http://www.amazon.com/Handheld-Portable-Uv-Led-Blacklight/dp/B000ML3S10/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/103-3314820-5959803?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1188365888&sr=1-2
Check that out. "Easily pick up pet stains and locate scorpions." "Great gem and mineral detection."
Finally. The gem and mineral detection I need with the scorpion location technology I've gone so many years without, all in one convenient package. This truly is a gift worthy of a king. I am SOOOO getting one.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Finally caught up!
Praise the Lord!!! I’m finally caught up on e-mails from my Summer o’ Fun. And by caught up, I mean that my inbox is now empty… because I moved everything to other folders. =P So technically, I still have a couple hundred e-mails that need relatively immediate attention. But at least they’ve been categorized!!
Oh, and that’s just for my work account. School is, as always, insanely behind, and I don’t see how I’m going to catch up. E-mail sometimes sucks… it lures you in with the promise of interesting readings and conversations, and then traps you into thinking you have to read everything that comes to you. I’m starting to learn that I can just delete shit that I don’t have time for… but I still feel guilty about it. There was an article on salon.com a few months ago arguing that we’re not actually socially obligated to read every e-mail, or to even keep our inboxes clear. I need to go read that article to see if it can help me justify myself.
Isn’t it weird how like 15 yrs ago no one on the planet had e-mail, but now it’s this big deal if you don’t respond to someone’s message within 24 hrs? Same with phone calls and text messages, though on a different timescale for each. Most of these methods of communications don’t have any cost associated with sending them (save the execution time), and almost always require more time and resources for the receiver to reply. I think we need to devise a system that disincents people from sending messages. That would help throttle back the traffic on the internet (porn spams!) and in my inbox, specifically. Like a slight cost per e-mail sent.
Actually, there’s a start-up I’ve heard of that’s created a sort of e-mail-based currency. When sending a message that’s important to you, you attach some currency to it as an incentive for the receiver to respond (and as an indicator of its relative importance to you). Each person on the system is only allocated a set amount of currency per month, so you can’t over-use it. I like the idea of that… it would really help me prioritize my responses if I could sort based on relative importance to the sender.
This post would fall under the “nonsensitudes” category. Or ramblings, if I were to update the name of my blog.
Oh, and that’s just for my work account. School is, as always, insanely behind, and I don’t see how I’m going to catch up. E-mail sometimes sucks… it lures you in with the promise of interesting readings and conversations, and then traps you into thinking you have to read everything that comes to you. I’m starting to learn that I can just delete shit that I don’t have time for… but I still feel guilty about it. There was an article on salon.com a few months ago arguing that we’re not actually socially obligated to read every e-mail, or to even keep our inboxes clear. I need to go read that article to see if it can help me justify myself.
Isn’t it weird how like 15 yrs ago no one on the planet had e-mail, but now it’s this big deal if you don’t respond to someone’s message within 24 hrs? Same with phone calls and text messages, though on a different timescale for each. Most of these methods of communications don’t have any cost associated with sending them (save the execution time), and almost always require more time and resources for the receiver to reply. I think we need to devise a system that disincents people from sending messages. That would help throttle back the traffic on the internet (porn spams!) and in my inbox, specifically. Like a slight cost per e-mail sent.
Actually, there’s a start-up I’ve heard of that’s created a sort of e-mail-based currency. When sending a message that’s important to you, you attach some currency to it as an incentive for the receiver to respond (and as an indicator of its relative importance to you). Each person on the system is only allocated a set amount of currency per month, so you can’t over-use it. I like the idea of that… it would really help me prioritize my responses if I could sort based on relative importance to the sender.
This post would fall under the “nonsensitudes” category. Or ramblings, if I were to update the name of my blog.
Finally caught up!
Praise the Lord!!! I’m finally caught up on e-mails from my Summer o’ Fun. And by caught up, I mean that my inbox is now empty… because I moved everything to other folders. =P So technically, I still have a couple hundred e-mails that need relatively immediate attention. But at least they’ve been categorized!!
Oh, and that’s just for my work account. School is, as always, insanely behind, and I don’t see how I’m going to catch up. E-mail sometimes sucks… it lures you in with the promise of interesting readings and conversations, and then traps you into thinking you have to read everything that comes to you. I’m starting to learn that I can just delete shit that I don’t have time for… but I still feel guilty about it. There was an article on salon.com a few months ago arguing that we’re not actually socially obligated to read every e-mail, or to even keep our inboxes clear. I need to go read that article to see if it can help me justify myself.
Isn’t it weird how like 15 yrs ago no one on the planet had e-mail, but now it’s this big deal if you don’t respond to someone’s message within 24 hrs? Same with phone calls and text messages, though on a different timescale for each. Most of these methods of communications don’t have any cost associated with sending them (save the execution time), and almost always require more time and resources for the receiver to reply. I think we need to devise a system that disincents people from sending messages. That would help throttle back the traffic on the internet (porn spams!) and in my inbox, specifically. Like a slight cost per e-mail sent.
Actually, there’s a start-up I’ve heard of that’s created a sort of e-mail-based currency. When sending a message that’s important to you, you attach some currency to it as an incentive for the receiver to respond (and as an indicator of its relative importance to you). Each person on the system is only allocated a set amount of currency per month, so you can’t over-use it. I like the idea of that… it would really help me prioritize my responses if I could sort based on relative importance to the sender.
This post would fall under the “nonsensitudes” category. Or ramblings, if I were to update the name of my blog.
Oh, and that’s just for my work account. School is, as always, insanely behind, and I don’t see how I’m going to catch up. E-mail sometimes sucks… it lures you in with the promise of interesting readings and conversations, and then traps you into thinking you have to read everything that comes to you. I’m starting to learn that I can just delete shit that I don’t have time for… but I still feel guilty about it. There was an article on salon.com a few months ago arguing that we’re not actually socially obligated to read every e-mail, or to even keep our inboxes clear. I need to go read that article to see if it can help me justify myself.
Isn’t it weird how like 15 yrs ago no one on the planet had e-mail, but now it’s this big deal if you don’t respond to someone’s message within 24 hrs? Same with phone calls and text messages, though on a different timescale for each. Most of these methods of communications don’t have any cost associated with sending them (save the execution time), and almost always require more time and resources for the receiver to reply. I think we need to devise a system that disincents people from sending messages. That would help throttle back the traffic on the internet (porn spams!) and in my inbox, specifically. Like a slight cost per e-mail sent.
Actually, there’s a start-up I’ve heard of that’s created a sort of e-mail-based currency. When sending a message that’s important to you, you attach some currency to it as an incentive for the receiver to respond (and as an indicator of its relative importance to you). Each person on the system is only allocated a set amount of currency per month, so you can’t over-use it. I like the idea of that… it would really help me prioritize my responses if I could sort based on relative importance to the sender.
This post would fall under the “nonsensitudes” category. Or ramblings, if I were to update the name of my blog.
Beer and Hotel Carpets
OK... interesting lesson I just learned. When I can't find a bottle opener, it's possible to open the bottle by placing the cap against the edge of a marble ledge, then slamming my hand down on the top. I mean, I knew that was theoretically possible, but since the only other time I'd ever done it was in Vegas when I was drunk on my 30th b-day wknd, I was skeptical it would work in normal spacetime. But it does.
However, the bottle immediately starts to spew head all over the place, but most specifically all over the hotel carpet. So be prepared to suck hard and fast (boy, if I had a nickel for every time I've heard that...). The other interesting lesson I just learned is that despite the proliferance of beer suds all over said hotel carpet, by the time you pivot 180, grab a towel, and pivot back 180, the carpet's already healed and shows absolutely no sign of ever having been spilled on. Which really is scary when you stop to wonder what else this carpet's sucked up into its unplumbable depths that I'm stepping all over even as I type.
I keep saying I'm going to buy a blacklight to keep in my laptop bag so I can see just how nasty hotel rooms truly are. I think I'll put that in my Amazon wishlist right now.
However, the bottle immediately starts to spew head all over the place, but most specifically all over the hotel carpet. So be prepared to suck hard and fast (boy, if I had a nickel for every time I've heard that...). The other interesting lesson I just learned is that despite the proliferance of beer suds all over said hotel carpet, by the time you pivot 180, grab a towel, and pivot back 180, the carpet's already healed and shows absolutely no sign of ever having been spilled on. Which really is scary when you stop to wonder what else this carpet's sucked up into its unplumbable depths that I'm stepping all over even as I type.
I keep saying I'm going to buy a blacklight to keep in my laptop bag so I can see just how nasty hotel rooms truly are. I think I'll put that in my Amazon wishlist right now.
Mmmm... bursty!
Is there anything so truly restorative after 10 hours of travel as a pint of chocolate ice cream and a bottle of beer? Well... yes, there is. Limeaid. Carrot cake. A massage. A good shag. Cuddling. Mexican hot chocolate. Fresh-baked cookies. I could go on.
But I won't. Instead, you may note that true to my own form, I'm totally on/off with the blogging. 2 weeks go by with nothing, and now I'm going to spam out like 10 posts that I wrote on the various planes I was on today, in between the roughly 75 e-mails I sent out (roughly half of which were work-related... see how productive I can be when provoked!).
Wheeee! Enjoy!
But I won't. Instead, you may note that true to my own form, I'm totally on/off with the blogging. 2 weeks go by with nothing, and now I'm going to spam out like 10 posts that I wrote on the various planes I was on today, in between the roughly 75 e-mails I sent out (roughly half of which were work-related... see how productive I can be when provoked!).
Wheeee! Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Dating is Fun!
So… I went on a date last night with this guy. We met a few months back online somewhere, and had been chatting on yahoo IM off and on since. When I was stuck in the Lima airport for 8 hrs last Sunday, I hung out in an internet café, and it was then that he and I really started chatting with any frequency. We really seemed to be hitting it off… he seemed nice and interesting, and a little sarcastic and/or snide… a good combo, overall. Worth meeting, I figured. So we made plans to do just that.
Well, the first attempt failed, but we pulled it off last night. I BARTed out to the east bay (West Oakland!), and he picked me up from the station. I really wasn’t too sure what he looked like, since I’d only seen a few small pics… and I tend to be a little overly looks-obsessed (which is pathetic and embarrassing, but I blame it on gay culture, which means it’s not my fault and really, I’m just as much a victim as those I malign). So at first I was worried about what he looks like, and if I’d be attracted to his face, his body, his voice. But then I realized we were just meeting as friends, more or less, and it didn’t matter what he looked like because we got along so well online and on the phone. So anyways, he picks me up, and I jump in his car, and I’m like, oh my lord, he’s hot. He’s almost 6’, well-built, very cute… great voice. And I’m like, oh good, this won’t be a total disaster. Yay!
We went back to his place, because he wanted to keep things low-key and eat dinner in, hang out, and maybe watch a movie. I was totally signed on to this plan (even tho I had to go to the freaking east bay) primarily because he promised to cook me dinner. I’m thinking that he’s one of those people who says how great a cook they are, and how awesome their lasagna is, and then you get there and they’ve made a passable lasagna and opened a pre-packed bag of salad on the side, and then they give you a glass of weird-tasting water and spend the whole meal making faces indicating just how delicious their grandmother’s lasagna recipe truly is, and don’t you agree, and if you’re good then just maybe he’ll give you a copy of the recipe.
Yeah. Well. Check out what he made for us. Sliced, thick, warm bread, served with olives and a melted herbed brie that I suspect he self-herbed. Pesto pasta with a pesto he made from scratch. Mashed sweet potatoes with cream and something else, that he made from scratch. Artichokes that he’d stuffed with whole caramelized garlic gloves, goat cheese, and tomatoes. Yes, made from scratch. And all I showed up with was a bottle of Tempranillo that I was all excited I’d found cause it’s from La Rioja where I visited in Spain this summer. Oh, and he apologizes for how half-assed dinner is, and how he really should have made the bread and pasta from scratch, too.
Holy god.
And it just gets better from there. He’s super sweet and a great conversationalist. He seems genuinely interested in me and my hare-brained stories. He tells me his 5 favorite movies: Transformers (the 80s cartoon version; we both cried when Optimus Prime died), Spaceballs, What Dreams May Come (he still cries when he watches it), Long Kiss Goodnight (go Geena Davis!), and the fucking Disney version of Alice in Wonderland!!!! I have two copies of that last one because I used to watch it ALL THE TIME and one time thought I’d lost my copy, so I had to buy an emergency backup. I have it practically memorized, and occasionally sing songs from it under my breath. So I share with him my favorites, like Clue, Airplane!, Top Secret, Star Trek: First Contact, and more… and he owns all of them and can throw favorite quotes and scenes at me from each one. And he loves Family Guy, and he’s seen the director’s cut of all 3 Lord of the Rings IN A ROW just like I’ve wanted to do for yeaaaars but would be happy to do it again with me sometime if I’d like. He thought 300 was a shitty movie because the storyline was “too simple”, which is BS and a horrible opinion to have, but I guess nobody’s perfect.
He oil paints, he used to DJ, he grows his own bonsais and loves gardening in general. [Apparently Japanese Red Maples are very temperamental when young and can’t go a week without water without dying. Who knew?!] He works for a non-profit related to the homeless, as well as working at a friend’s coffee shop just for shits, as well as editing wedding videos on the side for extra cash. He’s done some personal training, and the 24-hr Fitness he goes to wants to hire him on as a full-time trainer. He’s debating joining the SFPD. He runs 10-20 miles on Sundays, and has done multiple marathons. He’s also a biker, like me (sorta).
In short, I think he may be one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. No offense to current friends and family. =D
So what happened with the date? He was visibly nervous for, like, the first hour of it (why on god’s green earth I don’t know, it’s just me), but got comfortable with me and/or the date after that. We talked a lot… never ended up seeing a movie, tho we were going to watch the Family Guy movie since I haven’t seen it yet. At one point we started cuddling, which led to making out. And he’s great at that, too. He also found some trigger areas on my neck… suffice to say I had to pull him off, and still walked away with a mild hickey (which I was convinced would elicit snide remarks from coworkers, but miraculously went completely unnoticed). Things progressed, and tho I’m not entirely thrilled with my lack of self-restraint, I don’t really have any regrets. I stayed over and we snuggled overnight, and then he got us up at 6am to get me to the BART so I could get home and down to work on time.
So now I’m more or less besotted with him. He has issues… we all do, right? I got a glimpse of a few of them, and I started getting really angry on his behalf. He’s wary to trust too quickly, and I don’t blame him. So now starts the usual Graeme nonsense where I bounce between 2 extremes. On the one end, I can’t wait to see him again, and I want to text him and talk to him and IM him till I’m blue in the face or fingers or whatever. But then on the other end, I don’t want to come on super-strong and freak him out and then end up screwing up something that might have a chance at lasting more than 2 months. Most likely I’ll proceed as normal, which means random bursts of communications followed by days of silence, as I oscillate between my extremes. I’m pretty sure guys find that sort of mixed-message unpredictability totally endearing, and he and I will be walking the aisle in Massachusetts in no time flat.
Anyways, just figured I’d document this for posterity’s sake. Either he and I will read this in 5 years and laaaugh and laaaugh (hi future us!), or this can serve as a vivid example of just how confused and confusing I am when it comes to relationships.
Either way… wish me luck!
Well, the first attempt failed, but we pulled it off last night. I BARTed out to the east bay (West Oakland!), and he picked me up from the station. I really wasn’t too sure what he looked like, since I’d only seen a few small pics… and I tend to be a little overly looks-obsessed (which is pathetic and embarrassing, but I blame it on gay culture, which means it’s not my fault and really, I’m just as much a victim as those I malign). So at first I was worried about what he looks like, and if I’d be attracted to his face, his body, his voice. But then I realized we were just meeting as friends, more or less, and it didn’t matter what he looked like because we got along so well online and on the phone. So anyways, he picks me up, and I jump in his car, and I’m like, oh my lord, he’s hot. He’s almost 6’, well-built, very cute… great voice. And I’m like, oh good, this won’t be a total disaster. Yay!
We went back to his place, because he wanted to keep things low-key and eat dinner in, hang out, and maybe watch a movie. I was totally signed on to this plan (even tho I had to go to the freaking east bay) primarily because he promised to cook me dinner. I’m thinking that he’s one of those people who says how great a cook they are, and how awesome their lasagna is, and then you get there and they’ve made a passable lasagna and opened a pre-packed bag of salad on the side, and then they give you a glass of weird-tasting water and spend the whole meal making faces indicating just how delicious their grandmother’s lasagna recipe truly is, and don’t you agree, and if you’re good then just maybe he’ll give you a copy of the recipe.
Yeah. Well. Check out what he made for us. Sliced, thick, warm bread, served with olives and a melted herbed brie that I suspect he self-herbed. Pesto pasta with a pesto he made from scratch. Mashed sweet potatoes with cream and something else, that he made from scratch. Artichokes that he’d stuffed with whole caramelized garlic gloves, goat cheese, and tomatoes. Yes, made from scratch. And all I showed up with was a bottle of Tempranillo that I was all excited I’d found cause it’s from La Rioja where I visited in Spain this summer. Oh, and he apologizes for how half-assed dinner is, and how he really should have made the bread and pasta from scratch, too.
Holy god.
And it just gets better from there. He’s super sweet and a great conversationalist. He seems genuinely interested in me and my hare-brained stories. He tells me his 5 favorite movies: Transformers (the 80s cartoon version; we both cried when Optimus Prime died), Spaceballs, What Dreams May Come (he still cries when he watches it), Long Kiss Goodnight (go Geena Davis!), and the fucking Disney version of Alice in Wonderland!!!! I have two copies of that last one because I used to watch it ALL THE TIME and one time thought I’d lost my copy, so I had to buy an emergency backup. I have it practically memorized, and occasionally sing songs from it under my breath. So I share with him my favorites, like Clue, Airplane!, Top Secret, Star Trek: First Contact, and more… and he owns all of them and can throw favorite quotes and scenes at me from each one. And he loves Family Guy, and he’s seen the director’s cut of all 3 Lord of the Rings IN A ROW just like I’ve wanted to do for yeaaaars but would be happy to do it again with me sometime if I’d like. He thought 300 was a shitty movie because the storyline was “too simple”, which is BS and a horrible opinion to have, but I guess nobody’s perfect.
He oil paints, he used to DJ, he grows his own bonsais and loves gardening in general. [Apparently Japanese Red Maples are very temperamental when young and can’t go a week without water without dying. Who knew?!] He works for a non-profit related to the homeless, as well as working at a friend’s coffee shop just for shits, as well as editing wedding videos on the side for extra cash. He’s done some personal training, and the 24-hr Fitness he goes to wants to hire him on as a full-time trainer. He’s debating joining the SFPD. He runs 10-20 miles on Sundays, and has done multiple marathons. He’s also a biker, like me (sorta).
In short, I think he may be one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. No offense to current friends and family. =D
So what happened with the date? He was visibly nervous for, like, the first hour of it (why on god’s green earth I don’t know, it’s just me), but got comfortable with me and/or the date after that. We talked a lot… never ended up seeing a movie, tho we were going to watch the Family Guy movie since I haven’t seen it yet. At one point we started cuddling, which led to making out. And he’s great at that, too. He also found some trigger areas on my neck… suffice to say I had to pull him off, and still walked away with a mild hickey (which I was convinced would elicit snide remarks from coworkers, but miraculously went completely unnoticed). Things progressed, and tho I’m not entirely thrilled with my lack of self-restraint, I don’t really have any regrets. I stayed over and we snuggled overnight, and then he got us up at 6am to get me to the BART so I could get home and down to work on time.
So now I’m more or less besotted with him. He has issues… we all do, right? I got a glimpse of a few of them, and I started getting really angry on his behalf. He’s wary to trust too quickly, and I don’t blame him. So now starts the usual Graeme nonsense where I bounce between 2 extremes. On the one end, I can’t wait to see him again, and I want to text him and talk to him and IM him till I’m blue in the face or fingers or whatever. But then on the other end, I don’t want to come on super-strong and freak him out and then end up screwing up something that might have a chance at lasting more than 2 months. Most likely I’ll proceed as normal, which means random bursts of communications followed by days of silence, as I oscillate between my extremes. I’m pretty sure guys find that sort of mixed-message unpredictability totally endearing, and he and I will be walking the aisle in Massachusetts in no time flat.
Anyways, just figured I’d document this for posterity’s sake. Either he and I will read this in 5 years and laaaugh and laaaugh (hi future us!), or this can serve as a vivid example of just how confused and confusing I am when it comes to relationships.
Either way… wish me luck!
Monday, August 13, 2007
One Down, Two to Go...
Karl Rove resigned today! In the Republican Axis of Evil, he's #2 behind Cheney and ahead of Bush. This is pretty awesome news... he's always seemed so untouchable, despite all the horrible things he's done (see salon.com's War Room for a mere sampling of the shit he's pulled).
Sticking with the old political mainstay, he's resigning to spend more time with his family. I love that BS... it's always code for "I fucked up and I need to flee before I end up in jail." Again, salon.com's War Room says it best when they say, "It's not clear why, after six and a half years of the Bush-Rove presidency, Rove's wife and college-age son need him so much on Aug. 31, 2007, that they can't wait until Jan. 20, 2009." Hahahaha.
The really heinous piece of all of this is that somehow, resigning immunizes you from prosecution. I've never understood that. It's like politicians get to choose between retaining power and facing consequences for their illegal actions, or resigning and retiring into plush lobbying jobs, consequence-free. How is that fair, again? I bet you anything the federal government never levies charges against Rove. Fucking system... where's justice!!!!
Enough of that rant... I'll leave this with my rosy prediction that I fear his resignation is simply a part of Rove's Evil Master Plan for World Domination (tm). I don't trust the man, and I don't trust that he's going to disappear into the wordwork like Ari Fleischer did lo those many years ago. He's been the spider in the center of the web for far too long to give it up now... I think we'll start feeling his hand in the next 6 months as he somehow monkeys with the 2008 presidential race. Ugh. Where are all the demon-slaying paladins when you need one.
Sticking with the old political mainstay, he's resigning to spend more time with his family. I love that BS... it's always code for "I fucked up and I need to flee before I end up in jail." Again, salon.com's War Room says it best when they say, "It's not clear why, after six and a half years of the Bush-Rove presidency, Rove's wife and college-age son need him so much on Aug. 31, 2007, that they can't wait until Jan. 20, 2009." Hahahaha.
The really heinous piece of all of this is that somehow, resigning immunizes you from prosecution. I've never understood that. It's like politicians get to choose between retaining power and facing consequences for their illegal actions, or resigning and retiring into plush lobbying jobs, consequence-free. How is that fair, again? I bet you anything the federal government never levies charges against Rove. Fucking system... where's justice!!!!
Enough of that rant... I'll leave this with my rosy prediction that I fear his resignation is simply a part of Rove's Evil Master Plan for World Domination (tm). I don't trust the man, and I don't trust that he's going to disappear into the wordwork like Ari Fleischer did lo those many years ago. He's been the spider in the center of the web for far too long to give it up now... I think we'll start feeling his hand in the next 6 months as he somehow monkeys with the 2008 presidential race. Ugh. Where are all the demon-slaying paladins when you need one.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Where the Hell have I been?!
Well... I'm still behind on my Eurotrip posts, and now I have a week's worth of posts to create about my trip to Peru. I'm currently sitting in the airport in Lima, waiting out my 7 hr layover to Miami from Cusco. This last week I hiked the Peruvian Andes with several of my friends, and had a blast. It was hard as hell... we were hiking between 8000 and 14000 feet, with tons of up and down, so my legs and knees are a bit sore from all that. And sadly I didn't get to try a "famous" 6-hand Inca massage (what the hell are all those hands doing?!) because I was randomly stricken with some disease that caused me to vomit and shit about 45 lbs of material out my orifices in a 4 hr period. But enough teasing, I'll let you be. I'll try to haul my ass back here and start posting in the next day or 2. ;)
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