Friday, August 22, 2003
So, boohoo today's my last day copyediting. I'm sad, a bit I guess, but truth be told I do really love teaching EFL, and I enjoy it more than I do copyediting. Though the truth is copyediting is easier and it pays better.
That said, I'm both excited and nervous about going back to full-time teaching Tuesday. I hope it goes well!
Anyway the newswire gang (all three of us) are going out to the eagle bar and diner for a goodbye lunch. This venue was chosen based on its collection of cocktails. Yes if you have to leave, do it in style!
On my way to work, spending as I shouldn't have (again), I finally succumbed to Elton John's greatest hits for the super bargain price of £8.99, and I've been enjoying it all morning long. Say what you want, little whippersnappers, and I'll give you that around the early to mid-80s Elton John started to suck intensely (Which do you think is the career low point? 'Circle of Life' or 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?' or 'Candle in the Wind' remixed?), but you cannot touch his 70s stuff.
The man had a good songwriting partner and has a catalogue of great songs. I don't know how you can say that "Bennie and the Jets" doesn't sound just as fantastic today as it did then. "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" was a hit I think when I was about three years old, and I remember it as one of the first songs I really, really loved. I could never remember the name so I would call it "The WooHoo" song.
"WooHoo..." it's not my favorite anymore, but it still can't be knocked a mon avis.
Object at will, people.
That said, I'm both excited and nervous about going back to full-time teaching Tuesday. I hope it goes well!
Anyway the newswire gang (all three of us) are going out to the eagle bar and diner for a goodbye lunch. This venue was chosen based on its collection of cocktails. Yes if you have to leave, do it in style!
On my way to work, spending as I shouldn't have (again), I finally succumbed to Elton John's greatest hits for the super bargain price of £8.99, and I've been enjoying it all morning long. Say what you want, little whippersnappers, and I'll give you that around the early to mid-80s Elton John started to suck intensely (Which do you think is the career low point? 'Circle of Life' or 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight?' or 'Candle in the Wind' remixed?), but you cannot touch his 70s stuff.
The man had a good songwriting partner and has a catalogue of great songs. I don't know how you can say that "Bennie and the Jets" doesn't sound just as fantastic today as it did then. "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" was a hit I think when I was about three years old, and I remember it as one of the first songs I really, really loved. I could never remember the name so I would call it "The WooHoo" song.
"WooHoo..." it's not my favorite anymore, but it still can't be knocked a mon avis.
Object at will, people.
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Oh, good lord...
On the horizon of the historic California Governor recall election, Taco Bell Corp. is making matters deliciously predictable. The Company today launched the Taco Poll, asking Californians of all ages to "put their vote where their mouth is" for their favorite gubernatorial candidate, simply by purchasing selected Taco Bell(R) menu items. A crunchy beef taco will count as one vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger, a soft chicken taco will count as a vote for not recalling Gov. Gray Davis, and any Grilled Stuft Burrito will show support for any of the other 134 candidates. Taco Poll results will be tallied from more than 1,000 participating California Taco Bell(R) restaurants and released weekly on every Tuesday until the official election.
Much as I love Taco Bell and dearly, dearly miss the Meximelt and the Mexican Pizza, and wish to god they had an outlet in London, I am (needless to say) horrified. I swear to you, this is true. Scroll down this page and you will find the press release.
As if the California recall thing wasn't enough of a circus!
On the horizon of the historic California Governor recall election, Taco Bell Corp. is making matters deliciously predictable. The Company today launched the Taco Poll, asking Californians of all ages to "put their vote where their mouth is" for their favorite gubernatorial candidate, simply by purchasing selected Taco Bell(R) menu items. A crunchy beef taco will count as one vote for Arnold Schwarzenegger, a soft chicken taco will count as a vote for not recalling Gov. Gray Davis, and any Grilled Stuft Burrito will show support for any of the other 134 candidates. Taco Poll results will be tallied from more than 1,000 participating California Taco Bell(R) restaurants and released weekly on every Tuesday until the official election.
Much as I love Taco Bell and dearly, dearly miss the Meximelt and the Mexican Pizza, and wish to god they had an outlet in London, I am (needless to say) horrified. I swear to you, this is true. Scroll down this page and you will find the press release.
As if the California recall thing wasn't enough of a circus!
How bitchen is this?
Scott Thompson, comedian, queer activist, he of the fantabulous The Kids in the Hall is at least a part of, if no the founder of website/comedytour/friendsterfakester campaign to oust George W Bush!
Basically the plan is to do a comedy tour/voter registration drive at College campuses across the U.S. What a brilliant idea! I still believe that if more young people voted, we could really make a difference. Young people complain, but then they don't vote. Guess who does? (vote) Old people. Republicans. One of the best things about Scott's campaign is he's CANADIAN! And he's still trying to make a difference for
If you're on friendster, get in touch with me. here's the link to the I Support our Fake President site.
I will say I don't fully understand what the plan is, but if it involves W and trying to get rid of him and (even better) using comedy to do that, all the better!
Scott Thompson, comedian, queer activist, he of the fantabulous The Kids in the Hall is at least a part of, if no the founder of website/comedytour/friendsterfakester campaign to oust George W Bush!
Basically the plan is to do a comedy tour/voter registration drive at College campuses across the U.S. What a brilliant idea! I still believe that if more young people voted, we could really make a difference. Young people complain, but then they don't vote. Guess who does? (vote) Old people. Republicans. One of the best things about Scott's campaign is he's CANADIAN! And he's still trying to make a difference for
If you're on friendster, get in touch with me. here's the link to the I Support our Fake President site.
I will say I don't fully understand what the plan is, but if it involves W and trying to get rid of him and (even better) using comedy to do that, all the better!
Tuesday, August 19, 2003
I don't understand why the CEO of friendster basically wants to take all the fun away. I logged on this morning to find that a mass fakester genocide had occured. RIP Boy George, Ben-Judah, F Train, Feminism, Miss Piggy, Harry, and, horribly Mr. Snape, who had some of the funniest testimonials I've ever read. I suppose it's just a matter of time before they take my own fakester profile and my friends' away.
Judging from this article, friendster CEO Jonathan Abrams sounds like a very humorless person.
Anyway, for those fallen friendsters, all is not lost. I have compiled a handy list of links for those in need of a hand!
be part of the friendster revolution!
a little pretentious but still interesting commentary on the whole friendster phenomenon
friendster parody
The revolution will be interwebnet-ized!
Judging from this article, friendster CEO Jonathan Abrams sounds like a very humorless person.
Anyway, for those fallen friendsters, all is not lost. I have compiled a handy list of links for those in need of a hand!
be part of the friendster revolution!
a little pretentious but still interesting commentary on the whole friendster phenomenon
friendster parody
The revolution will be interwebnet-ized!
Monday, August 18, 2003
So you wannna be a ghetto fabulous diva from the block but don't have the million$ or the movie-star boyfriend. Well, you can have the ring. So bad I almost want to buy it.
Still gorgeous, isn't he?
And, AAR!!! I finally got to see "http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/pirates/">Pirates of the Carribean (and man it pains me to link to a disney site but PIRATES!) which was fantastic. Lots of Piratey goodness, Geoffrey Rush actually saying "AAR!" as grant pointed out in this thread, and that was very cool!
And oh, to be stuck on an island drinking rum with Johnny Depp, as jeweled and made up Johnny plays with my hair and "makes the moves on me...." mmmmm, a girl can dream. Orlando Bloom is OK but nowhere near as sexy as Johnny! Besides, what kind of pirate is Bloom, anyway?
{SPOILER AHEAD, SORT OF} At the end of the film, he should have left the girl because although she's a fine girl, "his life, his lover his lady is the sea...."
Also some of the scenes in the movie are STRAIGHT OUT of the Pirates of the Caribbean RIDE, and if anyone's been on it they know how fun the ride is and that was a nice touch. Only problem is now of course the ride will have hugely long lines when before you could hop right on.
Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me!
So I had a very nice weekend for the most part and my only regret is that I did not go to Ms Flowers' shindig on Sunday.
This is due to "personal reasons," and then partly because after that was worked out and resolved in I think a good way, I just wasn't in the mood to be my normal social-ly self, which, if I wasn't also quite exhausted and hungover from Mr. Illmatic's birthday party I think I could have risen above that. Though I have heard how much fun it (Flowersparty) was, that the Lady of the Hour had a lovely glitter hat on which I would've liked to have seen.
Other than this dark spot, very nice indeed. I went to a fancy-pants dinner party on Friday.... well, not so fancypants when we were headbanging and singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the top of our lungs. I'm not ashamed! (Though perhaps I should be!) I kept losing my wine though... Illmatic's party was crazy and fun, and was there a love match between a certain charming member of the Barbelith Young Team Americain and my flatmate??? Hmmmm - he seems quite smitten I can tell you! You see what you get when you invite yourself along to parties at the last minute? I recommend such behavior to all y'all!
This is due to "personal reasons," and then partly because after that was worked out and resolved in I think a good way, I just wasn't in the mood to be my normal social-ly self, which, if I wasn't also quite exhausted and hungover from Mr. Illmatic's birthday party I think I could have risen above that. Though I have heard how much fun it (Flowersparty) was, that the Lady of the Hour had a lovely glitter hat on which I would've liked to have seen.
Other than this dark spot, very nice indeed. I went to a fancy-pants dinner party on Friday.... well, not so fancypants when we were headbanging and singing "Bohemian Rhapsody" at the top of our lungs. I'm not ashamed! (Though perhaps I should be!) I kept losing my wine though... Illmatic's party was crazy and fun, and was there a love match between a certain charming member of the Barbelith Young Team Americain and my flatmate??? Hmmmm - he seems quite smitten I can tell you! You see what you get when you invite yourself along to parties at the last minute? I recommend such behavior to all y'all!
Ugh. New York New York New York. Even though the big North American blackout hit Toronto, Ottawa, Cleveland, Detroit, and quite a few other places, of COURSE the only story is "What were New Yorkers doing and thinking and feeling when the blackout hit? Will the subway be running soon? Blah blah blah.."
It's really my pet peeve when the press looks at New York as the center of the American Universe, so to speak. I mean, in many ways yes it is the most important city in the United States but I really don't think as a city it's actually indicative of America as a whole. If anything, it's more of an anomaly; a cultural bubble if you will.
That said, I will make it clear that I'm obviously at least slightly bitter because I am from the REAL greatest city in the world, Chicago, and no one ever appreciates us enough. Also, now that I live in London, I pretty much do exactly what I am complaining about with New York - which is I kind of forget there's a whole other country out there besides The Big City.
So yes, I'm aware of my double standard. But the New York centric ness still bothers me!
It's really my pet peeve when the press looks at New York as the center of the American Universe, so to speak. I mean, in many ways yes it is the most important city in the United States but I really don't think as a city it's actually indicative of America as a whole. If anything, it's more of an anomaly; a cultural bubble if you will.
That said, I will make it clear that I'm obviously at least slightly bitter because I am from the REAL greatest city in the world, Chicago, and no one ever appreciates us enough. Also, now that I live in London, I pretty much do exactly what I am complaining about with New York - which is I kind of forget there's a whole other country out there besides The Big City.
So yes, I'm aware of my double standard. But the New York centric ness still bothers me!
