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business trip to the middle & a book meme

  • Jul. 11th, 2009 at 4:06 AM
full moon night

2-day business trip this week was a little hectic. i had so much to catch up on right before. i was back by midday friday, though, and everything went well on the business front. another big project sold which will make the enterprise happy and will probably get me some kind of medal. middle america as a place freaks me out and once again i was thinking i could never live in those states. culture = corn fields. i think of that old stephen king film and shudder, lolz. plane travel was less than ideal with the leg still achy but i survived and was excited to get going on things. i very much enjoy my free time but wow, how i *hate* sitting around at home for weeks on end. it's so not me.

i'm slowly going over a personal folder of stuff i meant to post eventually. i will often write about something that comes to mind away from lj or save memes to finish later so all of this gets stuffed in a folder and then sits and never gets posted. this ancient book meme is one. forgot who originally posted but it may have been [info]kiwifire?

Hardback or paperback?
both. i appreciate hardcovers but not all reading is for keeps

Amazon or bookshop?
definitely both. i like amazon for their giant selection and algorithms/matchmaking qualities that have led me to interesting new books. but bookstores and libraries are my first love. as usual, i would prefer individual stores to big chain corporate but you hardly find that here. chains rule america - blah

Bookmark or dog-ear?
i've been guilty of dog ears in cheap/used books. otherwise i use bookmarks

Keep, throw away or sell?
keep or sell. i could never throw away a book. at the very least i'd give them to charity [have before]. i've also used bookcrossing and sold non-fiction on amazon. i need to go over mine again. it's getting crazy despite recently having bought 3 new bookshelves

Keep bookjacket or throw it away?
keep! what would possess you to throw them away?

Read with bookjacket or without?
read with jacket

Short story or novel?
novel. i'm not much into short stories. i'm in it for the long haul, like character development too much

 

intesely interesting things contained within )
sichel
the michael jackson procession is now happening. freeway is closed and a lot of streets around staples downtown are as well. the mood is somber, the city strangely quiet. it has the feel of a state funeral.

750 million to a billion people around the world are watching.

a chicken!

  • Jul. 5th, 2009 at 1:47 PM
blutsauger
i just feasted upon what was the better part of a fried chicken. ryan/felipe looked on in amusement.

i got it from the deli, hot and ready to be devoured. tasty! fried chicken most certainly is one of the most glorious inventions in american food. anything southern is the best american food in my eyes and my fellow europeans seem to agree. i had never seen or had fried chicken in europe - unless you want to count cordon bleu or chicken schnitzel. loving these 2 but the idea of deep-frying a whole chicken was news to me upon moving. it must contain about 500x the fat of our innocent little schnitzel. thankfully i don't have weight issues. if i did, this country would kill me for sure as it did tatjana and another friend. they gained so much weight since they moved here and really struggle with the lazy lifestyle and food here. my favorite parts are breast and wings. they have to be from the deli, though. kfc is just gross.

long long meme

  • Jul. 4th, 2009 at 9:09 AM
a box in a box

stolen from someone on my list but who was it?

200. My middle name is: non-existant
199: I was born on: october 29, 1978. i'm a sunday child
196. My eye color is: blue
195. My shoe size is: a little complicated these days as it depends on what i wear in terms of prosthetics. original size was 40 european, now varies between 2 or 3 sizes over here in the states
194. My ring size is: i keep forgetting so just try them on
192. My height is: also complicated, hah but with spare parts im back to 1.72/1.74m
191. I am allergic to: some fabrics, most raw tomatoes, some citrus fruit
190. I live in: manhattan beach, california, usa, north america, planet earth, tiny part of the universe
189. The last book i read was: see recent post. i've been reading like mad since im home recovering from surgery
188. My bed is: black, platform, very comfortable
187. Something I Know for sure about the other sex: they're afraid that women will rule the world because we're really the stronger ones and we're multitaskers. that is why women have been surpressed all these centuries. ;]
186. I am glad of my sex because: see 187
179. My favorite Holiday is: in america it's halloween, in europe it's christmas and easter
178. The perfect kiss is: passionate, hard, followed by wild sex
177. Your favorite cd: hmm. could never pick just one. see my lastfm, link on the left
176. Last song that made me cry was: man in the mirror due to current events - mj
172. My most treasured possession(s): family jewels and heirlooms
170. What did you do last night: watched am anthony bourdin/no reservations dvd with isa
169. What is the best thing about him: he's passionate in love, work and life
168. What are you looking for in a relationship: 1000 things
167. My skin's reaction to the sun is (tan/burn): often burn, then tan

I do/do not believe in....
 

i'm sure you're all dying to know )

furry aliens & born on the 4th of july

  • Jul. 4th, 2009 at 5:04 AM
sichel

cats. if anything on earth is close to alien presence, they would be it. the moment they start their howling for sexual foreplay and the sex itself it's like they're possessed by something from outer space. it's so funny. they woke me up just past 4:30 by making their crazy sounds right under my bedroom window. at first you think it's a child or some crazy person doing strange things out there late in the night. then you realize it's the cats. i really, really love them. they're just the coolest creatures. like most men, ryan/felipe prefers dogs...

it's the 4th of july which means 3 things:

barbeque & adult beverages
fireworks
and finally the old 'born on the 4th of july' to wind down.

tom cruise is just nuts these days but i still like his performance in this movie. it's one of my favorites. he chose better roles at that time. 1989. it was before superheros and other silliness... i guess he hadn't quite descended into madness and scientological ridiculousness yet...

birthday events

  • Jul. 1st, 2009 at 8:25 AM
a box in a box

1) Go to Wikipedia
2) In the search box, type your birth month and day but not the year.
3) List five events that happened on your birthday
4) List five important birthdays and one death
5) One holiday or observance (if any)

1268 – Conradin, last legitimate male heir of the Hohenstaufen dynasty of Kings of Germany & Holy Roman Emperors, is executed along with his companion Frederick I, Margrave of Baden by Charles I of Sicily, a political rival and ally to the hostile Roman Catholic church.
1390 – First trial for witchcraft in Paris.
1859 – Spain declares war on Morocco.
1863 – 16 countries meeting in Geneva/Switzerland agree to form the International Red Cross. [yay, and i was born there]
1929 – The New York Stock Exchange crashes in what will be called the Crash of '29 or "Black Tuesday", ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression.

birthdays
1875 – Marie of Edinburgh, queen of Romania (d. 1938)
1897 – Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Minister of Propaganda (d. 1945) - *shriek!
1907 – Edwige Feuillère, French film actress (d. 1998)
1930 – Niki de Saint Phalle, French sculptor (d. 2002)
1971 – Winona Ryder, American actress

death
1911 – Joseph Pulitzer, Hungarian-born newspaper publisher (b. 1847)

holidays
R.C. Saints – October 29th is the feast day of the following Roman Catholic Saints: Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem, St. Abraham of Rostov, Douai Martyrs, St. Maximillian, St. Gaetano Errico
Turkey – Republic Day (1923)
Cambodia - Coronation Day of Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia

anybody want to play? :]

full moon night

By Associated Press Writer Lynn Elber – 57 mins ago

LOS ANGELES – Michael Jackson was so distraught over persistent insomnia in recent months that he pleaded for a powerful sedative despite warnings it could be harmful, says a nutritionist who was working with the singer as he prepared his comeback bid.

Cherilyn Lee, a registered nurse whose specialty includes nutritional counseling, said Tuesday that she repeatedly rejected his demands for the drug, Diprivan, which is given intravenously.

But a frantic phone call she received from Jackson four days before his death made her fear that he somehow obtained Diprivan or another drug to induce sleep, Lee said. While in Florida on June 21, Lee was contacted by a member of Jackson's staff.

"He called and was very frantic and said, `Michael needs to see you right away.' I said, 'What's wrong?' And I could hear Michael in the background ..., 'One side of my body is hot, it's hot, and one side of my body is cold. It's very cold,'" Lee said. "I said, `Tell him he needs to go the hospital. I don't know what's going on, but he needs to go to the hospital ... right away." "At that point, I knew that somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system," she said, adding, "He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out."

Jackson did not go to the hospital. He died June 25 after suffering cardiac arrest, his family said. Autopsies have been conducted, but an official cause of death is not expected for several weeks.

"I don't know what happened there. The only thing I can say is he was adamant about this drug," Lee said.

Following Jackson's death, allegations emerged that the 50-year-old King of Pop had been consuming painkillers, sedatives and antidepressants. But Lee said she encountered a man tortured by sleep deprivation and one who expressed opposition to recreational drug use.

"He wasn't looking to get high or feel good and sedated from drugs," she said. "This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest."

Jackson was rehearsing hard for what would have been his big comeback — his "This Is It" tour, a series of performances that would have strained his aging dancer's body. Also, pain had been a part of his life since 1984, when his scalp was severely burned during a Pepsi commercial shoot.

 

Read more... )
blutsauger

what would you do-uhh-hoo... for a klondike bar!?

it's an american icecream commercial of cult status. anyone who's lived here knows it. you'd have to be buried under a rock to not know it. i have resisted the commercials - until now. after this many years of living in the states, i finally gave in to their magic. i'm not sure what drove me to buy 2 whole 8-packs on klondike bars at my local supermarket today. maybe it was the lack of tasty icecream cone options i had originally set out for. but there they were and i made them mine, yes indeed! :]

klondike with reese's peanut butter cup and klondike with caramel and pretzel bits. tonight was the night.
i bit into the peanut butter one and really liked it. the chocolate shell is the best part. under all the melty chocolate, i taste coconut. caramel-pretzel was pretty good as well but i think i prefer the peanut butter.

there is something to be said about sweet-salty combinations. i always liked them. in france, i'm a big fan of the fleur de sel + caramel combination. on this end, häagen-dazs has caught on to the concept but i tried theirs and it  isn't right... in the same way their new 'italian' hazelnut gianduja isn't quite right. i think it's the difference in milk, cream and sugar between here and there. i do want to try their hawaiian lehua honey & sweet cream and the thai-inspired toasted coconut sesame brittle still. http://www.haagendazs.com/Reserve/

hello, my name is stefanie and i'm an icecream addict.

edit:
ha! no wonder it's good. it's swiss! 'The origins of the Klondike® bar can be traced to Switzerland and the Isaly Family, a family known for fine dairy products. The original Klondike® bar was handmade by dipping square slices of ice cream into pans of rich, delicious Swiss milk chocolate.'

virgin suicides

  • Jun. 27th, 2009 at 8:58 AM
paris

air's music has been a constant favorite for years now. i like the dreamlike quality. it sounds best in the great room on a sunlit day. or after midnight, tipsy. now that i've finished the book i want to see the movie again.

3:33

  • Jun. 27th, 2009 at 3:33 AM
southern trees
every time i look at the clock i see double, triple, quadruple digits. it's getting pretty ridiculous. i must be a chosen one who will ascent to the next planet when this one goes to hell. yay.

yes, i really should go to bed. but the truth is, my leg is killing me. i'm ready to go back to normal now please. i'm supposed to be back at work in another week and will have a full schedule. including plane travel to east coast. hmpf.

bookish

  • Jun. 26th, 2009 at 4:20 AM
writer
middlesex. i hated the book almost as much as i did water for elephants. i did not finish either which doesn't happen very often. enjoyed the glass castle and virgin suicides. dysfunctional families make me think i grew up in paradise. and i did. how lucky i am.

unbelievable death

  • Jun. 25th, 2009 at 4:29 PM
sichel

michael jackson has died.

............................

i'm shocked and very sad, though not surprised.

i felt sorry for michael jackson. i think he was very damaged, a very sad person and also very misunderstood. he also was special and an incredible entertainer. i saw him live once. i do not believe he molested anyone. rather that he felt he was still one of the boys. i think he simply never grew up, thus, saw himself as an equal of these teenage boys, of children in general. something went very wrong in his sensitive soul. now i wonder if this may actually have been a suicide. he was 50 years old.

los angeles is a zoo right now with fans and reporters. breaking news on all tv channels, programs interrupted.
ucla medical center where he died and rests now is 20 minutes from here.
it's a very strange feeling to think how close he is. i know the med center well...

rest in peace, michael. you're probably better off there.

and no, he didn't 'want to be white'......!

http://inrepair.net/2007/12/18/vitiligo-more-than-skin-deep/
http://floacist.wordpress.com/2007/06/10/vitiligo-photos-michael-jackson/
http://floacist.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/vitiligo-photos-michael-jackson-andor-lupus-3/

http://floacist.wordpress.com/2007/06/12/full-information-on-vitiligo-michael-jackson/
http://inrepair.net/2007/12/18/vitiligo-more-than-skin-deep/

http://www.library.nhs.uk/cmsimages/23_7D5112102D_Maxines_arms%201.jpg

jon & kate nixed

  • Jun. 23rd, 2009 at 5:05 AM
headless



Jon and Kate Gosselin File for Divorce
After 10 Years, the Couple Has Called It Quits

"Kate and I have decided to separate," said Jon Gosselin in Monday's episode.

"Yes, we have decided that we will separate," echoed Kate Gosselin.

Ten minutes before the conclusion of the episode, text ran over the screen stating, "On Monday June 22, 2009, legal proceedings were initiated in Pennsylvania to dissolve the 10-year marriage of Jon and Kate Gosselin."
 
What will happen to the couple's 8 children (sixtuplets and twins) if the break-up is indeed final? On the show last night, Jon and Kate said the children will continue living in the house the couple bought last year, but the parents will "flip-flop," as Kate put it, depending on who has visitation rights.
________________

this is making me sad. not that it's a big surprise.

lavender

  • Jun. 22nd, 2009 at 6:06 AM
paris



1-Elaborate on your default icon.
i like paris. it equals style, especially the cuisine, fashion & art. an elegant language, exceptionally good food (even bistro food seems high culture after some years in twinkieland, believe me, heheh) and just... good old europeanness. as a bi-national european these things are still sacred to me and while i like living here, i also miss europe a lot.

2-What's your current relationship status?
in a relationship with a hot-blooded spaniard ;]

3-Ever have a near-death experience?
yes - related to an event that changed my life.

4-Name an obvious quality you have.
resilience.

5-What's the name of the song that's stuck in your head right now?
lhasa's de cara a la pared

6-Any celeb you would marry?
i don't think im crazy enough about any of them anymore. does that mean im all grown up now?

7-Who will cut and paste this first?
who knows.

8-Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?
hm, i don't think so. this must mean that im uniquely myself which is a pleasant thought. 

9-Do you wear a watch? What kind?
i used to always wear watches. being swiss swatch was the obvious choice throughout my teens and into my 20's. i still like them, i just havent worn watches on a regular basis for quite some time now. i would probably choose something more valuable now.

10-Do you have anything pierced?
just the ears. 

~ you know you want to ~  )

the amish take on disability

  • Jun. 20th, 2009 at 6:06 PM
legs
E N Q U I R E R   O P I N I O N
Sunday, June 06, 1999

Disabilities are not disabling for Amish



 

BY DEBORAH KENDRICK
Enquirer contributor

        FARMERSTOWN, Ohio — We know we are in the right place when the frequency of white frame houses increases. We know because there is an absence of curtains, an absence of electric wires and an absence of automobiles.

        Before long, we meet a horse and buggy, then another, and yet another. We have found our way into an Amish community.

        Disability happens in every culture and every socioeconomic group. The Amish — quaint, admirable people who keep the ”old ways” of farming and making utilitarian goods by hand — are no exception. They are, however, good teachers of how disability should be viewed.

        “Disabled people?” one Amish traveler mused. “No, I don't think we have any... Oh, well, there's the fellow who can't hear, but we just write everything we need to say to him in church. And there's the fellow who can't walk, but we just made a ramp to bring his wheelchair into his store.”

        Syl and Clara Hershberger are marvelous examples of how the Amish take on disabilities. He's blind; she has had one leg amputated. Together they run a successful Amish business.

        “We heard that the owner here was blind and wondered if we could speak with him,” we tell the woman outside Farmerstown Book and Broom.

        She sticks her head in the shop door, has a brief conversation, and urges us to go on in. “Is Mr. Hershberger your relative,” I ask our hostess as she points the way. “I should think so,” she says. “He's my husband.”

        Syl Hershberger has as many questions as answers and is happy to tell his tale.

        Like all Amish children, he went to school only until the eighth grade. But he attended the Ohio State School for the Blind, a residential school in Columbus. Traveling to and from school on the Greyhound, he gained independent traveling skills — the same skills that today enable him to walk unaided with his white cane into town for the Tuesday livestock sale, where he sets up a table selling his books, handmade brooms, and assorted novelties.

        In the shop the rest of the week, responsibilities are evenly divided between Mr. Hershberger and his wife, who lost her leg several years ago in a farm machinery accident.

        There is no talking cash register here. In fact, no cash register of any sort. A simple drawer for cash and receipts and a box on his table on Tuesdays is all Mr. Hershberger needs.

The old-fashioned way
        Shelves of the tiny shop are crammed with books — both Amish and “English” books on religion, Amish culture and history — as well as an odd assortment of novelties and sundries from home remedies to cotton socks. With pride he demonstrates the broom-making machine — the same machine he has used for 30 years.

        On his desk is a mechanical braille writer he uses to record broom sales. Other accounts are kept by Mrs. Hershberger in paper ledgers.

        “I got a letter asking if we were Y2K compliant,” Mrs. Hershberger quips, “and I asked myself, "What do they think? We have no computer, no telephone, no electricity. Of course we're ready!'”

        Like many Amish couples, the Hershbergers live in a home built by friends and neighbors. Mr. Hershberger proudly explains how he designed it himself.

        All the doors are wide, he says, to accommodate his buddies in wheelchairs. The toilet (yes, they have running water) is a distance from the wall to allow one wheelchair-using friend space to turn around.

        Because they are shopkeepers, the couple doesn't work much on the family farm. Mr. Hershbergeris surprised, though, when asked if he did farm chores growing up as a blind child.

        Of course he did. He had the same chores as his siblings — bailing the hay, tending the vegetables, doing his part.

        We English, as the Amish call us, are so sophisticated. Yet, our unemployment rate is 70 percent among those with disabilities.

        These simple farmers and craftspeople have a 0 percent unemployment rate for disabled and nondisabled alike. They have to think to figure out which is which. Their main concern is figuring out how to get the job done.

        Cincinnati writer Deborah Kendrick is a nationally recognized advocate for people with disabilities. Write her at Cincinnati Enquirer, Tempo, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202. E-mail: dkendrick@enquirer.com


chocolate?

  • Jun. 20th, 2009 at 5:20 PM
blutsauger

some of my favorite commercial chocolaty things... i want!


i think i will have to make a call and place a chocolate order... omnomnom.



 

sita the indian

  • Jun. 19th, 2009 at 4:54 AM
paris
i can't sleep tonight so online is my destination. what else is there to do at 4 in the morning? when i sleep or don't doesn't make a difference right now. so i'm winging it. i'm still feeling out of it, still taking the pills that catapult me into higher spheres. i don't like pain meds and avoid them where i can but it's necessary for the time being.

being home all day, i feel like i'm living in a bubble. it would be more fun if it didn't hurt and my head was actually clear. as it is not, i end up reading about strange things like conspiracy theories on the net while feverishly consuming stacks of books and dvds offline. i've even been hanging out with some of the neighbors. women who are also home all day... except that for most of them it's by choice. and then there's sita, a beautiful [and traditional sari-wearing] indian woman who hates being here but had to follow her husband. i'm assuming it's an arranged marriage or similar. she's feeling lost living in america and says she's bored with everything... and she's been here for 2 years. she speaks 5 languages and has a master's she isn't using. how frustrating this must be. i found out about it because i was saying i cannot imagine speaking just 1 language like most americans do. it so limits their horizons.

mal ein langeweile-meme

  • Jun. 19th, 2009 at 3:52 AM
a box in a box
1. Welche Farbe hat die Hose, die Du gerade trägst? sind weisse shorts

2. Was hörst Du gerade? karunesh - orchestral radio. und eine grille zirpt im hintergrund irgendwo

3. Was ist das Letzte, das Du gegessen hast? blaubeer-yoplait

4. Wenn Du ein Buntstift wärst, welche Farbe wärst du? kiwigruen oder weiss

5. Wo willst Du in Deinen Flitterwochen hinfliegen? brasilien oder japan

6. Wie ist das Wetter gerade? warme, wolkenlose nacht

7. Wer ist die letzte Person, mit der Du telefoniert hast? ryan/felipe. he'll be late

8. Was bemerkst Du als Erstes am anderen Geschlecht? wie jemand sich gibt natuerlich, haltung

9. Wie geht es Dir heute? ganz gut den umstaenden entsprechend

10. Was ist Dein Lieblingsgetränk? champagner, mineralwasser, kirschsaft, verschiedene kraeutertees

11. Lieblingssport zum Zuschauen? gymnastik, olympisches schwimmen, rollstuhl-tennis, weil ich das auch spiele

12. Welche CD wirst Du Dir als nächstes kaufen? ich kaufe schon lange keine cds mehr

13. Kinder? weiss nicht, vielleicht

14. Letzter Film, den Du geschaut hast? the lake house. war nicht so mein ding

15. Lieblingsfilme? zu viele um sie jetzt alle aufzulisten

16. Lieblingstag? samstag

17. Bist Du zu schüchtern jemand zum Essen einzuladen? nein. ich bin ueberhaupt nicht schuechtern :]

18. Umarmungen oder Küsse? beides

19. Beziehungen oder One Night Stands?
alles schon gehabt und bereue auch nichts. am ende ist beziehung doch gut

20. Schokolade oder Vanille?!
schokolade mit vanillensosse

und der rest? )