Apropos of Nothing *4*

Palomar · 2005-05-05 05:30:21

We're going to get another kitten if Radar doesn't return within another month (my husband is holding out, but I am convinced Radar is gone for good).
Sadly, you're probably right.
Hopefully little Sonar will fare better.
Couldn't resist.

*You might have named our next cat. :laugh: I like it, and told my husband about your recommendation of "Sonar." He likes it.

Speaking of cats, a friend of ours has a big gold and white tabby cat named Sherman. Long story short, a few years ago Sherman was playing on the roof of a house with another cat. The other cat leaped off the roof and onto the branch of a nearby tree. Sherman followed suit, or tried to, and missed the branch... He fell onto the concrete driveway below, poor thing, and broke his jaw. He now has mild permanent facial disfigurement; he's a bit snaggle-toothed from continued mild jaw mal-alignment (yes, she took him to the vet, but there was only so much they could do for his broken jaw), one side of his mouth is a bit crooked up from it, and his left eye was affected as well (scar across it). Cathy said Sherman looks like a pirate (true). We had a holiday dinner at Cathy's home in December. The other cat stayed away, but Sherman is sociable. He was like a child coming continually to the table -- for treats of course, but he also wanted attention. There'd be that big furry pirate-like face suddenly and repeatedly peeking up over the table's edge, front paws on someone's lap, etc. So like a child wanting the adults' attention (and food). I would have been happy to let him onto my lap and feed him scraps during the dinner, but of course that couldn't happen.

Cute cat, couldn't get enough attention.

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-05-05 10:05:26

*Okay...maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it.

--Cindy

dicktice · 2005-05-05 10:27:31

Good, ongoing, soap-opera plot. You are so cool....

Palomar · 2005-05-05 10:34:26

*Why, thank you dicktice.

You should read some of my "Dark Shadows" fan fic, if you're that impressed by 1 post. :laugh:

--Cindy

clark · 2005-05-05 19:53:19

I crawl from the belly of the World Trade Center, pass long across the American Trade Center, cross the grave of Alexander Hamilton's grave, to end at the center of the Stock Market Bull, which stands guard before the grounds of the first park, of a city, upon island that was sold for beads. Everyday.

I wonder if there is some hidden meaning to it all. :laugh:

clark · 2005-05-05 20:49:29

It's Cinco de Mayo fer cryin out loud!

Am I the only one that can remember their multi-national birth-right?!

Time to hit the pinata! Of course, I'm already spinning.

Mad Grad Student · 2005-05-05 21:11:28

Very, very few people have a real understanding of how the Universe works. Okay, nobody even comes close to fully understanding every intricacy and nuance of its history from big bang to today, but there's a select especially curious group that at least understands the basics in Universe 101. Maybe one in ten thousand people worldwide at most have a working knowledge of the sequence Big Bang- Atoms- Giant Gas Clouds- Big Stars- Bigger Atoms- Big Black Holes (lots of big stuff)- Heavy Metal- Galaxies- Sun- Planets- Oceans- Bacteria- Fish- Us. If you can truly imagine what the Universe is like I don't think it is possible to have a profoundly negative outlook on it, or to not help but marvel at its raw intrinsic beauty. Well, that's just me anyway. Thomas Hardy didn't understand the universe, and he was an overbearing pessimist.

Hardy, of course, is the author of the Victorian masterpieceTess of the d'Urbervilles, which I have recently completed reading for IB English 3-4. The book is absolutely stunning from a literary standpoint, the writing is delightful to read and the characters are compellingly life-like, but comes up far short as far as philosophy goes. Hardy goes to great lengths to produce wonderful loveable but flawed characters and a gripping story, and then makes every attempt to trash it by assaulting the reader with the message that life is worthless/meaningless, you'd be better off if you'd never been born, etc. It's still a great read, but the guy has been bugging the heck out of me for the last month. Writing a 35 page journal devoted to analyzing Hardy, his philosophy, and his writing style also helped to bug me during April. But whatev.

While we're talking about Tess and soap-opera worthy plots, there's another event I'll mention. During the first phase of Tess (out of seven) I was having a little bit of trouble nailing down the title character's look exactly, so I tried out a mental exercise to do so. Before I picked up the book I would imagine her actually in the room, run a few test lines (invariably something like "I don't care if 'tis dozens of miles to Trantridge!"- don't ask, you'd kinda have to read the book to get it), get the physics worked out (which usually consisted of some walking, twirling, and hair rearranging), and dive right in. As a result, I inadvertently created a Tess Durbeyfield who is exceedingly lifelike, perhaps a little too much so.

This actually does lead somewhere. Anyways, the other night I had the oddest dream. I won't give away any spoilers, but suffice it to say that there's a pivotal scene in the book where, after making a confession on a previously romantic evening by a roaring fire, Tess distresses her companion and he walks out. She later on follows him, and they share a discussion about something intimately related to plot spoilers. I know this because: (A) I read the book, and (B) I have vicariously lived through this scene in the aforementioned dream.

Usually my dreams have some strange quality to them that one can't quite pin down in the dream, but obviously nails it as a dream once I wake up. This dream had none of that. Every single thing about it, the look, the sounds, the feel of it was hauntingly real. Now here's the really interesting part, during the dream I was Tess Durbyfield. This is a little bit interesting considering that we share very little in common with each other physically and she just so happens to be the opposite gender that I am. Kind of freaky when you think about it.

You would think that commanding such a wildly different body for the dream time would be a disorienting experience, but it wasn't in any way at all for me. It was as though for those few glorious hours (dream time, it was probably a few minutes real-world time) I had absolutely no memory of being a lanky 16-year-old male from Phoenix and had rather held possession of this strikingly beautiful brunette from lower Wessex all of my life instead. Evidence of a past life? That would be fun to believe, but unlikely. The bottom line is that (1) I had a really cool dream a few nights ago and (D) I need to make shorter posts.

One memorable quote:
"Angel, snap out of it. I'm talking real world here, not some fantasy dream world. It's your choice whether you leave or not, and you're setting us both up for really bad stuff if you do. It could happen."
-Me (not Thomas Hardy)

That quote is kinda ironic considering that it actually was said in a fantasy dream world. But perhaps still pertainant to this world. I'm personally quite fond of this world and wouldn't trade it for all the tea in China. Dreams are fun but ultimately a distraction from the sheer outright wonder of the real Universe. So... am I officially crazy yet?

You just can't make this stuff up.

Shaun Barrett · 2005-05-05 21:48:25

MadGrad:-

So... am I officially crazy yet?

Umm ... yep!
Or you may just be a cross-dresser and don't know it yet.

Either way, the world is your oyster. :laugh:

[Don't .. repeat .. Don't let this go to your head, but you're one smart 16 year-old. All intelligence is relevant (equally valuable) and relative, so beware of judging intelligence - it's just too difficult and I've rarely known it to achieve anything worthwhile anyway. But, having said that, as intelligence goes, I think you're very intelligent!
Plus .. I think you should try and get out more. ]

Mad Grad Student · 2005-05-05 23:58:21

Plus .. I think you should try and get out more. ]

Indeedy.

Yep yep, believe me, I wish I got out more probably more than anyone else. More than anyone else, I am also aware that this ain't gonna happen. I don't mean to start a debate over who has it harder than everyone else, but it is dastardly hard to keep up with the kind of schedule I have and I simply don't have the time to go out and socialize very much. Moreover, I don't mean to sound like a conceited elitist, but I'm really way ahead of pretty much everyone else my age developmentally speaking. It's fascinating to watch; my peers are just now shedding the final vestiges of their cootie-fearing, childish ways and are starting to learn that members of the opposite gender really are people, too (no really!). Meanwhile, I'm sitting over here checking my watch waiting for opportunity's knock. You can be proactive as you want, but ultimately if the other end isn't ready it's not going to work. The upshot is, I still have my junior and senior years ahead of me to get this social mess sorted out before I'm out and about and on my own at a university. Fun stuff.

As far as intelligence goes, don't worry about me letting that stuff go to my head. I don't like to bring up my age except when I have to contextually or it just makes sense to do so. The wonderful thing about the internet is that you have absolutely no idea what the people you're talking to are like, and as such you have a completely unbiased opinion of them. Hopefully my age doesn't skew how my points are taken, but I can't help but wonder if it occasionally does so. Pretend I'm just another schmo you happen to be chatting with on the vast intellectual ocean of the internet. But I do enjoy being flattered. :;):

I think it's safe to say that we don't have to worry about my becoming a cross-dresser. As far as I can tell I'm the sanest person I know, and I'll do my best to keep it that way. Insanity, cross-dressing... It's just not me.

If nothing else my dream does shatter a few preconcieved notions about REM dynamics (is that even a term? Do I care? Probably not). At one point during our lively little walk I stepped on a thorn, and youch! I was barefoot at the time and, man, it felt exactly like stepping on a sharp object in the real world. So much for that whole dealy about you can't feel pain in a dream. The thing that keeps coming back to me about this dream is how real the feelings were, something that's rare for me. Now, I've never been walking on a chilly, breezy, humid night barefoot in an immaculate white skirt before, but you sure could have fooled me. To preempt your next question, barring any unforseen future events (such as my spontaneously becoming a charming young brunette with sparkly dark brown eyes [which admittedly would be pretty neat]) I will not be testing this in the real world. There are just some things that you can only do in dreams...

Well, I have an AP European History Test to prepare for. Wish me luck.

Cobra Commander · 2005-05-06 05:19:04

"Could be allergies, could be cancer. . ."

Ain't it great when doctors give you straight answers like that? :laugh:

Palomar · 2005-05-06 08:31:13

*Orlando Bloom will be the James Bond of the 2010's. Just saw him on a TV news morning program. He is sooooo gorgeous. Tall and thin. Etc.

My sister's boyfriend's mother (53 years old) apparently agrees. :laugh:

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-05-10 07:03:16

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/shuttle- … Whoopie-do

*Still nowhere to go, nothing to do.

NASA's astronauts relegated to reality-TV type "coverage."

::shakes head::

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-05-10 07:20:17

*TV shows I've never watched:

Hill Street Blues
NYPD Blue
St. Elsewhere (yeah, I know that's long since over)
Law & Order
Any of the "reality TV" crapola...including "Survivor"
CSI
Everybody Loves Raymond
Desperate Housewives
ER
Grey's Anatomy

...most evening television on the major networks...

Do enjoy "news magazine" shows like Dateline NBC and 20/20.

--Cindy

Mad Grad Student · 2005-05-13 23:04:05

I'm now 31 days away from becoming the first person in my family in at least four generations (perhaps many more) to leave the United States. Back in February I signed up for a 10-day trip to England and Scotland under the agreement that I pay for a substantial portion of the trip (which I have). For some people this wouldn't be too big of a deal, but considering how little anyone in my family travels this is huge, and I'm starting to jump up and down with excitment.

So far I've thought of a few souvenier opportunities I will take advantage of during this excursion. Among the options I'm considering:
1. Bring a copy of Tess of the d'Urbervilles to Stonehenge and take a photo of me holding it with the structure in the background. This will be fun because (a) an exceedingly important event occurs in the book at Stonehenge and (b) Stonehenge and Tess are both just too cool.
2. Since this trip will include my first ever flight on a 777, I may bring along my 1:500 scale Herpa model 777. This will add some fun sentimental value to the model considering that it will actually have been on a real version of itself, but I am a little worried about it becoming damaged or lost on the trip. In any case, it's a fun possibility to consider.
3. Eat a deep fried Mars bar. I will not leave the UK before I have had one!

It's funny, some people might look at a 10 hour+ flight across the North Atlantic Ocean as a torturous ordeal. Nothing could be further from how I'm viewing each flight. 10+ hours in a spacious, nearly sonic widebody jet with engines wider than the height of my ceilings is a terriblly romantic concept IMHO. I'll be loving every minute of each flight. And don't forget, no matter how disillusioned you may become with the current state of airline travel, there's always all the Tetris you can handle.

Cindy, have you ever watched any of the show Lost before? A while back I tried watching a little of Desperate Housewives, it didn't take, but there's something about Lost that keeps me coming back. I practically never watch TV anymore, but this is my one main exception. While some or perhaps many of the ideas that the show pushes are highly sketchy, the presentation is absolutely outstanding. I have never seen any television show with such high production quality, and the character portrayal is top-notch. One could go on an on about the flaws in the show, but something about it keeps me hungry for more, you may want to try watching some of it some time.

Palomar · 2005-05-14 05:56:27

I'm now 31 days away from becoming the first person in my family in at least four generations (perhaps many more) to leave the United States. Back in February I signed up for a 10-day trip to England and Scotland under the agreement that I pay for a substantial portion of the trip (which I have). For some people this wouldn't be too big of a deal, but considering how little anyone in my family travels this is huge, and I'm starting to jump up and down with excitment.

*Hi MGS: Sounds fabulous. I hope you have a great time. :up:

Cindy, have you ever watched any of the show Lost before? A while back I tried watching a little of Desperate Housewives, it didn't take, but there's something about Lost that keeps me coming back. I practically never watch TV anymore, but this is my one main exception.

No, I haven't. I've seen plenty of advertising for it, though; previews of upcoming episodes and etc. It does look interesting, but not compelling enough for me to actually watch it. I might; thanks for the recommendation.

Even TVLand's old sitcom lineup isn't holding my attention much these days (although I -love- a lot of the sitcoms from the 1950s and 1960s). Frankly, the only TV show I am enjoying these days is "Dark Shadows," the old gothic daytime TV show which ran from 1966 to 1971. I'm collecting DVDs. I actually did watch some episodes of that show while it aired, when I was 5 or 6 (1970 or 1971), at a neighbor's house. That ended when I began having nightmares, my mother discovered what my friend and I were watching, and she wouldn't allow me to visit my friend's house anymore while DS was on. :laugh: That show stayed with me all my life; in the mid-1990s the Sci-Fi channel did re-runs. And now I'm collecting the DVDs. A die-hard "Dark Shadows" fan here!

--Cindy

Palomar · 2005-05-17 04:59:00

*Looking for the Cat's Paw Nebula? :laugh: Nah, it's daytime. Kitty is doing some solar observing with a filter!

From Marc Staves of NY. Taken May 10. Photo being hosted by spaceweather.com.

Wish they would have shared the name of the cat. S/he has good taste in hobbies. Hunting mice?? A thing of the past!

--Cindy

dicktice · 2005-05-17 15:21:17

Can't resist offering advice to a first time visitor to the UK: Buy your everyday clothes at Marks & Spencer's. Look and act like a native Brit. Travel by train as much as possible. Be a student. Don't carry a camera. Use locally purchased rucksack, notebook, etc. Visit York Minster cathedral, city bus tour, then do a walkabout. Kit Kat and Snickers (made there)taste much better than U.S. or Canada. Edinburgh bus tour, then do a walkabout. North York, abby bus tour. Waverly Station departure, across Firth of Forth bridgeside bus tour to St Andrews (Where Jack Nicklaus will be playing his last tournament), Dundee to Perth (cultural heart of Scotland) and on to Glasgow (whose airport restaurants are so good they are frequented by the Glaswegians) and back to Edinburgh. Stop overnight at pensions, meeting other foreign tourists. Write emails so we can follow your first impressions.
Luck.

DonPanic · 2005-05-19 17:09:23

LO
Pretty snaphot on Cannes Festival
http://www.wtb.free.fr/blog/videos/soph … cannes.wmv

Cobra Commander · 2005-05-19 18:23:19

Had one of those rare "perfect moments" on the drive home from work today. Overcast skies with just a hint of rain when the freeway traffic inexplicably ground to a near halt. The initial reaction of "%@#$!*!!!, stupid friggin' #%@$#! What the @$#!" was quickly replaced by "Too tired to get angry," took a deep breath and sat back thinking happy thoughts.

Then some Pink Floyd came on the radio, sunlight shone down through the clouds as though God cranked up a dimmer switch, and from behind the treeline emerged the Blue Angels in formation before breaking off in all directions. :laugh:

Seconds later I'm cruising along well above the posted limit with F-18s putting on a show at very low altitude. Comfortably Numb indeed.

There's a moral to that story somewhere. :hm:

clark · 2005-05-20 05:14:32

Hands at ten and two, eyes on the road, obeying all posted traffic signs?

Oh wait, you live near Detroit. Never mind.

Carry on.

Palomar · 2005-05-20 07:15:05

*Well this is interesting. Today a doctor wants me (actually, whoever got the report -- turns out it is me) to do a special favor for her...when yesterday she couldn't do a very simple favor for whoever obtained a dictation of hers (me, yesterday).

Guess she'll have to contact Administration (her advice to the transcriber yesterday).

::shrugs::

--Cindy

clark · 2005-05-20 08:05:21

nothing like petty victories to cheer the day.

clark · 2005-05-20 11:17:30

see, nothing like pettey victories to cheer ones day. :laugh:

Mad Grad Student · 2005-05-21 15:49:03

There's a moral to that story somewhere. :hm:

What the hey, I like a challenge. The moral here is... probably something like shut up and get back to work. That's how I would interpret it anyways. Ordinarily I'm pretty good about finding morals in stories, you have to be good at it to stay in an English class whose title ends in the acronym "A/H/IB," which I believe stands for "Andvanced/Honors/International Baccalaureate." The name itself is a bit of a misnomer considering that there are a couple of Advanced Placement slackers in it as well. Come to think of it, why again is it that a class needs three different descriptors at the end of its name? :hm:

As it currently stands I will need to get a 58% or better on my final in that class next Thursday in order to earn my "A" this semester. Crunch time, indeed. I'm one to talk, though, I really ought to be studying for French and Math right now, those two are going to be doozies. Chemistry I should be okay on, and for Physics and English I could probably skip studying entirely and still be just fine. Not that I will, mind you, but it's a fascinating hypothetical. What if there were no hypothetical questions?

While I'm talking about my English class there are a couple of other items of note. On thursday we took the http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTy … ers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator as part the career unit that is a necessary component of state standards. The idea behind this test (the above link is to a similar one if you want to see what the test is like) is that it splits you into one of sixteen different categories of people based on four personality factors. I was split between the INTJ and ENTJ types, which supposedly means that I could/should be an architect, lawyer, engineer, or credit investigator, among other things. Hmm, credit investigator, that's certainly a job I would probably never consider taking (no offense if any here happens to be one).

As for small victories, how's this? When I recieved my workbook back for Tess of the d'Urbervilles scribbled on the grading sheet in pretty blue ink was the note "I know you liked the book, superb journal, " right next to the number 200/200. This is a very good number to have on a grading sheet. Doesn't it just make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside to recieve something like that after you've spent 30+ hours over the course of a month working on an assignment? Well, I did anyways.

Now the moral in that story shure would be an interesting one to find.

Shaun Barrett · 2005-05-22 03:50:58

Now the moral in that story shure would be an interesting one to find.

"Remember thou art mortal! Remember thou art mortal!" :;):

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