tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-322434052024-03-13T19:33:47.034-04:00Fully Movable Grad Student Action FigureCan one girl go to graduate school, work a full time job in theatre education, and plan a wedding...all at the same time? She sure hopes so! Follow the adventures of our heroine, the Fully Movable Grad Student Action Figure!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-21384072789289857762007-03-12T08:19:00.000-04:002007-03-12T08:24:46.376-04:00We're Getting LegalizedOn my way to the Howard County Circuit Court to pick up our marriage license! Eep! I'm foreseeing beauracracy, long lines, and signing-next-to-the-X, but after it's over, we'll be good to go.<br /><br />With every step recently, I've been getting this great butterflies in the stomach feeling of "it's actually happening--we're getting married!" I'm ready to enjoy what has been dubbed the "Weekend o' Jenn," and since my birthday is actually on Wednesday (but celebrated on Tuesday, Wednesday, AND Saturday), I'm extending it to the whole week.<br /><br />Life is good with 46 days and counting.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-62208510812841455792007-03-07T18:33:00.000-05:002007-03-07T20:59:02.321-05:00Wedding Bells Are Ringing (and so is my head)51 days and counting, ladies and gentlemen! I'm sort of anxious that I'm not more anxious, but I can only count my blessings. As long as Jake and I wind up married at the end of this whole thing, I'm good!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QThyyf2OfT6FKIgq2GXTd-lLykKwHFyvHya-jt3U2BLsLkRumJRJrdLwNGh4o4GtLj05aSp1OoE9Ut4tb6OBXoS5Z4Shgkn9zbNTXKjq7QQErPpcGxHQlaBK0AmSXOdNshlBOw/s1600-h/hair+trial+veil.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039341071856351410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 142px" height="163" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3QThyyf2OfT6FKIgq2GXTd-lLykKwHFyvHya-jt3U2BLsLkRumJRJrdLwNGh4o4GtLj05aSp1OoE9Ut4tb6OBXoS5Z4Shgkn9zbNTXKjq7QQErPpcGxHQlaBK0AmSXOdNshlBOw/s320/hair+trial+veil.jpg" width="222" border="0" /></a><br />I started a new job two months ago, and I'm lovin' it. But between busy times at work (in addition to my regular duties, I start teaching a creative drama class tomorrow afternoon), wedding planning, doctor's appointments, and writing my thesis proposal, my days are full to overflowing. I thought I'd take a moment out to process it all and write a post about wedding planning.<br /><div> </div><div>I'd like to give a shout-out to the lovely and wonderful <a href="http://www.cocomyles.com">CoCo Myles</a>. Dude. Custom-made dresses for under $150? In a custom color, chosen by yours truly, for no extra charge? And the company naming the color after me, making me world-famous? Hell, yes! The dresses are <em>very</em> well-made, and customer service was superb.</div><div><br /></div><p>I am never going to feel this pampered again. A hair and makeup trial means that we played with my hair for an hour, which led to playing with makeup for an hour. I haven't done this since I almost gave Bobbie Bardzik chicken pox when we were four, and sharing my mom's cast-off blue eye shadow and coral lipstick. (I don't think I got chicken pox this time. I'm immune now, suckas! Plus, they keep their equipment pretty clean there, so no cross-contamination.)<br /></p><p align="center">Hair:</p><p align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039339285149956226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 234px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="262" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRt_eQrm-R_MPJ62u9lx2YpQR9ff946sthr_0L2IbSPxzifMDEx-Q4O3PLZ15UjbxmsxGum9KlpDxGIBfJBGRpYoV-S8bYraY7vTgUpgoGUFKt_7vCtmP2vSW1i_9yLjffPLzr1Q/s320/hair+trial+back.jpg" width="212" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039339293739890834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 160px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="160" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTJam50fhiYwqFUISRaRiBYYVsUUD4TE2biK4iLgxfts1IWOb1WUetphOabUoy4hrAiK-Wt4ymcl3wTo0HrO_z7UYjCRwQ1ZScJ-D2AFx8QmBmj6laEbOCyzbiZGdL40FA3kitQ/s320/hair+trial+side.jpg" width="257" border="0" /></p><p align="center">Makeup:</p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039340474855897250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 205px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 153px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="153" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7r-tVg9zWNBYCvNNLC-FyqfgN7g5Po8XRIRPYh8rHppPg7GpVqrKMJjQPEvUN4mjHDxwO6cuACdzT-w_4n1cMH6wAJoPhrRBlXvIkQKVNLZeEg1quofVlzVzI6JqUqsjq72oY6Q/s320/makeup+trial+with+ashley.jpg" width="238" border="0" /><br /><br /><p align="center">(That's my makeup artist, Ashley, behind me. She's adorable.)<br /></p><p align="left"><br />What else...? Oh, if you're in the Baltimore area and need affordable accessories, go to <a href="http://www.treasurehouseaccessories.com/">Treasure House</a> in Owings Mills. That's where I got my hair clip. For $32! Treasure House is not to be confused with <a href="http://www.treasuretrovejewelers.com/homepage.html">Treasure Trove</a> in DC, which is where we got our rings.</p><p align="left">Everyone (and everything) has been great so far. More wedding news to come!</p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-25471823404334921072007-01-02T11:26:00.000-05:002007-01-02T13:04:49.029-05:00Our Trip!Looking at Elise Sewell's awesomely awesome <a href="http://elysesewell.livejournal.com/">blog </a>has prompted me to post pictures of our holiday road trip earlier than I had originally planned. (Read: no more procrastination in 2007. Maybe.) However, blogger seems to be unable to process my pictures right now...<br /><br />I'll try again a little later.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-22918047294100510052007-01-02T10:55:00.000-05:002007-01-02T11:02:39.874-05:00So Long Jordan and Nelina!<div>The <a href="http://www.dc2nz.blogspot.com/">DC-NZ</a> kids are on their way, enjoying family, friends, and In-N-Out burgers. And since I just now viewed their <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2LK0xB1V5s">goodbye video</a>, I thought I'd post pictures of the famous (infamous?) couch which has made its way from apartment to apartment, and is now being coveted in our space. So, here it is:</div><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn123XhyphenhyphenI_wO5NGvYwS8g-GnbltaA2Ukv7W3MRRCMS9jAdT4huvMFptxDq0XN2e31pwCHrEa2dMt0W1yDBcXxnsAPQZW7L-hLdf29UNzhAXJgyehkt94mK4GwFqpD27W4NyiwQQ/s1600-h/DSCN0183.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015463781803332722" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjn123XhyphenhyphenI_wO5NGvYwS8g-GnbltaA2Ukv7W3MRRCMS9jAdT4huvMFptxDq0XN2e31pwCHrEa2dMt0W1yDBcXxnsAPQZW7L-hLdf29UNzhAXJgyehkt94mK4GwFqpD27W4NyiwQQ/s320/DSCN0183.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi880CICqsiQ4hBPXWYxgg-FhRBujdLYxjC64JLbh-bHPeCZE2LcvXMzZ9WiE15Zuu_ak5MGccnKZUVj1AguLCeFCbISqk0E4MhixgR6aisjaM_fQ6eWV7TSeNjVtMe0RVtcB_KNQ/s1600-h/DSCN0184.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5015463790393267330" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi880CICqsiQ4hBPXWYxgg-FhRBujdLYxjC64JLbh-bHPeCZE2LcvXMzZ9WiE15Zuu_ak5MGccnKZUVj1AguLCeFCbISqk0E4MhixgR6aisjaM_fQ6eWV7TSeNjVtMe0RVtcB_KNQ/s320/DSCN0184.JPG" border="0" /></a></div><div> </div><div>Hope this makes you feel a little more at home!</div><div> </div><div>(Pictures from our awesome Christmas-slash-New-Year's trip coming soon. Gotta love the digital camera!)</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-10065987061221928392006-12-19T12:58:00.000-05:002006-12-19T13:12:14.200-05:00Wedding Jewelry<div><br /><br /><div>Since my dress is all be-Swarovski-ed at the top (my two criteria--no strapless and no sequins--have been long since thrown by the wayside), I won't be wearing a necklace with my dress. I've enlisted the girls to help me pick jewelry. I'm trying for a vintage-y look. The consensus seems to be falling toward these earrings (narrowed down from 6 choices!):</div><br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkklIV5ha9R2fgJZxEcIiSln-XAZ3ke1hEYwuG9x6aFT41aRFRg9L_SfywqtR3Mwc-rNkERg2reHdaFJRuBJMP7MdVj0CXIPE2-HIWPQW5fSacJsiltpeECtSEY55A1FCnVoXoig/s1600-h/fan.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5010301557089703282" style="CURSOR: hand" height="119" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkklIV5ha9R2fgJZxEcIiSln-XAZ3ke1hEYwuG9x6aFT41aRFRg9L_SfywqtR3Mwc-rNkERg2reHdaFJRuBJMP7MdVj0CXIPE2-HIWPQW5fSacJsiltpeECtSEY55A1FCnVoXoig/s320/fan.gif" width="229" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6gs0R21xXzLXdcW9_rmh9pqKOxaJLJaiQIqg2cwobn3bv76aqsAxf3S75xU3r6N7B09Gb9_2E_KH_hBbk39WkIEwhJZrldj3swH5EHLBpsRR0DkSumDk29zXif7DieHMrUCb4A/s1600-h/pear.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5010301557089703298" style="WIDTH: 136px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 151px" height="107" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6gs0R21xXzLXdcW9_rmh9pqKOxaJLJaiQIqg2cwobn3bv76aqsAxf3S75xU3r6N7B09Gb9_2E_KH_hBbk39WkIEwhJZrldj3swH5EHLBpsRR0DkSumDk29zXif7DieHMrUCb4A/s320/pear.gif" width="192" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXKrvdTDLXZFpuy3WLI_ZQ9fO2EK-KVMYTT2TBCyM6OBdYoUPD37qvSZB-FNAL9d0Opxth4DXBB-DpoXqNkvUd6pA1UWuE8FVQiaVZ-H8Q1_AOuIK45KjyZoBl_YdmzuKlVJ0ZA/s1600-h/emeral+dangle.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5010301286506763602" style="WIDTH: 161px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 161px" height="183" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXKrvdTDLXZFpuy3WLI_ZQ9fO2EK-KVMYTT2TBCyM6OBdYoUPD37qvSZB-FNAL9d0Opxth4DXBB-DpoXqNkvUd6pA1UWuE8FVQiaVZ-H8Q1_AOuIK45KjyZoBl_YdmzuKlVJ0ZA/s320/emeral+dangle.gif" width="172" border="0" /></a><br />(All from <a href="http://www.emitations.com/index.html">emitations</a>)<br /><div> </div><div>And the votes are completely split on what brooch to turn into a hair accessory. Any further advice would be much appreciated!)</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-24917849582416166502006-12-19T12:54:00.000-05:002006-12-19T12:57:24.178-05:00What Not to WearAm I wrong in wishing I had a worse sense of style so I could go on that show? I'm not a fashionista or anything, but I could use a new wardrobe!<br /><br />I want Stacey and Clinton to belittle me.<br /><br />I want to toss out all of my clothes and start anew.<br /><br />I want Nick to do my hair and Carmindy (of the worst name in the world) to do my hair and makeup.<br /><br />And I want $5000 to buy myself all new clothes!<br /><br />Throw a struggling grad student a bone!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-12921102416346433022006-12-11T12:49:00.000-05:002006-12-11T12:56:22.618-05:00Our Apartment is Comfy!See <a href="http://dc2nz.blogspot.com/2006/12/worlds-are-colliding-jerry.html">this</a>? We moved a couch from their apartment to ours on Saturday. So now their apartment is even <em>more</em> empty. The couch-moving invoolved Jake and our friend Steve carrying half a couch down seven flights of stairs (yes, that's right: <em>seven</em>) while Aly and I waited in the parking lot with cushions. Fortunately, both pieces of the couch fit in our elevator (fitting in the elevator is why they had to carry the couch in the first place), so the move-in took exponentially less time than the move-out. We're the third owners of the couch, and damn if it isn't comfy!<br /><br />Our living room is now all seating area: one love seat, one oversized chair, and one L-shaped couch. We need to have a party soon, now that we actually have room for people to sit. Fortunately, we have more than enough room for tonight's houseguest to crash.<br /><br />And Jake is an expert U-Haul driver!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-66608821439659331642006-12-03T13:52:00.000-05:002006-12-03T14:09:35.299-05:00I'm Free (To Do What I Want, Any Old Time)I figure since the Stones have given commercials full rein to use this song, I might as well use it as my post title.<br /><br />Anyhow.<br /><br />As some of you know, I quit my job last week. I loved teaching there. I loved the kids. It didn't matter how stressed-out I was, there was always someone there to make me smile, and I felt an incredible sense of accomplishment.<br /><br />But I'm not a salesperson. I once asked my dad why I didn't seem to have the Jewish cultural imperative towards taking people's money. (It's a joke, OK?) Unfortunately, stereotypes don't seem to work that way.<br /><br />Plus, I haven't been able to focus on school as much as I'd like. Staying up until 4:30AM to read should not be the only option. And this while I'm getting B+s. I feel like such a hypocrite telling the kids that school should be their number-one priority, and not listening to my own advice. I know I need to work for a living, but this schedule was killing me.<br /><br />So, I'm out.<br /><br />I've got a couple of good leads, and I hope to be differently employed by the time my last day pops up...I'm so happy about this decision.<br /><br />Oh! And I plan to post more now--gonna keep you updated on the whole wedding-planning thing. Fun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1160079453944469072006-10-05T16:15:00.000-04:002006-10-05T16:17:33.956-04:00You're a Drama-what?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3921/3513/1600/theatrevssports.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3921/3513/320/theatrevssports.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Courtesy of LMDA. Hee! One of the best cartoons I've ever seen.<br /><br />(Edited because "carton" and "cartoon" aren't the same thing.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1158800547199106512006-09-20T20:51:00.000-04:002006-09-20T21:02:27.210-04:00Racial Politics and America's Next Top ModelHappy <a href="http://www.cwtv.com/shows/americas-next-top-model"><span style="font-style: italic;">ANTM</span></a> day, y'all. I'm all Ti-Voed up and ready to go. Girl's gotta have her share of skinny bitches competing for "fairest of them all" while she's reading about class struggle and feminism in WWII England.<br /><br />I found <a href="http://www.slate.com/id/2141972/">this article</a> (from Slate) about racial politics in <span style="font-style: italic;">ANTM</span> interesting. The show is lauded for its color-blindness and multiculturalism. This season, we seem to be starting out with 8 white models (two of whom are identical twins), 4 African-American (or African) models, and one East Indian. Could it be that sponsor Cover Girl is trying to appeal to a wider audience? Could it be that Tyra is trying to parlay her success as one of the first African-American supermodels, and giving opportunities to girls of all races? (Past winners: 3 white, 2 black, 1 biracial.) Any way you slice it, the article has some interesting points:<br /><br /><blockquote>"I don't want another black bitch," said Tyra to potential contestant Eva Pigford, confronting what had long remained subtext on reality TV. Eva, who was sometimes referred to as "Eva the Diva," experienced a significant attitude adjustment while under Tyra's tutelage and went on to win. But as Eva's star rose, Tyra's patience with her dark-skinned contestants began to wane. Tyra criticized Cycle 3 runner-up Yaya's "Afro-centric" head wraps, and in Cycle 4, she threw a spectacular hissy fit at Tiffany, a black mother from Miami. At the end of each episode of <em>ANTM</em>, one would-be model is sent home. When Tiffany, who sported tattoos and got into a bar fight on-camera, shrugged at the news of her elimination, Tyra exploded.</blockquote><br />and:<br /><blockquote>Although Tyra had several problems with [last season's winner] Danielle—at one point bullying her to close the Lauren Hutton-esque gap in her smile—she was particularly unhappy about Danielle's "country" accent. Danielle does speak the way one might expect a young black woman from Arkansas to speak, but the lilting, syrupy sound of her voice is a huge part of her charm. All the judges—except Tyra—acknowledged this. While no one found it problematic that Jade (the "biracial butterfly"—her words—from New York City) peppered her speech with made-up words like "analystic," "dwelve," and "releasement," Tyra seemed unable to bear the fact that Danielle (who, incidentally, properly used the word cantankerous to describe herself when she gets pissy) had regional inflection in her voice. Even more to the point, Nnenna, the recently booted stunner from Nigeria, also spoke with a thick accent, which Tyra and the rest of the judges found fetching. Evidently, an African accent is fine, but not an African-American one. At last week's judging, Tyra told Danielle the judges "didn't trust her when she opened her mouth." But the truth is that the other judges loved Danielle, <em>especially</em> when she spoke, because she was articulate, modest, and hugely charismatic.</blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1158796721654463112006-09-20T19:54:00.000-04:002006-09-20T19:58:41.663-04:00Geek Out.<span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">When someone writes this in a recap of </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-family: georgia;">Project Runway</span><span style="font-family: georgia;">:</span><br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"> <span class="story_text"><span style="font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Holy shit, there's a scroll across the screen -- "</span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Teri Hatcher</span></span><span class="story_text"><span style="font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> on <i>Inside the Actors Studio</i>." I just wrote, then deleted, about seventeen sentences that really can't capture the magnitude of the wrongness of that. One was about Lee Strasberg rolling over in his grave. One was about Stella Adler laughing somewhere about Lee Strasberg's school looking moronic. One was about James Lipton's fat ass. One about not being able to wait for the episode with Dane Cook. Nothing really works. Somebody hold me.</span><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />(From <a href="http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com">Television Without Pity</a>)</span><br /></span></span></span></blockquote><span class="story_text"><span style="font-family:verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I can't help but geek out that I actually get the Stella Adler/Lee Strasberg reference. Does that make me a nerd or a theatre snob? Or both?</span></span><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1157820356681864852006-09-09T12:12:00.000-04:002006-09-09T12:48:16.460-04:00I'll Have What She's HavingI've never seen anything like <a href="http://feministing.com/archives/005549.html">this</a> before. Feministing points to a menu from (?) where the prices are different for men and women. The budget-concious broke-ass chick in me says "yes!" while the outspoken feminist in me says "ooohh...no."<br /><br />Those who know me know I'm all about the hyperlinks, and "sailorman" pointed me to a <span style="font-style: italic;">New York Times</span> <a href="http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/?p=106">food blog post</a> about the all but dead phenomenon of the price-free (not to be confused with <span style="font-style: italic;">priceless</span>) menu.<br /><br />I've worked at two restaurants, and was asked quite frequently for price-free menus, either by people hosting large parties, or--yes--men who didn't want their dates to know how much they were paying. This question was particularly laughable at my places of business since, while they were still upscale, they were not the fanciest places in their respective facilities.<br /><br />I was a bartender at a four-star hotel--and honestly, if I had known how much drinks were there, I wouldn't have ordered booze. (Wait, I didn't have to order. I just drank for free after hours.) But the food was <span style="font-style: italic;">bar food</span>. Upscale bar food, but still burgers and quesadillas. Yes, there were some fancier entrees on the menu, but still at reasonable prices. We weren't the fine dining room upstairs, just a simple, cozy hotel bar. No price-free menus there.<br /><br />I also waited tables at a country club. Again, we weren't the fancy place--that was a ways down the parking lot. We were the place members went to for coffee before a golf match, for lunch while their kids were playing ice hockey, for a break from the bowling tournament. A few fancy entrees, but mostly sandwiches and salads. People would host parties there, and ask for price-free menus (which we didn't have), and get upset when we couldn't provide one. But, really, I think their guest would have been able to figure out the price of a club sandwich.<br /><br />Interesting analysis of the <span style="font-style: italic;">NYT </span>price-free menu comments <a href="http://blog.shrub.com/archives/jfpbookworm/2006-08-18_360">here</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1157579386326715692006-09-06T17:47:00.000-04:002006-09-06T17:49:46.336-04:00We All Make Lots of Deli Foods.I like this guy's outlook on the goings-on in the Middle East:<br /><br /><blockquote> Egyptian dude: See, other people in the Middle East do not really hate Jews. We are very similar to Jews, actually. Egyptians and Palestinians and Lebanese and Israelis, all of us make lots of deli foods that have lots of spices and names that are fun to say...And if you are Egyptian, the war does not mean so much. If you grew up there, you grew up with the giant pyramids. You know the pyramids? Yes, well you can see them from the city, and you think "Who built those? Slaves. Who did they build them for? Dead people." And then things like wars do not bother you so much. <p>--Pita Pan, 1st St & 7 Ave, Brooklyn</p></blockquote><p></p><span style="font-size:85%;"> (From <a href="http://www.overheardinnewyork.com/">Overheard in New York</a>)</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1157566105699100342006-09-06T14:05:00.000-04:002006-09-06T14:08:25.716-04:00Calling Lt. Dangle-Ben-Gurion...If this isn't the stuff of <a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0370194/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Reno: 911</span></a>, I don't know what is.<br /><br /><blockquote><a href="http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=oddlyEnoughNews&storyID=13381356&src=rss/oddlyEnoughNews">JERUSALEM (Reuters)</a> - A police pursuit of suspected car thieves through the streets of an Israeli city ended with officers reporting another stolen vehicle -- their own. <p>After crashing into an electricity pole during the chase in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak, the three suspects abandoned their car and made a run for it on foot, a police spokesman said Sunday. </p><p> Two officers bolted from their police cruiser to try to catch them. </p><p>One of the suspected thieves was arrested, another got away, but the third man doubled back, jumped into the police car and sped off, the spokesman said. It was later found abandoned, its radio and computer screen smashed. </p>The police spokesman said he could not confirm an Israeli newspaper report which said the officers had left the cruiser unlocked and its engine running. He said a senior police commander had ordered an investigation of the incident. </blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1157516320731042852006-09-06T00:09:00.000-04:002006-09-06T00:23:21.186-04:00Have I Ever Lied to You?<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3921/3513/1600/gibsonletter.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 101px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 124px" height="150" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3921/3513/320/gibsonletter.jpg" width="89" border="0" /></a><br />Apparently, <a href="http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/">my kind</a> does. <a href="http://www.campusreportonline.net/main/printer_friendly.php?id=950">Every day</a>. Perhaps my blog should look more like <a href="http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/cat_index_2.shtml">this</a>? Damn it, I've even been <a href="http://www.ladiesagainstfeminism.com/artman/publish/article_2172.shtml">dressing wrong</a>!<br /><br /><br />On a completely different (and, some might say, completely opposite) note, keep your fingers crossed that I get to dramaturg <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysistrata">Lysistrata</a></em> for Matt this semester. It would be a great opportunity, and lots of fun. I just need, like, another 24-or-so hours in the week. Or to not work full-time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1156783604424459752006-08-28T12:25:00.000-04:002006-08-28T12:46:44.506-04:00Whither Fashion?<a href="http://www.rockstarmommy.com/2006/08/rage_against_the_olsen_machine.php">This</a> (from Rockstar Mommy) is dead-on. I've been shopping twice over the last two weeks (Back to School time, dontcha know?), and have found the pickings scarce. Even at H&M, I only came away with two shirts--albeit, two shirts that actually fit me, unlike the shirts of last week's trip. Usually I'm guaranteed to find an armload of cute clothes that fit my budget at H&M. Fashion has apparently taken a break from being at all...fashionable, for lack of a better word.<br /><br />One thing that RSM didn't mention is the bane of my existence: the formal short. There are brocade shorts, wool shorts, and, my "favorite," the <span style="font-style: italic;">short suit</span>. People, shorts don't belong in the workplace! And as long as you're manufacturing these hideous creations, you are depriving sane women everywhere of skirts! Cute skirts. Skirts that are appropriate to wear to work or play. Skirts that aren't...<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">shorts</span>! I had the impulse to ask store clerks at H&M, Banana Republic, J. Crew, and Ann Taylor--all of whom were proudly hawking short suits--when they predicted the trend would end. I could have found really cute things at Filene's if it wasn't for the damn short suit. (Shame on you, Marc Jacobs! How could one of my favorite designers let me down so harshly?)<br /><br /><a href="http://gofugyourself.typepad.com/go_fug_yourself/2005/02/lets_get_it_fug.html">I blame Fergie</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1156020887754138702006-08-19T16:44:00.000-04:002006-08-19T16:54:47.763-04:00My Type of GuyYou know, I've always said I don't have a "type." All of the guys I've dated have looked pretty different. But when it comes to reality/educational television, I'm all about two men. They may be dissimilar in talent and dress, but...well, look for yourself:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/text/0,1976,FOOD_9956_50120,00.html"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 94px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3921/3513/320/alton1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Exhibit 1. <a href="http://foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/text/0,1976,FOOD_9956_50120,00.html">Alton Brown</a>. (Food-science geek. Cook--<span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> chef. <a href="http://foodnetwork.com/food/show_ab/0,2857,FOOD_26776,00.html">Motorcycle and road food enthusiast</a>. Usually can be found in a Hawaiian shirt or bowling shirt with someone else's name on it.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway/tims_take"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 102px; height: 137px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/3921/3513/320/gunn1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Exhibit 2. <a href="http://www.bravotv.com/Project_Runway/tims_take">Tim Gunn</a>. (DC native, and former teacher at the Corcoran. <span style="font-style: italic;">Project Runway</span> mentor. Always fabulously fashionable, without being over the top.)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />If pressed, I'd say Jake tends more towards exhibit 1. I love being engaged to a foodie! (We're going to DC Coast tomorrow night. Keep you posted.)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1155747104103138502006-08-16T12:36:00.000-04:002006-08-16T12:51:44.146-04:00Everyone (Who Cares) has Seen the Season Finale of Hell's Kitchen, Right?<span style="font-size:100%;">I found this interesting, in light of Heather's signature dish, and the fact that I had incredibly yummy bass for dinner the other night:<br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:100%;">G. Bruce Knecht, author of <i>Poached:Pirates, Poaching, and the Perfect Fish</i> was featured on C-Span a few days ago and was a real eye-opener, starting with the fact that there's no such thing as a "Chilean sea bass", that the name was a marketing stroke starting in the late 1970's in order to sell what had prior to that time been called a "Patagonian (or Antarctic) toothfish", a homely bottom-feeding oily fleshed white fish. The oiliness is why caterers, banquet managers and bad chefs everywhere love it; you can overcook it, leave it on the pass, park it under the heat lamp and it survives beautifully.<br /><br />The toothfish off the coasts of South American are commercially extinct and won't come back for thirty to forty years; it has a lifespan of about 70 years, but doesn't begin reproducing until it's 14 years old. The fish that are left were young and the population left alive very small. Commercial harvesting takes place only the water off Antarctica now.<br /><br />So maybe Heather, being a young cook, doesn't know this or doesn't care. Ramsay evidently doesn't care, or at least doesn't care to be in league with restaurants like Chez Panisse or French Laundry in Northern California or the Four Seasons and Balthazar in New York that have stopped selling "sea bass" until the illegal fishing situation has been sorted out.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">(from the <a href="http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com">Television Without Pity</a> message boards)</span></blockquote><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Guess there are some Restaurant Week participants who don't know this either. Or don't care. In any case, <a href="http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/">Zengo</a> does an amazing job with Patagonian toothfish.<br /><br />Except on second glance at the menu, what I ate was striped bass. Which <span style="font-style: italic;">is</span> a real <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_bass">species</a>.<br /><br />Other courses eaten for Restaurant Week at Zengo: short rib empanada (thumbs up) and a coconut panna cotta (thumbs horizontal--neither up nor down). I wish I would have gotten the <span style="font-style: italic;">tres chocolates</span> that Mer had for dessert--they looked amazing. Jake was underwhelmed with his lobster/shrimp ceviche. It seemed very watery, especially for a place that really prides itself on the ceviches. He was with me on the bass, though.<br /><br />Mmmm...apparently non-illegal fish...<br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1155244217643343352006-08-10T17:07:00.000-04:002006-08-10T17:12:36.440-04:00Was There Any Doubt?Stealing this from <a href="http://urbanfolktales.blogspot.com/">Elisha</a>...<br /><br /><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="350"><tbody><tr><td bg="" style="color: rgb(238, 233, 233);" align="center"><br /><span style=";font-family:Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;font-size:14;color:black;" ><br /><strong>You are a Brainy Girl!</strong><br /></span></td></tr><br /><tr><td bgcolor="#fffafa"><br /><center><img src="http://images.yournewromance.com/whatkindofgirlareyouquiz/brainy-girl.gif" height="100" width="100" /></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Whether you're an official student or a casual learner, you enjoy hitting the books.<br /><br />You know a little bit about everything, and you're always dying to know more.<br /><br />For a guy to win your heart, he's got to share some of your intellectual interests.<br /><br />A awesome book collection of his own doesn't hurt either!<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div align="center"><a href="http://ynr.blogthings.com/whatkindofgirlareyouquiz/">What Kind of Girl Are You?</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">That should come as a surprise to no one, right? I do wonder what the other options were. Looking at the questions, I would guess: Foodie Girl, Glamor Girl, Sporty Girl, Workaholic Girl, Rocker Girl, and Granola Girl (or something else that connotes crunchy and good for the environment).<br /><br />My vow to you, dear reader: just because this looks strangely similar to the post that was up on my old blog for a billion years before I finally deleted the thing...that doesn't mean I'm not going to post here again. Promise.<br /></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1155232009882943702006-08-10T13:40:00.000-04:002006-08-10T13:46:49.890-04:00Where's Slater When You Need Him?Oh, <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060810/ap_en_tv/people_dustin_diamond">this</a> is sad.<br /><br />That this lady broke into a hotel room to steal video games is sad enough. But the fact that it was Screech's room...and she didn't seem to care? If it was a fan, the opening sentence would have said so. But, no, Screech "scuffled with a <span style="font-weight: bold;">random-ass* </span>woman." That's fine on her end, but it's gotta be a blow to his <a href="http://www.getdshirts.com/">already-fragile ego</a>. <br /><br />I just had a mental picture of a "fan" of Screech's. What would they call themselves? "Screechies?" "Screeching Sidekicks?" "The Samuel 'Screech' Powers-es?" I'm creeping myself out.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">*bolded words are strictly editorial, and do not actually appear in this "news" story.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1155150289411317872006-08-09T14:58:00.000-04:002006-08-09T15:04:49.426-04:00Open LetterTo Whom it May Concern:<br /><br />When I tell you that I have not dealt with a particular financial situation, and that all of the information I know is second-hand, please check with the people who are actually handling the issue. I do not want to give you any wrong information, but seeing as how the entire transaction has been done in Korean, and I do not speak Korean, I might not be the best person to talk to.<br /><br />Let me repeat: <span style="font-style: italic;">I do not speak Korean</span>. I would like to learn Korean, but right now, I can say "hello," "goodbye," "thank you," "I do not speak Korean," and random words like "mom," "dad," "older brother," "strawberry," and "I'm bored." Unfortunately, those words haven't come in very handy in conversation, yet.<br /><br />Also: if you sign up for a loan and opt to pay it back over a period of <span style="font-style: italic;">fifteen years</span>, the interest is going to bite you in the ass. I'm sorry that this happened to you. I really am! But that's something you need to take up with the loan company, not me. I don't actually see any of your money. (Sadly.)<br /><br />Anyone want to teach me Korean?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1154991194798155872006-08-07T18:52:00.000-04:002006-08-07T18:53:14.800-04:00By the Way......I can't believe I've started my auspicious return to blogging by having an entire conversation about <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee's Playhouse</span>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1154991135674647362006-08-07T17:17:00.000-04:002006-08-07T19:30:34.356-04:00It's (Apparently) Been BroughtenAnd now for my rebuttal to an important debate which has been enraging the blogosphere since...<span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeff, Jake</span> and I started talking about it on Friday: <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee's Playhouse</span> on Adult Swim--Yea or Nay?<br /><br />For Jeff's argument, read <a href="http://captaingoodtimes.blogspot.com/2006/08/return-of-schwing.html">this</a>, and wonder why it's titled "Return of the Schwing" when Pee-Wee never used that word. Did Jeff mean "Schwinn," like the bike Pee-Wee lost in <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee's Big Adventure</span>? The world may never know.<br /><br />Let me begin by acknowledging the points on which I agree with Jeff:<br /><ul><li>The "I'm So Excited" episode is, indeed, the best episode of SBtB, hands down.</li><li>The <span style="font-style: italic;">Buffy the Vampire Slayer</span> movie sucked. And Paul Reubens was the best thing in it.</li><li>That's it.</li></ul>Having not watched SBtB on Adult Swim (and, actually, forgetting that that had happened at all), I was pleasantly surprised that they were going to start showing <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee</span>. It seemed like a good fit; sure it's live-action, but it has a lot of stop-motion, claymation, and those weird-ass cartoons from the 1940s that the King of Cartoons would bring in. And Adult Swim's standbys (for better or worse) cater to a demographic that gets tearily--and hysterically--nostalgic for the 1970s and 80s, with shows like <span style="font-style: italic;">Robot Chicken</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Family Guy</span>.<br /><br />Maybe it's because I grew up on John Waters, or because my parents are...who my parents are, but I'm a huge fan of camp. And you can't argue that <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee</span> isn't camp. It began as a <a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0081915/">stage show</a>, which parodied children's shows with racy dialogue, and was certainly meant for adults. (Several characters from that show later popped up on the kids' show, most notably Jambi, Kaptain Karl, and Miss Yvonne.) That show was developed into <a href="http://imdb.com/title/tt0089791/"><span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee's Big Adventure</span></a> (co-written by Phil Hartman, and directed by Tim Burton), which was then developed into <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee's Playhouse</span>.<br /><br />I watch (and enjoy!) the show for several reasons. Nostalgia is certainly one of them. I have fond memories of watching this show with my brother on Saturday mornings. Nostalgia isn't the only reason, though. I like the theme song, sung by Cyndi Lauper. I like to see what I consider to still be a parody of children's shows. I like to hear the double entendres that went completely over my head when I was a kid. I like to turn off my brain sometimes and laugh at simple inanity.<br /><br />And I like to see The Man Who Would be Morpheus in a jheri curl and chaps, speaking in a south-western accent.<br /><br />Jeff was wrong in comparing <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee</span> to <span style="font-style: italic;">Sesame Street</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The Teletubbies</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sesame Street </span> is earnest and educational. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee</span> is neither of those two things, especially not earnest.<span style="font-style: italic;"> Teletubbies</span> is nonsense, aimed at pre-verbal infants. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pee-Wee</span> is certainly nonsense, but of a very different kind. It's not aimed at the pre-verbal, but at people who have a grasp on language and can laugh at the nonsense therein.<br /><br />There are parts I could do without, of course (the fish tank and the door-to-door salesman spring to mind), but I would never let go of a future <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0580924/">Emmy/Tony/Helen Hayes nominee</a> delivering the mail, or <a href="http://imdb.com/name/nm0551234/">Blacula-cum-Othello</a> creeping me out with vintage cartoons.<br /><br />Gentlemen, the ball is in your respective courts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1154969618436787832006-08-07T12:47:00.000-04:002006-08-07T13:04:39.090-04:00I Signed Up For an ArgumentThanks go out to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeff</span> for reminding me what we're supposed to be arguing about. But I was promised an argument to respond to, and there's nothing up on <a href="http://captaingoodtimes.blogspot.com/">his blog</a>. Jeff, if you want your ass kicked (in a civilized, ladylike manner), you're going to have to give me <span style="font-style: italic;">something</span>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span>, too.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32243405.post-1154804517097316132006-08-05T14:51:00.000-04:002006-08-05T15:54:27.040-04:00Hello, Blogspot!This post was supposed to serve three purposes:<br /><br />1) To welcome myself back to blogging and let y'all know that I'm over here at Blogspot now. Here I am. Wave hi.<br /><br />2) To rebut against <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jake</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Jeff</span>'s argument about...something. I can't remember what now. Dammit, how am I supposed to argue if I can't remember what it is I'm arguing <span style="font-style: italic;">about</span>?<br /><br />and<br /><br />3) Since both of those were utterly stupid, I now have to say something intelligent to prove my worth to the general world, and show that I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> know something worth giving a damn about. Here goes (and thanks to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Leila</span> for reminding me why I'm passionate about this subject):<br /><br />Shakespeare is meant to be <span style="font-style: italic;">heard</span> and not <span style="font-style: italic;">read</span>. He never wrote a whole script in his life, and it wasn't until the first Folio that people could actually read the whole text of plays. Add that to the fact that any editor of any Shakespeare text anywhere is doing just that--editing--and you have a world full of people who don't know what the fuck the guy was saying. Read your text out loud. Use iambic pentameter if the speech is written in verse. Pause if there's punctuation, don't pause if there isn't any. Keep a dictionary by you for words you don't know. (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0198125216/sr=8-1/qid=1154804048/ref=sr_1_1/102-4285768-8813738?ie=UTF8">This</a> one is my favorite.) <span style="font-style: italic;">Listen</span> to what the character is telling you. And your life will be <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> much easier.<br /><br />The above was a veeeery condensed version of the lecture I give to any of my students who complain about reading Shakespeare. Especially if they want to read the version "in English." I don't care if you love the guy. Hell, I don't care if you <span style="font-style: italic;">like</span> him. But you have to understand why we're still reading his works.<br /><br />Thanks for indulging me. I'll go back to writing idiocy now.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508317345227850229noreply@blogger.com2