Blogtastic

Note to Self

2006-11-02T16:48:00.000-08:00

Do not start a "healthy eating plan" the week you get your period

Interesting Theory

2006-09-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

So in my textbook a person named Weinberg theorized that one psychological reason for homophobia might be that since gay people cannot concieve children the thought of persons without children often makes people unconciously face the thought of death and their own mortality since producing children is a way to carry on the individual/family after death. A reminder of one's mortality is threatening to the ego and this fear becomes homophobia.

2006-09-18T16:39:00.000-07:00

A brilliant article that makes me even more depressed having to live in this reality.

An Alternative to 9/11 History
By Jonathan Alter
Newsweek
Sept. 18, 2006 issue - Five years after 9/11, the world is surprisingly peaceful. President Bush's pragmatic and bipartisan leadership has kept the United States not just strong but unexpectedly popular across the globe. The president himself is poised to enjoy big GOP wins in the midterm elections, a validation of his subtle understanding of the challenges facing the country. A new survey of historians puts him in the first tier of American presidents.
As Bush warned, catching terrorists wasn't easy, but he kept at it. At the battle of Tora Bora, CIA operatives on the ground cabled Washington that Osama bin Laden was cornered, but they desperately needed troop support. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld immediately dispatched fresh forces, and the evildoer was killed. While bin Laden was seen as a martyr in a few isolated areas, the bulk of the Arab world had been in sympathy with the United States after 9/11 and shed no tears. After their capture, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and other 9/11 terrorists were transported to the UniteToday, Al Qaeda remains a threat but its opportunities for recruitment have been scarce, and the involvement of the entire international community has helped dramatically reduce terrorist attacks worldwide. Because Bush believes diplomacy requires talking to adversaries as well as friends, even Syria and Iraq were forced to help. By staying "humble," as he promised in 2000, he preserved much of the post-9/11 good feeling abroad, which paid dividends when it came time to pull together a coalition to handle North Korea and Iran.d States, where they were tried and quickly executed.

At home, some aides suggested that Bush simply tell the nation to "go shopping." But the president knew he had a precious opportunity to ask Americans for real sacrifice. He took John McCain's suggestion and pushed through Congress an ambitious national-service program that bolstered communities and helped train citizens as first responders.

Soon Bush put the country on a Manhattan Project crash course to get off oil. He bluntly told Detroit that it was embarrassing that Chinese automakers had better fuel efficiency, he classified SUVs as cars, and he imposed a stiff gas tax with a rebate for the working poor. To pay for it, he abandoned his tax cuts for the wealthy, reminding the country that no president in history had ever cut taxes in the middle of a war. This president would be damned if he was going to put more oil money into the pockets of Middle Eastern hatemongers who had killed nearly 3,000 of our people. To dramatize the point, he drove to his 2002 State of the Union address in a hybrid car. Sales soared.

When Karl Rove suggested that the war on terror would make a perfect wedge issue against Democrats in the 2002 midterms, Bush brought him up short. Didn't Rove understand that bipartisanship is good politics? Lincoln and FDR had both gone bipartisan during wartime, he reminded his aide. So when evidence of torture at the prison camp in Guantánamo Bay surfaced and Rumsfeld was forced to resign, former Democratic senator Sam Nunn got the job. With post-9/11 unity still at least partially intact in 2004, Bush was re-elected in a landslide.
Taking a cue from Lincoln's impatience with his generals, Bush was merciless about poor performance on homeland security. When the head of the FBI couldn't fix the bureau's computers in a year's time to "connect the dots," he was out. And Bush had no patience for excuse-making about leaky port security, unsecured chemical plants and first responders whose radios didn't communicate. If someone had told him that five years after 9/11 these problems would still be unsolved, Bush would have laughed him out of the office.

In 2003, Vice President Cheney advised the president to take out Iraq's Saddam Hussein militarily. But Bush was beginning to understand that his veep, while sounding full of gravitas, was in fact reckless. When it became clear that Saddam posed no imminent threat, Bush resolved to neuter him, Kaddafi style. When the president found, after a little asking around, that the 10-year cost of invading Iraq would be a crushing $1.2 trillion, he opted out of this war of choice.

Five years after that awful September day, even Bush's fiercest critics have learned an important lesson: leadership counts. Imagine if we'd done the opposite of these things. This country—and the world—would be in a heap of trouble.

More Speculation

2006-09-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

http://thesuperficial.com/2006/09/suri_cruise_is_a_real_human_be.html

I heard a new twist to an old theory...Katie was pregnant with Chris Klein's baby and Tom happily agreed to claim paternity since he could proof himself not gay and Katie gave birth a few months earlier then stated and was wearing a fake bump which explains why it looked so crazy AND why there's no official birth record. But they must have paid Chris Klein off, considering he's not getting many acting jobs it probably works out.

I can't really tell if the baby resembles Chris or Tom, I kind of see both. All I know is she looks like one of the babies for "baby toupees" on SNL for bald babies on the cover, but the other picture is really cute...

My thoughts on Bowling for Colombine

2006-08-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

* Conservatives/Repubulicans are always talking about how liberal Michael Moore is etc. However, it was interesting to see that Moore put in a lot of negative thoughts on Clinton

* Hands down the creepiest part of the movie was seeing Terry McNicholos brother and how absolutely crazy he is and how not only he is a free man, but a free man with a lot of weapons.

* How can so many people (i.e. the NRA) be so passionate about owning guns. Open your fucking eyes and look around you at injustices and yet your biggest concern is wether you can own a GUN? As a woman you earn less then a man simply because you have a vagina? But yet you are going to spend your time and energy campaigning about and celebrating gun ownership?

*The best scene of the movie was when they showed clips of all these US invasions while playing "It's a Wonderful World".

Rock on Indigo Girls (and Pink)

2006-08-22T14:34:00.000-07:00

I heard this song on "radio with a twist" (the gay sydicated radio show) and I think it's awesome.

Dear Mr. President
Come take a walk with me
Let's pretend we're just two people and
You're not better than me
I'd like to ask you some questions if we can speak honestly

What do you feel when you see all the homeless on the street
Who do you pray for at night before you go to sleep
What do you feel when you look in the mirror
Are you proud

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye
And tell me why

Dear Mr. President
Were you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
Are you a lonely boy
How can you say
No child is left behind
We're not dumb and we're not blind
They're all sitting in your cells
While you pay the road to hell

What kind of father would take his own daughter's rights away
And what kind of father might hate his own daughter if she were gay
I can only imagine what the first lady has to say
You've come a long way from whiskey and cocaine

How do you sleep while the rest of us cry
How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye
How do you walk with your head held high
Can you even look me in the eye

Let me tell you bout hard work
Minimum wage with a baby on the way
Let me tell you bout hard work
Rebuilding your house after the bombs took them away
Let me tell you bout hard work
Building a bed out of a cardboard box
Let me tell you bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
You don't know nothing bout hard work
Hard work
Hard work
Oh

How do you sleep at night
How do you walk with your head held high
Dear Mr. President
You'd never take a walk with me
Would you?

Americans are stupid

2006-08-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060806/ap_on_re_us/iraq_believing_wmd

Why America is full of idiots...

2006-07-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Miami Vice re-make was number one at the box-office this weekend.

What I watched on tv this week...

2006-07-27T17:41:00.000-07:00

On the Colbert Report earlier this week they had the founder of the Catholic League. The interview was okay, but I was more interested in just the fact that he was on the show since it's an interesting PR move for such a conservative guy. He's very intense accusing the liberal left of having an agenda against Catholics. One comment he made was that the only movie Catholics can be proud of that was made in the last 10 years was the Passion. However, I'd like to point out to this guy that he missed an important Catholic film that was on later that night, 40 days and 40 nights. The premise of the movie is about a guy struggling with his Lenten promise, how much more catholic can you get?

And I also watched the show on MTV called "I want to be you" or something. The premise is weird cause some kind admires another so follows he/she around and stays with him/her to learn their ways. So this nerdy guy whose mother is controlling wants to learn independance and rock and roll ways from this guy. It's soooooo awkward it's painful.

Muses in Baltimore

2006-07-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

I know how it usually works, some person goes away for a significant amount of time and when they come back (especially if it's another country) they are to be told what significant events occured while they were away, especially when a decade returns. However, this time it's backwards. When I went to Baltimore this past weekend I discovered the 70s are back. At the club there had to be a half a dozen women wearing Christie Snow terry cloth outfits most recently seen worn by Jessica Simpson in her latest video.

I also came to the conclusion at said club that some people were born with the gift of stripping. One such person is of course, Tiony.

I'm not that innocent...

2006-07-18T17:15:00.000-07:00

There have been instances in my life where I can say "wow, this is the end of my childhood/naivety" and this is another one to add to the list....

http://www.thesuperficial.com/2006/07/18/justin_timberlake_likes_to_tak.html

In honor of the internet conversation....

2006-07-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

1. Your full name: Erin Rebekah Claire

2. Date of Birth: 8/4/81

3. Are you happy with the way you look? On a scale from 1-10 like a 6 or a 7

4. How many houses have you lived in? 3

5. Where have you lived? The 'Neck, Campus Ministry house and Casa Ignatious

6. Siblings and ages: John, 43 and Pete and Paul soon to be 40

7. Nieces/nephews: Michael almost 17!, Stevie 15, John-John 13, Isabella 7, Lucca 3 and Eve 1 month and some odd days

8. Single/dating/engaged/married/divorced: dating

9. Do you have any kids? no

10. What year did you graduate high school? 1999!

11. Where do you go to college? When do you graduate? Loyola College, class of 2003

12. What is your plan for your life? That is an intense question. I plan on being a social worker and continue to advocate for social justice on many levels. I want to get married and raise a family that are happy and that know "to preach the gospel at all times, if necassary use words"

13. Where do you work? a homeless shelter for youth age 18-21

14. What do you do there? My title is Youth Advisor which means I am a case manager. My main responsibility to get the youth on my caseload to a more stable place. But I also drive them places, babysit them, various other things such as sorting the mail and making the chore list and on occasion stand as witness to their wedding.

15. Are your managers nice? Jury is still out on my direct supervisor since she's new.

16. How many hours do you put in per week? Probably around 45

17. Tell me briefly about the best day of your life: No specifics come to mind but in the Top Ten would be Christmas Eve a few years ago when it snowed cause I love mass and going to the diner afterwards and the snow made it even more perfect.

18. Have you ever run over an animal? I think maybe twice, it's a heartbreaking experience

19. What kind of car do you drive? 98 Nissan Sentra aka Cornelious

20. Describe your dream house: CHEAP!!! Large yard, a porch and a fireplace. Anything but a ranch.

21. Describe your dream job: Right now...working within the homeless/poor or GLBT or both populations in a place as wonderful as Loaves and Fishes

22. Tell me about your current romantic relationship: It's very good and makes me very happy, even when all we do is watch Charles in Charge :)

23. Who are your best friends and why? The people who make me laugh and in whom I can trust.

24. How often do you go out with your friends? As often as I can

25. How many people from high school do you keep in touch with? High School: 3 but that time period: too many to count

26. What are your hobbies? reading and crafts when I have the time and money and urge

27. Do you like to boss people around? a little bit

28. What would you change about your life if you could? make more money!!! Which would lead to me living on my own.

29. Who do you really despise? George W. Bush

30. What time do you go to bed? depends

31. What time do you wake up? 9/9:30

32. How often do you drink? a couple times a month

33. How often do you sit and watch tv? 2/3 hours a day

34. What is your favorite show? Days of Our Lives! Now and Forever

35. How many people have you had an intimate relationship with? Does this mean sex? or hook up with? or date? or what?

36. Describe your most romantic memory: Perhaps when Brian took care of me when I was sick in Pittsburgh cerca 2002 and it was the moment I truly knew I wanted to marry him

37. Do you go to the gym to work out? yes, since my new work schedule 4/5 days a week

38. Do you run regularly? hell no! I'm a horrible runner, I really wish I had the skill

39. Do you eat healthy? Yeah, at least during the week.

40. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Mom/Wife/Social Worker

This long distance dedication goes out to....

2006-07-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

So tonight I was listening on my way home from work to Deliah (my 2nd favorite radio personality after John Tesh) and a caller had just recieved a letter from the child she sponsers (like feed the children)and wanted to make a long distance dedication. I thought it was strange when people LDDed to people who had died, but this is just as weird. There is no way that a child you send 5 cents a day to so they can buy their medicine has a radio in order to hear this. And I can't imagine the thought process of recieving this letter from said child, being touched by the thank you and deciding the best response is to call in to a radio and dedicate a song. People are so weird.

What's your past life's name?

2006-06-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

A former client who has been refusing her meds stated to me today that her "God-given name is etc. etc. etc. etc. etc." (no joke she had 4 middle names including the name Vanity) but that her past life's name is Audrey. Apparently her great-grandmother died on the date she was born and she feels Audrey is now living her life through her. I was going to press for more details but frankly I didn't really want to know HOW she knew all this.

And more info. on "smell goods" they are most frequently sold in little vials ( I guess it's economic to reuse your vials of crack after you smoke it all) and someone just writes on paper and tapes on the name of the fragrance (ie honey rain or ocean dreams). And apparently Muslims are the ones who sell them, so beware of these new weapons of mass destruction.

Just Some Thoughts

2006-06-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

EXCELLENT Book: "Couldn't Keep It to Myself" Edited by Wally Lamb. Wally Lamb is a great fiction writer and this is his first non-fiction. It is a collection of stories written by impression women that Wally Lamb teaches in a writing class. These women are really impressive writers and write from the heart haunting stories of their past.

Here's another word to add to the ghetto dictionary "smell goods" meaning perfume or cologne

I'm extremly happy the Mets are doing so well but I can't help but wish that the slogan was "Next Year is Now" (2005's) which I thought was so much cooler then The Team. The Time. The Year. (2006's)

At work we have a book about 3rd Rock from the Sun (yes, THE hit show, 3rd Rock From the Sun), why? cause people donate all kinds of crazy shit. Anywho one of our clients was looking through it and exclaimed "wait, they were aliens?" It must be hard being so clueless.

His&His-tory

2006-05-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

According to "gay WPLJ" in California the congress is trying to pass a law madated that GLBT's contribution to history is mandatory in schools. I 100% think this is a positive thing, I think it could lessen people prejudices to learn that Walt Whitman (official poet of America) was gay and there could be interesting debates over whether or not Lincoln or whoever was... My only issue is that we hardly have women in history books, and forget about people of color, where's the laws for that? It just seems they skipped a few steps before including GLBT, just cause it's the "in" minority does not mean they get to skip to the head of the line.

A Jerry Seinfield Moment

2006-05-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

What's with people drinking coffee at the gym? Maybe it's cause I'm not a coffee drinker but I can't imagine working up a sweat and grabing a hot beverage to cool down...

Goodbye Camdens

2006-05-08T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ok you got me...I was upset that I missed the series finale of 7th Heaven. I think the show is extremly cheesy (only to be watched when nothing else is on) with the worst theme song of all time but I wanted to see the Camden clan's final goodbye. Alas I had to work, however I learned that there is a rumor that my dad is rich (how did they know about the promotion? the new car) to which my response was "wouldn't I be driving a nicer car?" I totally think it's a racial thing along with how it's always rumored that fill-in-the-blank white client is my cousin. As for people always thinking I'm pregnant, well that's just a fat thing.
Also, I would like to ammend the Bible. John 3:16 will now read "God so loved the world He sent His only Son and gave us Sour Cream and Onion Baked Potato Chips." Amen!

Weight Loss Update

2006-04-25T18:13:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks I have gone overboard with eating (i.e. mozarella sticks and fries and a waffle at the diner) so I've gained back a few pounds but since New Years I have lost 7 lbs and I'm back on track cause now is crunch time only 3 months to the DR. And I think my new work schedule is going to be great in terms of my fitness cause a) I'll be making my dinners everynight and not snacking at night and b) I'll be going to the gym everyday which I'm looking forward to.

2006-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

In highschool I didn 't like Jessica Simpson especially the song that used the "Jack and diane" rift (btw Vinny thanks for always turning it up in the car) But I started watching Newlyweds and like the rest of America thought she was a loveable ditz and I enjoyed her last albumn. But I was always a bigger Nick fan, I just felt he was so much more down to earth and always secretly thought she didn't deserve him. I truely think she let fame get to her head and was willing to put her career in front of her relationship. She broke Nick's heart. I plan on starting an internet campaign (and by that I mean posting this blog) for everyone to boycott her next cd and buy Nick's and let him know we support him.

Thank God Lent is over!

2006-04-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

The day has FINALLY arrived and baby Suri is here. Congratulations to her parents, whoever they are.

Top Three

2006-04-14T11:44:00.000-07:00

We had a youth at work who is the definition of gangsta, in fact earlier in the week we discharged him for recruiting people to join the Bloods. bust the night before that went down I overheard him talking to another youth and he said his top three favorite actors 1. John Travolta (he loves Grease) 2. Kevin bacon 3. Christian Slater

P.U.

2006-04-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

I've never minded the smell of skunk, in fact I semi liked it. I get that from my mom, she likes the smell. However, this all changed last night. Lola had a run in with a skunk last night and my parents immediately gave her a bath but it did not help since the house REEKED of skunk. It was so overpowering, and actually hurt my nose. Even my mom admitted this morning that skunk might be nice to smell for a brief moment or two but you don't want to get a skunk freshner for the house.

Made me laugh

2006-04-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

At work this morning, as usual, the overnight staff was listening to the Steve Harvey Show on the radio (which always makes for awkward moments when they make fun of white people) but today they were discussing how Flava Flav did not find love on his first show so they are planning to do a Flava of Love II, and one of the DJs asked Steve Harvey what kind of women should apply to the show? And he said the kind that don't mind getting busy in bed and having a clock smack you in the chest.

An early St. Patty's Day Miracle

2006-03-13T13:36:00.000-08:00

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_fe_st/beer_on_tap

George W. Bush Hates America

2006-03-05T05:35:00.000-08:00

I recently watched "Michael Moore Hates America" and I have to say it's pretty lame. The guy is just made to be a doctumentarian, and when Penn or Teller (whichever one that talks) is your expert of the subject (unless it's magic or the Aristocrats) you're in trouble. I think most of the arguments in the film were pretty trivial. For example, they talk about the opening scene of Columbine where Michael Moore opens a bank account and gets a gun. Apparently he had set up beforehand that they had a gun on hand for him but usually it takes a week or so because they do a background check. While it is a relief that they just don't hand you a gun for signing some papers I think the overwhelming point (at least to me) that truely only in America would you be rewarded with a gun, we are a gun crazy society.
Another big point in the movie is the Michael Moore was raised in a town next to Flint which is more well-to-do. If this is the truth isn't it more important that he spoke of the plight of a neighboring city and what it means when big business lays off thousands of people? I guess it can be argued that if you lie about the small things how do you know what's the truth. I did feel while I was watching this movie since the main point is Michael Moore lies I felt like well how do I know this guy isn't lying. Is Michael Moore's lying hurting America? Answer: No! He has shed light on issues that have been swept under the rug, plus he is a filmmaker and knows how to make a good film, it's a craft, and wouldn't it be boring to have watched him fill out paperwork go home wait a week and go back to the bank to get the gun? It was more sensational to see him walk out with one over his head, but both scenarios carry the same message. Even documentaries, which are true, can not not be biased and the absolute truth because they are influenced by the documentarian.
I did have issues with two parts of the film. One is that this guy went to Flint and various other places Michael Moore has filmed and basically shown the typical person who has "pulled themselves up by the bootstraps" which conservatives love to see because it shows that a) people who aren't sucessful are lazy b) we don't need to support these lazy people cause if others can do so can you. I just think the film went out of the way to find specific people to calm the fears of people who might have seen Moore's films to say "phew, everything IS okay in this country there's not a real unemployment crisis or soldiers love fighting in Iraq".
The other part is based off of the scene in Columbine when Moore makes the claim that Canada as a society feels safer then America due to less guns, crime etc. Moore says Canadians still leave their doors unlocked. I do think that's a broad statement, but anyway this guy went to Canada to an average street to test whether or not the doors were open. Out of the 5 he tried 1 was (when it opened you could tell he felt stupid) then I saw something, the house number. I rewound it and sure enough they did not go in order and ie he tried doors 270, 278, 265, 268 and 264, which made me wonder what happened to the other doors? Were they open? And perhaps for the sake of the film and a point he filmed just the ones he needed to make that point. Obviously this is just what he criticizes Moore of doing, but this is an out and out lie that has no good come out of it.
One point that I did like was he was said that Moore exagerrates because people on both sides of the fence have to make the bigger scene to get more attention and be more right. And he wisely says that however John Kerry does not participate in this kind of "I'm loud, I'm right" tactics and that totally captured the equitte that Kerry has that I admired and made me respect him that I couldn't quite verbalize before.
Is Michael Moore perfect? No. Has he exagerated? Yes. But the part that aggravates me watching this film is to see so many people passionate about this. At the end of the day does it really matter? it's a movie. Where are the people to be passionatte about Bush's lies about Iraq? Oh yeah, the government locks them up (ie Cindy Sheehan). Or the people to hold Bush accountable for all the lies he has told? Oh wait, that's Michael Moore.

Search for porn and raise money for charity

2006-03-01T14:45:00.000-08:00

I'm a big supported of google HOWEVER a new search engine powered by yahoo is my new boo. It is called "GoodSearch" and for every search a penny is donated to your charity of choice. so far today I raised $.07 for Mother Seton Academy in Baltimore. So use it...
www.goodsearch.com

Call me a pessamist

2006-02-16T17:22:00.000-08:00

So all over the internet (s) there is a rumor that Tom and Katie are on the verge of breaking up. Some are reporting they might wait till after the baby is born, for what reason I'm not sure. However, my feeling is this is just a clever part of the ruse. Sooner or later they were going to break up cause that was part of the deal so they're faking a break-up to make their relationship more real. Considering they're breaking up right before/after the baby's birth makes me lean towards the baby is Chris Klein's theory. Maybe I should stop worrying about TomKat and get back to my school work...

2006-01-08T10:26:00.000-08:00

Remember slambooks?

Wrap up of 2005

2006-01-02T16:50:00.000-08:00

1. What did you do in 2005 that you'd never done before? Took graduate classes? I wish I could think of something more clever
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? See previous post
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope, but I know of 3 babies to be born in early 2006, including my newest niece! approx. 6/2/06
4. Did anyone close to you die? Nana, Kathleen's grandmother, who I will always have wonderful memories of visiting her in Far Rockaway and her beliefs that people who wear shorts to the mall are sluts, and Mike.
5. What countries did you visit? None :(
6. What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005? If you know me you know, come on now :)
7. What date from 2005 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? 8/3/05
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Beating Brian at Trivial Pursuit on New Year's was good enough to last the whole year
9. What was your biggest failure? Throwing up on a bus
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Well I started off 2005 with an awful stomach virus, but that was the only bad ilness and I had a mole removed. And a few hangovers that felt like death was near.
11. What was the best thing you bought? Tickets to the Nutcracker w/Isabella, it was a magical night.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Anyone who bettered the world this year
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? George W. Bush-let's hear it for impeachment in '06
14. Where did most of your money go? Education, either paying back loans or paying for grad. school.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Brian saving Christmas, or at least Midnight Mass and bringing back Oh Holy Night
16. What song will always remind you of 2005? Trapped in the closet (but really it's a song for the ages)
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? same I guess
richer or poorer? richer
thinner or fatter? fatter :(
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? Taken days off!
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? Getting angry and fighting
20. How did you spend the holidays? At work...then with my family and Brian's
21. Did you fall in love in 2005? More and more everyday (awww)
22. How many one-night stands? What happens in Vinny's pool stays in Vinny's pool
23. What was your favorite TV program? The awesomeness that is Arrested Development and Martha Stewart: Apprentice
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting her until mid-2005, so yeah
25. What was the best book you read? Blindness by Jose Saratoga (or something)-the most original, thought provoking book I've read in awhile and The Mermaid's Chair by Sue Monk Kidd, which at the time spoke right to my heart.
26. What was your favorite film of this year? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wedding Crashers, Brokeback Mountain, I think any movie I saw in the theator I enjoyed
27. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005? 2 words: fat pants
28 Whom did you miss? All my friends living in various parts of the country
29. Who was the best new person you met? Top 3 that comes to mind: Hutch, Steve from Theology on Tap-crazy, but I like that and Sean the JV at work
30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005: "No day but today"

Here's a resolution...

2006-01-01T21:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a look back on my 2005 Resolutions and how I did....

1. Get in shape and lose weight-I went 50/50 on this one because while I did gain back all the weight I lost in 2003/2004 I also got more fit, being able to do level 5 on the treadmill thingy and do (almost) all the sets in my fav. aerbics class.

2. Be able to run a mile-I have not tested this one out, maybe that's my answer.

3. Use my passport-Well, I did technically use it for a form of I.D. when I had to get a new license. Even though I did not leave America I made plans to go to the Domican Republic for 2006 (and perhaps Canada!) so I think I accomplished this in a round about way.

4. Start graduate school-Hard to imagine last New year's I was getting ready to apply and I now I have my first A.

5. Get involved with something-I became a support person for JVC

6. Keep in better touch with people-I still need work in this one

7. Cook more and learn more recipes- Fell short on this too

8. See my nephews and niece more- I think I did a pretty decent job, but I don't think there's a bar to reach on this one.

All in all I did a good job in attaining my goals, so here are my resolutions for '06....

1. the classic lose weight-I want to feel good in a bikini in the DR

2. Get As in my classes-4.0 just sounds so good.

3. Give 100% at work

4. Speaking of work... my evil resultion that I refuse to put down on paper

5. Be more active-We all know I love to hike so I should actually do it. And kayak and run etc.

6. Get fit spiritually

7. Control my emotions better and be honest about them

Update on TomKat

2005-12-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

I clearly learned nothing from the youthgroup meeting about spreading gossip...here are two theories I heard from my fav website http://conversationsfamouspeople.blogspot.com/

1. Katie Holmes is not pregnant at all and has a fake preggers belly. The source points to the evidence that her belly button is out already which happens late in the pregency and she's only 5 months or so. Plus she went from normal to PREGANT in a second.

2. Another source claims she met Katie's publicist at a party where the publicist got drunk and confessed that Katie is not having Tom's baby (because he's sterile) but the head of scientology's baby who is Tom's lover.

Fuck who shot JFK, this is the greatest mystery of the last 50 years.

A magical night

2005-12-04T05:56:00.000-08:00

Two tickets to the Nutcracker: $40.00

A (purple) casnister of mini m&ms purchased during admission: $1.00

The gasp when Clara opens her present and pulls out the nutcracker: priceless

Just some of the things I have learnt in my year of work (a month late)

2005-11-26T10:49:00.000-08:00

"One's philosophy is not best expressed in words, it is expressed in the choices one makes...and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility". -Eleanor Roosevelt

~"You can set the table but you can't make someone eat"-my wise director Jim

~Suprisely people a few years younger then me really will listen to what I have to say and respect me.

~Doing casework is a lot harder then it seems

~DYFS is run really poorly and I would rather eat eggs then work there ever!

~The days you want/need to leave early (aka on time) are when the crisis' will happen

~Never work harder or want something more then a client.

~Bed bugs are the AIDS of the insect world.

~Giving a client consequences and saying no is a good thing

~Gangs are alive and well in Newark.

~Never deny an addict their bottom

~Even the toughest thug sometimes likes to watch Mrs. Doubtfire, listen to do-wop or cry.

~My knowledge of Newark and how to get from A to B has extended past the parking lot.

~I have a lot of wisdom (and I need to follow my own advice sometime)

~Even I have an inner gangsta

The holidays have gotten too "christmasy"

2005-11-21T23:06:00.000-08:00

I've been noticing a lot this year how much Christmas is "the norm" of our culture and it really bothers me that we are being exclusive to people. For example, instead of the M&M guys meeting Santa they could be reading a book about Hannakah and say "It IS true that had enough oil to burn for 8 nights!" and then one can faint. But seriously, I just think America is hypocritical in saying all no one belief system is America's belief system because in so many ways again and again it is shown that we are a Christian country.

______________________________________________________________________

In another note a client of mine (who may or may not be retarded) told me tonight that since coming to our shelter (almost 3 weeks) when previously he had been locked up for 5 years (since the age of 14) he has had sex 3 times. Now I wasn't sure of this was with 3 different people or what. He proudly told me he wore condoms, but I told him that doesn't protect against all STDs and he never really told me where he knew these women from. If he's been locked up since the age of 14 I think there is a good chance he was a virgin so he must have been gung ho that he was going to have sex ASAP. Anywhich way I think that's an impressive record.

Thats what I get for trying to be friendly

2005-11-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Erin: Are your taking your kids out trick or treating when you get home?

Co-Worker: No we're Christians

SNAP!

Hello, my name is Erin and I am a fish addict

2005-10-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

I am not an impulse buyer. Even when I have gift cards it takes me months to figure out what to buy. However, fish is a whole different story. Friday I made my second! impulse fish buy. The first one, was of course the late, great, Britney Chava Wetzel Timberlake IV (heiresss to the Wetzel Pretzel fortune) who was purchased at a petstore when I was there getting something for my iguana (God bless Iggy). On my defense, the pet store lady did give us her for free. Anyway, on Friday I had a whole bunch of errands to run and I was going to check the 99 cent store to see if they had part of my costume, but alas the one in the Hackensack by my gym is closed so I drove around the parking lot and saw the petstore which reminded me I wanted to get Lola a bone to chew on. I found the bone and as I'm waiting to pay I saw a Beta fish who unlike his compadres had no beautiful colors, he was just peach (like Shelby, who much like her namesake character in Steel Magnolias, is dead). I just knew I could not leave him in that pet store to die an ugly, fish death. Thus, I now have a new fish named Salem (somewhat halloweeny/he's salmon colored/Days takes place in Salem which was on when I got him home). However, Salem has yet to eat anything, which concerns me. Both Shelby and Britney ate fine from the day they came home. And as we all know Britney in fact was TOO good an eater, since on her death certificate her cause of death is "drowning by lack of ability to reach surface due to obesity", which in all honesty is a cover-up since Britney was murdered by my ex-roommate and misanthrope Meghan, Britney didn't feed herself all those pellets now did she?. But back to Salem, in doing some research online this seems to be common when Betas relocate to a new place (this bowl is a mansion compared to his og one)and apparently he can go 10 days without food, so it's all good hopefully.

My new gym motivation

2005-10-18T23:38:00.000-07:00

I had the most back (left) handed compliment/rude thing said to me at work. A new client was sitting in my office and asked "are you big or skinny?, cause sometimes I look at you and you look skinny and other times you look big". Well, I'm currently 1/2 pound closer to losing five pounds by 1/1/06, so hopefully in the future people won't have to question my body structure.

An interesting concept

2005-10-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

So in an article I'm reading for school it talks about how high we value money over people and how as a country we have up to the second reports of our economy but no social reports. Apparently, between 1960 and 1980 there were many reports done, but Reagan when he took office removed the funding (how hot is hell exactly, Ronald?) and now these reports are done by individuals doing their own research. Imagine if we had on CNN another scolly/screen thing that reported on social issues. IE: Money was cut again for medicaid, 5,000 more people to be unisured, the average gay man is 23% likely to be verbally harrassed (I made that up) etc. I think it's a very hard thing to report on, but think a report like that would bring so many issues to the public eye and (hopefully) people wouldn't be so ignorant.

Lesson for Today

2005-10-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Double spacing rocks my world!

They're having a baby!

2005-10-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

It is truly a hannakah miracle that Katie Holmes is having Tom Cruise's baby. I guess this is his ultimate "see I'm not gay" publicity stunt. Three theories...One, Katie and Tom could have lost their viginity to eachother. I say this since there was no proof (i.e. kids, Nicole's uptightness they had sex) and his first wife said Tom refrained from sex since he wanted to become a monk. Theory #2: This baby is really chris klein's or some other guy Katie slept with. Or three (the theory I believe) that Tom, completly disgusted at the thought of a woman, and not even able to perform while he thinks about any or all the Baldwin brothers (even Billy!) as he always does had Katie insemenated to proof that he's not gay. I guess I just hate thinking that Katie lost her supposed viginity to this closted gay man, what a waste of hymen. <---took it too far

I heart the fall

2005-09-27T00:16:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons why fall is quickly becoming my favorite season...
-the brisk weather
-the beauty of the leaves changing
-the crunching sound of walking through leaves
-pumpkins and apples
-the whole philosophy of fall being a new start
etc.
However, one of the main reasons I love fall is Edy's limited edition "apple pie" ice cream. DELICIOUS!

A funny and true quote

2005-09-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

"Revelation is where all crazy people end up. It's the last stop on the nutso express." White Teeth

Bullet over Broad Street

2005-09-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today when driving home from work I was behind this really nice, new SUV (I don't know anything about cars so who knows which kind). However, the car had one problem, 4 bullet holes! 3 on the driver side and one on the back (there might have been more I couldn't see). For a brief minute I thought they might be those decals that you buy but then I realized that I was in Newark so they were most likely real. My question is this: If at some point you want to buy a new car and you have to trade this one in, what exactly is the value loss for the car? Who (besides Laura Connolly) wants a car with bullet holes? FYI: Laura's first car she got from her great aunt who one day decided to go to church in a bad area of brooklyn and ended up with a bullet hole in her car by the time Mass was over

Glorious day

2005-09-13T13:03:00.000-07:00

On my way to the gym I passed a gas station with the price $2.99! Woohoo, gas below $3.00!!!!

The Democrats Need To Grow Some Balls

2005-09-08T23:47:00.000-07:00

So in the past year or more, it has come to light that George W. and other various members of his adminstration have lied. And not just about stupid, inconsiquential stuff like getting a blow-job. No, they have lied about things like the reason we have gone to war. Where is all the people from the left that are calling for impeachment? There needs to be a liberal Kenneth Starr ready to kick GOP ass.
I have three theries.

1. Democrats are scared of all the republicans that surrund them in DC. Let's face it republicans are louder and won't go down without a fight. The republicans are ready for anyone who wants to speak out to slap them with the "unpatriotic" card. And "unpatriotic" is the new "communist" label in this early part of the 21st century.

2. Democrats are lazy and unmotivated. Back in the Vietnam war era there was constant protesting, however, now a days it's more like once a year. I give a lot of credit to Cindy Sheenan for actually DOING something. I'm not one to talk (but then I'm not a democrat either :)

3. Democrats have a lot more class. Now I'm not going to say Democrats are goody goodies because they do some mud slinging too. I mean that asian hooker that G.W. Bush did coke off her ass, probably was not asian. But let's look at the recent election. You may remember the "swift boat veterans" ads. The whole thing was ridiculous, and the only people who could possibly believe it were morons (the democrats forgot that we have A LOT of those in our country). One can argue John Kerry did not handle this "issue" very well, but I was extremmly proud of the dignity he handled it with. He did not come rushing out to deny it and sound like a little kid "did too" and stick his tongue out (probably cause he too thought only a moron will believe it). Instead he waited until the debate to make a brief statement about it.

Recently, I've thought about how critized Clinton was for smoking (inhaling or not) pot. However, Bush is a former cokehead and not one person lingers on it. I don't know the reasoning behind it, but it's time for the Democrats to step up because Republicans have been playing dirty for far too long, and it's time we played by their rules.

Summer is over :(

2005-09-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

Ten Things You Did This Summer

1. Discovered my inner guidette

2. Turned 24

3. Stayed alone in my house (overnight) with out being (really) scared

4. Camped

5. Discovered the goodness that is pheasant skirts

6. Used the air conditioning in my car more then any other summer

7. Drank for an entire weekend/ate my weight in hotdogs and hamburgers

8. Went to a pshyic

9. was a VIP in a hot club

10. fell in love with a whale

Nine Favorite Songs of The Summer:

1. Anything by Kelly Clarkson

2. "Don't Cha" the Pussycat Dolls

3. "Victoria" the Kinks

4. "Shake it off" Mariah Carey

5. "Cool" Gwen Stafani

6. "Somebody Told Me" the Killers

7. "These Words" Natasha Bedenfield

8. "Chariot" Gavin McGraw

9. "You're Beautiful" James Blunt

8 Places You Ate At This Summer

1. The covenant

2. Joe's (American bar and)

3. The Cactus (or whatever the Mexican place in Ridgewood is called)

4. Friday's

5. Charlie Brown's

6. Small-town diner in New Hamshire

7. Various grills

8. Every pizza place ever

Seven Things that Annoyed You This Summer

1. Making doctor appointments

2. higher gas prices

3. the humidity

4. the war

5. irresponsible owners at the dog park

6. lots o' bills

7. can't lose those last 5-7 lbs

Six Things You Bought This Summer

1. Grad School at Fordham first semester

2. Overpriced gas

3. A fishtank

4. 3 months at the gym

5. a haircut for Lola

6. cute red shoes for the fall

Five Things You Accomplished This Summer

1. Up to the 4th level on the treadmill thingy at the gym

2. Opening a checking account

3. Stayed by myself and didn't call up Brian crying

4. Going the most north I have ever gone

5. Beat Brian at the alphabet game

Four (favorite-no order) Movies You Saw This Summer:

1. Wedding Crashers

2. Batman Begins

3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

4. The Aristrocrats

Three Things You Wish You Did This Summer:

1. Went to the beach

2. Got in shape for summer

3. Not thrown up on a bus

Two Rules You Broke

1. Every rule for Vinny's pool (some more then once, and some that weren't even posted)

2. "Not wearing a seatbelt" according to the ticket I got, or as I like to call it "the paper of lies"

One Thing You Loved About This Summer

1. The lots and lots of fun and laughter I had

Check it out

2005-09-04T17:39:00.001-07:00

I keep talking this website up so I thought I'd finally post in on my site.

http://conversationsfamouspeople.blogspot.com

It's for everyone who loves celebrity gossip and pictures that make them look bad. Plus the writer is from bergen county, can it get much better?

Happy I was born in 1981

2005-08-23T10:38:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately how I feel very lucky to be born when I was and not a few years later.
A) because of the new restrictions on licenses. I understand the thinking behind it but whether your 17 when you start driving or 27 you're still going to suck. It's one of those practice makes perfect things. If I couldn't drive it would have been harder to have a job after school and a lot more burden on my parents. And I have so many fun memeries of just cruising around in the camero, stalking!, and knocking down the occassional garbage can. Yea, we might have come close to death a few times (especially if you ever drove with Steve), but it was the first step of independance.
B) The new SAT. I can not imagine the test being longer, which with the higher occurances of ADD in this country should work out real well. Plus the math is harder and you have the infamous writing section. I was reading Newsweek and they were talking about how the essay question on the SAT is very philosophical oppsed to the ACTs which ask more concrete questions like "should all students be made to wear uniforms". I can understand the purpose behind the essay question, but correct me if I'm wrong standerized tests are about filling in bubbles, this goes against that, which you can argue if that's bad or good. And I feel like there's too much depending on the people who read the essay. Apparently, a lot of colleges aren't even going to look at the essay score for a few years when the kinks are all worked out. I feel so outdated and sad cause I'm proud of my SAT score and now it's meaningless.

"Copying is the highest form of flatterry" Mrs. Furman art teacher St. Therese

2005-08-20T17:31:00.000-07:00

1. Reply with your name and I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.

Bull

2005-08-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

At the gym today I was reading In Touch about different celebrities who have had plastic sugery. And they spoke about Pamela Anderson's (soon to be Pamela Lee thrice Anderson) numerous implants and according to this article her first set were Ds and she removed them, but missed them so much (who wouldn't miss something that gave you back pain and made physical activity slightly painful?) so replaced them with Cs!!!!!!!!!!! In Touch def. needs some fact checkers, or a staff member who has eyes. Pamela Anderson is not famous for her acting skills, but rather her HUMUNGEOUS boobs and let me tell you they are no Cs. As a Ccup myself, let me tell I will never be given my own sitcom called Stacked. And furthermore, her first ones weren't Ds either, probably DDDs or Es, come on now people.

Book Rant

2005-07-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

If you don't want to hear the ending don't read!!!!!
Last night I finished Citizen Girl by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus (the authors of The Nanny Diaries) and never before have I HATED a book like this one. I very much enjoyed The Nanny Diaries so it's disappointed the authors dropped the ball like that. Taking a cue from Stewie in Family Guy I will now give Citizen Girl a compliment sandwich.
Slice of bread: The writing is funny.
Baloney: The story follows Girl who is a couple years out of college and is recently fired from her job. Her career is working with women's issues in some capacity. She ultimately lands this apparently awesome job where she helps this women's search engine move from info on beauty and health to info on women's issues (ie domestic violence shelters). Lo and behold the job is not as good as it seems her boss is an ass and does not give her much guidance. Eventually, it becomes clear that the company really just wants lots of money so they nix the original idea and instead focus on lingerie. Girl is sent to LA to woo the lingerie company's lesbian CEO. She is made to wear this skimpy bikini to an orgy business pool party and the boss guy even makes her get a bikini wax so she can look perfect a) he does not know lesbians and body hair go hand in hand b) that is sooooo sexual harrassment! (he even threatens firing her) c) there's not even a lesbian love scene to make it worth it. So Girl in order to spread feminism stays at a job where she is harrassed and it goes against her ethics. There is also a lot of social commentary that the 60s idea of feminism (equal rights) is retro and now women's main concern is sex and being able to have it with whoever they want. Women today don't want to hear abot victims of this or that because being a women means you "can do". Also as a side-plot Girl is hooking up with/dating this ass of a guy, but yet she puts up him too! Eventually, at the end (cause really it can't get worse) the company becomes a porno site where "business women get beat and raped (really screw your boss!) and one of the porno stars (from a subplot in the book) is a foreigner who in exchange for a Green Card was forced to join a prositution ring and escapes and finds work as a maid for this company however she "promoted" to porn star where once again she is being raped and abused. Girl accepts $1 million dollars for a woman's charity in exchange for her silence. Fucked up! To quote the book this book should be taught in a "'how the media is fucking up women' class".
Slice of bread: I like how the characters are every man/women with the names Girl, Guy etc.

Copycat list :)

2005-07-24T05:46:00.000-07:00

On the brink of my 24th birthday here is a list of the 23 best things that happened during my 23rd year(in random order):
1. Our farewell party-saying good-bye to the wonderful family that is Loaves and Fishes followed by the after party where JVs +wine=wrestling
2. Lake Tahoe
3. Coming home-even though I lost my nalgene Jamba Juice bottle and came home to the news my Pushy cat died (you really can't ever go home again) I was still glad to be home.
4. Getting a job and as a bonus, it's an awesome one that I love.
5. My mom quitting smoking
6. Halloween Party-dancing into the wee hours of the morning and going to the diner the next day still in costume
7. Jen and Jonathon's wedding-drunk Brian LOVES to dance :)
8. Getting into Fordham
9. Guido party
10. Lola
11. Re-discovering everything I love about the Garden State
12. visit to Bawlmore
13. Beating Brian 1/1/05 at Trivial Pursuit Book Edition
14. Seeing Matt on his break from the Airforce
15. OLPH Antioch-2 words: Katie Foley
16. Tara's engagement and her visit
17. Visit to Boston
18. April Fool's Day prank on KB
19. The Beer-BQ-best all weekend party ever!
20. Pasta a la Brian
21. New friends (Joe, Jay etc.)
22. Summer 2005 (aka 1998) one of the best summers ever!
23. TMBG vs. McSweeny's-best date ever! I need to have my reception at Linclon Center!

Relevant Quote

2005-07-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

"In the days ahead we must not consider it unpatriotic to raise certain basic questions about our national character. We must begin to ask, 'Why are there forty million poor people in a nation overflowing with such unbelievable affluence? Why has our nation placed itself in the position of being God's military agent on earth? Why have we substituted the arrogant undertaking of policing the whole world for the high task of putting our own house in order?"-Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The highlight of my day: finding my favorite pen (a ballpoint from Goya) that I had misplaced at work months and months ago.

Random

2005-07-12T00:24:00.000-07:00

Guido party...AWESOME!

How come whenever I drive past construction on the highway no one is ever doing anything? They are all standing around talking. Occasionally you'll see someone walking to another part of the site, or sometimes one person will be doing something while everyone else watches. That's a pretty sweet job (minus the getting hit by cars part)

So will 7/7 become a phrase in England like 9/11? It's not quite as catchy, but I guess it could be worse-like 3/27. And I see possible confusion over the drink 7&7. And will people put images of a double-decker bus and the subway (aka Tube) on the back of their minicooper? And is it official now to call this whole conflict WWIII yet? I just got done reading a fictional story about a girl growing up during WWII and it's so sad and depressing because people really felt at the end of the war there would be no need/or desire to ever fight another one. I guess we never learn. "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart"-Anne Frank

Note this was accidently "drafted" instead of posted on 7/12..apologies

War, what is it good for?

2005-06-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

He's such an ass...his plan does not need any changes only time. This man needs to pray for some humbleness to admit he was wrong.

Mmmm croutons

2005-06-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Lately I've realized that a lot of times I'll eat a food just so I can have the condiment/topping that goes with it. I use to do this all the time at Van Suan cause I loved the chili and saurakraut we put on the hotdogs. Lately at least it has been healthy because I'm been obsessed with making my own croutons. So I've been eating salad like mad just to get these croutons. It beats the honey mustard I was craving a few weeks ago.

Huh?

2005-06-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

So there's a commercial on the old boob tube for spray sun screen. Now I don't know if that's irony, coincidence or just plain stupidity. It is my understanding that aerosol cans deplete the ozone layer thus making the sun more harmful, but the more you spray to protect yourself the more harmful the sun will become until the earth explodes. It's like using Magic Johnston's blood to cure AIDS (oh wait he's cured). But really this is a brilliant move by the sunblock industry because they are guaranteeing business, and for that I salute them, because really with Big Tobacco being exposed and being all good making sure kids are carded and having quitting smoking info on their website, we needed an industry to step in and profit off the death of others, and Big Sunblock stepped up to the challenge.

The Perfect Man Rant (copyrighted BVS 2000something)

2005-06-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

At first when I saw a preview for The Perfect Man I thought "Oh, a cheesy romantic comedy that I might watch on TBS someday". True, it stars Hillary Duff who is a good argument for why certain people should be dragged out into the street and shot. But on the otherhand it is, I believe, Carson's movie debut, and the friend from American Dreams is in it. Then I began to pay more attention to the preview.
This movie is the ultra-anti-feminist movie EVER!! The plot is that this mother is soooooo desperate for a man that it's pathetic. And in looking for a man she is willing to uproot her job (hopefully she works) and two children (she got because she probably thought if I sleep with him he'll love me) and move around when relationships don't work. This woman can not be happy without finding "the perfect man" which btw does not exist (and if he did Mr. Big is not it!) and she is so obessed that her daughters, who have been raised to believe that only a man can make you happy, try to make their mom happy and try and find her this "perfect man". This movie makes me soooo angry!. If Betty Friedan were dead she'd be rolling around in her grave.

Note: I originally accidently drafted instead of posted...lo siento

"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell"

2005-06-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

One of my fellow staff peoples left behind a book of physcology case histories and Iwas skimming through it. I would read the person's story then try to guess the diagnosis and see if I was correct, but it was interesting to see how crazy people are and what the mind is capable of. They say over half of all Americans will suffer from a mental illness at one point in their life. Which of course led me to evaluate myself and reasons why I am crazy...

~I have irrational fears: like I won't eat mushrooms because I'm afraid they will be posionous, or I'm afraid the dentist will slice/cut my tongue, or when I'm ice skating I will fall and some one will run over my fingers with the blade and cut them off.
~If I'm nervous about doing something (even going fully under in the pool) I count to 30 and then I have to do it.
~If I touch one finger to another I have to touch them all(both hands backwards and forwards) to balance it out or else I feel panicked.
~My food can't mix together on a plate (unles it's pre-mixed like meatballs and spaghetti)
~And I always eat my food fom what I like least-->best.

I'd say I have a mild panic discorder or maybe preoccupation with death/pain, and mild obessessive compulsive disorder.

An anthopology lesson

2005-06-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

I learned two things about the Nigerian culture this week...
-Apparently Nigerians think the best time to study is from 12-6am because everyone is asleep and it's quiet. According to one of the youth here his father would stay up with him while he was studying to keep him awake and he was able to sleep from 3-4. I think that would lead to a lot of people falling asleep during the actual tests.
-In Nigeria it's not a crime to steal. Nigerians think that anyone who steals is clever. I can just imagine a Nigerian hearing their neighbor's goats were stolen and thinking, "Man, I wish I had thought of that". Apparently, the most common way something is stolen is a person goes into a house and puts a spell over the people in the house to make them sleep so they won't be aware of what is going on. I guess that's more clever then just breaking a window.

3 random thoughts

2005-05-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

*I registered from grad classes today and I signed myself up for two Saturday classes. One being research, I'm going to have no life. But my advisor is a total diva-there's no other word to describe her. She's this sassy black woman in her 40s?, she's the Star Jones of higher learning. *Speaking of sassy black women...while on a walk in the park with Lola I saw, hanging half in and half out the garbage can, a weave! *This is why America is falling apart because 5 times!!!!! the amount of people voted for the new American Idol then who voted for the president (or at least what was reported and "counted").

Africans say the darndest thing...

2005-05-12T09:18:00.000-07:00

Two of our clients are brothers from Nigeria, who have only been in American for a year or so. At snack the other night we had cheese crackers that were "reduced fat" and the youngest thought that meant that by eating the crackers he would lose weight, instead of it being a healthier version of a junk food.

Better then the GED?

2005-05-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

One of my clients got a thing in the mail from a place we'll call "Bontinental Bacademy" which offers high school drop-outs to get their diploma instead of their GED. Very sketchy. The program consists of said high school drop-out paying $400 in easy $40 a month payments and you take one test that you can take as long as you like to finish this test and you can re-take sections as many times as you need for no additional charge. And after you pass and pay the charge you get your diploma, including a wallet sized copy, which might just be completly useless. But the funniest thing is you can buy a "Bontinental Bacademy" graduation ring to "capture your memories, school spirit and achievement". Exactly, what memories are you trying to forever remember? This reminds me of when I got knocked up in 9th grade and had to drop out. This reminds me of that time I completed the math session of my test while watching Wheel of Fortune. Take it from someone who went to a real high school and has actually memories, you'll never wear the darn thing anyway.

Holy Shit!

2005-05-08T08:45:00.000-07:00

So this morning per usual I was eating my cereal and watching tv and a commercial for Oprah came on. It was a black screeen and Oprah's voice says "I have a deep, dark, secret" and the words "deep, dark secret" appeared in white on the screen. Then it goes to Oprah standing on the stage and says....
ME AND STEDMAN HAVE A DAUGHTER!!!!!!!!!
Jigga what??!!!???
Can it be true that Oprah has birthed a child and hid her from the public? Not since the press hid FDR being a cripple has any cover up been so scandalous. Or maybe Stedman has a child from another relationship (but how does a gay man get pregnant?). Or can it be that Oprah gave a baby up for adoption? Or do they mean child in the spiritual/emotional sense-like there's a neighborhood kid they're fond of? And doesn't this explain Oprah's flutuating weight gain/loss (but not her horrible hair in the 80s).
I'm so horribly sad I have to work tomorrow, but I'm making my mom watch it. I suggest everyone tune in for this earth shattering news.

"Next" is the new "You're Fired"

2005-04-26T14:45:00.000-07:00

I saw a delightful new show on MTV today called "Next". Basically it's dating show where the person looking for a date has 5 potential dates on this bus. The dates come out one at a time to interact with the dater. At any point in time the dater wants he/she can say "next" and they person has to go back to the bus and the next person is up. The dates get a dollar per mnute they stay on the date, so when the dater decided this is "the one!" the date decided whether they will continue the date or just walk away with the money they had earned so far. At this point in the show there's an awesome recap of the day, which I guess is suppose to be the person's thoughts.

I watched 3 episodes today and I was very impressed with this poor man's Keanu Reeves model-guy. His 3rd date was with this slut girl who had a boob job (don't they all?) and when asked what she liked to do on her spare time she said "showing off my two assests" and pulled off her top and he said "Next" on her! It was awesome!

I'm totally NOT "Nexting" next.

Don't let the bed bugs bite.....

2005-04-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

It's official the boys floor at work is infested so we need to fumagate it. The boys have been moved to the girl's floor and the girls to a conference room. Then I come in today and i guess they fummigated the dayroom (our offices are right off the dayroom) so that area is closed off, I don't know for how long, but how am I suppose to do my work if I have no files and no office to do it in? But I take comfort that the Today show did a report on bed bugs on Friday so at least our pests are the hot things this spring.
In other work related news I am going to start teaching a class once a week on Tolerance and Diversity. I'm going to cover sex/gender, race, religion and sexual identity among other things. It should lead to interesting discussions between my feminist, liberal self and ghetto youth. I feel like Michelle Pfiefer in the incredible movie Dangerous Minds.
And last but not least I got into Fordham. I'm very nervous about a) going back to school and trying to prove to Dad that I'm not a fool and b) balancing work and school. But to quote myself upon seeing my acceptance letter, "I have a future".
Oh one weird thing: Some random person called work today to say they just had sex for the first time and they've been having weird discharge, what should they do? I wanted to say, well for starters don't seek information at homeless shelters, but instead I referred her to Planned Parenthood.

New law idea

2005-04-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

I propose that horror movie trailers should not be shown after 9pm.

The hot list

2005-04-02T15:37:00.000-08:00

Since bloggers are apparently the first people to know everything I'm going to share the new hot things in Spring 2005 (and beyond)
Food: Tea tablets. I read an article about it on yahoo that they made these tablets in I believe Russia that tasted like a cup of tea. They only had regular tea right now , but were working on a bunch of flavors. I love tea, but this is stupid, 50% of drinking any hot beverage is the experience of sitting there with a mug in your hand sipping said drink. Why don't they make something useful like vegatable tablets so you could eat a whole days worth of veggies in one swallow.
TV: The 80s' are official back! Current Affair is back on tv on UPN. I remember the typewriter sound effects and music from the show, but what I didn't remember was that each show is about a murder or rape case. I thought it was a show like Entertainment Tonight, only with less rhyming .
Movies: The movie Ray has been released on a special DVD for the blind. This is not the first movie for the blind to be made, but you can understand why they choose it. Apparently, in between the dialog there is a narrotor that explains the characters expression, the scenary etc.
An imagined example: Ray Charles is sitting at the piano and has just stopped playing. He is smiling, but looks all coked out and is mumbling to himself. One producer raises his eyebrow at the other as they exchange glances. The first producer walks away as the other looks contemplative and worried.
I don't understand how a person blind from birth would be able to picture these things in their mind. Plus I think the narrator would get annoying, but maybe that's just me with my 20/20 vision.
Dance: One of my more crazier clients informed me the hot new dance is to go toe-heel-toe while alterating feet at a rapid pace.
Fashion: He also told me that by 2010 rosaries will be the hot new fashion. Maybe they'll be a whole clerical fashion trend with cassocks and habits. I can just see it on the red carpet...
"Halle, who are you wearing?" "
Jesus."
"You look amazing, you're totally rocking the sorrowful mysteries!"
Theater: There's apparently a new Broadway play called "Spelling Bee". Now I was a big fan of the documentary Spellbound, but this seems like the stupidest idea for a musical ever. Literally the songs are to the effect of:
"Spell the word territorial"
"Can you use it in a sentence?"
"A dog pees on trees because they are territorial"
I hope the Pictionary musical comes out soon...
"A ball with a cross on it can only mean one thing..."
Music: A man that was given inspiration from the nature sounds CDs is releasing a recording of "Sounds from Crawford, Texas". Included is the sound of catfish frying and fans cheering on the local highschool football team. Some of the missing tracks include: the sound of G. W. Bush doing a line of coke off of Laura's ass, a remix of G.W. Bush using the word "faggot" over 50 times and a bunch of soundclips from Fox News.
I smell a graduation present for a certain someone.
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At work the overnight staff is responsible for keeping a night log to record in every hour. Mostly it's "all is quiet". So my co-worker did not realize that the clocks have moved forward so when I told her she wrote: "7:00am-time has moved forward. "

Sunday Morning Musings

2005-03-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

I can't really explain why, but I feel like it's an unspoken truth that if you watch The Contender you most likely voted for Bush. It's like those magnetic ribbon things, while seemingly neutral, it's really a conservative statement.

Yesterday, Eileen happened to mention that she will be 24 in a few months which sent me into a panic since I will be 24 a couple weeks after her. I am not ready for the transition into my mid-twenties.

The director at work is the Dick Van Dyke of social services because at every training thus far he has tripped over some object in the room.

I have been disappointed lately with books endings. I have read two really good books lately, but both authors seemed to have rushed through the endings and try to tie everything up. Maybe it's just dissapointment that the book is ending. Anyway I still recommend them:

*The Red Tent by Anita Diamant...A classic book club book that lives up to the hype. It tells the story of Dinah the only daughter of Jacob from the Old Testement, who had twelve sons (the twelve tribes of Israel) including Joseph and his fierce coat. The story is based off of one passage in the Bible, and I think she does a good job filling in the blanks. This story is very appropriate for women's history month because it's main theme is the strength of women.

*The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri...Long story short a novel that tells the story of a boy born in America to Indian parents but given a Russian name and his struggle with who he really is. Jhumpa (yes, we're on first name basis) is one of the best writers I have ever read. I was just disappointed in the way the main character's life turned out.

Got a bad case of the Mondays

2005-03-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

Ghetto vocab word for the day: "trained"(v)-to have multiply sexual partners in a row. All my niggas and me trained that bitch last night.

My supervisor taught me that word today in explaing why 2 of my clients and 3 other of our youth were being discharged and not allowed services for a year. I'm really upset because my one client has been holding a steady job and is in college and was probably going to go into our transitional housing program, but then he got involved in this.

Currently, I'm waiting for the maintence man to come back in to fix the drain pipe on the boys floor because its leaking all over the bathroom and laundry room and then place reaks of urine. Plus, I had the fortune of stepping in a puddle of the liquid. Awesome!

Strong enough for a convict, but made for a woman

2005-02-23T09:17:00.000-08:00

Interesting fact of the day: One of our youth who just came from being "locked up" I'm not sure if that means JV or jail, but he said they only issue you women's deoderant.

Do you have a plan?

2005-02-21T13:22:00.000-08:00

So I was watching tv this morning and a commercial came on with two little kids talking (around ten years old). This is the basic breakdown of the commercial...
Kid #1: You mean your family doesn't have a plan?
Kid #2: Nope
Kid #1: What happens if there is a terrist attack? My family has decided where we will all meet in case we are unable to communicate with eachother.
Voiceover-be prepared for an attack-decide ahead of time where to meet. (brought to you by homeland security)

This commercial totally seems like it was taken out of 1950s cold-war times-like we should all plan to meet in a bomb shelter or something. My plan is to get myself to Kansas-I figure I'd be safe right in the middle of nowhere.

Not even a week into it...

2005-02-15T15:01:00.000-08:00

I would never consider myself a chocolate lover, I never even thought i liked it that much, but I'm really missing it. I guess i didn't even realize all the things I consume that have chocolate and how much I would be cutting out. The biggest challenge was the two visits over the weekend to Friendly's (it's like I'm in hs again), it's crazy how almost every topping has chocolate involved and almost every flavor. I use to think that Friendly's had a good variety of ice cream, but they really only have 12 flavors.
However, not eating chocolate has made me discover two new delicious things. The first is the "strawberry-banana friend-z" at Friendly's which is a treat of vanilla ice cream with bananas and strawberry topping all mixed together. My second disovery was in the Oakland diner where I couldn't drink chocolate milk-my usual drink of choice at diners-so I got pink lemonade, which was delightful.
I'm already thinking what will be my first chocolate thing once Lent is over. I think we have to break traditions this year and stop off at TGIF so I can get oreo madness. However, oreo madness is so good normally I can't imagine after a chocolate fast, I think my heart might explode.

Fat Tuesday

2005-02-08T17:50:00.000-08:00

Day 2 of training at work, which apparently has been extended to 6 months! Here are some highlights:
*the director using the phrase "getting jiggy with it" in an attempt to sound 'street'-he gives a bad name to white people everywhere
*Finding out that one of my co-workers has a daughter who is a midget (his words) who is dating a 7 foot tall man AND he describes his daughter as looking like E.T.
Saddly there was no candy this time, but that's okay I was full from my chocolate shake a la McDonald's. I have decided that I'm giving up all chocolate for Lent-it mets my requirement of lenten things I give up by being the food I have become obsessed with. Past recepicants have been:
2004:doughnuts
2003: all kinds of chips
2002: mozarella sticks
2001: choco tacos
etc.
Usually I just replace my current food obsession with a new one, but I still suffer that lost. And as usual I try to do something positive during Lent. After contemplation I think it's just going to be a general working on my relationship with God and trying to get to church. So hopefully this Lent I will grow in my relationship with God and have a lot less pimples.

Let's hear it for nothing to do on Sunday mornings at work

2005-02-06T05:31:00.000-08:00

REMEMBER YOUR SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL!
What year was it? 1998-99
What were your three favorite bands? Nsync, Aerosmith and Bon Jovi
What was your favorite outfit? Well I had no choice in my pink blouse/pink plaid skirt and cranberry cardigan for AHA with of course the cranberry knee socks. I can't really remember any shirts I wore then but I loved my overalls and this pair of LEI jeans I had that was so worn in it was like I was wearing sweatpants made of the wings of angels. I can still remember the moment freshman year when I ripped them and I realized I had to get rid of them. I heart those pants.
What was up with your hair? exactly the same.
Who were your best friends? All the people I'm friends with today give or take some (ie Laura-gone, Katie-added)
What did you do after school? Working at the afterschool program with Tara good times, good times. Folkgroup(even if there wasn't any just hanging out in Bryan School Park), (renagade) youthgroup, Search meetings and volleyball???
Did you take the bus? I was cool and had my license, but I was stuck driving my mom's stupid stationwagon
Who did you have a crush on? Brian, Brian McGowen, Brian, Evan, Brian,
Did you fight with your parents? totally, the only one I can specifically remember was the fight with my mom about me wearing make-up to prom-I got my way and didn't wear any.
Who did you have a CELEBRITY crush on? Jenson Ackles on Days!, Pacey from DC, Scott Wolf and JC.
Did you smoke cigarettes? nope
Did you lug all of your books around in your backpack all day because you were too nervous to find your locker? No, but I did carry my books in my purple LL Bean bookbag because that's what you did since there wasn't enough time to go back and forth between classes.
Did you have a 'clique'? If by clique you mean me and KB then yes, yes I did
Did you have "The Max" like Zach Kelly and Slater? My hangouts senior year was Vinny's basement/room, Kb's newly converted garage to living room and just driving around in my car(which was brand new then!) and usually ending up at 7/11
Admit it, were you popular? Def. not, but being popular meant getting scammified and I wasn't into that anyway
Who did you want to be just like? Not sure, maybe Joey from DC, my life already parrallelled that show.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Campus Minister/Youth Minister(see Brian for once you copied me!)/teacher perhaps/one time dancer on Broadway. I was adament that I would not go to graduate school and probably just be a stay at home mom.
What did you think you'd be at the age you are now? At 18, 23 is so old! At 23, 23 is so old! I can't say I remember specifically, but I probably assumed I would be a youth minister, and I hoped I would be in a serious relationship. I just got it mixed up a little cause I'm in a serious relationship with a youth minister :)

Get your own tots!

2005-02-04T10:23:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the start of our once a week training for 5 months! at CH. I felt so grown up, I mean we had training things at Loaves and Fishes but L+F was so laid back so it was different. This involved slides and questions for discussions. Unlike L+F there was no happy hour but there was candy and I ate approx. 56 billion mini snickers, twix and milky way-I've never really had a milky way cause of the whole nougat thing but I highly enjoyed it. And I totally got a case of the giggles when the director was talking about skills, all I could think about was numchuck skills and BOW STAFF skills. Gosh!

Where are they now????

2005-01-31T17:20:00.000-08:00

The mail pile grows higher everyday here at work as our clients are getting their W-2's. I think I might actually understand taxes, my dad showed me the form I had gotten from work and that I should get back where it says federal and state taxes. However, why does the goverment bother to take the money in the first place if it's going to give it back to me? And why do you pay taxes, but then get some money back-wouldn't it save time to begin with to just not pay that money? And why am I paying social security so george sr. can buy barbra another pearl necklace while george jr. is going to screw me over?
Luckily we have Susan from Sesame Street to answer all those questions, since she is in an ad for HR Block or something. This was good casting, since we all know that she knows her numbers, plus I'm sure she had to really understand the tax system after she adopted Miles, and she was really good at answering all of Bird Bird's questions (ie Why did Mr. Looper have to die?, How come no one can see Snuffy?)
Then as I was flipping through the channels last night I spotted another familiar face. It was none other then Mr. Shettfield from "The Nanny". He was gueststarring on She Spies, a horrible show shown only late at night about women with double Ds that are hired by the CIA to fight crime(see silk stalkings and V.I.P starring pam anderson). Next step for Mr. Shettfield: a bridal shop in Flushing Queens.

Spongebob gaypants

2005-01-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

When I was coming out of our meeting today I saw a young, white girl looking like she was playing dress-up in a suit waiting for an inteview, much like I did a few months ago (sans suit), so I gave her a smile. I'm rooting for her so we can talk about white girl things like eating disorders, plastic surgery and John Mayer.

So I don't even understand why the news stations would even think that spongebob being gay and brainwashing our nation's children could even pass as story. It's bad enough that some crazy right-wing christian guy would make something so innocent into something totally crazy, but do we really have to broadcast it like it's a fact or could possibly be a fact. Hello!!!! For once and for all cartoons and fake creatures that exist on tv do not have sexual preferences, probably cause they don't even have genitalia! All I know there is a lot of whitetrash people who bought SpongeBob stuff at the boardwalk that are questioning their sexuality, and that my friends, is just not right!

Contact Congress to help the We are Family Foundation to pass a bill recognizing March 11th (six months after September 11) as National We Are Family Day to celebrate our humanity and to show the red states Spongebob might be queer, but he's here and we should love him regardless.

They're no Judge Wapner but...

2005-01-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

So after the last 10 minutes of sitting here at work doing nothing but eating honey (apparently I'm Winnie-the Pooh) I decided to do something productive and write in my blog.
So the highlight of my work week was one of our youth, whose in a lawsuit with an old landlord, got a letter in the mail from the Judge Mathias show asking him to be on it. Apparently Judge Joe Brown had also written to him, so he is getting courted (no pun intended) by both shows. Personally, I would pick Judge Joe Brown cause he totally has the better slogan "be part of the solution not part of the problem" vs Mathias' "Real People with Real Disputes before a Real Judge delivering Real Justice" thats just really redudant.

Still mourning Kerry

2005-01-17T18:11:00.000-08:00

http://www.usaweekend.com/05_issues/050116/050116relationtips.html

Yeah usaweekend is a lame magize but I appreciated this article. Look for me on Thursday I'll be the one wearing all black with a angry look on my face.

2005-01-11T22:23:00.000-08:00

So I'm helping one of my clients figure out what classes he is going to register for and he goes into this speech that "people can't help other people if they haven't been there". It wasn't meant specifically for me and the fact that he's spent the last 3 years in various programs I'm sure has made him jaded. To me this is my own "white (middle-class) (wo)man's burden". How do I relate to someone from the hood that has spent time hustling drugs and has been in tons of foster care systems. Which is pretty much the complete opposite of me. I was literally stumped thinking about it. Yeah, I spent a year in poverty and that taught me a lot, but I still haven't "been there". Finally, I thought about what I learned at Loyola, the concept of helping vs. serving. When you help someone it is a greater than relationship while serving is being in solitude with the person. By not approaching the situation by saying I'm going to do this, this and that for you but rather we're going to do this together. I think that's the answer.

I've caved in!

2005-01-06T10:47:00.000-08:00

At the risk of getting dumped I have taken the plunge into the blog world. Honestly, this is totally narsosisitic, but it's not my fault I'm a Leo! I wonder if by 2010 people age 35+ will be into blogs like how the sending forwards is for people 35+ today. I have to get some stuff done before I leave (today's my "Friday"!) so "I caught you a delicious bass" (it's only slightly weirder as an ending here)

Must rent: Napoleon Dynomite (from which I got the above quote)
Quote of the day: "Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential; to turn a life around."-Leo Buscaglia
High point of the day: Having my office to myself and being able to listen to music
Low point of the day: Getting a flat tire with the company car