Trees Are One of My Favorite Things

That's why I'm so in love with this photography portfolio by Myoung Ho Lee. It's a simple idea, take a photo of a tree in its natural environment but offset it with man-made background. Makes you look at a tree in completely new way. Here's just one taste:


Another favorite:

How To Write Your Very Own House Script

I've been kind of overdosing on House lately so this step by step guide struck me as very funny.

Quote of the Day

On Palin's Turkeygate:

Sarah should write a letter to all the Liberals, apologizing for offending them by standing in front of a turkey being killed. She should then say that she won’t risk offending them again, she’ll conduct her next interview inside an abortion clinic.

I found it funny and I'm pro-choice.

via Dawn's comments

Neat

Unless you are singing blues, hip-hop, and gospel, you are most likely singing about someone's eyes.

Arrested Development Progress News

Most likely it will be made. Now someone needs to talk to Rob Thomas about Veronica Mars movie, stat.

Going to Whole Foods.....

....to get some Pirate Booty, in my head I keep thinking "Pirate Bootay." I should get a twitter/tumblr.

On Alanis and Not Being Ironic

Somehow in the last few days I've been seeing a whole bunch of references to Alanis Morissette lately. Taking it as a sign I'm posting two of her songs, "That I Would Be Good" and "Head Over Heels," because of the simple fact that I like them. Oh and are we living in a post ironic age? Irony confuses me so much, it's like porn, I know it when I see it.

Persimmons

I love the persimmons - I love them for their taste, I love them for the fiery orange color, I love the word "persimmon" - because it sounds exotic and it rolls off your tongue, I love how it tastes differently when it's ripe versus when it's "green," - if you eat it too soon, your mouth feels like you just ingested cotton balls, I love how a lot of people don't know the fruit, and I love introducing them to it. Also love this image from Yes And?

Story and warning

My dad had a persimmon tree growing near his house when he was young which he says was 40 feet tall, but this is also how tall I remember the diving board at the YMCA being when I was little. He would climb to the top of the tree, to where he could swing the tree back and forth while he hung from it. Once he did this for a while he could swing it far enough to reach the ground, when he could get off the tree and watch it swing back with a giant rushing noise. This is an image I will love forever.

We ended up with a Hachiya persimmon tonight. If you eat one of these before it is ripe it will make your mouth numb, briefly.

That Thing You Are Going Through

FYI

Don't send me a "hang in there, I really hope you are doing well, x person told me your "situation"" message, because it's crude. Either you want to wish someone to get better or you don't. You don't wait for them to contact you and then decide hey I'll take the opportunity to tell them this because I am a lazy fuck and don't really give shit but want to seem like I do. Also it's called cancer, not "situation" I'm not fucking pregnant. Seriously, it better if you don't contact me at all. Less pretending.
Oh and while we are on the subject, if you know someone is sick and you genuinely want to tell them to feel better, do so. Don't think you are bothering them. I get that people feel weird about sick people, I get that, but an e-mail is not very personal but gets the message across just fine.

Pet Peeve Of the Day

I hate when white people apologize to black people for moving into their neighborhoods. Did black people apologize to whites when they moved into the cities in the 1950's and earlier? Or when Harlem became a black neighborhood instead predominately white and Jewish? This liberal guilt is not helping anyone. Just get over being a white yuppie, please!

Not So Random Thought

I like the new google expressions. My e-mail are handled by cute little creatures. It's a cute kind of morning I guess.

Art for Humpday

"There ain't no sin and there ain't no virtue. There is just stuff people do.", originally uploaded by jakedobkin.

I don't know much graffiti art or "tagging," most of the time I find it ugly to look at. I usually don't even like "community murals" - most of the time they are tacky in trying to show the diversity of the neighborhood (see Central Square as an example of this "art"). I do however like banksy, even if his political messages are rudimentary and I often disagree with him. I went looking for banksy graffiti on flickr and found jakedobkin's account, where he takes photos of street art. This particular image blew me away. Simply in love with it. Especially the cat.

That's One Way Of Making Your Employees Feel "Special"

via

No one could have seen this coming....except some could

When does "told you so" just doesn't have the satisfying ring to it? When you've been predicting over and over the country's economy was going in the toilet and you were right. I find it amazing how throughout the video the other economist/reporters openly laugh at Peter Schiff, as PN points out Schiff gets the last laugh and the others come off as buffoons.

How Did I Miss This?

Hulu has not only one of my favorite shows, Arrested Development, but they also have Firefly! The only bad thing about Firefly is that their is only one season, so in a lot of ways it's a very unsatisfying experience to get hooked without the pay off. The characters are wonderful, it's a perfect blend of sci-fi and western, two genres I don't particularly like very much, but which works so well here. Worth the time.

Sensitivity Headache

Just the other day I noticed a teaser ad for Motrin, something about feeling the pain of a mother. On one hand I don't like teaser campaigns because I'm curious and I like instant gratification, on the other hand I think it's a good marketing ploy because it plays on the curiosity and thus makes you remember the product. It seems that the Motrin ad has touched a nerve with some very sensitivite mothers. I don't see any problems with the ad, but I guess you can find anyone offended by anything in the internet age. The ad actually entertained me.


There is actually an advocacy group for wearing babies. Don't get me wrong, my sister, who is a new mom, swears by the wrap. My niece looks quite cute being carried around and my sister is seems quite comfortable. But aren't these offended mother's taking this a bit far? What happened to just ignoring an ad you don't like? They are reacting as though Motrin called on people to take away their children. Motrin took daown the ad, which I think is lame. This is like meeting the demands of a spoiled child, sometimes it's good to point out the insanity. All this hoopla makes me want to go out and buy some Motrin and get a twitter account.

Another Reason Not To Like Huck

He kisses and tells about the primaries, smearing Romney and Fred.
Hot Air has a good breakdown of his arguments. Basically, he hates the rich and wants people to vote for him because they pray the same way he does, also he seems to believe government will save your soul or something. I would have voted for Hillary before voting for this clown.

He also has words for the Texas-based Rev. John Hagee, who endorsed the more moderate John McCain in the primaries, as someone who was drawn to the eventual Republican nominee because of the lure of power. Huckabee speaks to Hagee by phone before the McCain endorsement, while the former Arkansas governor is preparing for a spot on Saturday Night Live. "I asked if he had prayed about this and believed this was what the Lord wanted him to do," Huckabee writes of his conversation with Hagee. "I didn't get a straight answer."

Isn't Anyone Else Depressed By This?

I haven't been watching too much television, which is weird, since I totally thought I would be watching lots and lots of television. Anyhoo, tonight I wasn't in much a of a mood to communicate with people so I settled into watching 3 hours of CSI on Demand. I really don't like the new chick, too cutesy. I moved on to House, my newly discovered show. I mostly like it, but can go without all the blood. So the biggest trend I noticed in commercials? It seems like a lot of stores are advertising going out of business sales. Tweeter is saying sianora, so is Linens and Things. WAMU seems to be back in business though, part of Chase now I guess. The commercials are much less dramatic than before. Still wouldn't want to bank with them.
All these sales are making me sad. Goodbye good economy.

What I Learned About Vince Vaughn

I tend to stay away from celebrity interviews, especially profile pieces on actors. They are basically all the same, fawning over the subject matter and trying to desperately make them seem relevant, deep, and unique. Not this dude, it seems Chris Jones, the author of this light hit piece, has an axe to grind with the star of Wedding Crashers and Old School. Supposedly Vince Vaughn is fat, loud, a liar, politically ambiguous (a Hollywood code word for not being liberal enough), and is desperate to be loved. Jones almost makes me feel sad for Vaughn, but ultimately fails to make Vaughn seem pathetic. Being smart, funny, and successful usually doesn't leave others to pity you, although despising someone like that seems quite easy.
via Defamer, who goofs on how many time the article points out Vaughn's girth and appetite.

Madona attempts to make Britney look classy....

by wearing a horrific, wtf?, and non-age-appropriate outfit next to her.

So I Gave Her A Ring

Peter played me "Go To Hell, Miss Rydell" by Pelle Carlberg, it had so many great lines and the actual song is quite soothing. It made me smile on a near perfect evening. Actually the evening would have been perfect if not for me wanting to throw up all over Peter's shoes. I guess it's something to strive for.

Organic Myth

My mother has been on the organic kick ever since I was diagnosed. I've been trying to persuade her to buy conventional products to no avail.

It never really made sense to me to pay the higher price for something that had no proven health advantage. I heard too many arguments noting organic food was not much different than "conventional" food in terms of health risks. In fact the term "organic" bothered me since it was so broad and could be applied to so many things. Basically I thought it was a marketing ploy, to appeal to hippies within all of us. So it was nice to read this article pointing out that we don't know if organic food is better and questioning if it is worth the price.

Yes, it makes sense, intuitively, that crops grown without pesticides should be better for us. It's appealing, politically, to think that food grown the
old-fashioned way, by rotating crops and nurturing the soil naturally, would be
superior to food that is mass-produced and chemically-saturated.
Many people feel that way. Sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to well over $20 billion this year, according to the Organic Trade
Association, an industry group. But the unfortunate truth is that, from a hard-nosed science point of view, it's still unclear how much better, if at all,organic food is for human health

Notice the writer uses the word "feel" to describe how people react to organic food. It's not logical, but rather shoppers depend on their feelings to justify their actions. The approach is emotional rather than rational. I'll stick to my conventional fruits and veggies. The article ends with this silly advice:
"If you can afford it, common sense, though not necessarily science, would seem to favor the organics."

I've Become Retarded With Love

that and chemo brain. Seriously, my niece makes me melt with love. It's pretty disgusting. It's incredible how much she changes from day to day. Here she looks like Betka, in other photos she's my brother-in-law's child. Crazy how that happens. I've always been told that I look like my mom. Lately, I've gotten comments from the family that I have my father's eyes. Genes and family are funny that way.

Dissent Is Okay, As Long As You Are On the Correct Side

In this case the guy is not really dissenting, he is just wearing a shirt.


via ace Who muses: "And just like that, dissent is no longer the highest form of patriotism, but rather a jailable offense."

You know it's funny, as soon as Obama won I heard his supporters suddenly appeal for unity and cohesion in this country. Suddenly a remark questioning Obama's leadership/philosophy, even in the most civilized manner, labeled one a sore loser. People were telling McCain supporters to get "over it" and listen to Obama's acceptance speech. Interestingly enough, for the last eight years I heard only a call for undermining Bush and anything he stood for. So while I'm not bitter I'm not going to cheer as Obama implements a lot programs I disagree with. I'm happy that Americans chose to show the world they aren't racists, but am I happy about anything else about Obama's win? Not much.

How Cute Is Piper?

I sometimes wish I was brought up in a more outdoorsy setting. I love hiking and would have loved to be able to go riding on a snow machine or have a place where I can swing off a rope into a deep water hole in the summer. It seem like the Palin's are raising their kids with the love of the outdoor activities. These pictures of Piper are quite cute, here she is baking a cake:

Greta has been great at covering the bias Sarah Palin has been facing. Here's another pic of Piper:

Just Wondering

Why do so many "intellectuals" have a problem with idea of faith and must re-brand it as "understanding" or some kind rational b.s.? Why does the idea of faith scare people.

Funny How Politics Work

When Massachusetts had a Republican governor, the State legislature passed a law saying the governor can only appoint a replacement to the Senator's office for up to 160 days and after that there must be a special election held. Now that there is a Democratic governor and a chance for John Kerry to be called up by the Obama administration suddenly the law doesn't look so swell. Did I mention that Kerry just won re-election? So essentially they would be denying the right to voters to choose who they want as their Senator for political gain. It's so principled of them. Never mind that Ted Kennedy has been in the Senate for more than forty years, another pathetic black mark against the political process here in Massachusetts.

It would be funny...if it wasn't oh so real

So for now, let's put politics aside and celebrate this historic milestone. In his famous speech at the Lincoln Memorial 45 years ago, Dr. King said "I have a dream that one day my children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." Let us now take pride that Tuesday we Americans proved that neither thing matters anymore.

Random Observations/Coincindence

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
The word of the day on dictionary.com is footless: lacking substance.

Best Rumor

I read a rumor that Brit Hume, who I absolutely love and who is my favorite anchor on Fox, was a bit tipsy last night. I don't know why but that endears him even more to me, maybe because I couldn't drink last night. I will be sad when he goes.

Song This Morning

I got to vote and then go into work late, this song was playing as I drove on the highway. It was a gorgeous day, even though I hoped for crappy weather. I love John Lennon, even if I think his political views were simplistic at best.

Going To Vote

I'm strangely calm about this election. I'm nauseous for other reasons, but as far I'm concerned the Constitution is strong enough to endure even with two of the branches of government being controlled by Democrats.

Related:Free Election Stuff!

Related: More than you needed to know about the health of America's leaders.

Update: The lines were longer than usual.

As usual Gib echoes my sentiments and makes funnier, more interesting, and better written points than me. Read the whole thing.

1. Apparently it's perfectly OK to buy an election, and "I'm more likely to win if I flat-out buy the thing" is a perfectly ethical excuse. Don't worry, Obama supporters have too much integrity to gripe about it if you try it yourself.

2. During Obama's term of office, his children will grow into young women, and a decision will have to be made as to whether to allow them to grow up in relative privacy, or to lurk about them like vultures, waiting for the opportunity to use them to further your own partisan advantage. The person who gets to decide which route we take is Bristol Palin.

3. Remember when Ayers or Wright would come up in conversation, and Obama supporters would decry the use of sideshow issues to distract America from talking about real issues? This was all a way of offering a tear-filled apology to former Senator George Allen for the whole "macaca" thing. If they could do it all over again, George, they totally would.

4. Speaking of Ayers, once Obama wins, can we finally go ahead and admit that when Obama first met him, he thought he was really cool? An impressionable young liberal out to change the world gets to meet someone who actually, literally fought The Man, and he thought that was wicked sweet! He more or less grew out of it, but he felt the same way about Ayers in the 90's that I felt about Eazy-E a few years earlier, and for largely the same reasons. Of course, I had the semi-excuse of being a sheltered 16 year old idiot, but hey, people do dumb things when they're crazy kids in their early 30's.