Modern Day Knights

Yesterday I went on a run in Rockridge. As I was coming home, I went past the BART station parking lot.

Usually the parking lot is just full of cars, but today there were also knights! In full costumes! With helmets! And swords! There was also a full-blown tailgate with spectators!

What is it about the grocery store?

So, I've lived in Berkeley for almost a year, and I can count the number of people I know on one hand. (Ok, this is not entirely true, it's probably more like 3 or 4 hands, but you catch my drift).

For some reason, I keep spotting random people at the grocery store. For example:

* This girl from high school who I hadn't seen in over 7 years
* The aforementioned girl's brother, who I also went to my high school (may I mention that I went to high school in georgia)
* Today I swear I saw my ex-boyfriend, yes, at the grocery store. Which is almost as strange as the time I ran into him in Amsterdam. But that's another story..

look-alike of the week

Ashlee Simpson & Sarah Michelle Gellar

Sometimes I think Californians are wierd

The other day, I was waiting in the Rockridge Cafe (the citrus ricotta pancakes are highly recommended)for Matt so we could get some breakfast before work and here comes a woman walking her dog. The dog is wearing a teal bodysuit. I kid you not. I didn't have time to take a picture, but this at least gives you a sense...

Human Proof Fence ?

Why are we getting ready to spend over $ 2 billion to build 700 miles of fence along our southern border? Didn't we learn from the Australians? And humans are way smarter than rabbits.

Tech Tip of the Week

Somehow, I have become the default IT person in my tiny office. This is totally hilarious, since I really now close to nothing about computers, fax machines, and wireless networking.

However, I did discover a useful strategy. If you google the error message (like "unmountable_boot_volume", just as an example), you find all kinds of people who had the same problem as you and how they fixed it! I have really grown to appreciate all of those tech geeks out there who spend hours writing comments in online computer repair forums.

Guys, this one's for you...

Internet @ Home + 06 06 2006

Finally, I have internet at home. This means uninterrupted websurfing for the first time in months. Not that I really do a lot of non-job related web procrastination, but the other week, my boss came over to my desk (which is in the middle of our office, so people can always see exactly what I'm doing) and handed me a recipie for mac and cheese that I forgot to remove from the office printer.

In other news, has anyone else noticed these black and white billboards that say "06 06 2006... The signs are everywhere" in their towns? We feel surrounded. My best guess is that it's for a movie, but Matt and I noticed that they're all owned by Clear Channel...

Students March Against Immigration Reform

Just saw a bunch of students marching down 14th street in downtown Oakland to protest the draconian anti-immigrant legislation being considered in the Senate. It's pretty cool to see kids so active and out in the streets over such an important issue.

O Christmas Tree...

Our 10 ft tall X-mas tree
Originally uploaded by mcplunk.

Matt and I decided to celebrate Christmas on the 23rd, before I left for Atlanta. We noticed that the Christmas tree lot near his house had a "Trees for Free" sign out in front.

After dinner we headed over there. I was admiring some of the 3 footers, when he pulled me over to the biggest tree in the lot. It was at least 9 feet tall. How could I resist the idea of hauling a huge ass tree down the street at 10PM the day before Christmas Eve?

We found some lights and got the tree situated. It looked even larger inside than it did on the lot. I say, if you're going to have Christmas spirit, you might as well go all out.

Yet another reason to visit Maryland

Mooning deemed 'disgusting' but legal in Md.Man who exposed his buttocks during an argument walks free.

"If exposure of half of the buttock constituted indecent exposure, any woman wearing a thong at the beach at Ocean City would be guilty," Judge John W. Debelius III said after the bench trial, reversing the ruling of a District Court judge.

To my dear readers

I know there are probably very few of you left at this point. Let it be said that I had a fun time with you guys, and, in case you were wondering, I am still alive and well.

A few things have changed, primarily:

1) Having a job really cuts down on internet surfing. I know that there are plenty of folks out there who have tons of time to do google image searches and check go fug yourself 20 times a day, but my job is not one of those. Mainly because my desk is in the middle of the office, so everyone who walks by can see exactly what I'm doing.

2) Not having internet at my house really cuts down on internet surfing.

3) Usually if I do think of something to write about, it's several days before I can get to the computer. This seems wierd, since I spend all of time on the computer at work, but hey what can do?

Well, I'm going to try and do better. So keep checking in!

1987

I was watching I love the 80s 3D on MTV the other day and they were going over the highlights of 1987. Do you remember baby jessica, the kid who was trapped down the well for several days? I was about 8 at the time and I totally remember being extremely concerned for baby jessica. My other recollection of baby jessica was the simpson's spoof "Radio Bart" with Sting's hit "We're sending our Love Down the Well".


So I got curious, where is Baby Jessica now?

She is currently (as at 2003) a teenager growing up in Texas, she has had 15 surgeries over the years but does not remember the incident at all. Her life's dream is to sing the national anthem at the Superbowl. Her plans are to go to college, get married, raise a family. link

But she did not appear in Stuff magazine, despite reports to the contrary.

Our Contract with America

I was watching the Daily Show the other night, and Al Gore was on. John Stewart asked him something along the lines of -- so, what are the Democrats going to stand for, ect. And Al Gore said, "We're working on it, it's going to be a positive vision," or some vague crap. And I was like, "Why does this sound familiar?" And then I realized, Howard Dean had been on the Daily Show a few months ago, and had said the exact same thing.

While I appreciate y'all being on point and consistent and all, saying, "We're still working on it" is not very inspiring. In fact, it makes me cringe. Get your shit together people, we've only got 13 months.

We've got to think big and really shoot for the sky here.

For instance, how about:

* universal healthcare
* real worker's rights on the job
* a solid education plan

And come up with some really catchy, glossy names like "A Right to Work". Then we can turn around all of that right-to-work state BS.

See Al and Howard. I spent like 30 seconds on that platform. You guys have a bunch of high-paid political consultants. Please tell me you can come up with SOMETHING. PLEASE?!?

Really, how old do I look.

Today I went to see an R-rated movie. The woman at the ticket booth asked to see my ID. And I wasn't even wearing a grungy shirt!

US Weekly gives young girls a false sense of reality

After all, stars are just like US.

Um, like everyone I know has a $1200 gucci handbag.

Tell CNL to settle the Claremont Labor Dispute!

The workers at the Claremont Resort & Spa have been struggling to win a fair contract for over 4 years. Workers at the spa have also been trying to organize and have faced a hostile anti-union campaign from the hotel.

Take a minute to send a free fax to the CNL Hospitality CEO (the hotel's owner) urging him to settle the labor dispute.

So, I'm not going to have to speak at this thing...right?

So, this morning I get to work, and I get sent to this press conference as the representative for the local. I have no idea what the press conference is about, but I am promised that I will just go stand in the front and look official. So, I grab the union windbreaker that's 5x too big for me and head over to the press conference.

After mingling with some of the other attendees, we get started. The emcee lists the unions present, and first up is... UNITEHERE. And they're like, why don't you go up there and have your picture taken. Then he HANDS ME THE MICROPHONE. So, I'm standing there with this microphone in front of 20 people, and I don't even know what the press conference is about. So, I say a couple of sentences, and then they're like "SO YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE?" And I was like, "No thank you." I am followed by all of these people who make great speeches about New Orleans and organizing the South.

Next time, I am going prepared with some killer ancedotes.

Yale Women: Don't necessarily want to stay at home

I read this article a while back in the NY Times. The usual drivel about how tons of women want to stay at home and how this is a very pragmatic stance, much more so than the notion that women could have equal careers as man that pervaded the 70s. Buried deep on the third page of the article is a metion of the structural barriers for women:

"They are still thinking of this as a private issue; they're accepting it," said Laura Wexler, a professor of American studies and women's and gender studies at Yale. "Women have been given full-time working career opportunities and encouragement with no social changes to support it. "I really believed 25 years ago," Dr. Wexler added, "that this would be solved by now."

Where did all of these future stay-at-home Yalies come from? According to an intern over at FishBowl, some of those quotes may have been taken out of context. Here's an excerpt from one of the undergrads heavily quoted in the article:

It saddens me that I am portrayed as an insensitive and unambitious person in the article, and really did not know that Louise was only going to quote those of us who wanted to stay at home if/when we had kids. She in fact did interview my other suitemates who answered the survey as either not wanting to have children at all, or would continue working as a mother. I am somewhat shocked that she did not include ANY of their ideas or views in the article.

I am a skinny white girl

As part of my "settling in" to the Bay Area, I joined the local gym. As Matt would say, I don't want to get chubby from sitting in the cubicle all day (ok, he doesn't say exactly that, but it's pretty close).

My first work out included the Street Style (TM) dance class. I had a really good time, but I looked totally ridiculous. Like FAR worse than Julia Stiles in Save the Last Dance. For one thing, I have skinny little legs. And, since I was surrounded by mirrors, I had the opportunity to observe that my normal stance involves me having my feet slightly turned in, like they are ashamed to be moving to the beat.

Then there are the hips. The instructor was grooving to "My Goodies", but my hips just don't work like that. I was on a cruise once in the Caribbean and the staff guys gave up on teaching me rhythm. If that isn't hopeless, I don't know what is.

Basically, I look like an eleven year old trying to do the chicken and kick-ball-change at the same time.

Remarkably, I wasn't the worst person in the class.

Although I didn't see it on TV

I guess I'll have to jump on the kanye west bandwagon.



Thank you John Darinelle. I am so sorry that I missed your show in San Francisco. I hope you return soon.

Sarah Silverman subs for Dave Chapelle

I'm Rick James, bitch!

Things I have noticed

* This morning I walked outside and thought, "Oh my god. It has actually rained in Berkeley!" Then I realized that my neighbor had gotten a little over-enthusiastic with the sprinkler system.

* The other day I walked into the mini-mart near my office, only to hear the two guys behind the counter talking about electro-magnetic theory.

Apparently I'm not the only one

I'm not the only one who uses the internet to search for things to do on a friday night (in San Jose). Many people have come across my blog in planning their weekend activities, both in San Jose and elsewhere.

Things to do in Berkeley on a Friday night:

Hang out with Miriam, who is wonderful company in person as well as on the web. And eat wonderful food at quaint restaurants shadowed by the Claremont Hotel, while discussing the ongoing boycott. Note to blog readers: This means don't stay there, or else you can't be my friend anymore.

Summary: Rick and Ann's rocks! Especially the mac & cheese and the chocolate creme. I know that I have entered a different climate zone when you are sitting outside in perfectly nice weather and the waiter asks if he should turn the heat lamps on. Goodbye New England, hello paradise!

Karaoke! Karaoke! (doo, doo, doo)

Matt and I have been discussing the need for an ongoing list of potential karaoke songs. You know, so you have those hits ready instead of half-drunkenly flipping through the pages of SONGMASTER VOL. 8234-8237. Now, we can half-drunkenly sit around and say, "What was that one we put on the list? You know, that one from the 80s. With the keyboards."

So far we have:

1. Because the night (10K maniacs)
2. Good Vibrations (Marky Mark)
3. Sometimes I Rhyme Slow (Nice and Smooth)
4. Nine to Five (Dolly)

1. Sweet Caroline (Neil)
2. Girls Just Want to have Fun (Cyndi)

Everyone else should feel free to contribute too!

What would you title this?

I am too tired to come up something earthshatteringly witty, so instead I will let this picture substitute for a 1000 word entry (well, 991 word entry given the caption. although, to be fair, the caption really makes the piece).