Owning it...

I was in the middle of doing fifteen things at work today, and my mind was contemplating about five hundred more as I was rushing around kind of mumbling to myself.

A co-worker cruised by, and was all, "Hey, what's going on?"

So I went, "Oh, just hanging around being weird."

We laughed, but I was thinking, "I think I kind of do hang around being weird rather often."

Here is Merriam Webster's definition of "weird".
1 : of, relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural : magical

2 : of strange or extraordinary character : odd, fantastic

Now -- the behavioral analysis part!

Witchcraft -- Wicca is cool, but not really my passion -- moving on --

Supernatural -- since science cannot completely explain all things natural, including me or you, I think humans can be termed supernatural in an abstract context.

Magical -- I just like that one.

Strange -- well, who isn't? Some of us more than others; but plain and boring never won anybody a Nobel prize or anything.

Extraordinary -- yes, please.

Odd, fantastic -- I'm putting these in "Strange's" file. Normalcy has its appropriate moments -- but being fantastic -- those are the moments everyone remembers.

So let that cosmic stream flow :-D

(While you're at it, check out the new Switches vid I posted!)

I know I am treading on sacred ground here...people love The Oprah.

But sometimes talk shows really do sensationalize some random crap, ya know?

I couldn't resist gleefully sharing this Photoshopped Oprah promo.

And my two cents is that the toads are with us -- they do scarf down mosquitoes and all...

MyFace! I trademark this in 3…2…1… NOW.

What if two colossal, omnipotent, social networking website universes collided?

It’s only a theory, but if MySpace and Facebook ever became one massive megalomanic entity – LET US BAPTIZE THEE... MyFace.

It could be obscenely egocentric…b/c personal web pages aren't now…right? :-P You could have MyFace gifting, MyFace player (featuring karaoke, naturally), Poke MyFace, Super Poke MyFace, Slap and Tickle MyFace , Twitter MyFace (for-up-to-the-minute updates on MyFace) ...I think I could go on with this forever.

I have a MySpace I use a lot because the flexible layout allows for creative page designing; and a Facebook page that I use... not so much. The Facebook layout infuriates me with its rigidity. (I don’t do well with rigid structure. *seethe*) Most people I know have pages on both sites…and prefer one over the other. This would make quite an interesting psychological study. Indeed...something for the MyPsychoFace Therapy Forum...

Oh, Scott Adams...WTH...funny theory ... Death by Frozen Poop

I've been having a crazyass-busy work week--tension so thick, you can cut it with a spork ;-)

So yesterday, when my friend goes, "I feel like I am in downtown crazy, and the busses have stopped running." -- I totally knew what she was talking about.

I am coming down from all the crazy today, but still feeling rather cheeky; so I am going to mess with some old-school adages.

I dedicate these words of weird to all who had a crazyass week --

"Wow...look who woke up on the wrong side of crazy this morning."

"People in glass houses shouldn't throw crazy."

"If a crazy falls in the forest, and no one is around, does it still make a sound?" :-O

The disco-iest desk that ever disco-ed... OR... I think I have inadvertently stumbled upon an allegory for life...

Okay -- in my room at work we recently had a desk die a tragic slo-mo collapse -- no one was hurt (except the desk). Another desk is so warped that it wobbles big time. I've put in requests for replacement desks to no avail. There are no spare desks around the building, either. So I am already short a desk, and no one wants to sit in the wobbly desk because it's so freakin' annoying.

THEN I named the wobbly desk the "Disco Desk" and anyone who sits in can raise their hands in the air, make techno sounds, and wobble around. Now EVERYONE wants to sit in the Disco Desk, yet it hasn't become too much of a distraction b/c after a good 15 seconds of disco-ing, most of the perpetrators are played out.

I tried it myself and it was quite spectacular.

Faux bacon gear...where are we going with this and why are we in a handbasket? :-P

Bacon wallets!!!



Bacon band-aids!!!

Magnificent snap of a lightening storm taken by Olivier Vandeginste -- I doff my cap to you, sir ...

I am a sunny day frolicker. I love the scent of a warm breeze and sometimes the warmth of the sun on my skin gives me goosebumps because it feels so nice.

But sometimes nothing can touch a spectacular storm. I love the way rain sounds in the trees; and the way it intensifies the smell of the earth and plants and everything shimmers with the sheen of being alive, grabbing at wind.

Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavors that need to happen...

YES... some flavors and ingredients which would be more than vaguely captivating and satisfying:

Celebrity Egomania -- a creamy, marshmallow-based delight with decadent fudge ripple, publicist spin, and six varieties of nuts.

Voter's Regret -- dark-chocolate angst, with neapolitan indecisiveness, chock full o' delicately fried cinnamon-sprinkled brain chunks. And tears.

Ambiguous Slacker -- fluffy, creamy enchantment, cotton candy pathos, and enigmatic nougat -- was that a pistachio? A toenail? One may never know...

Let's play... Trend Must Die!


People who wear sweatpants with stuff written across the a**, such as "Sweetie" or "Juicy"... unless you change it to "Stinky" or "Soggy" -- Trend Must Die!

People who wear studded belts around their upper legs ... unless you transport exclusively by pogo stick -- Trend Must Die!

Guy-liner ... not all sad poetry is bad poetry, but if you are enhancing yours by slathering guy-liner all around your one visible eye, yours may come off as an eensy-beensy-teensy bit contrived -- Trend Must Die!

Random Thought of the Day: Bipedalism is over-rated…

Okay, maybe not completely -- being able to walk while eating a bowl of cereal is dandy. However...what if humans had never evolved into bipeds? Four on the floor could have benefits, you know.

Mad pouncing/lunging skills -- better balance and agility and more force behind the leap could make pouncing/lunging all the rage. Pretty sweet if ya think about it.

Sharper turning maneuverability -- at higher speeds! It would be like 4-wheel drive plus a lower center of gravity compared to what we’re sporting now. Fun!

Hand shoes –- No longer will feet have all the fun. Vicious, chunky-soled, E-Z release shoes for your hands. Smooth glove-like fit, and durable treads -– what’s not to love? ;-D

"Protein with an attitude"

Scott Adams penned a pretty morbidly interesting blog about the FDA's saying that cloned meat is safe. He ponders if eating his own clone is acceptable and determines that it is -- since there is no way that clones have souls.

All I know is that cloned animals age at an accelerated rate, and eating meat that comes from an animal that is chemically imbalanced in that way can never be a magnificent idea.

Live the madness here.

'Memba 90's alternative "hair bands"?

Vid update -- Collective Soul "December" Serious tune -- and lots of flowing locks :-)

Vid updated with a blatantly kickass live performance of The Dandy Warhols "Bohemian Like You"!

Expressions that make everyone die a little on the inside...

There are expressions that I use that make NO sense whatsoever, and even as the words are coming out of my mouth...my brain is going , "$%#@*, what a stupid expression that makes no sense....shut up alr -- oh never mind, it's officially out there now."

Exhibit A -- When I want to make a point and I say, " I'm sorry but..." I am never, ever, sorry -- I use this phrase for emphasis -- and that makes no sense! For example, " I'm sorry but there is no way I can vote for a candidate that looks like Guy Smiley from Sesame Street." I am totally not sorry about that -- I am proud of that. Damn!

Exhibit B -- Someone bumps into me, and I'm like, "Oh, excuse me." Why did I just say that? Even if they do an "Excuse me." back, I still feel self-corrupted. And that's un-comfy.

Exhibit C -- The omniscient, omnipotent "THEY" as in -- "They need to really do something about voter fraud." or "They invented the toilet seat warmer years ago." I don't mind admitting I have no idea who "they" are when I spew such nonsense, but "they" seem awfully eclectic.

So next time I am out and about and someone bumps into me and I go, "Excuse me, wow, I'm sorry but they really need to alleviate congestion in this area." perhaps a flogging is in order.

Vid Updated...

Why Focus is Everything AKA Halcyon's "Crap or The Cone"

In case you wonder -- he says the part of crap was played by Jello chocolate pudding :-P

Pop culture things that should go away in 2008, but indubidently won't...

***Just my list -- feel free to hate on it or add to it

:-P

Reality "stars" -- they are obsessed over, but famous for doing nothing. The ones that learned to dance can perhaps be spared, but implored to dance off camera; and the "stars" who are famous for eating various meats made of naughty bits need to die. Immediately. No offense.

Chick flicks -- I think the genre has peaked. Give me a scenario that hasn't been done, and I bet it's not a chick flick.

Anything Emo -- crying, poetry of misery, and all black all the time -- are all over-rated and have been played out. Time to find a new way display your individuality so as to be recognized as part of the rebellious group you are part of. Yeah.

Flat-ironing hair -- viva la curl/wave! Just don't bring back perms...no one wants to handle that mess.

Something that should definitely STAY is the most excellent band -- The Films :-D I updated my vid. with their fabulousness known as "Black Shoes"...

Congratulations on winning the Iowa caucus, Barack!

Arianna Huffington blogged an intensely moving piece about the possibility of a "forward-looking country" here.

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!