It's only been 2 weeks since we rung in the new year, but it feels like a lot longer than that. Plugging away at work every day while listening to the ax being sharpened and patiently / apprehensively waiting to hear my fate is really taking its toll.

Happy Everything

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Festivus. We call it Christmas in my family, although there never really was ever any mention of Christ. I tried for a while to relate the two, but I eventually became disgusted with the idea of maxing out my credit card in order to celebrate the (incredibly inaccurate) birthday of Jesus. So for me, "Christmas" is about spending time with the friends and family that I love. It isn't about gifts anymore...I do love giving them, but I don't feel pressure to overspend or buy a bunch of meaningless stuff like I used to. This may sound like a bitter rant, but I'm actually pretty happy and content with what Christmas has become for me. I've had a great week at home in Rochester, enjoying the snow and visiting with family who live here and who also traveled from all over. As ROC trips go, this has been a mercifully uneventful one.
Highlights:
A trip to the new Henrietta Wegmans, seeing Karen and Sue
Palmer's fish fry at home with Maureen and Clark
Skiing at Bristol with Tonhya and Erich
Christmas Eve at Grandpa G's
Christmas Day at Papa's
Lots of time around the house with the fam

WTF! At least the kid won't grow up to have two left feet...

I've read before about people having a tumor removed from their flesh, and the tumor contained teeth, hair, etc. But in this case, a tumor was removed from a newborn's brain - and the tumor had FEET. Here is an incredibly graphic, slightly disturbing, yet totally fascinating picture of the foot coming out of the brain.

This Newsweek article, while perhaps not the most objective piece of journalism I've read, raises a few really good points about the rights of gays. It also highlights the fact that the bible is open for interpretation - one passage can be used to support opposing views. I agree with the author that it is pretty hypocritical to strictly follow some of the "rules" laid out in the bible (no gay marriage) and decide others don't apply anymore (divorce, ritual slaughters, having the townspeople stone your son to death if he misbehaves). Not to mention these two interesting tidbits: first, the bible never spells out marriage as for a man and a woman only - it speaks out against a man "laying" with another man. Second, the apostle Paul actually speaks out against marriage itself, saying that it is a last resort for men who just can't help it.
What I know is this:
We are all sinners.
No one can claim that one sin is greater than another. A man who lays with another man is no worse than the Sunday school teacher who gossips.
Above all, the bible teaches love. We should love, not judge or condemn, our fellow man.
What I believe is this:
A church has the right to choose who they perform a marriage ceremony for. Think of it as a private club.
A person does NOT have the right to decide whether two individuals can become legally married. If two people want to be married at a church that accepts the practice, or more importantly, at the courthouse or a country club or Vegas, they should have the same right to do so as anyone else in this world.

ECU Pirates win C-USA championship!

Go Pirates! What a great end to an exciting (albeit up-and-down) season. They are off to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, TN on January 2nd. I know ECU fans will travel, so the Pirates should have some good support. It would be a ton of fun to be there...but I will enjoy watching it from the comfort of the living room at the beach!

Now I just hope they can hang onto Skip Holtz.

OJ

I have this...thing. I tend to experience sympathy (empathy?) yes, empathy, in the strangest situations. For example, even though I voted for Barack Obama for president, when I watched John McCain give his concession speech I felt very sad for him. His disappointment was visible on his face along with the toll that the campaign took on him. I didn't wish for a different result, but I felt sorry for McCain.
Similarly, today I watched the sentencing of OJ Simpson while eating lunch at the 'dillo. (That's funny, I watched his 1995 "not guilty" verdict from my high school lunchroom.) And while a.) I know that he is guilty of the crimes he committed in Vegas and b.) I believe he killed Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman, I still felt sorry for him. He looked so sad.

This Slate article includes some pictures that remind me of Erich's style of architecture. Erich is not quite as harsh, though...he'd have a little less going on and would use more interesting materials. I'm really proud of Erich's talent. I hope when he's finished with his masters he will be able to create some artistic designs.

Why have they not arrested Jason Young? My legal expertise may come from years of Law & Order marathons, but it seems to me that all signs point to his guilt. If that isn't enough for an arrest/indictment, they really must have some damning evidence against Brad Cooper in the murder of his wife.

election reflections

It really blew my mind this morning to think about the fact that in my parents' lifetime black people had to pay a tax in order to vote in some states and now a black president has been elected. This sad history is nothing I didn't already know...but I guess when I was younger I didn't realize how recent that all was.

My Philips 26PW6341/37

So if you are reading this, it is most likely because you are the not-so-proud owner of a Philips 26PW6341/37 television, and you want to know what is wrong with it and how you can fix it. You have probably also noticed that there are hundreds of others who are experiencing the same problem with the same model: no picture, flashing light on the front of the tv. Many of these people have tried and successfully repaired their sets on their own. Just about all of us have been told by Philips "sorry, your warranty is up, you'll have to take it to a repair shop."

I am a rare case: Phillips is replacing my tv.

How did I manage this? Scroll down to find out. If you've got nothing better to do, read on and hear the incredibly amusing story of how I came to have this television.

It was autumn 2004, right around the time that so many of us made the unfortunate decision to purchase this tv. I was in a transitional place in my life: happily separated from an all-wrong relationship, cautiously beginning an exciting new one, and preparing to move to a new city and go back to school.

College football fever had taken my friends and me by storm, and after a full day of tailgating and attending my alma mater's homecoming game, what could be better than returning home and catching the UNC/NCSU game on tv?

Well, in my mind it could have been better. You see, along with my all-wrong relationship I left behind the 50+ inch television that I had paid for in full. It depressed and enraged me that I would host game day with my friends and the 19" spare tv. Luckily, while still in the stands of the homecoming game, I realized that I was still in possession of one Best Buy credit card, joint account.

1 hour, 1 tv, 1 surround sound/dvd/cd system and 1 Sound of Music dvd later, we were in business. I didn't go overboard...the tv is only 26", but it had a nice look and would perfectly suit my new apartment lifestyle.

Now, stop and take note: I am not a down-low conniving kind of person. I did have the decency to call Mr. All-Wrong a few days later and let him know what to expect on his next billing statement. I told him to let me know when it was due and I would send him money and pay it off.

Well...he never did bother to let me know. I guess he realized he owed me.

So. Fast forward to March 2007. It turns out that my free tv is defective. Same problem as everyone else you've read about online. I called Philips, they gave me the "Sorry, you're SOL" speech, and I accepted that I'd have to pay to have the tv repaired.

I don't watch a whole lot of tv...it is now October and it has only now started to bother me that I am watching the trusty old 19" Samsung whenever I do have time to turn on a show. So I did the research, saw the incredible scale of the problem with these tvs, and took the advice of many who have fixed it themselves. I went out and bought the recommended fuse, and with the help of my significant other (of 3 years and one tv shopping extravaganza), replaced the fuse, crossed our fingers, and...

Nothing.

So I called Philips, and they are sending me a new tv.

I went through the usual "Sorry, SOL" spiel before politely asking for a supervisor, who gave me the same spiel. I kept my cool (for the most part) and somehow uttered some magic combination of words including:
"Google it, you'll see"
"This problem is a commonly asked question on the Philips web page for this model"
"Do YOU expect to buy a new tv every 3 years?"
"Philips is aware there is a problem"
"Better Business Bureau"
"State Attorney General's Office"

Suddenly, a brand new option appeared: For $94 Philips would ship me a new tv. As in brand new, "comparable" to the one I have. I have to ship back the old one (shipping costs included in the $94). I expressed my concern that I'd end up with another 19" old school tube tv, but he promised that the tv would be a flat widescreen like mine. We'll see...

Raleigh Downtown Disappointment

This year’s summer concert series is a huge disappointment, and the season hasn’t even begun. Raleigh’s Alive After 5 has been cancelled due to all of the construction downtown – a lame excuse. Capitol Broadcasting claims that they plan to do “one or two free shows on Fayetteville Street” this summer. We’ll just have to wait and see, I guess.

The Raleigh Downtown Live schedule has just been posted – and it SUCKS. Last year wasn’t the best, but at least there was Butch Walker to look forward to. There is absolutely NOT ONE headlining band that I’m interested in seeing.

And what’s up with Weekend Excursion, a band that doesn’t even exist anymore, headlining after Runaway Cab, a band that just this week received yet another primetime national television placement? Not to mention that WE’s lead singer is opening up at the very next show – looks like Deep South really had to scrape the bottom of the barrel this year.

I've been really exhausted lately...I think that the new, time-consuming job combined with the semester really getting into the swing of things is really starting to weigh on me. I've been doing things that make me feel better temporarily, especially exercise classes, which are actually already making a difference physically. I always feel great throughout the day but then hit a wall again in the evening. I don't have enough time to maintain my life - my house is a wreck, I need to pay bills (finally, it's not the lack of money that's stopping me, it's the time to do it), I always feel like I'm going to be behind on my schoolwork, and work has been intense. I had a presentation earlier in the week, after working really hard to get that together I was spent. I have been able to ease off of work a little this week, and I'm having a quasi-mental health day today...I've stayed home but I'm doing work. It's nice to be here, comfortable and quiet. Hopefully that will refresh me for next week. And even though I have schoolwork to do I am going to spend some time on my apartment tomorrow - that always makes me feel good.

DIY Home Improvement Survey

I am conducting a survey on trends/opinions of DIY Home Improvement projects. If you are a DIYer and have a minute to take this short survey, your input will be truly appreciated!

Click here to take survey

Christmas Visit

I had a really nice long weekend back home. I always love being back at my parents’ house, spending time there with them and with my friends that come home as well. I haven’t been up for any good length of time in quite a while…hopefully I can make that happen this summer. It is so tough trying to find time to see all of the people I want to see (although that number grows smaller every year), plus make sure that I get a lot of time in with my family.

My parents’ new Christmas tree was beautiful, with white lights and red accents.

We got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our grandparents. I hate that I don’t see them very often. I need to be better about keeping in touch with them during the time that I’m away. I’m not much into New Year’s resolutions, but I do want to slow down a little, take more time for checking in with friends and family, writing letters, remembering to send cards on special occasions. I didn’t even send Christmas cards this year. Shameful.

I can’t believe that we had another green Christmas. I’ve really got to check out An Inconvenient Truth and find out what the heck is going on. By Christmas we used to be settled into winter with snow covering the ground for the duration! Now, not even a flake? Weird.

My b.g.f. Meg & I had a nice day on Saturday. I got to go with her to try on “her” wedding dress (a sample, really) and see how beautiful it is! It is so perfect for her – the color, the cut, everything. Then of course we had to hit the Pittsford Wegmans for lunch and “sightseeing.” We sure got an eyeful… in the fresh seafood case they keep certain items (oysters, clams, lobsters, eels, etc.) just barely alive on ice so that they’re perfectly fresh to prepare. Well, it was so busy and the cases stayed open so much that they began to warm up…and the eels were waking up! We saw an eel slithering all over the case, trying to find a way out! It was repulsive but we couldn’t walk away! I had to wait around and make sure the clerk knew about the eel, so he could put him back. After Wegmans we hit Bath & Body Works in Pittsford plaza for her mom…and of course I ended up shopping. I found a faboo bag – a huge travel bag for $25! I am glad I bought it b/c on Tuesday I ended up needing to check two bags with all of my new stuff! Unfortunately I forgot to remove the shoulder strap, and it got ripped off. I think I can have it fixed though.

Back to Saturday…Meg and I endured one of the worst football games I’ve seen all year. ECU lost their bowl game to USF. It was a really boring game, and painful to watch. Ironically, the number one worst game I watched all year (in person, at that) was the UNC-USF game. BORING. It figures that’s who ECU would lose to at the end of such a great season. Better luck next year!

All in all, I had a wonderful visit. As usual, I was really sad to leave but I felt better remembering that I will see my parents again in one month when we meet up at my sister’s new home.

Bonus: My flights (both ways) were uneventful and almost on time. My luggage even came in on the same flights. It is for that reason that I’m not too upset about the damage to my new bag.

Tis the Season

Once again, it’s the most wonderfully stressful time of the year. My schedule is packed at tight as can be, I am trying to remember to get all of my online shopping done in time for it to ship, and of course I seem to never have any money at the end of the year. This year’s problem is that I haven’t gotten a paycheck in three+ weeks! Once I finally get paid, trying to budget for bills and gifts really does put a damper on my holiday cheer. I shouldn’t complain though…it always seems to work out somehow.

On a brighter note, my ECU Pirates have finally dug themselves out of the hole that John Thompson buried them in over the past few years. I hate that they had to beat my other team (NC State) to do it, but hey, State wouldn’t have made it to a bowl anyways!

Check out the Papajohns.com bowl on 12/23 at 1:00 pm on ESPN2! Go Pirates!

Back on the job front…My first project got killed already, which is fine with me because compiling a database was really not the most stimulating activity I could be doing. I am now working on a couple of different projects, doing research. Definitely more up my alley.

This is a petty complaint, but it is ALL I can think about – it is UNBEARABLY COLD in this office!!! I found out that they keep it about 65 degrees in here!!! Seriously, I wear layers upon layers, long sleeve undershirts under my button-ups…and I have still had to put on my coat while sitting at my desk. Today it is 70 degrees outside and I am wearing a wool sweater with a blouse underneath…(sidebar…I actually hear two men commenting on how much colder it is in this – my – section of the office. Nice.) …I have been so cold all day that I went and took a walk outside in the warm air, and it took me a good 15 minutes to knock the chill off my bones. There is not much that makes me less comfortable than being cold. I think I’ll ask Santa for a space heater.

So far, so good!

I am just about halfway through my last day of my first week of work at my new job. I’m working on two separate projects, and I have already gotten in the flow as much as I can.

Here in the office everyone is really nice and pretty helpful. It’s an open environment (cubes!) but it stays so quiet – I’m definitely going to need Ipod to keep me energized. My primary project involves gleaning information from as many sources as I can possibly find – product information, customer information, market information, sales information…it is been slightly daunting trying to convince some higher-ups to give me their time and information. Sometimes I feel like putting everything together will be a piece of cake, and sometimes I feel like we will never get past all of the roadblocks.

Regardless, I am so glad to be here. It feels so good to have these challenges, and in one week I have already learned so much. It also feels good to be part of these projects that have purpose and (hopefully) meaningful outcomes.

Next

It has been a full two months since my last day at work. I knew that I wouldn't exactly hang around and be lazy, but I never expected to be as busy as I have been. Looking for a new job was a full-time job in itself! So, I didn't really get to do as much of the "me" things that I was looking forward to.

At my old job, I had ridiculous amounts of down time during which I would do schoolwork, write on my blog, and fool around on myspace. That may sound like a dream to some people, but it drove me nuts - I felt like I was completely wasting all of my intelligence. So, when all the time in the day was mine to do whatever I wanted, sitting around in front of the computer went by the wayside. I'm pretty proud of myself for getting to the gym every day and working hard to find a new job...

Which brings me to the new job, which I start tomorrow! I'm feeling anxious, nervous, excited. Of the job offers that I had, this one promises to be the most challenging. I know I am going to learn a lot. However, I am stepping out of my comfort zone for the first time in years. Something that needed to be done, yes, and it is the resounding answer to my "bored at work" complaint. I'm looking forward to being challenged.

Outside of work, my biggest challenge is going to be scheduling - keeping my workout routine, getting my schoolwork done, etc. Should be interesting.

Laguna Beach killed the video star

Can't take credit for the title, it came from this Slate article.

So MTV is 25. I can't say I've watched the channel in years, but it was ever-present when I was growing up.

My parents got cable at our house pretty much as soon as it was available. Many of my more vivid childhood memories involve MTV...

Saturday afternoons, approx. age, 6. My sister would be down for a nap, Mom would be in the kitchen eating lunch, or doing paperwork, whatever it was she did in there. I would be parked in front of Nickelodeon with the brand new snack, Fruit Rollup, and knew just how to push the button on the box to switch the channel to MTV. Yes, I remember the pre-remote days. I actually remember really enjoying the "Lucky Star" video by Madonna.



Her outfit and hair didn't make much sense to me at the time, but I absolutely loved the dancing.

Probably my next most stand-out MTV memory was, of course, the Thriller video. I remember being in the basement of my grandparents' house, with all of my cousins, watching MTV. The video would come on, and being told we weren't allowed to see it, of course we watched it. My sister, the youngest, didn't take it so well.

I really always loved the music videos. I didn't stick around long after they went away.

I was also into the first couple of Real Worlds...but that got old after a while. It's remarkable how things changed...from the tension between roommates Eric and Julie in season one, the obvious attraction that we never saw acted out...to the wide-open naked hot tub threesome type stuff that you can't miss now.

Not that I know what's going on now...like I said, I haven't flipped to MTV in years. I don't even have cable anymore. I've got my music videos back...online.

The best part about Lady in the Water

I am among those who can really let myself enjoy M. Night Shyamalan's movies. Critics hate them in general...don't really give them a chance. For me, here's what it comes down to:

Lady in the Water was totally unrealistic, quite silly, cartoonish, and had the trademark M. Night twist at just the right spot - which is precisely why I liked it, precisely why I had to see it. I don't go to his movies to get a snapshot of America in 2006. That's what the new Will Smith movie is for (not 2006, but true-life). The preview made me cry. That's not really what I need right now. What I need is ESCAPE. Seeing this little fairy-tale of a movie provided just that.

The best scene in this movie was the huge middle finger that Night gave to movie critics. He introduces this snotty little movie critic who pans everything around him...believes there is "no creativity left in the world."



The critic gets stuck in a pickle and then embodies his pet peeve by "thinking aloud." He runs down how the scene should play out in a predictable movie, and sets it into motion. Of course, Night won't let him off the predictable way, and the guy gets torn to shreds. I think he got his message across.


As for the Will Smith movie, The Pursuit of Happyness, I just don't know if I'll be able to see it. Stories about parents struggling to provide for their kids really get to me...I am not kidding, I had to really hold back from WEEPING over the trailer. See the trailer here.

Breaking Out

I have had so many ideas flying around in my head lately, that I want to write about...then I get to the computer and either feel like I have to spend every second in "career development" (as I like to call it) or I can't pull myself out of my funk long enough to get anything flowing.

So after having all these great ideas go to waste, I have told myself that today, being Friday, I am taking the day off from the job hunt and I am going to force myself to get my mind on other things. Which I will do, as soon as I can remember what those things were...