(new poster by Shepard Fairey)
14 years ago
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
More of Me!
I know, just what you needed, right? Well, I'm pleased to announce that I've been accepted as a contributor over at the PCL LinkDump. I'll be posting under the name Desuko, just like on my other blogs. Head on over there to see not only my posts, but also what great stuff everyone else on the PCL crew has to offer.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
A Must-Read.
Allow me to be serious for a moment here (but just a moment) and direct you all to Fareed Zakaria's great piece in the latest Newsweek. Finally, a no-bullshit explanation of the financial meltdown that explains what went wrong, how to fix it, and why it's not as dire as the money managers would have us believe. Check it out.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
List Meme.
Meme time yet again. The instructions:
* Bold the ones that are true.
* Italicize the ones that are sort of true.
Please elaborate on them too ;)
General
- I am 5'4" or shorter
- I think I'm ugly.
- I have many scars.
- I tan easily.
- I wish my hair was a different color.
- I have friends who have never seen my natural hair colour.
- I have a tattoo.
- I am self-conscious about my appearance.
- I have/had braces.
- I wear glasses.
- I'd get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free, scar-free.
- I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger. (Oh, if only...)
- I have had more than two piercings.
- I have had piercings in places besides my ears.
- I have freckles.
Family/Home Life
- I've sworn at my parents.
- I've run away from home.
- I've been kicked out of the house.
- My biological parents are together.
- I have a sibling less than one year old.
- I want to have kids someday.
- I have children.
- I've lost a child.
Embarrassment
- I've slipped out a "lol" in a spoken conversation.
- Disney movies still make me cry.
- I've snorted while laughing. (Very rarely, mind you!)
- I've laughed so hard I've cried.
- I've glued my hand to something.
- I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
- I've had my trousers rip in public.
- I've had stitches.
- I've broken a bone.
- I've had my tonsils removed.
- I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.
- I've had my wisdom teeth removed. (Why is all this medical stuff considered embarrassing, anyway?)
- I've had serious surgery.
- I've had chicken pox.
Travelling
- I've driven over 200 miles (320km) in one day. (I think my record is in the 600-700 mile range.)
- I've been on a plane.
- I've been to North America.
- I've been to Niagara Falls.
- I've been to Japan.
- I've been to Europe.
- I've been to Africa.
Experiences
- I've been lost in my city.
- I've seen a shooting star.
- I've wished on a shooting star.
- I've seen a meteor shower.
- I've gone out in public in my pajamas.
- I've pushed all the buttons in an elevator.
- I've been to a casino. (It's been far too long, too. I need the money to go to Vegas again.)
- I've been skydiving.
- I've gone skinny dipping. (Although I totally would if the situation presented itself.)
- I've played spin the bottle. (Only once, when I was a kid. But it was a tame truth-or-dare version of spin the bottle, so I feel totally gypped now.)
- I've crashed a car.
- I've been skiing.
- I've been in a play.
- I've met someone in person from the internet. (Too many to count. I've even been married to one.)
- I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.
- I've seen the northern lights.
- I've sat on a roof top at night.
- I've played chicken.
- I've seen the RHPS. (Only on video.)
- I've eaten sushi. (Love it. More please!)
- I've been snowboarding.
Relationships
- I'm single.
- I'm in a relationship.
- I'm available.
- I'm engaged.
- I'm married.
- I've gone on a blind date. (Something else I'd totally do, but it's never been offered to me.)
- I've been the dumpee more than the dumper.
- I have a fear of abandonment.
- I've been divorced.
- I've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
- I've told someone I loved them when I didn't.
- I've told someone I didn't love them when I did.
- I've kept something from a past relationship.
Sexuality
- I've had a crush on someone of the same gender.
- I've kissed a member of the same gender.
- I've had sex with someone of the opposite gender.
- I've had sex with someone of the same gender.
- I've had sex with more than one person at the same time. (If only that one time had worked out better...)
- I am a cuddler.
- I've been kissed in the rain.
- I've had sex outdoors. (Add this to the list of things I want to do, and feel pathetic about not having done yet.)
- I've hugged a stranger.
- I have kissed a stranger.
- I have had sex with a stranger.
Honesty/Crime
- I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.
- I have lied to my parents about where I am.
- I am keeping a secret from the world.
- I've cheated while playing a video game.
- I've cheated on a test. (But only to give someone else the answers, not to get them myself. Because, yes, I am Just That Smart.)
- I've driven through a red light.
- I've been suspended from school.
- I've witnessed a crime.
- I've been in a fist fight.
- I've been arrested.
- I've shoplifted.
Drugs/Alcohol
- I've consumed alcohol.
- I have/do smoke(d) cigarettes. (Tried them once. None since.)
- I have/do smoke(d) pot.
- I regularly drink.
- I've taken painkillers when I didn't need them.
- I take cough medication when I'm not sick.
- I've done hard drugs.
- I've been addicted to an illegal substance.
- I can't swallow pills.
- I can swallow about five pills at a time no problem.
Random
- I can sing well. (Probably better than not.)
- I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
- I open up to others too easily. (My life seems like a constant struggle between being too open and hiding in the shadows.)
- I watch the news. (But reading it is better.)
- I don't kill bugs.
- I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for sake of being able to rhyme.
- I fucking swear regularly.
- I sing in the shower.
- I am a morning person. (This is becoming less true as I get older.)
- I paid for my mobile phone ring tone.
- I'm a snob about grammar. (I'm a copy editor. It comes with the territory.)
- I am a sports fanatic. (Viva Los Dodgers!)
- I play with my hair.
- I have/had "x"s in my screen name.
- I love being neat.
- I love spam.
- I've copied more than 30 cds in a day. (I'm a menace to society.)
- I bake well.
- My favorite color is either white, yellow, pink, red or blue.
- I don't know how to shoot a gun.
- I am in love with love. (This is generally true, although I'm feeling a little cynical about that lately.)
- I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
- I laugh at my own jokes.
- I eat fast food weekly. (I've done so in the past, and probably would wind up doing it again if I could afford it.)
- I believe in ghosts.
- I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
- I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
- I am really ticklish.
- I love white chocolate.
- I bite my nails.
- I play video games.
- I'm good at remembering faces.
- I'm good at remembering names.
- I'm good at remembering dates.
- I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
- My answers are totally honest.
Feel free to do your own!
* Bold the ones that are true.
* Italicize the ones that are sort of true.
Please elaborate on them too ;)
General
- I am 5'4" or shorter
- I think I'm ugly.
- I have many scars.
- I tan easily.
- I wish my hair was a different color.
- I have friends who have never seen my natural hair colour.
- I have a tattoo.
- I am self-conscious about my appearance.
- I have/had braces.
- I wear glasses.
- I'd get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free, scar-free.
- I've been told I'm attractive by a complete stranger. (Oh, if only...)
- I have had more than two piercings.
- I have had piercings in places besides my ears.
- I have freckles.
Family/Home Life
- I've sworn at my parents.
- I've run away from home.
- I've been kicked out of the house.
- My biological parents are together.
- I have a sibling less than one year old.
- I want to have kids someday.
- I have children.
- I've lost a child.
Embarrassment
- I've slipped out a "lol" in a spoken conversation.
- Disney movies still make me cry.
- I've snorted while laughing. (Very rarely, mind you!)
- I've laughed so hard I've cried.
- I've glued my hand to something.
- I've laughed till some kind of beverage came out of my nose.
- I've had my trousers rip in public.
- I've had stitches.
- I've broken a bone.
- I've had my tonsils removed.
- I've sat in a doctor's office with a friend.
- I've had my wisdom teeth removed. (Why is all this medical stuff considered embarrassing, anyway?)
- I've had serious surgery.
- I've had chicken pox.
Travelling
- I've driven over 200 miles (320km) in one day. (I think my record is in the 600-700 mile range.)
- I've been on a plane.
- I've been to North America.
- I've been to Niagara Falls.
- I've been to Japan.
- I've been to Europe.
- I've been to Africa.
Experiences
- I've been lost in my city.
- I've seen a shooting star.
- I've wished on a shooting star.
- I've seen a meteor shower.
- I've gone out in public in my pajamas.
- I've pushed all the buttons in an elevator.
- I've been to a casino. (It's been far too long, too. I need the money to go to Vegas again.)
- I've been skydiving.
- I've gone skinny dipping. (Although I totally would if the situation presented itself.)
- I've played spin the bottle. (Only once, when I was a kid. But it was a tame truth-or-dare version of spin the bottle, so I feel totally gypped now.)
- I've crashed a car.
- I've been skiing.
- I've been in a play.
- I've met someone in person from the internet. (Too many to count. I've even been married to one.)
- I've caught a snowflake on my tongue.
- I've seen the northern lights.
- I've sat on a roof top at night.
- I've played chicken.
- I've seen the RHPS. (Only on video.)
- I've eaten sushi. (Love it. More please!)
- I've been snowboarding.
Relationships
- I'm single.
- I'm in a relationship.
- I'm available.
- I'm engaged.
- I'm married.
- I've gone on a blind date. (Something else I'd totally do, but it's never been offered to me.)
- I've been the dumpee more than the dumper.
- I have a fear of abandonment.
- I've been divorced.
- I've had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
- I've told someone I loved them when I didn't.
- I've told someone I didn't love them when I did.
- I've kept something from a past relationship.
Sexuality
- I've had a crush on someone of the same gender.
- I've kissed a member of the same gender.
- I've had sex with someone of the opposite gender.
- I've had sex with someone of the same gender.
- I've had sex with more than one person at the same time. (If only that one time had worked out better...)
- I am a cuddler.
- I've been kissed in the rain.
- I've had sex outdoors. (Add this to the list of things I want to do, and feel pathetic about not having done yet.)
- I've hugged a stranger.
- I have kissed a stranger.
- I have had sex with a stranger.
Honesty/Crime
- I've done something I promised someone else I wouldn't.
- I have lied to my parents about where I am.
- I am keeping a secret from the world.
- I've cheated while playing a video game.
- I've cheated on a test. (But only to give someone else the answers, not to get them myself. Because, yes, I am Just That Smart.)
- I've driven through a red light.
- I've been suspended from school.
- I've witnessed a crime.
- I've been in a fist fight.
- I've been arrested.
- I've shoplifted.
Drugs/Alcohol
- I've consumed alcohol.
- I have/do smoke(d) cigarettes. (Tried them once. None since.)
- I have/do smoke(d) pot.
- I regularly drink.
- I've taken painkillers when I didn't need them.
- I take cough medication when I'm not sick.
- I've done hard drugs.
- I've been addicted to an illegal substance.
- I can't swallow pills.
- I can swallow about five pills at a time no problem.
Random
- I can sing well. (Probably better than not.)
- I've stolen a tray from a fast food restaurant.
- I open up to others too easily. (My life seems like a constant struggle between being too open and hiding in the shadows.)
- I watch the news. (But reading it is better.)
- I don't kill bugs.
- I hate hearing songs that sacrifice meaning for sake of being able to rhyme.
- I fucking swear regularly.
- I sing in the shower.
- I am a morning person. (This is becoming less true as I get older.)
- I paid for my mobile phone ring tone.
- I'm a snob about grammar. (I'm a copy editor. It comes with the territory.)
- I am a sports fanatic. (Viva Los Dodgers!)
- I play with my hair.
- I have/had "x"s in my screen name.
- I love being neat.
- I love spam.
- I've copied more than 30 cds in a day. (I'm a menace to society.)
- I bake well.
- My favorite color is either white, yellow, pink, red or blue.
- I don't know how to shoot a gun.
- I am in love with love. (This is generally true, although I'm feeling a little cynical about that lately.)
- I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
- I laugh at my own jokes.
- I eat fast food weekly. (I've done so in the past, and probably would wind up doing it again if I could afford it.)
- I believe in ghosts.
- I am online 24/7, even as an away message.
- I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room.
- I am really ticklish.
- I love white chocolate.
- I bite my nails.
- I play video games.
- I'm good at remembering faces.
- I'm good at remembering names.
- I'm good at remembering dates.
- I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
- My answers are totally honest.
Feel free to do your own!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
My Life in Hit Singles.
Meme time.... This one's stolen from Fred, who stole it from someone else, etc., etc. Here are the rules:Go here and see what was on the top of the charts on the day you were born and every birthday thereafter. Learn just how astrologically-musically lame your life has been. If you want, add in your own favorite Hot 100 hit single of that year, wishing that your birthday had been cool enough to have that song be #1.
1971: "My Sweet Lord/Isn't It a Pity" by George Harrison
Favorite: Oh, so many good ones here. Besides "My Sweet Lord," there's "Knock Three Times" by Tony Orlando and Dawn, "Me and Bobby McGee" by Janis Joplin, "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" by the Temptations, "Brown Sugar" by the Rolling Stones, "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves" by Cher, "Theme From Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, "Family Affair" by Sly & the Family Stone....
1972: "Brand New Key" by Melanie
Favorite: Again, so many to list. In fact, I think I like just about everything on the list. I'll go with "Without You" by Harry Nilsson, with the caveat that that's subject to change.
1973: "You're So Vain" by Carly Simon
Favorite: Man, '70s hit radio ruled. Tough to narrow down, so I'm going with a tie between "Midnight Train to Georgia" by Gladys Knight & the Pips and "Frankenstein" by the Edgar Winter Group.
1974: "The Joker" by the Steve Miller Band
Favorite: Too many to choose! "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks, "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" by John Lennon and "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas.
1975: "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" by Elton John
Favorite: Holy shit, there are a lot of different songs here. It's like there was a different one every week. Talk about a fickle listening public. Anyway, despite the fact that I love almost all of them and a lot of them have nostalgic associations for me, I'm going with "Rhinestone Cowboy" by Glen Campbell, which to me might be the most perfect pop song ever written.
1976: "Convoy" by C.W. McCall. Yee-haw!
Favorite: "Afternoon Delight" by the Starland Vocal Band. (What? You wanna make something of it? Just be thankful I didn't pick "Disco Duck.")
1977: "You Don't Have to Be a Star (To Be in My Show)" by Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.
Favorite: What? No Sex Pistols? Sheesh. In that case, I'm going with "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" by Meco.
1978: "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees
Favorite: Seriously, this was the year of the Gibb brothers. Either the Bee Gees or Andy Gibb had the #1 song for something like seven months straight. But I choose "Kiss You All Over" by Exile.
1979: "Too Much Heaven" by the Bee Gees
Favorite: Still so many to choose from. Man, if it weren't for the fact that the no one had Internet access, I wish I could live back in the '70s. My choices: "Pop Muzik" by M, "Babe" by Styx, "Ring My Bell" by Anita Ward and "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes.
1980: "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes (still hanging around!)
Favorite: Rupert Holmes again, "It's Still Rock 'n' Roll to Me" by Billy Joel, "Magic" by Olivia Newton-John and "Sailing" by Christopher Cross.
1981: "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon
Favorite: "(Just Like) Starting Over" by John Lennon, "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes and "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" by Sheena Easton.
1982: "Physical" by Olivia Newton-John
Favorite: "Centerfold" by the J. Geils Band
1983: "Maneater" by Hall & Oates
Favorite: "Down Under" by Men at Work and "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler.
1984: "Say Say Say" by Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
Favorite: "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club and "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince & the Revolution.
1985: "Like a Virgin" by Madonna
Favorite: "Like a Virgin," "Power of Love" by Huey Lewis & the News and "Careless Whisper" by Wham!
1986: "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie
Favorite: "Rock Me Amadeus" by Falco, "Invisible Touch" by Genesis and "Sledgehammer" by Peter Gabriel.
1987: "Walk Like an Egyptian" by the Bangles
Favorite: "Walk Like an Egyptian," "At This Moment" by Billy Vera & the Beaters (I'm such a nerd I still remember watching the episode of "Family Ties" that launched this when it first aired) and "With or Without You" by U2.
1988: "So Emotional" by Whitney Houston
Favorite: This is actually the first year on this list where I hate more of the songs than I like. Is this a common experience for the rest of you, to feel like this about popular music at the time you start college, or it is just that things started to suck in 1988? Or a little a both? Anyway, I still really like "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns 'N' Roses.
1989: "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison
Favorite: "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals, "Batdance" by Prince and "Like a Prayer" by Madonna.
1990: "Another Day in Paradise" by Phil Collins
Favorite: "Vogue" by Madonna and "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor.
1991: "Justify My Love" by Madonna
Favorite: "Justify My Love," "Unbelievable" by EMF and "Set Adrift on Memory Bliss" by PM Dawn.
1992: "Black or White" by Michael Jackson
Favorite: "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot
1993: "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
Favorite: Can I take a mulligan on this one? Sheesh.
1994: "Hero" by Mariah Carey
Favorite: "Stay (I Miss You)" by Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories and "Here Comes the Hotstepper" by Ini Kamoze.
1995: "On Bended Knee" by Boyz II Men
Favorite: "Take a Bow" by Madonna, "This is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan and "Gangsta's Paradise" by Coolio.
1996: "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men. (More proof that Billboard was trying to kill me in the '90s. Really now, why would these two need to team up for a song. Why? It's 12 years later and I still haven't gotten over the trauma.)
Favorite: God help me, it's "Macarena" by Los Del Rio.
1997: "Un-break My Heart" by Toni Braxton
Favorite: Is there another year with less variety among the #1's? You can count the different songs on one hand. But I'd still like "Wannabe" by the Spice Girls, regardless.
1998: "Something About the Way You Look Tonight/Candle in the Wind 1997" by Elton John
Favorite: "Gettin' Jiggy With It" by Will Smith, I guess. <*shrug*>
1999: "I'm Your Angel" by R. Kelly & Celine Dion. (Christ, it's 1996 all over again.)
Favorite: None of the above.
2000: "Smooth" by Santana & Rob Thomas
Favorite: "Music" by Madonna
2001: "Independent Women Part 1" by Destiny's Child
Favorite: "Ms. Jackson" by Outkast, "Butterfly" by Crazy Town, "Family Affair" by Mary J. Blige and "Lady Marmalade."
2002: "How You Remind Me" by Nickelback
Favorite: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem and "Hot in Herre" by Nelly.
2003: "Lose Yourself" by Eminem
Favorite: The return appearance of "Lose Yourself," along with "In Da Club" by 50 Cent and "Hey Ya!" by Outkast.
2004: The unstoppable "Hey Ya!"
Favorite: "Hey Ya!" and "Drop It Like It's Hot" by Snoop Dogg & Pharrell.
2005: "Let Me Love You" by Mario
Favorite: "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani and "Golddigger" by Kanye West & Jamie Foxx.
2006: "Don't Forget About Us" by Mariah Carey
Favorite: "London Bridge" by Fergie
2007: "Irreplaceable" by Beyoncé
Favorite: "Umbrella" by Rhianna feat. Jay-Z and "Stronger" by Kanye West.
2008: "Low" by Flo-Rida feat. T-Pain
Favorite: "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry and (I suppose) "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay.
Two final thoughts...
1) There's way too much Mariah Carey on that list for my liking. Am I going to be plagued by her latest singles every birthday for the rest of my life?
2) It's funny looking back and picking favorite songs from some of those years. If you had asked me the same question then, you probably would've gotten completely different answers.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
More Bloggy Diversions.
It's been a while, so I figured I'd share some of my new favorite blogs with you...• Passive-Agressive Notes
Those annoying little uptight notes your coworkers or roommates like to leave you can be an art form in themselves. This site gives them the proper appreciation they deserve, along with one of the most outright hilarious comment sections you'll ever see.
• It's Lovely! I'll Take It!
Snarky musings on the best of the worst of real estate listing photos.
• Cake Wrecks
More of the same, but this time taking aim at the professional cake industry.
• Strange Maps
People will create odd or badly designed maps for any occasion. This blog takes a more scholarly approach to deconstructing them, with lots of interesting historical tidbits along the way.
• Photoshop Disasters
When graphic design goes horribly wrong.
• Wrong Side of the Art
An encyclopedic collection of trashy exploitation movie posters.
• i am neurotic
Anonymous posters share their strange neuroses and compulsions. You are not alone.
And also, a couple of addictingly fun Flash games:
• GlueFO
• Mad Virus
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