in lovely $700 strappy jimmy choos, him playing super cool in evil-man black....after carousing (in new york?) they drive all the way to the dessert where quincy has to bury his lovely lady in white (you can't quite tell from this scan, but her eyes are closed and trust me, she ain't playin' opossum). hmm...did she die before the drive? did she at least get to appreciate the scenery? hold the phone...did she even get to break in those beautiful shoes?!?!

what the hell people? i mean i'm all for provacative advertisements. vogue has some very fascinating ones with photography that is often quite artistic and edgy. of course there's the whole art/advertising mess but i don't want to get into that. what pisses me off here is that this is an ad in elle magazine, a magazine mostly read by teens and twentysomethings depicting a woman preparing to be buried in the middle of a dessert...and it's all for selling shoes. SHOES!

i did a little research. evidently this is a three part ad campaign. in the other photos molly and quincy are walking away from a burning car with jimmy choo bags (i guess they drove from new york to nevada after pulling off a heist). in the other photo molly is changing a flat tire in the middle of the desert while quincy watches, he's got to save his energy for her burial after all.

this ad has pretty much left me speechless. what is it really trying to say? why can't elle magazine and jimmy choo be more responsible in their ads marketed to young girls/women? is "high fashion" above any laws of decency? is it something every woman wants to "die" for? well, if mr. choo had his way...

and ps. mr. quincy...i wikipediaed you and you are an activist for some good causes! what the heck man!?!?

currently listening: rachel yamagata, "happenstance" album
currently reading: virginia woolf, "moments of being"

put your pussy where your mouse is!

2006-09-02T18:44:00.000-04:00

MEOW! made you look! hahahahaha.
did you know such a thing as catster.com exists? read on for more info...

i'm just ticked pink over the newest edition to our family!

meet giuseppe! he's the cutest, smartest, bounciest new kid on the block and i just love him oodles and oodles!

to show my love for both of my feline babies i did what any overbearing kitty mommy does...i put them on catster.com! now they are friends with many other kitties, including my friends jess and amy's cats in hoboken! woot woot for digger and bambino!

so here's the links:
nico: http://www.catster.com/?376533
giuseppe: http://www.catster.com/?377018
photos of the kitten (keep checking for updates!): http://homepage.mac.com/nicospaw/PhotoAlbum11.html

now go on with your bad self!

invasion of the space snatchers

2006-09-01T13:13:00.000-04:00

everyone knows, or should know, that when you live/visit new york city you have to be prepared to give up most of your personal space. it's simple math that when you pack however many millions of people onto a tiny island you will no doubt lose the coveted elbow room we all learned how to respect in kindergarten.

however. each new yorker walks around with their own personal bubble that is not to be invaded, no matter what. it is only a few inches of extra space, but it is very near and dear to our hearts.

in a matter of a single hour, my space was invaded three times. the consequences were nearly violent.

1. this ASS on the train was sitting across three seats, but they were the seats in the corner, sort of in an "L" position. so it's like 6:00 and the trains are crowded. i squeeze into one of the seats next to him and this other guy comes up and is like "can i sit there" in the one next to him where the rest of his shit was. the guy grunts and barely moves. so me and the other gentleman had to sit with our legs contorted and our stuff on our laps because that f-wit wouldn't sit like a normal person. that's complaint #1.

2. THEN. dirty old man with his dirty old dog are walking on the sidewalk. i take that back, the dog wasn't that dirty or old, he was kind of cute. but the man, dog, and leash take up the entire sidewalk. they come up to me and rather than giving poochie a little tug he lets the leash almost trip me as the dog stops in front of me and simply looks up. ok. thanks.

3. then, less than a block later, i'm thinking "hmm, i should blog about personal space...but i've only had two events happen and really, things are better in threes...oh well." well, dare i even think it...dirty old man #2 sitting on his rolly walker thing lights up a cigarette and flicks the empty matchbook into my face. INTO MY FACE! ladies and gentlemen, that was IT. i stopped. turned. and gave him my most disgusted looking scoff i could muster.

the nerve! the nerve!

Girls' Night Out

2006-08-30T00:08:00.000-04:00

so i'm sitting in a booth with three girlfriends, munching on french fries and mozarella sticks and enjoying some refreshing margaritas. anyone who has watched even one episode of sex and the city knows that four women and cocktails means the conversation usually goes from bad to worse. at one point, i referred to a sex and the city quiz, brought to you but that wonderfully addictive "quizilla" thingie on myspace (but, in reality, those quizzes totally blow). after taking the "which sex and the city character are you?" quiz i was informed that i was....drumroll...charlotte. see, here's the proof:

Congratulations! You are Charlotte.

so anyways. lorelei says noooo i think you're more of a miranda. immediately the first thought in my mind was tsk! i'm not miranda. now, the feminist/gender studies scholar in me bristled and wondered why i had such a visceral reaction to miranda.

essentially, miranda is the smart, if mostly cynical, career-oriented and strong-willed woman. who wouldn't want to be a miranda? after six seasons we see miranda ultimately grow, in my opinion, more than any other character. she realizes to stop keeping people at a distance and allow others into her life, she gets over her "no one is good enough" attitude to find a truly wonderful and supportive man, and she turns into the loving mother that we all new was hiding deep down inside. i couldn't help but wonder (pun intended)...who wouldn't want to be a miranda? somewhere in me i shuddered at the notion of being the cynical hard-nosed and powerful woman. do we fear the "bitch" label? but in the end, miranda's edges smooth out. did the writers do justice to her character? did she become a more well-rounded person or are we just supposed to take it to mean that really, in order to grow and mature and be happy, we need a man, a cute baby, and a brownstone in park slope? did miranda sell us out? did she basically disprove the the necessity of the lifestyle she had so adamantly fought for for five seasons?

i don't think so.

i think miranda found happiness on HER terms when SHE was ready. and i admire her for it. of course i'm talking about a fictional character here, but really, we fall in love with books the same way, so hush it. so i'm going to embrace my inner miranda. hell, i'll even embrace my inner carrie, charlotte and (gasp galore) samantha. in truth, i think we love those women because they all represent the conflicting parts of our own selves. just with more money and better fashion sense.

***so in celebration of miranda, i'm going to put some of her classic lines***

Miranda: Smart, yes, sometimes cute, but never sexy. Sexy is the thing I try to get them to see me as after I win them over with my personality.
Carrie: You win men over with your personality?

Miranda: I'm sorry, if a man is over thirty and single, there's something wrong with him. It's Darwinian. They're being weeded out or propogating the species.
Carrie: Okay, well, what about us?
Miranda: We're just choosy.

Charlotte: I just know no matter how good I feel about myself, if I see Christy Turlington, I just want to give up!
Miranda: Well, I just want to tie her down and force-feed her lard, but that's the difference between you and me.

homesick...

2006-08-28T23:07:00.000-04:00

there are some things i truly miss about home. home in a tiny town in central florida, a ways off the interstate. i would like to present a blogger's ode to the things i love about the south...

1. people who say "fixinda" - i'm fixinda goto the sto, it's fixinda storm
2. hush puppies and navy beans
3. SWEET tea
4. people who say "sundy clothes" - as in "boy don't get yer sundy clothes dirty!"...or "ooo that's special i gotta wear my sundy shoes..."
5. knowing the difference between dinner and supper and using the terms appropriately
6. sweet tea
7. how everyone walks slow...sauntering, meandering
8. hospitality (my hampton inn had home baked cookies at the reception desk!)
9. sweet tea
10. grits, mmmm grits
11. dirt roads
12. longer vowels..."weeeelll i dunnoooooowww", "ooh nnooooooaaa"
13. people who get excited and promptly say "hhooooooo!!" - "hooooooo that was some good bbq"...or when they get really excited "hhhoooooo weeeee! lookadat!"
14. "hog-gawker" (southern for a big effin storm)

things i don't miss:
1. chewing tobacco and spit cups
2. that guy up thar

currently listening: rachel's "systems/layers" album
currently reading: blogs that are smarter than mine
currently feeling: meh

out walking after midnight...

2006-08-27T00:40:00.000-04:00

most new yorkers don't own a car. it's pretty much not worth it.

however.

there are two main things that i think EVERY new york city transplant from a locale in which driving everywhere is vogue and parking too far a faux pas (unless you don't want a parking lot ding) misses two main things: trunk and stereo.

we replace these with the following: totes and ipods.

yes, we schlep. and boy do we ever. bags from target, shopping bags, bags of cat litter...you name it, we schlep it.

but what about those times when you need to go for a drive and belt out some tunes? you know "whoa whoa, you got the best of my love whoa whoa" or "sing us a song your the piano man!"...what do we do without those cathartic adventures?

well, if you are the youngish looking frat/business gent walking behind me on my way home tonight, you just do it anyways...on the sidewalk. but you don't just sing to anything, you sing to FIONA APPLE. that's right. here's this guy, walking down avenue m at 12:20 belting out some fiona "criminal"...evidently, my friends, he's been careless with a delicate man.

our golden boy did not possess a singer's voice however. it was more like joe cocker does a fiona cover record. ouch.

maybe he's practicing for american idol. i'd vote for him, simply for his moxie.

currently listening: damien rice "delicate" and cat power "good woman"

FDA vs. Common Sense: Postscript

2006-08-24T21:53:00.000-04:00

Finally! Today the FDA approved over the counter sales of emergency contraception, more commonly known as Plan B. As some of you know, this has been an issue I have worked on at work as well as through research. So this is big news. Previously, the FDA was not approving the drug at the request of the administration (Bushie's administration, of course). God forbid Bush upset his constituents. And yes, that was supposed to be offensive/crass.

Essentially, the story is this:
FDA Scientists: "Yippee, check out this amazing new pharmaceutical development that THE REST OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD is using. Look how well it works!"
Admin Croanies (AC): "Abortion pill!! Death, hell, purgatory, and suffering!"
FDA Scientists: "Um not really. It's safer than aspirin. For real ya'll."
AC: "Bush says no. Politics? Science? Science schmience. We believe in intelligent design."
FDA Higher Ups: "Our hands are tied. Let's ask for public comment."
THREE YEARS LATER...
Hillary: "Ya'll crazy, either vote this thing through on sound science or face a wrath of queen bitchiness ain't none ya'll seen since Bill got his jollies from beret-girl."
FDA Higher Ups: "She's bluffing"
Hil: "Don't make me go Bobbitt on your ass"
FDA Scientists: "Mmmmhmmm, you tell em girl"
FDA Higher Ups:"Ok ok. We approve. But if you are under 18 you're still up the shit creek without a paddle."
The rest of us: "Right, because 18 year olds can't find someone else to get them cigarettes, booze, spray paint, and cold medicine."

So it's a victory. A victory with caveats of course. As my fav bitchy blog "Broadsheet" points out, the US has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the western world. With this approval we are essentially still lacking sound policy to help the young women who need it the most. However, many activist groups have heard the rallying call and will focus their efforts on this unique and vulnerable population.

So seriously folks. Plan B is not an abortion pill. It PREVENTS pregnancy. It DOES NOT HARM an existing pregnancy. Tell women you know, tell young women, friends, and family.

For more information visit www.go2planb.com
or ask me.

Oh, and seriously, that church sign, check it out www.churchsigngenerator.com
I always wanted to drive through the south and take pics of church signs and put them in a coffee table book...apparently i'm not the only one with this brilliant idea...

Currently reading: Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Currently listening: How to save a life by the Fray

Say it with love...

2006-08-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

who is em? and why'd she eat ryo?

battle of the bulge: the most stubborn cat in the world

2006-08-20T15:19:00.000-04:00

well now ladies and gents, you knew it wouldn't be long before miss nico graced the pages of my blog. i can't help it. but seriously folks, we've got an issue on our hands.

miss nico is about 2 lbs overweight. now i've been told that a fat cat is a happy cat. but the issue with nico is that her belly sort of rolls over key areas that, well, let's face it, need some cleaning. and until she can clean said areas, i have to clean them. we'll just leave it at that.

needless to say, fattie needs to go on a diet.

but here is the problem. she eats ONLY dry cat food. evidently, this cat food is much higher in calories than moist food. so i thought, well, she's a princess, canned food is more expensive, so of course she'll go for it. only the best for my little girl.

the scene played out like this:
1. here kitty kitty, mmm, smell (nasty) this yummy canned food!
2. with much trepidation nico sniffs and recoils as though she's been zapped, looks at me, meows, walks off.
3. stubborn mama says oh no you don't and over the course of the next two hours attempts to mix in treats, dry food, and eventually smears the gravy on kitty's nose to get her to AT LEAST taste it.
4. cat meows. incessantly. for the next four hours.
5. nico decides, bitch, i'm gonna eat anything and everything i'm NOT supposed to, including tape on boxes, plastic bags, pieces of metal, your laptop charger cord.
6. mama goes to bed. tough love kitty, tough love.
7. kitty wakes mama up in middle of the night (3:45 a.m.) by throwing up plastic that she found god only knows where.
8. mama curses and gives a tablespoon of dry food.

now. repeat this FIVE TIMES. i am on the fifth night of this charade. it's now a battle of wills. and let me tell you, i will not get beat by this tubby little furball.

but i can't help but admire her tenacity. takes after her mama. :)

currently reading: gilead by marilynne robinson
currently listening: not an addict by k's choice

coming soon to a theater near you...

2006-08-13T12:36:00.000-04:00

so i am squirming-in-my-seat excited about two movies coming out in september.

"science of sleep" stars my tiger-beat crush gael garcia bernal. maybe it's the vulnerability, the unassuming smile that he flashes, his perfect scruffy face. i have no idea. but i swoon. even though i heard he's a jerk. you know i really hate that whole "he's an asshole" "she's a bitch" celebrity commentary. what do i care really? i'm never going to share a cuppa tea with any of them am i? no, i'm simply going to admire them from afar.

anywho.

science of sleep trailer can be found here: http://wip.warnerbros.com/scienceofsleep/

the second great looking movie is "the last kiss" with zach braff. i don't think he's an asshole. i saw him on charlie rose and he seemd like a stand-up guy. neither here nor there. according to my nifty roomie (NR) this movie is based on an original italian version by the same name. NR is very excited about this version as well because he appreciates the genius of mr. braff. i think i'll watch both and compare, much like i did with dangerous liasons and cruel intentions. only, i hope this works out better.

last kiss trailer can be found here: http://www.apple.com/trailers/dreamworks/thelastkiss/trailer-high.html

exhibit a

2006-08-11T22:53:00.000-04:00

this not-so-little creature in the picture below greeted me this morning in the shower.

all i have to say is: wtf.

i mean i've seen some weird bugs, being from florida and all (palmetto bugs anyone?). but what is this thing?! i promptly took a picture so that i could show my friendly neighborhood exterminator. then, i promptly lost all nerve and ability to move and called for my nifty new roommate. his reply "oh shit!" but he maintained all gumption and swatted the hell out of said mystery bug.

exterminator reply: that's a centipede.
my reply: a centipede?! first rats, then pigeons (in my ceiling) and now centipedes! i'm in the city that never sleeps and the city that's always creepy-crawling...

the blog monster

2006-08-11T22:50:00.000-04:00

why, you might be asking, have i given in and decided to do it? to blog? well to be honest, sometimes some really crazy shit happens to me here in the big apple. it's all part of the experience, but i thought i'd share it with the world. or at least the five or so people who will read my blog. (you know who you are and i love you dearly).

so here it is. my blog. only time will tell if i'll actually keep it up. we'll see!