The sky! The sky! Oh my word, the sky! The clouds parted for a brief spell today, brief spells, rather, and in the evening the sky was just absolutely breath-taking. Stars and stars, as far as the eye could see, and full constellations, not this bit of that and smidge of this, but full ones. All of Ophiuchus, all of Scorpius and Sagittarius, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, Eagle, Ursa Major, Pegasus, Andromeda, and so on, and on and on. Lightning in the distance, lightning to the left and to the right, and now the rains are back on top of us again and the sky is hidden once more beneath a thick atmospheric blanket.
The sky is the cherry of this trip. It is wonderful to see Josine and Cees again, and I look forward to seeing John as well. I really love Josine and Cees, I just wish I spoke Dutch. But that's my guilt-complex talking, and that I feel guilty that they have to speak English around me. Of course learning Dutch is something I greatly want to do, and have wanted to do, and will want to do until it is done, but for now I shall converse with my Dutch family in English.
ps. Santa Fe's as cute as a button.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Top 10 Sexy (Not Ugly)
2. sexy ugly
[Someone who is not conventionally good-looking (or any kind of good-looking in some cases), but possesses an appealing personality, style, or talent, and is thus considered sexually attractive by many.
First coined by the movie, "Kissing Jessica Stein."
Adrian Brody, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mick Jagger are all sexy ugly. Mick Jagger is the example from the movie.]
My personal favorites on this subject:
1. Christopher Eccleston
2. William Fichtner
3. Gabriel Byrne
4. Ralph Fiennes
5. Jeremy Irons
6. Hugh Laurie
7. Alan Rickman
8. Geoffrey Rush
9. Jim Carrey
10. James Woods
I find them all to be beautiful. They're no Pierce Brosnan, but are they even sexy ugly? In my opinion just the former.
*NB: some, but not all, can be found in a lengthy list here. I would never put Jeff Goldblum on this list, for example. He's too fine.
*update*
other names on my list: Jason Isaacs, Billy Bob, Steve Buscemi, the fine Jeff Goldblum, and on and on
[Someone who is not conventionally good-looking (or any kind of good-looking in some cases), but possesses an appealing personality, style, or talent, and is thus considered sexually attractive by many.
First coined by the movie, "Kissing Jessica Stein."
Adrian Brody, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Mick Jagger are all sexy ugly. Mick Jagger is the example from the movie.]
My personal favorites on this subject:
1. Christopher Eccleston
2. William Fichtner
3. Gabriel Byrne
4. Ralph Fiennes
5. Jeremy Irons
6. Hugh Laurie
7. Alan Rickman
8. Geoffrey Rush
9. Jim Carrey
10. James Woods
I find them all to be beautiful. They're no Pierce Brosnan, but are they even sexy ugly? In my opinion just the former.
*NB: some, but not all, can be found in a lengthy list here. I would never put Jeff Goldblum on this list, for example. He's too fine.
*update*
other names on my list: Jason Isaacs, Billy Bob, Steve Buscemi, the fine Jeff Goldblum, and on and on
Monday, July 21, 2008
oh, my mother!
She means well, she truly, truly does, but tonight was just plain silly. Embarrassing, hysterical, inappropriate, but well-intentioned, my mother sequestered the waiter, charmed him away, then said, "I have a daughter" and attempted to get his name and number. Oh, mother! Don't you know you can't do that anymore? It was actually crazy coincidental, seeing as how he had done study abroad with a kid from Oberlin, but then once she did that we were both mortified and he got back to the kitchen as quick as he could. Oh, mother!
It's all very funny, really. A comical skit, starring my (sometimes) oh-so-stereotypical Jewish mother.
It's all very funny, really. A comical skit, starring my (sometimes) oh-so-stereotypical Jewish mother.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Time heals wounds
I'm not weak. It is strength that is required to forgive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness
http://www.hinduism.co.za/forgiven.htm
Excerpts:
Anger Versus Forgiveness
O beautiful one, one should forgive under every injury. It has been said that the continuation of species is due to man being forgiving. He, indeed, is a wise and excellent person who has conquered his wrath and shows forgiveness even when insulted, oppressed, and angered by a strong person. The man of power who controls his wrath, has (for his enjoyment) numerous everlasting regions; while he that is angry, is called foolish, and meets with destruction both in this and the other world. The illustrious and forgiving Kashyapa has, in this respect, sung the following verses in honour of men that are forgiving.
"Forgiveness is virtue; forgiveness is sacrifice, forgiveness is the Vedas, forgiveness is the Sruti. He that knows this is capable of forgiving everything. Forgiveness is Brahma; forgiveness is truth; forgiveness is stored ascetic merit; forgiveness protects the ascetic merit of the future; forgiveness is asceticism; forgiveness is holiness; and by forgiveness is it that the universe is held together. Persons that are forgiving attain to the regions obtainable by those that have performed meritorious sacrifices, or those that are well conversant with the Vedas, or those that have high ascetic merit. Those that perform Vedic sacrifices as also those that perform the meritorious rites of religion obtain other regions. Men of forgiveness, however, obtain those much adored regions that are in the world of Brahma. Forgiveness is the might of the mighty; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quiet of mind. Can one like us abandon forgiveness, which is such, and in which are established Brahma, and truth, and wisdom and the worlds? The man of wisdom should ever forgive, for when he is capable of forgiving everything, he attains to Brahma. The world belongs to those that are forgiving; the other world is also theirs.
The forgiving acquire honours here, and a state of blessedness hereafter. Those men that ever conquer their wrath by forgiveness, obtain the higher regions. Therefore has it been said that forgiveness is the highest virtue."
Forgiveness is a Great Power
Vidura said: There is one only defect in forgiving persons, and not another; that defect is that people take a forgiving person to be weak. That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration, for forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong. Forgiveness subdues (all) in this world; what is there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What can a wicked person do unto him who carries the sabre of forgiveness in his hand? Fire falling on the grassless ground is extinguished of itself. And unforgiving individual defiles himself with many enormities. Righteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness is the one supreme peace; knowledge is one supreme contentment; and benevolence, one sole happiness.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgiveness
http://www.hinduism.co.za/forgiven.htm
Excerpts:
Anger Versus Forgiveness
O beautiful one, one should forgive under every injury. It has been said that the continuation of species is due to man being forgiving. He, indeed, is a wise and excellent person who has conquered his wrath and shows forgiveness even when insulted, oppressed, and angered by a strong person. The man of power who controls his wrath, has (for his enjoyment) numerous everlasting regions; while he that is angry, is called foolish, and meets with destruction both in this and the other world. The illustrious and forgiving Kashyapa has, in this respect, sung the following verses in honour of men that are forgiving.
"Forgiveness is virtue; forgiveness is sacrifice, forgiveness is the Vedas, forgiveness is the Sruti. He that knows this is capable of forgiving everything. Forgiveness is Brahma; forgiveness is truth; forgiveness is stored ascetic merit; forgiveness protects the ascetic merit of the future; forgiveness is asceticism; forgiveness is holiness; and by forgiveness is it that the universe is held together. Persons that are forgiving attain to the regions obtainable by those that have performed meritorious sacrifices, or those that are well conversant with the Vedas, or those that have high ascetic merit. Those that perform Vedic sacrifices as also those that perform the meritorious rites of religion obtain other regions. Men of forgiveness, however, obtain those much adored regions that are in the world of Brahma. Forgiveness is the might of the mighty; forgiveness is sacrifice; forgiveness is quiet of mind. Can one like us abandon forgiveness, which is such, and in which are established Brahma, and truth, and wisdom and the worlds? The man of wisdom should ever forgive, for when he is capable of forgiving everything, he attains to Brahma. The world belongs to those that are forgiving; the other world is also theirs.
The forgiving acquire honours here, and a state of blessedness hereafter. Those men that ever conquer their wrath by forgiveness, obtain the higher regions. Therefore has it been said that forgiveness is the highest virtue."
Forgiveness is a Great Power
Vidura said: There is one only defect in forgiving persons, and not another; that defect is that people take a forgiving person to be weak. That defect, however, should not be taken into consideration, for forgiveness is a great power. Forgiveness is a virtue of the weak, and an ornament of the strong. Forgiveness subdues (all) in this world; what is there that forgiveness cannot achieve? What can a wicked person do unto him who carries the sabre of forgiveness in his hand? Fire falling on the grassless ground is extinguished of itself. And unforgiving individual defiles himself with many enormities. Righteousness is the one highest good; and forgiveness is the one supreme peace; knowledge is one supreme contentment; and benevolence, one sole happiness.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Skywatching II
I went out last night again, but instead of darting amongst the sprinklers in the parks, hoping that assholish L.O. cops wouldn't yell at me for being there past closing time, I drove the opposite way and just parked the car off of Bergis. What better area than the patch of farmland we've got in town? I'm sure I looked like a crazy stalker, with my foot long telephoto lens and tripod, crouching in the grass on my hands and knees on the side of the road. Well, unfortunately the telephoto didn't work out, too heavy for my crappy tripod, but I fiddled around with my little digital and I think I might have gotten the quality a smidge better and steadier.
Jupiter in Sagittarius:
If you enlarge the second one, you'll see two little dots on the sides of Jupiter, which I believe to be two of Jupiter's moons, Io and Europa:
Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Libra at 15-second exposure:
" at 60-second exposure:
Jupiter in Sagittarius:
If you enlarge the second one, you'll see two little dots on the sides of Jupiter, which I believe to be two of Jupiter's moons, Io and Europa:
Scorpius, Ophiuchus, and Libra at 15-second exposure:
" at 60-second exposure:
Monday, July 14, 2008
Skywatching
Recently a bright star has been seen in the southeastern part of the sky, but in my opinion too bright to be a star. After checking my star chart or whatever it is, and attempting to draw the constellation so I might figure out what I was looking at, and failing by these simple means, I decided to grab my camera and a tripod, and head down to the park. I took photos of Ursa Major, Draconus, Cassiopeia, Cygnus, and of course, the bright dot in the sky that had to be a planet. The tripod sucked. It's small, and wobbly, and only one photo of those that I shot of the planet worked out. But the last one did, and once I did some research it became pretty clear that it was Jupiter in Sagittarius.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Oregon Drivers
People in Oregon do not know how to drive. Well they know how to drive, but not to drive well. My little list:
(1)If you're driving in the left lane, have the decency to drive at least the speed limit.
(2)You should drive the speed limit anyway, even if you're not in the left, and if it is obvious that you are holding up a line of cars, have the decency to pull over and let the cars pass you (for example, driving 35 mph down 43, with ten cars behind you, when the speed limit is 45 mph, is a cruel cruel thing to do. Esp. in the area where there's one lane).
(3)If for some reason you are incapable of driving the speed limit (having a panic attack, mental breakdown, on the cell phone, etc.) stop driving. Seriously. You shouldn't be behind the wheel.
(4)Cut it out with that idiotic 16 mph rule downtown. Who cares if you can drive 16 mph and make all the traffic lights without having to stop for red, because you are driving so slow, the car two or three behind you will not make that light that would have been made otherwise.
(5)Get off your bloody cell phone. Hang it up. NOW. Ok, so I know sometimes there are emergencies, and news needs to be told to the driver before anything else, but seriously. Every bloody time I take over a bad driver, or a slow driver, they are more than not on their cell phone. Hang it up, and concentrate on what's in front of you, beside you, and BEHIND you.
(6)Learn to accelerate. It is not difficult. When a light turns green, you GO, you don't sit for a minute, thinking about whether to go or not, or slowly push your foot down, you just GO, so that the people behind you and the people whose light just turned green behind those people can safely keep moving without causing congestion. I'm nearly across the intersection at a green light by the time the other cars behind me start to move.
(7)Watch how you're driving, and pull over if you need to take your hands off the steering wheel. That's right, I'm calling you out you little blonde adolescent bitch with the boys in her car, that tailgated me up McVey and then proceeded to fix her hair with both hands (off the steering wheel) and still uncomfortably close (going over the speed limit at this point). Who does she think she is? A fucking idiot, that's who, and I told her so.
(8)Just because Oregon drivers are slow and stupid, and never turn or move when they should, does not mean that pedestrians should not look both ways before crossing. We can turn right on red here, and in the absence of cars and people crossing (owing to the light being red) I turned right on red, and no sooner had I done so some idiot woman almost walks right into my car. I had space, that's why I went. She didn't even look to see if I was moving. Idiot woman. Lucky for her I know how to brake (unlike someone else I know, who thinks the brake is the accelerator, but that's another story altogether).
(9)Use your bloody signal lights. Is it so hard, if you're going to cut people off or slow down to 5 mph to make a turn, to use your signal? Really? It's just that hard? It's too much work to flick your hand on the switch to signal other drivers? I am so sorry, I did not know it was so HARD to use your turning signal. Next time I cut you off, I won't either.
Yes I will. Because I'm a GOOD driver. Unlike you, Oregonians. I use my turning signal, I drive at least the speed limit, I look both ways, I don't hold up traffic, and I rarely speak on the cell phone while behind the wheel. And how many times have I gotten a ticket? Never. How many times have I been pulled over? Not once. How many accidents have I had? One. And that's because some punk-ass kid didn't use his turning signal.
(1)If you're driving in the left lane, have the decency to drive at least the speed limit.
(2)You should drive the speed limit anyway, even if you're not in the left, and if it is obvious that you are holding up a line of cars, have the decency to pull over and let the cars pass you (for example, driving 35 mph down 43, with ten cars behind you, when the speed limit is 45 mph, is a cruel cruel thing to do. Esp. in the area where there's one lane).
(3)If for some reason you are incapable of driving the speed limit (having a panic attack, mental breakdown, on the cell phone, etc.) stop driving. Seriously. You shouldn't be behind the wheel.
(4)Cut it out with that idiotic 16 mph rule downtown. Who cares if you can drive 16 mph and make all the traffic lights without having to stop for red, because you are driving so slow, the car two or three behind you will not make that light that would have been made otherwise.
(5)Get off your bloody cell phone. Hang it up. NOW. Ok, so I know sometimes there are emergencies, and news needs to be told to the driver before anything else, but seriously. Every bloody time I take over a bad driver, or a slow driver, they are more than not on their cell phone. Hang it up, and concentrate on what's in front of you, beside you, and BEHIND you.
(6)Learn to accelerate. It is not difficult. When a light turns green, you GO, you don't sit for a minute, thinking about whether to go or not, or slowly push your foot down, you just GO, so that the people behind you and the people whose light just turned green behind those people can safely keep moving without causing congestion. I'm nearly across the intersection at a green light by the time the other cars behind me start to move.
(7)Watch how you're driving, and pull over if you need to take your hands off the steering wheel. That's right, I'm calling you out you little blonde adolescent bitch with the boys in her car, that tailgated me up McVey and then proceeded to fix her hair with both hands (off the steering wheel) and still uncomfortably close (going over the speed limit at this point). Who does she think she is? A fucking idiot, that's who, and I told her so.
(8)Just because Oregon drivers are slow and stupid, and never turn or move when they should, does not mean that pedestrians should not look both ways before crossing. We can turn right on red here, and in the absence of cars and people crossing (owing to the light being red) I turned right on red, and no sooner had I done so some idiot woman almost walks right into my car. I had space, that's why I went. She didn't even look to see if I was moving. Idiot woman. Lucky for her I know how to brake (unlike someone else I know, who thinks the brake is the accelerator, but that's another story altogether).
(9)Use your bloody signal lights. Is it so hard, if you're going to cut people off or slow down to 5 mph to make a turn, to use your signal? Really? It's just that hard? It's too much work to flick your hand on the switch to signal other drivers? I am so sorry, I did not know it was so HARD to use your turning signal. Next time I cut you off, I won't either.
Yes I will. Because I'm a GOOD driver. Unlike you, Oregonians. I use my turning signal, I drive at least the speed limit, I look both ways, I don't hold up traffic, and I rarely speak on the cell phone while behind the wheel. And how many times have I gotten a ticket? Never. How many times have I been pulled over? Not once. How many accidents have I had? One. And that's because some punk-ass kid didn't use his turning signal.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Blue Skies
The sky here is a permanent shade of blue. I absolutely love it.
This upcoming week is birthday week. Four of my friends have birthdays, two on the same day even. I just bought one of them a present, which if he doesn't want I'll totally keep for myself and force him to eat something from it anyway. Je le manque.
So I caved and finally went shopping at American Apparel. Their clothes fit me like a glove, and I can't help but love 'em. I have done more shopping in the last two weeks than I have in the last two years.
Some items I still would still like to purchase:
but in this color:
but in gray:
but I can't find it in the stores here...
Really though, leotards are the only way to go with those soft jersey skirts that show every wrinkle and every crinkle that lies beneath them.
I mean, look at that ass. She can't be wearing a thing under that.
This upcoming week is birthday week. Four of my friends have birthdays, two on the same day even. I just bought one of them a present, which if he doesn't want I'll totally keep for myself and force him to eat something from it anyway. Je le manque.
So I caved and finally went shopping at American Apparel. Their clothes fit me like a glove, and I can't help but love 'em. I have done more shopping in the last two weeks than I have in the last two years.
Some items I still would still like to purchase:
but in this color:
but in gray:
but I can't find it in the stores here...
Really though, leotards are the only way to go with those soft jersey skirts that show every wrinkle and every crinkle that lies beneath them.
I mean, look at that ass. She can't be wearing a thing under that.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
F1
Jesse is awesome. I always root for the underdog. I guess there's hope for soulmates and true love afterall. Go pink shoe laces!
A Pear Tree Grows in Brooklyn
I cannot wait to move back to Brooklyn. Cannot wait to get the hell outta here and kick the dust of Portland behind me, to leave behind all the pain and heartache. I want to start my life afresh. Relatively speaking. I mean, how fresh can it be moving into my childhood home? But totally different this time, so it is fresh. I can't fucking wait. These last several months have been forlorn and arduous, and I am ready to be out of limbo and enter the world that is adulthood. I have so much in New York to look forward to. So much. Family, friends, work, art, food, sights and sounds, the list only goes on and on.
It is not so very long until September.
It is not so very long until September.
Friday, July 4, 2008
抹茶アイスクリーム
Best thing to be recently imported into the States? Häagen-Dazs' own Green Tea ice cream. Every day that I was in Tokyo - and I do mean every day, sometimes even twice a day - I'd buy myself a quaint little cup at the コンビニ (konbini) on my way home from class.
While scoping out the ice cream section recently, seeing as how it is summer and all, I noticed something green. And lo and behold, stood my old tasty friend in pint-size form.
Häagen-Dazs, you have made my taste buds very happy. Now cut the limited edition bullshit and make that flavor permanent.
While scoping out the ice cream section recently, seeing as how it is summer and all, I noticed something green. And lo and behold, stood my old tasty friend in pint-size form.
Häagen-Dazs, you have made my taste buds very happy. Now cut the limited edition bullshit and make that flavor permanent.
Life is Awesome.
There's shit going on, but I ain't lettin' it get to me. I'm taking life by the balls.
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