Nouvelle

Obama Llama?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:29:00 +0000

I rarely talk about politics because I usually have no idea what I'm talking about or I'm not informed enough to defend myself. All I know is, I hate George Bush and the current state of this country. We've been led into the wilderness with no weapons and there are wolves at our backs, and there have been far too many casualties. I question the mental capacity of this country for electing that monkey twice. Once was bad enough people. Not that Kerry would have been much better, but he wouldn't have been Bush. Who, may I add, has the lowest approval rating in modern history, has left this country in an economic shambles, and has proven that he is not the brightest crayon in the box.

I've been on the Obama train since the primaries. I thought of voting for Hilary Clinton for a short period of time. I admired the fact that she was a woman running for president, girl power, female solidarity, kicking ass and all that good stuff. Although I admired her for what she had accomplished, I found her personality to be abrasive and I questioned her ability to lead, even though I would have voted for her if she won the primary. So I voted for Obama. At first I thought he was a little green and inexperienced but as time went on I grew very fond of him and his desire to give this country a brighter future. He had the hope of America on his shoulders. He seemed to hold this shining white beacon to lead the country to something better. Sure I'm an idealistic dreamer, but dammit I think I have a right to be. This country is in shambles, wishing and dreaming for something better is natural.

Obama is promising quite a lot. Most politicians do make a lot of lofty promises in hopes that they will be elected. It's basically akin to a free gift when you enter a store. The whole point is to snag you and to get you to spend money. (Clinique is really good at this BTW. I have about 6 of their "spend $25 and you get a free makeup bag full of samples” bags. Oh Clinique, you tricky little whore you). All politicians are notorious for empty promises, and many people are quick to saying Obama is guilty of this also. However, there is something about him that makes me believe him. He may not accomplish all he says he will, but he seems sincere and genuine enough to try as hard as he can. I trust him more than any other politician; more than John Kerry, and CERTAINLY more than George Bush or John McCain.

Let's talk about McCain for a minute. I'm not going to bash him too much because he is a war hero who has been through terrible hardships. (Although I've read recently that he grew up a spoiled brat who did terribly in school but squeaked by because his daddy was a big time general. Hmm, getting somewhere only because of your famous father, that sounds very familiar. I'm sure he's a good man minus his political standing. However, I feel that I must voice my opinion on this because a very conservative friend of mine thinks I'm not only an idiot for having said opinion, but that I should be shot then drawn and quartered for even considering voting for Obama. Wow that was a long sentence. McCain has been criticized as being a George Bush clone. He voted with him 95% of the time and yet he claims he will bring change to this country. Not only that but (and even though he says he won't) he plans to raise taxes for most of the country and cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans. As if they need any financial help.

As far as I'm concerned, even though McCain is toting himself (and that weird Tina Fey Megan Mulally conglomeration anti-feminist he calls his running mate) as a maverick, it's still the same old republican bullshit we've seen for eight years. Some Republicans are voting for him anyway, despite the state this country is in. My dad likes to say they "drank the kool-aid." They either cannot think for themselves or are too stubborn and ignorant to accept a world view so radically different from theirs that they stick to antiquated and wrong ways of thinking.

Take my friend for example. He’s a devout catholic who doesn't believe in abortion. Wow, there's a shock. He also feels that women should be barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. Now it's people like this that scare the living hell out of me. They are also the people that elected Bush.... twice. I don't understand why this country loves stupid people. It's probably the reason why Paris Hilton is so popular!

Oh yeah and that abortion thing. I do not support the destruction of human life in any capacity. However, if the situation presents it self, say if god-forbid I were raped or I knew that there would be horrible complications with the pregnancy and it needed to be terminated, I do think I should have the right to make that choice for myself. The government shouldn't have any say over what I do with my vagina.

And my general message to most Catholics is to shut the hell up. It is especially not your place (nor the place of anyone else) to judge another human being. While I know I've backed myself into a corner with that one, especially in regards to our judicial system, I believe that statement to be true. No person has the right to have power over another. Period. Jesus said love thy neighbor, not hate everyone who is different from you and judge them for what they believe. And "judge not lest ye be judged." I am not very religious but I believe that it is God's and God's (or whatever you want to call it) place alone to ultimately decide our fate. However, I also believe that despite how horrible you were in life, whatever all-powerful being you believe loves you regardless. I don't believe in hell and I was also raised a Christian Scientist. Oh yeah, I'm a hoot.

With about 2 weeks left until the election, I really hope that America makes the right decision. Although what I view as the right decision, and what some conservative think is the right decision is completely different. McCain is down in the polls now, but he claims that is where he does his best. I'm tired of the ads and the constant self-promotion and I want this election to be over. Thankfully that will happen very soon.

No significance to Obama Llama other than the fact it rhymes, and I like Llamas. I mean, how can you not like a Llama?

foods

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 13:49:00 +0000

Hey look. New layout. Anyway, I've had writers block as of late. I started a very political entry, but decided to put it aside for awhile. I worked myself into an argument I couldn't get out of. So while perusing Steph's blog, I found this neat little list. It is The Omnivore’s 100, a list of 100 things people should try in their lives. According to this list, I haven't eaten very much. Also, I don't even know what half these things are. But thanks to google, I now know what Black Pudding (among other nasty things) is (guhhhhh).

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. ~~Venison~~
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. ~~Crocodile~~
6. ~~Black pudding~~
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. ~~Calamari~~
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. ~~Aloo gobi~~
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. ~~Foie gras~~
24. Rice and beans
25. ~~Brawn, or head cheese~~
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. ~~Oysters~~
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. ~~Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl~~
33. ~~Salted lassi~~
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. ~~Gumbo~~
40. ~~Oxtail~~
41. ~~Curried goat~~
42. ~~Whole insects~~
43. ~~Phaal~~
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. ~~Fugu~~
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. ~~Eel~~
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. ~~Sea urchin~~
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. ~~Abalone~~
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. ~~Sweetbreads~~
63. Kaolin (??? according to google, this is a mineral)
64. ~~Currywurst~~
65. ~~Durian~~
66. ~~Frogs’ legs~~
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. ~~Haggis~~
69. Fried plantain
70. ~~Chitterlings, or andouillette~~
71. Gazpacho
72. ~~Caviar and blini~~
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. ~~Roadkill~~
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. ~~Snail~~
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. ~~Tom yum~~
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. ~~Hare~~
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. ~~Horse~~
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. ~~Rose harissa~~
94. ~~Catfish~~
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and ~~lox~~
97. ~~Lobster Thermidor~~
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. ~~Snake~~

Look some of these up. If you're like me you will retch at your computer.

Weird dream

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:58:00 +0000

I had a dream last night that really confused me. In the dream, I found out through Facebook that a very old friend of mine died. (Let's call her Mary because I'd rather not reveal her real name here). I was devastated. I went to some sort of memorial service for Mary and I cried the entire time. I remember saying, "I cannot believe that Mary is gone. I've been crying for the past six hours." I found it odd that every one else there (who coincidentally were friends I know now, who never knew and have never met Mary) was very calm and didn't seem too sad. People were even laughing. I said, "Why are you all so happy? You should be sad!"

I saw people whispering and giggling. In walks Mary wearing thick black eye makeup and a black dress and says, "I'm not dead! We played a trick on you!" Obviously I was very hurt by all this. Everyone was laughing because I believed that Mary was dead. I ran out crying while everyone continued to laugh.

I'm not really sure what this dream means and why I had it. I hadn't been thinking about Mary that much so I don't know why she popped into my brain. I don't know what it means if you dream about someone dying. It's probably not a good thing. All I know is I woke up crying from this awful dream and I wish I could understand my brain sometimes.

web standards

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 18:07:00 +0000

Despite the fact that Blogger doesn't really pay attention to them (it's true, my blog failed the W3C validation), I've begun to really pay attention to web standards when putting my websites together. I depend on The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) which is the shadowy council of wizards who through archaic rituals and naked rain dancing decide the fate of web-design failures. No not really. According to them:"The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is an international consortium where Member organizations, a full-time staff, and the public work together to develop Web standards. W3C's mission is: To lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing protocols and guidelines that ensure long-term growth for the Web." w3.org Although, I like my definition a lot better.

These standards serve as guidelines for developers of Web applications and sites so they (the developers) can build their sites according to those standards. Usually this will ensure that any browser will see the site the way the developer had intended. So even though your site may look beautiful in Firefox, it could look like week old, regurgitated pizza in Internet Explorer (more on that later). But who cares? Why should paying attention to such things really matter? If you have a site, chances are you are providing something. Whether it's a portfolio, a store, a witty blog entry (ahem), or an insipid game, people are going to be viewing your site. So if they saunter on over to your "insert website here," and it looks like the Internet blew up, you are going to lose your audience.

I'm always surprised by the fact that web accessibility is ignored (purposefully or not). A lot of people are still unaware of how important these web standards are, or they assume more people are following them. If you are one of people that believe web standards are universally accepted and implemented and designers/developers strive to maintain the best possible quality in their work, well then you (and me unfortunately) are living on another planet.

Apparently here on Earth, the population of designers and developers who are standards-aware represent a very small percentage of those in the web business. I'm not going to raise my banner and throw a parade in celebration of the fact that I have mastered the web. Even though my code passed validation, there is still a lot more that I can do to make my sites truly accessible. There is a huge learning curve when it comes to the web and I will be a perpetual student. New technologies are sprouting like dandelions. Many developers are set in their ways for the most part. If they are smart and flexible, new technologies won't throw them. However, if they are like the many who remain stubborn, they will continue to churn out crap.

Then there is the other side of the coin - the people like me who look at web design as an art form. I may not do it the right way but I'm always trying to better my work. The problem now for me is finding a balance between my art and the skeletal structure of it all.

So, how do we ultimately find that balance? People need to take a step back and think about why they aren’t following the guidelines that have been in place for some time. Maybe they’re afraid because they know how guilty they are and are afraid of change and fear they may lose business if they do something too radical. Maybe they just don’t know what to do, or perhaps they are just lazy.

Adhering to web standards doesn't just mean making a site compliant. It is a way to provide the best quality possible and accessibility for all. When you make something, whatever it may be, you don’t want to use duct tape where nails should be used or glue where something needs to be welded. Implementing the right tools for a project is just common sense, especially if you want it done right. Usually, paying attention to them as best as you can fixes most problems for web projects. This not only ensures the longevity of a project but easy maintenance.

Now lets talk about Internet Explorer. I've already expressed my general hatred of Internet Explorer, so I won't really go into that much. It has only been recently, that I realized complying with the W3C's standards would make that much of a difference in IE. It wasn't until a site I was working on just flat out didn't work in IE. I knew about the validator but I only ever used it for CSS, which was always perfect. When I ran the site through the validator and had it fix all the errors, the site actually worked. Aside from a few things being a little off; it looked the way I had intended. Everything was where it should be. That doesn't mean I have a new love for IE, it just means I can barely tolerate it a little more than I used to.

In an article from Wired titled Why Internet Explorer 7 Will Break the Web (10/13/06), writer Michael Calore discusses Microsoft's backwards way of approaching the WC3's standards. Even though this article is two years old, the truth it spouts still holds true today. IE 7 is slightly better than it's older siblings, but it still does not match up to its cousins Firefox, Safari and Opera. Calore writes,

Microsoft's next generation browser is due to arrive in a week or two (October 18 is the word on the street), so you'd better prepare yourself for the inevitable meltdown. Much has been made about Microsoft's employment of a backward process for rolling out Internet Explorer 7. The IE7 team asked web developers to download the browser and test their sites against it. Here's the exact wording from a post on the Microsoft Developer's Network published yesterday, October 12: Prior to deployment of IE 7, we strongly recommend that you test your Web sites, extensions, and applications to make sure they are ready. Microsoft recommends that Web sites and applications are ready for the release of Internet Explorer 7 this month.

Way to go Microsoft. Not only is it backwards, but it's just plain ludicrous. Calore agrees with me, "This is totally backwards!” he writes, “Isn't this exactly the scenario that web standards were put in place to prevent?" Microsoft is a member of the W3C, but typical Microsoft likes to dictate his or her own rules. They feel that since their browser is used by approximately 80% of the web surfing public, they can do whatever they feel like. Even issue silly hats with each new user if they wanted. "

(Can I just have the silly hat?)

“To be fair,” Calore continues, Internet Explorer 7 offers more support for web standards than previous versions.” Despite all of this, you still need to do a bit of tweaking to get sites to look identical in Firefox and IE. Apparently people have been complaining and Microsoft actually listened. According to another article from Wired.com, IE 8 will actually adhere to web standards. Scott Gilbertson writes,

Microsoft's Internet Explorer team has backed down and announced that the upcoming IE8 will support established web standards out of the box. The news reverses Microsoft's earlier decision that, while IE would bring improved support for web standards, those features would be disabled by default ... IE8 will still feature three rendering modes, a "super standards" mode, where pages are rendered according to web standards, an IE7 standards mode, which mimics the incomplete support in IE7, and what Microsoft charitably calls IE6's "standards mode" The key change is that by default IE8 will render pages using the "super standards" mode, which means that if you've been creating webpages based on the W3C's established guidelines, IE8 should handle your site without issue (assuming IE8's standards support is as good as the IE8 team is promising).

Excuse me while I laugh. I feel that it would be a cold day in hell if IE actually worked the way it is supposed to. It will also make my job as a designer a lot easier. However the chance that the general web surfing public will download the new IE is very slim. Some people are still stuck on using IE 6, and in some cases IE 5. So while IE 8 may eliminate many issues that its predecessors had, there’s no way of knowing that it will run perfectly. Look at what happened with Vista.

The moral of the story is if Microsoft adhered to the standards from the beginning (which coincidentally, they helped to develop) then we may not be in this situation today. Why is it that Firefox and Safari can work so perfectly and IE is like the retarded kid on the back of the web design bus? (Yeah I'm going to hell).

While I, and many other designers long for a design utopia where everything works, it may be a pipe dream. Microsoft always promises diamonds but we usually end up with rusty fake gold that turns your fingers green.

Anyway, I think I've said all I can about this topic. I'm going to get back to work now - which would involve tinkering with HTML code to make sure it works everywhere. Maybe I should hire those wizards.

Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:04:00 +0000

On one of the blogs I frequent, I found a rather interesting link. At first I thought it was a joke, but much to my surprise, it wasn't. American Apparel the LA based clothing company known for it's beautiful cotton, is notorious for it's advertisements for web and print which more often than not border on, well, lets say erotic. The photographs are usually pretty tasteful, but have a hint of naughtiness which make you take a second glance. I would have expected a boob in a photograph before I saw this.

Apparently, American Apparel is selling vibrators now. Oh I'm sorry, massagers. This is the item in question:

The description, (in case you don't want to go to the site):

Hitachi Magic Wand Massager

This old school hand-held massager has been around for more than 25 years, with good reason. Its low vibration works as well on your sore back as it does in the bedroom. If there is any doubt, google it for worldwide rave reviews.

So at least American Apparel is being a little tongue-in-cheek and realizes what women actually use this thing for. But I'm still a little confused. I go into American Apparel to buy tshirts, not sex toys. Either they are trying to broaden their horizons, or they're just being silly. Also, 50 bucks? I'm pretty sure you can get this exact device (or a comparable one) at Target for less money. And really, everybody knows why you may own one of these. You're not being very inconspicuous if you do.

So, when American Apparel starts selling dildos and porn, then I probably won't shop there anymore. Although I would like to see the thought process of someone who would buy that stuff though. "Hmm I need tank tops and a new sex toy ... and socks." Until that day, I may just ignore this bit of information and continue to shop there. Although, the chances of that happening now are a little slim.

hi supernintendo chalmers!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:15:00 +0000

I'm in love. I didn't know it was possible to love a hunk of plastic this much. No, I'm not talking about anything dirty; I'm talking about my brand new Nintendo DS. (By brand new, I mean used, but it's in pristine condition and it’s new to me). I never wanted a game boy when I was a kid. While I enjoyed playing Kirby on my cousin's, I never had much interest in owning one, nor could I convince my parents to buy me one or any other system, like the SNES or N64. Their argument always was "you already HAVE a game system" meaning the old school NES. Which, I did revive in middle school playing The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. 1, 2, and 3, and the old standby Tetris. I got a PS1 in High School, playing only Spyro, Chrono Cross, and Final Fantasy 8 & 9 - then abandoning it because I lost interest and I have the attention span of a goldfish. Despite that however, I'm surprised I played them for as long as I did.

And then there was college. I had weird periods of downtime. I longed for a SNES and a stockpile of games to not only waste time but also keep me from doing my homework and you know, friends and a life. But I lacked the funds. I think my average bank balance throughout college was 300 bucks. I discovered Emulators! Whoever developed this very illegal bit of software should be crowned and worshiped by people like me - poor, game hungry college or post college students. I have NES, SNES and N64 emulators on my computer. Come and arrest me Nintendo.

So anyway, I've wanted a DS for a while. I don't know what sparked it other than how cool it looked and it's portable. I think the final push was a commercial for the New Super Mario Bros. game. There is a power up where you turn into a Mario who has essentially taken growth hormones and grows to 5 times his normal size. There are many other enjoyable aspects of the game too. But there are too many to list.

Having beaten the game however, I am quite sad. I'm going to miss that fat little Italian stereotype in red pants. The good news is, I have Mario Kart and Tetris on their way, and as of today I own the Simpsons game. It's like the XBox game but bitty and DS'erized. It's really fun; so far I have played as Homer, Bart and Lisa. If I can play as Maggie, I will be a happy bunny.

I now have something new to spend my money on. Although, I don't think I can ever spend enough money on gadgets (I'm going to buy a new ipod eventually, I just bought headphones, and there's an LG cell phone calling my name, aka taunting me until my contract is up and I can trade in my current phone for the new shiny one).

So, I'm going to geek out with my DS and see how much of my life I can destroy.

Albums I love: Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Sun, 11 May 2008 01:20:00 +0000

I've been listening to a lot of music lately. I've rediscovered some albums that have lain buried on my hard drive for an immeasurable length of time. However, I am quite glad I have gone through this process. Listening to these old albums has been like visiting old friends. We spend time and commiserate together - sharing old wounds and emotional baggage, as well as reminiscing about the good times and those little bright spots in life. I thought I might share some of these albums with whoever may read this in the next few entries and explain why each one means so much to me.

Alanis Morrisette - Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie

Alanis' 1998, sophomore, often lesser-known, underrated, neglected release is probably her best to date. Yes, we all loved Jagged Little Pill, but it is a one trick pony. The girl can't stay angry forever. I have a very dear friend that says "but I like angry Alanis." While "angry Alanis" is good for certain times of the month or when the world is continually fucking you over, it's hard to deal with that kind of raw emotion all the time. No one can stay perpetually angry forever - naturally whatever is fueling that fire eventually dies out. We grow, we evolve and we reflect. This is why I love Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie. Where Jagged Little Pill often lashed out - meaning to leave gashes in the psyche of whom they were directed, much of Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie is about reconciliation: with parents, with lovers, with the fears and weaknesses that Alanis saw in herself. Also, reflecting upon the fact that what was said in a time of youthful angst, faded away with time and age.

I bought this album in 8th grade. Looking back I'm surprised my immaturity did not hinder my love for it. Although, I did not truly understand the themes and metaphors which drench this album at the tender age of 14. It took me quite a while to really absorb the magnitude of this great piece of work. As I grew older, it was as if the songs grew with me. They mean more to me as time goes on and I continue to mature. Perhaps I am really biased.

This album spawned from a battle Alanis began to have with herself. Endless touring led her to question whether or not singing was something she really wanted to pursue for the rest of her life. She had a choice to quit and leave JLP as her only American hit. Being the feisty chick she is, she decided to stab that doubt in the gut. Many fans believe that this conciliatory, cryptically introspective and a bit disturbed approach is a failure. Or they haven't listened to the album at all - which I feel is a greater tragedy.

It is clear that Alanis seemed for feel more comfortable in her own skin; which becomes even more symbolic when she appears nearly naked in her video for Thank U as well as the CD's disk cover. This is a heavily loaded metaphor for the entire collection of songs. She is displaying her raw vulnerability in a way not seen in her previous work. It is as if she is saying "here I am, displaying myself in my purest form for all to see. this is all I am, don't judge me too harshly"

This metaphor becomes even more apparent when the musical structure of each song is dissected. Instead of falling back the go-to grunge rock elements her first album relied so heavily on, she experiments with ambient sounds, Middle-Eastern type music (which the album is littered with) and synthesized electronic pop. She also stripped down many of the songs - most notably on track six, "That I Would Be Good" - an extremely soft and restrained, heartbreakingly beautiful track which delicately touched piano and her take on the flute.

It almost feels as if this work was a moment of seizure, where the Universe's essence is expressed through each note, lyric and melody - which is most apparent in the stream of consciousness type lyrics in songs like "The Couch," and "I Was Hoping."

Each track (save the closing track, "Your Congratulations" which, if you're not in the mood for a lament about being accepted by people, not to mention Alanis singing in a higher register which may explode your brain, might be a horrible end to a beautiful record.) is a beautiful little work of art. Truly, I do not expect anyone to take my word for it. What does my opinion matter? However, if you were or are a fan of Alanis Morisette, do yourself a favor and listen to this album. Some may say it lacks the punch of JLP, but I think they fail to realize it's punching in a totally different way. And to my dear friend who loves angry Alanis, may I just say that perhaps you should give, wiser, kinder, gentler Alanis a shot. She may prove to be a better companion to have around.

I will admit one downfall of this album: it is a lot to handle. As previously mentioned, a lot of the lyrics are in stream of consciousness style. It seems like a lot of what Alanis was going through came gushing out of her all at once. This can be daunting for someone not prepared for it. One, very wrong iTunes reviewer says "keep it to yourself Alanis!" claiming that the album is "for diehard fans only" and "it is hard to take Alanis Morisette as a legitimate songwriter when she insists on writing such clumsy lyrics. Using ten dollar words to give the impression that she's sophisticated or when all else fails making up words entirely (ie:"renunciate") ... Essentially what we have here is Alanis' diary put to music which can hardly be considered a masterpiece. Though a few of these songs tell some very intriguing stories , Alanis leaves little room for listeners to enjoy these songs on their own terms. ... This album alienated a great number of people upon release and it comes to no surprise that Alanis hasn't been able to regain her popularity. These "songs" belong inside Alanis' journal , not on an album released to the commercial public."

I'm sorry, what? Isn't the most heartfelt music intended to be personal? Isn't it not also true that JLP was extremely personal and raw? Also, Alanis is incredibly intelligent so those "10 dollar words" are probably not just being used to make her seem smarter. To say that this album sucks is unfortunate; to not give it a fighting chance is also unfortunate. I feel that if she stayed angry, intending to gouge out the eyes of men everywhere, I think people would grow quite tired of it. She might receive more criticism like "all her albums are the same - she's always angry." Personally I find it much more interesting to watch an artist grow. Also, so what if she makes up words. Shakespeare did it! He made up about 3,000 of the words we use today. Many of them didn't catch on at first, but they exist today regardless. Who cares if Alanis Morisette tries to do the same?

In closing, this album is an unsung gem and has become one of the many segments to the soundtrack of my life. I would love to share the album with you, but I think some government officials might come after me. Instead, go over to iTunes and sample the album. You may obtain it whatever way you see fit. I really hope you won't be disappointed.

Way to go America!

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Fri, 02 May 2008 00:37:00 +0000

I was watching the news last night with my mom. Betwixt reports of a baby killed by a cult and something else just as gruesome, a story was presented about a gay marriage bill in Pennsylvania. I support gay marriage, or at least the rite to a civil union, so the story intrigued me. I was rather disgusted to find out it was yet another hateful bigot making a big stink and someone's words blown out of proportion.

Gilbert Coleman Jr., a black pastor from Freedom Christian Bible Fellowship in Philadelphia, recently attended an Appropriations Committee hearing on a bill that would outlaw and snuff out gay marriage in the state of Pennsylvania. Senator Vincent J. Fumo opposes this bill. During the heated debate in which Coleman said that gay marriage is wrong and should not be allowed, Fumo said , "What you are advocating here is that we take away the rights of a minority. And I don't think that's right. If we introduced a bill on slavery, it might pass. That doesn't make it right." ""I doubt that, sir," responded Coleman.

"Oh, don't bet on it in this General Assembly," Fumo fired back, "I know some people up here, especially on a secret ballot, it would be almost unanimous."

Coleman said Wednesday, the day after the debate that the comments "certainly came out of leftfield" and were misguided. However he was not angry "because of the source where it was coming from. They came from an angry man, angry over his own personal situation."

Also on Wednesday Fumo said that he was "obviously exaggerating to make a point. If a majority would vote to approve slavery -- as was done once in this country -- that wouldn't make it right," he continued. "I wanted people at the hearing to face the fact that denying human rights to any group, including homosexuals, at any point in our history, including in 2008, is wrong."

There was of course a backlash to these comments. People stating that Fumo went too far stating that renouncing gay marriage equates to legalizing slavery. Mr. Coleman certainly thinks so. I hate to say it, but it's exactly the same thing and I agree whole-heartedly with what Senator Fumo said. If this bill were to pass it would be denying a group of American people a basic human right. Gay people are no different from everybody else, save their sexual preference.

Granted, their choice of lifestyle is very different from the norm in this country. But we can't all be bible thumping football loving republicans now can we? It shouldn't matter who they love or have sex with. They were born in this country and therefore as American citizens should have the same opportunities and privileges as everyone else. The situation concerning black slaves and gay people is essentially the same - a minority is being oppressed and is viewed as less than human.

Situations like this really make me ill. Leave the gays alone. They are just trying to live their lives like everyone else. I dream of a world in which prejudice is dead. A world where fundamental christians shut the hell up and leave people alone. Jesus never said "hate everyone who isn't like you," he said "love thy neighbor." How difficult is that to accomplish? Loving each other is easier than hating each other. It takes more energy to hate. I hope that Pennsylvania really pulls through on this vote. While it failed me in the primary election, allowing Hilary Clinton and not Barrak Obama to win ( don't even get me started on that), it voted for John Kerry for president four years ago. So I'm holding on to that little glimmer of hope that PA will make the right decision, as it did that day four years ago.

all quotes found here

shameless plug

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:24:00 +0000

I have been involved with an audio podcast drama for a couple months now. I have a role in the cast (although my character doesn't show up for another 3 episodes) so I'm admittedly biased. Even if I weren't I would still support this. My good friend Scott Carelli of podcasts Two Geeks (along with Ben Nobblit) and Couch Surfing(along with John Pavlich), created this audio drama with some of his fellow podcasters. (while I have these links on here, you would do well to go check them out!) I've been invested in this project for about a year when Scott mentioned it to me over Myspace, even moreso now since Scott and I talk on Skype on a daily basis. I've seen this little podcast grow and mature. Even if I weren't in the cast or so invested as I am now, I would still be plugging this. I think the writing, the story, the characters and the humor are top-notch. I also think it's a brilliant idea in general.

So if you're one of those people who likes to laugh and enjoys geek references out the yin-yang, please check out Geek By Night, especially since the first episode debuted today! You can get the feed via itunes or go here to get the show in other formats. Do it now!

Shameless plug over.

quaterblah

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:50:00 +0000

With many of my favorite TV shows still in a coma from the blow to the head that was the writers strike, I was really looking forward to the new NBC show Quarterlife. It's been awhile since I was able to devote myself to a new show. I thought the trailers looked promising. The premise of the show is simple, a 25 year old girl keeps a video-blog type thing, blogging about her friends and her personal life. However, I quickly learned how un-interesting this could be. The main character, Dylan, is an insecure young woman who is obsessed with voyeurism and in her self-absorbed little life, she observes, and passes judgement on her friends. She also "suffers from tortured artist syndrome" (geeksugar.com).

Her character is incredibly annoying. She is under the impression that just because she is a writer (she is an editorial associate at a magazine) she has to make this known to everyone, because clearly she is better than they are. Also, she feels that because she is a writer, she must write what comes to her. At this point, that includes being very critical of her friends/roommates. According to geeksugar, she suffers from "the illness in which one is convinced other people are not worthwhile unless they're artists." (geeksugar.com).

So okay, she blogs. What bothered me the most was, she says some very revealing things about her friends. They of course find out and are very angry. Firstly, if you want to stay out of trouble, don't use your friends names. Use fake names! That way nobody really knows who you are talking about. Also, why a video blog? You are plastering people's personal lives onto the web. There's something really creepy about that.

For example, she said her roommate Lisa is an alcoholic. Lisa is angry of course because her entire acting class was on the blog. So after a little spat, Dylan apologizes and then they are BFF's again.

I'm sorry, what?

I have a feeling the entire series is going to go on like this. Dylan says something she shouldn't. Friend gets mad. Friend and Dylan reconcile. All is sunny again.

All in all, this was a pretty terrible pilot. This show has a lot of potential and TV cred however. Its producers are none other than the team from My So-Called Life. It is also dripping with Apple geekery! (Basically every character has a Mac, there's even a gratuitous Final Cut Pro shot )

I really hope that this show gets better from here on out. I am reminded of other bad pilots of some of my other beloved shows. The Buffy pilot is vomit inducing for example, and after that (and the first season subsequently, but I'm not going to get into that cheese-fest now) the show was amazing. So let's pray that Quarterlife figures out who and what it wants to be and therefore becomes something better than its current state. I feel that if it doesn't improve, it will go the way of the cancelled monster.

Update: 2/29/08

Apparently NBC canned Quarterlife. According to thefutoncritic.com;

"After posting a 17-year low in the 10:00/9:00c hour for the network, it's one and out for NBC's online-turned-broadcast drama Quarterlife.

After the premiere, the series was to move to Sunday nights at 9 pm, however, seeing as how bad the premiere was, this is no longer the case. Supposedly the remaining episodes will move to Bravo.

According to buzzsugar.com;

"We'll never know whether the premiere got such poor ratings was because the show, from My So-Called Life creators Marshall Herskovitz and Ed Zwick, had already aired on multiple online platforms and MTV, had a boatload of obnoxious and false-sounding technology references, just plain wasn't that compelling, or some combination of the above."

Buzzsugar also writes that a later episode of Quarterlife was much better than the premiere, however may not have been good enough to keep people watching. It is a shame that the show had such a short life. I feel that it could have been so much better.

Paper Cuts and Coffee Stains

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:32:00 +0000

Everyone who reads this blog, should be aware of my abhorrence of the Ugg boot and it's inbred family of equally ugly boots. Why I just said that is pretty pointless because it really has nothing do to with this entry. Frankly, this entry has nothing to do with anything. I'm suffering from a bit of writers block. Each topic that comes to my mind lacks originality and creativity. So I'm going to write about what is currently going on in my life. A trivial list, if you will, outlining in probably far too much detail my current outlook on things. These are in no particular order.

1. I went to the mall on Saturday. It was insanely crowded and there were far too many teenage girls in ugg boots (I could write yet another entry about why I hate ugg boots, but that's really not the point) for my liking. I was also with my sister which usually spells disaster for my fashion sense (we're not going to get into that now). I spent a grant total of 13 dollars on a tube of Clinique lip gloss. I don't think I have ever gone into a mall and spent less. Of course not counting spending nothing because that happens quite frequently. I had the intent to blow my paycheck on shoes and clothes, but it didn't happen. Possibly the crowds turned me off, or perhaps I really hate most of what is in the stores. The best thing I saw was a blue taffeta dress in Ann Taylor. It was beautiful, but if I wore it to work, people might think I'm crazy (not that they don't think that already).

2. I keep buying books. My book shelves cry under the weight of said books. I have a huge biography of Henry VIII's wives sitting on my side table right now, and I've only read 57 of 610 pages. Also, my "to be read" list is growing exponentially. Having a friend who works at Barnes and Noble who offers to buy me books with her 30% discount is proving to be quite bad for my wallet.

3. I turned 23 this past Monday. Presents are not mandatory but will be welcomed and appreciated.

4. I have 3 paper cuts on my hands. One paper cut is bad enough. Three paper cuts makes me wonder if I'm secretly a sadist. I have also managed to spill coffee on 40% of my clothes.

5. I am very behind on my netflix watching. I get movies in the mail that I just don't watch. I either don't have time, or I realize that I am just not interested. Hopefully when season 2 of Nip/Tuck comes, I will be more involved.

6. I love love love love my new Steve Madden boots!

7. I'm pretty sure I have a really awesome boyfriend :)

8. My job prospects look really good, but still a huge unknown.

9. The weather in PA has been abysmal. I blame my chronic stuffed up nose to said weather. Last week we had temps. into the 60's and 70's. This week has been snowy, cold, wet, slushy and awful. I wouldn't expect anything less from February, but I'm quite sick of winter. So, if March could not be crappy like it usually is, I will be one happy bunny.

10. I am not looking forward to paying taxes this year. I have quite a bit to write off but that still means I have to give the government some of my hard earned cash. I really hope I get a pretty nice rebate, which I intend to spend on clothes and clinique products.

Hey you know those things called books?

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:29:00 +0000

I'm as grumpy as the next tv fan when it comes to the writers strike. I've developed quite a few relationships with television shows as of late; Heroes, Ugly Betty, Gossip Girl, Medium, and CSI. Thankfully Medium just started it's new season so hopefully it will live a little longer. Heroes is essentially dead, and who knows how much Gossip Girl and CSI have. While I'm quite angry about these shows ending so suddenly, and while I feel like a jilted lover or it's my birthday and you just denied me cake, I've forced myself to deal with it. How did I do this you ask? PORN, LOTS AND LOTS OF PORN. No seriously, I've been reading a lot more. I'm actually reading the many blogs I subscribe to, I read the newspaper, and I'm starting to read the shelf of books I've bought over the years and haven't read. (my bookshelves cry!). Not only am I reading a Biography about the 6 wives of Henry VIII, I'm keeping with the theme and reading The Other Boleyn Girl which is about Henry VIII's affair with Mary Boleyn.

I'm also talking to more people and listening to more music. I have rediscovered a good 1/4 of my music collection and made about 6 mixed cds. I've also started a new painting! Started being the operative word. I painted the canvas black .... that's about it. But that's a start! I've also started to crochet a blanket.

So yes, I'm angry that my tv is overrun with nothing but reality shows (no thanks to you vh1, although Celebrity Rehab is pretty awesome), and now if I want to watch anything new I flip over to The History Channel or other educational programing (which gives me a giddy little thrill, not gonna lie). I'm trying to force myself to make the best of this situation. Maybe everyone should go do the same. Instead of rotting your brain with reality tv shows about fat people, go to the book store! Go to the gym! Maybe you can have a conversation with your family! (Insane concept I know).

I'm sure there are plenty of things to occupy ones time now that television has gone to hell (not like it wasn't there already). Let us all hope and pray that the strike ends and we can all drool in front of the tv again.

I'm sorry blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 16:53:00 +0000

So, to the 3 people that actually read this blog (myself not included), I apologize for my lack of things to talk about. Not many topics force me to rant like the ugg boot or the amount of money I give to apple (add another 180 bucks onto that kay?). I am going to place all the blame on the holidays. Buying presents, eating food (and getting fat btw), arguing with my sister and seeing my friends. (speaking of Christmas presents, remember my wish list? Well I got one of the gifts. Not the Juicy Couture shoes, but the laptop tote bag. Not important, I know, but I'm just updating those 3 people that read this.)

I've begun to realize that the Christmas holiday does not hold the magic it did before. Winter break was the light at the end of the tunnel for so long. Even in elementary and high school, granted the light being much less bright and shorter. In college, winter break was something we were all working towards. After a month of finals, papers and projects, the month of rest was much deserved and wanted. However, not being in school makes December another month. Okay so we have a tree, my sister is home, being especially mean to me, there's drama with my dad's side of the family, I picked out most of my presents this year. Not too different from every other year. I guess now, since I've been home since May and there was no distraction from that, I feel as if Christmas came and went without any blip on my radar. Maybe if my family was one of those with traditions and were really close (not that we aren't, but it's a different kind of closeness) and if my sister and I didn't like to argue, maybe Christmas would hold more power.

I wish we all still believed in Santa.

So now it's 2008. What do I do now? I have no real resolutions aside from looking for a more permanent job and finally learn to drive and buy a car. I guess I could also work out more. I'd like my ass to not look like it does now.

A designer's lament

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:18:00 +0000

I live in a dream world apparently. A world where everybody is a mac user and everybody uses Firefox or Safari. Everyone adheres to WC3 standards, everyone who designs a website understands the concepts of form, function and color theory. I have far too much faith in people. I had an interview yesterday at a health management company and I met with their design team; all of three people. I walk in with my Macbook pro and I see an ugly Sony Vaio sitting on the table. Apparently their Internet will only work on their computers. Not only was this a PC, it was using Internet Explorer 5 or 6. My website was rendered ugly and useless. So okay, this fraction of the company is designing for the various number of affiliates and subsidiaries that the company serves. Even before I jumped onto the PC, I had a sinking feeling that the company did really awful, template looking design. By all means, please go to the company’s website phmc.org".

With a website like that, one would wonder what their design department does for other clients. So let us take a step back and see why I’m annoyed. #1: These designers are using PC’s. Now I know that photoshop on the PC does the same thing that it does on the mac, however, for years the designer’s platform has been mac. It’s what we used in school, and we little fledgling designers were told that a serious design studio will use macs. Go to any design school in the country; if they use PC’s, run far far away. #2: The particular computer I used was using, Internet Explorer. IE is the BANE of my existence. Microsoft helped to develop the W3C standards, yet their programs do not support them. My website has valid css according to the W3C, so why doesn’t IE realize that? The reason why it’s not even on my computer is because Microsoft stopped making it for Mac quite some time ago. #3: Look at their website.

Even if this job was offered to me, I doubt I would accept. Working on a PC makes me feel dirty. Designers that use a PC are few and far between. Often they scare me a little. If you want to use a system with dark, dull colors, and a plethora of viruses and security flaws, please go ahead. We can’t be friends.

If you’re going to use a PC, for the love of god, use Firefox or Safari! Or at least, UPGRADE YOUR VERSION OF IE!!! IE 7 improves upon it’s crappy older siblings somewhat. Think of it this way. Say you have the choice of two cars to buy. Any version of IE is a run down, rusty, near exploding, clunky, gas guzzling mini van that might fall apart at any moment (most PC’s match this description too). Firefox and Safari are brand new, shiny, beautifully made BMW’s (Macs are like that too!) Both are free. Which would you rather drive?

PC loyalists would give me a laundry list of reasons why I’m wrong, but I don’t care. I hate what Microsoft stands for and why they think they can create products that are so far below the quality of other comparable products.

Dear Santa....

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:02:00 +0000

Note: this post is fashion heavy, and very girly. Boys, you've been warned.

Dear Santa:

Santa, we've had a very strained relationship over the years. Sometimes you bring me exactly what I want, other times I question your mental capacity. Like those years I specifically asked for that autographed picture of Zack Morris and you failed to bring it. This year Santa, you better not let me down. I have been a very good girl this year; just ask my ~~mom~~, my ~~french pen pal~~, my ~~yoga teacher~~, my ~~ex-boyfriend~~, my dog! Since I am a young lady now, I require beautiful clothes and shoes. Items that are fitting for a well-refined, elegant, charming (HA!), girl such as myself. If you bring me one, or all of the following items, I promise to believe in you whole-heartedly and I will be a very good girl ~~again~~ next year. *ahem*

These are absolutely beautiful shoes. They would look so cute with everything I own! I think you will agree that I would look really good in these. Also, considering that I bought a really cute dress today (it was on sale!), I think somebody else should foot the bill for a coordinating pair of shoes!

I'm sure you are aware of my obsession for bags. Now, I don't carry my laptop around as much as I used to in school, but I still have to cart it places, like to work or that cafe with free wifi and unbelievable lattes. This is really what I need though. A functional, multi-use work type bag that I can easily slip my laptop sleeve into, and whatever files, books, and various girly products I need to throw in. I would prefer the brown one, but I will settle with the off white.

Okay so, normally I stay far far away from shoes and clothes more than 100 dollars, because I don't want my american express card to cry. However, I'm in love with these. Now I know that the elusive ankle strap and I haven't always been friends. They can sometimes make my slim ankles look like cankles. My inner ballerina wants these shoes, because they remind her of pointe shoes ( which she only tried on once and fell over), tu-tus and pas des bourrées. Also, it would be fun to say "do you like my Juicy Couture shoes?

Along with these items, a little Chanel wouldn't hurt, nor would the Adobe CS3 suite, or a car. Really though, what I would like this Christmas is for this stupid war to end and for people to stop hating each other. And not having constant writers block and inspiration for my novel would be fantastic. Anyway, all my love to Mrs. Claus and Rudolph.

Love always,
Rachel

No really, this is where most of my money goes

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:34:00 +0000

I'm a Mac user. That statement alone will usually get me flayed, drawn and quartered, then repeatedly bashed on the head with a frying pan by most PC loyalists. I fail to see the animosity sometimes. We have the same basic computer hardware. Macs just do things a little differently .... and better. (Okay, you may now get your torches, sharp and pointy things, and stabby stabby knives ready).

This is not going to be an argument about why I think my Mac Book Pro is the best thing since Reese's Peanut Butter cups (because nothing actually is), this is about my abusive, sadomasochistic relationship with Apple. Oh yes, Apple has me bound and gagged and whips me on a daily basis. Dangling shiny, shiny iPhones in front of my face that are just beyond my reach and price range.

The last time I was at the Apple Store, I spent close to 300 dollars, the time before that about 3000 (most of it being my Dad's money), and several hundred dollars prior to that. Software, two iPods, laptop cases, an eMac (which I didn't actually pay for). All in all, I and my father, have given a lot of our money to Apple.

It makes my credit card and my bank account sad when I buy these expensive toys. I could just as easily sell out to Microsoft, but I don't! I continue to return to Apple like a love sick puppy who's been beaten too many times and keeps coming back for more! Or a whore who enjoys really violent, s&m sex. Okay, that was a little graphic.

As sometimes happens, your pretty little Mac becomes possessed by the devil. If you didn't pay for Apple Care (the extended 3 year warranty) or your Apple Care has run out, you can expect to pay out the butt for the repairs. Apple is really good at creating great products that are often fatally flawed. One would think after having 4 Apple computers die on me, that I would run screaming for the hills, vowing to stay as far away as possible from the Apple store. That I had learned my lesson.

And yet, that love sick puppy analogy comes back into view. Apple owns my soul, and as long as they make beautiful pieces of machinery that perform like they were made by God (SOMETIMES), I will be their bitch once more. Whip me again Steve (Jobs that is).

And now, the Apple store is hiring really cute nerdy boys that tend to nerd flirt their way into making me buy something. Damn you Apple! Don't you know that cute nerdy boys are my favorite? That I wish one of them was my boyfriend to get me a really kick ass discount? And you know, a shiny new Mouse on for my birthday? Is that too much to ask?

You really shouldn't be wearing that

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:48:00 +0000

After a brief conversation with my good friend, and after the Ugg boots rant, I realized that there are many articles of clothing that one should probably never wear. I go to the mall and I see very odd examples of what defines an outfit. Who in their right mind would wear that, I ask myself. I visit the fashion blog, Go Fug Yourself, and I realized that celebrities are not immune to weird, dare I say, bad fashion.

Celebrities should know better. They know that people will scrutinize them if they show up wearing something like this:

I don't know who this girl is, nor do I care, although I think she may be disgustingly wealthy. While the cropped poncho could be cute in, oh say, Colonial times, it does not quite fit in our modern world. Clearly she is wearing a patterned skirt on top of an already patterned dress. Or is it an apron? The asymmetrical hem doesn't work unless it is supposed to be that way, although I've never much been a fan of said asymmetrical hem. The whole mismatched, over-layered, wonky combination of clothing pieces make this girl look like she got dressed in the dark. The "fug" girls of Go Fug Yourself, put it best by saying she looked like "Eliza Doolittle circa her downtrodden flower-shilling period."

I'm not going to say much about it, but I think this photo of Jennifer Connelly says it all.

Let's talk about trends shall we? Now, I'm a fan of leggings. They keep my legs warm in the winter, and, if done correctly, can be worn with a skirt longer than a mini and a cute pair of mid-calf length boots, might actually look nice. Or, you know, if you're a ballet dancer. Much like the Ugg boot, girls seem to forget that leggings are yet another functional article of clothing that was meant to stay that way. Leggings were hot in the 80's and they had a brief comeback when girls started wearing them under mini skirts. Okay, I tried it. Shortly thereafter, I realized that it only looked cute on little girls. Anything looks cute on them. Mini skirts are another story. Say we lose the mini skirt. Say the leggings now act as pants. Which, again, is something you should only do if you are a ballet dancer. So, leggings as pants. Okay, not only are you wearing them with a short jacket or tshirt, but your butt, and panty lines are pretty much on display. (see here Oh Tyra! No!) If you want people to see you in tights essentially, then so be it. Otherwise, please only use your leggings for their intended use. Also, to further add insult to injury. You can get leggings in any color imaginable. American Apparel is boasting that their leggings come in 30 different colors (see here). Although, I'm not sure why anyone would want them.

Why do some people continue to make awful fashion choices? Baby doll dresses? Overalls? 50-75% of the clothes at H&M? Crocs!?!!? Fashion fades, style is eternal. I think we need to take a page out of old Hollywood and leave the trendy, weird clothes for nobody.

Uggggly boots

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 21:58:00 +0000

I went to school with about 200 girls with closets full of beautiful clothes that they never wore. Chances are, they woke up late for their class after a very long night of drinking. Hey, I've had those mornings, I understand the overwhelming feeling of crappiness and no real regard for how you look. However, despite my go to jeans and sweater combo, I would at least try to put an outfit together. Usually the poor girl is so tired and probably still drunk and she decides on wearing sweatpants or booty shorts, pulling her hair up into and oddly shaped half-bun which flops about on her head, Ugg boots (I LOATHE Ugg boot. more on that later), and some skanky sweatshirt that may or may not be hers.

This is somewhat forgivable. You want to go to class even though you may throw up in the corner, so you put together the best outfit you can. Extreme emphasis on somewhat forgivable. I wonder if these girls realize that their lack of fashion sense makes them look as bad as they feel. What tends to be worse is the fact that this "look," for lack of a better term, is the go to college uniform even when the girl isn't drunk or sleep deprived. She is just too lazy to put normal clothes on, because it's easier if it's laying in a pile on the floor! I saw this look many times in classrooms, the library and elsewhere on campus.

Now, lets talk about Ugg boots shall we.

(ewwwwww)

Who the hell decided that these are fashionable? Moving away from the aforementioned sloppy mess outfit for a moment, let's discuss how some girls try to make the Uggs look cute. My old roommate was the poster child for this. She had lime green, orange and pink ones which matched corresponding sweaters and a denim mini skirt. Really now, how functional is that? 3/4ths of you will be cold! So what if your feet are warm! Not only is that lacking in anything close to resembling sensical, you look ridiculous!

According to Wikipedia:

"In Australia and New Zealand, sheepskin boots have long been popular with people in rural occupations, who have ready access to the raw materials, such as sheep shearers. Their popularity increased as a result of World War I and World War II, when they were popular with aviators, because of their need to keep warm in non-pressurized planes at high altitudes. An exhibit of a WWI aviator's outfit in the Canadian War Museum cites the term "fug" boots. Ugg boots have also been popular with surfers and competitive swimmers since at least the 1960s, for keeping warm while out of the water."

Unless you're an Eskimo or an Australian farmer, or a surfer trying to keep your feet warm, do not wear Ugg boots. EVER. They were designed for function, not fashion. Girls, I realize you are just going to the dining hall and you've been pulling all nighters (academic or otherwise, and by otherwise I mean banging the guy down the hall), but people still see you. I don't care if you have them in 6 different colors or they are extremely comfortable, or they like, cost a lot, (like omg!) throw them away!!!!! Instead of looking like the perpetual morning after girl, please go buy some beautiful boots at Bloomingdales, a cute pair of jeans and a nice sweater. Is that so hard? Do you enjoy looking like a crackwhore?? And STOP wearing them in the summer!! WTF is up with that???

Please, throw away your Ugg boots, you're not impressing anyone. Don't even get me started on the trend of ugly boots the Ugg spawned. You know the ones that look like you chopped off the bottom the leg of a woolly mammoth and then stuck them on your leg? Or the ones that look like you have a Pomeranian stuck to your feet? (just because Sienna Miller wears them, doesn't mean you have to!).

Lest we forget yet another member of the ugly boot family:

I wish for a world in which ugly boots didn't exist. Maybe one day, those stupid girls will realize that they look terrible and burn those boots. I'll get a match.

Photographie

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:50:00 +0000

Here's a new batch of photos that I uploaded to Flickr. Enjoy.

Somewhat Useless Japanese Gadgets

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 23:15:00 +0000

I love Japan, and all Asian countries for that matter. If not for it's kooky, innovative art and fashion, than the mindfuck that is Japanese anime. I frequent the oh so cute and trendy tech blog, Geek Sugar, home to random blips of technology, geek chic laptop bags and devices and some of the strangest Japanese gadgets I have ever seen. From the country that brought us Nintendo, here are the contenders for weirdest Japanese gadgets (The following were all found on geeksugar).

This is an actual woven rug, but in tiny, mousepad form. They are available for $19 each from Museum, Persian, Native American, Gregorian, Designer, and Woolrich collections from joshinweb.jpg. Don't get me wrong, I love me a Persian/Oriental rug. I think they add texture to an otherwise drab room. I never thought however, to put one under my mouse. Sure, it would probably be better looking than my black gel filled pillow mouse pad from Staples, but I would wonder how an optical mouse would fare on it.

While weird, this is actually kind of useful. Everybody knows that UV rays are slowly killing us all. Limiting one's time is essential these days. Wouldn't it be cool if your cell phone could tell you how strong the UV index is? The neat little charms start out as white and change colour as they absorb sunlight. (If you can read Japanese, you can buy them here). The price starts at $6, but goes up by how many beads and bling you decide to add (there is an option to add real Swarovski crystals). It may be a neat thing for people who, unlike me turn violently red without obsessively reapplying sunscreen, worship the sun.

This was actually found on gizmodo.com. If I were maybe 10-15 years younger, I would want these for my doll house. Considering I had one of these chairs in normal size (I think it was pink with daisies on it), my tea parties with Barbie, Donatello, a rubber Ducky, and Snoopy would have been much cuter. However, I think the purpose of this mini chair is to act as a stand for one's ipod, cell phone, or as pictured, a pile of paper clips (cause you know, they need a place to sit?). I don't even know where one could buy this thing, or why one would want to. If your ipod says, "I'm tired of laying on your desk, give me a chair," first of all, wonder what you are smoking to make you think your ipod is talking to you, and then maybe consider hunting down this mini chair.

Remember that scene in Return of the Jedi where R2D2 is serving drinks? Well I think whoever came up with this little dude totally was trying to recreate that scene. According to Geeksugar,

"The robotic refrigerator Asahi - named after the beer of course - not only pours the beer for you, but he keeps it cool in his inbuilt refrigerator as well."

I know a lot of boys who would love to have something like this in their apartments. It requires far too much energy to put down the Wii controller and get a beer! Why not make your little robot do it for you? I would probably replace the beer with really good Sangria, but that's just me. Apparently this is only available in Japan. Can you see this running around at a super bowl party? Hey give it another purpose and put the dip bowl on its head!

Stupid Girly Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Rachel Gatlin) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 23:02:00 +0000

So I was thinking today that women spend a great deal of money on things, whether necessary or not. I have over twenty pairs of shoes, eighteen purses, 2 laptop bags, more cosmetics than I can humanly use, at least eight pairs of jeans (when I only really wear four) and probably a myriad of other girly accessories and clothing items that are more or less extraneous.

If you are a boy, skip the next paragraph and know this. Babies come from handshaking and kissing and thats all you need to know.

If you are in fact a woman, think for a second about what things you spend your money on. How many boxes of tampons you will use in your life? Seriously, think about that for a second. You have your period for approximately 40 years, 12 periods a year, 480 periods. I buy maybe 4-5 boxes of tampons a year. That's a lot of tampons!! I buy a new bottle of shampoo and conditioner every month, I replace my mascara every 2-3 months. Another pot of foundation, another tube of concealer, yet another palette of lilac eye shadow and another very similar pink lip gloss to one I already own. Since the inception of Sephora, my addiction to beauty products has become worse.

I am not saying that somethings are essential - clothes, shoes, soap. But what is it about some women that force us into excess? Why is it that you feel you need those black patent leather flats with the red bow, or that velvet navy blazer, or that cute sweater in 3 colors? More than likely, if you were to run into me at the mall, I would be trying to convince myself why I need those shoes. Or, more accurately, why those shoes will change my life. Are some women born with a gene that causes them to overload on fashion? I think I have honestly spent thousands of dollars on clothes, shoes and accessories, and yet it doesn't seem to phase me.

So, will the fact that my closet is overflowing or that my dresser may one day actually implode stop me from shopping? No I don't quite think so. However to be nicer on my bank account I do shop at discount stores. (tjmax is my best friend). So allow me to scamper off and drool over the new issue of Vogue and stare at the unused beauty products sitting on my dresser and wonder what I actually use them for. Maybe I should do that with my shoes too.