Ahhh...Sunday. Yes, I know it is Monday. But Sunday. See, Saturday, I spent most of the day holed up in my scrap hole trying to dig out from under the mess so I could see a table again. Almost. Sunday, I woke up to do much of the same. But my better half was bored. Wanted to know how I would entertain him. Alas, everytime we began to think of a bike ride, the weather went to...well...it went to Typical Seattle. To the point that 5 folks up north were struck by lightening. Talk about an electrical evening.
So instead, I finished up the scrap cleaning and then we made lunch. Burgers (veggie for me, thanks) and tater tots. I love tater tots. That and Kraft Mac and Cheese. I could be a happy girl with just those for a while. And maybe some peanut butter toast. And watermelon. Oh...and frozen gogurt pops. I think that's it. Water. With some lemon on it. Oh and for lunch...pho and mushroom garden rolls. I digress.
So we ate lunch and made a list and checked it twice. Then it was off to free lunch Sunday at Costco (love all the samples!) but we went to shop. We were both way off on the guesstimate at the end, but so it goes. Then, we left there and went to "the regular grocery store" to get the stuff we don't need annual supplies of--you know...hair gel, deodorant, veggies...although we did buy grapes at Costco.
After that, we went home. And though we tried not to, it was nap time. For some of us at least. I did manage to get a digi layout almost done. Was playing with some filters and totally diggin' a new non-scrap site and got some really great stuff done. Then I put it away. And we had dinner. Again, the better half whipped up a wicked great combination. Me, not being a fish gal, LOVED the salmon. I love our GF grill...totally. I like the regular one too, but the GF just keeps everything so moist. I could so become a fish girl. Anyhow, after that, it was time to get the clothes put up (trust, this is an accomplishment in and of itself) and then I hopped into bed and tried to read. Fell asleep. Slept very well. Woke up early enough (today) to get to work at a respectable hour. And my hair is not a wreck today and I managed to decently coordinate an outfit. I think I will return to hanging my clothes up by outfit as opposed to individually (ie, a shirt and slacks together instead of separately)...makes the mornings much easier.
And here we are...Monday morning. Almost 11...almost halfway through the day...and of course blue skies since it isn't the weekend after all.
Here's to a great week!
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Seriously, Tibet.
Okay. I'm a bad blogger. I know this. It might have something to do with perfectionism and not doing it until it is complete and done but forgetaboutallthat.
Go. No RUN. To this place here:
Tibet Meanderings.
Meander the site for all the verbage. Seriously. Relive the trip with me.
For those who are visual learners, go here instead:
Tibet Photos.
The photos are mostly from our SLR shots (shared camera...fun...when the P&S batteries die and you can't figure out that you need to leave the key in the slot for the electricity to work to charge it) and a few P&S pics too.
This is fun stuff. Why are you still here??
Go. No RUN. To this place here:
Tibet Meanderings.
Meander the site for all the verbage. Seriously. Relive the trip with me.
For those who are visual learners, go here instead:
Tibet Photos.
The photos are mostly from our SLR shots (shared camera...fun...when the P&S batteries die and you can't figure out that you need to leave the key in the slot for the electricity to work to charge it) and a few P&S pics too.
This is fun stuff. Why are you still here??
Thursday, June 07, 2007
And Then There was Tank Man
Last night, R and I were sitting around being lazy bums. It is summer and there is only summer tv so we got to watch some crap like American Inventor. No disrespect to the fans but really. Invent something already and stop being a reality tv ho!
Anyhow, I digress. We were futively flipping through the DVR recordings when we came upon a replay of a VERY GOOD Frontline episode. Think 60 minutes but BETTER. This particular one was on The Tank Man. You know...the dude who stopped the tanks in Tiananmen Square? Back in 89? Well, let me tell you more.
So. One of the first notes on this program is about how as they are filming the episode, they are stopped by everyone and their mama in uniform requesting to see papers--what are you doing here? Why are you filming? Never mind the irony of the fact that that place...Tiananmen Square...has more cameras than a slot room in Vegas. Anyhow, they delve into the story which is all about the back story of why most of us Westerner's know Tiananmen Square. I was what...12 years old when I saw on tv the dude standing in front of the tank. It wasn't until last night that I came to understand the back side of what all of that was about.
When we went to China, R was all about "there is no violence here, there are severe consequences for it". Until I watched the Frontline episode, I had no idea. I mean yeah, I was OUTRAGED when I watched the LA Immigration protests that turned into a police state beat down of everyone from the kids to the journalists. I was furious. But they were using rubber bullets and tear gas. Crappy stuff, no doubt. But they were not spraying through the streets with live amunition. They were not crunching over hundreds--check that THOUSANDS--of people with tanks.
I never knew. I would have been a crying wreck while I was there if I had known.
Watching Frontline after coming back from there was just so DIFFERENT. Before, I would have had this detached interest--I always love shows like that which educate and open my eyes to things going on. Most times I say "That's a shame" and move on. But last night, I understood.
When they talked about the 10 minutes of complete darkness when the lights went out the evening of June 4 in Tiananmen Square, I FELT that and understood how scary the dark could be in China.
When they talked about the throngs and throngs of people marching through the streets, I FELT that and understood what an army of 300,000 might look like in context.
When they talked about the injured being carted away on carts attached to the back of bicycles, I FELT that and understood why there was not enough room for cars or much less ambulances.
When they talked about being a journalist and getting "caught" taking pictures and having to hide the film in the toilet and come back for it later, I FELT that and understood why I felt so apprehensive taking pictures in that country.
But most of all, when they talked about the amazing speed of growth in China and the 200 million people who are now middle class, tie wearing, import car driving, children attending Beijing University and not having any IDEA what 1989 Tiananmen was all about, I FELT that and understood why I was so floored by what the Chinese are doing in Tibet.
History repeats itself. Over and over and over again.
The crux of the show was "Where is he now?" Who was the tank man? Why didn't the gov't make a show of executing him? Is he still alive? At first I thought "Surely, they would have made a show out of someone who dissed the government so publicly." But then my super analyst bf (that's why he's so good at what he does) was all "Nope, why make him out to be some superhero who stopped the gov't". And you know what...yeah it's tv and dramatic to the hilt and I'm sure they could have tracked down SOMEONE on that campus who knew what a picture of the dude standing in front of a tank was.
But on the show, not one of those college students knew what it was. Something that happened less than 20 years ago. This is EXACTLY what is happening in Tibet. Take down all the pictures of the Dhali Lama and allow only a fraction of the monks to join monestaries as used to and in 20 years, maybe no one will remember Tibet. I didn't "get' this notion at first. Mostly because I wouldn't have the patience to take on what I thought would be generations of forgetting. One generation folks. Less than 20 years. That's how long it took them to forget Tiananmen Square. How long until they forget Tibet.
You know why they have no clue about Tiananmen? Aside from the obvious "Well, they live in a communist country so the gov't controlls what they know". Guess who is helping their gov't to controll what they know?
We are. Yahoo. Google. Microsoft. We are. Google Tiananmen Square stateside in "images" and this is the first one that pops up. I Googled it while I was there (because I wanted to see kit flying images) and none of this shows up. None of it. Google helps them do that. Anything for money. But it gets better.
Yahoo actually turned over a Chinese journalist who provided a NY journalist with information on how the gov't wanted Chinese journalists to cover the anniversary of TS. They turned him over as in giving not only email and IP addresses, but times it was sent to who from what computer terminal. I loved the line by Congressman So and So (yeah, you like that) that just because it is the right thing to do within the laws of the country, doesn't make it the ethical thing to do. If that were the case, should we have turned over Anne Frank because it was the "legally right thing to do"? No...not so much.
But wait...it still gets BETTER.
Take it full circle. There's this country who doesn't so much as rely on foreign corporations to do their dirty work because instead, they have enacted a law known as the Patriot Act. Within that act, they don't need corporations to do their dirty work because instead, they just go to your local librarian and ask her to dig up your dirt. And they go to your local phone utility and your friendly banker and they even follow you to Vegas and ask the casinos to turn over all your info. I would be disgusted with the Yahoo's and Google's and Cisco's and Microsoft's of the world if I weren't so busy being flabbergasted at how ironic it is that we can be so pissed at them for doing what they do when our own government (our, relative, hi international folks!)--our own country of the free--would do the same to their people. Maybe China ain't so bad after all.
Anyhow, I digress. We were futively flipping through the DVR recordings when we came upon a replay of a VERY GOOD Frontline episode. Think 60 minutes but BETTER. This particular one was on The Tank Man. You know...the dude who stopped the tanks in Tiananmen Square? Back in 89? Well, let me tell you more.
So. One of the first notes on this program is about how as they are filming the episode, they are stopped by everyone and their mama in uniform requesting to see papers--what are you doing here? Why are you filming? Never mind the irony of the fact that that place...Tiananmen Square...has more cameras than a slot room in Vegas. Anyhow, they delve into the story which is all about the back story of why most of us Westerner's know Tiananmen Square. I was what...12 years old when I saw on tv the dude standing in front of the tank. It wasn't until last night that I came to understand the back side of what all of that was about.
When we went to China, R was all about "there is no violence here, there are severe consequences for it". Until I watched the Frontline episode, I had no idea. I mean yeah, I was OUTRAGED when I watched the LA Immigration protests that turned into a police state beat down of everyone from the kids to the journalists. I was furious. But they were using rubber bullets and tear gas. Crappy stuff, no doubt. But they were not spraying through the streets with live amunition. They were not crunching over hundreds--check that THOUSANDS--of people with tanks.
I never knew. I would have been a crying wreck while I was there if I had known.
Watching Frontline after coming back from there was just so DIFFERENT. Before, I would have had this detached interest--I always love shows like that which educate and open my eyes to things going on. Most times I say "That's a shame" and move on. But last night, I understood.
When they talked about the 10 minutes of complete darkness when the lights went out the evening of June 4 in Tiananmen Square, I FELT that and understood how scary the dark could be in China.
When they talked about the throngs and throngs of people marching through the streets, I FELT that and understood what an army of 300,000 might look like in context.
When they talked about the injured being carted away on carts attached to the back of bicycles, I FELT that and understood why there was not enough room for cars or much less ambulances.
When they talked about being a journalist and getting "caught" taking pictures and having to hide the film in the toilet and come back for it later, I FELT that and understood why I felt so apprehensive taking pictures in that country.
But most of all, when they talked about the amazing speed of growth in China and the 200 million people who are now middle class, tie wearing, import car driving, children attending Beijing University and not having any IDEA what 1989 Tiananmen was all about, I FELT that and understood why I was so floored by what the Chinese are doing in Tibet.
History repeats itself. Over and over and over again.
The crux of the show was "Where is he now?" Who was the tank man? Why didn't the gov't make a show of executing him? Is he still alive? At first I thought "Surely, they would have made a show out of someone who dissed the government so publicly." But then my super analyst bf (that's why he's so good at what he does) was all "Nope, why make him out to be some superhero who stopped the gov't". And you know what...yeah it's tv and dramatic to the hilt and I'm sure they could have tracked down SOMEONE on that campus who knew what a picture of the dude standing in front of a tank was.
But on the show, not one of those college students knew what it was. Something that happened less than 20 years ago. This is EXACTLY what is happening in Tibet. Take down all the pictures of the Dhali Lama and allow only a fraction of the monks to join monestaries as used to and in 20 years, maybe no one will remember Tibet. I didn't "get' this notion at first. Mostly because I wouldn't have the patience to take on what I thought would be generations of forgetting. One generation folks. Less than 20 years. That's how long it took them to forget Tiananmen Square. How long until they forget Tibet.
You know why they have no clue about Tiananmen? Aside from the obvious "Well, they live in a communist country so the gov't controlls what they know". Guess who is helping their gov't to controll what they know?
We are. Yahoo. Google. Microsoft. We are. Google Tiananmen Square stateside in "images" and this is the first one that pops up. I Googled it while I was there (because I wanted to see kit flying images) and none of this shows up. None of it. Google helps them do that. Anything for money. But it gets better.
Yahoo actually turned over a Chinese journalist who provided a NY journalist with information on how the gov't wanted Chinese journalists to cover the anniversary of TS. They turned him over as in giving not only email and IP addresses, but times it was sent to who from what computer terminal. I loved the line by Congressman So and So (yeah, you like that) that just because it is the right thing to do within the laws of the country, doesn't make it the ethical thing to do. If that were the case, should we have turned over Anne Frank because it was the "legally right thing to do"? No...not so much.
But wait...it still gets BETTER.
Take it full circle. There's this country who doesn't so much as rely on foreign corporations to do their dirty work because instead, they have enacted a law known as the Patriot Act. Within that act, they don't need corporations to do their dirty work because instead, they just go to your local librarian and ask her to dig up your dirt. And they go to your local phone utility and your friendly banker and they even follow you to Vegas and ask the casinos to turn over all your info. I would be disgusted with the Yahoo's and Google's and Cisco's and Microsoft's of the world if I weren't so busy being flabbergasted at how ironic it is that we can be so pissed at them for doing what they do when our own government (our, relative, hi international folks!)--our own country of the free--would do the same to their people. Maybe China ain't so bad after all.
Friday, June 01, 2007
First Janet...then...
OH MY WOW! Ms. Thang is on the Tyra Banks show. Now. I'm usually NOT a big fan of the TB show because she just so very much annoys me. Just a bit too "Girl, I'ma fix this for you."
Anyhow. She has Ms. Janet. Ms. Jackson if ya Nasty herself. On the show today. Now. I cannot BEGIN to tell you how much of a Janet fan I am. I would be a stalker if I were not too lazy to do something like that. So she's on the show today and she gave Tyra permission to ask her 20 questions that no one has ever asked her before.
No biggy--like everyone else, she's gonna lob softballs at her and Ms. Jackson will remain Ms. Innocent but yeah, go listen to some of them interludes on her album. Yeah.
Tyra is off the HOOK. Asking her stuff that most folks didn't have the guts to ask. And the answers? Whoa now! I might have to go out of my way to buy like the video transcript of this show. I love me some Janet. She can sing. She can dance. She is so amazingly wow! I need to go buy 20 YO now.
But here's a contradiction - TB asked J if she'd rather gain a lot of weight and have her talent still or if she'd rather keep thin as she is now and not be able to have her talent. Basically, she chose both cause she said I'd have to keep my talent cause I love to dance and sing and I love what I do. honey. You wouldn't be able to dance like you do if you was thick like I am (or like I supposedly saw you before you dropped all that weight--you know...in the mags...) AND I bet half the world would fall off if you couldn't both dance and sing and get nasty with it like you do. True, there are some boys that like big girls. But they know you're a tiny girl (REALLY--she's like up to Tyra's underboobie AND she's wearing like 8 inch stacked heels...true Tyra is wearing like 4 inches herself, but still) so that big girl thing won't fly.
OH MY...TB just asked about J's worst weave disaster. TB said she loved J in That's the Way Love Goes and she tried to get a weave like that. J turned to look at the photo and said "you're beautiful". And then...she busts out with "Oh, so that's what you were trying to do?"
LMAO. I mean come on...she's just so sweet. She was like "I didn't mean it like that, just that you know..."
If J could do a reality show and had to choose from American Idol, So you Think you can dance or America's Top Model. She chose Idol. Of course (smile). I love how real J is...all out there with the "in my 30's, I hated what I looked like". And now, she finally looks in the mirror and can say "I love the sway of my back and my smile."
Okay.
Too real. I'ma go watch and stop transcribing. I might have to start watching this show all over again. 21 minutes till my next session. Stop the commercials already!
ETA! Oh and yeah...I wish I was on the dance team again. Janet brings back some memories...ohhh man.
Anyhow. She has Ms. Janet. Ms. Jackson if ya Nasty herself. On the show today. Now. I cannot BEGIN to tell you how much of a Janet fan I am. I would be a stalker if I were not too lazy to do something like that. So she's on the show today and she gave Tyra permission to ask her 20 questions that no one has ever asked her before.
No biggy--like everyone else, she's gonna lob softballs at her and Ms. Jackson will remain Ms. Innocent but yeah, go listen to some of them interludes on her album. Yeah.
Tyra is off the HOOK. Asking her stuff that most folks didn't have the guts to ask. And the answers? Whoa now! I might have to go out of my way to buy like the video transcript of this show. I love me some Janet. She can sing. She can dance. She is so amazingly wow! I need to go buy 20 YO now.
But here's a contradiction - TB asked J if she'd rather gain a lot of weight and have her talent still or if she'd rather keep thin as she is now and not be able to have her talent. Basically, she chose both cause she said I'd have to keep my talent cause I love to dance and sing and I love what I do. honey. You wouldn't be able to dance like you do if you was thick like I am (or like I supposedly saw you before you dropped all that weight--you know...in the mags...) AND I bet half the world would fall off if you couldn't both dance and sing and get nasty with it like you do. True, there are some boys that like big girls. But they know you're a tiny girl (REALLY--she's like up to Tyra's underboobie AND she's wearing like 8 inch stacked heels...true Tyra is wearing like 4 inches herself, but still) so that big girl thing won't fly.
OH MY...TB just asked about J's worst weave disaster. TB said she loved J in That's the Way Love Goes and she tried to get a weave like that. J turned to look at the photo and said "you're beautiful". And then...she busts out with "Oh, so that's what you were trying to do?"
LMAO. I mean come on...she's just so sweet. She was like "I didn't mean it like that, just that you know..."
If J could do a reality show and had to choose from American Idol, So you Think you can dance or America's Top Model. She chose Idol. Of course (smile). I love how real J is...all out there with the "in my 30's, I hated what I looked like". And now, she finally looks in the mirror and can say "I love the sway of my back and my smile."
Okay.
Too real. I'ma go watch and stop transcribing. I might have to start watching this show all over again. 21 minutes till my next session. Stop the commercials already!
ETA! Oh and yeah...I wish I was on the dance team again. Janet brings back some memories...ohhh man.
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