tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70556322011-08-16T20:04:26.566-07:00Blogging while Rome burnsTravis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.comBlogger13341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-41564326497408436032008-09-15T23:17:00.000-07:002008-09-15T23:37:32.707-07:00

I feel like I'd have nothing at all to blog if I didn't read Jay's blog, but hey, such is life. I'm moving Friday. Life is insane, but in a good way. So yeah, Jay linked to David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech, and it's quite brilliant. Go read it. It starts like this:Greetings and congratulations to Kenyon's graduating class of 2005. There are these two young fish

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-91652125577766038642008-09-08T16:34:00.000-07:002008-09-08T16:41:32.070-07:00

A: They were both on the wanna-be-banned book list from our favorite Alaskan, Sarah Palin. By now you've no doubt read about Palin's failed attempt to purge unwholesome influences such as Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Whitman from the Wasilla stacks. You can read the full list here and join me in a full-bodied sigh.(Thanks to Jay Bushman for the link.)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-8452745915371752542008-09-03T16:47:00.000-07:002008-09-03T17:03:07.732-07:00

And yet, I cannot pull myself away from the train wreck.This must be how Republicans feel all the time.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-11668822177097366072008-09-03T13:22:00.000-07:002008-09-03T13:29:56.820-07:00

Thanks to Colin for the link to Sam Harris' op-ed piece on Palin in the LA Times. I know I should just tell you to go read it, but I don't trust that you will, so here is the part that made me guffaw:McCain not only has thrown all sensible concerns about good governance aside merely to pander to a sliver of female and masses of conservative Christian voters, he has turned this period of American

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-50477955705577069762008-09-03T12:46:00.001-07:002008-09-03T13:31:20.898-07:00

Everyone else is already saying what you know I'm feeling about McCain's running mate choice--that it's delightful to watch the Republicans making ridiculously stupid choices.So just to lower the level of discourse a little more, here are a few linguistic notes:Yesterday during a conversation about Palin's pregger daughter, Nick let me know that "Bristols" or "Bristol City" is Cockney slang for "

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-29830083516861221652008-09-03T10:33:00.000-07:002008-09-03T10:39:19.839-07:00

Craftzine's How to Knit a Dissected Rat (This almost makes me wish I could knit.):Via tinyblip

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-21573409598208743122008-08-22T11:49:00.000-07:002008-08-22T12:00:56.671-07:00

While I'm sort of anti-word tattoo, strangely enough (I am generally a word person), some of my best friends favor wordy ink. This recording has a nice mini-spread, which I link to if for no other reason than I know Lulu will like it so much. For my part, several of my fabulous friends gave me some money toward my next, which Lex is drawing for me. The idea is a hamsa but with a realistic looking

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-54101366390139000562008-08-20T11:00:00.000-07:002008-08-20T11:12:19.753-07:00

The Guardian has a nice short piece about Francis Bacon (the painter not the philosopher)--Damien Hirst on Francis Bacon actually:He talked about the brutality of fact. It's incredibly brave to take that on, to face up to the horror and stare it down. Over and over. I mean, I've made maybe four good pieces and the rest are, you know, sort of happy. He wasn't like that. He was his own worst and

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-27016237275234933402008-08-19T17:57:00.000-07:002008-08-19T18:12:12.834-07:00

Here is a nice triad of yummy links unrelated except that they all came through my magic portal today:1. The best interview ever(!) courtesy of our friend in Dublin.Though it's hard to choose, because there are so many good ones, I think my personal favorite line is: Q: What does love feel like?A: Like a great misfortune, a monstrous parasite,a permanent state of emergency that ruins all small

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-55123710077810582202008-08-19T12:19:00.000-07:002008-08-19T12:38:10.644-07:00

While I am most decidedly a word person, I do like maps. I think they appeal to the control freak in me. I like to think of the world as organized. Here are two that landed in my in box this week.First, the genetic map of Europe which is explained in the NYTimes article of the same name:The map shows, at right, the location in Europe where each of the sampled populations live and, at left, the

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-37900159855474965062008-08-18T14:57:00.001-07:002008-08-18T15:44:40.016-07:00

I think "resistence to" or "skepticism toward" might be better ways of putting it.Backing up a bit: Last week I moved offices down the hall into a larger, less centrally located office. My old office was right at the top of the stairs by the spot my boss calls "the water cooler" even though there is, in fact, no water cooler there. People naturally stop at the top of the stairs to congregate, and

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-27923629101247640862008-08-15T14:23:00.000-07:002008-08-15T14:29:05.014-07:00

If you're like me, you're a last-minute citizen when it comes to some local elections and ballot measures. I vote and I try to remain educated, but I usually find myself "cramming" the night before I go to the polls to try to figure out what exactly is on the ballot and where I stand about the initiatives. In California, in particular, I've been challenged because we seem to vote so often. (In

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-23917307259094042142008-08-14T11:39:00.000-07:002008-08-14T11:44:57.808-07:00

Words escape me.(Thanks to Chris for the image.)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-63492978615646341292008-08-11T13:29:00.000-07:002008-08-11T13:41:40.785-07:00

Get Your War On is now an animated series on 236.com. Yippee. I was going to embed the first episode here, but it doesn't want to embed, so here's the link. Some day I will return to blogging that involves something more than "hey, look at this," but in the meantime, you can check out my post today on Metblogs about the reading I went to Saturday if you're really yearning for some yapping from

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-63851732236598099042008-08-07T16:02:00.000-07:002008-08-07T16:07:57.703-07:00

A sent this link to me with a note that said, "That this made me laugh out loud is indicative of degree of pms, I think." Oh yes. It's hard to imagine that malaise and homocidal tendencies can coexist so well in one body, and yet...

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-55648167798808550062008-07-11T14:07:00.000-07:002008-07-11T14:08:07.290-07:00

Beijing takes dog off the menu for Olympics

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-51951043527936364062008-07-09T23:21:00.001-07:002008-07-09T23:22:22.021-07:00

Zombies, twinkies, and Soviet posters--what more could you possibly want? GORBACHOV: THE MUSIC VIDEO - BIGGER AND RUSSIANER from Tom Stern on Vimeo.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-83895054812625062822008-07-07T22:33:00.000-07:002008-07-07T22:36:26.852-07:00

(From Kent Nichols)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-6442520208997598242008-07-04T22:38:00.000-07:002008-07-04T22:44:26.634-07:00

Break-up Poem for America(with apologies to Walt Whitman)Oh America, you sad failed experiment,It was lovely while it lasted.People tried to warn meThey said that you were faithlessProfessing everythingRemembering nothingFueled by lust and self interestAlways afraid of commitmentThey said you were heartlessAt your worst, you were violentYour sweetest words coming Just after the black eyes and

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-13047932772934959852008-07-03T12:05:00.000-07:002008-07-03T12:08:57.231-07:00

My day's dose of gratitude.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-28401925214255934992008-06-26T10:48:00.000-07:002008-06-26T10:52:39.138-07:00

I know it's been two weeks since I have posted a peep here and I should be giving up something more meaty than a site of the day post, and for that I do apologize people. But life has been super busy and I was sick as a dog last week. So those are my excuses. In the meantime, enjoy Will's turtle cam. The time lapse video of Buster and the nomming is totally great.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-40087197582587773002008-06-12T16:20:00.000-07:002008-06-12T16:21:17.346-07:00

Thank you Jay Bushman

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-66993443485169946472008-06-10T18:08:00.000-07:002008-06-11T14:15:39.230-07:00

So the other day I was in one of those moods where I was once again wishing for my as-yet unrealized superpower--the ability to strangle people from across the room. I was on my way to run errands at lunch (picking up probiotics for my insanely high maintanence cat, if you must know) and it was all I could do not to just ram into the Lexus in front of me when it was too slow off the green. And

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-16308383643686343342008-06-06T14:29:00.000-07:002008-06-06T14:33:44.743-07:00

Great Photographers on the Internet(Thank you Conor)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-2357764675730865752008-06-05T12:49:00.000-07:002008-06-05T12:52:08.875-07:00

Scary stuff: Via BoingBoing:

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-46222264484358801422008-06-05T11:36:00.000-07:002008-06-05T11:50:43.935-07:00

I grew up thinking about my body as a large inconvenient container upon which to carry my brain around, and while I've largely made piece with the container, even grown fond of it, at times it's just a big obnoxious machine. This week, I am plagued by bodies. First, there is my own, which been subject to a severe case of vertigo for about a week now. It is better today thanks mostly to doing

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-22584726048057997292008-05-31T19:22:00.000-07:002008-05-31T21:13:46.534-07:00

Man One: You used to see so much new age stuff. People wearing pyramids on their heads and such. Man Two: But not so much any more?Man One: Not any more. You know what's really popular in LA right now? What's really popular is Kabbalah. Man Two: Well people need something to believe in. Man One: How about reality?

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-1078845607747835962008-05-29T13:46:00.000-07:002008-05-29T14:29:40.524-07:00

I just realized that last week was this blog's fourth birthday. [I'm sorry, I just can't make myself type something beginning "blog" and ending "versary." Eradicate ugly neologisms!] That means it's also the fourth anniversary of my PhD-hood. I started this blog immediately upon finishing the PhD because the thought of life without feeling guilty because "I should be writing ______" was too much

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-2051457131212393442008-05-29T08:23:00.000-07:002008-05-29T08:27:19.715-07:00

I love cheese rolling. I really do.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-27449130601952610412008-05-26T18:22:00.000-07:002008-05-27T01:56:06.509-07:00

XKCD has been pretty brilliant lately. First the Stove Ownership comic, now this one, which totally spoke to me.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-5633400174691685422008-05-18T20:28:00.000-07:002008-05-18T22:38:49.716-07:00

A's mom died last night. I am on a plane to DC tomorrow. The funeral will be Tuesday. I have cried more today than I care to in a month. I am so sad for A and her sister--the whole family of course, but especially A and J. For me the death of my mother was The Primal Loss--like the Platonic Ideal of loss, where everything else, every other particular loss was a facsimile or a shadow of that one.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-91268492480601367662008-05-13T19:42:00.000-07:002008-05-13T19:47:58.697-07:00

I will miss you, Robert Rauschenberg.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-61148635856365582332008-05-13T16:49:00.001-07:002008-05-13T17:09:00.710-07:00

Despite the fact that I am super-grumpy today, this clip (thank you eecue) made me laugh out loud. There's much other news to report really, but I haven't had much will to write. I was supposed to be away this week, but the fates seem to want me in LA. First I'd planned a trip to Spain with the bf, but then that fell through ("that" being a deliberately unclear referent in this sentence). Then I

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-80712798574723653602008-04-23T22:36:00.000-07:002008-04-23T22:45:25.685-07:00

Today I 1. bought two pairs of shoes2. shared a bowl of microwave popcorn with Nic the cat3. bought tickets for Albuquerque and investigated flights to MinneapolisI'm still not exactly chipper, but hey, I have new shoes and I'm leaving town in a few weeks. I realized that when I feel low, I usually head right for Travelocity. I guess it beats surfing porn or online gambling. Work has actually

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-13565948174365610072008-04-03T11:38:00.000-07:002008-04-03T12:08:24.108-07:00

I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been promoted here at work to "Director of Communications," which is a very nice way of saying "King of the S*** Pile" it seems. Anyway, that accounts for a great deal of my silence lately. Our biennial conference is next month and it's definitely felt like "there must be a pony" time here for me.Then of course, there's the travel. In the past few

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-51420012815398805392008-03-07T07:31:00.000-08:002008-03-07T07:35:49.074-08:00

From a NYT article on the Democratic primary in Florida and Michigan:Mrs. Clinton won the most votes in primaries in Florida and Michigan in January. But the states held their contests earlier than allowed by the Democratic National Committee’s rules, leading the party to strip them of their delegates to the nominating convention. Neither candidate campaigned actively in the two states, and Mr.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-48138419635628046432008-03-04T16:32:00.000-08:002008-03-04T16:52:04.852-08:00

My favorite shot from the trip:No matter where in the world you are...Conor's author pictureSt. Basil's in 80 kg of marzipan:

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-76033165384406937452008-03-04T15:43:00.000-08:002008-03-04T15:49:14.217-08:00

You know when you're almost out of toothpaste and you have to squish the tube with all your might to try to get one more day's worth out of it because you forgot to stop at the drugstore on your way home?Well, that pretty well describes my relationship to the hours in the day right now.(Thanks to Hamed Saber for the Creative Commons licensed pic.)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-63090196583676033442008-02-25T22:58:00.000-08:002008-02-25T23:03:37.628-08:00

1. Everything is so terribly overheated that it's impossible to sleep with the windows shut.2. Construction people begin work at 6am.3. Construction crews enjoy singing rousing Hungarian songs in time with the clanging and banging of their work.It's my last day in Budapest and I feel a bit murderous. Clearly I'm going to need to learn the phrase "SHUT THE FUCK UP" in Magyar for my next visit.Grrr.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-43682211876136843182008-02-20T14:30:00.000-08:002008-02-20T14:33:01.351-08:00

Any day that includes exploring a castle, getting a 90-minute Thai massage, and going to the marzipan museum is, by definition, a great day.We get to sit in a conference room all day for the next six days. I'm glad this one rocked hard.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-86905561846672302252008-02-19T10:04:00.000-08:002008-02-19T10:31:36.387-08:00

All in all, we had a wonderful time in Denmark. Though the coffee--as the Swedes will tell you right off--is not the best in Europe, I defy anyone to find a decent cup at a meeting in the states, so that hardly seemed a point of argument. The workshop was a success. I think the Danes who attended learned a lot and feel more connected and while there were fewer than they had anticipated (around 50

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-88474002128897823232008-02-14T09:37:00.000-08:002008-02-14T09:52:27.547-08:00

1. What the Danes call "a beautiful day" wouldn't make the cut in LA. "Beautiful day" in Danish translates to something like "not cold enough to freeze your tits off." Also it has been so dark and cloudy for so long that any day with the sun shining is by definition "beautiful." Who knows, if Kierkegaard had grown up in LA maybe he would have been a motivational speaker or something.2. How can

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-79737126615858420502008-02-14T02:16:00.000-08:002008-02-14T02:34:05.412-08:00

I arrived last night in Copenhagen for a two-week, multi-workshop trip for work. I'll be here until Tuesday and then it's on to Budapest for two more workshops. I'm very excited to be overseas again. I haven't traveled internationally in a couple of years--not since Dublin. And I've never been to Denmark or Hungary so that's particularly exciting. Copenhagen seems a really interesting mix of old

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-5185086653970396622008-01-31T10:47:00.000-08:002008-01-31T10:51:02.468-08:00

What if Howard Stern turned to a life of crime? That's what this story makes me think. Running across that story and then being treated to Will's yard art picture this morning made me think it's bound to be a good day today.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-86558760100248146432008-01-18T12:20:00.000-08:002008-01-18T12:25:21.057-08:00

This just totally cracked me up so I have to share it. A just forwarded me an email thread between herself and her cousin about mohels, and within it was the URL for Dr. Diamond's site (he is the mohel of choice appparently). His slogan, of course, is "Nothing cuts like a diamond." I'm beginning to believe bad puns are a genetically linked disease not unlike Taysachs.And another thing: NOAM, the

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-76492096602105695582008-01-13T15:01:00.000-08:002008-01-13T15:07:34.793-08:00

They've announced the Darwin Awards for this year, and I really think the wrong entry won. The winners of this years' Darwin Award were a couple who apparently died after falling off a slanted roof upon which they were doing the nasty. But the second place guy is a class by himself in my book:Michael was an alcoholic. And not an ordinary alcoholic, but an alcoholic who liked to take his liquor...

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-61353663280183657562008-01-12T13:27:00.000-08:002008-01-12T13:44:51.051-08:00

The New Yorker has published a copy of Raymond Carver's "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" including Gordon Lish's copyediting. Pretty amazing stuff. Lish turned a good story great. If you've ever doubted that truism, "Everyone needs a copyeditor," have a look.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-47135443467991801742008-01-11T12:26:00.000-08:002008-01-13T10:49:02.499-08:00

"It's not uncommon for hunters to be shot by their dogs."

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-36546126468918015612008-01-11T12:18:00.001-08:002008-01-11T12:22:51.184-08:00

I'm trying to think of an occasion where having the capacity to play .mp3s on your taser might be important, useful or convenient but I just can't come up with anything.I will say if I had such a device, I'd be sorely tempted to load it with tunes like "Shock the Monkey" and Lou Christie's "Lightning Strikes."

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-74342692092762627482008-01-09T13:40:00.000-08:002008-01-10T07:49:41.984-08:00

As I've noted here in the past, at some recent time "nu-cu-lar" became an accepted pronunciation according to Merriam-Webster (and others, I'm sure). Still, I'm old school and every time our frat boy leader says "nu-cu-lar" it grates on me. Of course, the whole "shucks, I'm just a country boy" routine makes me want to projectile vomit after my head spins around a little. (And is it just my

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-63643772649452945412008-01-04T21:52:00.000-08:002008-01-04T22:11:12.380-08:00

It's raining gazelles and giraffes out there. Bison even.Couldn't get through the pass tonight to get to K's house. Went part way and then quailed and made a shaky waterlogged u-turn to come home. To the guy who powered by me in frustration burying my car in a zero-visibility wake, thanks buddy. Luckily for me I managed to not drive into opposing traffic even though I could see less than nada and

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-55221161779949676152007-12-23T19:55:00.000-08:002007-12-23T20:19:27.510-08:00

Greetings from travellers purgatory. I am on hour twelve of my trip east and I have made it no farther than the Delta terminal in Las Vegas. My flight out of LA was two hours late taking off. I was one of twenty people who had forty minutes in McCarren to transfer to an Orlando flight and US Air assured us that they would probably hold the flight for us and even if we didn't make it, we were

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-62065905941194627152007-12-21T14:50:00.000-08:002007-12-21T14:57:55.363-08:00

Okay, I know Hannukah is long since over, but I just got this clip a couple of days ago, and it's totally worth sharing. Merry Jewmas everyone. I hope the Chinese food is delicious and the movie is great.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-20124387174905535102007-12-19T11:04:00.000-08:002007-12-19T11:06:49.307-08:00

Waste time at work and donate rice to places like Myanmar, Cambodia, and Nepal at the same time. (Thanks to Donna for the link.)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-84290610490974396392007-12-12T22:07:00.000-08:002007-12-12T22:21:32.387-08:00

Today the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed this resolution:H. Res. 847In the House of Representatives, U. S., December 11, 2007.Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-83443272020060431612007-11-29T13:30:00.001-08:002007-12-03T08:10:35.657-08:00

The New York Times just released their 100 notable books list for 2007. I have read approximately zero of them, though looking back at previous years' lists is slightly less embarrassing. At least I've read a few 2006ers and 5s. I know that I shouldn't find these sorts of lists depressing, but I do. There simply isn't enough time in the world. You know you're a little depressed when everything

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-41143720168513464262007-11-28T14:15:00.000-08:002007-11-28T15:43:14.870-08:00

Mark Vallen has an interesting article on his site framing Shepard Fairey as a plaigarist. From Vallen's site: [ Left: Fairey’s plagiarized poster. Right: Original street poster from Czechoslovakia’s, Prague Spring - Artist unknown 1968. The poster depicts a Soviet Red Army soldier in 1945 as a liberator, then as an oppressor in 1968.]The research on Fairey's iconography is impressive and my hat

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-36335072859937300292007-11-27T12:48:00.000-08:002007-11-27T12:51:52.319-08:00

This is a pretty nifty new site that gives a quick look at the flight delays out of any given airport. Of course, if you're flying and worried about a delay, you'd be looking up your own flight number and carrier, but this gives a pretty good idea of just how much of a c.f. you're going to find at the airport when you get there. Good information to have.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-29431432889742130322007-11-27T12:17:00.000-08:002007-11-27T12:30:19.385-08:00

I'm sorry but December 4th is just way, way too early for a gift-giving occasion. I have determined to be Christian this year because I need the extra three weeks. Plus I don't know how to make jelly doughnuts, but I do know how to make peppermint meringues and cranberry poundcake so that works out too.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-30897300604291880492007-11-21T11:29:00.000-08:002007-11-21T11:36:06.380-08:00

After working myself into a state of utter anxiety yesterday, the biopsy was really just fine. The worst part of the whole procedure is the lidocaine shots (or whatever the numbing agent is). My doctor rocks and the nurses were so nice that they even noticed I'd dyed my hair since my last visit. (They said I was "a breath of fresh air.") But the really great news is that I was wrong: the nodule

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-69143620496138436052007-11-21T11:25:00.001-08:002007-11-21T11:28:51.126-08:00

Via Zefrank comes this link to highlights from the 1975 JC Penny's catalog. Enjoy.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-56676275533234003332007-11-20T12:41:00.000-08:002007-11-20T12:49:18.961-08:00

So I have to go get my thyroid biopsied again this afternoon in a couple of hours and even though I know it will be fine (I mean, even if it's not fine, it will be fine, if you know what I mean), I'm nervous as hell. I don't know if it's the time of year (two weeks before my mother's yarzheit) or what, but I'm really antsy. I will be so glad when the thing is over.A little back story for those

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-5539209305455184252007-11-14T15:59:00.000-08:002007-11-14T16:14:33.579-08:00

You may have noticed that "cost of the war" ticker in the sidebar of NMTE (you have to scroll down some way to see it). I had wondered a while back whether I should remove it because it just seemed unlikely that we were still spending at such a rate and I would hate to be posting untrue propaganda (true propaganda, on the other hand, I'm fine with). So then Shane forwards me this article which

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-56401148140219833652007-11-08T12:53:00.000-08:002007-11-08T12:55:33.282-08:00

I heart zefrank

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-90184055345529415472007-11-08T11:19:00.000-08:002007-11-08T11:20:44.561-08:00

Chicago is, apparently, the most caffeinated city in the US.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-61862962695586923952007-11-07T12:37:00.000-08:002007-11-07T12:49:25.535-08:00

I remember when I was a girl (12?), going on a walk-a-thon for ERA (the Equal Rights Amendment for you youngsters). I proudly wore the tee shirt to school the next week, and my math teacher said, "ERA--what's that 'Earned Run Average'?" I think he was joking to wind me up, and as unfunny as the joke was then, it's even less funny thirty years later (sigh--you are old Mother William) when I read

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-41794478983241024552007-11-06T14:14:00.000-08:002007-11-06T14:30:08.611-08:00

Keith Olbermann has a scathing opinion piece at MSNBC on the Bush presidency and Daniel Levin. Levin, the acting assistant attorney general who was fired because he called waterboarding torture after submitting to the "technique" himself to ensure he wouldn't be talking out of the side of his neck like I do, gives the lie to the administration says Olbermann. If you're looking for a really

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-53483888854133171012007-11-06T13:17:00.000-08:002007-11-06T13:19:21.018-08:00

From the footer of an email I just received:Frantic orthodoxyIs never rooted in faithBut in doubt.It is when we are not sureThat we are doubly sure. Reinhold Neibuhr

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-28601732194779529332007-11-06T12:22:00.000-08:002007-11-06T12:54:58.534-08:00

Okay, I'm not usually one for quizzes, but this one is impressive:Radar's Luxurious spa treatment or mind-numbingly painful interrogation technique?

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-67378498678878016832007-11-05T16:27:00.000-08:002007-11-05T16:28:31.229-08:00

I can't decide whether I should ask for one of these for Hannukah or whether I should get one for K (or both).

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-41764824075792348422007-11-01T16:50:00.000-07:002007-11-01T17:20:12.728-07:00

Apparently not. It seems that "middle-class" is an adjective being used to describe, not a demographic defined by earnings, but by "values." In a story, strikingly titled "More U.S. millionaires are middle-class" Reuters tells us:New research has found that more and more Americans worth at least $1 million want luxury goods such as yachts but otherwise lead family-focused, work-oriented lives. ..

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-74758772731176831942007-11-01T12:33:00.000-07:002007-11-01T16:07:02.577-07:00

Conor comments below that he apparently is Kucinich, "whoever he is." So this quote of the day is from Kucinich and goes out to Conor."The center has shifted in our politics. I'm really at the center. And all the other candidates are to the right of me.""This Week with George Stephanopoulos", ABC, August 12, 2007 (via Wikiquote)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-46782843657972408012007-10-30T16:58:00.000-07:002007-10-30T17:19:22.971-07:00

Our correspondent in New Mexico just sent us this handy link to USA Today's vote-a-matic. If you're unsure of who you really support, just take this handy short quiz on topics ranging from the Iraq War to gay marriage. Note that there is no question on reproductive rights or on torture. ("Torture of people is a)okay if the person is Middle-Eastern, b)never okay because I hate freedom, c)okay but

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-91369922365859278272007-10-30T11:52:00.000-07:002007-10-30T14:58:08.105-07:00

Someone at work recently forwarded an email to me from Integrated Play, an organization that helps your workplace with strategic planning, team building, and "culture and change management" through "Lego serious play" workshops. A real steal at a mere $430, methinks. It's made me start to think that maybe I should come up with some sort of silly putty seminar or an etch-a-sketch workshop. I think

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-54105808445045102482007-10-22T10:51:00.000-07:002007-10-22T10:54:06.347-07:00

Bad PussyThis is so much like my cat, it's scary. That paw on the face thing--that's Nic.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-64931006343960809322007-10-19T16:41:00.000-07:002007-10-19T16:45:07.044-07:00

What do sparrows and crab lice have in common? (Note that the curator searching for the louse won the biology Ig Nobel four years ago "for his discovery of homosexual necrophilia in mallard ducks.")

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-60907587995986284222007-10-10T11:11:00.000-07:002007-10-10T11:28:14.893-07:00

Here are my two pop culture questions for the day:1. Does anyone know when Romero's Diary of the Dead is being released (I know it screened at the Toronto Film Fest, but I just wanna know when can I go see it, y'know, like a normal person.)?2. What happened to PJ Harvey? Just gave White Chalk a first listen yesterday and...what is up? She's traded in the electric guitars and growly screamy vocals

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-15132904624091985752007-10-08T10:23:00.000-07:002007-10-08T10:26:05.335-07:00

Real photos by the real photographer on the trip are here.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-39969476546102515562007-10-05T12:13:00.000-07:002007-10-05T12:26:53.186-07:00

Okay I just wrote a long post mulling over the reasons for such a silent blog, and then cyberspace ate it. So I am taking that as a sign to a)lighten up and b)get back to work. Some time soon I might post about the 22nd anniversary of me quitting drugs (which was yesterday), my friend Mike dying (which was a little more than 10 days ago), work (which is unrelenting), and my visit to my family (

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-43907229717675302362007-09-24T13:05:00.001-07:002007-09-24T13:05:54.402-07:00

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-63163123206878742572007-09-19T10:45:00.000-07:002007-09-19T11:07:52.993-07:00

If you browse the network where I work, you'll find files named things like "AR 2007 Final.doc" and "AR 2007 Final 2.doc" and "AR 2007 Final 2 Rev.doc"That's sort of what Blade Runner reminds me of. I just found out that Ridley Scott is releasing Blade Runner: The Final Cut [no really] this fall. The DVDs go on sale December 18. I say "DVDs" plural because apparently the film comes boxed in a

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-65331246301074014132007-09-13T11:38:00.000-07:002007-09-13T11:43:08.852-07:00

Exhibit A

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-82926002675073930872007-08-27T12:16:00.000-07:002007-08-27T12:48:12.692-07:00

Al Gonzales (as part of his resignation speech):"Public service is honorable and noble."George W in accepting Al's resignation:"Under his leadership, the Justice Department has made a priority of protecting children from Internet predators, made enforcement of civil rights laws a top priority. He aggressively and successfully pursued public corruption and effectively combated gang violence.It's

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-84046337331713856712007-08-27T10:56:00.000-07:002007-08-27T12:02:59.199-07:00

I heard this on, I admit, KROQ this morning and was going to search for it to blog it, but I see that Annika beat me to it. Anyway, enjoy. (For the full pleasure of watching all five finalists display their genius click here.)

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-25075571516545364772007-08-22T12:55:00.000-07:002007-08-22T13:10:25.571-07:00

...you're excited because the high is only supposed to be 91 today.In other news:1. We returned unscathed from my birthday trip to Big Sur and points-north. Some pictures are here (ah the pleasure of dating a great photographer). I'll post more photos and details about the trip here this evening when I have access to the Trav gallery at home.2. My birthday was yesterday. I am now 42, which seems

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-55826021123426214462007-08-09T16:05:00.000-07:002007-08-09T16:07:51.310-07:00

Someone found my blog by searching Google for mental illness husband whores gambling denial. That's so sad.Honey, you should just leave him. Take my word for it.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-84163697966666073622007-08-09T12:37:00.000-07:002007-08-09T13:05:56.129-07:00

And the hypocrite of the month award goes to Bob Allen, Florida lawmaker and co-chair of McCain's campaign in Florida, who was busted in July for soliciting sex. (I realize that technically makes him the hypocrite of last month, but I just read about the story today, so oh well.) Anyway, Allen's story is that he was scared for his life because the park was filled with sexy scary Black men, so he

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-27333871400373007632007-08-09T01:33:00.000-07:002007-08-09T01:34:59.506-07:00

Don't you hate that? You try to go to bed early and a lousy earthquake wakes you up.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-38866918032803571272007-08-08T16:01:00.000-07:002007-08-08T16:40:12.299-07:00

I really will return to regular posting some day. I am still up to my nostrils at work and leaving for a week's vacation largely off the grid this weekend (Big Sur! Yay!). Then it's back in town until the 28th at which point I leave for another week, this time in San Antonio for a work trip--the kind that makes boot camp look mellow.Aaanyway...Here are three things that I would say more about if

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-34533626468059503552007-08-02T11:27:00.000-07:002007-08-02T11:45:15.559-07:00

So I have been up to my eyeballs at work trying to finish this albatross book project. We are still on schedule to be "finished" mid-week next week and to print around mid-month. But I am having to remind myself to breathe, both because this puppy has had a three-year gestation so the birth is requiring a lot of "push" and because the rest of life is pretty full-tilt as well. We are preparing for

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-83927184946800079272007-07-31T10:15:00.000-07:002007-07-31T10:22:45.599-07:00

The 2008 budget. Two words: It's fucked.Thanks to Bob for the graphic.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-60764549675270029382007-07-29T21:45:00.000-07:002007-07-29T21:48:43.363-07:00

Have I mentioned that I've become addicted to passiveaggressivenotes.com? So excellent.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-18760238290875429952007-07-26T12:12:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:43:08.678-07:00

I don't have time to rant about this right now, but I'm too incensed to wait to post the link (which I guess is sort of the impetus behind blogging in a nutshell now that I think about it). In sum, the article is about the Democrats' efforts to appeal to anti-choice voters:For years, the liberal response to abortion has been to promote more accessible and affordable birth control as well as

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-89250416675952900902007-07-26T11:40:00.000-07:002007-07-26T12:06:30.796-07:00

Beginning next month, you may take your bags of breast milk and your Bics on the plane.Cheese lovers, on the other hand, y'all need to be careful. CNN reports: In one case last September, a couple in Baltimore, Maryland, checked a plastic bag with a block of processed cheese taped to another plastic bag containing a cell phone charger. Earlier this month in San Diego, California, a passenger

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-63342246930128778632007-07-26T10:37:00.001-07:002007-07-26T10:39:36.330-07:00

...you're willing to trade your Camry for a bunch of Claritin D.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-48610047448089531642007-07-23T13:59:00.000-07:002007-07-23T14:08:38.970-07:00

I had to elevate this from the comments below (thank you Conor). If you're hankering for more on sad songs, check out this Guardian article from a couple years back. I defy you to read the article without laughing out loud. Reynolds describes The Wall as "the one album you can never listen to in its entirety unless you own a bong the size of a mop" and The Downward Spiral as "the perfect album to

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-69987527397045153072007-07-23T11:22:00.000-07:002007-07-23T11:54:23.194-07:00

Those of you who also read my posts over at blogging.la (all two of you, I know...) have read that K and I went to see Rasputina this past weekend. The show was really, really great. One of those shows that makes you want to stop at the record store on the way home so that you can purchase the CDs you're missing (which in my case, admittedly is all of them, having only recently been turned on to

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-32485244865084570282007-07-19T19:31:00.000-07:002007-07-19T19:40:07.587-07:00

If you've ever been to a 12-step meeting, you know that folks say things like "I know there's a god because otherwise I wouldn't be here" or "I was running late tonight and I really needed a meeting. I said a prayer on my way and found a parking space right out front." While these sorts of statements might make the more skeptical among us raise an eyebrow, this guy has earned his right to believe

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-10736455194069323542007-07-19T11:57:00.000-07:002007-07-19T12:07:29.902-07:00

The astonishing nature of this event will be lost to anyone who is not a Washingtonian of my generation, no doubt. So just take my word for it--it's pretty amazing. It's like a high school reunion for all the people who got arrested and dropped out. Or something.

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7055632.post-4331082532732725252007-07-18T10:59:00.001-07:002007-07-18T12:19:01.220-07:00

I admit, while never having fully understood the lure of Star Trek (in any of its incarnations) I have become a William Shatner fan after he released that album Has Been. I'll go so far as to admit that I find the song "That's Me Trying" genuinely moving. But then it does have Aimee Mann and Ben Folds on board as well. So if I had cable and watched TV, I would check out Shatner's new show on the

Travis (♀)http://www.blogger.com/profile/08008681368202629748noreply@blogger.com0