Jenny-Power

2007-08-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

Today is going to be news links plus anecdote day. What can I say? It's slow and rainy and the coffee hasn't kicked in yet.My mentor in college was raised in the South but migrated to Manhattan and stayed put. I have enough family from the South and lived there long enough to appreciate the lifestyle. I always want to talk about food, and so did Jack. At one event I provided a pitcher of sun tea,

2007-08-15T14:37:00.000-05:00

Is Starbucks really that difficult to navigate? Or is this a grandmom-mystified-by-the-microwave kind of situation? Plus that comment about having to do things yourself (like get your own sugar, god save the queen) implies a sense of entitlement of an epic scale. A gentleman wrote a letter to the editor today that implied that since Naomi Watts had a child out of wedlock the terrorists were right

2007-08-14T15:24:00.000-05:00

Is this book/movie the next big thing? The slow and painful death of student's first amendment rights continues. Can't wait to see the Daily Colbert hour tonight. I'm a bit of a geek, but this makes my head swim. Much prefer Geek magazine's article on robot ethics. Director Wong Kar-Wai directs another short film commercial, continuing in the vein of The Hire films for BMW and the Lancome Hypnose

News Update – Inaugural and, also, Birthday Edition

2007-08-13T09:12:00.000-05:00

In which I pass on news items that I enjoy for one reason or another… maybe you’ll like them too.Syphillis, nearly assumed extinct in 2005, is on the rise in NYC. This article introduced me to the term “condom fatigue”, which assigns a level of autonomy I’m not comfortable with when it comes to prophylactics. The rest of the article is a blur because I was busy thinking about condoms becoming

2007-07-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

Love catsLove FireflyLove Buffy

Anita Blake Meets Comics

2007-07-18T23:39:00.000-05:00

Laurell K. Hamilton on women in comics: You want your characters to be taken seriously. With women, that's always hard—hard for women in real life, as well as in comic books. A lot of female images in comics are a little too much like they've gone to the plastic surgeon too often, that whole, "breasts look like they should be flotation devices" thing. I mean, Anita has scars on her arm...One of

Must Be Tuesday*

2007-06-26T23:59:00.000-05:00

So I deleted my last blog post today in response to an anonymous comment, and I'm pretty sure it's the first time I've done that. It was about a well publicized murder suicide reported last night that struck a chord with me so I wrote a little post about it. Well, it contained factual errors that I was unable to verify at the time of writing. I shouldn't have post it without more research. My

2007-06-23T12:40:00.001-05:00

Your Score: Crackpot - INTJ33% Extraversion, 66% Intuition, 53% Thinking, 60% JudgingPeople hate you. Paris Hilton hates Nicole Richie. Lex Luther hates Superman. Garfield hates Mondays.But none these even rates against the insurmountable hate, people have for you.I mean, you're pretty damn clever and you know it. You love to flaunt your potential. Heard the word "arrogant"

Stripey! No!

2007-06-23T12:10:00.000-05:00

2007-05-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

You Are Lara Croft"Everything lost is meant to be found."What Superheroine Are You?

Lessons Learned from Spiderman 3

2007-05-05T12:49:00.000-05:00

Every street festival that Spiderman is invited to will end in disaster. Just stop asking him to parties, okay?Three villains do not a short movie make.To paraphrase Manohla Dargis, Sam Raimi has an underlying desire to direct a musical.Giving in to your dark side with the help of an alien symbiote will cause you to stop gelling your bangs. And also to like disco, inapropriate street dancing, and

2007-05-05T12:05:00.000-05:00

Wild About Harry

2007-05-02T12:41:00.000-05:00

After a week of being sick with a cold and then plauged with insomnia, I had a lot of time to catch up on my reading. Specifically, on the Dresden Files. What a great week! I caught up on all my paperbacks, and even finished the newest hardcover, White Night, yesterday. I LOVE it. I love Mouse, and Thomas, and Molly, and Murphy. I even like Lash, that old devil.If you're new to the book series or

Stolen Idea -- This Time It's a List

2007-04-28T17:49:00.000-05:00

Inspired by Pax's list, here goes mine:Is there anything better than…Laundry day and the infinite wardrobe possibilities it brings?Those few minutes when the house is ready but the guests have yet to arrive?A much needed smoke break on an unexpectedly beautiful day?Grilling your dinner?Stolen moments with a book?Rediscovering an old friend?Finding a great movie on cable when you can’t sleep?When

Huh-What?

2007-04-26T13:45:00.000-05:00

You say I haven't updated recently? No, I haven't. Sorry. Not much happening. Although I did manage to trash two cars two Sundays in a row. I hit a great sale at Lord & Taylor. I interviewed a bunch of times for this new job, but have yet to receive a call. Not like I'm waiting by the phone or anything. But my favorite sitting-and-doing-nothing-spot happens to be next to the phone. Go figure.

2007-03-31T10:23:00.000-05:00

My loyal readers may wonder what the hell I've been doing all this time. Well, I've been wallowing in unemployment, of course! I've also been watching a least a movie a day. So, here are all the ones I've seen recently and some brief thoughts.So here you go kids, all the stuff I can remember seeing recently in no particular order. Spoilers abound, proceed at your own risk!Eragon -- Derivative

2007-02-20T09:28:00.000-05:00

2004: Outsourcing -- What's That Like?2005: Massive Layoffs -- Cause You Couldn't Get Enough the First Time!2006: The Year of the Poorness -- Tell Me About Character Building, Again?2007: Laid Off Again -- Ask Me How! That's right kids! Once again my most dysfunctional relationship -- the one I have with my job -- has blown up in my face! At approximately 11am yesterday, there was a lovely

Fave Photo Friday

2007-02-16T10:54:00.000-05:00

This week, because I'm a lazy fangirl, I picked my favorite promotional photo from the British television series Second Sight. It reminds me very much of Man Ray, perhaps because of the focus on the eye, the symmetry, the optical illusion captured on a print, or the implied inclusion of the camera.

Had a Bad Valentine's Day? No, You Really Didn't.

2007-02-15T11:36:00.000-05:00

This I believe: there is always someone out there who has it off worse than you. Some days you're a bit higher on the list, sure, but I can guarantee that your personal problems are not on the top of the to-do list for The Powers That Be.Today I was struggling with my feelings about my Valentine's gift, which reminds me most of a Simpsons' episode: (Marge) "Oh, you got me a bowling ball with your

The Wisdom of Old Books

2007-02-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

From Early American Cookery, "The Good Housekeeper," 1841:The prevalence of intemperance in eating, of luxury in living, is more the fault of the woman than of man. She is the guardian of home; she can regulate the arrangement of her household; she can form the habits of her children; she does form them. Shall we wonder that men are selfish and luxurious, while they are taught, by their mothers

Fave Photo Friday

2007-02-09T11:48:00.000-05:00

Christopher With His Kitten. Sandgap, Kentucky, 1990.Mary Ellen MarkThe first time I saw this in an exhibit I cried. I knew of Mark's other work with the Indian circus and Tiny, but this just blew me away, in a tiny gallery in an old converted brownstone in NYC. That has never happened since, with art at least, although I was very emotional at the Jefferson Memorial in DC. The kitten's belly is

I Can Sing a Rainbow Too!

2007-01-12T12:41:00.000-05:00

This morning my favorite radio show had an interview with Captain and Mrs. Noah. Click through and you can probably download the podcast. Once they got to a rendition of "You Can Sing a Rainbow", I was laughing through my tears. I LOVED Captain Noah. I did send my pictures. Right away!(Sidebar the first: Just called my mom about this. She doesn't remember my picture getting shown, but she thinks

Miss Behave Magazine

2007-01-11T17:09:00.000-05:00

Your magazine purchasing dollar should consider this new "counterculture" fashionmag. I love it—it's like East Coast Fug and Bitch and the cool parts of Nylon, all rolled into one. Articles featured: DiLF Hunter: Clive Owen, Guide to Chinatown Bakeries, Sartorial tribute to Max Headroom, and Fashion Graveyard: Moon Boots. I absolutely adore this magazine, and if I had any gumption I would march

For Your Ears

2007-01-11T17:04:00.000-05:00

Recommended listening: Rodrigo Y Gabriela, the guitar duo from Mexico. They play acoustic guitar, but then drum their guitars, so what sounds like accompaniment is actually all them. Fun fact: they started out in a heavy metal band, but the heavy metal scene in Mexico is not that great, so they moved on to acoustic instead. They started drumming their guitars to replicate the percussion they were

Children of Men

2007-01-11T16:14:00.000-05:00

HERE BE SPOILERSThis weekend, Midnighter, Buster, Lee-Lee, the Mangler and I made it to the opening weekend of Children of Men. As most of you know, I would follow Clive Owen into made-for-tv movies, so when he keeps picking great roles from diverse sources I'm happy as Wilbur in poop. A lot of people scoff at this P.D. James novel because it's classified as science fiction, but the only reason

Johari's Window

2007-01-11T16:10:00.000-05:00

The Johari Window was invented by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in the 1950s as a model for mapping personality awareness. By describing yourself from a fixed list of adjectives, then asking your friends and colleagues to describe you from the same list, a grid of overlap and difference can be built up.This is neat. You can see or add to mine here, and make your own here.

2007-01-05T16:47:00.000-05:00

Announcing DEA staff cuts

2007-01-05T16:40:00.000-05:00

Five Secrets Meme

2007-01-05T16:19:00.000-05:00

This started as a stolen idea from Henny — a simple meme (rhymes with "gene", thanks Ann!) called Five Things You Probably Don't Know About Me. Somehow as I was writing it, it turned into Five of My Personal Fears. So, here you go, my irrational-flighty-fears and my deep-seeded-emotional-pain-fears. Enjoy the short disturbing tour of my psyche.1. The amount of fulfillment I get from trashy pop

Bedroom Stereos

2006-11-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

It took me five full rotations of the album to really like the new Damien Rice. Since I was listening in my car, this took three days in rush hour traffic. This disturbed me to no end. I felt like I was losing my music connection—how could I not love this cd immediately?Later, I heard a song on the radio called Sweet Troubled Soul, this lyric in particular: I want to see your face in the

Up For Grabs

2006-11-29T14:54:00.000-05:00

One Hannibal Rising movie poster, 27 x 40, folded. I don't want it. Do you?

Sadness

2006-11-29T14:39:00.000-05:00

Tragically, Thanksgiving weekend shopping sprees claimed one victim in the jennypower household: my Elvis glasses were crushed in the backseat under the weight of jar candles and bath sets. I like to think it was an honorable, if not pleasant smelling, way to die.

Puddin' Mania Spreads*

2006-11-17T12:10:00.000-05:00

*Not as smooth as Promise, though.

2006-11-09T15:54:00.000-05:00

A short note to the lady at the bookstore last night who held me hostage for 15 minutes while the phone rang off the hook and customers waited behind me to tell me all about her hummel collection:In the slaughterhouse of life, your entrails will sully the killing blade. The sawdust will mock your excrement, and the maggots will choke on your flesh.Photo by Minor White.Attitude by Hunter Thompson.

It's Easy to Like Your Job...

2006-10-26T09:51:00.000-05:00

...when you get care packages from DC Comics.Remember the riduculously long career aptitude test you had to take in 9th grade, and it told you if you were better suited for law enforcement or lawn care specialist? Well, if the first question was "Do you like free books? If yes, turn to last page", then I could have 45 minutes of my life back.Yeah, I'm one of those people. Rather be crushed to

Stencil of Fame

2006-10-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

I found this on Main Street Moorestown while I was out to lunch with Rob on Friday. Who does that look like to you?Especially fun because I'm reading a book called Grafitti Women by Nicholas Ganz, which profiles female street artists from across the world. Most interesting is a group of ladies in Paris who paint with oils directly onto the wall. Boggles the mind. There is also a very nice piece

2006-10-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

2 dresses2 necklaces1 bracelet1 fedora1 pair boots1 scarf2 pairs underwear2 jackets2 sweaters3 shirts1 pair pants2 skirts1 cross-stitch of the London Houses of Parliament done in 1976 : $57.66Nine hours of marathon thrift shopping with your best friend : Priceless

What Horrible Edward Gorey Death Will You Die?

2006-10-20T11:15:00.000-05:00

You will be sucked dry by a leech. I'd stay away from swimming holes, and stick to good old cement. Even if it does hurt like hell when your toe scrapes the bottom.Take the quiz!

There are Many Like Them, but These are My Own

2006-10-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

These are the shoes I wore to work today. Have I hit an all-time low of blogging? Who knows! But, I liked them so much and had my camera phone in my hand that I just had to give them a chance at fame.See, I saw a pair of Vuittons in Vogue last year that were all leather rosettes and folded satin, and after I regained conciousness and picked myself off the floor, I thought: "DAMN. Gotta get those

Closed Door Policy

2006-09-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

Now is truly the time to rejoice—I have an office! Like an official room to work in, with walls and windows and a door!Witness! jennypower finally has a Big Girl Job! Just like I dreamed about while tracing a smart blazer/a-skirt combo on my fashion plates.Plus I promised friends pictures. Not exciting, as offices go, but it's mine, and I can close to door next time I have to cry or scream or

Fangirl for Charity Redux

2006-09-12T18:39:00.000-05:00

A few months ago on this humble bitchy blog, I implored Firefly fans and Whedonites to join me in one of the many movie screenings across the country, the proceeds of which went to Equality Now. As a result of that fan-driven effort, we netted $64,871.27 in 41 screens.To re-iterate, this is for a charity with the following mission statement:Equality Now works to end violence and discrimination

Love Cake, Hate Grammar

2006-09-11T12:11:00.000-05:00

In case you can't see it, the card says "Please enjoy a slice of cake celebratings [someone's] birthday"

What I've Learned This Week

2006-08-11T12:17:00.000-05:00

1. When sperlunking, always bring dynamite and firearms. And, as we learned from The Blair Witch Project, don't forget the guidebook/map/sherpa/gps. This is brought to you by The Descent. *The UK release has a different ending. Guess I have to wait for dvd for that...2. According to Scientific American, stage 8 of the 12 stages of burnout is perceiving your co-workers as incompetent and

Damn, Lost Another One

2006-07-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

You can cry. I did.

Avast, ye Pirate Media Tie-In

2006-07-07T14:21:00.000-05:00

As Mugatu would say: "Pirates. So hot right now. Pirates." I get A LOT of book related newsletters and subscribe to a lot of listservs. Literally hundreds of emails a day. And Pirates are the new Dinosaurs. I have to tip my hat to Borders though, because their newsletter that arrived yesterday is the single best pirate-mania marketing effort I've seen. Just look at the pictures. They tell the

One Day I'll Be a Real Post

2006-07-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

Your results:You are Han SoloHan Solo 70%Lando Calrissian 68%Princess Leia 65%Chewbacca 65%Mace Windu 60%Luke Skywalker 59%Padme 59%Obi-Wan Kenobi 58%Qui-Gon Jinn 58%R2-D2 53%Even though you've been described as reckless, selfish and cocky, you're the type of person others love to be around. People like you because you're a scoundrel. (This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21

2006-06-26T16:28:00.000-05:00

Dear God,I will pledge myself to you eternally if you make Comic Sans disappear forever.xoxo jennypower

If My Father Were A Doctor, I'd Be Dead

2006-06-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

My father repairs and installs heaters and air conditioners for a living. I'd say he's handy at the shop. My stepfather is currently a mechanic, and has been for most of his life. My uncle was a mechanic, killed while working in our backyard. My husband was a mechanic until a lift fell on him and left him permanently brain damaged. His grandfather was a mechanic until illness struck, and his

Fangirl for Charity

2006-06-15T09:55:00.000-05:00

Save the date! Friday, June 23rd — a midnight showing of Serenity at King of Prussia United Artist Theater to benefit Equality Now, a charity that "works to end violence and discrimination against women and girls around the world through the mobilization of public pressure".Tickets are 12$ and tax deductible if you happen to be a heartless capitalist. If you purchase your tickets online you'll

BEA in a nutshell

2006-05-23T12:30:00.000-05:00

Thursday: Slept for one extra hour. Proves to be the only extra sleep I will enjoy all weekend. (Except for the small stretch between Baltimore and the Delaware Memorial when I fell asleep while rifling in my bag. When I woke up I had the directions in my hand, so that was nice.) Stopped at bank. Picked up 5 boxes of very heavy catalogs and 2 boxes of pens and meet up with Midnighter. Then

Rapture Letter

2006-05-15T12:18:00.000-05:00

http://www.raptureletters.com/index.htmlJust so you know, I've signed you all up to receive letters explaining where I've gone after the rapture. And if you're allowed to check your email after the reign of hell on earth has begun, that will work out really well.Also, those 060606 billboards with "You have been warned" scrawled across the bottom are publicity for the re-make of The Omen. I didn't

How to create two catalogs in six days

2006-05-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

What follows is my advice for creating 400 pages of catalogs from the ground up, no template, in six days, while working 60 hours a week, refinancing your house, participating in a RGIS inventory, planning for the biggest work-related conference of the year, and arranging a vacation shortly after that. 1. Advise friends and family that you will be a heinous irrational bitch for a week. You'll

Cinco De Mayo

2006-05-05T10:56:00.000-05:00

The traditional Cinco De Mayo party at casa de jennypower has been cancelled. Due to lack of attendance. So we'll all meet up for tacos and tequila another time, kay?If you're upset, why don't you go read about the origins of the holiday and then ponder why it's become just another reason to drink. (You know it's Corona's fault. Sidenote - Could you imagine being part of marketing team that

Say What You Want

2006-05-05T08:59:00.000-05:00

Some fanfiction is awesome. It's taught me more poetry than 12 years of school. Looking around my cube, I have a wall of post-its, all quotes that I've picked up from the stuff I read during the day that has nothing to do with work. I see around me Robert Browning, WB Yeats, Jorge Luis Borges, Dante and Poe. Plus a number of original quotes from the best fanfiction authors out there, Eurydice and

Fray on a Jacket? Sin City on a Jacket? And it's red and black!? Does it come in a large?

2006-04-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,So I read this thing today on whedonesque about Adidas making a jacket and sneakers with images from dark horse comics on them. Then I clicked on the link and looked at the pretty pictures. Look at them with me, would you? I really really like the sneakers. I could work those immediately. The jacket -- is a little crowded, and the art is nice and HOLY SHIT IS THAT... IS THAT FRAY ON

Because I Can Steal a Good Idea When I See One

2006-04-26T08:19:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Pax and Cerpts!Your Monster ProfileLethal BeastYou Feast On: PicklesYou Lurk Around In: The Empire State BuildingYou Especially Like to Torment: DentistsWhat's" Your Monster Name?I was a girl scout. It didn't work out.Your Haloween Costume Should BeA Girl ScoutWhat'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatshouldyoubeforhalloweenquiz/">What Should You Be For Halloween?As long as it's Bella's (

All I Ever Wanted

2006-04-25T15:39:00.000-05:00

How could I follow that last post, seriously? If it were real life, I'd probably laugh and make a joke about my puffy eyes and ask for ice cream or hard liquor. Well, that doesn't come off as well in cyberspace. Even though I could go for a caramel sundae. Is the soup harpy* running today?Anyhoo, the drama that is my life continues. I got a great recommendation for a lawyer that is not a dick, we

What Doesn't Kill Me Will, Most Definitely, Return to Finish the Job Later

2006-04-19T10:49:00.000-05:00

Neitzche was a nice enough bloke, "God is dead" and all, but in this case I think he was too optimstic. I try not to bitch about everyday money/life problems here, because everyone has them and I really don't feel the need to add my .02 to the din. But, I realized that a couple people that care about me read this, and would probably want to know what's up. Frankly I'm also tired of typing out the

Overheard

2006-04-19T08:55:00.000-05:00

From one of my new favorite web sites.Cashier guy: Would you like to donate a dollar to the March of Dimes?Girl: Uh, no thank you. Cashier guy: Aw, poor preemies. P.S. — I'm not dead. Just tired. I'll try to update more often and not bitch about everyday "my life is crap" stuff, 'cuz that gets boring fast.

"Fierce and terrible in their belief"

2006-04-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

Teevee.org did a spiff on wikipedia -- called teeveepedia -- for April Fool's Day. I present the following entry for your amusement (if you have time, check out the whole site and follow the various links. they've put a lot into this little joke, and if you're even just a little into television, it's worth it): WhedonitesFrom TeeVeePedia, the Internet TV Encyclopedia.Whedonites are the alarming,

National Poetry Month

2006-04-03T10:12:00.000-05:00

Check out this article from the NYT Book Review. In honor of National Poetry Month, David Lehman, editor of The Best American Poetry series, has created a cento, which is a patchwork poem made up from lines of various poets, intended as a tribute.It's like a cheese sampler of poetry. If you can't commit to an entire volume of poetry, feel free to try these tiny bits like gouda on a toothpick. My

Best. Day. Ever!

2006-03-31T18:46:00.000-05:00

It's absolutely gorgeous out today.I made a kickass flyer at work today. I [heart] Indesign and Adobe Bridge!I bought a really great bathing suit and a couple of shirts online today. Cheap!Stopping at my local tobacco shop, I saw that all specialty cigarettes were 50% off. I bought a small selection to start off with, but plan to return on Sunday with a credit card and really clean them out. This

Paging Potter Stewart! Is there a Supreme Justice in the House?

2006-03-29T17:10:00.000-05:00

I believe Justice Stewart said it best back in '64:In 1964, Justice Potter Stewart tried to explain "hard-core" pornography, or what is obscene, by saying, "I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced . . . but I know it when I see it . . . "[1]Now, if only I could work up the guts to put my eyes out with a pencil.

2006-03-29T17:07:00.000-05:00

I'd just like to congratulate Clive Owen on the first successful implementation of a velvet blazer since the Duran Duran years. A far cry from Jude Law's velvet eggplant with ascot confection of the Alfie premiere era, this ends up being entirely appropriate.

2006-03-29T13:26:00.000-05:00

I'm a Lamborghini Murcielago!You're not subtle, but you don't want to be. Fast, loud, and dramatic, you want people to notice you, and then get out of the way. In a world full of sheep, you're a raging bull. Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

From "Confidential" to "Blogged" in T-minus 48 Hours

2006-03-28T11:11:00.000-05:00

I'm taking bets. How long will it take one of these "informal" confidential sessions to make it to the net? Or will respected journalists, despite their political inclination, live up to standards of honor this wayward journalism student personally thinks long-dead?From mediabistro:Bush Invites Press for Off-The-Record Talks (NYT)President Bush has been holding informal off-the-record sessions

Vogue: Tax Deductible?

2006-03-28T09:01:00.000-05:00

I renewed my Vogue subscription this morning. Well, I actually started my Vogue subscription this morning -- while an avid reader, I tend to buy my magazines half off at the Berlin Auction, and have only recently chosen to have some of them delivered to my house. Honestly, I think Elle sold my name to Vogue. No matter! But witness what was written below my bill:RECEIPTSAVE THIS PORTION FOR YOUR

myspace: [mi spas]; noun; def:

2006-03-23T14:38:00.000-05:00

Where the people from high school I tried to forget about go to disseminate bad grammar, worse web design, and truly appalling chain letters and/or pictures made out of type. PRETTY GIRL TRUCK '""";.., __._..._...______==== ___..., ] "(@ )'(@ )""""*(@ )(@ )*****(@ONCE YOU'VE BEEN HIT, YOU HAVE TO HIT 8 PRETTY GIRLS. IF YOU GET HIT AGAIN YOU'LL KNOW YOU'RE REALLY PRETTY! IF YOU BREAK THE CHAIN,

Happy St. Patrick's Day! & Happy Blog-Birthday!

2006-03-17T10:35:00.000-05:00

My blog is one year old today. Please feel free to visit my very first post, and see how much I've grown -- or marvel that I'm exactly the same. Ralph: That's my swingset, and that's my sandbox. I'm not allowed to go in the deep end. And this is where I met the leprechaun.Bart: Right, the leprechaun.Ralph: He told me to burn things.

V for Vendetta

2006-03-14T12:24:00.000-05:00

V for Vendetta finally opens this weekend, and I'm actually excited about it. I refused to amp up about it back when it got horrible reviews at pre-screens and was pushed back four months. But now I kinda can't wait. Unfortunately, I was reminded how much I hate movie tie-in novelizations when I saw it hit the mass market table at the "B"ookstore where I work. Cue the genius head buyer from the

The Loch Ness Elephant

2006-03-08T14:59:00.000-05:00

A paleontologist in Glasgow, after two years of research, and many pained conversations with his father explaining that he went to school for six years so he could research fictitious monsters, has determined that the sighting of the Loch Ness monster — Nellie to friends — was in fact an elephant. Apparently, fairs would pass through the area, and allow their animals to rest and refresh in the

The Retail Bullet

2006-03-08T09:28:00.000-05:00

Everybody dies, Tracey. Someone'scarrying a bullet for you right now,doesn't even know it.The trick is to die of old age beforeit finds you. - Malcom Reynolds, "The Message"*** Some days I'm convinced that retail is going to be the death of me. Either I'm in the process of developing an ulcer that will one day perforate and - bingo! - blood poisoning. Or, I'll eventually come to fight a customer

Pax's Meme-a-thon

2006-03-02T14:05:00.000-05:00

1: Black and White or Color; how do you prefer your movies?Color. 2: What is the one single subject that bores you to near-death?Sports.3: MP3’s, CD’s, Tapes or Records: what is your favorite medium for prerecorded music?Records. Gotta love that static...4: You are handed one first class trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world and ten million dollars cash. All of this is yours provided that

[insert Twain quote about the rumors, death and exaggeration]

2006-02-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I'm not dead. Just busy. So busy that I didn't realize that my outfit today is a little too Anne Hathaway, Brokeback style, (let's just say there's satin, sequins, embroidered denim, and boots involved) but not so busy that I didn't take advantage of the tasty tasty donuts left in the upstairs breakroom. I'm at least three or four entries behind, so you can look forward to another book

Fun with Google Image Search — Tag from coneyislandbaby

2006-02-17T17:01:00.000-05:00

Just finished my very first ad for my new job. Did I freak out? Totally. Stress eating and a generous co-worker with a Pillsbury penchant cost me the fat molecules of 5 squares of cake. But, it's done, the computer didn't explode, and the art director didn't laugh in my face when she saw it. I call that a success.For sh*ts and giggles, I took a nod from coneyislandbaby and participated in this

RHS Book Project, Continued

2006-02-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

RHS Book Project 3: Grave Peril by Jim ButcherThe third in the Dresden series -- this one was fun. I felt it did more for characterization than the previous two. He pulled a Whedon and made me love one of the secondary players right before striking her dead. The lesson being: the step after happiness is death. Three cheers for depression!RHS Book Project 4: Postsecret by Frank WarrenSome are

Did Anyone Look for the Monkey?

2006-02-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

Sad news via Shelf Awareness:Strangely and sadly Alan J. Shalleck, 76, a Curious George collaborator, was found dead in the driveway of his mobile home in Boynton Beach, Fla., the Palm Beach Post reported. His bloodied body had been covered by plastic garbage bags. The police are treating the case as a possible homicide.In the 1980s and early '90s, Shalleck co-edited several dozen Curious George

Chipotle Sauce: Endangered Species?

2006-02-07T15:28:00.000-05:00

Today I went 30 minutes out of my way to get chicken strips from Wendy's. Why, Jen? When McDonald's is so much closer if it's just strips you're after? Because I truly adore their chipotle sauce. All 17g of fat per serving. I get there today, and am told they don't make it anymore. I try not to sob into the drive thru speaker. I settle for the new Spicy Sweet Hawaiin sauce. It's pretty good, but

RHS Book Project - 2

2006-02-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

Bizzare Love Triangle by Peter MilliganI love me some Gambit & Rogue. Add just enough UST to make it fun, and I'm in fangirl heaven. Really enjoyed the story line here, but I did not like Gambit's characterization. Here, he was just an overly sexed, underly stimulated Cajun lothario. Which is part of him, sure, but he deserves better than this flat treatment. He could have been replaced with a

Self-Checkout Lanes are Moron Magnets

2006-02-06T09:14:00.000-05:00

= That is all.

RHS Book Project - 1

2006-02-05T14:01:00.000-05:00

The Ice Queen by Alice HoffmanThis follows the lives of a sister and brother who lost their mother when they were very young. Sister is a librarian who is obsessed with death. Gets interesting when the sister gets struck by lightning, and the pair decamp to Florida (+ brother's wife) to be able to study her condition, in-depth. Introduce cast of lightning-strike victims, including one named

RHS Future Reading List

2006-02-05T13:58:00.000-05:00

This post is for my personal use, feel free to ignore. This is all the stuff I would be reading it I wasn't committing to books that already live here. To be read:Fargo Rock CityBFI BtVS (8010491)something by Dorothy Parker

The New Year's Resolution That May Very Well Drive Me Insane

2006-02-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

I've noticed a lot of fellow book bitches have made New Year's Resolutions involving their reading habits — one woman in Baltimore is trying to read 300 books a year, another in NYC is trying to write a full review about each one she finishes. I honestly don't know if I could do either, but there is something that constantly nags me, and that's all the unread books in my house. As any true

Groundhog Day

2006-02-02T09:55:00.000-05:00

This morning, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, and there will be six more weeks of a mild winter. If you visit his homepage, he even composes a little poem:It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.Around the country there are many imitators of me.In Harrisburg there is Gus who appears on TVworking for the lottery.Then all around town,Cute groundhog statues abound.They all look

Twilight — Complete Review

2006-02-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

This is the book I've just finished reading. Minus the dust jacket and the jaunty angle. I've just finished Twilight. The last six chapters were not my favorite. I don't think the action-packed chase scenes are really this author's thing — I basically just skimmed over them to reach the end faster. Things I absolutely loved about this book: It's incredibly erotic, but there's no sex. They don't

Books, Cake and ER — The Random Wednesday Post

2006-02-01T10:36:00.000-05:00

This is the book I'm reading. Minus the dust jacket and the jaunty angle. This morning I had a nice little conversation with the gas station attendent about how no one reads anymore. He asked me what book I happened to be reading, and when I told him it was about a 16 year old girl who moves to the Pacific Northwest and inadvertently falls in love with a vampire, he walked away pretty quickly.

Fansite Boundaries — Do They Exist?

2006-01-30T12:40:00.000-05:00

Steve Martin recently asked for a poster that had made inflammatory comments about a lady friend of his to be removed from his fansite. In response to a story in US Weekly about a St. Bart vacation that Martin took with Anne Stringfield of the New Yorker, a poster did an internet search on Ms Stringfield and attempted to contact her parents. I guess that's what you can call a grassroots

Salve, Mr. Quinn

2006-01-30T09:25:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning I came face to face with my high school Latin teacher for the first time in ten years. He called me Juliana, my Latin name, (hey, beats Jennifericus) and still likes to wear the same kind of hat. I used to make fun of him a lot, and he deserved some of it — he really did have cat-food breath, and he constantly chews the sides of the handouts before he actually hands them out,

Cause to Celebrate, Part 3

2006-01-27T15:27:00.000-05:00

So, lately I've been ridiculously unhappy with my job. Yeah, Jenny, who hasn't? Well, I was pushed to the point where I was ready to leave -- the sales deparment is just not for me. I lack the gene that allows me to make endless cold calls, and bullshit people into buying stuff they don't need. I always seem to end up in sales because I have the knowledge -- but I've never had the drive. I know

Via con dios, Papa Kent

2006-01-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

Bo Kent, I knew they were going to kill someone. I just never thought it would be you. I was gunning for Lana to bite it, and expecting Chloe to die, but I never thought they'd touch you. I'm going to miss you. Your corn-fed adorable-Dad looks, your often overbearing advice to Clark, but most of all, I'll miss your relationship with Martha. Happily married parents on teen-demographic shows are a

Love to Joss, from Everyone Who's Cool

2006-01-27T10:52:00.000-05:00

These quotes are from an open love letter to Joss Whedon. "Thank you for Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Thank you for creating a strong female character who wasn’t a Mary Sue. Buffy was strong, beautiful, and very often, a complete and utter bitch. I loved her, I hated her, and I cried and laughed with her like I haven’t any character before or since. If more writers could only give us

Mr. Raimi, with all due respect, WTF?

2006-01-26T14:10:00.000-05:00

I was concerned when you cast Kirsten Dunst, proponent of homeless chic, as MJ. You know, the sassiest, sexiest wife in comics history? But hey, she pulled it off. Twice. So you got that one. Although I will say her "tiger" seems forced, while the comic MJ tossed that term off like normal people do "hello". But, whatever. I was impressed. Especially by the second film, when you just confirmed

Happy Birthday Gene

2006-01-26T11:28:00.000-05:00

Gene Siskel would have been 59 today, if not for those pesky brain tumors. (I am often strange and callous.) In tribute, I give you my favorite Siskel quotes ever, both real and imagined:"I always ask myself, 'Is the movie that I am watching as interesting as a documentary of the same actors having lunch together?'"From The Critic:[Satan is disguised as a man during an interview with Gene Siskel]

UPN + WB = CW

2006-01-25T13:46:00.000-05:00

"Looking down the road, this was much better than keeping UPN alive," Leslie Moonves, CEO of CBS, on just about anything you can think of. The two outcast networks will combine into a super-mutant network starting in the fall. Logically, the teen demographic will lose 50% of it's programming in one fell swoop. At least one television writer is convinced that this will be a bloody armageddon,

The Rainbow Party Myth

2006-01-24T16:09:00.000-05:00

When Oprah explicitly defined the sexual practice of "salad tossing" during a 4pm timeslot on network television, millions of paranoid mothers were born. (I think Howard Stern may have also developed an ulcer at this juncture.) The publication early this year of the young adult novel Rainbow Party gave them a target for their fears. What follows is an excerpt from The Atlantic, that traces the

Osama's Book Club

2006-01-23T12:50:00.000-05:00

As a bookseller for about six years now, I've lived through a lot of Oprah-bookclub-backlash. I'll admit, I inwardly cringe when someone asks for the new Oprah book, or the Oprah section, but you honestly can't blame her for ultimately getting people to read. And whatever anti-populist, purist bent that I have that leads me to vomit a bit when I have to chase books once sneezed on by Oprah, it

Top Ten Words of 2005

2006-01-04T10:46:00.000-05:00

From Merriam-Webster Online.1. integrity2. refugee3. contempt4. filibuster5. insipid6. tsunami7. pandemic8. conclave9. levee10. ineptPrizes to anyone who can use all of them in one sentence. Also, please welcome to the world the new words added to the Oxford dictionary last year. Some of which are:bookcrossing n. the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others,

Buffy, Fugged

2005-12-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is the fugalicious outfit mentioned in the previous post. Also, before she was one of the geniuses behind Go Fug Yourself, Jessica wrote for Television Without Pity. She fugged Buffy before "to fug" found it's way into my vocabulary. "On the other end of the phone, Buffy, in her bedroom at home, looks perplexed and hangs up. Turning to Riley, she...Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Holy...My...Sweet.

Cause to Celebrate, Part 2

2005-12-30T13:48:00.000-05:00

I finally caved and bought myself the single best present ever. Every Buffy episode EVER MADE is MINE! I have all of them! In one spot! In a cool package, with a cool little book, and an extra dvd of extras! Extra extras! What else could a girl possibly want?Lee Lee made the mistake of telling me she's never really seen an episode. Since that little slip I've been trying to work out her viewing

Cause to Celebrate, Part 1

2005-12-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

Today, I paid off one of my student loans. Looking at the picture above, if you can imagine a much smaller ball and chain on the other ankle, you could say that's the one I finished off today. I've still got the thousands and thousands of dollars I owe to the government, and all. At least now that one of them is gone I can double up payments on the second. Yay me! In honor of this milestone,