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Something awful happened today. Something I finally came to terms with thanks to my family, friends & loved ones. After a farewell lunch (how ironic) of sorts with my best friends from high school, a few of us went shopping. We were clowning around in a sports shop, looking for swimming goggles when I made that fateful call... "Hey, mum. It just occurred to me that we don't have weighing scales at home. I think we should definitely weigh my luggage. What if it's overweight at the airport tomorrow? Should I buy one? Mum?" She was crying. When you sense that something bad has happened, it's not unnatural to immediately fear the worst. My first thoughts proved what was most important to me at the moment. They were:1) Did someone die?2) Oh my God... Please don't let it be something to do with America. Game host voice: "And the answer lies behind...... Door number two!" Only my heart didn't leap in a soaring kind of way. It was more of fell to the ground in a sickening crunch. What??? Mum's incoherent babbling filled my head but my mind only filtered a few key words:-You don't know?... Dad's car window smashed... Went to bank for just 15 minutes... Left file on car seat... Took everything... Visa... Your passport... Plane tickets... This explains the many missed calls from my dad just before that. My mum's not the kind for sick jokes. I knew it was true, but I just couldn't accept it. I kept demanding of her, "What do you mean? How can that be? Why would he do that? How could he possibly do that?" "How can this be happening to me?????" "Of ALL days! I'm meant to leave tomorrow!" It felt like a really bad dream. I wanted to pinch myself and wake up, heart pounding uncomfortably, sweating in my pjs. If it weren't for Yi Wayn, Kok Shen and James who comforted me the way only the bestest of best friends could have, I probably would have jumped off the KLCC bridge. They even came up with wild fabrications for the possible reason of my fated delay."Tomorrow's headlines in the newspaper will be: ‘Plane to New York Crashed!'"Choi! But I couldn't help laughing through choked sobs. Thank you, guys... After sipping hot jasmine green tea at ‘The Lawn' and listening to them ramble their usual witty nonsense, I finally began to feel more like myself again... My whole family played their part and more: dad immediately launched a report at the police station and has been doing anything and everything he can think of to retrieve the file. When you're angry, it somehow feels easier to shift the blame to another party. That's what I did for a fleeting moment. When I first found out about it, my brain made a quick scan through of who was to blame for this sudden misfortune; the first person who came to mind was dad. I was mad at him for being irresponsible enough to leave such important documents on his car seat in full view to passers by. But my adult consciousness knew how unreasonable I was being, and swept those nonsense thoughts away. Besides, how could I stay mad at him for long? Especially since mum told me that when he'd called her to tell her what had happened, he sounded close to tears. My dad never cries. Mum has been... IS incredible. I later found out that she'd spent hours searching the parking lot in PJ where the break-in had taken place, looking through nearby back alleys, and even rummaging through trash cans in desperate hope of finding the documents. She'd hoped the thief might have chucked the file somewhere upon realizing there was nothing much in it to be liquidized. Amongst the items in the stolen file which held the documents for my departure to the US was my dad's mobile phone. Sarah, my feisty sister, called dad's number over and over to plead with the thief to return the important stuff. A smart thief would turn off any mobile phone he manages to get his hands upon to avoid being tracked. The strangest thing is that the thief actually picked up her calls AND even called her back. But he never said a word. The sadist must have been thrilled that a young girl was pleading with him. Maxis managed to track down the location where the calls were coming from. Apparently, the asshole lives in Sunway. Unfortunately, they were unable to narrow it down to anymore than that L The whole unfortunate incident was nobody's fault. Except the thieving bastard who shattered dad's car window and stole the file... There was glass everywhere which took forever for the car repair workers to vacuum. The most reasonable explanation for the deed is that the thief was probably a desperate drug addict who imagined there was cash in the file. The uncanny part is that he stole nothing but the file; dad's branded shoes lay untouched, and so were his golf clubs. Dem weird right??? I couldn't help the paranoid thoughts - I started thinking that perhaps someone has a personal vendetta against me. So much so as to keep me stranded back here? My imaginary culprit either hates me or loves me a lot :p My flight was scheduled for 9am on the 21st of August 2008 - tomorrow morning. If all goes well with the whole tedious process of reapplying for my Visa and new passport tomorrow, I can leave this Saturday. Getting my new passport shouldn't be too much of a problem. It's the US Visa which worries me; the embassy can be rather rigid at times. Hopefully they'll be empathetic in my case. Should further interferences occur (fingers crossed for otherwise), I'll only get to be in New York next week. The latter means I'll miss ‘Welcome Week' and orientation which totally sucks :( But things could be worse. I shuddered today - either from tiredness or horror, or it could be both - when my mum said, "Imagine if it was a missing person instead of missing documents. Today, I got a tiny taste of what it must be like looking for a lost child!" Funny how we realize how truly blessed we are in the stormiest of situations. I know it wouldn't have done any good by sinking into deep depression, but it's something I unfortunately cave in to during weak moments. Everyone around me kept me stronger than I deemed I could be. I thank you all for that... Your every single prayer and words of comfort helped keep me grounded. For instance... My darling - despite being all the way in East Malaysia - helped calm my nerves by comforting me & giving practical advice. Just being in touch with him gave me a sense of peace I desperately needed. He also cheered me up immensely by sending me a breathtaking view of beautiful Mount Kinabalu through MMS :D Eyeris, a blogger friend whom I adore was a big sweetheart too. Thanks for your virtual hugs and calling to check up on me during dinner! Oli who was supposed to be on a leadership camp came back early to surprise me, only I gave him an even bigger surprise with my predicament :p But pickle I am in, I will not relinquish my dream of New York.It's not that I'm not going, it's just not yet.Everything happens for a reason. Perhaps this is giving me a chance to spend more time with the people I care about and also to meet up with those whom I really wanted to see but didn't get round to it.After every rainstorm, comes a :)

The Flower City! The Kodak City! The World's Image Center! Rachacha! I'm a fiercely loyal Rochester, New York native and I adore this city, despite its flaws *cough*lack of public transportation*cough*. But if you can get around Rochester, I highly suggest you do. As a part of WiseBread's group writing project, here’s a list of things you can do in Rochester, for five dollars or less: Free! Mendon Ponds Park: trails, water activities, and sledding in the winter! Also a great place for Geocaching (see below). Urban Exploration: check out all the weird and wonderful parts of the city - I highly suggest a trip to the Legal Wall if you’ve never been (but wear good shoes, because there tends to be a lot of broken glass). Geocaching: “The High Tech Easter Egg Hunt” is a ton of fun! A hiking GPS is most useful, but you can get by with one of those talking car ones, if you’ve got it. Don’t have either? Do what we did when I was a broke freshman - look at the satellite image of where the cache is on Google Maps, and use that as your best guess of the location. Harder, but fun, and free! Festivals: Rochester is a festival town, so there seems to be one every weekend. Each festival is different, so don’t knock them all if you visit one and don’t like it. Might I suggest Park Ave Fest for college students? (It tends to be a bit more, uh, inebriated.) Rochester Public Art: A guide to all the public art in and around Rochester. If you’re looking for more of a tour-like experience, check out ARTWalk. Mount Hope Cemetery: Free historic walking tours on weekends from May - October. Twilight tours and other interesting tours are only $4/person. Self-Guided Walking Tour of High Falls: Print this out and head down to the historic High Falls district! There are even more online walking tours in Rochester. Bike Ride Along the Canal: Assuming you have a bike, that is. You could also walk! $5 or Less Ice Skating at the Ritter Ice Arena at RIT: $5 for most public skate times, but only $3 for noon-time weekday sessions. Skate rentals are $3, if you need them. Cell Phone Tours: $4.95 gets you one day access to an audio tour of Rochester landmarks, right on your cell phone! The “Dollar Theater” - Second run movies at cheap prices. Called the “Dollar Theater” because all movies on Tuesdays are only $1. The highest price you’ll pay is only $2.25, so it’s still a steal, and a great way to catch films you thought you missed in the theater! Abbott’s Frozen Custard: As much a Rochester staple as Wegmans and Kodak! Buffalo Wild Wings (BDubs): Discount Wings on Tuesday, Legs on Wednesday, and Boneless Wings on Thursday! Bowl-A-Roll: Lots of specials, including College Night (Sunday & Monday after 9pm, $1 bowling and $1 shoe rental) and FREE bowling if you visit one of a long list of merchants! $5 or Less with a Student ID Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion: Pretty much the coolest gardens I’ve ever been to. Trust me, they used to take us there as a field trip every year when I was in elementary school,  and I still never tire of going! The Little Theater: Art house films for only $5 for students, children, and seniors. George Eastman House: One of those “must see” things in Rochester. Susan B. Anthony House: Women’s suffrage for the win! $3 admission for students. Just over $5 Seneca Park Zoo: The prices drop closer to $5 during the winter! Red Wings Baseball: Reserved seating is just $6! Find More This is by no means an exhaustive list, just some suggestions! This list was originally posted in August of 2008 - I’ll try to keep it updated, but I can’t guarantee the long-lasting-ness of this list. Some more places to check for cheap or free things to do in Rochester: City of Rochester list of Festivals, Parades, Concerts and MoreRochesterDowntown.com Entertainment Guide Photo by _yoshi_

As a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Marketing and Communication, one of my tasks has been to create a Lynn University YouTube Channel.We have some great playlists ranging from Life@Lynn, to 4 questions 4. Have a look at some of our videos at www.youtube.com/user/LynnUni.

The photos should be posted at some point tonight or tomorrow.  I’ve been trying to get on top of things since I’m moving into my new apartment/dorm on Friday (packing nightmare!) and school’s starting up in a week (scheduling nightmare!).  So check back soon, yo.

Daft Punk - “High Life”

Because guess who’s speaking at the Republican convention? The McCain campaign confirms what we all have known for months would happen: Senator Joe Lieberman will speak at the GOP convention on the first night. If only those mean, nasty netroots had listened to the DLC, he never would have been pushed to this. Bonus round: Via Atrios, the [...]

Maureen Dowd in today’s new column: In the dead of night in a small hideaway office in the deserted Capitol, a clandestine meeting takes place between two senators with one goal. They grin at each other as they lift their celebratory shots of brutally cold Stolichnaya. "Our toast to The One," they say in unison, "is that [...]

I love Austin Texas. In ways I can’t quite say. Perhaps my favorite part of Austin is the Shoal Creek bike path, which runs North-South through Central Austin from the river to 38th street or so, meandering along the creekbed through parks and nature areas. Every time I go home, I find another [...]

August 11, 2008August 19, 2008For the second year in a row the fabled Northwest Passage through the wide and deep water Parry Channel is ice free. The Parry Channel route is much farther north than the route taken with much difficulty by Amundsen in 1903 (see accompanying text at bottom of Arctic Sea Ice News page.Anyone can follow the day-by-day changes in Arctic ice, and compare them to the satellite record back to 1979 at Arctic Sea Ice News and Analysis.

Sometimes when I'm missing home, I think back to the summer before last. It was the summer after my freshman year of college. I stayed home that summer, took classes at a local community college so I could work toward my goal of graduating from college early. I had a ridiculous crush on this boy, and meanwhile my friendship grew with another guy as I told him every detail of the progressing relationship that never was with my crush at the time. And I danced. I took ballet three days per week at the Oakland Ballet Academy, from Ron Guidi and Harold Gorton. I loved those classes, where we were fed political awareness with our pirouettes and advice for life with our adagio. I remember the leotards that I alternated that summer. I remember which one I felt best in. I remember that I got new Sanchas, and I loved them.It was that summer that I first realized that I was growing up. I remember that there were two girls there who I had met and danced with previously--one in a summer intensive program years before and another in a Nutcracker performance. They had both grown into such lovely young dancers and were beautiful en pointe. They had nearly perfected moves that I had never even attempted, moving with seamless grace and effortlessness. They were both younger than me. It was then I knew that I could never go back and that I could only live in the moment. Dance for the moment.One of my fondest memories of that summer, though, was driving to ballet class. I hopped on the 580 East, heading towards Oakland, windows down, Bay Area music blasting, doing at least 80 mph. I remember the feeling of comfort in feeling so apart of something. That's a feeling that I haven't had since I've been here in Europe. Everything, every day is new. Sure, I've developed a sense of familiarity at my U.S. military base that I go to for work each day. But even there, I don't know all of the lingo that's used. I find it fascinating, not the norm, that the majority of the children who attend our camp speak at least two languages. Some of them speak as many as five languages total. The weather changes all the time, I don't have a car and wouldn't be able to drive it if I did because I don't have a driver's license over here. So much is missing. And it makes me miss the warmth of the California sun, the cool breeze coming in through my windows which were almost always rolled down all the way, especially on freeways, and listening to "Bay Area slaps" as loud as I could with one of my back speakers being blown.Those were the days.Now? Eleven days 'til Germany. Stay tuned.

Been back from Texas for a few days now; my trip was just right - not too hot, not too cold, and got to walk in the woods.  Going home I always get a sense of moving old muscles I forgot I had, finding that word that has been on the tip of your tongue for days.  I think this trip back sealed the deal for me: I know I don’t live in Austin any more.  I felt like someone getting dumped by their cool ex; lots of interesting stuff was happening around town, but I really didn’t play a part in it any more - I felt a little bit ignored.  Still, I saw good friends, plenty of trees, and the fam. Being in Austin, brushing up against my past, I realized I’ve lost track of where I’m going, involuntarily resigning myself to ideological wandering.  I also realized that this next year will bowl me over into places I don’t want to be if I continue without the solid footing of knowing where I want to be in the future.  These next two weeks are the lull before the storm, and I want to take advantage of them to get some serious thinking done. But I also have posts.  Lots, in fact.  Some of these will be contemplative ramblings, others will be more political.  Get ready.

I am so bored at work. So, so bored. It's one of those things where I actually have work I should be doing, but I just don't have the energy. Seriously, 4:30 is just a prenatal 5 o clock, is it not?Jess's road trip, for those of you not following along on her blog(s), is going well. She sends me picture messages of wolf's-head statues and rag dolls sold at gas stations. The midwest just seems like a weird place in general, though I myself would like to go someday.Anyway, I wrote a poem:There was a horseOf course, of course.The horse was a sloth,Ate much chiken broth,And blogged about media with force.He was quite the talker,Linked to by Gawker,And laid bare all of his sins.He was blasted by bloggers,Chastised by loggers,And learned on the Internet, nobody wins.He went to some partiesWith bunches of smarties,Drank free booze to help shoot the shit.But for all of his contacts,Nobody gave his straight facts--Even Huffington couldn't help him one bit.So he blogged and he bitchedAnd then quickly hitchedOnto the fame of some others.He stole what they wrote,With nary a note,Even though he was close to these guys--just like brothers.Eventually it came--That glorious fame!The horse made front page of Jalopnik.Twenty thousand hits,A few media kits,And soon the media world was sucking his dick.They all wanted a pieceOf this horse (named Patrice)So they emailed him, typing with smirks."How do you do it?""Are you gonna go through it?"Referencing the book deal that was in the works.Finally some young whazooWho went to N.Y.U.Called the horse out on all of the crimes.A scandal! A shock!The horse was a cock!The story even ran in the Times.The horse apologized,But nobody surmised,That he was now being sincere."You lied before,You equestrian whore!Why should we listen to you here?"His book deal now deadAnd a pain in his head,The horse returned to his barn to eat.He then went to his site,And--what a sad night--Sighed and press the button "Delete."Now feeling quite lonely,And thinking "If onlyI'd be truthful from the start,I'd still have my fansTo buy me Ray-BansAnd there'd be no pain in my heart.""I have nothing to say and no outlet to say it;What's the point of going on?"So the horse shot himself and was turned into glue.-Josh

Even if you're not a big fan of Star Wars, this article is a fun read. It argues that the Empire was not as evil as the movies made it seem. It's fun to see people debating about worlds and characters that don't exist (and this goes beyond nerds, I had to read a few essays of this type about Shakespeare's characters). Read "The Case for the Empire" here.

This week I have gotten the runaround from DISHnetwork and DirectTV.  With two-year contracts, prices much higher than what is suggested, and the requirement of a home phone line for internet, I wasn’t too happy with either company.  What was worse was trying to communicate with these companies.  I am a public relations student, and [...]

Because it's responsible for shit like this. Yup, chest bones are "in," whatever the hell that means. Celebrities all over are eating even less and working out more to achieve this latest harmful and hardly glamorous trend.Seriously? Shut up, Hollywood. Shut up, actresses who are startlingly skinny and play it off like they're not anorexic even though they actually are (I'm looking at you, Calista "I-Must-Have-Vomited-My-Career-Down-The-Toilet-Along-With-Last-Night's-Dinner" Flockhart.) Here's a news flash: If We Can See Your Chest Bones, You Have An Eating Disorder. It doesn't matter if you eat three meals a day; a latte and half a crouton doesn't fucking count as lunch. And so what if you're seen in public at a restaurant? Drinking half a bottle of wine while discussing who you're going to drunkenly fondle at LAX does not a proper meal make. And like it or not, Hollywood, you're role models. You all are, but especially the young women. Millions of girls across the country look up to you and emulate how you dress, how you speak, what music you like, and even how you eat. It all goes along with the celebrity lifestyle to which so many aspire. So yes, Nicole Richie, when that girl who loves you develops anorexia because she's still a size 4, it's partially your fault. I know you probably don't care, and don't want to deal with it, but there it is. You have a responsibility because you are a public figure. "But we have an obesity crisis!" you say. True, but I think that maybe, part of that is because our celebrity role models have achieved such unrealistic body types that we've gone the other direction; in other words, if I can't be like my favorite starlet and have a BMI of negative five, then I'm just going to eat whatever I want and never get off my ass, since I'll never be that skinny anyway. And you should eat whatever you want. It's all about moderation! If you love chocolate pudding topped with bacon and lard, then by all means, go for it. Just...don't have the entire 6-pack of pudding. Know what I mean?-Josh

Indeed, these days, John McCain is clearly a thin-skinned, whiny, petulant teenager stuck in a 70-year old body.

today is my birthday. 

Muxtape Under Attack?: The RIAA is at it again, this time they're going after internet radio.  Recently Muxtape, from our weekend time waster, posted this message on their website. On Muxtape's blog...

Perhaps the most stand-out moments come from underdogs doing great things in football. The Boise State trick play to win a 2006-2007 season bowl game, the Appalachian State shocker over Michigan during the beginning of the 2007-2008 college football season and the big win by the underdog New York Giants over the undefeated New England Patriots in the 2008 Super Bowl are all great examples.Moments such as the ones mentioned above are unpredictable, and few people, if anyone, ever sees them coming — that's what makes them so memorable and cherished by fans.So who will be the standout underdog teams in football this season? What scheduled matchups do you expect to result in crowd-pleasing plays that may go down in history? Leave your predictions in the comments section.

The climate change policy debate has produced little action, but some ideas are becoming more prevalent than others, while the science behind choosing policies is becoming better. A serious debate of all of this has just been posted over at Cato and is worth a good read. I give a general summary of each viewpoint, with some quick thoughts attached.The lead essay is by Jim Manzi, a technology executive that has advised conservative politicians. He takes a more right leaning approach and brings up some excellent points regarding the downfalls of a carbon tax and alternative energy research funding through the government. It is interesting that, ultimately, Manzi agrees that the U.S. (and other industrialized countries) need to address climate change, diverging from many other right wing politicians. I'm still not sold on only relying on the market with some, limited government involvement. He proposes the government offering small grants for businesses to produce alt. energy technologies - a good proposal - but I fear not enough by itself (I still think the government needs to take a more active role in research and development, among other programs).LIBERAL: The first response essay is by well published, liberal climate scientists, Joseph Romm. He may be the most ardent scientist when it comes to proclaiming the negative consequences of climate change and he has some great points. The most startling is the drastic decline in the ice sheets and permafrost, which will rapidly increase CO2 concentrations due to the trapped gas in the ice. He also notes the ever debated "tipping point", that while it exists, may not be known until it already happens. Policy-wise, he is very much on the left leaning, aggressive side. He notes that the U.S. should rapidly utilizing existing clean technologies, while extensively funding those in the pipeline (i.e. CCS, hydrogen, PHEV, etc.). I question whether the government can be the sole purveyor of a new technology revolution though - where does the private sector fit in? Also, is constantly stating the negative impacts of climate change really going to bring about the change needed?CONSERVATIVE: The second response essay is by conservative environmental expert, Indur Goklany. He takes an interesting spin on things and questions whether climate change is even that important within the context of environmental based health issues. He correctly states that currently, hunger, malaria, tainted water, and habitat changes are hugely more important to address than climate change. I think he is correct if the assumption is that mitigating climate change is an "insurance policy" for the future. Yet, I don't think it is - if we truly mitigate the core causes of climate change I think it would become easier to mitigate the issues he states as more important, while generally opening the door to greater societal advances. It would be less insurance and more societal progress, in my opinion. INDEPENDENT: The final response essay is by independent environmentalists and founders of the Breakthrough Institute, Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus. Let me first say that these guys get it, in my opinion. They see the battle between liberal and conservatives and instead of waiting for better times, take it head on. They propose a comprehensive retraining of U.S. workers in the same fashion that the G.I. Bill and National Defense Education Act did. They propose annual government funding of technology investment and research that costs tax payers only a dollar or so a year - much different than the farce that is the Lieberman-Warner bill in the Senate. They even go so far as to state that society needs to focus on adaptation and our energy infrastructure, two issues that seem to get lost in the shuffle. They ultimately show why Obama has it right when it comes to oil drilling and technology, I think.Thoughts?

McCain and Obama have television commercials. Ralph Nader has making unsolicited phone calls to media outlets so he can talk about what people really care about - namely, the presidential campaigns of people not named Ralph Nader. It’s a step up from debating puppets, though. GODDAMN WARMONGERING PUPPETS.

I’ve been thinking about getting a new digital camera for a while, particularly with all of the gearing up for the JuanWay Tour, and today I finally shelled out the money for a new toy. And how did I break it in? Why, by taking pictures of my cat, of course. I run a blog, [...]

Finally!  My prayers have been answered! Rachel Maddow has her own show. (h/t to Nick Beaudrot)

I'm in love with this paper line by American Crafts. every once in a while--paper like this hits me like a ton of bricks and I have to buy way too much of it.  the last design was boy scouts. 

The RIAA is at it again, this time they're going after internet radio.  Recently Muxtape, from our weekend time waster, posted this message on their website. On Muxtape's blog they assure that there has been no formal complaint by any artist or record company about their service, and that the website will be up and running soon.  Muxtape is a relitivley small music website, it seems strange that the RIAA would go after them, but it seems no website is too small for the RIAA to try to destroy it.  If the RIAA and record companies alike would only embrace digital music there would be a lot less problems.  Sites like Muxtape are so popular because they make music easy, fun, and enjoyable for everyone.  With a service this great why wouldn't the music industy come up with it's own version?  Muxtape is not any complex system or new idea, and it is something that the record company could use to boost their own sales rather than just try to destroy it.  Technology changes industries everyday, and big companies need to begin to embrace change rather than try to create laws banning it.    

karmcity: marco: Dan on McCain's response to "What does your faith mean to you?" during the Saddleback interview: McCain's entire statement of faith essentially boils down to one story about when he was a prisoner of war.  It's a pretty touching story.  One of his captors was unexpectedly kind to him.  Later, on Christmas Day, when the prisoners were let out to stand for a few minutes in the sun, the same guard silently came up to McCain and drew a cross in the dust between the two of them, left it there a minute, then erased it, all without saying a word. It's quite a story.  And it's an even better story if it's true.  The problem is that it didn't appear in McCain's earliest account of his story in 1973.  It's also strikingly similar to a passage from "The Gulag Archipelago" by Alexander Solzhenitsyn, released in the U.S. in 1973.  We also know McCain is a fan and reader of Solzhenitsyn's work, as evidenced by this article Solzhenitsyn at Work by John McCain.  Is the story true?  Does it recount a common sign used both in Vietnam and in the USSR?  I don't know.  It's enough to raise some eyebrows and perhaps prompt a bit of investigation.  If it were a copyright case, it would be enough to get it to a jury. McCain has repeatedly shown during this campaign that he's willing to say and do anything that his advisers tell him will poll well. Whatever credibility he had before this campaign was completely gone months ago. It wouldn't surprise me at all if he actually did pirate this story — that does seem like the simplest explanation, and the most likely to be true. Then why the hell does everyone seem to be worried that he may win the election? See above.

bauldoff: The Tortoro Forest Project is an international charity effort to preserve Sayama Forest, also known as Totoro Forest. This endangered sanctuary on the outskirts of Tokyo is where director Hayao Miyazaki got the inspiration for his much loved character "Totoro." Over 200 top international artists from animation, illustration, and comics are donating artwork especially created for this cause. On september 6th 2008 Pixar Animation Studios will be hosting an art auction event featuring all these fantastic pieces of art. All the proceeds of this fundraiser will benefit the Totoro Forest Foundation. Also watch for the art book to drop on September 9th, 2008. The piece above is Miyazaki Forest by wicked Ojingogo illustrator, Montreal's Matthew Forsythe, who also gets this post's via. Word.

Now, I know it’s not really nice to laugh at the plights of seven-year-olds, but as I was turning on to my street today and saw that Louisa County School Bus dropping off an elementary schooler, I couldn’t help but think “HA! Never again!” My days of public education are finally, blissfully over. Probably the lowest and most depressing stage of my existence was 9th grade gym (as opposed to 10th grade summer gym, during which I wrote an entire 70-page screenplay and watched intellectually-stimulating movies such as Shrek). As a way of getting through each terrible 90-minute class, I developed a system of counting down the minutes. If there were 40 minutes left in the class, I’d ask myself what I’d been doing 40 minutes ago: Getting picked on by that 9th grader [later convicted of armed robbery]? No, that was yesterday… Oh yeah, forming volleyball teams! Realizing that it hadn’t seemed that long since we’d picked volleyball teams, I would trick my brain into thinking there was less time in class than there actually was. I’ve found myself falling into a similar pattern with waiting for NYU - except I’m just a tad more apprehensive about that timer reaching zero this time. Five days from now, I’ll be at NYU. Five days ago, I was flying to North Dakota. That doesn’t seem like it was that long ago… That 90 minute class will be over soon.

You may remember this post from late July, about a traveler and his dog whom a community came together to help when they were stranded.Well, apparently, there's a sort of happy ending to the story. See what happened at this blog post, straight from the New River Notebook, the blog maintained by the staff at the New River Valley Bureau of The Roanoke Times.

I had a girls’ night in a few days ago. There were seven of us. We all have Russian passporta that we use extensively to travel and sometimes to study abroad. Three of us currently attend colleges abroad, the other four are at school in Russia. Together, we have two foreign and three Russian boyfriends; two of us just got out of relationships.  Between us, we speak eleven languages and one dialect. All in all, we were just your average group friends catching up with it each other. And, as always happens, we talked about what we want in life. One of us wanted more Versace in her closet; another just got addicted to thrift stores. One felt like she needed a more caring boyfriend, while another wanted a more romantic one; a third had just decided to be single for a while.  One was excited about starting her Master’s, the other one was tired of doing her bachelor’s, another one just discovered she wanted to be in the academia.  One wanted to travel more, and two of us wanted to stop traveling obsessively and to spend more time at home instead. Out of seven friends, all of us aimed for different things. Sometimes our targets overlapped, but most of the time they contradicted each other.  So what is it that women really want? I asked myself that question because someone recently found my blog by searching for "what Russian women want." To investigate, I typed in that same exact phrase on an internet search engine. And something curious came up. According to Google, all Russian women strive for one thing: a marriage with a foreigner. The first link that came up stated "All Russian Women Want to Escape from Russia" –  with an only intention of finding a foreign partner, of course. All other top nine search results are clearly about what men want: most are dating agencies, including the one that promises to regale foreign men with "Russian Girls of Model Quality." Once a man finds that model-quality Russian Woman, getting her full attention is easy. Two guides aid one in doing that: a "Russian Brides Cyber Guide" and "Russian Brides or How To Marry a Russian Woman" (correct punctuation is clearly not a way to go).  If your Russian woman is stubborn and is not willing to give in to your cyber charming skills, there is an ultimate weapon — Russian cuisine  recipes. Because we all know a way to a Russian woman's heart is through her stomach. The ‘Russian woman’ as been turned into a brand by the internet.  I am surprised no one has registered the Russian Woman trademark yet. (Or has someone?) Clearly, we have no other desires but to popularize ourselves with handsome foreign strangers who will whip out their cyber guides, make us borsch, and will then whisk us away from our homeland. Do women in other cultures have a better digital reputation? I googled my other ethnicity — Ukrainians. A quick Google search — and the terrible truth is revealed. Ukrainian women have the same interests as the Russian ones. They are clearly desperate to leave Ukraine by means of being with a foreign man. The second top search result proclaimed "A Million Young Ukrainian Women Want to Leave Their Country."  All the other ones in top ten had to do with dating. But sadly, instead of advertising hot foreigners to the Ukrainian users, they promote hot nubile Eastern Europeans. The unexpected outcome of my experiment can be to some extent explained by the Beautiful Docile Eastern European Woman Stereotype. But what about other nationalities? I explored two other ethnic backgrounds of mine: the Finnish and the (Outer) Mongolians. Mongolian women seem to be less obsessed with finding a foreign husband than the Russians and the Ukrainians. Despite three in four top results advertising photos that show off the looks and the beauty of "Mongolian Women, Mongolian Girls, Mongolian Singles," women in Mongolia clearly have other interests. Apart from dancing, (as YouTube video illustrates) they unfortunately have a variety of issues, including cross-border sex work in China. Fortunately, some ngo’s like the Mongolian Women Fund help those who need help. It turns out Finnish women have needs and interests drastically different from their ex-Communist counterparts.  Top two results claim Finnish women "want from a relationship same things other women want: loyalty, company, love." At the same time, they also "appreciate sexual affairs which are safe and yet exciting." The other interests were spread from from women in parliament to home visits of public health nurses to hysterectomy to infertility treatment and to the original Mel Gibson movie with Finnish subtitles. I subjected American women to the same search that the other aforementioned nationalities underwent. (I assumed Google would treat “American” as a synonym to “US-American.”) The US is supposedly a melting pot of all cultures, so the women there should have have interests representative of all the women worldwide. My logic was rather faulty. American women appear to be more health- and politics-conscious than anyone else. Four out of ten top links deal with health and wellness. Four links discuss what American women want in politics and society. One link is about women traveling. The top search result comes as a bit of a shock. "The fact is that control-top granny pants are simply not a substitute for regular exercise, thoughtful grooming and a healthy diet. Certainly not if you're single and interested in men." Here is what single American women want — to look good. Surprisingly for such a politically correct and litigious country, the article, originally published in The Times, compares nothing else but how well-groomed American and  British girls are. Those American women who naively believe that men should like women for their personality, not their looks, will have to find consolation in the fact that American girls are said to be better groomed overall. It's highly debatable if a google search in English is an accurate reflection of needs and values of societal group, whether in an English-speaking country or worldwide. It is remarkable that men, not women, wrote and designed most of the search results that came up. I am not writing this post under the aegis of feminism. But I would like to know if all those men actually bothered to ask women what they want. I bet if they did, the search results would look drastically different.

There’s a series of videos posted onto YouTube called “Game OverThinker”, where a guy discusses matters of the games industry to various images. A few days ago he put out “Can it Happen to Us?“, where he compares the games industry to the comics industry. The idea is that comics originally focused on a young [...]

My transatlantic voyage of August 2008 was probably a life changing experience. I went to Edinburgh, Scotland for the weekend to see my brother’s performance in the Fringe Festival. I can’t tell if I’m just still reeling from it all, or if it actually left a big impression on me, but I’m fairly certain I want to live in the United Kingdom at some point in my life. Preferably sooner rather than later. First let us discuss air travel. I’m going to say it: my father is a genius. I guess one of the perks of traveling twice as much as you’re used to when you get a new boss is that your lofty amount of accrued frequent flyer miles allows you to upgrade an entire family trip to First Class! There is really no option, when traveling across an ocean, other than First Class. I hadn’t traveled in First Class since I was ten (also pre-911), so I had forgotten the bliss of an elite seating assignment. There is the seat size - La-Z-Boy competitive, if i do say so myself. The service - drinks galore, any newspaper you want, meals (as in, more than a box of nuts). And most importantly, there are the seats that transform into beds. Beds! Yes, I full-on went to sleep in a bed over the Atlantic Ocean, and my bed had a TV, too. At the last minute it turned out to be cheaper to fly from Baltimore to Detroit to Amsterdam to Edinburgh, than to just fly direct to Edinburgh, so we had a lot of fun airport adventures over the weekend. Edinburgh’s airport is so small it doesn’t even have those walkways that take you directly to the plane’s door - you have to walk out directly onto the tarmac. Conversely, Amsterdam’s airport is so monstrous that there are actually two walkways per plane - one to the front and one to the rear. And Detroit’s airport is pretty standard. It was awesome flying in over Amsterdam and Edinburgh. The European landscape, though still green and brown, is unlike anything in North America. The Netherlands, sometimes formerly called the Low Countries, are literally low. Flat. Most of the country probably has an elevation of 7 feet. Over 20 miles inland we were still flying over farms irrigated by troughs dug out of the earth and filled with runoff from the North Sea, which looks really cool from 5000 feet up. Scotland is a thousand different shades of green and brown. The country is pretty hilly, and the mountains are called Munros, not mountains. I saw three golf courses flying in, and rumor has it the sport was invented in Scotland. It was really just beautiful looking down through the clouds and seeing the hilly green landscape (and a thousand sheep, ha). Expect a full-on family lovefest in Part 2.

Choose Responsibility, an organization founded by Middlebury College President Emeritus John McCardell whose goal is to lower the nation’s drinking age, launched the Amethyst Initiative last month. The Amethyst Initiative seeks to bring college and university leaders together to take a stand against legal age 21. Participating administrators have signed a statement saying: In 1984 Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which imposed a penalty of 10% of a state’s federal highway appropriation on any state setting its drinking age lower than 21. Twenty-four years later, our experience as college and university presidents convinces us that... A culture of dangerous, clandestine "binge-drinking"—often conducted off-campus—has developed. Alcohol education that mandates abstinence as the only legal option has not resulted in significant constructive behavioral change among our students. Adults under 21 are deemed capable of voting, signing contracts, serving on juries and enlisting in the military, but are told they are not mature enough to have a beer. By choosing to use fake IDs, students make ethical compromises that erode respect for the law. The approximately 120 signatories include President Rebecca S. Chopp (Colgate University), President James E. Wright (Dartmouth College), President Richard Brodhead (Duke University), President William Brody (Johns Hopkins University), President Lawrence S. Bacow (Tufts University), and Middlebury’s own President Ronald D. Liebowitz.  In case you are as puzzled as I was about the meaning behind the name of the initiative, its website explains: The word Amethyst is derived from the Ancient Greek words meaning "not" (a-) and "intoxicated" (methustos). … In Ancient Greece, drinking vessels and jewelry were often made of amethyst and used during feasts and celebrations to ward off drunkenness and to promote moderation. The amethyst is thus a meaningful symbol for this initiative, which aims to encourage moderation and responsibility as an alternative to the drunkenness and reckless decisions about alcohol that mark the experience of many young Americans. MiddBlog wants to know: Do you agree with the aims of the Amethyst Initiative? What are your thoughts on President Liebowitz having signed the statement?

Goddammit. The one week I’m out of town and New York Magazine actually has a cover story I’m interested in! Oh Rafael Nadal, please come live with me.

I've been thinking a lot lately about changing my hairstyle. I'm not necessarily talking about a dye job--I've always sort of dreamed of being a blonde, but frankly I think it'd be a terrible look for me--but I want to do something with it. I'm just sick of the jet-black-and-bangs thing I've had going on since the end of freshman year.So I turn to you, our trusty commenters. What should I do with my hair? Or, should I just leave it the way it is and stop bitching about it? Keep in mind that I was unfortunately blessed with body hair; it's manageable on my chest and back, but my arms and legs are rather bear-ish. I have also thought in the past about shaving my limbs, but whenever I think of the actual mechanics of doing that, I get all creeped out and have to remind myself I'm not a swimmer or bodybuilder or serial killer. Point is, light-colored hair might not be the best thing for me, what with my "hairy cockroach legs" and all (as someone on Oh No They Didn't once put it.)Also, I won't go bald. And, to answer Jess's inevitable question, NO I WIlL NOT GROW A MUSTACHE.-Josh

Before you go running of the nearest bridge, I'm talking about the GAME "House of the Dead" and not the film. Turns out the ball is now rolling on "Wii Violence" movement, which you know, is ok by me. Despite my giggles over this trailer, I don't think it's the best marketing strategy to make your in-game footage look as shitty as possible. Either way, I'm sure I'll have a Wii by then so I'll have to give "House of the Dead: Overkill" the old sporting go-around. Note: NSFW if you work at a church. There are scantily clad ladies swinging around poles! read more

All the old anxieties are coming back. My social awkwardness, my phobias of change, the lack of familiarity (except for work; I never thought I'd be so grateful for work), the crushing prospect of impermanence. Last night I told my roommate that I was going to be alone forever, and what scares me is that I'm okay with that, even though I don't think I should be okay with that.The new apartment's weird, man. It's got stairs, which is just not something you expect in New York City, or at least in an undergrad's apartment. Every morning as I leave for work, I'm always surprised by those stairs, as if they magically appeared overnight, as though they don't belong, and for a split second I have to remind myself I'm in the city and not home in Jersey, and as much as I love New York--and I do really, really love it--the realization that you're not home is crushing, and wakes me up more than coffee.I just don't feel like I live there. This happens every time I move, which, living in New York, I guess I'll have to get used to. The pillowcases feel coarse and new, like a friend's pillowcase that I've just borrowed and will never have to sleep on once mine arrive. My room, or at least my half of the room, is pretty much unpacked, but my suitcases are stacked against the wall, quiet reminders that I'll always be on the move. I have trouble falling asleep because the place feels so new; I have no sense of ownership there. It feels like I'm living in a timeshare, and in another few days I'll move to my real home for the next year, some other dorm with the familiar wooden bedframe and desk with the rounded corners. It hasn't sunk in that I can smoke and drink wherever I please, since I smoked so much in my room last year, so I still feel like I have to be furtive about it. My toiletries are in the bathroom but I hurry my showers in case the real tenants need to take a piss. I brought my old bedroom TV to the apartment, so whenever we watch HBO in the living room I sense a strange mix of novelty and nostalgia, and I can't say I altogether like it. (I watched that TV every night during high school; many nauseous hours were spent distracting myself by the images flickering on the screen.) We don't have any food yet, so we have to order delivery, which only exacerbates the lack of homeyness.Strangely, having a roommate--well, I have three of them, I suppose, but I'm talking about the boy with whom I share my bedroom--doesn't bother me at all. After living alone for a year, I assumed I'd need a while to adjust, but so far Stiven's proved to be as unobtrusive as a floor lamp but as pleasant as, well, as a friend, the friend he's been to me since freshman year. I can't wait for it to snow so that we can't leave the apartment and I finally have someone to share the scenery with. I can't wait to wake up and stay in my pajamas all day and cook pancakes with Andrea and watch 90s sitcoms with Dhani and just make it a good-ol'-fashioned snow day.I'm sure that eventually I'll get used to the apartment and I won't hesitate when someone asks me for my address. I'll break in the bed, spill some wine on the sheets, actually put my new desk to use, get locked out and help carry drunk friends up the stairs--you know, turning the house into a home, and so on--but until then I can't help feeling like a traveller who's chosen to reside for a few nights in the room of his soul mate, a mysterious other person who also loves the Fiery Furnaces and David Sedaris, and who too has surely woken up in the middle of the night, terrified of how quickly he jumped into all this, reached for a cigarette, and found a strange solace in the passing of the cars on their way to the Brooklyn Bridge, tiny from the fourth floor, speeding reassurances that the world keeps spinning, providing the perfect background music to a prolonged smoke at dawn.-Josh

If the chatter out of D.C. is any indication, the current Democratic VP front-runner is Senator Joe Biden.  There are some folks who find him pretty distasteful (Melissa McEwan, for example), but the consensus in the liberal blogosphere seems to be that of the likely choices (his competitors are Tim Kaine and Evan Byah), Biden [...]

So, finally, the preseason is here. Yeah, I'm religiously watching all of the preseason games that I can find on TV. While I get disappointed at performances sometimes, I keep thinking to myself that the games do not matter.Wow, does it ever feel good to have football back on my TV though! And this years' NFL games just seem different than preseasons past. The teams are really playing with confidence and hunger, and we're seeing more starters get playing time than expected. The whole Brett Favre drama seemed to gear up interest in football season on a national scale early on, so I think that's one reason all the players and fans are already fired up for this season. Some great displays of talents in last year's bowl games also have college football fans drooling at the chance to see what some of those bowl winners (and losers) will do with what they have to work with this year.That's right, a new season brings excitement, but it also wipes the slate clean and allows anyone to rise to the occasion to become a BCS or Super Bowl champion. What teams do you think will be surprisingly good this year, or at least really fun to watch? I recommend you check out:Virginia Tech Hokies (projected to fight Clemson for the ACC title)Carolina Panthers (with a healthy Jake Delhomme)New York Jets (with legend Brett Favre)Denver Broncos (with stunning kick returner and wide receiver Eddie Royal)Pittsburgh Panthers (at least the Backyard Brawl will be compelling)Oakland Raiders (Darren McFadden now on board)Georgia Bulldogs ('nuff said)

Well, yeah, the face has got to go, but I’d certainly prefer this to a box of Wheaties.

It always bears repeating that despite his admirable criticism of the Iraq War, Rep. John Murtha is a slimey bastard: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recently thought out loud about cutting major weapons programs like Lockheed and Boeing’s $143 million F-22 Air Force raptor jet and Boeing and SAIC’s $160 billion Future Combat Systems. Gates has [...]

My magical sabbatical was actually a weekend in Scotland to surprise my brother at his performance in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  Edinburgh was amazing, and the trip was definitely something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.  My maiden voyage across the pond!  Expect a full recap of my awesome adventure later in the week.

Robert Downey Jr. - star of the phenomenal Iron Man - clowns on The Dark Knight in this interview with Moviehole.net: “Didn’t get it,” he said, “still can’t tell you what happened in the movie, what happened to the character and in the end they need him to be a bad guy. I’m like, ‘I get [...]

The NFL season is quickly approaching, and in news not surprising to anyone I am extremely excited. In celebration of the upcoming year of football, I now present my preseason picks so that when I am completely wrong call everything I will have the proof. To make things simple I am going to go through division by division and throw out a few thoughts on each team. Then I will give you the division winner, and by the end will have the entire division predicted. I will start with the vastly inferior conference, the NFC. NFC North Chicago Bears The Bears are currently in contention for the worst quarterback situation in the league. Coach Lovie Smith announced today that Kyle Orton will be the starter. Congratulations Kyle, you beat out Rex Grossman for a starting job. That said the Bears defense is still solid (in non-Adrian Peterson weeks) but do not expect anything special from them this year. Detroit Lions Detroit seemed to be on the verge of actually turning things around last season until they ran out of gas at the end of the year. I have not heard any bold predictions from Kitna this year, but I think the team still is on the way up. Having developing beast Calvin Johnson cannot hurt, and the Lions added monster back Kevin Smith in this year’s draft. It is their defense that will ultimately keep them out of the playoffs this year. Green Bay Packers Of course the loss of Favre (and the circus of news that surrounded it) will be a huge problem for the Packers this year. There is no player in the NFL with more pressure on him this season, and possibly for his career, than Aaron Rodgers. I think he has the skill, but it is going to take at least five or six games into the year before we see him at his full potential. People forget that when Alex Smith went first overall to the 49ers a few years back, Rodgers was in contention for that number one spot. He fell to the Packers at 24. Rodgers will be out to prove the Favre-faithful and the 49ers front office wrong this season. Adrian Peterson will look to prove his rookie season was no fluke. Minnesota Vikings Everyone in sports expects great things out of the Vikings this season, and with good reason. The best rush defense in the league has upgraded its secondary to create one of the league’s more formidable defenses. Adrian Peterson is going to be widely recognized as the best running back in football by the end of the season. The wildcard here is Tarvaris Jackson. He has the weapons in receivers Berrian and Rice to make plays, but his injuries (already hurt in the preseason) could be an issue. NFC North Winner: Minnesota Vikings NFC South Atlanta Falcons Michael Turner is a nice addition, but he probably would have preferred a team with an offensive line. Matt Ryan is for the future instead of the present, so do not be surprised if he struggles this year. The Falcons are rebuilding and unfortunately will be doing that for a few more years post-Vick. Carolina Panthers If Jake Delhomme is healthy, they can win their division. Granted receiver Steve Smith is suspended for punching his teammate in the face, but when he returns he is a Pro-Bowl talent. Speaking of fisticuffs, the one-two punch of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams should give the Panthers a solid ground attack. Expect a big improvement from last year assuming they can avoid the quarterback carousel that was last season. New Orleans Saints After a miracle season that almost sent the Saints to the Superbowl two years ago, the Saints suffered a dramatic drop-off. This was partly due to the injuries in the backfield (Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister), but then again when your defense is a sieve you should probably address that. I like the addition of Shockey who will act more like a second wide receiver (behind Colston) than a tight end. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay is one of the most ignored NFL franchises right now. They have a great defense, and a solid running attack that gets even more potent if Cadillac Williams can stay healthy. If Jeff Garcia can remain consistent at quarterback I think Tampa Bay will have every opportunity to repeat their success from last season. However part of the reason they get overlooked is because they are mediocre on offense, and that could be a problem. NFC South Winner: Carolina Panthers NFC East Dallas Cowboys The Cowboys are on the verge of a Superbowl appearance (which I in no way want to occur)…if they can ever win a playoff game. Tony Romo is spectacular during the regular season, but cannot seem to pull out a win in January. The Cowboys right now are the best team in the NFC, and there is no reason they should not be able to secure a first round bye in the playoffs. Even in their tough division the Cowboys are going to have a great record, and T.O. is going for a monster season. New York Giants After winning the Superbowl teams often have a tendency to fall very quickly. In many ways I expect that from the Giants this year. The loss of Michael Strahan should not hurt too much because of the emergence of Justin Tuck on the defensive line. My problem is that I see Eli as the same old Eli that he was before last year’s playoffs. Tons of incompletions and a myriad of interceptions will certainly be the case this year. The Giants still have the talent to make the playoffs, but for those looking for a repeat: no chance. Philadelphia Eagles There are a few big questions I have about the Eagles heading into the season. Can Donovan McNabb play an entire year, and can Westbrook maintain his production given his heavier workload? I certainly hope the answer to the second question is ‘Yes’ seeing as I drafted Westbrook for my fantasy team. The Eagles always have the ability to explode and make a run, but their division is just too tough for me to see them doing any damage this year. It is a toss-up between them, the Giants, and the Redskins for a shot at the wildcard. It really is anybody’s game. Washington Redskins My comments about the Eagles ability to explode applies to the Redskins as well. They have plenty of weapons on offense, and even made a playoff run last year with Todd Collins at QB. The word out of training camp this year was that Jason Campbell was looking stellar, and if that is the case Washington will have improved its situation dramatically. I expect big things out of Portis under new coach Jim Zorn, and it is not out of the question that they can sneak into the wildcard. As I said at this point the role of second in the NFC South is up for grabs. NFC East Winner: Dallas Cowboys NFC West Can Matt Leinart finally bring the Cardinals into respectability? Arizona Cardinals Will this be the year? It seems like each and every season the Cardinals get brought up as a team who could surprise and finally break into playoff contention. And every season like clockwork they fail miserably. Edgerrin James is not getting any younger (though still can go over a grand and maybe grab 6 TDs). Matt Leinart might be able to put his drunken frat parties on hold long enough to throw a couple of passes in the general vicinity of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. With the best wide receiver duo in football you would expect more out of this franchise, and maybe we will finally see that this year. San Francisco 49ers As I mentioned up in the Green Bay section, how does that Alex Smith pick feel now? Old small-hands does not deserve all the blame though. The front office has done a poor job of building a team, and throwing 80 million to Nate Clements did not fix their defense as they thought it would. On the other hand, Patrick Willis is a man among boys, and is right now the absolute best defensive player in the league for my money. In this division, the 49ers at least have a chance. Seattle Seahawks The Seahawks replaced the fragile and currently unemployed Shaun Alexander with Julius Jones in the off-season which should help balance the pass-heavy offense they employed in 2007. At this point the Seahawks really have no choice because their receiving corps has been hit with injuries all around. The team still boasts one of the league’s best defenses though, so they should be in the mix to win the division. St.Louis Rams Every day that Steven Jackson does not report to camp the Rams get further away from winning…well, anything. Besides Jackson’s holdout the Rams have to worry about their offensive line which was destroyed by injury last year. Bulger can put up huge numbers if that line can keep him off his back. Right now things look absolutely horrible for the Rams. At this point if they win six games I will consider their season a success considering their current situation. NFC West Winner: Arizona Cardinals Wildcard Winners and Summary In short I have the division winners as the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and the Minnesota Vikings. As for the wildcard I see the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants making it into the postseason. Now that I have said all that, please keep in mind this is without seeing a single second of regular season action. The great thing about the NFL is that you never can know what to expect because of the parity on the league. Teams bubble up and fall down every year. I guess my boldest pick is the Cardinals winning the NFC West. I just see too much talent in an embarrassingly awful division. What are your thoughts on the NFL and more specifically the NFC this season? Are you as excited for the NFL season as I am?

Statistical Tidbit: 78 days until Election 2008!Photo: flickr.com©2008 Jenny From the Blog

For those of you who don't know, I have an Anole lizard named Ophelia. She laid an egg a while back, and earlier this month that egg hatched out Little Neb (short for Nebuchadnezzar), a healthy male with big ol' beady eyes. He's tiny and cute and very easy to love, as he climbs all over me. Unfortunately, he isn't doing so well recently. His energy level is way down, he's thinner, his toes are stuck together and I'm pretty sure they're broken. I honestly think he's going to end up dying. This sucks greatly; I thought I was going to able to raise him from egg to adult and that doesn't appear as if that is going to happen. I am not sad, per say, but I am a little frustrated. I thought, for some reason, it would be a good idea to let the Internet know all about my reptilian troubles. On the other hand his mother Ophelia is as healthy as can be and I am ever fascinated by her predator nature. She tears those crickets apart like nobodies business, looking delighted as can be while they frantically try to escape her jaws, squeaking in horror. (OK, not squeaking, but it's still pretty brutal) . Hopefully Little Neb will one day do the same, but if not I'm going to have to breed Ophelia and try again. In other news, the Ting Tings are worth a listen, so check them out.

For those of you who don't know, I have an Anole lizard named Ophelia. She laid an egg a while back, and earlier this month that egg hatched out Little Neb (short for Nebuchadnezzar), a healthy male with big ol' beady eyes. He's tiny and cute and very easy to love, as he climbs all over me. Unfortunately, he isn't doing so well recently. His energy level is way down, he's thinner, his toes are stuck together and I'm pretty sure they're broken. I honestly think he's going to end up dying. This sucks greatly; I thought I was going to able to raise him from egg to adult and that doesn't appear as if that is going to happen. I am not sad, per say, but I am a little frustrated. I thought, for some reason, it would be a good idea to let the Internet know all about my reptilian troubles. On the other hand his mother Ophelia is as healthy as can be and I am ever fascinated by her predator nature. She tears those crickets apart like nobodies business, looking delighted as can be while they frantically try to escape her jaws, squeaking in horror. (OK, not squeaking, but it's still pretty brutal) . Hopefully Little Neb will one day do the same, but if not I'm going to have to breed Ophelia and try again. In other news, the Ting Tings are worth a listen, so check them out.

This is a drawing inspired by Cake's "Short Skirt, Long Jacket," for perspective practice.Easter Eggs: I was playing with a logo for JE, my residential college (Jonathan Edwards), on her hat."She is fast, thorough, and sharp as a tack," --CakeReuxben

For starters, I do agree with Amy. It's nice to see rappers calling out the casual homophobia in hip-hop. But I find the bolded statement a little problematic, since it implies that there is an unusual amount of homophobia within the African-American community, which might not necessarily be the case.

Susukino from the Norbesa ferris wheel.

WWII era hats in Tanuki Koji.

SAPPORO! This is Ekimae, the area in front of the train station.

banksy

My current employment is as the Co-op student for ITS Desktop Support, the only major project so far has been the rebuilding of the department's internal website in a more interactive, database driven format. The new version of the site is being hosted in RIT's new totally redone better-than-the-old-environment-ever-could-have-been web applications environment. Despite the rather cramped space limitation, and unnecessary staging server, it's been less painful than it could be. Until I got around to porting a few of our backend processes that need to run on a regular basis. This involves command line PHP and UNIX Cron. Which would normally be well and good but this environment is really more than meets the eye.In short, developing in it is like trying to get from point A to point B in this room:It took a day to get database connections, because for some reason scripts run by Cron run on a DIFFERENT HOST than scripts run manually from the command line or scripts run by the browser. WHAT?!!!These people have obviously never heard of the principle of Keep It Simple, Stupid. So when any of these points of failure go down, the whole system dies. I found this out over the weekend. Because it went down.Every 5 minutes my cron task ran, and every 5 minutes it failed. Which meant that every 5 minutes, I got an e-mail saying that there was a problem running the script, and then another e-mail saying the script failed. I was greeted Saturday morning by well over 100 e-mails.Remember, don't laugh at the convolution of your development environment, for it might come back and pee in your shoes.:(--PXA

A friend of mine linked me an article this morning, and at first I figured “huh, pretty nifty”. Then I scrolled down and saw some of the comments, and my rage switch flicked on. Yup, the intellectuals were bashing religion again and shouting “Don’t push your beliefs on me!”, because clearly that’s the goal of anything [...]

Brevity style! Giveaway - you entered yet? Back to School posts from the College Money Network: This Writer’s Wallet: Get an Internship & Make It CountBroke Grad Student: Broke Student’s Guide to Free Software and Online ResourcesMFA of Bust: Off-campus fun on the cheapHere at PTY: Beginners Guide to Staying on Top of Student LoansGreen Panda Treehouse: Find Cheap Transportation for School and Work All good articles! Read them! Blog carnivals featuring PTY last week: No Debt Plan: Carnival of Personal Finance #165: College Football EditionBroke Grad Student: Carnival of Money Stories #72: Back to School Edition

It was almost 3 years ago that I decided to plunk down $20 on a copy of Loudres Grobet's Lucha Libre: The Masked Stars of Mexican Wrestling on Amazon to continue exploring my love of Lucha culture. read more