Monday, May 24, 2010

Obligatory Cat Blog Post

Obligatory Cat Blog Post
I have a cat.  She is what the call tortoise shell colored, which is a variation of calico.  She also has an orange strip that is down the middlish part of her face. I live in an apartment building where the apartments are configured in U-shapes so that everyone gets a window.  I am in the middle of a U, so I can see the windows of several apartments on the U-edges. So, I knew that someone new was moving in a few apartments down when I kept seeing all the work guys in during the day (they had the windows and shades open).  And then the work guys went away, but I started seeing a cat in the window (window and shades are closed, so the cat is all I see).  And I pondered that next time my cat went for her dose of kitty TV (we have some good bird activity out the window) that my cat might see this other cat and while cats seem to understand windows, there might be some peering, possibly followed by a warning hiss. 
Well, it never seemed to happen.  I would see the other cat when my cat was taking her turn napping in the kitchen or the closet. My cat would check on the birds and the other cat would be gone from the window.  Then, as spring got, well, springier, the light improved and I caught a glimpse of other cat in the sunlight and realized that other cat was also a tortie.  So, of course*, I pondered the possibility that my cat had found a secret passageway or had found an entrance to the vents leading just to this one apartment. 
Well, today, while as far as I can tell they still haven't spotted each other, other cat appeared in the window while my cat was sleeping next to my chair. 

*Yes, of course.  Wouldn't you?

Friday, May 21, 2010

A Difference in Creepy

A Difference in Creepy
So, I saw over at DCist that a so-called creepiest roommate ad on Craigslist ever is making the rounds.  For the moment, the ad is here. The creepy part (and YMMV) is the request for roommate participation in bowel movement checklist.  And I could see how that would cause concern and certainly raise questions (such as what are you planning to do with the record of my movements?).  But, no, people, I am here to tell you that while I might scroll to the next listing, my creepy bar remains set at high for a listing I found - also on Craiglist - back in 2006.  This one, which I preserved in an email to my roommate at the time, offered a 100% discount on the rent if you agreed to chain and spank the lister one a week.  And again, YMMV, and consenting adults and all that, but that was the one that I found topped my creepy scale.
Text posted below from the ad. And no, I had not wandered into the adults only section of craigslist.

special room for rent $699

Room available in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house with a cute basement dungeon in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood.
I am looking for a very special tenant. I am a man of rather short stature (some people call me a little person, but I don't mind being referred to as a midget) and I'm prepared to rent the room to a liberal, open-minded girl rent-free if she will chain me up and spank me at least once a week.
Have no other requirements other than the common area be kept relatively clean and the rent/bills being paid on time.
This is a serious post. Please contact me if you're interested and we can arrange a time for you to see the place.

Neighborhood info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Pleasant,_Washington,_DC
http://maps.google.com/maps?oi=map&q=Mt+Pleasant+St+Nw,+Washington,+DC


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

In Which I am Intentionally Vague

In Which I am Intentionally Vague
Years ago, during one of my company's big excellent service initiatives, they had a senior VP put together a little video about a terrible service experience that he had.  (In fairness to the company - which I will not name - it was the airport version, not that that excuses bad service, but I believe airport versions are often run by different groups than the town versions.) Anyhoo, so this VP talked about how as a result of this experience he was never going back.  And this segued into ways to provide good experience.  So, it is with great irony that I read the announcement that thsi company is now our client. 

In Which I am Intentionally Vague

In Which I am Intentionally Vague
Years ago, during one of my company's big excellent service initiatives, they had a senior VP put together a little video about a terrible service experience that he had.  (In fairness to the company - which I will not name - it was the airport version, not that that excuses bad service, but I believe airport versions are often run by different groups than the town versions.) Anyhoo, so this VP talked about how as a result of this experience he was never going back.  And this segued into ways to provide good experience.  So, it is with great irony that I read the announcement that thsi company is now our client. 

Friday, May 14, 2010

To bring together two entirley separa...

Do You Buy It
To bring together two entirley separate discussions, over at HitFix, Alan Sepinwall spoke with Bill Lawrence, the creator of "Cougar Town" about his wish to change the name of the show to better reflect it's evolution from a show about a woman re-entering the dating pool in her forties, to stories about a group of friends, including a woman in her forties re-entering the dating pool.  It's an interesting discussion about the creative process and part of wshat he spoke about was that since episodic television, is, well, episodic, viewers need to buy in to the execution more than the premise, whereas with a movie (and, I imagine, a play) you buy into the idea. 
So, I wondered if that played into the recent discussion about gay people's ability to play heterosexual characters that was sparked by a piece in Newseek.  Now I recognize the Newsweek writer referenced both plays and a TV shows, but I suspect the problems were still somewhat related.  For example, as Linda Holmes pointed out in her lovely piece examining the issue, it is entirely possible to view a play and be so stuck on expecting an actor to be like that TV character you are used to seeing them as, that you can't enter into the play properly.  So, that interferines with your buy in.  And well, since my understanding is that his issue with "How I Met Your Mother"s Barney Stinson is that he is a caricature, I suggest he probably hasn't watched much, because the character, while outrageous, has been shown to have multiple sides.  And if the issue with "Glee" is that it is hard to imagine someone as straight because they sing and dance, then, again, I suggest it is not the actor getting in the way of your enjoyment. 
By the way, Kristin Chenoweth - currently playing opposite Sean Hayes who was mentioned, responded here.  And Ryan Murphy, "Glee" creator, responded here, and further here.





Monday, May 10, 2010

Linkety Link

I am low on peppy thoughts today, so I will share other people's. (Low on caffeine.)
If you have somehow missed the NPR folks singing Lady Gaga - go here. And then you can see Jesse Tyler Ferguson with his own Lady Gaga rendition.*
I someday aspire to have as lovely a book collection as Patti O'Shea. In fact part of me wants to send that link to my mother to say that clearly I am behind. (She always wants to know why I keep buying books since I already have some.)
Apparently, folks who go to their second choice college are often happier. I went to my second choice, although I did get into my first choice.
Oh, want your mind blown about "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" - check here.
And a little flash opera to finish things off.*

*H/T to ALOTT5MA

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Not That

Not That
I don't want to spend a lot of time on the tragic death of the UVA lacrosse player, mostly because it's being covered really well elsewhere.  But I do want to mention a couple of comments and coverage angles I noticed that may bear some scrutiny. 
1. This is not a college thing.  I know both the victim and the attacker* were college students.  But sadly exes attacking their exes happens in just about every age group.  If you have a child in college, certainly have a talk with them about danger signs - but you should probably have that with all your kids.
2.  This is not a sports thing.  This isn't a scenario where the fact that either or both of them was an athlete factored in to this, other than how they met.  In fact, I found the swift arrest very reassuring, in the sense that there was no college wall or athlete wall in play here.  The police investigated and went where the investigation led.
3. This is not an alcohol thing.  Yes alcohol changes people's reactions, but I have never been so drunk I attacked someone.  People who do attack people while drunk should not be blaming it on the alcohol.  (And they should stop drinking.  And attacking people.)
4.  This is not an elite thing. Again, I refer you to the depressing fact that people of all types socioeconomic status have been known to injure and/or kill their exes for no greater offense than a broken heart.
5. This is a bad boyfriend thing. Good boyfriends (and girlfriends) do not send threatening emails. They do not call their partner names. They do not kick in doors and shake you. 

*Huguely has at this point admitted to attacking Love, whether her death was "intentional" or not is still being determined.

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Truth is at Least as Strange

Truth is at Least as Strange
Sometimes you come across something, sometimes just a little tidbit and sometimes more, that seems so real you feel sure that it must have been stolen from real life.  So, remember that old Snickers ad with the guy working on the end zone of the football field and the player comes up and says, "It looks great, but who are the Chefs?"
Yes, well, just swap out football end zone for Hollywood Walk of Fame, and you have this.

Monday, May 03, 2010

Fun Was Had

Fun Was Had
Pictures will arrive later this week.  (Probably.)  But this first weekend of May in the DC area was it's normal packed self. Saturday was  Passport DC, aka the non-EU Embassy Open House (the EU countries have theirs next week).  Due to some straegic plotting, that seemed to work out, we managed to make it to seven before heat and hunger demanded a stop.  We hit Benin, Haiti, Korea, Sri Lanka, Senegal, Serbia, and Zambia. (A few others along the way were passed up due to lines, or tour restrictions.  And sadly, contrary to the literature, Kyrgyzstan was not open.  Some had food and or drink (Sri Lanka and Zambia). Serbia had a large game being played in the yard. Benin had a lovely local crafts display and was going to have drummers in a few hours. Korea had exhibits and an intriguing pop video that included the singer shooting storm troopers. Haiti had a great building. Sri Lanka also had the choice to try on native dress. 
Sunday had me getting up much too early to attend the youth's worship service. They were, as usual, amazing and awesome.  One teen shared a story about our winter retreat, that while highly amusing to those of us there, possibly worried some present and future parents a bit since it involved fire.  (Towel on top of an old heater.  Towel was quickly tossed in the snow with no injury to anyone present.) Many parents thanked the adult advisors, although it often seems to me that we jsut watch it all happen. (Yes, we facilitate and guide the discussions too.)
And then, after a quick food and drink stop (church AC is not yet on), I headed to the Sheep and Wool Festival.  Despite having left my phone in it's charger managed to run into most of the people I knew would be there.  I managed to get what may be my smallest hall yet since I refused to wander, although I'm not sure my wallet can tell the difference.  Hung out for quite some time at Carolina Homespun where the lovely Yarnagogo was signing books.  It was great and I came home to collapse and recover on the couch afterwords.