Not really, just a week or two. I'm in the middle of a couple design projects and stuff, so I've decided to take a mini break from blogging and blog reading. I'll be back with new portfolio things to show off.
With my birthday coming up in less than a month, I've been considering updating my Amazon wish list to give my present-buyers some ideas. Is that tacky? I can always go without gifts, so it's not to be greedy. But I thought I'd make things easier for those who were going to buy me something anyway.
For the last few days I've been hunting frantically for a certain type of clear plastic container for an experiment I'm doing at the lab. I went to five or six pet stores looking for fish tanks, and countless other shops for anything that might do. Today, while driving home from yet another store empty-handed, I got so desperate that I went into a Walmart. And while I was there I found this one dog-food holder that looked pretty good, so I bought it.
Now I feel kind of dirty. Last December I vowed to make 2006 another Walmart-free year. I just wanted to support companies that had more ethical business practices, and aside from two or three trips to Sam's Club (which is owned by Walmart) I actually made good on my promise. But now I broke my vow. I'm weak.
Acording to Kid Charlemagne, using the Sonafide muse:
Crazy Busy
Unleashing the Bird
The Old Roomies
The Prolific Holiday Bakers
The Sweet Yogurt Drops
Drina and the Delusions
The Massive Dorks
Stupid Ladies on TV
The Juicer Thingy
The Purple Chucks
I was tired and cranky, so I went shoe shopping. And I came across a display of Chucks in all these different colors, and for some reason that kind of made me happy. I'm not sure why, but they're kind of the feel-good shoe. So I bought a pair.
I once had a college professor who whore purple Chucks everyday. I think he'd be proud of me.
I read today on killed in Iraq this week. This was a man who walked right into a war zone and knowingly risked his life. He went to Iraq not to kill his enemies, but show them mercy. And he lost his life for the sake of doing the right thing.
I am overwhelmed by the profound love he had for his fellow man.
This is his blog.
I spent last night trying desperately to keep myself awake at work while pulling an all-nighter. My job sometimes demands weird hours, and last night it required my joyful presence from dusk 'til dawn. When 11 pm rolled around, I was pretty sure that I was fully prepared for the rest of the night. I'm a night person, so the thought of staying up didn't worry me. But by 3 am I was already weaving down the hallway like a drunk person stumbling toward the bathroom. My head ached.
I'm sure it didn't help that I was up early that morning and worked a full day shift, but I still never imagined I'd wimp out by 3 am. Three years ago, I was the all-nighter champion of the psychology department at school. I skipped sleep on a regular basis to get my papers done, and I never missed a beat. Maybe I'm just out of practice. Or maybe my body is saying, okay, I had enough of that shit. Either way, I'm tired.
I'm on call tonight, and praying I don't hear the phone ring.
Last night my brother played a demo cd for me. It had a song written and recorded by his new band mates almost ten years ago. The song, called "I've Got My Friends," was sent to various record companies in the hopes that someone would bite. As it happened, they never got the recording contract they were looking for, but apparently somebody thought the music was pretty good. Maybe good enough to be part of a future hit single.
Listen - Influence - I've Got My Friends - 5.77 mb
Does this sound familiar to anybody?
It took me about two seconds to recognize the music. I've heard this opening riff dozens of times on MTV, so this was a little shocking. I know that musicians, directors, and writers get sued all the time for stealing other people's ideas, but I never thought it would happen to someone I know.
Of course, I'm not entirely sure that the music was stolen outright, or just inadvertantly borrowed without giving due credit. Being the psychology nerd that I am, I know that people often forget where they heard or read something, and mistakenly believe that they came up with it themselves. Plagiarism is not always intentional, and it happens to the best of us (actually, it happens to all of us). And I don't know if it was intentional in this case.
What I do know is that there are some Cleveland musicians who are feeling pretty cheated right now. I asked my brother why his band mates never sued, and he said the lawyers wanted a fat check just to start the process. In the world of law, you can't try before you buy. And the band just doesn't have the money or power to challenge a large record company like Universal. How frustrating has that got to be?
I've always kinda liked Three Doors Down. I just less respect for them today. It's time to find a new lawyer.
I picked up Fiona Apple's newest album, Extraordinary Machine, while on a late-night Target run with my sister. The music is soulful and the lyrics are smart. It's pretty obvious, even after a short listen, that she's matured a lot in the last few years. "Get Him Back" is my favorite song on the album, followed by "Tymps."
Man I have missed her.
If you'd rather not read a political post, come back tomorrow. I'll tell you all about the fantastic new cd I bought at Target.
I'm not really sure why I still find myself surprised by negative reports about the Bush administration. I've known for years that the pious facade wasn't real. I don't remember exactly what it was that led me to that conclusion, because it wasn't just one particular incident. It was a pattern of behavior. Considering how dirty the playing field is now, it's astounding that some people still don't see it.
Bush promised the people who elected him that he was going to be honest and virtuous. When he took office, he said he would restore integrity to the White House. His core supporters claimed he was the anti-Clinton. He wasn't going to lie, or cheat, or have sex with an intern. He was supposed to be better than that.
And five years later, instead of lying about an affair, it's clear that he lied about his own administration's negligence, among other things. On this video tape, he was told before hurricane Katrina hit that the levees in New Orleans could very well fail. So why days later did he claim nobody anticipated this?
I know that I shouldn't single out George Bush because all politicians are bred liars, both Republicans and Democrats. Lying seems to be an unavoidable necessity. If you tell the truth, people won't like what they hear and they won't vote for you. So his dishonesty makes Bush just like everyone else. But he made a promise to hold himself to a higher standard. He accepted the praise and adoration of Christian fundamentalists who claimed he was chosen by God to steer America away from immorality. He fashioned himself to be a political messiah, and fooled millions into believing in his righteousness.
"I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees."
-George W. Bush, days after being told the levees could be breached.
How can you defend this?
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