Posted 3:54 PM by Blah blah

Monty Python and British Comedy

Do you guys like Monty Python, the wacky six member British comedy group that had Britain and the English-speaking world rolling on their "apple butts" with laughter from 1969-1974 till now? I think they are a riot! Sharper, faster, weirder, and more intelligent than a lot of American stuff. I LOVE a lot of British TV comedy, especially shows like that science fiction comedy Red Dwarf, which is supposed to become a movie soon.

Some of my favorite British comedy shows are: Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Mr. Bean, Black Adder, "Yes, Minister," Chef!, and Coupling (like Friends, but sexier and funnier). If you've never tried any of these, you are seriously missing out! And that's NOT funny.

Here's a skit from a collection of Monty Python scripts. And Now For Something Completely Different...
________________
Title: Argument Sketch
From: Monty Python's Flying Circus

A man walks into an office.

Man (John Cleese): Good morning, I'd like to have an argument, please.

Receptionist: Certainly, sir. Have you been here before?

Man: No, this is my first time.

Receptionist: I see, well we'll see who's free at the moment.
Mr. Bakely's free, but he's a little bit concilliatory. No.
Try Mr. Barnhart, room 12.

Man: Thank you.


He enters room 12.


Angry man: WHADDAYOU WANT?

Man: Well, Well, I was told outside that...

Angry man: DON'T GIVE ME THAT, YOU SNOTTY-FACED EVIL PAN OF DROPPINGS!

Man: What?

A: SHUT YOUR FESTERING GOB, YOU TIT! YOUR TYPE MAKES ME PUKE! YOU VACUOUS
STUFFY-NOSED MALODOROUS PERVERT!!!

M: Yes, but I came here for an argument!!

A: OH! Oh! I'm sorry! This is abuse!

M: Oh! Oh I see!

A: Aha! No, you want room 12A, next door.

M: Oh...Sorry...

A: Not at all!

A: (under his breath) stupid git.


The man goes into room 12A. Another man is sitting behind a desk.


Man: Is this the right room for an argument?

Other Man:(pause) I've told you once.

Man: No you haven't!

Other Man: Yes I have.

M: When?

O: Just now.

M: No you didn't!

O: Yes I did!

M: You didn't!

O: I did!

M: You didn't!

O: I'm telling you, I did!

M: You didn't!

O: Oh I'm sorry, is this a five minute argument, or the full half hour?

M: Ah! (taking out his wallet and paying) Just the five minutes.

O: Just the five minutes. Thank you.

O: Anyway, I did.

M: You most certainly did not!

O: Now let's get one thing perfectly clear: I most definitely told you!

M: Oh no you didn't!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: Oh no you didn't!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: Oh no you didn't!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: Oh no you didn't!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: Oh no you didn't!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: Oh no you didn't!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: No you DIDN'T!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: No you DIDN'T!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: No you DIDN'T!

O: Oh yes I did!

M: Oh look, this isn't an argument!

(pause)

O: Yes it is!

M: No it isn't!

(pause)

M: It's just contradiction!

O: No it isn't!

M: It IS!

O: It is NOT!

M: You just contradicted me!

O: No I didn't!

M: You DID!

O: No no no!

M: You did just then!

O: Nonsense!

M: (exasperated) Oh, this is futile!!

(pause)

O: No it isn't!

M: Yes it is!

(pause)

M: I came here for a good argument!

O: AH, no you didn't, you came here for an argument!

M: An argument isn't just contradiction.

O: Well! it CAN be!

M: No it can't!

M: An argument is a connected series of statement intended to establish a proposition.

O: No it isn't!

M: Yes it is! 'tisn't just contradiction.

O: Look, if I *argue* with you, I must take up a contrary position!

M: Yes but it isn't just saying "no it isn't".

O: Yes it is!

M: No it isn't!

O: Yes it is!

M: No it isn't!

O: Yes it is!

M: No it ISN'T! Argument is an intellectual process. Contradiction is just
the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.

O: It is NOT!

M: It is!

O: Not at all!

M: It is!


The Arguer hits a bell on his desk and stops.


O: Thank you, that's it.

M: (stunned) What?

O: That's it. Good morning.

M: But I was just getting interested!

O: I'm sorry, the five minutes is up.

M: That was never five minutes!!

O: I'm afraid it was.

M: (leading on) No it wasn't.....

O: I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to argue any more.

M: WHAT??

O: If you want me to go on arguing, you'll have to pay for another five minutes.

M: But that was never five minutes just now!
Oh Come on!
Oh this is...
This is ridiculous!

O: I told you...
I told you, I'm not allowed to argue unless you PAY!

M: Oh all right. (takes out his wallet and pays again.) There you are.

O: Thank you.

M: (clears throat) Well...

O: Well WHAT?

M: That was never five minutes just now.

O: I told you, I'm not allowed to argue unless you've paid!

M: Well I just paid!

O: No you didn't!

M: I DID!!!

O: YOU didn't!

M: I DID!!!

O: YOU didn't!

M: I DID!!!

O: YOU didn't!

M: I DID!!!

O: YOU didn't!

M: I-dbct-fd-tq! I don't want to argue about it!

O: Well I'm very sorry but you didn't pay!

M: Ah hah! Well if I didn't pay, why are you arguing??? Ah HAAAAAAHHH!
Gotcha!

O: No you haven't!

M: Yes I have!
If you're arguing, I must have paid.

O: Not necessarily.
I *could* be arguing in my spare time.

M: I've had enough of this!

O: No you haven't.

(door slam)

Posted 3:03 PM by Blah blah

It's Official: The Economy Stinks

Yahoo! Finance Update:
"The markets got slaughtered Friday as the Dow, the Nasdaq, and the S&P 500 closed at new lows for the year. In fact, the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 closed at their worst levels since 1997. The Dow Industrials, which closed just over the 8,000 mark, finished at its worst level since October of 1998...
Dow component Johnson & Johnson (JNJ -16.2%) contributed to the pronounced weakness in the averages. The company announced Friday morning that U.S. regulators are conducting an investigation it believes is related to alleged fraudulent record-keeping at a Puerto Rico plant. That plant makes Eprex, the firm's anemia drug that has been linked to serious side effects. While the drug doesn't contribute substantially to JNJ's revenue, worries regarding potential liability served to place pressure on the shares...

Separately, results from Sun Microsystems (SUNW -26.7%) released Thursday night also contributed to the negative market tone. The company lost more than one quarter of its value Friday after it reported in line fourth quarter results, and subsequently reduced its guidance for fiscal 2003. In the wake of its report, CSFB downgraded SUNW to Hold from Buy citing cautious guidance, and inconsistent global IT spending patterns... In the face of broad market sell pressure, the defensively oriented Gold & Silver Index was strong Friday as the XAU managed a 1.1% one-day gain. The relative strength was not entirely surprising as in times of broad market uncertainty, many traders move towards gold in a flight to quality...

Looking towards the week ahead, there are a few potential catalysts worth mentioning. On the economic front, the schedule is relatively light as second-tier reports clutter the schedule. Yet outside of the economic activity, corporate earnings reports will be the real driver of market direction. With the overwhelming number of reports due next week, catalysts are likely to come from some unexpected sources."

Dow Falls 390 Points, Tumbles to Post-Sept. 11th Lows (Yahoo Full Coverage).

Adding to Loss of Investments, a Loss of Faith in the Market (NY Times).

Treasuries Higher as Stock Markets Plunge (Reuters).

2 Brokers Offer Warm Comfort in a Cold Market (NY Times).

Who Can Crow In This Market? Short-Selling Pros Sitting Pretty (Investor's Business Daily):

Diving for stock opportunities in the pile of wreckage (CBS MarketWatch).

Repositioning for a market upswing (CBS MarketWatch).

Posted 11:25 AM by Blah blah

What I Look For in a Woman

Here's what I seek or have sought in an "ideal" girl. It's my "LIST." I stress that this is IDEAL and I am willing to accept and work with differences from it.

Since I know several girls, mostly taken, who fit most or all of these qualities, I don't think my requirements are THAT super demanding. I've thought about my list very carefully and wrote it after lots of soul-searching. Like Jenny Cu says, everything on these lists is there for a reason. I've tried to cut out optional stuff and put only REQUIRED stuff or very common patterns for me in girls I date.

I believe that everyone should have a "list." Yes, we must be flexible, patient, and tolerant with each other, especially after we get married. Yay for great patience. However, we still need to clearly understand ourselves and what qualities work with us. It saves time and heartache in finding our mates. It relieves some uncertainty and helps prevent us from being fully swept up in someone's sexual attraction or the emotion of a moment.

I've known guys who really had no clue what they wanted, who went after any girl they found cute. In the end, they are unhappy but don't know why, waste lots of energy trying to change the girl, and leave with a sour taste. I find it much better to find the essential qualities in a girl there to start with.

Here are, in a nutshell,

MY FAVORITE WOMEN.

It's hard to find people with whom I can have really great (wide-ranging, deep, funny) conversations, who really try to understand who I am and are articulate and expressive themselves. That's one of the main traits I find attractive. I see so little of it in normal life.

Another major trait is someone who inspires me. How she deals with adversity and tragedy, how she organizes or works towards her ambitions in life, despite her weaknesses. This type of person makes me want to become a better person.

Also, someone who appreciates me (in all aspects) and sees the good and potential in me, instead of dwelling on the negative or the present. She must have imagination. Again, this is very attractive.
_____________
Short version of my lists...

FOR INITIAL ATTRACTION:

1) Cuteness
2) Communication skills, especially with ME. Skill to make witty banter with me.
3) Intelligence (book and street smarts)
4) A good and easy laugh
5) An artistic side and way of viewing life
6) Maturity

WOMEN I LIKE DATING TEND TO BE: [These are details I've noticed, from my past history.]

- Artistic.
- Romantic.
- Very feminine, but with substantial inner strength for the troubles of life.
- Laughing often with a delightful voice, even at my poor attempts to be funny. Good at telling a riproaring story herself.
- Empathic, with great insight into people.
- Maybe a little shy with strangers but can open up completely to me.
- Willing to try new, crazy schemes for fun, or at least consider them with a wink.
- Working in marketing, media/journalism, health care, sales, finance, science, technology, education, fashion, or the liberal arts.
- A travel-bug who thinks spending two weeks with me in India or Saudi Arabia is a great adventure.
- Foreign-born. (Not required, just was that way before.)
- Pretty enough.
- They have a sense of style. Know how to dress. Tend to like fashion magazines like In Style or Vogue.

LONG-TERM QUALITIES:

1. Courage and self-confidence
2. Maturity
3. Cheerfulness and optimism
4. Curiosity and sense of humor
5. Energy and liveliness
6. Loyalty, determination, and dedication
7. Style and fashion
8. Capacity to inspire
9. Good communication skills and ability to banter with me
10. MOST importantly, appreciation of and chemistry with me

I divided it into three parts, because that's how we approach potential girlfriends. There's the initial attraction, where a guy makes the crucial decision to go for a girl or not.

Then there's the "beginning to date" stage. I have a pattern of dating girls that fit this middle list. But I stress that these things, like being "foreign-born," are not absolute requirements. Actually, I've met some great American-born girls this year.

Finally, I list the "long-term qualities" that make me want to keep the fire burning with someone. I really want this in a wife.

Let me explain each.

For Initial Attraction

1. Cuteness. I have a wide range of looks I consider physically attractive. Compared to some of my guy friends, I am actually less demanding in the looks department. The girl with whom I had a three-year relationship would be considered "overweight" by Asian standards. I didn't care. She was so wonderful in everything else, that her chubbiness actually grew sexy to me. Sigh. I have a lot of women friends I consider "pretty." If you look in my photo album or have seen some of the girls' pictures in this blog, you'll get my idea of what I mean by "cute."

2. Communication skills. Since I love to listen, write, and speak, I find any woman who does these things well instantly more attractive. But it's not being a master of eloquence or English grammar. What's more important is how well we communicate with each OTHER. Whether we have that easy wit, the give-and-take of a fast tennis match, the ability to stop talking on a dime and blink those baby eyes and just LISTEN to each other. A perceptive, highly responsive listener is one of the most flattering and attractive things I know on earth. Of course I equally try to listen with the same intensity and 100%
concentration.

3. Intelligence. Both book and street smarts, preferably. A little sophistication about how the world works shows curiosity and an interest in life outside ME ME ME. Emotional and social intelligence is a must. I love people who are sensitive to non-verbal communication and know how to enjoy themselves in any social setting. Curiosity is also a must. No one is more boring than a person without curiosity, without the continual desire to learn, who thinks she knows it all.

4. Laughter and cheerfulness. Having grown up in a negative family, and having been surrounded by pessimists, I don't want any draining, depressing relationships. Having the wacky sense of humor I do, and being an optimist, I look for someone who shares that romantic, quirky view of life and who greets you and negative situations with a twinkle in her eye. Someone who laughs easily will enjoy the ride. Someone who's uptight will spoil it.

5. Artistic side. I have an artistic nature. That writer's view of life is an essential part of my being. Yes, I can sometimes be dreamy, but then I was a chemical engineer, one of the most practical ugly majors around. If a woman doesn't have an artistic view of life, she takes things more literally, gets upset by conventional problems like waiting in long lines, gets bored easily when she has free time, etc. She lacks the ability to transcend the humdrum of everyday life. She lacks romance. Plus she probably doesn't dress with style.

6. Maturity. Mainly I seek emotional maturity. The ability to deal with all sorts of unpredictable mishaps in life, to stay calm and look at problems with perspective, to bounce back smiling from failure, to keep promises, to deal well with various types of people, and to show leadership qualities. Intellectual maturity is also a plus. Having studied something with some depth, being a thoughtful person who likes to read, and being a good listener.

I Tend to Date This Type

1, 2. Artistic and romantic. Explained above. I am not a sappy romantic. Too much drippy sentiment is nauseous. Subtle and quiet romance is best.

3. Feminine. I do not like to date "masculine" women, whether they are super businesslike, very competitive, abrupt speakers, or speak coarsely and rudely, etc. I don't find them romantic or relaxing, plus I wonder if they will ever find five minutes to fit me into their schedules. A girl with a soft voice is also a turn-on. As you know from reading this blog, I love women who push themselves to their maximum potential, who challenge themselves to be better. You can be ambitious but still be girly and feminine.

4. Laughs easily. Covered above. If she can tell funny stories herself, that's a big plus. I don't know many girls who are good at telling them.

5. Empathic. EQ, or emotional intelligence. Covered above. Since I call myself the "male Oprah" and am an amateur psychologist, it's a pleasure to find someone who understands what makes people tick. It also makes life with someone that much easier.

6. Can open up completely to me. I've known a lot of "shy" girls who act completely boldly and non-shy with me. If she can show vulnerability and openness, that's the main way to forge that deep emotional bond with someone. If she's very suspicious and cautious about revealing who she is or how she feels, forget it. Next.

7. Adventurous. Life is a risk. To enjoy and get the most from it, we need to be courageous, do things without all the information, and be the naughty rebel sometimes. That means both physically and emotionally adventurous.

8. Working in... Don't take this list of fields that literally. I tend to like and get along well with scientists, marketers, journalists, teachers, and artists (fashion designers, entertainers, writers, singers). That girl I was with for three years was a chemist. Accountants? No thanks.

9. Enjoys adventurous travel. When I travel, I talk shamelessly to strangers, try all the local languages and cuisines, endure physical discomfort for the sake of interesting experiences, and so on. Life itself is the most adventurous journey we could ever take. If she has no joy for travel or adventure, she might as well go back to her convent.

10. Foreign-born. Again, not a requirement. I just tend to get along well with foreigners. I dated a girl from Italy before. A French woman with whom I had dinner last year said I have a more European way of thinking. Most of my friends tend to be from big cosmopolitan cities (Paris, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Shanghai, Seoul, Manila, Taipei, etc.) I lived in International House Berkeley for four years, dealing with people from over 60 countries.

11. Looks. Again, cute is enough. Not sizzlingly beautiful. Of course I won't complain if she's a hottie. But we all have our beautiful days and our ugly days, our times when we look like a mess. I understand that and don't judge women by that standard of appearance all the time. I know how much work women must go through to stay beautiful and kissable. Guys too!

12. Fashion sense. Style. This relates to being artistic. For women who wear jeans, T-shirts, or sneakers on a date---sorry, please go back to the drawing board. The women I like tend to like fashion magazines and women's magazines. One of my Filipina women friends is actually an image consultant on the side. She helps women look more beautiful. That said, I'm not exactly the most stylish guy. But I keep working at it and like to dress nicely. Ask Sandy (*wink*).

Long-Term Qualities

I've explained them here in detail. Some overlap with those above.

So you see, I'm picky but not unrealistically picky. When I do meet girls like these, I get their numbers right away.

For some other people's lists of their ideal girl/guy, here are

- Phlin's list (his name is Paul)
- Sonially's list
- Jenny Cu's "perfect guy" list
- Bruinwill's "perfect girl" list. See how much more reasonable I am? *Wink*

Posted 11:25 AM by Blah blah

Unica Hija, I agree with much of this and wish I could live up to its ideals (which I don't). Thank you very much for posting it! :D

1. ABSOLUTELY. The number one cause of conflict is trying to get the other person to change to fit your liking (or having someone try to change you.) See if you can live with his or her faults NOW.

2. True, for the long-term. Someone who's a good laugh but who never shows up or calls is no deal.

3. I'll pass on this. I don't think you feel strongly about this "Jewish intimacy" either, U H.

4. I think this has been the main cause of my breakups. We may get along well and be attracted to each other, but our goals and priorities are askew.

5. I see that happening. Not to me.

6. This definitely has happened to me. Being an NF (Myers-Briggs) type, I cannot go long for flash without emotional substance.

7. I see it happening to others. And yeah, when someone incessantly nags and criticizes you, goodbye safety net!

8. Very perceptive. I have been guilty of this.

9. Yes. We need to have that sense of our own identity and strength before we can maturely get together with someone. But then we also need to have a longing, a gap somewhere, to justify us seeking a partner in the first place! We can't be TOO aloof and independent.

10. Yes. Triangles tend to happen to me. :(

Posted 6:36 AM by DUH

A fellow single friend sent me this e-mail (which, interestingly, I noticed, was forwarded to her by her ex). I found myself nodding as I went through it. I think other singles will get a lot from it. I don't know the source (there are references to Jewish practices) and I don't agree with everything it says, but it does have nuggets of very important advice. Take with a grain of salt. : )

With the divorce rate over 50 percent, too many are apparently making a serious mistake in deciding who to spend the rest of their life with. To avoid becoming a "statistic," try to internalize these 10 insights.

#1. You pick the wrong person because you expect him/her to change after you're married.

The classic mistake. Never marry potential. The golden rule is, if you can't be happy with the person the way he or she is now, don't get married. As a colleague of mine so wisely put it, "You actually can expect people to change after their married... for the worst!"

So when it comes to the other person's spirituality, character, personal hygiene, communication skills, and personal habits, make sure you can live with these as they are now.

#2. You pick the wrong person because you focus more on chemistry than on character.

Chemistry ignites the fire, but good character keeps it burning. Beware of the "I'm in love" syndrome. "I'm in love" often means, "I'm in lust." Attraction is there, but have you carefully checked out this person's character?

Here are four character traits to definitely check for:

Humility: Does this person believe that "doing the right thing" is more important than personal comfort?

Do I want to be more like this person? Would I like my child to turn out like him or her?

Kindness: Does this person enjoy giving pleasure to other people? How does s/he treat people s/he doesn't have to be nice to? Does s/he do volunteer work? Give charity?

Responsibility: Can I depend on this person to do what s/he says s/he's going to do?

Happiness: Does this person like himself? Does s/he enjoy life? Is s/he emotionally stable?

Ask yourself: Do I want to be more like this person? Do I want to have a child with this person? Would I like my child to turn out like him or her?

#3. You pick the wrong person because the man doesn't understand what a woman needs most.

Men and women have unique emotional needs, and more often than not, it is the man who just doesn't "get it." Jewish tradition places the onus on the man to understand the emotional needs of a woman and to satisfythem.

The unique need of a woman is to be loved -- to feel that she is the most important person in her husband's life. The husband needs to give her consistent, quality attention.

This is most apparent in Judaism's approach to sexual intimacy. The Torah obligates the husband to meet the sexual needs of his wife. Sexual intimacy is always on the woman's terms. Men are goal-oriented, especially when it comes this area. As a wise woman once pointed out, "Men have two speeds: on and off." Women are experience-oriented. When a man is able to switch gears and become more experience-oriented, he will discover what makes his wife very happy. When the man forgets about his own needs and focuses on giving his wife pleasure, amazing things happen.

#4. You choose the wrong person because you do not share a common life goals and priorities.

There are three basic ways we connect with another person:

1. Chemistry and compatibility

2. Share common interests

3. Share common life goal

Make sure you share the deeper level of connection that sharing life goals provide. After marriage, the two of you will either grow together or grow apart. To avoid growing apart, you must figure out what you're "living for," while you're single -- and then find someone who has come to the same conclusion as you.

This is the true definition of a "soul mate." A soul mate is a goal mate-- two people who ultimately share the same understanding of life's purpose and therefore share the same priorities, values and goals.

#5. You choose the wrong person because you get involved sexually too quickly.

Sexual involvement before the commitment of marriage can be a big problem because it often precludes a fully honest exploration of important issues. Sexual involvement tends to cloud one's mind. And a clouded mind is not inclined to make good decisions.

Of all the studies done on divorce, sexual incompatibility is never cited as a main factor. It is not necessary to take a "test drive" in order to find out if a couple is sexually compatible. If you do your homework and make sure you are intellectually and emotionally compatible, you don't have to worry about sexual compatibility. Of all the studies done on divorce, sexual incompatibility is never cited as a main reason why people divorce.

#6. You pick the wrong person because you do not have a deeper emotional connection with this person.

To evaluate whether you have a deeper emotional connection or not, ask: "Do I respect and admire this person?"

This does not mean, "Am I impressed by this person?" We are impressed by a Mercedes. We do not respect someone because they own a Mercedes. You should be impressed by qualities of creativity, loyalty, determination, etc.

Also ask: "Do I trust this person?" This also means, "Is he/she emotionally stable? Do I feel I can rely on him/her?

#7. You pick the wrong person because you choose someone with whom you don't feel emotionally safe.

Ask yourself the following questions: Do I feel calm, peaceful and relaxed with this person? Can I fully be myself and express myself with this person? Does this person make me feel good about myself? Do you have a really close friend who does make you feel this way? Make sure the person you marry makes you feel the same way!

Are you afraid of this person in any way? You should not feel you need to monitor what you say because you are afraid of how the other person will view it. If you're afraid to express your feelings and opinions openly, there's a problem with the relationship.

Be on the look out for someone who is always trying to change you.

Another aspect of feeling safe is that you don't feel the other person is trying to control you. Controlling behaviors are a sign of an abusive person. Be on the look out for someone who is always trying to change you. There's a big difference between "controlling" and "making suggestions." A suggestion is made for your benefit; a control statement is made for their benefit.

#8. You pick the wrong person because you don't put everything on the table.

Anything that bothers you about the relationship must be brought up for discussion. Bringing up the uncomfortable stuff is the only way to evaluate how well the two of you communicate, negotiate, and work together. Over the course of a lifetime, difficulties will inevitably arise. You need to know now, before making a commitment: Can you resolve your differences and find compromises that work for both of you?

Never be afraid to let the person know what bothers you. This is also a way for you to test how vulnerable you can be with this person. If you can't be vulnerable, then you can't be intimate. The two go hand in hand.

#9. You pick the wrong person because you use the relationship to escape from personal problems and unhappiness.

If you are unhappy and single, you'll probably be unhappy and married,too. If you are unhappy and single, you'll probably be unhappy and married, too. Marriage does not fix personal, psychological and emotional problems. If anything, marriage will exacerbate them. If you are not happy with yourself and your life, take responsibility to fix it now while you are single. You'll feel better, and your future spouse will thank you.

#10. You pick the wrong person because he/she is involved in a triangle.

To be "triangulated" means a person is emotionally dependent on someone or something else while trying to develop another relationship. A person who hasn't separated from his or her parents is the classic example of triangulation. People can also be triangulated with things as well, such as work, drugs, Internet, hobbies, sports or money.

Be careful that you and your partner are free of triangles. The person caught in the triangle cannot be fully emotionally available to you. You will not be their number one priority. And that's no basis for a marriage.

Posted 11:55 AM by hx

kind of makes you want to stay away from doctors, huh?

Dr Death : extry extry, read all about it :)

Posted 11:35 AM by hx

Since Raymond is going to make fun of me, I might as well give him more fuel for the fire :P
Today's random idiocy :

meaningless
why is it that when i'm not AT the keyboard, my brain is full of thoughts about the things i want to write about, but when i'm finally sitting down at the puter and have time to ramble... i can't remember any of it???

typical conversational snippet between F (my partner) and myself :

Me : "Ooh, ooh! i have something to tell you!"
F : "yeah? what?"
Me : "Uh... um... uh... i forgot *blush*"
F : "Uh huh. i thought so."

:")

this actually happens rather often :")

Posted 9:06 AM by Blah blah

Dental Eureka

I'm going to the dentist today. In that spirit I print this post by Halo, so you know more about what kind of talented, intelligent people you are reading here:

"i just discovered for the first time the other day that you can open up a box of dental floss. i never knew that. i know, this is really stupid. but it was a Discovery, damnit! :)

it was the first time i lost the end of my floss. it vanished inside the little box and i was staring at it and thinking, "Oh. Great. Now what?!" and i was just starting to laugh when something made me try to pry it open.

i was completely taken by surprise when the front of the box just opened up perfectly easily. i should have guessed that the companies would have prepared for this sort of situation.

heh :)"

All of the people who have been staring at that broccoli in your teeth, day in and day out, thank you.

Reminds me of the time I was helping this scientist girl move to an apartment. She was a biologist who had graduated from Beijing University, gotten her PhD from Duke, and worked as a research assistant at UC San Francisco studying eyeballs. I was carrying a box of her stuff to my car:

Me: Boy, this box is big. Let's take this through the garage instead of the front door.
She: Well I don't think we can open the garage door. We need a key or something.
Me: Let's see...[goes into garage, pushes the button, and door opens]. Like that!
She: WOW! How did you do that?
Me: [scratches head] Haven't you ever opened the garage door?
She: I never tried it. I always just use the front door. That's incredible!
Me: I'll say [shakes head]. How long have you been renting a room in this house?
She: Oh, a few months.

(When I went into her bedroom, by the way, she had barely packed and hadn't even unhooked her computer. She ended up throwing a lot of her clothes in big plastic bags and putting a partially opened bottle of soy sauce into my car, which spilled over the foot rug.) The types of women I meet! And yeah, she was older.

Posted 7:11 PM by Blah blah

In the spirit of tremendous laziness, I reprint this entry I wrote last April:

Dating Requirements

First, how could we ever forget crazy Mary, the Gentle, Strong, Seeks Chivalrous Agnostic or Atheist woman? [Check her out. She will drive you nuts with her lawyer's brief disguised as a personal ad.]

Breakupgirl [now out of business] writes her (imaginary) Big Daddy of dating requirements:

Otherwise easygoing SF, 29, in urban environment near excellent day school and gourmet supermarket with world-class cheese selection, seeks 31 to 36 year-old, Ivy League grad (except Penn), at least 5' 10", maximum 180 lbs., manageable hair, Fight Club physique (pec to waist ratio .33). Fiscal conservative/social liberal. Profession: law, medicine, banking, Internet (post-IPO); company must have groundbreaking paternity leave policy. Acceptable college majors: Economics, East Asian Studies, Pre-Med (no Theatre). Hobbies: eastern philosophies, pan-Asian cooking, puppies (yet still masculine). Conversational/business Japanese a must; also, two romance languages and ability to recite by heart prologue of Canterbury Tales (Ellesmere manuscript). SAT score at least 1550 (math-to-verbal ratio .66). No family history of medical problems (hypertension, osteoporosis, myopia, anemia, acne vulgaris, orthodonture, lazy eye, scoliosis; tennis elbow ok) or mass-market inclinations (angels, "Jekyll and Hyde," Nicholas Sparks, waving outside Today Show). Must be civil to (but not "friends" with) ex-girlfriends (maximum: 2). Informed, witty, self-starter: equally comfortable chatting at state dinners or changing a tire. Please send letter, photo, high school and college transcripts, 3 recommendations (1 academic, 1 professional, 1 non-threatening yet savvy friend-girl) plus two 750-word essays on the topics: (1) "What Foucault's Pendulum Means to Me" and (2) "Why I Always Share My Feelings." As I have no time to date, let's meet and break up over macchiatos. (You forgot to add: "tells the truth during impeachment hearings.")

Breakupgirl, who got dumped herself by her parent company Oxygen Media, [was] my favorite relationship columnist. Walk with me as I shop through some of her (American) readers' requirements:

"I won't date smokers, fundamentalists, guys who hate cities, guys who want kids, guys who have kids, or guys who think 'personal growth' refers to athlete's foot. Know anyone?" -- Fawn (You are so vivid. Hold on, I am still erasing that foot image...)

"I will never date a man who doesn't love pickles." -- Angie (Umm...check!...I think. It's McDonald's tonight, baby!)

"Have a dog; Have short hair. Short hair. Look at a seal to see what I mean by "short." (Actually, here's my super bonus ready-made standard of comparison. "How like Lisa Simpson are you?") -- Londonien (After 7 years of marriage she plans to turn LESBIAN.)

"I date only ranchers and cowboys because they tend to possess the qualities/attributes I want in a man. A professional, 'sensitive' man in Dockers just doesn't do it for me, so I'll leave those guys to the multitudes of women who lust after them. It all works out if we just stick with what makes our heart skip a beat and stay true to ourselves. Gotta have: hat, boots, full-size ext-cab truck, mutt, distaste for cultural activities, and a confident strut in jeans." -- Jennie (Hey Jennie! I have a friend named "Boss Hogg" you should meet...)

"I've realized that he has to want me as badly as I want him. He has to be prepared to make the effort. I'm not going to spend my life with someone I have to persuade. Maybe that's why I'm so damn single. I'm tired of the relationships that made me feel worthless if he didn't wake up next to me each morning unable to believe his luck. I'm lonely -- but I was lonely then, too, really -- and at least now I have my dignity to keep me warm." -- Eleanor (Christine! You already put up your requirements on your own website. Please get off mine... :p)

Hmmm, let's check out some of these requirements of mainland Chinese girls, shall we?:

"Do you know that I’m still waiting for you? I’m looking for you, who love me, coming to find me...I dislike to have so many money, grand house, and luxury car. I want to be loved by you. When you love me, I’m not sure it will be long lasting,. If you happen to meet a new one, I will be off you without any hesitation, for I love you more. You’re happy, so I’m happy, too. However, I expect from the bottom of my heart, that we will be together forever, till someday we will recall our life wonderfully. It is beautiful for me to be loved with your heart and soul. I’m the only daughter of my mother, please do not cheat and hurt me with you mercy. For you’re really doing harm to her. I love my mother." -- Laixi (She's romantic and frugal---plus you get TWO women for the price of one)

"Considerate man." -- Joyce (Short and to the point. Maybe she's really a gay man?)

"l looking a husber i knew a little english and i am studing english hardly
Ideal match: anyone who can accept me as his life partner" -- Pedisan (I keep reading "husber" as "hustler," for some reason. Must be my LASIK. The Ken doll might be a good start. He doesn't talk much either.)

Finally,
"ÄãÐèÒªÒ»¸öÎÂÈáÃÀÀöµÄ¶«·½ÆÞ×ÓÂ𣿶øÁ¢Ö®ÄêµÄÎÒÎÂÈáæµÊ磬 ÉƽâÈËÒ⣬¿ªÀÊ´ó·½£¬ÊǵäÐ͵ÄÏÍÆÞÁ¼Ä¸£¬°®ºÃÒôÀÖ£¬Åëµ÷£¬ÈËÉú·ÉÏ·ç·çÓêÓ꣬ϣÍû½áʶÓÐÔµµÄÄ㣡Çë¸øÎÒÀ´ÐÅ°É£¡³ÉÊìÎÈÖØ£¬»áÌÛ°®ºÍ¹ØÐÄËûµÄ°®ÈË£¬ÓÐÔðÈÎÐĺÍÎȶ¨¾­¼Ã µÄµ¥ÉíÄÐÊ¿¡£ "
-- Mimi (So right! The less you understand, the fewer arguments you have. Ok, hands off! Mimi's MINE!)

[Actually, now I know how to use Babelfish, the computer translation says, roughly:

"Do you need a gentle, beautiful Eastern wife? Here is my gentle Xian Shu, the friendly answer to people's desires, naturally open and bright, a typical good wife and mother, with hobbies like music, cooking, in the person way out the repeated difficulties. She hopes she has a reason to know you! Please send a letter! Wants an unmarried gentleman who is mature and steady, who can dote on and care about his wife, has a sense of responsibility, and is stable economically."]

Posted 4:52 PM by Anonymous

A good day is
- finishing that damn test spec just in time to leave the office, pump your last 10 ringgit worth of gas into your tank (another few seconds and you wouldn’t have had to bother because your car wouldn’t have been going anywhere anyway), and touching down at home just in time for ...

- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (your latest slightly embaressing secret – or not so secret anymore – addiction) and drooling over the godliness that is James Marsters (Spike himself) of the tight black t-shirts and oh-so-fine biceps and that razor sharp wit, while feasting on ...

- a home-cooked dinner prepared by your loving if slightly infuriating mother: salad with fresh, sweet tomatoes and an amazing dressing she makes out of onions, ketchup, mayo and vinegar (which you’ve tried -in vain no doubt - to repeat) and her signature fried rice spiced with a sprinkling of fresh chillies for that extra oomph, before ...

- heading into the nice cool shower, to scrub of the grime courtesy of the hot, humid, slightly polluted island you dwell on, then changing into your favorite at-home shorts and tank so you can lie in ...

- bed, fantasizing about the day that your bastard ex comes running back to you, declaring he’d rather die than live another day without you as you ever so nonchalantly tell him where he can pack it, but before you can finish the fantasy ...

- your mind, at last too tired to catch up with the thoughts that race through it, your eyes drooping heavier and heavier, your body relaxed in a place that could only be home, succumb to the night and the sleep that steal slowly over you.

Posted 10:51 AM by hx

a little night ramble
i didn't post yesterday so here's a longish one to make up for it :) in a minor reversal, i actually wrote this for Broken first, and now i'm cross-posting it here. hope you don't mind :)

**********

whenever i go out at night, something odd is bound to happen :)

this is a tale i may work into one of my short stories some day.

i was out at a goth club and stayed till maybe 1 or 2am. i was in one of my deathwish moods, so i decided to take the bus back instead of calling for a cab. the bus wasn't coming any time soon, so i kept on walking, on to the next stop, and the next. strolling down hollywood boulevard. it was a pretty night, and i love the sleaziness of that road, so it was a pleasant walk. i love looking at the people who come out to play at night :)

finally i stopped at a corner junction and sat down to wait for the next bus. i figured it would be about time for it to arrive soon. i was alone there for a while, then some other people joined me to wait. no one spoke, we all minded our own business. i sat there thinking thoughts of night, watching the streetlights and the passing cars.

after a while, someone new came down the walkway and approached the stop. he was a very tall rastafarian-looking guy, by which i suppose i mean dreadlocks and a particular sweet smell :) i observed him for a while and he seemed harmless enough, very friendly. he knew a lot of the people who were hanging around the street, and they were greeting him and shooting the breeze with him.

after a while he turned from them and came towards me. i was still seated on the bench. i was thinking hard and didn't realize he was talking to me for a while. then his words filtered through and i looked up. he was saying, "i thought i was dreaming! walking down the road and i see my beautiful japanese butterfly, my butterfly all in black..."

i looked around and figured out three seconds later that he meant me, so i smiled and he sat down and we started talking. his name was... i'll call him Mykel here :) he had a bagload of stuff that he'd made, which he sold on the streets. he was actually not bad looking. maybe in his thirties, it's hard to say. there was something ageless about him.

his work was pretty good... a carved flute, carved jewellery... he wanted to give me a bracelet he'd made and i refused it. i wanted him to sell it to a tourist and get some decent money for it; it was very pretty. he told me his life story, and his plans for his future. i don't really remember the details anymore, i think i was tripping on the entire sequence like a dream :) there may have been something about a farm :)

eventually the bus arrived around 3+am. we talked till it came to a stop, and he gave me his card with his address on it, asked me to pay a visit some time. he lived in one of the hotels in the area. i had the card lying around my apartment somewhere for the longest time, but i don't know where it is now anymore. i have a feeling i threw it away in the end. no, i didn't go visit. it would have been an interesting experience, but you have to be in the right sort of mood for that kind of thing :)

the bus was surprisingly full. comfortably so, i mean, there were seats left over, but it was still more full than i expected at 3 in the morning. the atmosphere was different, too, in an indefinable way.

people were more relaxed, friendlier. it was actually much nicer than the daytime crowd, which i found perversely amusing. passengers were striking up conversations with each other - some young men teasing a pair of girls who looked like they were on their way home from clubbing, a couple of older men talking about world war 2 of all things... one of them turned to me during a pause and asked me where i was from. not the sort of thing i usually reveal to strangers, but he actually guessed right on the second try, which amazed me. most people here assume i'm hispanic, or filipina, or japanese :) turned out he'd travelled in the area when he was younger. maybe navy or something, i forget.

it's interesting, what the military does for young people in this country. i guess it really does give them a chance to see the rest of the world, something they wouldn't otherwise get to do.

i haven't been out that late at night here in a longish time, since this particular story took place. back home i used to go out a lot. i liked walking around late at night, looking for deserted spots to sit in and think. maybe because it's always so crowded back home, so full of people. the dead of night was always the best time to find a little peace and quiet.

here i go to the roof of my apartment building. it's taller than the other houses in the area, and i have a pretty good 360 degree view of the LA basin. i can see the hollywood sign, downtown, sometimes the sea on a clear day. the night makes everything beautiful.

Posted 1:09 AM by Blah blah

From Unica Hija:

Ten Replies to Raymond

1. Being the only girl means you probably can pin all your brothers in wrestling. Plus you must be a good flirt.

Well, I HAVE punched my brother when I was young. And I HAVE been told I can charm my way out of anything. :) Is that good or bad? Don't know. It comes in handy sometimes. : )

2. I feel a subliminal craving for: Hello Kitty handbags, the new Powerpuff Girls movie, an Anna Kournikova Omega watch, Purina Dog Chow, and the urge to put $10,000 down on a Lexus SC 430 convertible, with 0% financing. Where do I sign?

See! It's working already*. Let me try. *You.are.buying.Unica.Hija.a.technomarine.watch.and.shipping.it.to.her.home.address.*
Rats. Not working.

3. Golf is better done on grass than in a condo. Even if it IS with a very good friend in the privacy of your own home.

Not if you're absolutely BAD in it. At least, no one can see how I suck. : ) After a few months, I'll make my debut in the green. Besides, fake grass is low maintenance. : )

4. Me too, if I had a beach. In the meantime, I practice diving in my inflatable kiddie pool. Just saw this episode of Friends:

JOEY: Whatever Monica says, we shouldn't feel left out if she doesn't invite us along. We're more mature now. If I want to sit home and chug some beer, so be it!
CHANDLER: Hey, I'm 29 years old, and if I want to stay home for a quiet evening with some books, I am entitled to that!
ROSS: YEAH! Sometimes I just want to come home, put on some Kenny G and soak in a bath, you know?
(Pause)
JOEY: We're growing older. We're not women.

Hahahah. I don't like Kenny G. AT ALL.

5. How about body parts?

Hmmm. I KNEW you were going to say that. : )

6. *Clap clap clap* Amazing what they teach you in graduate school. Can you also rub your tummy at the same time? Do you ever powder your steering wheel by accident?

Hehehe. What can I say, it's a gift.

7. He started reading this blog today to find out what you are doing after work. He blows you a kiss.

I love my dad. He loves me too much. : )

8. Let's start a betting pool on the final date, shall we?

Ok place your bet. : )

9. Don't remind me of what I'm missing.

How can THAT be possible??? Hmmm. You work too hard. :) Lemme show you around. Come on over. : )

10. Sorry ma'am, we have a one minute limit on acceptance speeches. The Academy stands up and gives you warm, sustained applause.

(sob) Thank you. You've all been wonderful! (insert wave)

Posted 10:51 PM by DUH

Hey Guys! Survey. Is THIS true?!

(From "When Harry Met Sally" starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan)

Harry: Hmm, I'm getting married.

Sally: You *are*?

Harry: Umm hmm.

Sally: *You* are.

Harry: Hmm, yeah.

Sally: Who is she?!

Harry: Helen Helson, she is a lawyer, she's keeping her name.

Sally: (laughs) You're getting married.

Harry: Yeah.

Sally: (laughs some more)

Harry: What's so funny about that?

Sally: (laughs even more) It's a...well...It's just so optimistic of you Harry.

Harry: Well you'd be amazed what falling madly in love can do for you.

Sally: Well it's wonderful, it's nice to see you embracing life in this manner.

Harry: Yeah, plus you know you just get to a certain point where you get tired of the whole thing.

Sally: What "whole thing"?

Harry: The whole life-of-a-single-guy thing. You meet someone, you have the safe lunch, you decide you like each other enough to move on to dinner. You go dancing, you do the white-man's over-bite (dances), go back to her place, you have sex and the minute you're finished, you know what goes through your mind? How long do I have to lie here and hold her before I can get up and go home. Is thirty seconds enough?

Sally: (In disgust) That's what you're thinking? Is that true?!

Harry: Sure! All men think that. How long do you want to be held afterwards? (Pause) All night, right? See, there's your problem, somewhere between thirty seconds and all night is your problem.

Sally: I don't have a problem!

Harry: Yeah you do.

I absolutely love this movie. : )

Posted 9:55 PM by DUH

Just had to share this. I went to a new client's office several weeks ago. And this is what was in his business card:

IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
OF THE WORLD

Bill Clinton 1-200-456-1414
President, USA

Tony Blair 00441-930-4832
Prime Minister, England

Jacques Chirac 00331-261510000
President, France

John Paul 00396-6928
Pope, Vatican

(My client's name) 0632-XXX-XXXX
Gentleman, Philippines

Was snickering all the way back to the office after the meeting. : ) I suppose those are real numbers. Can anyone check? Hahahaha.

Posted 12:46 PM by Blah blah

As a huge movie buff, I'm adding this excellent blog to my reading list: movieblog by Rick McGinnis, who has a fantastic artistic and journalistic site. Check him out!

You can tell I'm very interested in trends in the entertainment industry. The music industry has gone more flat this year, so they need new sources of revenue. Wouldn't it be a wonderful way to revive live theater as well as diversify the choices we get on the big screen? This is a simple idea that sounds win-win to me:

Concert Simulcasting Next Big Thing at the Movies (Reuters):
______________
Concerts beamed to movie houses may be the next big thing -- promising fatter revenues for record labels and theater owners, a promotional boost for performers and cheaper tickets for fans....

Managers, movie houses and record labels are all making long-term plans to sell concert simulcast tickets at affordable prices.

"We wouldn't charge a concert-ticket price. Ten dollars a ticket is what everyone's goal is down the road," Schwartz said, adding that other concerts are under consideration.

At least two other bands -- Staind and Limp Bizkit -- have new releases due and The Firm is considering another simulcast in conjunction with their concerts or record launch, she said.

With new, expensive digital technology being installed at an increasing number of movie houses, theater operators are considering concerts and other events as a way to recoup the cost of retrofitting theaters with the needed equipment, which can be up to $200,000.

"The whole idea is to find ways to better utilize the theaters during weekdays. Concerts are just one area we're focusing on. We're also looking into educational functions, Broadway plays and cultural events," said Ray Nutt, executive vice president of business development for Regal Cinemedia, a unit of Regal Entertainment."

Posted 10:04 AM by Blah blah

'Life as a Toilet Roll' Wins Writing Prize (Reuters):
______________
A California woman who spends her spare time crafting slogans for lapel buttons has won the 2002 Bulwer-Lytton bad writing award for a piece which compared a faltering relationship to a balky roll of toilet paper.

Rephah Berg, of Oakland, California, beat out thousands of other entries in the contest run by San Jose State University, which for 21 years has been soliciting examples of exceptionally bad starts to imaginary novels, organizers said.

The contest, which carries a modest $250 cash award, is named after Victorian novelist Edward George Earl Bulwer-Lytton, whose 1830 novel began with the immortal words "It was a dark and stormy night..."

Berg's submission, one of ten she sent in this year, reads as follows:

"On reflection, Angela perceived that her relationship with Tom had always been rocky, not quite a roller-coaster ride but more like when the toilet-paper roll gets a little squashed so it hangs crooked and every time you pull some off you can hear the rest going bumpity-bumpity in its holder until you go nuts and push it back into shape, a degree of annoyance that Angela had now almost attained."

Posted 9:12 AM by Blah blah

How to Be a Pimp

Sorry Clare, but I just HAD to steal this post from you. (She's a Malaysian girl near New York City, in marine biology):
____________
My friend is a librarian, and she emailed me this encounter she experienced three months ago. It cracks me up. DO PEOPLE NOT KNOW WHAT LIBRARIES MEAN ANYMORE?! Does nobody read!?!

Big Crusty, Googly Eye Man: Hello sir, can you help me? ["SIR," Clare?]
Me: Sure. What are you looking for?
BCGEM: Well, I am trying to find this book. Its called How to be a Pee-imp. You got that?
Me: Well, (checking database) No. Not anything with that specific title...
BCGEM: Yeah, huh.
Me: Yeah, no. Do you have an author?
BCGEM: No. (big watery fish eyes boring into me) Look, man, I am looking for anything that will, you know, tell me how to be a pee-imp, like in ho-in’ out the womens. Like a how-to manual.
Me: Um, not really. I mean we have books by Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines, they wrote about being pimps and everything.
BCGEM: No, man, I want like a book that shows you everything step-by-step.
Me: Sorry.

BCGEM: Okay. Alright then. (Looking around at the ceiling, scratching dry crusties out of his beard) Where you keep the books about the Pornos?
Me: About Pornography? You mean like the sociological issues surrounding pornography and the various debates and interpretations... or...
BCGEM: What did you just say?
Me: Sorry.
BCGEM: Repeat what you just said.
Me: I don’t know what I just said.
BCGEM: I am trying to get a book that, you know, has shit about actors and actresses and what they do in they movies.
Me: Like a directory?

BCGEM: Okay, look, I’ll tell you. I am trying to get paid for fucking. You got ANYthing that will help me, you know, do that?
Me: I don’t think so, no.
BCGEM: Shit.

Me: Sorry.
BCGEM: All right then, where you all keep the nasty movies?

Posted 8:13 AM by Blah blah

Ten Replies to Unica Hija

1. Being the only girl means you probably can pin all your brothers in wrestling. Plus you must be a good flirt.

2. I feel a subliminal craving for: Hello Kitty handbags, the new Powerpuff Girls movie, an Anna Kournikova Omega watch, Purina Dog Chow, and the urge to put $10,000 down on a Lexus SC 430 convertible, with 0% financing. Where do I sign?

3. Golf is better done on grass than in a condo. Even if it IS with a very good friend in the privacy of your own home.

4. Me too, if I had a beach. In the meantime, I practice diving in my inflatable kiddie pool. Just saw this episode of Friends:

JOEY: Whatever Monica says, we shouldn't feel left out if she doesn't invite us along. We're more mature now. If I want to sit home and chug some beer, so be it!
CHANDLER: Hey, I'm 29 years old, and if I want to stay home for a quiet evening with some books, I am entitled to that!
ROSS: YEAH! Sometimes I just want to come home, put on some Kenny G and soak in a bath, you know?
(Pause)
JOEY: We're growing older. We're not women.

5. How about body parts?

6. *Clap clap clap* Amazing what they teach you in graduate school. Can you also rub your tummy at the same time? Do you ever powder your steering wheel by accident?

7. He started reading this blog today to find out what you are doing after work. He blows you a kiss.

8. Let's start a betting pool on the final date, shall we?

9. Don't remind me of what I'm missing.

10. Sorry ma'am, we have a one minute limit on acceptance speeches. The Academy stands up and gives you warm, sustained applause.

Posted 3:02 AM by DUH

Ten Things You Should Know About Unica Hija

1. She's an only girl in a brood of four hence the nick (means "only daughter" in Tagalog).

2. She gets paid to stare at walls and blank computer screens until an idea for a commercial comes up for things people never realized they absolutely, terribly need to turn their life around.

3. After work, she loves to putter around her 2-bedroom condo with the lemon yellow and cornflower blue walls somewhere in Metro Manila which she shares with a very good girl friend.

4. She'd rather go to the spa or to the beach than stay up late at the trendiest bar.

5. She reads anything she can get her hands on (input! input!).

6. She has the rare talent of being able to drive a car, text, apply make-up and sing all at the same time.

7. She drives her dad mad.

8. She's struggling to finish her master's degree thesis. Hopefully within the century.

9. She's a coffee, spa and sleep junkie.

10. Oh! (sob) She didn't expect this! (sniff) From the bottom of her heart, she would like to thank the Academy, and Raymond, for inviting her to join Cafe Angst (the blog formerly known as Tiger Cafe). Without them, she wouldn't be posting in this blog today.

Ahhhhmmmmeeennnn!

Posted 2:52 AM by Anonymous

I have an incredible, irresistable urge to run away. I keep fantasizing about leaving this place, my mum and sister (my loves but unfortunate constant reminders of my dad who just isn’t here anymore); I keep dreaming of running to New York, idealizing my 2 years there. Making it this paradise, a place where dreams really can come true – gorgeous people to look at, poetry corners to visit, shops full of beautiful clothes and cheap bargains to infiltrate.

I feel as if my life’s problems will be relieved if I can somehow get back there. Because nothing else seems to work – every morning, I’m forced to repeat the past 2 years in which I loved and loved and loved but lost the 2 men that have ever only meant the world to me.

I feel as if magically, once I’m back there, I’ll be able to move on – to meet people I am actually interested in talking to (and not just because I have to), to somehow gain a semblance of a social life again, to start focusing on my life and where its going.

Of course, there were those times that I’m choosing not to recall. Those times that I’d sit in my apartment, feeling like I had no one in the world, my family a thousand miles away, my friends in cities I didn’t know. Lost. In the city of a million people just like me.

Somehow, I still want to go back to that. Somehow, I’m convincing myself that anything would be better than the days that stretch out long and bleak here.

Am I kidding myself? Will I just be running from one hopeless situation into another? Or will this truly help me move on and start anew?

Well, if I really do hand in my job resignation at the end of the month as I’m planning, then I’ll have no choice but to find out.

Posted 8:58 PM by Blah blah

Talk to Me?

Hey, I finally found my computer microphone! If you see me online on Yahoo Messenger and want to talk to me by mike, let me know!

Posted 2:37 PM by hx

this is the sort of thing that makes me disgusted with the human race.

(warning - animal cruelty-type post. some people can't stand reading about this sort of thing; if so, please avoid reading this link and entry :)

when i was a child, i came out from classes one day to find a bunch of schoolboys clustered around a tree just outside the school. up close, it turned out to be a half-grown kitten, not quite an adult yet. they were stoning it, shouting at it, and kicking it. i ran up and pushed them all aside, picked up the bleeding, terrified kitten, and carried it home on my lap on the schoolbus.

when i got home, my mother refused to allow me to bring it into the house. i wanted to clean it up and treat it, maybe give it something to eat. she was horrified that i'd brought a "dirty cat" home and forced me to leave it outside in the field. i crouched there stroking it as long as i could, but my mother made me come home to "wash the lice off". when i was finally able to go to the field again the next day, it was gone.

of course it probably died. in that condition, if it didn't die of exposure it would have been attacked by some other bigger animal before long. i think i've never forgiven myself for not insisting on keeping the kitten inside where it would be safe. i've probably not forgiven my mother for kicking it out, either... :)

Posted 1:57 PM by Blah blah

PhD Applicant Evaluation Form

From the U. of Alaska Physics department:

From the following list of phrases, please check as many as you are able to apply to the applicant. Feel free to modify any phrase by additions or deletions.

Definitely Ph.D. material
Should work towards an M.S. and then re-examine potential
Applicant's potential is better than suggested by transcript
Pretty much an average student
Cannot in good faith recommend this person for graduate work
Superb analytical mind; able to analyze problems quickly and clearly
Open-minded and discriminating judgement
Can work through difficult problem with some minor assistance
Lacks judgement; tends to get stuck on minor aspects of a problem
Has good overall grasp of basic physics, chemistry and mathematics
Has good oral and written communication skills
A truly brilliant mind
Imaginative and creative; a real innovator
Applicant is brilliant but irritating; a tendency toward intellectual arrogance
Smart but lazy
Conventional in performance, lacks imagination
A good technician but less able to handle theoretical concepts
A good theoretician but somewhat inept in the laboratory
Equally adept as an experimentalist or theoretician
Applicant works well independently
Performs well under supervision
Very enthusiastic but sometimes gets carried away and spreads self too thin
Tends to plunge into things without thinking
Very organized approach to work
Applicant is sloppy and careless in work habits
Works well with others
Emotionally and psychologically stable; self-confident
Easily discouraged; emotionally unstable

Posted 11:58 AM by Blah blah

INFP

Halo asks why I think she is an INFP. I have a Myers-Briggs Personality Type page, Halo. Although I don't always agree with it, it is a helpful way to roughly classify people. The Net has many descriptions of INFPs.

I think I am more ENFP but want to be more ENTJ to get things done. About relationships, believe it or not, I can be very objective when necessary. I don't spend that much time mourning dead relationships or grieving at funerals. ENFP is a journalist's personality, which says that ideally I would be a foreign correspondent, talk show host, psychologist, or diplomat. And it says that I enjoy talking to strangers and can build rapport just like that. ENTJ is a typical lawyer or manager's personality. I can see both sides of an issue well and without emotion.

What is your Myers-Briggs type, everyone?

Q: How many INFPs does it take to change a light bulb?

A: I think it only takes one, but the question is how long will the task be put off? After all, do I really *need* that light bulb? Think of all the possibilities in working around the need for that light bulb! And then, when the impossiblity of the possiblities is too obvious to pretend to not see, the bulb gets changed.

A: ...come to think of it, I need to change a lightbulb ... the one on my front porch, so it's a pretty important one ... it's been that way for, oh, a while now ...
How many INFP's does it take to change a lightbulb? Apparently, this whole listfull, to listen to me ramble about my need to change my lightbulb and give me encouragement and support to reassure me that eventually I'll "find my inner lightbulb" and it will all be OK!

A: the light bulb doesn't need to change! just because it's different from other light bulbs, doesn't mean that it isn't just as good... besides, it might hurt its feelings...

A: Why change it, it might just be exploring its shadow side.

A:Some possible answers:
1. Never get around to changing it at all, because hey, next time you're in a bad mood and walk under it, it will go out again anyway.
2. The lightbulb isn't really burnt out; it's just you.
3. How many does it take? I'll tell you later when I feel sure I've got the right answer.
4. I couldn't think of a fourth good answer, but figured there should be at least four options.

A: What lightbulb?

Posted 10:13 AM by hx

something about the guys ...

this is something that always makes me scratch my head whenever i hear it.

what is this problem that some straight men seem to have with men who are gay? i don't actually mind it so much if they say outright that they "can't stand gays" or whatever. the line that really bugs me is when they say, "you know, i don't care if you're gay, everyone's entitled to do whatever they want, but just don't wave it about in my face and if you come near me i'll punch you so hard you'll fly across the room!" (i'm almost quoting verbatim here from various male acquaintances whom i've heard making remarks like these)

i do not get this.

in the first place, why do these men assume that just because a man is gay, he will automatically want to jump them? i've seen the most physically (and otherwise) unappealing men say things like this, men whom i did not find at all attractive and whom i'm pretty sure most gay men wouldn't either (unless they had really low standards).

in the second place, the hypocrisy of saying that you don't have a problem with homosexuality while filling the rest of the sentence with irrational prejudice really annoys me.

there is a man in my workplace who says this sort of thing a LOT. some of the ladies will roll their eyes behind his back and say that he's probably repressed himself, to be going on about this all the time. i don't know whether that's it or not - it seems a little like reverse prejudice to me to assume that anyone who makes anti-gay statements must be a repressed homosexual :) but whenever he gets on his high horse and starts spouting this sort of rubbish, i have to leave the room. frankly, it makes me feel physically ill to hear him talk about how "tolerant" he is :\

oddly enough, one hardly ever hears similar things from/about women. which leads me to conclude tentatively that It's a Guy Thing. so... guys? any explanations here? :)

Posted 9:33 AM by Blah blah

By Dave (thanks to Unica Hija, who has started a new non-list blog---Unica Hija Blues):

Dave's Tips on How to Stop the Annoying and Overbearing Ultra-Religious Holier-Than-Thou Mega-Condescending Coworker in the Next Cubicle from Incessantly Trying to Proselytize You into His Religion Every Hour of Every Workday:

• When he asks how you take your coffee, tell him, "Black. Just like my soul."


• When he asks if you follow hockey, answer: "Yes. I've pledged my eternal devotion to the Devils -- the New Jersey Devils." (NOTE: The Duke Blue Devils or the Wake Forest Demon Deacons may be substituted when applicable. Or the Yankees. Everyone hates the Yankees.)


• Laugh maniacally when no one but him is within earshot. When he nervously asks what's so funny, shrug and walk away.


• Leave pentagram doodles strewn about your cubicle.


• You sneeze. He says, "Bless you." You fall to the floor writhing in pain.


• When he asks, "Have you been saved?" tell him yes, but you prefer to do the honors yourself using the new and surprisingly comfortable Gillette Mach 3 razor.

Posted 2:26 AM by Anonymous

Do you ever have moments where you are unable to write? I've found it difficult to write much lately, and I know that my inability to express my thoughts are due to the lack of inspiration I've felt lately. Life has been challenging, and I am slowly learning to accept the consequences of my actions. I don't regret the things I've done in the past, but I do regret one thing--I've hurt someone that I loved so very much. The kind of hurt that is unforgivable, at least in my eyes. I can't take back my words, and I would do anything to reverse my actions. However, it's too late, and I've already caused the damage. I can only hope that something positive will come out of this experience.

Posted 3:47 PM by hx

i thought it was interesting that Raymond said this below : "When I write, I become shyer, more introspective. Sometimes after that, the unshy world feels less real, less substantial." That's kind of what I mean when I say I tend to live in my head. Sometimes it's like walking through a dream world, or through a black and white movie. (suddenly I'm thinking Purple Rose of Cairo. uh? :)

You know what's funny though. Maybe a lot of people are shy, but it doesn't mean that they'll all get along or be on the same wavelength. It's a bit like expecting all the [insert some group here, like "all the asians" or "all the native americans" or "all the engineers"] in a party to get along just because of that one thing they have in common. At the most, all the engineers would have the topic of engineering in common. I don't think i could spend all night talking to someone about being shy :) The particular somethings that make up an individual are different for everyone. Like a bell curve, some people are lucky enough to be in the middle where a lot of their likes and dislikes overlap, so they find they get along with a lot of people. Then there's us poor sods at the ends of the bell, who don't have quite as many neighbors on the curve :)

My interests go all over the fringey ends of the spectrum. You'd think that that would mean that I would get along well with "other eccentrics", but that generally isn't the case. What does tend to happen is I'll end up with one or two specific people in each particular area of interest whom I get along with fairly well. Shyness may be one factor to consider, but the most general reason i can think of for this is really just that of personality and wavelength. For whatever reason, my areas of overlap [and presumably those of any other oddities like me, such as my partner :)] just seem to be more specific than "normal". This also doesn't include "effort" - i've been in or observed plenty of situations in which i or some other person have tried to interact with a more "mainstream" group and simply been ignored. As a child that seemed hurtful, but now I'm finally learning to accept being different to a certain degree, so I take it in stride better than I used to. I don't stop trying to interact with people, but I don't let it bother me anymore either if I'm ignored.

I'm not trying to be cynical or negative here. Sometimes it's more hurtful to the self to keep hitting one's head against an unaccepting wall. In the end it becomes more healing and more self-empowering simply to learn to accept the way things are, and be happy with who one is. If I had it all to do over again, I'd still rather be me :) Vive la difference ;)

Posted 1:48 PM by hx

i just saw this page on Google's site and for some reason it struck me as funny :)

after looking at all those names, i'm no longer sure anymore what the correct spelling really is O:^)

Posted 1:42 PM by Blah blah

Romance, in Cosmo's World, Is Translated in Many Ways (NY Times):
________________
Hemmed in by soaring costs and declining readership domestically, American publishers like Hearst are feeling a growing urgency to tap into the aspirations of women all over the world to conquer unanticipated markets. With a formula almost as closely guarded as Coca-Cola's — there is a secret 50-page instruction manual — Cosmopolitan, Hearst's naughty girlfriend of a magazine, has increased its circulation to 8.2 million worldwide, even extending its brand to places where readers have to hide the magazine from their husbands.

After adding nine editions in the last two years, Cosmo will soon publish in 50 countries, including the recently opened Latvian edition and a Kazakhstan Cosmo that makes its debut in September....

The Cosmo mantra of "Fun, Fearless Female" requires a bit of a makeover to resonate with other far-flung audiences. In India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, there are no Cosmo articles about sexual positions. The mammoth Chinese version never mentions sex because it is forbidden, said the editor, Vera Xu. Instead, articles about uplifting cleavage are replaced by uplifting stories about youthful dedication, although there is still plenty of advice on how to look your best. Sex also gets less attention in the Swedish version, but for precisely the opposite reason: In a wide-open culture, the word has little of the sizzle that it has here.

In France, the editor, Anne Chabrol, also confronts a readership very comfortable — even bored, she says — with sexual matters. She has responded by running a contest asking in French "Does he cheat on you?" and the winner is awarded the services of a private detective to find out for sure.

Honoring local idiosyncrasy is critical, said Mr. Green and the editors. Ms. Totterman, the Finnish editor, said putting Britney Spears on the local cover of the "Fun, Fearless Female" issue, a special issue all the magazines publish, would not work in her market. It has to be someone Finnish, someone local readers can identify with. Similarly, the Hong Kong edition uses mostly Asian faces with pictures of local celebrities. But in China, there is still a hunger for Western images. "We are a developing country and just opening up to the West, so people are very interested in seeing what is going on in other places," Ms. Xu said.

Still, certain standards must be observed. The woman on the Cosmo cover — it is always a woman — should have large hair, remarkable features and not too much clothing.

"Hearst is a great partner, as long as you don't put a guy on the cover," said Ellen Verbeek, co-editor of Russian Cosmo along with Elena Myasnikova. Ms. Verbeek said that Cosmo fills a need for the young Russian woman. (Before Cosmo arrived in 1994, young Russian women had to choose generally between magazine titles that Hearst officials roughly translate as Factory Woman and Farming Woman.)...

The magazine is not welcome everywhere. Mr. Green said some conservative markets will remain unconquered. In 1984, the government of Singapore banned versions of the magazine that had been produced elsewhere. (It has subsequently authorized local production of Harper's Bazaar, a Hearst fashion magazine, but not Cosmo.)
______________
You Singaporeans know about TalkingCock, the satirical humor site, right? Reminds me of The Onion. That's what Singapore needs---more humor and rebelliousness. Less conformity. You guys know about my old Singapore Fun Box page?

Posted 10:55 AM by Blah blah

Found this entry in Yvonne's blog on July 13:

How to tell a girl you love her (Warren Kramer)

You don't.

You show her.

You be her friend.

You be there for her when she needs someone to talk to.

You cry with her when she is sad, and you are happy for her when she succeeds at something, even if - no, make that ESPECIALLY if - she does that thing better than you do. And you do all you can to see that she succeeds at things often.

You give her what she needs, when she needs it, emotionally I mean, not "things."

And if you do really love her, not just think she is hot, or are infatuated with her, you will do all this expecting nothing in return.

And I mean NOTHING.

If you expect anything from her, you do not love her, you just want to be loved by her. Everyone wants to be loved, but to be loved, you must love.

If you do these things well, one day she will come to you and confide in you about something she feels badly about, because, if you do these things well enough for long enough, it will be you she will want to confide in. When she does, you make sure she knows that it matters to you that this bothers her. If you have advice for her, save it until you are sure she knows you care, and that her feelings matter very much to you. Once you are sure of this, you may offer your advice, but know that the caring is more important than your idea of how the problem might be "fixed."

Loving her is not admiring the way she looks or anything else about her. These may be among the reasons you are attracted to her, but they are not acts of loving. Loving her is a series of actions, things you do for her, for no other reason than you love her.

Loving her is not wanting her to give you attention, or to give you anything for that matter. Loving her is wanting to give, not get. That is how you love someone. You give to them all you can give and expect nothing back. Once you have done these things well enough for long enough, and her eyes tell you she longs to hear you tell her, then you will have earned the right to tell her how much you love her.
___________
This is sweet, Yvonne. I would just add (spoiling the ideal mood) that if the girl is a little dense about these things, sometimes you gotta sit her down and say, hey honey, wake up...I am yours!

I agree with this part: "loving her is a series of actions." It's part of my conviction that love is more than declarations or lip service. It's work. It's doing doing doing. It's being there when you are needed.

BUT here's where I am more practical than him: many women (for example, my mom) take this definition to heart and so never learn how to ASK for what they need and want. They don't know how to ask it in a nice way, so men will want to do it. And although love IS a series of actions, it SHOULD include a lot of verbal support and encouragement, not ONLY actions. The problem that women (and the stereotypical "nice guys") have is they give too much without making it clear what they need. They expect men (or nice guys expect women which they have put on a pedestal) to look into their devoted eyes and just KNOW they love them. To be mind readers.

Sorry mom. I am NOT a mind reader.

Typically, what happens? The object of your affection takes you for granted. He sits there reading the paper, saying "Uh huh. What's fer dinner, babe?" Or if it's a girl, she says "Oh, you are soooo NICE. You are such a good FRIEND. Can I ask you a FAVOR? I'm going on a date with that hunk Bilbo Baggins next Friday night, and I need someone to watch my cat Penelope and change her litter box. Oh you CAN? Wait...isn't that the night of your friend's party? You'll cancel it for me? Awww...you don't have to. Are you sure? You are too sweet. I owe you one. I'm sure you will make some girl very happy. By the way, would you please do my laundry and clean my bathroom while you're at it?"

After a few years or months of this, you become the nightmare which you dreaded when mom did it to you: you turn into a NAG. After that, it's bitterness and resentment. Oh-woe-is-me-dom. Then you feel emotionally spent and trapped in a loveless relationship. You lie in a hole but don't know how to dig yourself out.

Oops, Yvonne. My cynical side got carried away there. I just wanna warn you from following this advice too blindly.

Also, showing love means brushing off her faults and magnifying her positive qualities. It's seeing the princess in her while everyone else sees the tramp.

Posted 10:34 PM by Blah blah

Awww, Halo. I am touched. :D

I wrote this last year to another shy journaller: Advantages of being shy. What do you think?

Although I have a marketing personality and am more of an extrovert, I have been more in my "shy mode" recently. When I write, I become shyer, more introspective. Sometimes after that, the unshy world feels less real, less substantial. For some reason, throughout my life, I've been good at making friends with shy people. They tell me I make them feel comfortable, free to be bold with me. To me, they don't act very shy. In college I used to hang out with a lot of people from Japan. Since that is probably one of the shyest cultures on earth, it's weird that they would enjoy my loud, talkative company. I had read so much about the Japanese aversion to obnoxious Westerners and would ask them if I were too overbearing. But they liked me.

My friend and I are laughing loudly at something.

She: Now I'm gonna sing the national anthem for you! LAAAAA! [Does something silly with her hands and eyes.]
Me: Wow! I'll be the flag then. I'm thin enough for you to pin one on me...
She: HAHAHA...I'm glad I met you.
Me: Well you have so many friends and parties to go to...you don't need me.
She: Actually, I'm shy.
Me: WHAT? I would never have thought...
She: Yes, my sister is actually the outgoing one. I am kinda nervous meeting new people.
Me: But you don't act that way with ME....!
She: I know...you are different.

This situation has happened to me so many times, I think I must be a soft pillow for shy people.

Posted 9:58 PM by hx

Shy shy girl
Shy Girl
Yeah, Yeah
Standing with the wallflowers
Wishing you would've stayed at home
You kick yourself for coming
When you're standing there all alone
- "Shy Girl", O-Town

no, i've never heard this song. i just did a random search for the words "shy girl" to see what would pop up, and voila :)

i was a very shy child. i was terrified of speaking to strangers, especially if they were adults. whenever i was asked to speak to one, i would burst into tears. when i grew older, i learned to suppress the shyness with a stoic face. unfortunately, i have the sort of face that looks somewhat serious if i'm not smiling. when people get to know me better, they usually tell me something like, "i thought you were really proud/arrogant/aloof/serious when i first saw you!" When actually i was petrified with shyness! :)

i've improved a little bit since i was a child - i guess the world doesn't give you a choice, not if you want to get anything done :) i've learned to hide it and force myself to go on regardless, particularly when i have no choice, such as in work-related matters. sometimes i can fake it so well that people - like my colleagues - apparently don't believe me when i say i'm shy :) certainly i'm not as bad as i used to be, and i don't think i was ever *very* bad (in the sense of having panic attacks or needing medication or something), but i do definitely have a certain level of self-inhibition around people i don't know.

i'm still uncomfortable in crowds, and hate mingling at parties. i can never think of small talk; i'm more comfortable finding a quiet corner to sit and observe people from. i'd rather talk one on one to individual people i find interesting than open my mouth in a big group, unless they're all people i already know and am comfortable with. like most introverts, i can get quite talkative - nay, noisy! - in the company of close friends, but in a group of people i don't know, i'm very quiet until/unless i get warmed up.

the odd thing is that i did at one point learn how to be more sociable and outgoing. when i was a teenager i decided that i would reprogram myself, just to see if it could be done. i found that it *could* be done, and fairly easily too, but in the end i decided that it was pointless. empty socializing didn't interest me. it felt more and more like a waste of time and energy, a pointless pursuit when life was too short as it was.

i realized that in the end, what i really wanted was a real direct honest connection with the few people who truly interested me, on a non-superficial level. superficial interaction has always failed to hold my interest. maybe that's why i always prefer talking to a person one on one, deeply, for hours on end, rather than joking about with a bunch of people i hardly know. which is not to say i don't joke about! life would be quite sad without humor :) i'm just talking about specific situations.

i used to really envy my best friend, who is a very warm and open person and makes friends very easily. come to think of it, most of my friends are like that. i suppose they'd have to be, to end up being friends with me! :) after all this time, however, i'm just now coming to understand that i am the way i am, and some things about me probably will not change as much as other things. some aspects of me, maybe i don't want to change, or shouldn't change, for various reasons. i'll probably never make friends or socialize as easily as they do, not least because i seem to operate on a different wavelength from most of the rest of the world. most people don't get me, and i don't get most people.

it's taken me a long time to come to terms with this, maybe because we're raised to want to please people, to want people to like us and to think we're nice. (why can't we all just get along? :) i'm just now starting to understand that i can't, and never will, be able to please everyone, or have everyone like me. it's such a simple concept, and one that everyone knows the theory of intuitively... but it's taken so long for me to understand the reality of it in my gut, and not just in my head.

a small thing... but it's a good first step on this long journey, and one i must complete if i'm to continue in my quest for self-growth. you'd think i'd have figured this out sooner, but hey... better late than never, right? :)

Posted 7:46 PM by Blah blah

Oh my God, this thread on RBJ is SOOOO FUNNY! Read the whole thing. Sophia Sophia, is that really you???

Most embarrassing item purchased.

On RBJ, more on my question about the Atkins diet (boy, I know you guys are SO excited by this):

Jeling says:

I've done some research on these low-carb/high-protein diet and they just aren't healthy for you. of course hamburgers, steaks, and other high protein dinners sound like a great diet, but you know that's not healthy. the point, as suggested by pooh, is not to eat carbs like white bread which have nothing besides starches. instead of white bread go out and get wheat bread, it will do so much more for you. also don't consume too much dairy due to cholesterol (don't drink whole milk). nutritionists also suggest eating fish instead of red meat because fish contains omega- (err... something, i forgot) which contains the good type of cholesterol instead of the harmful ones that come from red meat. nutritionists also suggest large portions of green vegetables. they are healthy, contains many vitamins and minerals, and contain a large amount of fiber... therefore you end up feeling hunger less often. and with fruits, they just suggest you have that orange rather than having that cup of orange juice...

Noelle says:

QUOTE
Dr. Atkins is a disgrace and a crook.

Now, now, people, that's the logical fallacy known as "poisoning the well". Dr. Atkins has some sound points, and he does say he's NOT pushing fat.

QUOTE
You always have to be suspicious of any doctor who writes a book with a "new plan" who refuses to allow his research to be examined by the medical community at large.

Actually, his book has a bibliography that lists the research articles on which he based his diet plan, and if he refuses to allow his research to be examined, then isn't it the responsibility of the medical community to conduct independent, unbiased tests? My parents are both medical doctors who have had success on the Atkins diet, and as far as they're concerned, there should be tests conducted to examine why this diet is so effective.

The avoidance of carbohydrates is only for the first two weeks, and then after that you can allow the complex carbohydrates back in your life--wholewheat bread, pasta, etc. but in moderate amounts. Vegetables which contain moderate levels of carbohydrates are allowed. It's LOW-carb, not NO-carb.

I don't see people lashing back as strongly against vegetarians as against low-carbohydrate diets, while both diet plans cut a food group out of the picture. Instead of avoiding meat, like vegetarians do, you avoid processed, simple carbohydrates like sugar and white flour, and eat the complex carbohydrates in moderation.

Hey people, I'm not trying to win anyone over. I'm just trying to clear up what some people might have assumed to be true about the low-carb diets, of which there are several variations. Visit Low-Carb Luxury and Low-Carb Canada, among other sites, if you want to find out more.

I say:

Thank you, Noelle! Yeah, I didn't think Atkins was THAT bad. Thanks for helping to clarify some of his points and bringing him back for another round in the boxing ring. *DING*

In the meantime, here's what I eat now in my new diet:

Breakfast: only FRUIT (according to Xiu),

Lunch: only TUNA FISH (from Scott),

Dinner: half a tub of LARD (from Atkins) and half a loaf of WHEAT BREAD (from Pooh).

My stomach is smaller but my head is fatter for some reason.

Posted 3:10 PM by Blah blah

I've reorganized my left column links. Added my favorite news links. Please check them out if you are unfamiliar with them. Hope my shorthand on the upper left (SF, NY, SCal, Other...) helps you find things quickly. Also, did you see that my TagBoard on the left archives your comments? Clicking on the icon that looks like a piece of paper will show the most recent archives. It's between the Submit button and smiley face.

Am seeing a rise in blogs of people looking for a boyfriend/girlfriend. Check out this woman Edie in New York City: A Mating Call in the Concrete Jungle: Searching for Mister pretty-close-to-Right. She's witty and edgy, something that Nice Guy Scott of The Date Project was (*yawn*) not.

I tried searching Google for other blogs marked, like mine, with BlogChalks in California. Found this lady Denise in Newport Beach (Orange County) and her blog, Bag and Baggage. Am adding her to my reading list. She says: "I am an appellate lawyer with the firm Crosby, Heafey, Roach & May. My experience and proficiency include partnership and contract law, as well as internet and intellectual property issues." Yay---an experienced lawyer's blog, with an intellectual property background too! Reading her will help satiate the lawyer's side of my personality. Check out her neatly organized links, which cover people who study, practice, teach, and otherwise use the law. She blogs with footnotes (it figures) and graduated from my alma mater.

One of the things I love about blogs and journalling is that they have attracted so many types of people into the fold that we can share the thoughts and wisdom of older, more experienced professionals in a wide range of fields. Of people completely opposite to us. I like how they are not just the home of computer geeks or teens or people wandering around searching for themselves. I like how, in one swoop, blogs and the friends you make from them shoot holes through the borders of geography, age, sex, race, religion, social class, physical attractiveness, and personality (like shyness) into which we keep smashing in real life. I like how I don't have to comb my hair before I talk to you. I like how I don't need to care whether someone, who left me a comment, picks his teeth in public. He has an idea and zaps it to me. I welcome it, naked and unfiltered. Blogging is pure broadcasting for the mind. Patrick Henry would have loved it.