- Words, Beats and Life Inc
- Association of Governing Boards
Research Admin Asst - US Green Building Council
-Professional Development Assoc - ACCION International
-Executive Asst - DC Learns Inc
Literacy Americorps DC - Casey Trees Endowment Fund
-Exec Asst - Amerian Institutes od Researh
-projet asst
-specialist
01 June 2008
List
21 April 2008
Spring Programs
- Seton Hall
Museum Studies
rolling admission, 4 concentrations: education, registration, management, exhibition development - Buffalo State University
History w/Museum Stds concentration
due Nov 11; - Johns Hopkins
online museum stds courses, rolling
Smithsonian Museum Stds List
18 September 2007
Application Websites
27 July 2007
Applying....
University of Missouri-St Louis; History w/concentration in museum stds
George Washington, Museum Studies Program
San Francisco State-Museum Stds
George Mason, concentration:American; path: applied APR 15th
- MARCH 1; history base and study in theory and practice of museology; collaborating depts: History, Anthropology, Art & Art History, Missouri Historical Society; cirriculum focuses on changing view of museum as relationships between themand community
- must apply specifically for concentration, 3.2 GPA in major, 3 letters, writing sample, mus stds supplemental app including statement of intent for pursuing a museum career
- Jay Rounds
phD in anth, research changing social role of museums, museums as places of making of meaning
George Washington, Museum Studies Program
- specialization in collections management, management/administration, exhibition development/design; focus on academic core: anth, american stds, history; can also do interdisciplinary
- statement of purpose: additional info about yourself that is pertinent to app: previous expereince, academic obj, career goals; 250-500 wds; 2 letters
- Ildiko DeAngelis
director; focus on legal, ethical, policy issues in managing museum collections; seminar in cultural property - Kym Rice
asst director, exhibitions and interpretation,recent exhibitions: Before Freedom Came: Af-am Life in Antebellum South, Southern City, National Ambition: growth of Early Washington, DC 1800-1860; A Woman's War: Southern Women, Civil War, and Confederate Legacy; book: For the Entertainment of Freinds and Strangers: The Role of the Tavern in Early American Life - Barbara Brennen
exhibition designer at Air & Space - Jessica Luke
works at Institute for Learning Innovation, studys learning in museums, focus on museums and community with youth development and parents involvment - Daniel Rogers
dept chair for anthropology, curator of archeology at museum of natural history; while at Smithsonian dealt with how museums interact with their audiences; develping audience diversity, community partnerships, trends in museum organization - Phillip Speiss
history of museum; articles: Museums Studies, are they doing their job? Museum News Dec 1996
San Francisco State-Museum Stds
- MARCH 1; curation, mus education, management, collections/registration managment emphasis areas
- min 3.0 in last 30 credits, 6 months in museums; 2 letters; schedule interview b4 Mar 1st;
- statement of purpose: outline background, intentions and goals, specify as closely as possible theie career emphasis they wish to pursue; 500 words or less
- Susie Chung
teaching courses focusing on communications function of museums and heritage institutions
research: philosophy of museums, university museums, intangible heritage, heritage planning, heritage tourism, diversity of cultures
interested in possibility to link and sustain tangible and intangible heritage as a system in museums - Linda Ellis
chair, previously taught scientific applications to cultural objects;
teaches: history and organization of museums, exhibit design, museum education, curatorship and collections, censorship and culture wars in museums
published on application of science to ancient archeology, arch method and theory
George Mason, concentration:American; path: applied APR 15th
- applied history path: for students seeking expertise in historical preservation, museum studies, archives management
- in 750-1000 wds: state professional plans & career objectives; include personal qualities and development and how they have influenced your career choice; reasons for this degree in your academic background; professional work experience and career goals; reason fro selecting program at GMU from online application
- 2 letters of recc; GRE; resume;
- statement: explain academic credentials, professional background, intellectual interest in Mason, ultimate career goals
- Joan Bristol
classes: colonail latin america, comparitive slavery; interest social/cultural history - Benedict Carton
book: Blood from your Children: Colonial Origins of Generational Conflict in South Africa; interests - Africa, oral history - Sheila ffolliott
courses: Rome in Renaissance, Art and Mateiral Culture, The Museum - Lois Horton
books: Slavery and Public History: the Taught Stuff of American Memory; Slavery and the Making of America; writes on American identity, race/class/gender, 19th c black struggles for freedom - Meridith Lair
interests: post 40s social/cultural history, War and American society - Alison Landsberg
book:Prosthetic Memory: Transformance of American Remembrance in the Age of Mass Culture - mass cultural technologies(experiential museums) have made it possible for ppl to take on memories of events they didn't live through; interests: early cinema, race and slef-making, museums and the installation of memory
05 July 2007
International Programs for Good Measure
- Uni British Columbia - School of Library, Archival, and Information Stds
- Uni Toronto - Museum Stds
-focused on museum origins, philosophiy, current practices, provide students with both a comprehensive knowledge of the function of museums in their broader social and cultural context and a methodology for research
-considerations for admission: performance, choice and balance of courses in museum stds, career goals, personal and work experiences, demonstrated interest in museum work
- Uni St Andrews - Museum and Gallery Stds
- University College London - Museum Stds, Cultural Heritage Stds
- Uni of Cambridge - Archeology and Museums
- Social Anth with Museum Stds - Uni East Anglia - Museology
- Uni Leicester - Museum Studies
- Uni Newcastle upon Tyne - Museum, Gallery, Heritage Studies
Grad Programs, the List I
- Cal State, Fullerton - Anthropology
easy admission, general discipline focus
- San Francisco State - Museum Stds
curation focus, 3.0 GPA/last 30,statement: outline background, intentions, goals, specify emphasis to pursue, app availible OCT 2007
- Uni Colorado - Museum and Field Stds
museum of natural history on campus, MS degree, major in anth
- Uni Denver - Anthropology Museum Stds
focus in Museum stds, training with arch/ethnographic materials, hands on training in museum of anth
- Uni Delaware - Museum Stds
certificate for history, arch, art history programs
- Historyancient, museum stds courses/concentration; submit history seminar paper, 3.0 GPA, 3 letters, good with tuition waivers
- American Uni - Public Anth
focus in cultural anth or arch, academic and field study
- George Washington Uni - Museum Stds
- Anthropology w/Museum Training - Florida State Uni - Museum Studies
certificate program with anth, etc
- Anthropology3.0 3rd & 4th yr, 1000 GRE
- Uni Florida - Master Arts in Museum Stds
.5 museum/.5 academic; 2.5 yrs; select disciplinary interest (anth, historic pres, tourism)
- Uni Kansas - Cultural Preservation Management
- Museum Stds - Uni New Orleans - Historic Preservation
- Southern Uni at New Orleans - Museum Stds
- Boston Uni - Dept Art History, Museum
- Tufts Uni - Museum Stds
- Uni Michigan - Museum Stds
- Wayne State Uni - Library and Information Scieence Program
- Western Michigan Uni - Public History
- Uni Missouri-St Louis - Museum Stds
- Seton Hall Uni - Museum Professions
- Bank Street College of Education - Museum Education
- Leadership in Museum Ed - City College - Museum Stds
- Cooperstown Grad Program - Museum
- New York Uni - Curatorial Stds
- Museum Stds - Hartwick College - Museum Stds
- SUNY Buffalo - History w/Museum Stds Concentration
- Appalachain State Uni - History
- North Carolina State - Public History
- UNC Greensboro - Museum Stds
- UNC Wilmington - Public History
- Case Western Reserve Uni - Program in Art History and Museum Stds
- Uni Central Oklahoma - Museum Stds
- Uni Oklahoma - Online Museum Stds Program
- Uni South Carolina - Applied History
- Middle Tennessee State Uni - Public History
- Tusculum College - Museum Stds
- Baylor Uni - Museum Stds
- Virginia Commonwealth Uni - Museum Stds
- Uni Washington - Interdisipliary Program in Museum Stds
- Uni Wisconsin-Milwaukee - Museum Stds
18 June 2007
11 April 2007
Imus, need I say more...
so, the man that looks most like a confederate soldier on msnbc has opened up a race debate that the country is exploring now. The seemingly wide discussion is great, cos unfortunately these problems that never go away are only given some attention when one of America's stars makes a "mistake," unless 20/20 has run out of ideas and wants to do a test on the street to see how people will react to things they see others doing.
The only problem is that, the central point of the discussion so easily gets lost because the focus has been shifted away from the main point of the conversation in the first place, which is: he said something (in the simplest terms) wrong, and how he is punished or dealt with is a reflection of his superior's understanding of the depth of the problem. He's been handed a two week suspension = CBS/NBC don't get it, and neither do a lot of the people on TV that are interviewing others and talking about it. Most of the Black people that's been on TV has a united front, they say Imus should be fired, cos in their understanding, the offense was that serious. And to me, it is, and should be to anyone who thinks about those three words that he said that's been played over and over again.
To explain: 'nappy headed:' For many years past and even now Black people have been socialized by American society to think that their natural, nappy hair was ugly, dirty, and not acceptable. I don't know when women started putting perms in their hair but I know I did from since before I was 10 up until a year after I graduated from college. We think we need to because the straight hair is what everyone else has, it looks better and your more likely to get a better job because we have taken a small step towards whiteness. So, Imus spit out a phrase thats never been used in any kind of positive light (especially when followed by 'hoes') to desribe a succesful group of women that are so much more than the state of their hair, most of which by the way looked like they actually didn't have.
'Hoes:' hoe, one of the minor derogatory ways to describe women but, again, nobody put pimps call women hoes as a term of endearment. Like one of the teammates said, he's calling someone's child, educated women at one of the nations notable schools, all playing a varsity highly demanding sport and completing a degree, and he reduces them to a hoe.
So, like I was saying those are highly problematic words to say. But when there are experts called in, or its discussion time on a daytime talk show - the focus gets shifted away from the gravity of what he said and how he's not held accountable for it, and goes to: 1) well, the top 3 rap songs has hoes in the lyrics, 2) don't we have freedom of speech in this country?, 3) is there a double standard whenever race comes up?, 4) but he's been on the air for 40 yrs, give some respect to his whole career, and so on. Like Spike said today, those are whole other discussions, what people are supposed to be talking about now is an appropriate punishment.
People even question the need for punishment, cos he's a shock jock of sorts, u gotta expect him to say shocking stuff every once in a while. These are people, like Rosie on the View, that aren't paying attention to his victims, and who are ignorant enough to not recognize that that was a racist statement. She is taking the high road of privilege and not even thinking about how big of an issue race is in the country. That's kinda the fundamental problem with the dialouge thats happening, a lot of people that are handling the discussion don't really understand it themselves. There's also the ignorance of Joy on the view, who when asked, why is this an issue now, she offered - maybe its because Barack Obama is running for office. Ah, I see, so now that America possible might have a Black president, NOW we can't say bad things about Black people anymore, NOW it is unacceptable. It makes me chuckle and my blood pressure rise at the same time to continually see how all those white people that make sense about a lot of issues on their talk shows and everything always fail on the Black show.
I remember on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect, he seemed like a sensible guy, but when the time came around for him to have a Black panel, or there was some race issue discussed, he dropped from the level of grad student to 3rd grader. And now the same thing has happened with Rosie, she lost 2000 points, strangely, the crazy Elizabeth is making the most sense out of all of them whenever it comes up, but again she easily gets swayed to the points of the discussion that are not the main point. It's historic even. This is also a women's issue, but I haven't seen white feminist leaders taking a stand on the shows. Didn't this happen with the suffrage movement? White ladies wanted all women to support, but as soon as that issue was resolved and it was time to give their Black counterparts a helping hand, it mostly wasn't there. And in the Civil Rights movement, there were whites that marched at the front of the line beside Dr King, but what about the plight of Black female athletes, teachers, waitresses, whatever - who all had white counterparts that again, didn't support the other cause. Maybe it wasn't cos they were just selfish people, but again, when it came to issues of underlying disadvantages cos of skin color, they weren't willing or able to feel the gravity of how big of a deal it was.
The only problem is that, the central point of the discussion so easily gets lost because the focus has been shifted away from the main point of the conversation in the first place, which is: he said something (in the simplest terms) wrong, and how he is punished or dealt with is a reflection of his superior's understanding of the depth of the problem. He's been handed a two week suspension = CBS/NBC don't get it, and neither do a lot of the people on TV that are interviewing others and talking about it. Most of the Black people that's been on TV has a united front, they say Imus should be fired, cos in their understanding, the offense was that serious. And to me, it is, and should be to anyone who thinks about those three words that he said that's been played over and over again.
To explain: 'nappy headed:' For many years past and even now Black people have been socialized by American society to think that their natural, nappy hair was ugly, dirty, and not acceptable. I don't know when women started putting perms in their hair but I know I did from since before I was 10 up until a year after I graduated from college. We think we need to because the straight hair is what everyone else has, it looks better and your more likely to get a better job because we have taken a small step towards whiteness. So, Imus spit out a phrase thats never been used in any kind of positive light (especially when followed by 'hoes') to desribe a succesful group of women that are so much more than the state of their hair, most of which by the way looked like they actually didn't have.
'Hoes:' hoe, one of the minor derogatory ways to describe women but, again, nobody put pimps call women hoes as a term of endearment. Like one of the teammates said, he's calling someone's child, educated women at one of the nations notable schools, all playing a varsity highly demanding sport and completing a degree, and he reduces them to a hoe.
So, like I was saying those are highly problematic words to say. But when there are experts called in, or its discussion time on a daytime talk show - the focus gets shifted away from the gravity of what he said and how he's not held accountable for it, and goes to: 1) well, the top 3 rap songs has hoes in the lyrics, 2) don't we have freedom of speech in this country?, 3) is there a double standard whenever race comes up?, 4) but he's been on the air for 40 yrs, give some respect to his whole career, and so on. Like Spike said today, those are whole other discussions, what people are supposed to be talking about now is an appropriate punishment.
People even question the need for punishment, cos he's a shock jock of sorts, u gotta expect him to say shocking stuff every once in a while. These are people, like Rosie on the View, that aren't paying attention to his victims, and who are ignorant enough to not recognize that that was a racist statement. She is taking the high road of privilege and not even thinking about how big of an issue race is in the country. That's kinda the fundamental problem with the dialouge thats happening, a lot of people that are handling the discussion don't really understand it themselves. There's also the ignorance of Joy on the view, who when asked, why is this an issue now, she offered - maybe its because Barack Obama is running for office. Ah, I see, so now that America possible might have a Black president, NOW we can't say bad things about Black people anymore, NOW it is unacceptable. It makes me chuckle and my blood pressure rise at the same time to continually see how all those white people that make sense about a lot of issues on their talk shows and everything always fail on the Black show.
I remember on Bill Maher's Politically Incorrect, he seemed like a sensible guy, but when the time came around for him to have a Black panel, or there was some race issue discussed, he dropped from the level of grad student to 3rd grader. And now the same thing has happened with Rosie, she lost 2000 points, strangely, the crazy Elizabeth is making the most sense out of all of them whenever it comes up, but again she easily gets swayed to the points of the discussion that are not the main point. It's historic even. This is also a women's issue, but I haven't seen white feminist leaders taking a stand on the shows. Didn't this happen with the suffrage movement? White ladies wanted all women to support, but as soon as that issue was resolved and it was time to give their Black counterparts a helping hand, it mostly wasn't there. And in the Civil Rights movement, there were whites that marched at the front of the line beside Dr King, but what about the plight of Black female athletes, teachers, waitresses, whatever - who all had white counterparts that again, didn't support the other cause. Maybe it wasn't cos they were just selfish people, but again, when it came to issues of underlying disadvantages cos of skin color, they weren't willing or able to feel the gravity of how big of a deal it was.
08 March 2007
3 is the magic number
Three Things Survey
Three things that scare me:
1: spiders
2: lonliness
3: desperation
Three people who make me laugh:
1: friends and family
2: Inglebert Humperdink
3: my cat
Three Things I love:
1: friends and family
2: my cat
3: roller coasters
Three Things I hate:
1: spiders
2: rudeness
3: eggs
Three things I don't understand:
1: voluntary ignorance
2: asian languages
3: why people like jell-o
Three things on my desk:
1: teddy ruxpin catepillar
2: wolverine
3: carved wooden cheetah
Three things I'm doing right now:
1: looking for a job
2: washing clothes
3: watching tv
Three things I want to do before I die:
1: live abroad for an extended period
2: write down family history
3: be satisfied with my success
Three things I can do:
1: cook italian
2: feed my cat
3: love little things
Three ways to describe my personality:
1: patient
2: loyal
3: cerebral
Three things I can't do:
1: have full mobility in my right knee
2: grow much taller
3: give up completely
Three things that scare me:
1: spiders
2: lonliness
3: desperation
Three people who make me laugh:
1: friends and family
2: Inglebert Humperdink
3: my cat
Three Things I love:
1: friends and family
2: my cat
3: roller coasters
Three Things I hate:
1: spiders
2: rudeness
3: eggs
Three things I don't understand:
1: voluntary ignorance
2: asian languages
3: why people like jell-o
Three things on my desk:
1: teddy ruxpin catepillar
2: wolverine
3: carved wooden cheetah
Three things I'm doing right now:
1: looking for a job
2: washing clothes
3: watching tv
Three things I want to do before I die:
1: live abroad for an extended period
2: write down family history
3: be satisfied with my success
Three things I can do:
1: cook italian
2: feed my cat
3: love little things
Three ways to describe my personality:
1: patient
2: loyal
3: cerebral
Three things I can't do:
1: have full mobility in my right knee
2: grow much taller
3: give up completely
16 February 2007
Movies to Watch in Class for Black History Month
on the eve of Black History Month, the Daily Show had their "Senior Black History Month Correspondent" (worst stupidest title ever) Joe Black-guy, come on. The segment wasn't that funny, altho he did make a few great remarks: a month for 28 days of triva for white people; and how there should be a kick-off celebration, "Whitey Gras."
I'd like to do my part and promote movies that could be watch this month in various classrooms across the world.
#1: Some Non-conventional Sidney Poitier movie
We can't just watch A Raisin in the Sun over and over again, the commonfolk must be more exposed to the full catalouge of this man's range. Ok, in Raisin he's not so much an upstanding gentleman that, well, my generation I believe, knows him as - he was just a young dude trying to be the honorable man, but still with flaws a young man would have.
The other day I saw For Love of Ivy(1968) which, to my shock, Sidney had a sex scene in it! I was constantly diverting my eyes(shudder). Besides the sex scene being the most shocking thing, his charecter was an upstanding gentleman that also happened to run an illegal gambling business on the side, and also a self described ladies man.
Altho I haven't seen it, I hear Brother John(1970) is an excellent film too. He's an upstanding fight-for-ur-rights type guy, like a focused part from his charecter in In the Heat of the Night(1967). Let's not see Sidney be an enabler to the white man like he did in The Defiant Ones(1958) let people watch Sidney as you've probably never seen him, hell, even watch one of his Bill Cosby movies like A Piece of the Action(1977).
13 February 2007
Heroes pt 1: Cyclops
One of my friends has recently given me a focus by way of her myspce page. She's working on a very heavy theme of villans to display and quote and such, so I'll unknowingly counter and do some of my favorite heroes.
now, with the trilogy of great X-Men films, Cyclops has wrongly become the whiney, least liked leader of the X-Men. He's like the symbol of pitiful mutant, which he should never ever ever be. Here's why Cyke does not suck, and actually, RULES:
Cyclops
now, with the trilogy of great X-Men films, Cyclops has wrongly become the whiney, least liked leader of the X-Men. He's like the symbol of pitiful mutant, which he should never ever ever be. Here's why Cyke does not suck, and actually, RULES:
- one of the most powerful mutants
- depth of his charecter
- the cool glasses
Cyclops' power is to shoot a concussive force from his eyes. This power can't be controlled because he hit his head after falling outta a plane as a child (well, recently, its come about that he simply gave up his control whilst a teenager). Either way, because the power can't be controlled, that sorta means there's no limit to it, right? One of my favorite displays of his power came in an issue of Astonishing X-Men, where he blew a sentinel completely away from the woods of the X-mansion, he did say, "Get off my lawn." Cyke rules
and this is why Stan is the man of all comics, he gave Scott Summers such a story, not just him, but a whole lotta other marvel peeps too. Scott Summers has issues! Most rudimentary: he can't look anyone in the eye. That simple flaw in his whole being just gives way to a big pandora's box of what is wrong with him. Stan Lee, has revealed to the masses the negative possibilities when u don't look anyone in ur life in the eye. Scott Summers isn't really a blind man, cos he's able to see, but the effects of him not plainly looking back at people: he's detached, has attachment issues, marital problems, over worked, obsessed with his career, blah blah, but all those things make his story so great.
throughout his costume history, Cyclops has had pretty weird outfits and matching goggles, but for the most part, they were cool in their own time. He always looks sharp in the shades at nite.
08 February 2007
ode to kitty
this is a great frickin year... So far I lost a job that well suited for me(besides the morning commute) amid great horrible drama, and on 6 February 2007 I was forced to put my cat Bookey to sleep. So how am I getitng through this:
#1: blame the animal hospital for causing my present grief and stress.
I noticed he wasn't doing so hot a day or two before, I was even spooning water in his mouth cos Bookey wasn't drinking anything. So I took him to the first vet where she thought she felt a mass in his liver(=possibly/most likely cancer). He was also dehydrated and his body temp was below normal. I'm smart enough to hear that someone's felt a mass somewhere on my cat and know that that can't be good news at all, but, trying to stay behind the gun and not jump in front of it, I asked her what she reccomended.
Of course Bookey was obviously very sick, and she was straight with me, having him put down as a logical option, along with possible places he could be taken to diagnose whatever it is. I really didn't want to write his death sentence without knowing if it was possible he could get better, so I took him somewhere else where they could do a sonogram or x-ray or something.
The next place took him back, without me able t ogo with him, examined him, a doc came back out, and said they would like to check him in immediately cos he was so sick. Then they came out with a "care plan" for him - the bill of how much it would cost for them to figure out what was wrong with him.
Here, is where I start blame... animal care, expectedly, can get very expensive, and Bookey's care plan came to more than $2100, to which the DEPOSIT to start his treatment was $2100. There was no partial payment, lower deposit, nothing really, just give us $2100 now if u want your cat to live.
So, after basically either having the choice of bringing him home and watching him suffer and pass away maybe painfully, or letting him go right then, I got my sis to tell them that he'd be euthanized.
#2: blame the hospital
I was/am having equal trouble with losing one of my cats forever and making a choice to end his life that very day. At the first place I stalled and kept trying to ask in a lot of different ways, what do u reccomend? or what are my options again, cos I didnt want to come to that conclusion, even tho that was always the likely outcome.
And at the second place, I sat with my sister in the lobby trying not to break down in tears because everyone else's pet that was in there was gonna come out again. I was in there for like 30 minutes not saying anything cos I couldn't say in direct words to put him to sleep, or euthanize or anything like that, I mostly just said well I don't have another choice do I?
So, Bookey is gone...
#3: deal with Ashlee
Ashlee is his mother. The mom tragically outlived her son, sad. So far, I've set out the carrier with a blanket they had him on, and the pillow case and a towel around, and the same blankets are on my floor that they always lay on. Somehow it makes sense to leave his scent around as much as possible, I think it'll help, especially once she realizes that he's not coming back.
She came out when I came home that nite, and kinda searched around for him a bit, smelled the carrier a lot. Last nite I noticed she was sleeping in it, the day before she layed on the towel I put by the table. Last nite she also started meowing at nite, kinda the mother cry.
I'm hoping Ashlee can get through this, cos she's old and thin already, at least let the seasons change before I lose her too.
#1: blame the animal hospital for causing my present grief and stress.
I noticed he wasn't doing so hot a day or two before, I was even spooning water in his mouth cos Bookey wasn't drinking anything. So I took him to the first vet where she thought she felt a mass in his liver(=possibly/most likely cancer). He was also dehydrated and his body temp was below normal. I'm smart enough to hear that someone's felt a mass somewhere on my cat and know that that can't be good news at all, but, trying to stay behind the gun and not jump in front of it, I asked her what she reccomended.
Of course Bookey was obviously very sick, and she was straight with me, having him put down as a logical option, along with possible places he could be taken to diagnose whatever it is. I really didn't want to write his death sentence without knowing if it was possible he could get better, so I took him somewhere else where they could do a sonogram or x-ray or something.
The next place took him back, without me able t ogo with him, examined him, a doc came back out, and said they would like to check him in immediately cos he was so sick. Then they came out with a "care plan" for him - the bill of how much it would cost for them to figure out what was wrong with him.
Here, is where I start blame... animal care, expectedly, can get very expensive, and Bookey's care plan came to more than $2100, to which the DEPOSIT to start his treatment was $2100. There was no partial payment, lower deposit, nothing really, just give us $2100 now if u want your cat to live.
So, after basically either having the choice of bringing him home and watching him suffer and pass away maybe painfully, or letting him go right then, I got my sis to tell them that he'd be euthanized.
#2: blame the hospital
I was/am having equal trouble with losing one of my cats forever and making a choice to end his life that very day. At the first place I stalled and kept trying to ask in a lot of different ways, what do u reccomend? or what are my options again, cos I didnt want to come to that conclusion, even tho that was always the likely outcome.
And at the second place, I sat with my sister in the lobby trying not to break down in tears because everyone else's pet that was in there was gonna come out again. I was in there for like 30 minutes not saying anything cos I couldn't say in direct words to put him to sleep, or euthanize or anything like that, I mostly just said well I don't have another choice do I?
So, Bookey is gone...
#3: deal with Ashlee
Ashlee is his mother. The mom tragically outlived her son, sad. So far, I've set out the carrier with a blanket they had him on, and the pillow case and a towel around, and the same blankets are on my floor that they always lay on. Somehow it makes sense to leave his scent around as much as possible, I think it'll help, especially once she realizes that he's not coming back.
She came out when I came home that nite, and kinda searched around for him a bit, smelled the carrier a lot. Last nite I noticed she was sleeping in it, the day before she layed on the towel I put by the table. Last nite she also started meowing at nite, kinda the mother cry.
I'm hoping Ashlee can get through this, cos she's old and thin already, at least let the seasons change before I lose her too.
11 September 2006
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
this movie reminds me of my mom's black and white tv. It was probably the first or only one she bought when she was living on her own after separating from dad, cheap but functional. wow - just think you could still get a black and white tv in the early 80's. It was a little 12" (wow, computer screens are bigger now) with its own antenna on top - that of course eventually broke off and was replaced/reinforced with tin foil - and the channel turns were on dials - they made hard clicks, you could burn calories turning those channels; your whole hand and palm were involved, couldn't just use one finger like with our buttons today.
But anyhoo, in my random memory progression - I remember watching this movie when I was little on the set. I remember storing it in my memory banks as a child because after reading this trivia book on the presidents, I somehow decided that Teddy Roosevelt was my favorite. Then when I stayed up (relatively)late one night - not really flipping channels cos it wasn't possible - I came across this movie that had Teddy Roosevelt in it! Who knew presidents did movies?! That's all really funny or endearing now cos 1) notice the obvious lack of timeline in the young childs mind; and 2) for a really long while I didn't even know that that movie was an "old" movie - I thought if I was to see it on my dad's tv it'd turn color, lol.
Isn't it funny what makes you remember things? When I came into conscious thinking about the movie I was greatly thrilled with it. It's one of the funniest movies in the world and every time its on u cant turn away, because it'll make you laugh. Cary Grant is my fav old movie actor, and now IMDB tells me that he thought this was one of the worst performances in all his films b/c it was over the top. yeaaaah, BUT every new time I see it, I find I am laughing more at his subtle performances in the movie. There is a lot of him panicking and trippin over chairs, but there are also the much more funny parts where he really doesn't say anything and hopelessly whimpers cos he knows he is in a nuthouse; I enjoy those moments the most.
But anyhoo, in my random memory progression - I remember watching this movie when I was little on the set. I remember storing it in my memory banks as a child because after reading this trivia book on the presidents, I somehow decided that Teddy Roosevelt was my favorite. Then when I stayed up (relatively)late one night - not really flipping channels cos it wasn't possible - I came across this movie that had Teddy Roosevelt in it! Who knew presidents did movies?! That's all really funny or endearing now cos 1) notice the obvious lack of timeline in the young childs mind; and 2) for a really long while I didn't even know that that movie was an "old" movie - I thought if I was to see it on my dad's tv it'd turn color, lol.
Isn't it funny what makes you remember things? When I came into conscious thinking about the movie I was greatly thrilled with it. It's one of the funniest movies in the world and every time its on u cant turn away, because it'll make you laugh. Cary Grant is my fav old movie actor, and now IMDB tells me that he thought this was one of the worst performances in all his films b/c it was over the top. yeaaaah, BUT every new time I see it, I find I am laughing more at his subtle performances in the movie. There is a lot of him panicking and trippin over chairs, but there are also the much more funny parts where he really doesn't say anything and hopelessly whimpers cos he knows he is in a nuthouse; I enjoy those moments the most.
29 August 2006
Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974)
this song will forever bring a smile to my face. If it's raining outside, when I just found out I've got $6.43 to my name, if I have had the worst, most stressful day at work; if this song comes on the radio as I'm flippin through the stations, tish will be smiling in her car and listening contently.
I feel I ave had heard this song in on of the most unique ways in the world, and this was shared with about 3 or 4 other people currently in the US. It was in Tornareccio, Abruzzo, Italy, a tiny lil town in the mountains on the Adriatic side of Italia. One night in town, one of the local boys were having their sweet sixteen or whatever the Italian equivalent is, so he had a huge birthday party. The family hired a band to play, and we - collective Brits and Americans - being the usual excitement of the summer cos of our field school, were invited. During the course of the evening the band saw us grooving to the music, mostly some old standards, and they invited up anyone who could sing...My Irish buddy Chris, who has his own band (strongly influenced by John Fruciante and the like) went up and he sung this song. It was chosen out of the songbook the band had, and shouldn't every band everywhere know how to play it anyway? So yeah, I heard "Sweet Home Alabama" sung by an Irishman, being backed up by an amatuer small town Italian band, while in Italy. I find that interesting anyway. Hearing the song immediatly transports me back to my 2 magical wonderful summers in Italy.
But, about the song...it is sung by what I, in my earlier years, thought were southern redneck hilbillies. But since I started listening to them, adn the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, I gained a lot of respect for them, Lynyrd Skynyrd's awesome!! The greatest hits album is definately on my "to get" list.
I feel I ave had heard this song in on of the most unique ways in the world, and this was shared with about 3 or 4 other people currently in the US. It was in Tornareccio, Abruzzo, Italy, a tiny lil town in the mountains on the Adriatic side of Italia. One night in town, one of the local boys were having their sweet sixteen or whatever the Italian equivalent is, so he had a huge birthday party. The family hired a band to play, and we - collective Brits and Americans - being the usual excitement of the summer cos of our field school, were invited. During the course of the evening the band saw us grooving to the music, mostly some old standards, and they invited up anyone who could sing...My Irish buddy Chris, who has his own band (strongly influenced by John Fruciante and the like) went up and he sung this song. It was chosen out of the songbook the band had, and shouldn't every band everywhere know how to play it anyway? So yeah, I heard "Sweet Home Alabama" sung by an Irishman, being backed up by an amatuer small town Italian band, while in Italy. I find that interesting anyway. Hearing the song immediatly transports me back to my 2 magical wonderful summers in Italy.
But, about the song...it is sung by what I, in my earlier years, thought were southern redneck hilbillies. But since I started listening to them, adn the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, I gained a lot of respect for them, Lynyrd Skynyrd's awesome!! The greatest hits album is definately on my "to get" list.
19 August 2006
The Children's Hour (1961)
so I think this won't be so random anymore, it's actually harder to be random than focused on something. I'm thinking the big m's: movies and music (and books). Now then, I saw The Children's Hour this morning on TMC - the star for today is Audrey Hepburn, I could've well spent the whole day in bed without turning the channel if I was so inclined (well, except for My Fair Lady, I just cant do it).
The Children's Hour is from 1961, starring Hepburn, and Shirley MacLaine (Warren Beatty's sis right?), a pretty cute young James Garner, and the other person of note Fay Bainter. I caught the very end of this one morning and was reminded 'thats that movie they had on vh1 talking about portrayals of lesbians.' It's the story of how this evil lil girl starts a rumor that her two teachers at boarding school are "unnatural" in their feelings for each other and ends up ruining, or ending, their lives.
It was a great movie, especially watching it in our time now, it becomes one of those films that is ironically not outdated. It's from a play in the 1930s? so you'd think people would've come along a bit further in the way we treat one another and such, but no, I think that could still happen in a lot of parts in the world today. And the lady that played the granny! Fay Bainter - I said to myself while I was watching it, jeez did she win for best supporting actress? Turns out she was nominated, but she was nominated during the year of West Side Story, HA! Needless to say, Rita Moreno won, and rightly so, you can't take away Anita's oscar. Man, that must've been a toss up tho. Anyhoo - granny's performance was great. She was so good at getting across the feelings of confusion of her grandchild describing the rampant lesbianism that was supposedly going on, and anger that two lesbians were loving with and having daily contact with hers and other little impressionable girls. She's actually the initiating factor in the movie that made me think about the audience, and other characters perception of the two women. Her face just illustrated all those conflicting emotions and denial and acceptance all in the space of time of about 2 minutes on screen when the evil girl was making up her story.
The other neat thing I noticed - how the director used the screen door of the school house. As the movie went on it became more and more of a barrier between the lives of Hepburn and McClaine and the outside world. First, James Garner only hesitates for a second before he swings it open like he would normally do and starts to munch on food around. Then the screen gains its weight right at the point when on of the parents is standing outside, talking to Hepburn, but we are inside looking out with MacLaine through the door, and just so you know how much sh*t has gone down and how bad things are gonna get - we and MacLaine can't even hear anything, even tho the other two are about 10 feet away, and its a simple see-through screen door! wowsers! Then, the door has its greatest weight when granny finally knows that her child lied and she comes to apologize. The camera just sits on her face through the door again before she asks can she come into the house. But, finally the weight is lifted from the door when the 'problem' is gone - the lesbian kills herself, and Hepburn can free swing the door open again, go fig.
The Children's Hour is from 1961, starring Hepburn, and Shirley MacLaine (Warren Beatty's sis right?), a pretty cute young James Garner, and the other person of note Fay Bainter. I caught the very end of this one morning and was reminded 'thats that movie they had on vh1 talking about portrayals of lesbians.' It's the story of how this evil lil girl starts a rumor that her two teachers at boarding school are "unnatural" in their feelings for each other and ends up ruining, or ending, their lives.
It was a great movie, especially watching it in our time now, it becomes one of those films that is ironically not outdated. It's from a play in the 1930s? so you'd think people would've come along a bit further in the way we treat one another and such, but no, I think that could still happen in a lot of parts in the world today. And the lady that played the granny! Fay Bainter - I said to myself while I was watching it, jeez did she win for best supporting actress? Turns out she was nominated, but she was nominated during the year of West Side Story, HA! Needless to say, Rita Moreno won, and rightly so, you can't take away Anita's oscar. Man, that must've been a toss up tho. Anyhoo - granny's performance was great. She was so good at getting across the feelings of confusion of her grandchild describing the rampant lesbianism that was supposedly going on, and anger that two lesbians were loving with and having daily contact with hers and other little impressionable girls. She's actually the initiating factor in the movie that made me think about the audience, and other characters perception of the two women. Her face just illustrated all those conflicting emotions and denial and acceptance all in the space of time of about 2 minutes on screen when the evil girl was making up her story.
The other neat thing I noticed - how the director used the screen door of the school house. As the movie went on it became more and more of a barrier between the lives of Hepburn and McClaine and the outside world. First, James Garner only hesitates for a second before he swings it open like he would normally do and starts to munch on food around. Then the screen gains its weight right at the point when on of the parents is standing outside, talking to Hepburn, but we are inside looking out with MacLaine through the door, and just so you know how much sh*t has gone down and how bad things are gonna get - we and MacLaine can't even hear anything, even tho the other two are about 10 feet away, and its a simple see-through screen door! wowsers! Then, the door has its greatest weight when granny finally knows that her child lied and she comes to apologize. The camera just sits on her face through the door again before she asks can she come into the house. But, finally the weight is lifted from the door when the 'problem' is gone - the lesbian kills herself, and Hepburn can free swing the door open again, go fig.
26 June 2006
been awhile...
man, so I almost let this blog thing slide, almost another abandoned sometimes-hobby. But no, I'm back. While I was away was having another downer time - feelings of the "quarterlife crisis" thing came creeping up again, working too much, and my grandad just passed a few weeks ago, yeah not so much fun.
I think I am ready to admit that I am an Anglo/Italia-phile. I've been to Italy twice for slightly-longer than short stints, and the people I spent the most time with were British folks. Those two elements have had this great pull and appeal to me ever since. I guess it has amounted to the greatest bestest time in my life so far, at least that's how I justify my more than normal interest in the European countries. It's probably also a slight bit of escapism - sometimes the reality of what I'm doig in my life hits me and there is always that glimmer of hope that if I go to Britain it'll all be better over there. Not really solving whatever problem I'm not dealing with here and now, but changing the setting.
But sometimes there are signs, and for the most part I think I'm like 1-7 in actually jumping into acton when I see those signs in life. Hoping to improve my record I think I may apply to at least one grad school in England. The sign: I've been half-heartedly looking up and trying to find out how it'd be possible to work and live in Britain. Then, over the weekend I end up working with a new guide who just happened to go to grad school in England for...Museum Studies. What a cowinkedink huh? Let's not dissapoint self and flake out.
I think I am ready to admit that I am an Anglo/Italia-phile. I've been to Italy twice for slightly-longer than short stints, and the people I spent the most time with were British folks. Those two elements have had this great pull and appeal to me ever since. I guess it has amounted to the greatest bestest time in my life so far, at least that's how I justify my more than normal interest in the European countries. It's probably also a slight bit of escapism - sometimes the reality of what I'm doig in my life hits me and there is always that glimmer of hope that if I go to Britain it'll all be better over there. Not really solving whatever problem I'm not dealing with here and now, but changing the setting.
But sometimes there are signs, and for the most part I think I'm like 1-7 in actually jumping into acton when I see those signs in life. Hoping to improve my record I think I may apply to at least one grad school in England. The sign: I've been half-heartedly looking up and trying to find out how it'd be possible to work and live in Britain. Then, over the weekend I end up working with a new guide who just happened to go to grad school in England for...Museum Studies. What a cowinkedink huh? Let's not dissapoint self and flake out.
28 April 2006
dan brown, pimpin the world
I finished it! And now I must say - I don't really get it. Why the hell was this book so worthy to stay in hardcover for 3 or 4 years? Why did people buy this up in big ole massive dung heaps that it's been on the best seller list forever?? This was not the greatest book ever written. It was good, but jeez, not that good.
What I was most mad about came in the long climactic last clue to figure out in London. I swear I knew the answer to the little cryptex the first time Newton was mentioned. 50 pages later I was asking can we please be done with the mystery already?!? My second gripe: the whole balance of the book. As I described it to someone who asked me about it, I said it was 30% plot and 70% setting up background information so you'll get the plot. The book was very teachy, it had a teachy tone sometimes that I didn't like. It struck me as soon as I started reading, but then the plot kinda just takes off and you can almost forgive his teachy asides. But sometimes I felt like Brown thought he was being clever by making it seem like his characters were the ones explaining all this information. But that is so easy to see through and there is so much of it it seems like he wanted all that in there to impress his readers with his mental acumen, and if not that, at least make his long hours of research seem meaningful - if he had to suffer through it, he'd make all the world suffer with him. Yeah didn't like the know-it-all-ness of the book.
So I reached my goal of finishing before the movie, when I was reading the book I was wondering how they'd fit all that background info in there. It'd be bad if Tom Hanks had a lot of pretentious-Harvard-prof-explains-all-the-symbols-to-the-audience lines. The only other thing that worries me about this movie is Tom Hanks' hair. I saw him on some awards show I guess while he was still making it and I was like what did he do to his hair? Thats gonna be very distracting. Was that Tom's or Ron's decision I wonder. Who cares if Langdon is immediately described with a long shock of straight black hair, EVERYONE knows Tom Hanks' hair is curly!!!! They couldn't take one creative license and keep it curly??? Thats one of the things that makes Hanks so cool and cute and cuddly. Man thats gonna be distracting. I hope by the time he starts doing promos (like next week) he'll have his natural hair back, please!
What I was most mad about came in the long climactic last clue to figure out in London. I swear I knew the answer to the little cryptex the first time Newton was mentioned. 50 pages later I was asking can we please be done with the mystery already?!? My second gripe: the whole balance of the book. As I described it to someone who asked me about it, I said it was 30% plot and 70% setting up background information so you'll get the plot. The book was very teachy, it had a teachy tone sometimes that I didn't like. It struck me as soon as I started reading, but then the plot kinda just takes off and you can almost forgive his teachy asides. But sometimes I felt like Brown thought he was being clever by making it seem like his characters were the ones explaining all this information. But that is so easy to see through and there is so much of it it seems like he wanted all that in there to impress his readers with his mental acumen, and if not that, at least make his long hours of research seem meaningful - if he had to suffer through it, he'd make all the world suffer with him. Yeah didn't like the know-it-all-ness of the book.
So I reached my goal of finishing before the movie, when I was reading the book I was wondering how they'd fit all that background info in there. It'd be bad if Tom Hanks had a lot of pretentious-Harvard-prof-explains-all-the-symbols-to-the-audience lines. The only other thing that worries me about this movie is Tom Hanks' hair. I saw him on some awards show I guess while he was still making it and I was like what did he do to his hair? Thats gonna be very distracting. Was that Tom's or Ron's decision I wonder. Who cares if Langdon is immediately described with a long shock of straight black hair, EVERYONE knows Tom Hanks' hair is curly!!!! They couldn't take one creative license and keep it curly??? Thats one of the things that makes Hanks so cool and cute and cuddly. Man thats gonna be distracting. I hope by the time he starts doing promos (like next week) he'll have his natural hair back, please!
25 April 2006
bink bink bink bink
I watched another great episode of 24 last nite and had a thought. Now that everyone's finding out how the snarky President whats-his-name is so evil and destroying the world, all the upper people are trying to go about exposing him in a "safe" manner. Like how Secretary Heller was like - we can't out him publicly cos it'd destroy the American people's faith in the presidency; then someone else was like we can't make it public cos it'd destroy peoples faith and trust in the whole government. After hearing this a couple of times I thought, well its not so much that it'll shatter everyones faith in the government, most likely if something like that happened we'd chalk it up to the idea of on some level we expect our government leaders to be corrupt, morally deficient individuals, its somewhat inherent in the job.
Nixon had people spying on his political enemies, FDR was fine with the Holocaust before Hawaii got bombed, how many presidents owned slaves??? And countless other episodes in the highest level of office where the guy sitting in the white house did something shady. So if the American people of 24 found out about sneaky shady president I think they'd do what we'd do: most of us would quietly sit back and let our Congressman impeach him, after that everyone would go to protests (probably violent after awhile) where we'd call for a criminal trail - cos that would be the simplest and hardest thing to do and get done. No one from Iran-Contra is in jail are they?? (I really dont know - I'm barely old enough to know who Ollie North is)can't expect a criminal trail for a president that easily.
Nixon had people spying on his political enemies, FDR was fine with the Holocaust before Hawaii got bombed, how many presidents owned slaves??? And countless other episodes in the highest level of office where the guy sitting in the white house did something shady. So if the American people of 24 found out about sneaky shady president I think they'd do what we'd do: most of us would quietly sit back and let our Congressman impeach him, after that everyone would go to protests (probably violent after awhile) where we'd call for a criminal trail - cos that would be the simplest and hardest thing to do and get done. No one from Iran-Contra is in jail are they?? (I really dont know - I'm barely old enough to know who Ollie North is)can't expect a criminal trail for a president that easily.
22 April 2006
signs of spring
Now that I've ben working next door to the White House for almost a year - I wonder if the things I'm seeing now happen every year, kindof like the indisputable signs that spring has officially arrived in DC.
During the week on my half day I walked down to the Mall nad went to American History. And I lost count of how many lower to upper middle aged men I saw running topless for their midday jog. It popped in my head how what if Europeans visiting DC viewed these guys how we look at all the fat, not-so-attractive men that sport their speedos in the ocean. ugh
And that was also the day when a lot of Asain-Americans convened around the white house to greet the prime minister of China. When I got off at Faragut West and saw all the people and the banners I got kinda excited and thought there was some type of internatinal food fest settin up - but no, it was the first big spring protest.
During the week on my half day I walked down to the Mall nad went to American History. And I lost count of how many lower to upper middle aged men I saw running topless for their midday jog. It popped in my head how what if Europeans visiting DC viewed these guys how we look at all the fat, not-so-attractive men that sport their speedos in the ocean. ugh
And that was also the day when a lot of Asain-Americans convened around the white house to greet the prime minister of China. When I got off at Faragut West and saw all the people and the banners I got kinda excited and thought there was some type of internatinal food fest settin up - but no, it was the first big spring protest.
27 March 2006
culinary adventures de netis
As one of my expensive hobbies I cook stuff from my little collection of cookbooks whenever I get the unction to go out and buy the ingredients for a recipe. Tonight I made Brasato alle Cipolle or, Braised Beef with Onions.
So, I dont have the presentation skills of the Iron Chefs (forgot to wipe the plate before I took the pic) but mmmm mmmm mmmm it was tasty. I added mushrooms to the dish cos, I like mushrooms, and they werent too obtrusive on the original - 'cept for the amount of moisture in the braising. Cos shrooms are like sponges and bananas - loads of unassuming water in there. (I learned bananas had a lot of moisture in them when there was this mealworm project in 3rd or 4th grade, had to keep them in the fridge, mom was thoroughly disgruntled and disgusted for a week)
O - the cookbook I cooked from was The Silver Spoon my newest addition acquired a la christmas present during the already mentioned holiday. Most of (or 3/4) books I have are Italian, b/c I got obsessed with the food when I dug there for 2 summers in college.
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