Happy New Year !

Globally -- I hope we (humanity) continue to make progress fixing our environment. There is so much great tech (as well as simplification processes) out there -- if people will be open-minded enough to try new (or old) things!

Locally -- Please let the U.S. elect an intelligent, articulate leader. We have been embarrassed enough. And the pure evil is irksome, too.

Really Locally -- Thank you to everyone in my life who digs me -- not despite my quirkiness, but because of my quirkiness! You make me greet each day with joy! It is so, so vitally important how people treat one another. It affects one's perceptions and one's world...
*+*+"Why march to your own drummer when you can dance to your own band?" --Me *+*+

Lucid dreaming...

(<- Here I am competing in

The Ultra X-treme Insomniacs

Cage Match Title Series)

Anyone else ever dream lucidly (you're dreaming and you know it's a dream -- and you try to control what happens)? I've been having a ton of lucid dreams lately where during my dream I will either:

(a)Dislike how things are going and tell myself to wake up -- then wake up
(b)Like how things are going and try to bring new people/things/places into it
(c)Think about why I'm dreaming this particular dream during the dream...dream analysis while dreaming...OMG

So it's kinda cool, kinda weird. Okay, really weird. I hate that I keep making myself wake up when I'm not happy or bored in my dream. Maybe I need to finish vakay so I am too tired to lucidly dream. Ummm...nah ;-)

New Year's Resolutions Time...

Here are some goodies from The Onion!!!

New Year's Resolutions

Every year, Americans celebrate the New Year by resolving to change some aspect of their lives. What is your New Year's resolution?

As for my resolutions...hmmm...speak French better, definitely. I have so many bi-lingual friends, my "traveler's French" is starting to make me feel like a completely lazy shiz. Oh yeah...remember to turn on my IM more as well as return my text messages in a more timely matter...those pretty much fall between "I hate typing" and lazy shiz, again.

However, I do love you all, and there are many things of which I am not a lazy shiz...check out the freakish genius of this band I love -- The Dilettantes -- in my updated vid :-D

Liqui-gate...or...tragic Christmas refreshers...

The Christmas Pack -- Jones Soda

Soda Flaves: Sugar Plum -- Hmm, okay, might be plummy and sweet. Egg Nog -- Uh, in a soda? Maybe tastes like a cream soda? Christmas Tree -- Oh, getting weird, as in swallowing-a-yule-log weird. Ham -- Hey, Jones Soda people --Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200. Friends don't let friends drink meat.

NoNoNoNooo...

No more spoof comedies! These movies consist of mere references and contain no plot elements whatsoever. Arrrgh -- simplicity at its most banal!

I advise not supporting this tiresome tripe. However, if you choose to subject yourself to this -- afterwards I recommend scrubbing your skin all over with a chlorine-based abrasive cleanser. Then rinse your eyes thoroughly with warm saline solution, and play your favorite music cranked to "11" until you can no longer recall that traumatic experience. In the meantime, stay away from sharp objects and firearms. With a little luck, you will get past this, and one day be able to live a normal life again.

Piper Perabo -- have your people call my people so we can hook up for a fierce match of doppelganger.

I updated my vid with with a holiday message for all in our universe :-D

Tasty Grooves!


Green Day's side project, Foxboro Hot Tubs, has a homepage that lets you download their six-song EP for free! And it's magnifico! Different than Green Day in that its jams are 60's-inspired-psychedelic-pop-rock. Lots of fun!!! See if you find it tasty, too -- Foxboro Hot Tubs Homepage and MP3s

Check out the snap my sister sent me of my 8-month-old nephew wearing some Chuck Taylor kicks that I got for him!

He's a little rock star, man...

Chocolate-covered Tootsie Rolls exist...

File this under (a) redundant (b) frightening (c)offensively unnecessary (d) gahhh

I can't help but to think of the 2nd century Roman poet, Juvenal, who spoke of bread and circuses as symbols of the decadent and unnecessary desires of the masses taking the place of substantial things. I am bringing Tootsie Rolls to this lofty contention because:

* I thought Tootsie Rolls were already supposed to be chocolate-ish. Sort of.

* Food has become yet more vulnerable to marketing whims and fancies. I am now convinced that bacon-wrapped bacon will one day exist.

* Someone thought there would be for a market for this. But why? Even scarier...is there?

This TV writer strike...

OMG it's got to end soon. If I don't get a The Daily Show, The Colbert Report or Real Time with Bill Maher fix soon, I am going to have a grand mal knicker twist, subsequently complicated by random lashings-out.

I barely like TV, but damn, I miss shows that make me think, burning with satire that can be so ironic as to be disconcerting.

The complication of THE MAN needing to figure out what it owes TV writers for Internet download profits surely can't be that complex as to warrant the strike lingering for so long...can it? I mean, I'm not mathy and all...but still.

I fear more things lame and reality-driven, like, say, Are You Smarter Than Cheese? are going to be aired if this strike doesn't resolve soon.

The Beowulf movie is goood...

I freakin' loved Beowulf . Yeah, the story has been manipulated, but I don't know why people are hating on that. Robert Zemeckis made no secret of the screenwriters taking liberties with the original poem. Also, I once had a professor who told my class never to compare movies to the books upon which they are based. It will just frustrate the frick out of you since literature and cinema are two completely different mediums. Therefore, perceive the movie as simply based upon the book, and not necessarily an accurate telling of it.

That said, I could enjoy the movie in all its blasphemous-to-the-actual-story gloriousness. The action and suspense are fantastico and the cinematography blended with CGI keeps the viewer suspended in the freakish fantasy.

I heart the Irish!

So as an homage, I will share a method I learned about how to make your Irish name:

FIRST IRISH NAME = Last name (1st syllable) + "ers"

LAST IRISH NAME = "Mc" + First name + "Pants"

So with all the love for the Irish in the world... I am debuting my Irish self ...

I AM...Branners McJennyPants :-D

Thanksgiving gift from Joel Stein!

LA Times Op-Ed writer and funny liberal dude Joel Stein sent a "Liberals are Wusses" Mad Libs request to uber-conservative Ann Coulter. She emailed back the requested parts of speech, and now Stein has instant Coulter smack for the holidays. As outlandish and bizarre as her opinions usually sound (which Stein refers to as "Coultering" -- AWESOME!) -- at least she has a sense of humor about herself. See it here : Stein's Mad Lib to Coulter Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Not to be hatin' ...

I'm not really sure which one I'd actually be hatin' on by saying this, but...Posh Spice has been looking an awful lot like the "Leave Britney Alone" guy lately. See --

And may I bid you...GOOD DAY, SIR! :-P

I only have time to read before bed, and...

I am reading two most excellent books! May I recommend...

I Am America (And So Can You) by Stephen Colbert. No one can deadpan satire like Colbert. No one. It's so very campy in its right-wing earnestness -- much like his show, but with no pesky censorship. A wild ride on the pseudo-conservative side...

Nature Girl by Carl Hiaasen
My first book by Hiaasen. He's like Chris Moore, but with the over-zealous, adventuresome backbone of Tim Sandlin. Simply blend the quirk of the two, shake, strain, add an olive, and enjoy... exquisitely funny and bizarre!

Make humanitarianism viral :-D

Humanitarianism is contagious...and it makes you feel healthy and happy! Have a simply smashing weekend, and see if you can do something snazzy -- no matter how small -- for someone!

Wired Mag's Saddest Cubes Link...

The world's most depressing workplaces...and comments on sidebar are GREAT!

Click Here For Saddest Cubes :-(

The Dandy Warhols
10/30/07Happy Add'l Hour Weekend (a.k.a. Daylight Savings)...

Besides gleefully running amok, what can one do with the extra hour?

The surprisingly awesome, yet decidedly nerdy, answer is to check out this interactive site on Nat'l Geographic. It is a 3-d tour-able brain which shows you how and where thought processes and memories are created and stored. You freaky brainiac, ya know ya wanna see...

http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/2007-11/memory/brain-interactive.html

Dandys Rule: OK -- more than the name of a cd...

So I'm walking along thinking, "Hey man, nothing can make me dig The Dandy Warhols more than I already do, right?"

Then I see them tear up The House of Blues-Dallas live. They jammed so hard --bolts of white hot thermonuclear percussion, keyboard, and shreds exploded from the stage...

So, yeah, now I love them more :-)

OMG ...I'm going to see The Dandy Warhols!

Bouncing with hipsters...House of Blues...Halloween show! Trifecta of the mad-amazing! I have loved The Dandys forever...I am SO psyched :-D

I've updated my vid w/ one of my fave Dandy videos -- "We Used to be Friends"...FunFunFun!

Just when you think you are far, far, too much of a sophisticate and cosmopolite to dig muppets...

Updated vid ...beatnick muppets do hippie-rock

What bacteria can re-teach us...

Lots of staph infections in the news this week. The anti-biotic resistant strain is apparently invading with a vengeance. Rather uncomfortable news for those of us that work in schools, for sure.

Bill Maher made an astute point this week that was wry, ironic, and just, hmmm, well, pretty obvious when you think about the way things are rolling.

He mentioned that with all the news about staph infections, people should be thinking about what exactly makes the buggers anti-biotic resistant. Over-use of oral anti-biotics and anti-bacterial cleaners, yes, but also EVOLUTION.

This is proof that evolution exists and has been existing. This bacteria adapts in order to survive in its surroundings. A "theory" not even acknowledged by all candidates running for president in this country.

This idea is funny at first...but then...

(*Note of blah -- I have some bug of freakiosity which made me really sick to my stomach today...but I'm starting to feel better... which means I now have the strength and ability to get vertical and start typing...*)

Journey v. Destination -- and -- Why I think that Barack Obama's flag-pinless lapel is a non-issue...

There's a saying that proposes, "It's all about the journey, not the destination."

Concentrating too much on destination distracts from the journey; and as much as being goal-oriented is a very, very, good thing, not appreciating the path that gets you there makes you miss out on life's best lessons and epiphanies.

With candor, I must say that my friends are quite a diverse crew. If I look at my friendships throughout my life, I'd say my friendships are amongst exceptionally

diverse people. Interestingly enough, the differences end up underscoring the similarities -- such as how alike we are in our essential needs, wants, fears...

Therefore -- to my friends of different nations, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs... who are male, female, gay, straight, conservative, liberal -- I must say that it is amazing to be a part of the universal energy that connects us and allows us to see each other from the inside out.

And Barack -- you rock. If you feel that your patriotism is embedded in the person you are and your deeds and accomplishments, (as opposed to following sheeple who say you can only be a patriot by wearing a pin) then you SHOULD stand up for what you know is right. Now, whether or not people are insightful enough to understand and respect that...hmmm, will remain to be seen.

Updated vid -- ***FILE THIS UNDER "WHAT THE FRICK?" *** A bloke wearing this protective,"magical goo" called D-3-0 whilst getting smacked w/a shovel...

There is something about the combo of the D-3-0 helmet/kneepads, shovel smacks, and polite Brits that gives me the giggles. Carry on, then...

Vid Update -- Remy Zero's "Save Me"

Beautiful voice...kickass song :-)

I have a friend who says that life's fullness is measured by moments of connection, love, and joy.

And I got to share that idea with a different friend the other day. Cool.

I have always had a hard time being open with my emotions. I trust so few people. However, I do agree with my friend's statement.

And this song tears me up sometimes when I listen to it.

Vid updated..."The world would rather hug you than hurt you."

In honor of his grandpa, 2007 Webby Award winner John (Halcyon) takes HugNation on the road for a complete West Coast tour! :-D

Quirky or dorky???

Sometimes, you just feel like your watching the world from the outside -- scratching your head and mumbling, "Oops, I have socially blundered in regard to something people find relevant."

Many people have come up to me lately, all back-slappingly saying, "Yeah, Rutgers!"

Rutgers is my alma mater. So I'm like, "Woot?!?"

It's a football thing. Rutgers is doing well in an important football tournament or playoff or something, but I have complete ADD when it comes to watching/following sports. I like playing some sports; and if I know someone involved in a sport, I am happy for them when they are doing well. But I am so not vicarious when it comes to observing others play sports. I have a shorted-out brain fuse or something when it comes to watching sports.

This is considered weird because most people enjoy this type of activity when relaxing alone, or as a social bonding with others who enjoy watching sports. And it looks fun when they are doing it. Why doesn't this work for me? Frick!

So sports-related bonding entails a case of me feeling marginally socially unacceptable. I simply cannot talk about or follow sports. I suppose if I took a class in it I could do it in order to study for an exam, but I can't do it under my free will alone.

This lack of vicariousness also applies to me being utterly bored out of my skull when it comes to "reality" TV shows...they are too scripted to resemble anything real, but not scripted enough that I find them witty. However, people apparently love them -- new ones are constantly being created.

Sooo... adorably quirky or out-there dorky -- you decide ;-)

Two cool things to tell ya...

Vid Update -- Do it -- go ahead and bounce to Hellogoodbye -- "Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn"

I love this twice-weekly comic "Basic Instructions -- Your All-Inclusive Guide to a Life Well-Lived". It's beyond hilarious -- it's bloody brilliant...

Power-nerding, daydreams, and poetry...

Sometimes I power-nerd out, get lost in daydreaming about otherwordly types of things, and find that the only way to express myself is through the flow of poetry. Sooo...

Since Last Night

*************

I haven’t walked the stars since last night.

Right now I'm languishing in my own creation

Just reaching out to feel some sky.

Place myself in my place

You find and seek me

Right here in the middle of somewhere

Where everything has yet to be named.

Then I may wander

To the center of that dimension
Newly free of pretensions
In that pretty landscape of synchronicity and invention
Atmospheric apparition

languid starry-eyed vision.

Vid Updated -- HOT HOT HEAT -- "Middle of Nowhere" CUTE CUTE SONG:-D

And now -- a word from the twisted minds of "How to Kill a Mockingbird" *giggle*

I am down with an A.V. Club. Really.

The A.V. Club website (www.avclub.com) came up with a compelling list of "15 Things Kurt Vonnegut Said Better Than Anyone Else Ever Has Or Will". It's classic Vonnegut -- eternal hopefulness in the random and sometimes chaotic nature of the everyday vida.

Here is my fave:

"Many people need desperately to receive this message: 'I feel and think much as you do, care about many of the things you care about, although most people do not care about them. You are not alone.'"

In this response to his own question—"Why bother?"—in Timequake, his last novel, Vonnegut doesn't give a tired response about the urge to create; instead, he offers a pointed answer about how writing (and reading) make a lonesome world a little less so. The idea of connectedness—familial and otherwise—ran through much of his work, and it's nice to see that toward the end of his career, he hadn't lost the feeling that words can have an intimate, powerful impact.

Name-dropped the Vonnegut...

So I was having this convo today, getting all deep and meaningful, when someone name-dropped the Vonnegut. Oh, boy. Love the Kurt. Anyway, we started going on about how Kurt said we should be careful about how we imagine our lives, because that will be what our lives become.

I am fascinated by this, because it asserts the theory that our reality only exists because of how we imagine it. Those of you who knew me during *cue the ominous cellody music* the grad school years, know that this was the foundational theme of my thesis. The idea has been around way before Vonnegut, but basically Kurt underscored that there is no such thing as the human brain ever having the capability for true objectivity. Everything is subjective.

Whatdya think? Are we governed to reason based on what we become as a result of the sum of our experiences?

Vid Update -- Keane -- "Is It Any Wonder?" The dudes rock the Isle of Wight Fest...niiice...

The physiology of an avalanche...

I was explaining something weird about me to a friend today (I know...what are the chances...) She was complaining that I speak way too quickly a.k.a. "*Expletive*, you talk fast!"

So I explained that the thoughts kind of build up avalanche style in my mind, and when I vocalize and let them rip, they kind of build up faster in my head than I can say them, so everything speeds up as I get deeper into a conversation. It's pretty much that the ideas build momentum and speed as they go.

Typing is a nightmare, because I always have to go back and correct my typos and run-on sentences. At least I should always go back..

In actuality, it's a compliment when I speak quickly because it means I am passionate about sharing the humongo amount of ideas someone is inspiring me to come up with, and I am digging that we are on the same vibe or having a killer debate.

So that's what you get for getting all interesting on me :-P

I heart quirky…

I have met some incredibly cool and quirky peeps at work this week. Quirks are the distinctive elements I find in people that determine not only if I like them, but if I find them interesting in their idiosyncratic ways.

Now, to me, a person's being cool has everything to do with their not trying to be cool, but their being comfortable in their skin. Nothing is less cool and more obvious than trying to be cool.

I've got some goodie quirks. Today it was noted that when I sit on my stool at work, I can contort my legs up and fold them. I call it my ninja balance. See…it's a little cool in its complete lack of trying to be cool. And it's a bit funky :-P

Updated Video -- Arckid -- "Conversation"
Fun, fun, fun! :-D

A soaring philosopher...

My ultimate job would be ...a soaring philosopher. I'd love a job where I'd get paid to think (especially in a think tank with other soaring philosophers) about "WHY" -- particularly in regard to the human condition in relation to time/space, metaphysics, and all kinds of internally and externally driven motivations and ideologies.

Why are we wired the way we are?

For example...why happiness? Why is the human condition always in a state of craving it? Why does it matter? And what is the most significant factor in regard to achieving happiness?

Actually, for that last one -- I think the most important element for people feeling that life is worthwhile is having something that matters to them in their lives. The actual thing that matters is irrelevant -- to someone on the outside it may look completely insignificant. But if the person to which it matters continues to believe it's important, then this person will never become despondent. Any neo-existential pouting will always remain, at worst, merely a temporary condition.

Simulation

Had this simulation at work today where we role-played various socio-economic situations found in our society in general. The specific goal was to understand diverse populations found in the workplace. I was a 19-year-old single mom with a one-year-old "baby" living with "not-my-baby-daddy".

Point was to explore the vastly different dynamics in the thinking of someone who is surviving on a day-to-day basis as opposed to the thinking of a more economically stable populace which focuses on improving life and the future.

Some really great, insightful things came of this immersion. I became aware of stress and frustration over situations that I normally don't consider.

Some odd things happened as well. My "not-baby-daddy" ran off because of football (he IS actually a coach), so I was left with the "baby", no income, and barely any bus passes.

My traumatized "baby" became psychotic. He tackled other "babies" and would wander off as I waited in line. And he enjoyed punishment.

Made paying the utility bill a challenge.

Why being a nerd is SO GOOD...

I don't get it when people use the word "nerd" with derision. I LOVE being a nerd :-) The people I know who are nerds are intellectually fascinating, complex, multi-faceted, open-minded lifelong journeyers and learners...where is the negative angle in that?

My nerdiness manifests itself in a few customary ways. One is that I am endlessly curious and love to explore new ideas, theories, concepts, places, and the like. Anything I find interesting is fair game for me to read about, ask knowledgeable people about, or just go there and see and learn about firsthand. So far, I've never run out of new things I want to know about. I really, really, hope I never run out.

Oh, and there's the daydreaming. The jennyverse (jenny universe) is a comical place, indeed. It also is where my creative ideas are born, some of which I end up finding useful places for in the actual world. Some help me with staying creative and inventive at work, and some keep me innovative in my writing and creative pursuits. Oh, and some are just fun to tell people about :-P

Luckily, I also have an extremely practical side, which keeps the bills paid, and my life in the happy place.

All I know is that when someone calls me a nerd, I light up inside and out, and I'm like, "I know, right!" :-D

Does work spontaneously generate?

I had two work meetings today...figured I'd be outta there by, like, 2:00. And then I ended up getting home by 5:30. It's like I go into work mode and the spiral of "to-do" sucks me into a black hole of symbiotic follow-up tasks. Every time I completed one task -- three were created because of it -- thereby causing a stronger force of gravity plunging me deeper and deeper into a work-related abyss. Weird workplace physics. I bet there's a formula out there somewhere...

Got a lot done, tho. That's pretty sweet :-)

Loving some classic Foo...

Updated my video w/ Foo Fighters' "Learn To Fly". Seriously, is it possible to thrash harder than this? I think not ;-D

You may lose hours, you may lose days...

I've been playing on meez.com making 3-D looking avatars for myself and friends. Warning: this website could possibly suck you out of the space/time continuum -- there are a lot of choices, there are animation features...etc...etc.

Ballet flat shoes aren't really cute...
but platform shoes are...

I know, the chicks reading this may be seething b/c they have "perfectly cute" ballet flats in their closets or on their feet; and the dudes reading this are going to be indifferent, or maybe care quite deeply, which is all good...

Anyway, those ballet flat shoes are everywhere now -very trendy- but I am a platform shoe type of girl! It's getting more and more difficult to find a killer platform shoe or at least a snappy chunky heel! These ballet flats are taking over the shoe universe (shoeniverse?)

Fact: Platform shoes just make you look industrially cool.

Halcyon, hardcore modifier that he is, made a video about resurrecting a pair of platforms shoes which died from overexertion due to his mad dance skills.. The platform sole/soul lived, but the shoe's body was wasted. In his vid, he rips off the shoe from its platform and drills another pair of shoes onto the platform . It freakin' worked, too.

I may have to take up his modification bait :-)

Video Updated - Razorlight
Here's a dandy cover of the Beatles' "W/A Little Help From My Friends" by the jolly good blokes of Razorlight. Cheers ;-)

Think with the senses, feel with the mind...

When I was in Venice, there was an art show with the above title. I love that concept, and I realize that I do tend to follow that drift. It doesn't necessarily have to apply to all aspects of one's life -- there are certainly elements of one's workday that wouldn't be compatible with all that artsy smartsy daydreamy stuff. But when my mind drifts freely, it's kind of nice to float more, steer less...

So being said artsy nerd, I wrote some poetry about it :-)

All the while
Looking for something to take you back.
Something out of your reach.
Leaving you from the corner of your eye.

See the outsider.
But that stranger is familiar.
How could you let the connection pass you by?
Can you tell me why?

When you nearly have the correlation
It slips right away from your mind
And timing is off, and things go chaotic
But I know who's in there behind those eyes.

There can never be an ending --
Everyone is endless like the sky.

Awake and discern the sensation
Of your cells dividing
In time with the universe expanding
Can you feel it?
Would you dare to understand why?

Hi guys -- I'm back and the trip was mad scathing fun! Highlights:

Mykonos -- Warm, golden light, delicious food, busy town, turquois water. Also visited island of Delos -- amazing ruins still being excavated dating from 800 B.C.

Athens -- Awe-inspiring Acropolis -- Parthenon, stadiums, temples. Very crowded city -- mostly cubist modern buildings co-exiting with ancient ruins.

Cruised thru strait of Ithaca...mountainous, gorgeous, I understand Odysseus better now! Boat is spec-freakin-tacular. Love this beachy, yet academic, trip!

Croatia -- Split = Pretty port city! Did a historical tour, and shopped my brains out.

Venice -- I love this city! St Mark's Basilica, water everywhere, architecture is so elaborate -- Byzantine/Gothic blend. People are awesome. Was here for a Venetian festival celebrating the building of the Church of Redemption in the 1500's after black plague was subsiding. Saw fireworks and lots of Italians dancing in the streets. Mad dance skills!

I ate a lot of good food for the whole trip. I still dream about that... :-)

Video Updated - E Muzeki

I am going to Italy, Croatia, and Greece this first part of July ( ...OMG!) so I am sharing my high level of psyched-ness with you by posting a video of the most excellent E Muzeki. I'm talking bouzouki shredding, fingertip ripping, supreme Mediterranean thrash bash. See ya soon, guys!

I love this excerpt...I think I'm gonna sidebar it but I needed to share it up here immediately :-)

It is not so remarkable that our greatest joy should come when we are motivated by concern for others. We find that not only do altruistic actions bring about happiness but they also lessen our experience of suffering...the sufferings which undermine our internal peace -- anxiety, doubt, disappointment.

Since our every action has a universal dimension, a potential impact on others' happiness, ethics are necessary as a means to ensure that we do not harm others. Genuine happiness consists in those spiritual qualities of love, compassion, patience, tolerance and forgiveness and so on. For it is these which provide both for our happiness and others' happiness. -Ethics for a New Millennium, by the 14th Dalai

Video Updated - The Fratellis (again) - "Chelsea Dagger"

Why a double shot of The Fratellis? It's just that they're that snazzy, that's why ;-)

I'm messing around with a MySpace page. I'm not listed by name -- but you can find me by going to www.myspace.com/journeyinfinite .

If you are part of the community and add me, will I add you back? HECK, YEAH! Just remember to play nice :-)

No new music today but...different can be good!

I updated my video tonight w/a killer positive webcast from Halcyon in San Diego. Incidentally, I am "Texas" -- you'll see.

Back from NJ!

Had fun...if you ever want to meet someone with my exact same sense of humor, but is a dude, you must hang w/ my bro. OMG ... he makes me cry b/c I laugh so hard.

My sister is awesome. She is kickin' butt being a new mom. She and her husband are going to be such smart, fun, great parents! I have a new nephew -- he rocks my universe.

Parents and my g-ma are doing great. I already miss the NJ familia.

Video Updated -- The Fratellis "Flathead"

I will be hangin' in Jersey for a bit...so please...for you to enjoy...some Fratelli ultra-rich goodness :-D

You know you wanted... MORE POETRY :-)

Elements of the Procession

The mind has no way of measuring the concept,
Not possible to see below, or perceive the height of the sky.
In the safe place everyone dwells, it's always there, always alive,
And life continues on, all’s well, without any signs.

Time is not linear as we have been piloted to believe,
But spiraling like a wheel, at times moving up high in sweet air,
And sometimes choking on dust turning to mud with sweat,
It's destination that gives us the eternal motion we all share.

Perhaps it's a tempest or a balmy solar breeze,
(Something that pushes our days to pass by),
Listen – we will hear it every moment --
Space where time stands still exists if we try.

Updated Video - The Kooks "Naive"

I first listened to The Kooks on Slacker's Internet radio web player -- it's one is of the most comprehensive I've seen. It has pretty extensive indie music selections and playlist-building features by genre or similar artists. Pretty freakin' cool.

Guys -- I found this on digg.com -- good info on iTunes Plus (256 kbps format). --J

"When I couldn't hear the difference between my new iTunes Plus song and other songs in my library, I decided to make a direct comparison, only to discover that Apple doesn't display regular iTunes songs once you turn on iTunes Plus, and figuring out how to turn it off took some hunting..."



read more | digg story

One of my fave online magazines, Slate, has an article debating about iTunes new 256 kbps format for downloading music being any big freakin' deal over their former 128 kbps format. Songs cost $1.29 in this new format instead of $.99. Worth it? Well, the format is no longer specific to iPods which is cool if you use other MP3 players, I guess. I'm not sure how else it's cool, tho.

(By the way -- for those of you laughing at me for even paying for music -- I think any artist should get paid for their work.)

Anyway, supposedly the additional $.30 also goes into technology which makes the tune-age sounds better. Which is debatable.

If you guys try out the new format, weigh in w/ me on whatchya think :-)

Video Updated -- OK Go Concert -- "Here It Goes Again" They are one of my faves :-D I went ballistic jumping around when I saw them in March.

I'm travel-sized...

At 5'2", I'm quite travel-sized. I sometimes get goofed on about it which is cool because as a travel-sized human, I can pull off some sweet moves...

Turning on a dime -- I like zigzagging when I run-- makes me difficult to catch when I've done something annoying.

Tougher to knock over -- The lower center of gravity deal makes it harder to tip me. OKAY, NOT IMPOSSIBLE -- so don't try to slam into me from behind, please :-)

Quick-n-easy curl up factor* -- After a typical day of mayhem, sometimes it's nice to find a little spot to curl up in and take a breather.

*Also handy if prudent or desirable to camouflage oneself.

Woot! Updated Mute Math Video -- Live concert footage of "Chaos".
Sometimes the inside of my head sounds like this song :-P

Yay -- a new theory!

Scott Adams has a new theory -- it asserts that you can train yourself to get in the mood to do something based on the footwear you put on.

His examples -- tennis shoes get him in the mood to work out, work shoes = hit the office, and tuxedo shoes = dancing.

He admits the Pavlovian undertones, and since he thinks we are all moist robots anyway, he's fine with that.

Shoes I'd like to train myself to react to:

Gladiator sandals -- aerial leaps full of gleeful warrior spear thrusting

Hermes' winged sandals -- flying and summering throughout Europe, hanging with the Mount Olympus crew, delivering unsavory messages

Aquaman Sea Booties -- strolling thru underwater metropolises, fighting deep-sea crime with magnificent sea creatures

However, I take issue with this theory being workable with pointe shoes. As a ballet class rebel myself -- I defy anyone to defend that pointe shoes make you want to dance en pointe and don't simply hurt the (insert noun of preference here) out of your feet.

My other selections are quite of interest, however :-)

Str-e-e-e-e-tching the parameters of my blog...

Okay, I wrote that I post live and/or acoustic vids of kick awesome songs, BUT this video by Mute Math is so cool. Not live or acoustic -- BUT PERFORMED IN REVERSE FOR THE SPECIAL EFFECTS!!! They actually sang and played their instruments in reverse -- so when the video is played backwards their singing and playing match the forward-playing song. The jumping, flipping, and throwing of stuff maintain the very cool effect of going in reverse while it looks like they are singing and playing correctly. It's sheer madness and I am obligated by the rules of supreme coolness to share it with you.

So I am posting Mute Math's actual video for "Typical" this week. Next week, I'll post their live version of "Chaos". I think you'll be pleased... :-D

File this under EWWW...

Yesterday at work, the room next to me had an Asian Food Fest ---and the lab across the hall from me was dissecting fetal pigs. The aroma in the hall was, um...intoxicating?

Today we have our springtime Six Flags Day -- later 'gators!!! WoooHoooHoooooo...

You can't "un-do" knowledge...

Most of the time...that's a good thing --howevvvver --

This past weekend I was talking with an acquaintance and this person says, "Oh, did you hear about so-and-so and blahdee-blah-blah-blah..." There was not a pleasant type of sharing happening.

I'm like, "ARRRGH, NO! And I don't want to!"

I don't like gossip. I define gossip as talking about someone, without them there, in regard to something they would find embarrassing. It feels invasive to hear. Plus the person in the matter involved has no input. Smells cruel to me.

The acquaintance felt the sharing hurt no one because the person wasn't there to be embarrassed.

So I go, "But they are being embarrassed by proxy!"

Blank stare back at me.

Yeesh.

Video updated -- Mohair performing "Stranded".

Methinks the guys are having THE BEST time w/the song...it's cool :-)

Counter-intuitive insights for people on-the-go...

* Instincts aren't purely primal. Over time people educate their instincts based on their experiences.

* Countless brilliant, creative, innovative writers will remain unemployed this year. Yet many banal books will be published and trite movies will be made due to formulaic marketing strategies.

* If you tell someone, 'Don't worry about it" -- they will worry about it.

* Fun-size candy bars are only fun if you have, like, 12 of them.

Video updated - amazing acoustic version of "New Shoes" by Scottish dude Paolo Nutini. It's SO GOOD!

Gotta go and listen to it in the sun w/o new shoes -- frolicking with blades of grass betwixt your toes...it's so pretty outside!

QUESTION.

Why "eyebrows"?

Why not "forehead hair"?

;-D

Markedly disturbing impetus for unity...

Article on plan for walling in Iraqi neighborhoods:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/24/world/middleeast/24iraq.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Last week's news on the Baghdad walls being built in Sunni neighborhoods (known for insurgent activity) is ironically generating a even more volatile situation. Once opposing Sunni and Shiite activists are now joining in denouncing the pervasive impact the U.S. is having upon them as citizens of Baghdad.

Of course, people want the civil unrest to stop. However, the common ground is now against U.S. forces whose supposed purpose is to quell the unrest.

I am not a person who normally advises for divisiveness -- but is the answer to helping this region an Iraq divided into three separate countries i.e. Sunni, Shiite, Kurd? How will the resources be split if that happens? The complexity truly overwhelms...

How important is sleep?

I almost never get enough sleep. If 7-8 hours a night is normal, then I am, um, not exactly an achiever. Everyone acknowledges the whole "busy" thing...we are all so busy and our world is complicated, and there are always issues that had to be solved yesterday that are still in the proverbial in-box.

Many times I can't shut the thought process down, tho. I just have thought after thought of things going on like some chain-link, free-for-all rumination of my work, or the world, or the universe, or whatever. I haven't resorted to trying to slap myself out of it, or unconscious (whichever comes first) -- since even tho I am quite durable, I do bruise and all :-P I won't do the prescription sleep-aid deal because then I'll obsess over becoming addicted. Besides, I shun lab-made chemicals running through my body. Unnatural chemicals = unnatural side effects -- and nobody wants an eyeful there.

However, when I do get enough sleep, it does feel amazing. It's like being kicked into turbo. And who doesn't love that? :-D

Do you fancy...SOME POETRY?!?

~~~Universal Flow~~~

Under the glow of the sunset
pink, orange, golden-calling sea vision --
the music in the wind reaches
and awakens you.

You swim past the shallows,
down, down, deep.

The tumultuous tide pauses in your eyes,
all briny depth,
as sea shadows
amaze with their reflection.

Ignoring the moon's pull,
you dive in to touch
the shimmer of an abandoned past.

The cusp of dusk, now,
and you draw yourself ashore.

Leaving the sun,
and the sea,
and their song,
you slide through the twilight
and briefly hear the trees whisper in a breeze's sigh --
about the emerging starry night
looking like deep-sea starfish
you remember
from somewhere.

Been trying to come to terms with senseless acts and seeking explanation or reason where none exists...

Life is so precarious.

You can live in fear. Or you can live.

Blink*Tear*Blink...

Actually, I am not about to emote something profound about some crime against humanity, but I did have eyelid surgery today. Yeah.

I had a duct in my eyelid that didn't heal properly from a stye, and was forming scar tissue...and well...there you go.

The Dr. was amazingly gentle and put up with me quite well. I'm a bit of a baby, but at least I know I'm a baby, and I try to be sweet and apologetic about my baby anxieties.

So he does his thing -- that's as far as I'll explain... and I did feel amazing relief when I knew it was over because my olfactory sense knew -- he had to cauterize the incision.

Needless to say -- my eyelid had been pumped full of anesthesia. My eyelid is very droopy now and hard to open. It's quite bruised and swollen and it looks like I need the help of some protective agency, but I feel pretty okay.

The anesthesia is wearing off a bit tho, and my eye kind of aches...but they said no patch. Dang! What self-respecting rabble-rousing girl doesn't want a patch after all this?!? Nothing says, "Don't you be playin' with this crazy mess" better than an eye patch
;-D <---squinty one-eyed me

You will be missed...

Farewell Kurt Vonnegut -- November 11,1922 - April 11, 2007

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070412/ap_on_re_us/obit_vonnegut

I first read Slaughterhouse-Five when I was thirteen. I was hooked...who was this radical thinker to which nothing was sacred? I felt as though Vonnegut was someone who opened my door to thinking freely and questioning ideas and ideals throughout culture and society.

He cared enough to debate societal norms and trends without seeming bitterly cynical or burnt-out. His high ethical and moral standards pervaded his writing. Issues he raised showed how much he loved humanity, and wanted to see it survive, evolve, thrive.

I will miss his humor the most. Though wickedly dry, it always contained a heartrending undertone of hopefulness.

Taxing to the depths of my soul...

First -- knuckles and a high five to Scott Adams for this quote:

"At this point, the so-called government does little more than provide content for news channels and blogs. I think they should do more. For example, I’d like to see Congressmen and Congresswomen run across a field of rakes every morning to get to work. For me, it would only take a few rakes in the face per day to make me feel as if my tax dollars weren’t a complete waste."

Arrgh...tax time is here and it makes me crazy that I feel I have so little impact on where my tax dollars are being spent. I do not feel that many people currently holding administrative office in our government are the representation of how I feel about life, the universe, and everything, and yes, I voted. At this point, I think the current administration is simply keeping the status quo until 2008 just so a new administration will have to step in to be "the bad guys". If there are any other possible scenarios that you see...please enlighten me because I welcome the idea of feeling less frustrated about this.

Political humor helps me get through the day, and government has, quite frankly, been made fun of since, well, the beginning of government. Even Julius Caesar's life had a dash of irony. There will never be a government everyone is in love with. However, the divisiveness of our country has been at such high levels, partisanship does not even seem like a viable definition anymore.