scrutineyes

Thu, 02 Jun 2005 19:45:33 GMT

Songs of the Week, at Missy's request:

"Holla Back Girl," Gwen Stefani ... at first I thought I hated it, and now I realize that it revs me up every time it's on. There's just something so addicting about those girls shouting out the spelling of "bananas."

"Freedom" by George Michael ... so weird, I konw, but I heard it on the radio today and twice on Muzak at work yesterday, and it just makes want to be in a crowded bar with my hands up singing along at the top of my lungs.

"I'm a Hustla" Remix by Mary J. and Cassidy [of "Hotel" fame, we all know how much I love him ...] Come on, how can I not love a song I can identify with so much ... "to all ya single parent mothas just tryin' to survive ..." Riiiiiiight.

"Hate it or Love it", The Game/50 Cent: yeah, I pretty much only listen to Blaze 101.7 Hip Hop & R&B these days. i LOVE this song, especially the instrumental line.

"Stay" by DMB ... just heard it for the first time in so long, and it's such a perfect summer song. put me in the mood, bigtime.

"Scar Tissue" by Chili Peppers -- just came on the radio, and suits the very up and down emotional week i had.

Ok, I'm passing this on to:

Lolacarola
Builtfordetough
Feralblaze
QuarkySoul
Gerrence40
Soletitbewrit

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

Wed, 16 Feb 2005 17:56:36 GMT

I'm more alarmed by this story than I have been by anything in a long time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/16/technology/16robots.html?hp

To be fair, it does seem through some of the language, and the placement of the initial quote, that the author of the story is trying to be kind of alarmist. Especially when a few paragraphs down, you've got hard evidence to show that widespread use of robots in the military could be 30 years off and there's a lot of unanswered questions as to how it would work. I.e. "Yeah, we're still working out that whole conscience thing for the robots, the difference between killing innocent civilians and whatnot. We've hit a few bumps in the road considering that we can't even figure out why many LIVING creatures do not have this."

It kind of made me think, though. I admit to being fascinated by robots early on, since the days of Saturday morning Jetsons and wishing that I had a robot maid like Rosie that made kickass space-age waffles and served them to me in bed. When the "Roomba" came out, I got sucked into the infomercial extensively, whisked away by dreams that someday, if I could afford the $299 a month for 2,700 months, I'd never have to vacuum again. My hopes were dashed, unfortunately, by a few different "try it out" shows I heard about or read about that did just that and found that it did a crappy vacuuming job AND nicked your furniture.

But I also can think of a few ways that the robots might be useful ... as they point out in the article, going into caves or buildings that could be unstable, manned by insurgents or mines, etc. Also, I feel like Eve once told me some kind of really cool research that either she or someone she knew was doing with robots, which got me thinking that exploring them to their full potential was a pretty good idea. [Eve, did it have something to do with their usefulness in space? I can't remember. Anyway ...] What if Eve--or other supersmart science people that I know and like-- decided robotics was a worthy field to explore and make advances in. What if the government was offering the best opportunity to do that? [Such as the $1 million contest the Pentagon sponsored to find a privately developed robot that could traverse the Mojave Desert ... hello defense budget. Priorities? Yeah.] Would it be wrong to help develop this technology because it might ultimately be used for evil?

It's sort of just another knowledge-for-knowledge's-sake question, but the whole robot thing got me thinking and I was curious as to what you guys thought. Woo blogging.

Couch Potato

Wed, 08 Dec 2004 15:48:23 GMT

Favorite Show To Watch: Law & Order, SVU, Original, CI in order of preference
Runner Up: Friends

Reason I Miss Cable The Most: TNT, TBS, and USA -- you could ALWAYS find something on one of them
Honorable Mention: History Channel, and Monk.

Worst Show On Television: Wife Swap. Oh god. Sooooo melodramatic
Honorable Mention: Girlfriends. [Don't judge me people. I only get 18 channels and 6 of them are Spanish. You tend to watch a lot of UPN.]

Show I thought I’d be Pissed I Keep Missing: The OC
Runner Up: Sex & the City on TBS

Show I Actually AM Pissed I Keep Missing: Scrubs
Honorable Mention: L&O, SVU

Guiltiest Pleasure: Everwood
Runner Up: Fear Factor [on a LOT on UPN.]
Honorable Mention: I don't really watch enough TV to think of another one.

Show I’m Most Enjoying Being Sucked Into By Association: The Biggest Loser
Runner Up: The Apprentice [caveat: I actually pretty much hate the apprentice, but there's limited choices in this category for me.

Show I'd Most Like To Give A Shot If Not For Circumstance: The new one on Showtime with Hank Azaria
Runner Up: Arrested Development [the circumstance being I just always forget/I don't really watch TV much.]

Show I’m Most Surprised To Be Enjoying: Joey
Runner Up: Ellen [no one said we were only talking primetime, right?]

Show I'm Psyched Is On DVD Now: PeeWee's Playhouse
Show I'm Eagerly Awaiting on DVD:: Jag. Only because then I would have SOMETHING to get my dad for Christmas. There's actually an online petition for it.

Favorite songs

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 15:03:36 GMT

Luckily, my editor told me that he's not going to have room for the last story I was working on for this morning ... that, combined with copious amounts of caffeine, even though it's only 10 a.m., led to me wracking my brain for my favorite songs ... to echo Bissy, there's probably a zillion more that should be on there.

Kings Highway -- Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Elaborate Lives/Step too Far -- from AIDA
Thick as a Brick -- Jethro Tull
Every Little Thing She Does is Magic -- The Police
Big Pimpin' -- Jay-Z
Copacabana -- Barry Manilow
Both Hands -- Ani DiFranco
Fat-Bottomed Girls -- Queen
Longview -- Green Day
Fast Car -- Tracy Chapman
Atomic Dog -- George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic
A Day in the Life -- Beatles
No Diggity -- Black Street
Friends in Low Places -- Garth Brooks
Let Me Blow Ya Mind -- Eve & Gwen Stefani
10 Crack Commandments -- Biggie Smalls
You Shook Me -- AC/DC
You're Just Too Good To Be True -- Lauryn Hill
Leader of the Pack -- written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, not sure who performed it
Lie in Our Graves, Lover Lay Down -- DMB
Someone to Watch Over Me -- Ella Fitzgerald
These Boots Are Made For Walkin' -- Nancy Sinatra
Paradise By the Dashboard Light -- Meatloaf
Beautiful Thing, Out There -- Sister Hazel
Come On Eileen -- Dexy's Midnight Runners
Take On Me -- both RBF and A-Ha versions
Mo Money Mo Problems -- Biggie
The Gambler -- Kenny Rogers
She's Got a Way -- Billy Joel
In the Mood -- the big band song, there are many versions
Tangled up in Blue -- Bob Dylan

Ladies and Gentlemen ...

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 17:41:53 GMT

We have a concession.

Here are my tips for trying not to think about the next four years today:

1) It's fall and it's beautiful! If the wind is blowing crunchy leaves where you are, try to focus on that. [I actually did this on the way to work and it was somewhat effective.] Ok, I'm going to hug a tree now. Jesus.

2) Make a T-shirt. Possibly, a theraputic one that has some kind of "Bush Blows" (but more witty) slogan on it, or just a fun one for yourself--a la a chinese symbol with the words "Oh Snap!" beneath it. (Props to CB's friend for that one). I AM doing this activity later, but have not yet tested it to see if it works.

3) Bake something ... there's something very comforting about knowing that if you just follow the recipe exactly -- it will all come out all right. [Note: feel free to add any "herbal remedies" to said baked goods to help ease the pain. ;-) ]

4) Debate extensively over whether people from the Caribbean are Latin American. Get yelled at by editor for debating irrelevant information on deadline. [Enjoy nonetheless b/c it was a full 10 minutes that no one in the office mentioned the election.]

5) Print boarding passes for flight, then research vacation destination. [Hehe, just a little dig b/c i'm positively giddy about going away.]

6) Travel to Texas ... oh wait, scratch that ... THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP you not think about the next four years ... DAMN IT. I should have thought of that.

And then of course, there's the obvious:

7) Drink heavily. I've found it can prevent you from thinking about just about anything [or everything.]

I have a "Jerry" song too ...

Wed, 27 Oct 2004 04:53:50 GMT

It's "King's Highway" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It might just be the prettiest song I know.

Man do I wish I weren't writing about moratoriums right now ...

Lest there be any more Becky-bashing

Wed, 08 Sep 2004 11:43:00 GMT

Housewarming parTAY at the Cooper-Nill Compound, out here on LI, Saturday, September 25, beginning in the evening, don't know the time yet. Accomodations can be provided for out of towners. Witty email [or evite, if I feel like trying to figure it out] with details to follow. ;-)

No holy communion ... but there was wine!

Fri, 27 Aug 2004 19:24:05 GMT

So the new Casa de Becky [and Melissa] has officially been christened!

No, not like that.

Well, actually, like that too. But not on my account …

I haven’t fully moved in yet but last night my roommate, Melissa [who has pretty much completely moved in] and I got a bottle of wine and sat around the table drinking it with my bro and his girlfriend who are down from Maine … mmmmm Yellowtail Shiraz. [The new roommate, coincidentally, works a side job at a liquor store. There’s only one thing I like more than liquor – and that’s employee discounted liquor. Woo hoo!!!]

So we had our first drink in the new house … and our second, third and fourth … the last of which brought out the news of the OTHER christening … yup, she brought her “friend” over to the house to “watch a movie” on Wednesday night. And we all were in college long enough to know what that means …

We don’t know each other really well anymore [we were friends in high school but haven’t really kept in touch] so I think she was a little taken aback when I asked, “Did you even bother to put in a movie?” But it was fine, I didn’t actually have any kind of problem with it, I just thought it was amusing that the house was officially christened in two different ways before either of us actually lived there.

But there was something supremely satisfying about sitting on our back porch when we got home from my brother’s show last night – WE HAVE OUR OWN HOUSE. We were both weirded out/excited at the same time. I’m so psyched! Of course then since I don't really live there I walked home to my parents' house at 3 a.m., b/c it's like 2 feet away.

This whole thing is also coming at the perfect time, when I feel like everyone else’s life has gone through some big change/move forward and I’m kind of still here, rockin’ it hardcore at the Press, so the environment switch is helping with any lingering feelings of stagnation.

Biggest thing that SUCKS about the house: I still have to pack up my bookshelf. Supremely annoying b/c the new house is like 2 blocks from my current one, so having to pack the books into boxes is SO annoying … but I really don’t think there’s any other way …

He's got his mind on his tofu and his tofu on his mind ...

Wed, 25 Aug 2004 11:39:08 GMT

I found out my brother is coming home from Maine tonight, which prompted a conversation with Missy about how he is coming home with his new G/F -- who is new since May, even though the last skinny, quiet blond girl that he was dating seemed pretty serious. [That is his type, btw. Every girl he's dated in his adult life has been skinny, blond, and virtually silent.]

Anyway, so I was talking about how my bro is a pimp, but a hippie pimp, which is a lot different ... and usually involves bongos. [Yes, you guessed it, they're funny. ;-)]

Anyway, the conversation yielded this quote:

"Regular pimps win over chicks with their rims and their bling. Hippie pimps impress girls with the different hemp ropes they can weave and the amount of meals they can get out of one visit to the '$5 All You Can Eat Vegan Buffet.'"

Note: I have visited the aforementioned buffet with my brother. It is a real thing. I got hungry again 10 minutes after eating there. Frickin' tofu.

This post has been prompted by Margeau's attack on my blog, as well as my desire to procrastinate to the end.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVE!

Thu, 12 Aug 2004 17:00:15 GMT

It’s Eve’s birthday today, and we’re all set
To make sure that we never again forget
Except next year will bring, I have no doubt
A call from Missy – ‘When’s Eve’s birthday? We have to find out!’

But I wrote it in my planner, so we’ll give that a try
Who’s kidding who? I’ll lose that thing faster than Eve can say ‘Pi’

At any rate, it’s time to wish Eve a fabulous day
Full of smoothies and Thai food and games she can play
She may be spending it on the Pacific
But that doesn’t mean we don’t hope it’s terrific.

Eve made my last year at the Ram a blast
Especially when the hour of 2 a.m. had passed
She would dutifully come find me and reel me in
When I got stuck cackling madly at CTN

She would capitalize on the mood, and play me a fool
By picking exactly the right time to throw in the word ‘tool.’
And she never minded when she saw me quickly fading
Into a 3-hour long nap while editors were waiting.

As a listener and friend, her talents are unmatched
And afterwards, undoubtedly, her good advice is dispatched.
Because though she may not have had, how you say, ‘the sex’
She has plenty of suggestions for what to say to your bastard ex.

Becoming friends with her has made ME want to do flips
Although that would likely result in several broken hips
So that’s why I hope her birthday is rad
And that our friendship is much, much more than just a fad.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVE!!!

Since teasers are the thing ...

Wed, 11 Aug 2004 01:52:58 GMT

Coming soon: Fun or zany or bizarre personalities involved in my work life.

I must make myself write this out, and here's as good a place as any, as I can't write a column about it for the paper ... for although the readership of the press may only be about 20,000 ... and the readership of the internet is well ... hm, zillions is my best estimate ... ALL of the aforementioned "characters" read the paper, where as I'm pretty sure many of them have no idea about ye olde new fangled internete.

And I figured by teasing it I'd get at least a couple of my loser friends to bug me about doing it so I don't forget or keep getting lazy. ;-)

Blogging for blogging's sake

Thu, 29 Jul 2004 01:33:05 GMT

So I haven't actually decided if I'm going to ... how you say, ah yes, "blog," but I figured I'd put up this first explanation entry b/c people would be wondering why I decided to open a Live Journal and not actually tell anyone about it ... mainly I wasn't able to see entries of my friends that they had marked for friends only, or whatever, so I decided to join up, especially since keeping in touch with my former OCB is kind of blog-dependent.

[Everyone at work keeps asking me how Missy's doing, and they must think I talk to her all the time, but really it's that I read her blog. We actually only talk like once a week.]

Anyway, I'll put out a shoutout if I decide to do this regularly [I don't want to pull a Lolacarola and be a blog WHORE] but otherwise, add me to your friends list so I can continue to stalk you!