Tuesday, September 30, 2003
Celebrity freakshow
http://www.awfulplasticsurgery.com (SFW, though there is lots of cleavage from bad boob jobs)
Current mood: Blah
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:10 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, September 27, 2003
Annoying marketing gimmick of the day
Obnoxious ads on those cardboard thingies at chain coffee houses that slide over your paper coffee cup to protect your hands and somehow raises the level of your coffee to gourmet status.
Tonight's coffee was brought to me by the folks at T-Mobile, which wasn't terribly offensive. But several weeks ago, my Barnie's coffee was brought to me by Crest Whitestrips. The cardboard thingie was a bright blue, with the Crest logo slapped on top, and a picture of a huge, toothy smile. Kind of an overly zealous way to target people with coffee-stained teeth. I was actually repulsed by the image. Who wants to see a stranger's mouth every time he or she takes a sip of a $2 coffee? Ew. I guess other people were repulsed, too, because I haven't seen that ad on a cup of Barnie's coffee since.
Current mood: Blank
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:01 AM EST [Link]
Friday, September 26, 2003
Makes perfect sense to me
From Wired magazine's Jargon Watch:
Rocketing
Marketing term for Americans' growing tendency to spend big bucks on things like cars, entertainment systems, and travel while being cheap with everything else
This is so me. I'll spend countless hours online searching for the cheapest air fares anywhere, on any airline -- cattle call, no dinner, AirTran, Southwest, doesn't matter -- then spend the money I saved shopping and eating frivolously during the vacation; I'll drive out of my way to save $.02 a gallon on gas; and I'll wear shoes and undergarments until they can no longer be worn. But I'll (normally, when they're not sick) buy expensive cat food; buy them silly, expensive toys that are either destroyed or lost under the fridge within hours; and spend hundreds of dollars on CDs, headphones, computer equipment, gadgets and kids' toys without blinking an eye.Current mood: Relaxed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:41 PM EST [Link]
Random acts
Amber is feeling much better, though her hearing has not come back. She is acting much like her old self -- following me around the house because she hates being alone, sleeping on the bed with us again, purring, snuggling -- but you still must tap her on her back to get her attention. With the help of some medication, she's gotten some of her appetite back. She eats a few bites more and more with each meal. But I've been forced to give her wet, greasy Fancy Feast, which naturally she likes because well, it's bad for her. She turns her nose up at her old food, which she needs to eat again at some point because it's prescribed to her for previous kidney problems. At any rate, I'm confident the worst is behind her, which is a big relief, though I feel she'll never be back to 100%. Our refinancing was a total bust. We stopped work on our paperwork and aborted the process, bringing us back to square one. The lender we had found through Lendingtree.com, Castleview Home Loans, was so exasperating, disorganized and unprofessional, we felt we just could not proceed with them. We lost a $500 "good faith" deposit, but Castleview had frustrated us so much that we felt losing that money and settling back with our current monthly payment was the price we would pay to ease our minds. Sadly, we let the refinancing boom pass us by. But maybe we'll get another chance someday. In smalltalk with a co-worker several days ago, she revealed that her past occupations include training dogs and bartending. Now she is a journalist. That made me wonder whether journalism really is a vocation and not a profession. The debate never ends. Current mood: Fried
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:02 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
Amber
My girl Amber is very sick. She had a rare, adverse reaction to her annual booster shots, and as a result we fear she has lost her hearing. The vet was very puzzled and concerned, and he has reported her case to the vaccines' manufacturers. He thinks her brain swelled, resulting in disorientation, dizziness and deafness. She tries, but she hasn't been able to eat on her own. I don't know if she'll ever be able to hear us call her name again, which tears me apart. We startle her when we come home from work and when we touch her from behind, because she doesn't know we're there. The vet indicated there was a chance that the deafness would go away. I hope that's the case, but her hearing has not improved since last week.
It pains me to think that she was in perfect health just last week -- I almost feel like I did this to her by taking her in for shots, even though I know that no one could have known this would happen. I wish I would stop kicking myself over what's in the past -- something I can't control -- and focus on what I can do to make things better.
Current mood: Sad
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:26 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, September 21, 2003
Safari so good?
Am trying to get used to using Safari, Apple's Web browser, since IE keeps crashing and freezing.
Safari loads and "feels" much like old Netscape 6.0 did.
But it too keeps crashing. And I just found out that when you click on a link to a PDF, nothing happens. At least IE would automatically load Apple's built-in PDF reader.
I can't decide whether I like it or not.
Current mood: Blank
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:59 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Geek heaven
My new check-and-refresh-hourly site right now is gizmodo.com. I mean, c'mon -- check this out! And this! I'm intrigued by all of the creative toys that come out to keep people constantly amused, myself included.
Current mood: Tired
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:07 AM EST [Link]
Thursday, September 18, 2003
Tune in
Well you didn't wake up this morning 'cause you didn't go to bed
You were watching the whites of your eyes turn red
The calendar on your wall is ticking the days off
You've been reading some old letters
You smile and think how much you've changed
All the money in the world couldn't buy back those daysYou pull back the curtains and the sun burns into your eyes
You watch a plane flying across a clear blue skyThis is the day your life will surely change
This is the day when things fall into placeYou could have done anything you'd wanted
And all your friends and family think that your lucky
But the side of you they never see
Is when you're left alone with the memories
That hold your life together like glueYou pull back the curtains and the sun burns into your eyes
You watch a plane flying across a clear blue skyThis is the day your life will surely change
This is the day when things fall into placeCurrent mood: Nostalgic
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:53 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
No attention span
That storm needs to hurry up and do whatever it is it's going to do before I break something. I've had my fill of the non-stop updates. And they're likely to go on for days after it makes landfall.
Sadly, though, I found myself checking the Weather Channel after work last night and again this afternoon just to watch satellite video of it swirling in the Atlantic.
Current mood: Annoyed
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:14 PM EST [Link]
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
Who needs cpy edtrs
Submitted by P.L.:
Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist
and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a total mses and you
can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not
raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
Current mood: Exhausted
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:08 PM EST [Link]
More toys, please
The spiffy high-end headphones I just bought are on backorder.
Current mood: Impatient
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:11 AM EST [Link]
Monday, September 15, 2003
Beantown Baby
I found out this past Sunday that I had been selected to row in the boat going to Boston to compete at the Head of the Charles. I just bought my plane ticket today, and I'm so excited. I've never been to Boston, and this is one of the biggest regattas in the country.
I've also been handed the task of building a Web site for ORC's women's rowing program. I have some ideas, but I already forsee the site being a huge time-eater.
Current mood: Ecstatic
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:39 PM EST [Link]
The Tap Room
Our rowing club dinner Friday night at the Tap Room was incredibly fun but marred by an incident at another table.
A man and woman were at a 2-top about 15 feet to my right. The woman had her back to me, and the man faced me. He appeared to be a typical 50-something, overweight white male found on any golf course; as a result, I made no note of his looks.
As a group of us joked at our table, I could hear the man's voice grow louder and louder. At first I tuned it out, thinking maybe he was acting out a story. Then several of us heard his voice get malevolent. A hush fell over our table as we were jarred from our joviality. "You fucking BITCH," the man yelled, with contempt in his voice. He continued to berate the woman -- I did not care to hear exactly how -- then slapped her on the back of the head. We flinched and gasped.
By now, our table and a group at another table on the veranda were watching the incident and quietly hoping the woman was OK. N., who is a supervisor at a county family welfare service, said he could go to jail. The man quickly stormed off, but not without loudly calling her a bitch one more time as he yanked open a door. The woman slunk out a side exit; I did not see her face.
L., sitting next to me, noticed that the woman had forgotten her keys. L. grabbed the keys off the table, hoping to quietly pass them to the woman as soon as she reappeared. Soon, several of us were discussing the incident and had forgotten about the keys. We did not notice that a waitress had come by and taken them. L. later said that according to the waitress, the man frequented the restaurant, and this was not his first incident. Why would the management continue to allow him in? He might very well be a rich and influential member of the club, but that's no justification for allowing someone to be an asshole, cause a scene and treat someone so horribly.
If he had no problem slapping the woman on the back of the head in public, it scares me to think what he does in private.
Later, my BF said he thought that any man who witnessed the incident should have stood up and confronted the man when he hit the woman. I suddenly felt a terrible guilt at quietly watching the events unfold and not doing something, almost as if I had turned a blind eye. "No. The women should not have gotten involved; that man could have turned his anger toward you," my BF told me. "But a man there should have stood up and defended the woman." I mentally noted that there were two husbands at our table, but I don't know how much of the incident they witnessed, since they were sitting at the opposite end of the table. I still wish I stepped in and confronted that horrible man. There were 12 strong women there to back me up.
Current mood: Regret
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:25 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, September 14, 2003
Wise beyond her years
In the shoe department at Ross: Tiny girl, no older than 10, in a confident but squeaky, little-girl voice, proving she's already wiser than her loud, trashy mom, who was pointing out pair after pair of shoes for her: "Those shoes are uglier than ugly, mom. No. Offense."
Current mood: Amused
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:00 PM EST [Link]
Friday, September 12, 2003
The world's worst-kept secret
Yesterday, 4:30 p.m.: Married male manager (MM, or "the Mailman," ha, fitting title, as you'll see) tells me he has to leave early, around 6 p.m., because he has "domestic issues" to deal with. I nod in acknowledgment.
6:10 p.m.: Married female manager (FM) struts past me and my podmate and out the door.
6:11 p.m.: MM slings satchel on shoulder and leaves with a flourish.
6:20 p.m.: Podmate reports that FM had mentioned that her husband is out of town for the weekend.
Current mood: Blank
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:18 PM EST [Link]
Baby steps
Despite feeling sluggish, fat and lethargic all week, I pulled a personal best on my weekly rowing machine workout!
Current mood: Giddy
Posted by Lynniechan @ 03:33 PM EST [Link]
Promoting tolerance and compassion, the Christian way
The long-predicted middle-America backlash to the hit Bravo series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy may have been ushered in in Helena, Montana, where the conservative Montana Family Coalition has condemned the show as "outrageous." Executive Director Julie Millam told the Helena Independent Record Wednesday: "A really good reality show for gay people would be five gay men dying of AIDS."
Current mood: Outraged
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:18 AM EST [Link]
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
Bizarre domain
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:17 PM EST [Link]
Monday, September 8, 2003
Funny diversion
http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2003/badmovietitles/index.html
Current mood: Easily amused
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:53 AM EST [Link]
Sunday, September 7, 2003
What's in your purse?
These should be oh so much more interesting than they are. Where are the condoms and birth-control pills? And aren't they just a little too tidy for comfort?
Current mood: Curious
Posted by Lynniechan @ 11:50 PM EST [Link]
I see white people
Good friend LD and I were to hook up for dinner tonight, so I suggested Central City Market, a gourmet grocery downtown that has tables for dining. LD for some reason didn't hear me say that they didn't have table service there, and after we walked in, he was at first disappointed.
So he suggested we walk over to the super-hoity-toity sushi place next door; I forget the name. I was skeptical. I said that they didn't look like they would take our kind there, what with him wearing a Skinny Puppy T-shirt and black mascara, and I with wet hair, a T-shirt and jeans.
We walked up to the maitre d', who was at a podium right outside the door, and LD said, "Two, please." The maitre d' glanced down at his book, then into the restaurant, then looked us over. "Um, it's about a 45-minute wait." I stole a peek inside. It didn't appear to be busy, much less full. "Fuck 'em," LD said, loud enough for the maitre d' to hear. I'm sure the maitre d' was trying to get rid of us. With not enough time to drive around looking for another place to eat, we ended up back at Central City Market anyway, which in the end was fine with LD, because we both enjoyed our sandwiches, the alternative '80s music was cool, and we were the only ones in there.
Later, I'd wished we'd had enough time to wait out the 45 minutes, just so the sushi place would either have had to tell us to our faces to bug off or serve us. Our money is as good as any of those rich white people's who were in there.
Current mood: Full
Posted by Lynniechan @ 02:29 AM EST [Link]
Thank you
I wanted to thank you again, D., for a very fun Friday afternoon. I wish we could do that more often. \(^o^)/
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 01:56 AM EST [Link]
Saturday, September 6, 2003
Finish line
We're basically done tiling the porch. Whew! Just a few touch-ups to go.
Caulk is evil.
Amber chills.
Hm, room is smaller with stuff in it.
Kitty explores the new digs.Current mood: Frustrated
Posted by Lynniechan @ 07:20 PM EST [Link]
My boy
Current mood: Still tired
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:52 AM EST [Link]
Mission: ACCOMPLISHED
Spent the day with good buddy D., who took me to ride the new attraction Mission: SPACE (large Shockwave files) at Epcot. I had been nervous all week about going on it, because I really didn't know how it worked or how intense it was. I love most roller coasters but am terrified of rides that just drop, like the Tower of Terror, and I feared Mission: SPACE would do that.
So I spent a few hours last night reading reviews of it online, which alleviated some of my anxiety. It's essentially a centrifuge, which simulates the G forces of a launch into space by spinning the compartment you're in really fast in order to pin you to your seat. Several of the reviews I read essentially said, "My spouse, who does not like roller coasters, loved it, blah blah..." so that helped to ease my fears. There also were several other reviews that said it may make you sick, which of course it did. I have a low tolerance for motion -- which is odd because I am on a lake in a boat three mornings a week -- and tend to get motion sickness easily, especially riding in the passenger seat of a car in stop-and-go traffic.
The park was dead -- possibly due to the rainy weather forecast (it hardly rained) and the Christian music extravaganza going on later that night -- so we walked right on. The snaking, cattle-call queue area was shorter than I thought, and it teemed with bored, loitering cast members (called "CMs" in fan message boards). The Steve Kmetko-lookalike "How many?" CM turned on his smile as we walked up. A perky thirtysomething couple queued up next to us in the safety video prep room. The woman, grinning broadly, was giddy about the ride. "This is so fun!" she gushed to us, without provocation. "I was nervous before the first time I got on just because I didn't know what it was like! But there's nothing to be afraid of!" (Insert random "tee hees" for effect.) OK, this really can't be all that bad.
The ride was exciting, and just as everyone said, different than most rides. It doesn't really feel like a coaster but doesn't lift your stomach into your chest, either (though it turned mine inside out). It does twist and turn more than I thought it would. It took me a good half-hour before I started to feel better. Someone on a fan board said that you pull 2 Gs in it, and astronauts in a real launch pull twice that. Don't know if that's true or not.
Here are a few scenes, sans the Mission: SPACE attraction, from today:
Hair on the dog.
Am I still green?
Can I take your picture? Um, OK.
God's on in an hour.
Picture-perfect ending.Current mood: Tired
Posted by Lynniechan @ 12:36 AM EST [Link]
Tuesday, September 2, 2003
Put it in perspective
I love it when co-workers complain about their jobs, when they really don't seem to have any idea how lucky they are.
I'll gladly trade places with you, co-worker.
Current mood: Blah
Posted by Lynniechan @ 06:34 PM EST [Link]
Monday, September 1, 2003
Blue jean blues
My brand-new, cheap Old Navy jeans are too big, and they're a size 8. I can't remember a time when I was a size 8.
Current mood: Conflicted
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:58 PM EST [Link]
Cleanliness is godliness
Ah, it's such a sense of relief and completion when your "items your selling" eBay list is empty, and the buyers have all left you feedback.
Current mood: Content
Posted by Lynniechan @ 05:18 PM EST [Link]