Perhaps I'm Back

Well let's see.... I haven't written in this thing since 1982. I would apologize, but that would be pretty arrogant. Because that would assume people are actually reading this. On the off chance, I am sorry.

I hate my job a little less than I did a few months ago. That doesn't make me happy here, just less miserable. But definitely still in the miserable category. Its amazing what the human psyche can learn to put up with. Its like POW conditioning. I have become much more complacent. I used to rage about this, but now I'm like... eh. What are you gonna do? Life's a bitch. I think thats officially what they call the loss of innocence. The realization that you may not, in fact, be better than all this. I think that's how you become a company drone.

If you hate your job still and find life a little less than satisfactory and far from rewarding, you should see the movie, Joe vs. the Volcano. It is one of my favorite movies of all time, even though when I first saw it I absolutely hated it. I was 10 and very literal. I couldn’t deal with a fantastical movie- I thought it was cheesy and it lacked any sort of plausible plot. I was 10, I didnt need fantasy. When you're 10 your life is fantasy. How ironic that we grow old and want to escape the real world. That we wish we could quit our dumb jobs and sail off on a yacht to an island in the South Pacific. Well that’s what Joe does, after he finds out he has a brain cloud that’s gonna kill him. He quits his shit job under florescent lights and takes a leap. Of course he only does that because he thinks he is dying, but still. Its inspirational. Its true that you are only as stuck as you allow yourself to be.

So I recommend this movie to all those stuck in jobs they hate or who are beaten down by life. And don’t be turned off by the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan pairing. Its no cheese ball Sleepless in Seattle or You’ve Got Mail crap. Its Meg Ryan before she became this PERSONA Meg Ryan. Its like her before she knew she was cute. And Tom Hanks is just his goofy self, the guy from Big, not the forlorn romantic from his date movies.

Deedee: "What's wrong, Joe?"
Joe: "I'm losin' my soul..."


Patricia: “My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement.”


After writing this I am busy plotting my escape. There is no reason to live in a concrete jungle right now. The city’s killing me.

I should also mention that it is a Christmas tradition in our house to decorate our Christmas tree while watching Joe vs. Volcano. I cannot remember where this bizarre tradition started, but it is a firmly implanted tradition now and so every year we decorate the tree while watching it. That's just how good it is.

We're Not Gonna Take It

Protesters at the Inauguration in 2001

Hey- I know some of you who read this live in DC. Please find some way to boycott/protest the Inauguration. Its not about him winning…SUCKS … but what are you gonna do? He won. I have picked up the pieces of my shattered, heartbroken existence and moved on. But why do DC taxpayers have to pay for the inauguration?? So please, since some of you apparently get a half day on the 19th and the whole day off on Jan 20th – find something worthwhile to do with your time. Make some witty signs to protest this bullshit. Throw eggs if you feel the need. Hell, write a letter to the paper. It always makes me feel better. But you DC residents are getting SCREWED. I wouldn’t take it. And guess what? Want to know why you are getting screwed? Cause you dont have a representative to fight for you. And who EVER listens to Mayor Williams? He seems like a nice enough guy... but you need some asshole that's going to get in people's faces and fight. Otherwise you are just as powerful as Puerto Rico.

U.S. Tells D.C. to Pay Inaugural Expenses Other Security Projects Would Lose $11.9 Million
By Spencer S. HsuWashington Post Staff WriterTuesday, January 11, 2005; Page A01

D.C. officials said yesterday that the Bush administration is refusing to reimburse the District for most of the costs associated with next week's inauguration, breaking with precedent and forcing the city to divert $11.9 million from homeland security projects.
Federal officials have told the District that it should cover the expenses by using some of the $240 million in federal homeland security grants it has received in the past three years -- money awarded to the city because it is among the places at highest risk of a terrorist attack.
But that grant money is earmarked for other security needs, Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) said in a Dec. 27 letter to Office of Management and Budget Director Joshua B. Bolten and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Williams's office released the letter yesterday.
Williams estimated that the city's costs for the inauguration will total $17.3 million, most of it related to security. City officials said they can use an unspent $5.4 million from an annual federal fund that reimburses the District for costs incurred because of its status as the capital. But that leaves $11.9 million not covered, they said.
"We want to make this the best possible event, but not at the expense of D.C. taxpayers and other homeland security priorities," said Gregory M. McCarthy, the mayor's deputy chief of staff. "This is the first time there hasn't been a direct appropriation for the inauguration."
A spokesman for Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee, which oversees the District, agreed with the mayor's stance. He called the Bush administration's position "simply not acceptable."
"It's an unfunded mandate of the most odious kind. How can the District be asked to take funds from important homeland security projects to pay for this instead?" said Davis spokesman David Marin.
The region has earmarked federal homeland security funds for such priorities as increasing hospital capacity, equipping firefighters with protective gear and building transit system command centers.
OMB spokesman Chad Kolton said no additional appropriation is needed for the inauguration.
"We think that an appropriate balance of money from [the annual reimbursement] fund and from homeland security grants is the most effective way to cover the additional cost the city incurs," Kolton said. "We recognize the city has a special burden to bear for many of these events. . . . That's expressly why in the post-9/11 era we are providing additional resources."
The $17.3 million the city expects to spend on this inauguration marks a sharp increase from the $8 million it incurred for Bush's first.
According to Williams's letter, the District anticipates spending $8.8 million in overtime pay for about 2,000 D.C. police officers; $2.7 million to pay 1,000-plus officers being sent by other jurisdictions across the country; $3 million to construct reviewing stands; and $2.5 million to place public works, health, transportation, fire, emergency management and business services on emergency footing.
Congressional aides said the District sought unsuccessfully last year to boost the annual security reimbursement fund from $15 million to $25 million to pay for inauguration expenses. In contrast, New York City and Boston-area lawmakers were able to obtain $50 million from Congress for each of those two jurisdictions to cover local security costs for the national political conventions.
Inauguration officials said they plan to spend $40 million on the four-day celebration, which will include fireworks, the swearing-in, a parade and nine balls. Those expenses -- which do not include security and other public services -- are being funded by private donors.
OMB and DHS spokesmen said they could not provide an estimate of what the inauguration will cost the federal government.
Federal employees who work in the District, Montgomery, Prince George's, Fairfax and Arlington counties, Alexandria and Falls Church are entitled to a holiday on Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, the Office of Personnel Management has announced. As of June, the cost of giving federal workers in the capital area a day off was about $66 million.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) asked OPM chief Kay Coles James yesterday to dismiss federal employees at noon or 1 p.m. Jan. 19 to avoid gridlock. The Secret Service plans to close an area bordered by Constitution Avenue and E, 15th and 17th streets NW at 3:45 p.m. that day to accommodate a ceremony at the White House Ellipse, Norton's office said.

Random Thoughts

I would be terrified to live in California. Why?? Tsunamis? NO. Earthquakes? NO. Two words: Jury Duty. Sure being on a high profile case seems exciting. Until 6 months of your life is gone and you have to sit there day after day after day listening to a run down of the defendant's phone records that lasts for 2 weeks. The most gruesome, foul, insane cases are all in California. I know they have the biggest population, but come. California has the most sickos per capita than any state in the union. Michael Jackson jury selection begins soon (and come on, you are CRAZY if you want to be selected for that one), the Scott Peterson one just ended, Phil Spector, Robert Blake (and of course the trial that started it all, OJ). I don't know why celebrities that live in NYC seem to not have problems with killing or molesting. Just shady stock trades. I'll take that kind of shade any day. What does California do to a person? Or who is it that you attract? Someone should do a study. Too much sunshine is not, in fact, good for you.

On a side note, if you happen to read Wonkette, please stop. She sucks. I used to read her for fun, but now I dont even want to give her site the hit. Join me.

Tsunami Relief

Tsunami Victims

Its been a LOOOONNGG time since I have written. I had the bubonic plague through Christmas and am just starting to feel better. I apologize for not sending holiday wishes sooner. I hope everyone had a nice Christmas or whatever you celebrate.

Obviously, this Christmas we were reminded to be thankful for everything we have. The pictures from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, and Thailand are devastating. Everyone has seen them. The death toll climbs each day and there are fears that disease could double the death toll. Its horrific....

“With relief officials warning of possible cholera epidemics and malaria, Dr. David Nabarro, head of crisis operations for the World Health Organization, has warned "we could have as many dying from communicable diseases as from the tsunami." Nabarro said the main threat to life now is communicable diseases associated with a lack of clean water and sanitation." The initial terror associated with the tsunamis and the earthquake itself may be dwarfed by the longer term suffering of the affected communities," he warned. Hospitals and health services already are overwhelmed and may not be able to cope with people who fall ill with disease, Nabarro said.”

We all have some money we can part with. I urge you to donate even $20 to a charity that is helping victims. I have gone through AmeriCares. I have known the CEO for a long time, he is a great guy. He just got back from Sudan actually. You can read his journal on their website. Thank God for organizations like this one. Sudan is a mess and we are completely ignoring it. But I digress… AmeriCares has already airlifted 30,000 lbs of medical supplies to Sri Lanka. More on their mission:

“The plane is carrying disaster relief supplies including antibiotics, analgesics, basic first aid supplies, and enough water treatment sachets to purify four million liters of water. Donations are urgently needed to continue to provide the means to deliver medicines to combat malaria, cholera, respiratory infections, diarrhea and other water-borne illnesses to the people most at risk in this crisis.”

DONATE!!! Everyone has some money they can spare. We are so lucky to have everything that we do. And yes, I am young and I feel like I barely make any money and have lots of bills… but I live beyond comfortably with my digital cable with dvr recording so I can tape shows that I might miss. Oh to have my stupid problems…. Which color do I want that JCrew sweater in?? I don’t have to worry about finding clean drinking water. And neither do you. So give a little. These people have lost their families, their homes, their lives.

Here is where you can donate to AmeriCares:
https://www.americares.org/donate/?id=South%20Asia%20Earthquake%20Relief%20Fund

If you don’t want to donate to AmeriCares, donate to the Red Cross or UNICEF or Save the Children. They all have funds for Tsunami Relief. But do something.

A Movie Roundup for the foulest of weather

'Tis the season for movies. The painful summer/fall months of blockbusters with no plots and actors who couldn’t act themselves out of a box are over… yippee! Now is the time for people who like movies that are more than just eye-candy. If you liked Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, or “Spider-Man 2”, Stop. You don’t need to read this entry, or my blog for that matter. You’re not my kind of people. Sorry. If you are still with me, here’s movie roundup for your weekend of foul weather:

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou comes out TODAY, Dec 10, in NY and LA and Christmas for the rest of the world!! Go see it! Wes Andserson is a genius!

Ok, ok. This came out today and I havent seen it. But I ADORED the Royal Tenenbaums and am so excited another Wes Anderson movie has finally come! The rest of the movies I have actually seen:

The Motorcycle Diaries- See this before it leaves the theaters! The South American vistas should be seen on the big screen. They will not be as magical on your tv. Even if you aren’t that interested in the plot you should go just to see these beautiful scenes of South America. The cinematography is really quite breathtaking. This movie is about Che before he was revolutionary. Its great. Its apolitical, its just the story of two guys who do an amazing trek through South America and discover much about its people and themselves in the process. The goal is to get to Peru where they will volunteer in a Leper Colony. Gael García Bernal is just perfect as Che. Before he became a mythical figure, he was a skinny asthmatic with innocence and honorable ideals. His commitment to the people of Latin America starts here, but you aren’t hit over the head with earnest observations of the poor and downtrodden. You watch him discover a world he didn’t know existed and in the process learn a lot yourself. Oh and don’t go hung-over…its subtitled.

Finding Neverland- This is a whimsical movie that not everyone will love. I did though. If you like Johnny Depp, you will love watching him continue to deliver. He is so good now that its worth it just to watch him. Its just a charming movie about the man who wrote Peter Pan. The movie has all the magic of kids and their imagination. Warning- it’s a sad one though. Two out of three of us cried our eyes out. I wont tell you which one of us is dead inside. But I will tell you its not me. I sobbed.

Closer- If you are in a relationship, don’t go see this movie unless you are feeling particularly secure with yourself and your partner that day. If you are single… you will want to be, well, more so. This is a painful study of relationships with possibly the four most narcissistic people ever shown onscreen. There are moments of great truth. Its a movie consumed with sex and yet there is no sex onscreen. Mike Nichols does an amazing job de-beautifying Julia Roberts so that she can play a mere mortal, and does an even more amazing job making the beguiling Natalie Portman believable as a cold stripper. But it’s the men, Jude Law and Clive Owen, who steal this movie right out from under the beauties. They both give stellar performances- especially Clive Owen. This movie was adapted from a play, and you can very much feel that. The rhythm of the dialogue feels like it should be on a stage. But because they stuck so close to the original format the script didn’t lose any of its wittiness or its gravity. Go see this movie on a rainy day with a close friend- its not a date movie. And you will need to go for a drink afterwards to talk this one out.

Sideways- this movie has some very funny moments. The acting is great. The script is so-so. Two men go wine tasting before the irresponsible/childish one gets married. They meet two woman who work in wine country. Hilarity ensues. Not really. It’s a very thoughtful movie, but it sags with the wine descriptions and analysis. Even if you are interested in wine you get a little bored. The most painful moment is of course, the question… if you were a wine which one would you be? I cringed. It was like watching the old dating game shows when the host asks the bachelors if they were an animal… which one would they be? Well, he’s a damn pinot noir. Ugh. Dime store psychology. Anyway, I expected a bit more as I think “Election” (also by Alexander Payne) is one of the funniest movies ever. The acting is much more subtle in this movie, its not a black comedy really, so much as a frank look at a poor shlub’s life. As much trash as I have just talked, Paul Giamatti is fantastic as the poor shlub. I do hope he gets to play someone happy soon though.

The Incredibles- cute movie, a little too long for a frivolous cartoon, but there is a lot of great humor without any of the sentimentality of a typical, old-school Disney movie (you don’t feel as if you are being manipulated to cry for instance). Just a fun movie with AMAZING animation. Its astounding how much better animation gets with each movie they come out with. Jason Lee as the voice of the villain is hysterical.

Garden State dvd comes out Dec 28 – I HIGHLY recommend it. Its really a beautiful movie. I don’t get the show “Scrubs” at all- the humor, the characters, the point, etc- so I had my doubts about Zach Braff (who wrote, directed and starred in this movie). But he’s fab in it. Its just a quiet little movie about a guy who comes from a very fucked up family and who has fucked up friends (in VERY fucked up New Jersey). Its intelligent and its funny. The soundtrack is also painfully good. I’m listening to it right now.
If you have seen it and love it (or are crazy) like me, you can check out Zach’s blog. He’s (mostly) adorably self-effacing.
http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/gardenstate/blog/

Locusts: Just Like Walking Through Times Square

Locusts Invade Mexico

Pobrecito! This little chico is trying to swat away all the locusts that have invaded Merida, Mexico. So, tomorrow I am taking off to help him. With my chopsticks of course. I am assuming it would be hard to buy chopsticks in Merida so I'll bring a set of my own. I'm off to a new rewarding career...where the advertising secret agents can't get to me (see below)...

Read this crazy article from the NY Times Magazine called “The Hidden (In Plain Sight) Persuaders”:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/05/magazine/05BUZZ.html?oref=login

We are seriously the most manipulated people on the planet. I am not sure any thought I have is actually my own. Forget the subliminal messages hysteria of yore. These people VOLUNTEER for word of mouth marketing campaigns. Apparently they like to be “in the know”. They receive books or sausages or eye cream in the mail, try them (or read them) and then talk them up to friends. For instance for books, they are encouraged to read the books on mass transit with the cover showing, talk to their friends about them, write reviews on amazon.com, and call bookstores asking if they have that book in stock. Its not guerilla warfare. But when you think about how many 4th of July parties were secretly monitored for their use of Al Fresco chicken sausages, it becomes a bit creepy. These wacko volunteers brought the sausages, innocently enough, to 4th of July bbq’s all across the country and then wrote little reports about how well they were received. How many people they chatted to about the sausages. If they think their friends will buy the sausages:

''People could not believe they weren't pork!'' one agent related. ''I told everyone that they were low in fat and so much better than pork sausages.'' Another wrote, ''I handed out discount coupons to several people and made sure they knew which grocery stores carried them.'' Another noted that ''my dad will most likely buy the garlic'' flavor, before closing, ''I'll keep you posted.''

These people are your friends and family!

Of course these types of campaigns have also been very successful. These agents request that their local grocery store carry the sausages… and sales increase. By a lot. Apparently these new types of marketing campaigns are the result of the saturation we feel because of the constant advertising we are exposed to on a daily basis. People are tired of being bombarded by the jingles and the jazzy visuals. They tivo shows and don’t watch commercials. We are tired of Tic Tac ads on our gas pumps and the llooonnngg commercials we now have to endure before we even get to see the previews at the movie theater (incidentally the Beyonce ad for her new perfume, True Star, got the worst reception I have ever seen when I went to “Closer” last weekend- people laughed, threw popcorn). So marketing firms need new ways to reach people. They go undercover and sneak right into your living room on the heels of your best friend, aunt, classmate, etc.

I went to art school in Greece for a few months. Lived on a small island in a pedestrian town where no cars were allowed within it. No tv, no noise really. I went a little crazy at first. There was so much … silence. I was left all alone with just the thoughts in my head. A lot of its was the quiet, but a lot of it was the fact that there were no ads. Anywhere. No buses, no billboards, no commercials on tv. Do you know what its like to think without interruption?? Its NUTS. Sure I can be deep in thought walking down the street. But then I’ll spot a billboard with Sarah Jessica Parker hawking Gap clothes and it will lead me to another thought… oh shit I forgot to get my cousin a present for Christmas…or that blue scarf reminds me of my friend, Alia, and I forgot to call her back last night … or when on earth was the last time I did laundry??? You see? We are soooo manipulated. And now our friends and family have turned against us. Its just sad I suppose. But… what are you going to do? They just scientifically map us and manipulate us until they break us down and they know who to sell what to with which method of persuasion.

So take vacations in the woods. And don’t buy every new toilet brush they shake in your face. Even if your best friend tells you it’s the best thing she’s ever bought. You never know, she might be sleeping with the enemy.

20th Anniversary of the Bhopal Tragedy

I know, its Friday. Make us laugh, you say. Tell us something cheery. Well sorry. Not today. The 5 day sprint is over, time to enjoy life for 2 days before it sucks again. I hate to end on a downer note… but I said I would talk about Bhopal. So while I do hope everyone has a great weekend, before you head out the door….

The story from www.bhopal.org:
“Shortly after midnight on Sunday 3rd December, poison gas began leaking from a factory in Bhopal, India, owned by the Union Carbide Corporation. There was no warning, none of the plant's safety systems were working. A thick cloud of gas rolled across the road and entered the narrow alleys on the other side. In the city people were sleeping, many in kuccha houses, which had no proper windows or doors. They woke in darkness to the sound of screams with the gases in their eyes, noses and mouths. It burned terribly, it felt like fire. They began retching and coughing up froth streaked with blood. Then there was panic. Entire communities ran out of their houses in whatever they were wearing, some wore nothing at all. As the gases ravaged their bodies, some went into convulsions and fell dead. People lost control of their bodies and ran with urine and feces flowing down their legs. Within hours, thousands of dead bodies lay in the streets.”

Disputed casualties:
http://www.thevictoriaadvocate.com/front/story/2384265p-2759446c.html
“Union Carbide - based in Danbury, Conn., and bought by Dow Chemical Co. of Midland, Mich., in 2001 - claims that 3,800 people were killed. Indian officials say 10,000 to 12,000 people were killed, while Bhopal activists and health workers say more than 20,000 people have died over the years due to gas-related illnesses, such as lung cancer, kidney failure and liver disease. Indian officials estimate that nearly 600,000 more have become ill or had babies born with congenital defects over the last 20 years.
Adil Bee, born seven years after the disaster, stopped growing after his third birthday. His neck never quite took form. His gnarled feet are turned inward, forcing him to scoot around on his knees. Thirteen-year-old Adil cannot speak; his mother can only cry when asked how long he is expected to live.

“The doctors told me not to expect anything from him," said Raisa Bee, 45, who received 25,000 rupees ($543) for Adil's medical care.”

“Dow maintains the case was resolved in 1989, when Union Carbide settled with the Indian government for $470 million. Though the 1989 deal dropped all charges against the company and then-chairman Warren Anderson, the Indian Supreme Court reinstated manslaughter charges against him in 1991. In July, the U.S. State Department rejected India's extradition request on technical grounds.”


Today marks the 20th Annviersary of this tragedy. Both the Indian and US government bear responsibility. The Indian government originally asked for a settlement of $3.3 billion- but took a measly $470 million (by comparison Exxon Valdez had to pay $5 billion for polluting the Alaskan coast). Throughout the years they have been less than aggressive pursuing charges against the company, for fear of scaring off and/or souring relationships with multinational corporations. They have also been horrible about distributing funds to victims. The US refuses to extradite Warren Anderson who apparently lives in a beach house in Florida, hiding from renegade Greenpeace activists. There are some who say the United States government should have intervened long ago.

Anyway, its just something to think about and read up on more. If you are so inclined, become involved. There really are teams of Greenpeace activists who stake out Warren Anderson. If you are in between jobs or something and could use a road trip to Florida. He also makes appearances in the Hamptons. But seriously, do something. Something like that is much, much less likely to happen here. Our government regulations (though paltry at times) do for the most part succeed in protecting us.

That was all really depressing. To cheer up, go to this site if you have speakers on your computer. Without sound, it ain’t worth it:
http://www.e-thug.net/
Thanks Austin