Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Quote o' the day:
We need a reason for speaking; we need none for keeping silent. - Pierre Nicole

I got my shipment of books from Free Words yesterday. It's going to be a blast placing them, yet wonder why it seems like an almost criminal thing to do, when all I'll be doing is putting free books in libraries and book stores? Hmm.

For the love of God, NO!

Mighty Big TV changed it's name to Television Without Pity. I wonder why...

Ernest and Bertram: Finally, the truth! ;)

The third installment of the Austin Powers movies can't be called Goldmember, says MGM and DANJAQ.

This is a nifty little tool. Check it out and let me know where you are!

I'm Hestia. Sounds somewhat like me. [Take the Greek Goddess test]

Friday Five for Sept. 28, 2001:

1. Laying on your back and facing the ceiling, which side of the bed do you sleep on?
I have a twin bed; there really aren't sides to it.

2. Do you have to have covers (blankets and/or sheets) at all costs, no matter the weather?
In the summer I usually only use a sheet.

3. Sleep nekkid or no? Why?
No sleeping in the nude for me! I just don't feel comfortable doing that.

4. What's under your bed?
Dust, books, miscellaneous things that I probably threw under there while "cleaning" :)

5. If you have pets, do you let them sleep with you? Why or why not?
I (and my family) have 7 cats (Yes, seven! I can hardly believe it either!), but I usually only let Chills sleep by me, because she'll actually stay on the bed. The others are always getting into some sort of mischief.

Sunday, January 27, 2002
I've decided to go back and fill out all the Friday Fives that I missed. Here's the first one (for September 21, 2001):

1. Where were you born?
Minneapolis, MN

2. What is your favorite number?
I don't have a fav. number, really.

3. Vanilla or chocolate?
Chocolate!

4. What section of a bookstore would I find you in?
It depends on what I'm looking for: Could be classics or reference or humor or modern fiction. You'd just have to look all over! ;)

5. What kind of mattress do you have on your bed?
It's medium-firm.

Saturday, January 26, 2002
I watched All the Little Animals last night. It's an interesting movie. Here's my review:

All the Little Animals is the story of a mentally retarded 24-year-old man (played by Christian Bale) who is abused by his step-father after his mother dies. He runs away and befriends an eccentric elderly man, who believes his "work" is to bury the dead animals he finds on the side of the road. It's a poignant and often disturbing film. It has a palpable sense of tension and even terror. The scenic English countryside where the film was made is lush, beautiful, and one of the best aspects of the movie, I believe.

I also watched Charlie's Angels. It's mindless entertainment, but I must admit that I laughed more than once while watching it.

Speaking of movies, Megg and Leslie have started an indie movie weblog called mises-en-scene. Check it out!

From Ugo.com: An Undergound Guide to Middle Earth. Included in that: A Postmortem Interview with J.R.R. Tolkien. Hee!

The White House for Kids:

Are Your Mommy & Daddy Liberal America Haters? President Bush needs your help to find out! So be an Eagle Eyes snitch - and get rich! Because for every family member you help put in front of a military tribunal, the government will send you a whole dollar!

So, the president choked on a pretzel. That doesn't mean we have to stop being critical of him (or any other politicans for that matter), and these quotes sure make me wonder about his leadership ability, and then there's the whole Enron fiasco! Oh, and we're at war? Another great reason to stay vigilant!

The Ironic Times. Reminder: It's ok to be sarcastic again.

Yikes! It's sad that South African women even have to think about using something like that.
Posted @ 2:35 a.m. | comments?

Friday, January 25, 2002
It's Friday already?

1. What cologne or perfume do you wear?
Right now I'm wearing something called Melon Delight. It's very yummy. I usually buy a new scent every month or so.

2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex?
I'm not sure. I don't usually ask guys what scents they wear.

3. What one smell can you not stomach?
Cigarette smoke.

4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird?
I don't really like their scent, but I don't think that skunks smell all that awful.

5. What do you plan to do this weekend?
As usual, I have no definite plans.
Posted @ 4:10 p.m. | comments?

Thursday, January 24, 2002
Ooh, I love stuff like this: Possibly the world's oldest city discovered underwater in India..

Would you buy clothes from a label called "Bin Ladin"? Yes, it's spelled differently, but that's just too creepy for me!

"Women attracted to men who smell like dad," but "...studies show that women tend to marry MHC-dissimilar men." Very interesting.

I haven't seen Black Hawk Down yet (and I was only twelve when the real event happened), so I can't really criticize it. Yet, I've heard it called "one of the best war movies ever." War? I don't think so: We were there as "peace keepers" and "nation builders."

Screensaver used to search for anthrax treatment. I've heard of other projects like this: One had to do with finding cures for different forms of cancer and the other had to do with finding extraterrestrials.

eBay is raising it's prices for certain features starting January 31. I've bought things on eBay, but never sold anything. It doesn't sound as if the price raise will be too bad.

If you're planning on trying to get on The Weakest Link, you might want to check out this strategy.

Hee Hee! He thought a little too "different"!

Dumpster Diving: Believe it or not, you can find some amazing stuff in dumpsters!

Aww, a random kitty generator. How cute!
[via pcjm]
Posted @ 1:18 a.m. | comments?

Wednesday, January 23, 2002
One link 'cause I don't have time for anything else right now. Expect more very soon!

Lord of the Rings in Lego. Heh, yes, sometimes I'm easily amused.
Posted @ 1:40 a.m. | comments?

Sunday, January 20, 2002
I've finally found a new host. Many thanks to Chevelle for the space! I'm extremely grateful! :) Please remember to change your links! My new address is: http://www.eclecticat.net
Posted @ 09:53 p.m. | comments?

Saturday, January 19, 2002
I found a batch of name generators:
Evangelist Name Generator. Mine is: Doctor Benny "Bob" Cepants. Cepants? Hee.

Fantasy Name Generator. You can generate all sorts of fantasy names, including Tolkien-style names. Spiffy.

If you need names for characters or psuedonyms, the Random Name Generator is a great site to check out. It uses random names from the U.S. census to come up with the names.

This generator is a bit like the above; just refresh the page to ge new names.

The True Name Generator: I'm Yawning Empress.

The Fairy Name Generator: You can call me Berry Beamfilter. They say that menas I'm a light bringer and enlightener, I'm only seen on Midsummer's Eve, and my habitat is at the bottom of tangle gardens and in hedgerows.

Pagan Name Generator: Mine is Celestine Sky Epona

U.S. Name Generator: Although I'm already an American, I tried this one, and it said that I'd be Audrey Richards. Hmm.

If I were a lesbian, you could call me Porcelain StormyCrone.

I'm 67.7% Internet pure, meaning I'm 32.3% internet corrupt. [Take the test]

More sci-fi sounding science:
Scientists have found a way to mimic spider's silk and spin it in industrial quantities - by genetically engineering spider genes into a herd of goats.

The Name Game:

See if you can come up with a new movie title or song title by combining 2 other ones. Remember the last word of the first title has to be the first word of the next one!

Philips, thank you!:

As major record labels unveil a new breed of CDs designed to prevent Napster-style piracy, Dutch consumer electronics maker Philips, the co-creator of the CD, is refusing to play along.

Lava at 40mph creates Hell on Earth.
Posted @ 09:53 p.m. | comments?

Friday, January 18, 2002
The Recession Chic Lie: The fraction of people who can take unemployment and use it as a long awaited vacation is so slim that it's practically negligible, so why is it getting so much attention?

The X-Files is ending after this season; and although it's been my favorite show for the past 4 or so years, I'm not extremely sad that it's going off the air. These are the reasons:
1) Mulder is gone. The show was really based his his character, so what's the use of going on without him?
2) Scully was probably not going to be in next year's season (if there was going to be another season...) If Scully wasn't in the show, I probably would never have watched it in the first place.
3) Although I liked Doggett and he wasn't supposed to be a Mulder replacement, he was just a bit too common sense orientated to really delve into the paranormal or preternatural. (Well, he was eaten and then regurgitated in one epidsode, so maybe I'm wrong!)
4) The Monica Reyes character. Ok, so I was beginning to like her, but I still like Scully better.
I could go on, but I don't want to bore you all! :)

Aww, Conan got married last weekend. Good for him!

Can you answer 10 of these 15 questions correctly? I was able to, yet I'm not sure how that's supposed to measure your IQ. (I think most people could get the questions right if they pay attention)

The Friday Five:
1. What do you have your browser start page set to?
A personalized links page.

2. What are your favorite news sites?
foxnews.com, alternet.org, commondreams.org, yahoo news.

3. Favorite search engine?
No question about it: Google.

4. When did you first get online?
October 1997.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
Blah...I don't know.
Posted @ 06:20 p.m. | comments?

Thursday, January 17, 2002
Interesting quote: If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it. -toni morrison

It looks as if Pitas has started working properly again. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

How absolutely horrible! I wonder if it truly was an accident?

Satellite radio: XM and Sirius. I really like the idea, but $300 is a bit steep a price for me!

So, he's not buying the President choking on a pretzel story either? ;)

Chaaaaaapssssssstick! The first thing when I saw the trailer for the Mothman Prophecies was: product placement!

More atrocious product placement: Raddington Bear. They gave Paddington a makeover!

I shall be visiting Girls Who Wear Glasses again! I'm a sort of quasi-geek girl, I think.

My local newspaper did a cheesy Survivor rip-off with Survivor: South Texas. Actually, it's kind of funny: One of the oldest TV news anchors in the town won.

This is digusting and devious -- and for some reason, funny.

My Blogger Code is: B7 d- t- k+ s+ u- f i- o x-- e- l+ c
You can decode it here.

Haha, just like Leno's headlines: Inadvertently Funny Wedding Announcements

Which drink are you? I'm a brandy alexander: I am "...heavenly-smooth, comforting, and sweet."
Ha.
[via the presurfer]

I know that this link has been around for a while, but I'm going to link it anyway, just because I happen to like LOTR a lot! ;)

Speaking of which, I've just found another LTOR personality test. It says I'm most like Samwise Gamgee. Yay! :) Sam's my favorite hobbit.
[via weblog wannabe]

On last LOTR item: It seems really tacky to me, but you can buy a One Ring.
[via screenshot]

Hee hee, I feel like I'm in third grade again!
What's YOUR M * A * S * H future?
Here's mine:

You will marry LEGOLAS from Lord of the Rings, live in an ancient elven palace in the middle of the forest, and spend your days walking on top of snow and rowing ivory boats and just being beautiful.

Which Disney Princess are you? I'm Belle. Hmm, sounds kinda like me...

You are a true bookworm and dream of a life better than the simple, quiet one you lead now. Your good looks can attract the town jerks, but you manage to ignore them most of the time. Sometimes you feel like you're surrounded by idiots. So what are you waiting for? You don't need your father to be kidnapped to get out and see the world. Although you can be stubborn, you're also very compassionate and see beyond people's façades.

If I were a pirate, I'd be: Black John Rackham:

Like anyone confronted with the harshness of robbery on the high seas, you can be pessimistic at times. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

In the same vein: My medieval weapon would have been a cutlass (pirate's sword)!

If I were a military leader, I'd most be like George Washington.

Hear me roar: If I were an animal cracker, I'd be a lion :)
[another via SiGHS]
Posted @ 12:50 a.m. | comments?

Wednesday, January 16, 2002
Furtado Miffed About Midriff Photo:

"There I am with a shirt that has actually been digitally altered to go to just below my chest, with a stomach that I don't recognize, saying 'Nelly Furtado - her sexiest shoot yet," the singer told British Broadcasting Corp. radio on Monday. "

Yikes, a $100,000 speeding fine!

Two ministers go to porn convention to get anti-porno message out. They seem sincere, but I don't think they went to the right place to get their message across (If I were cynical, I'd think they just went to get a look!) Oh, and I do like their website: It's nicely designed!

They're calling him Harry Pot-head. Hee.

Ecstacy as medicine? They say that it boosts serotonin levels. (serotonin is "...the feel-good neurotransmitter that regulates mood and other critical brain functions.") There are other ways to boost your serotonin levels, such as eating tryptophan-rich foods like turkey and legumes, etc, which is much less expensive and less harmful to your body than popping MDMA. (Same thing applies to drugs like Prozac.) As a corollary: I'm not against using natural drugs for medicinal purposes, like marijuana; but I believe that the more synthetic a drug is, the more harmful it will be.

Related to the above: Food as preventative medicine.

Wow, the director of Blow died on Sunday while playing a celebrity basketball game. He was only 38.

This is very disturbing and sad, and I don't know if there is anything we can do about it.
Posted @ 12:47 a.m. | comments?

Saturday, January 12, 2002
Poor Pitas, I think it's dying. I'm really going to have to find another host somewhere (or get myself a domain...) Lately, I've not been able to do the most basic things: add posts and edit or delete them.

Join my notify list if you want to be sure to get my new URL:

The perfect gift for that special redneck in your life: Mullet Action Figures! Hee.
[via catherine's pita]

Well, that wasn't really an update, but it's all I have time for. I'm off to watch MadTV.
Posted @ 09:48 p.m. | comments?

Thursday, January 10, 2002
If you've recently downloaded the Audiogalaxy Satellite, you should probably check this out: Audiogalaxy Installer May Have Harbored Nimda Virus!
Posted @ 03:51 p.m. | comments?

Wednesday, January 9, 2002
The Color Schemer. I absolutely love that nifty little tool!

Woohoo, we can all buy stun guns now! (Seriously, I think this is a bad idea!)

MVT Wants You!:

"Last month, a White House contingent (including President Bush's political advisor Karl Rove) met with executives from AOL Time Warner, Universal Studios, the Recording Industry Association of America, Viacom (which owns CBS and MTV) and other entertainment industry types, during which Washington and Hollywood threw around some ideas on how to boost interest in the War on Terrorism."

Zine-O-Rama, a great article about zines.

Mistakes from LOTR: FOTR. They say there are at least 27. I've only seen the movie once, so I didn't read the whole article; I don't want to spoil the movie!

Normally, I'm not into cars, but these look amazing! (I want> this one and this one. Oh, I want them all! Heh.

It came from the 1971 Sears Catalog! Take a trip down memory lane and gaze, horrified, at the abominable clothes they wore! ;)

"Three young entrepreneurs who struck it rich during the dot-com boom took a stab at capitalizing on the high-tech crash Friday by paying $2.4 million for online photography site Webshots — the same service they sold to ExciteAtHome for $82.5 million in late 1999."

From Techsploitation:

"Instead of bringing people across the globe together, computers sometimes rip them apart, exacerbating social differences rather than eroding them."

The Day Music Sucked. Ahahaha!

I think I may have linked to this before, but I think it's worth a second link: Break Through Books.

I know I said that I was getting annoyed by all the "personality" quizzes out there, but I found some more and couldn't resist taking them:

TV Talk Show Host Quiz: I'm Oprah. Impossible, I say!

The Simpson Character Test: I'm Lisa; I knew I'd be her.

How Rock R U?: I'm medium rock.

The Commitment Quotient: I'm 37% commited
"You're a modern gal playing the field, but stopping to smell the roses every once in a while. It'll be a special person who catches you, if you're ever caught that is!"

[All the above quizzes found @ yo bad self]
Posted @ 03:25 p.m. | comments?

Tuesday, January 8, 2002
Celebrate every day! Sounds good to me. Today is Jackson Day. I'm not sure if that means Michael Jackson Day or Andrew Jackson Day or some other random Jackson, though! It's also Elvis' birthday today.(Find holidays for all the days of this year here)
[via mood swings]

$9.99 for a CD. Great! It's about time, I think.

The artist generally makes between 50 cents and 75 cents per CD, while the record company clears between $3 and $4 per CD. The artist further has to pay back advances made by the record firm, which further cut the artists' royalty, often dwindling to nothing, according to music industry insiders.

Have you given/sent out your thank you cards for Christmas? Haven't? Check out the Attitude of Gratitude note generator then!

The novelty of online "personality" quizzes has definitely worn thin: I couldn't even bring myself to take this test.

The things people do to set records...Heh.

Drunken Amish youth crashes buggy. Oh, dear ;)

The worldest oldest man -- he was 112 -- died last week.

I hope U2 wins the most Grammys this year!
Posted @ 03:40 a.m. | comments?

Sunday, January 6, 2002
This is too weird: Teenager crashes plane into US building. Why was a fifteen-year-old even allowed to fly in the first place?!

Tolkien Retold, directed by Kevin Smith. Hee.

It's things like this that will probably make me take the plunge and become a vegetarian. Yuck!

LMAO! The mental picture I get from that is hilarious! But I wonder: Why couldn't they get some guys to model them, hmm?

Scratch 'n' Sniff Stickers! Rememeber those? Ah, childhood memories...

My spirit animal is the cat. (I didn't need a test to tell me that) My results:
Spirit Animal: Cat
Cycle of Power: Nighttime
Aspects: Mystery, Magick, Independence

The 2002 Bloggies. Someone nominated me for one last year ("Best Pitas Powered Weblog"). I had no idea until the voting was over. I didn't win, but I'm grateful to whomever nominated me! ::hint hint:: Heh ;)

A serious quiz for once: What do you know about Islam? I got 8 out of 9 questions right. Not that that proves anything! I definitely don't know that much about Moslems or Islam, to tell the truth.

10 Worst Corporations of 2001. Keeping informed is a scary thing sometimes.

I just finished reading Cause Celeb, by Helen Fielding. I'd put off finishing it because I started reading some other books, but I wish I hadn't: It's a wonderful and witty satire of the "celeb" world; but more than that, it shows the stark contrast between the lives of the tremendously rich and the absolutely poor -- and it's a great read!

Helen Fielding also wrote Bridget Jones's Diary. I really don't like Bridget very much, but I truly like Rosie Richardson, the protagonist of Cause Celeb. She's not anywhere as obsessive as Bridget and she actually did something to help people (Not that her motives were totally altruistic, though...)

I am a voracious reader, so when I saw Women Who Love Books Too Much at the library, I snatched it up! I'm about one-third of the way through it, and it is an eye-opening thing to read. So many women have been ostracized for writing (or even knowing how to read and write) that I feel extremely blessed (yes, blessed) to be able to freely read anything that I want. I am indebted to the hundreds (probably thousands) of women who struggled for the basic right to express themselves and left a legacy of beautiful stories, poems, songs, and journals for me to enjoy.

One of the authors I've discovered through the above book is Zelda Fitzgerald. I haven't read any of her works yet, but she has intrigued me for some reason, and I hope to read some of her writing in the near future.
Posted @ 04:57 a.m. | comments?

Saturday, January 5, 2002
The Friday Five one day late, because Pitas was being quirky:

1. You've just won a complete collection of movies starring one actor - what actor would you pick?
Hmmm...I don't know. I really don't watch very many movies (Well, actually, I've watched a lot of movies...it's just that I didn't truly enjoy most of them), and I'm not the type to get star-struck. Ugh.

2. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

3. What was the last video or DVD that you bought?
I don't buy videos/DVDs.

4. What movie could you watch over and over again and not get sick of?
Fellowship of the Ring. Yep, I luv it ;)

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
This is going to sound so boring, but it's the truth: I'm not going to do much this weekend, just hang out, read (just went to the library!), etc.

Thursday, January 3, 2002

I think I've been reading too many books by British authors: While talking about someone, I said "he went on holiday," instead of "he went on vacation." Not a big deal, but after I said it, I laughed and my family made fun of me. Ah, well :)

Photographica: A collective photolog. Great idea!

The Ig Noble Prize goes to people whose inventions "cannot or should not be reproduced." One guy patented the wheel in 2001. Hee.

New Year's Resolutions I'd Love to Hear:

"We will return the mega-millions we looted from the company and reimburse all of our shareholders and employees whose life savings we frittered away." -- the Enron executives

Oh, this is ridiculous, just call me whatever you want." -- Sean Combs aka "Puffy" Combs aka "Puff Daddy" aka "P. Diddy"

"I will finally come clean: I am a soulless being from the planet Blow Dry, and I know not of your earthling ways." -- Gary Condit

"We will stop scaring the bejeezus out of everyone." -- Tom Ridge, Robert Mueller and Gray Davis

"I will forget about drilling in ANWR and focus on renewable energy sources, instead." -- President Bush

Five presidents in two weeks -- amazing!

BUENOS AIRES -- A populist senator became Argentina's fifth president in two weeks today, pledging to ditch free-market policies that he said had left Argentina 'without a peso.'"

Never underestimate the power of legible handwriting! Heh.

From the Arts Journal: Best of 2001.

Adapting to Hollywood: "When books are made into movies, the literary and filmmaking cultures are bound to clash. The results are difficult to predict."

And another quiz(will these never stop?!)

Take the Which Empire Records Character are You? Quiz.

Wednesday, January 2, 2002
I cleaned up my links section: removed some dead links, and added a bunch of book/reading related links (you'll find them in the left column, under "books").

I finished 1984 this morning. ::Shiver:: Dystopianism is my worst nightmare!

Megg put up a new layout for quiddity yesterday. Very nice. My favorite colors: Blue and green! :)

Took another LotR test. I am:
Eowyn Princess of the Rohirrim (Eomer's sister); in disguise as Dernhelm, she (with Merry's help) slew the leader of the Ringwraiths.
Posted @ 02:42 p.m. | comments?

Tuesday, January 1, 2002
Woohoo! It's twenty-oh-two! Happy New Year!(Hee. Sorry, just had to get that out of my system!)

This is one of the reasons that I truly appreciate the internet: Neil Gaiman's Journal. He's the author of such books as American Gods, and along with Terry Pratchett, Good Omens. With the advent of the internet, we can have daily updates from authors, artists, performers/musicians, and anyone else, something that was unthinkable even fifteen to twenty years ago!

Frodo Baggins' Holiday Special! Heehee.

Yet another inane quiz (stupid, yet I'm compelled to take them...)

You have an air of intelligence about you, some might even perceive you as being stuck up. You seem like you may be a nice person when you're not throwing one of your ever-present hissy fits and being a bitch to everyone. And take off your socks when you make whoopie, he hates it! Take The "Which Kevin Smith Female Are You?" Quiz!!

I've never seen Mallrats. Now that I think about it, I do believe Dogma is the only Kevin Smith movie that I've seen.
[via scopophilia] I think one of my New Year's resolutions should be to stop taking online personality tests! ;)

Speaking of New Year's resolutions:

Take the What Should Your New Year's Resolution Be? Quiz

Monday, December 31, 2001
2001 was a great year for me. The best ever, maybe. I'm hoping that bodes well for next year.

As I get older (I'm 21 -- now that is old. Heh.), I see that it's the small simple things that I take most pleasure from: my cats, reading, the sun on my face, a glimpse of blue sky through green leaves, a cup of coffee or tea. favorite songs, and silly websites. If I can remember that in the coming year (and all the years after that), I think I'll always be content with my life.

The Top Ten Moronic Stories of 2001. I'd say this stuff is scary and moronic!

Weird and Wonderful Reign Supreme in Wacky 2001 !

We Make Reality Happen. For some reason, that story reminds me of some of Ray Bradbury's stories from the '40s and '50s.

I just requested to join the Free Words Project. It looks quite interesting. Hope I can participate!

Oh, LOTR unabridged on tape or CD! I want! I'll probably look to see if I can check it out at the library first, though. Normally, I prefer to read, but in the case of the LOTR trilogy, I'd like to hear it. Then I don't have to worry about how to pronounce the names, places, etc.

It's official: I love BlogSnob! I've found some wonderful weblogs by using it. I'm going to have to update my links section soon! It's going to be difficult, though: There are so many I'd like to add, but if I did add them all, my links section would be waaaay too long.
Posted @ 03:39 p.m. | comments?

Sunday, December 30, 2001
I hope they don't change the title of the next LOTR movie, The Two Towers! (Watch out, there are a few brief spoilers in the article! Wish I'd known before I read it. Oh, well.)

From the Smoking Gun's Document of the Year Awards:
WWII-era Report About Hitler, from the U.S. government. Very creepy!

Rabbit, Rabbit?

I just remembered about the 1000journals Project. I so want to get my hands on one of those! :) [This is related in a way.]

I am Mr Do. I am sedentary by nature, enjoying passive entertainment, eating when the mood takes me, and playing with my food. I try to avoid conflict, but when I'm angered, I can be a devil - if you force me to fight, I will crush you. With apples. What Video Game Character Are You?

Posted @ 01:18 p.m. | comments?

Saturday, December 29, 2001
Want a good laugh? Check out Bad Tattoo of the Week.

Even more disturbing: Tattooed baby dolls!

Another doll gone bad. Heh.

deviant cookies! Argh. Is nothing sacred anymore? ;)

So maybe I'm a geek, but I find things like this interesting.

Amusing Roadside Reading From Across the Continent.

They say they've finally found Atlantis...

WorstCaseSenarios.com: 'Cause you never know what might happen!

Famous Name Changes. Some are interesting, others just boring.

Poor Santa, it looks like he might have andropause.
Posted @ 12:18 p.m. | comments?

Friday, December 28, 2001
I signed up for BlogSnob yesterday. Make sure to check it out: You can find it in my left hand column, right under the weblog links. I'm not sure how it's going to work out, but it seems to be all right; it fits in pretty seamlessly, I think.

The Friday Five:

1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year? Having the courage to quit my job as an online content producer for my local paper. (Might not sound like too much of an accomplishment, but it was to me...)

2. What was your biggest disappointment? Having to quit my job: It started out as a dream job, then just turned into a nightmare.

3. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions? See my entry from yesterday for more about that.

4. Where do you wish you were celebrating? For the first time in maybe forever I'm content where I am.

5. What do you plan to do for New Year's Eve? Hang out with family/friends, then go check out the fireworks over Corpus Christi Bay.

Thursday, December 27, 2001
Last year I made some New Year's Resolutions -- and kept not a one of them. So, this year I'm not going to call them resolutions. I'm just going to do them. Here are a few of the things I'd like to accomplish in 2002:

1) Learn Gaelic. Well, at least, begin to learn it.
2) Read one literary classic a month (I've got to leave time to read junky stuff! Hehe.)
3) Get a new hobby and/or volunteer. Reading, web design, and writing/weblogging are good, but I need something else, too!

Ohh, DIY (see DIYsearch.com, too) craft-y-ness:
For all you Sanrio fans out there: Sanrio DIY crafts.
And from the fabulous Digs Magazine: Lots of DIY projects for your abode!

Hehe: David Blane = Richard Reed.

I wonder if he'll ever forgive him...
[via random abstract]

Sad: Smoker makes his coffin from cigarette packs

You can vote of Ananova's "Quirky" news item of the year here.(I voted for Bert on the Osama bin Laden posters.) If you want to vote, you probably should do it as soon as possible, since it doesn't say when the voting will end.
Posted @ 01:34 p.m. | comments?

Wednesday, December 26, 2001
I'm currently reading 1984, by George Orwell. Some of the things in the book are disturbing and eerily familiar. It most definitely makes me appreciate the freedom that I have right now (which does need to be safeguarded!)

For more alternative news, check out Alternet and the plethora of other alt. news sites online.

To learn more about the Sept. 11 attacks from an alt. point of view, check out 911+ Questions in Seeking UnCommon Ground:

Beyond sympathy for the immediate victims and bereaved, this note presents over 1417 challenging questions, notably from a variety of electronic and other media sources. The intention is to facilitate collective learning on the occasion of the abhorrent and horrendous attacks on 11th September 2001 -- and their aftermath.

No More Blood. Honor the Dead by Working for Peace: A Resource for Americans In Search of Peaceful Alternatives to the 'War On Terrorism'.

Safe and Free in Times of Crisis.

Hail George, Conqueror of Evildoers!

Now for some lighter stuff! The Friday Five (yes, even though it's Wednesday!):

1. What is the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?
Voluntarily eaten? Hmm...I try to steer clear of "weird" food.

2. Name one (material) thing you can't live without.
I guess I should say my computer, but that's not really true -- I could live without it. I'll have to say my bed, then.

3. Name something you've always wanted to do but didn't have time for.
Write a book!

4. What outrageous thing do you wish you had the nerve to do?
Pet a wild lion or tiger. Of course, I'd probably end up missing a limb!

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
No plans yet. I'll probably just sit around and read, and I do want to see The Fellowship of the Ring again. (Heh, yes, I know, my weekend will be so very exciting!)

Tuesday, December 25, 2001
Merry Christmas, ya'll! (I can not believe I actually wrote "ya'll"! Hee.)

Since it's Christmas...The Real Jesus:

Somewhere between the messianic expectations of the Jews and the high christology of the later Christian Church, was a person who lived in history - who breathed, ate, and had friends and family like the rest of us, then died an abrupt and ignoble death.

Of course, Jesus wasn't really born on December 25 (I'm pretty sure it was sometime in the spring/summer...). So why do we celebrate December 25 as Christ's birth? Back when Christianity was first gaining popularity, the Catholic Church decided that it would be easier to convert the "pagans" if they could celebrate on the same holy days as they did in their old religion(s), so "Yule"/Winter Solstice became Christmas, "Lady Day"/Vernal Equinox became Easter, etc.

You know the song "How You Remind Me," by Nickelback? Well, I've always heard the line 'Cause living with me must have damn near killed you. as 'Cause Little Women must have damn near killed you. I bought the CD a while back and even though I know the real lyrics, I still hear "Little Women," and I've asked others and they say they hear the same thing. Heh. (I should submit that to KissThisGuy.com!)
Posted @ 05:58 p.m. | comments?

Monday, December 24, 2001
Just put up a new layout. Let me know what you think of it [sign the g-book]!

Lord of the Rings extras got high on New Zealand's "Thunderweed"! (No, the movie's stars didn't partake...) Heh.
[via randomwalks]

Aww, it's the hobbits. More LOTR posters here.

Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!
Posted @ 07:09 a.m. | comments?

Thursday, December 20, 2001
Ian's Pissed Off Page. BeCause it's always fun to hear someone else rant and whine. Heh.

Hee hee. Britain has no grocery baggers? What's wrong with them? ;)
Posted @ 5:51 p.m. | comments?

I went to see The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring last night. It was everything that I expected and more. It's an excellent movie; and I recommend it to you all, whether you're a Tolkien fan or not. [Official site]
Posted @ 04:28 a.m. | comments?

Tuesday, December 18, 2001
Normally, I hate it when people call themselves princesses (yes, even Punk Princesses. I detest those stupid "princess" shirts, too!), but this blog rocks! Check it out.

This is a beautiful image.

Did you know it's illegal to chew gum on subways in Singapore? Or that in Texas... "When two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone." Hee!

Uhmm, ok: a church is builiding a replica of Noah's Ark. They're going to use it as their house of worship.

Server love? Hah.

Looking for the end of the internet? Seems there is more than one last page. Heh.

Some funny search requests that I've gotten lately: 1) pictures of broccoli
2) i think hank would have done it this way
Posted @ 04:03 p.m. | comments?

Friday, December 14, 2001
I was desperately hoping that 80s fashions(picture at the bottom of that page not for the faint of heart!) wouldn't become popular again, but (I know) that was wishful thinking. To make matters even worse, Fox is coming out with That '80s Show some time soon. Ugh.

Is it ok to admit that I watch Survivor if I also say that MightyBigTV's recaps of the show are often more entertaining than the show itself?

Speaking of TV, new show alert: Scrubs is absolutely hilarious. If you haven't seen it before, it's a hospital drama spoof. I actually laugh out loud while watching it; that usually only happens when I watch Seinfeld reruns. It's on Tuesday nights. (Ugh, I sound like an ad -- but, hey, I really do enjoy the show!)

Well, he can dream, can't he?

Love the Adrian Mole books? Well, you can get more Adrian online here.
[via PCJM]

Compulsive shopping cured by a pill?. I'm dubious.

So, I took the Fox Family Holiday Quiz to see what Fox TV family most resembles my own. Not to my surprise, we are like the Malcolm in the Middle family:
Your family ship is always on the verge of sinking, but with a strong mom at the helm, you manage to find a safe harbor.

The Top Ten Blog: A collaborative weblog featuring the on-going creation of Letterman-style top ten lists.

Band Names for YOU! Hee!

---- line to separate the trivial from things that matter ----

Am I or not? There's so much that I could say about that (and this),but I can't even put it into words right now.

Eerie: Predicting 9-11.
Posted @ 04:59 a.m. | comments?

Wednesday, December 12, 2001
Ugh, well, I've been duped: The Cat personality test that I posted on December 7 is not even worth taking (not that online personality tests should actually be taken seriously!)
[thanks to erratic frog for the info!]

Ha, I have it in me to be a CEO. (Yeah, right!) But anyway, my results:
Your score was: 64 out of a possible 100
51 to 69:
Just because you don't currently fit the mold of a corporate leader doesn't mean that, given the opportunity, you won't turn in a winning performance. In the meantime, find a mentor who can help you take it up a notch.

Are you a prude? (I'm not!)

Since The Fellowship of the Ring is being released on the 19th (Guess where I'm going to be next Wednesday night!), I thought I'd find some related sites. So here ya go:

Art inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's work. Very nice.

An illustrated enclycopedia of J.R.R. Tolkien's work: The Encyclopedia of Arda.

From Elijah Wood ready for 'LOTR' spotlight

"...the actor known for his arty turn in The Ice Storm finds himself leading an international juggernaut. With bemusement he sees his likeness splashed across bus shelters, billboards and a set of Burger King collectible cups.

'Isn't it weird?' he asks. 'I never thought I'd be a part of anything this commercial.'"

Exactly! I'm really looking forward to seeing the movie, but those Burger King commercials grate on my nerves. Who's idea was that, anyway? Ugh, probably the PR people for the movie.

Hmm, the stars of the movie got tatooes to commemorate the end of filming the movie, but they won't tell us what it looks like or where they had it placed.
Posted @ 03:08 p.m. | comments?

Monday, December 10, 2001
Many Gen Xers, in New York at least, have decided to quit their unfulfilling jobs and follow their dreams, whether that be to take a vacation or or freelance or find a new job. It's nice to read things like this, just to know that quitting my job wasn't the all devastating thing that many people might think it was ("Oh, but now you're never going to make it!"). I'm not a Gen Xer (was born two years too late...), but I can most definitely relate.

John Walker, the 20-year-old Californian who went to Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban (Well, that's still uncertain, as he was there before Sept. 11th; he may have just been studying Islam and got caught up in the events that happened afer 9-11. I feel it's too early to say whether he is a traitor or not.), posted messages to some newsgroups from '95-'97. He was posing as a black person. Why? I wonder. You can read some of his Usenet postings here. More about John Walker here and here.

Wow, things get even more sci-fi-ish every day: Animal Allies (even if you don't read the whole article, scroll down and look at the drawing of the bee!) and Lamprey Brain Drives Robot

Scared of Osama? No way, we're Texans! Heh.

The Official Ramen Home Page. Noodles, noodles, noodles. Yummy.

3BlackChicks review movies, TV, music, books, and live theater.

Dear Customer, I hate you because... Yes, working in retail sucks.

Charging for e-cards? I don't think it's going to work, since there are still a lot of other places to get them. If we can get stuff for free online, do they really think we're going to pay?

I'm linking this for the title alone (although the content is pretty good): Running from Redneck Roots.
Posted @ 02:08 p.m. | comments?

Saturday, December 8, 2001
Yay: C.S. Lewis' ``Narnia'' series heads to big screen. I love books. Hope the movie(s) will live up to them.

From Randomly sickening and possibly disgusting but unfortunately true facts about food:

There's a chemical called "propylene glycol," which is found in most fast food restaurants' salad dressings in order to maintain moisture. The chemical, however, also comes with cautions and warnings that it may cause skin and eye irritation if exposed to the human body, is more commonly used as "Sierra Anti Freeze" coolant for cars, and is also found in Astroglide Sexual Lubricant.

From The Straight Dope:
Why do people day Jesus H. Christ?
What are the real lyrics to "Louie, Louie"? (I've always wondered...)
What does "OK" stand for?
Why the weird religious ravings on Dr. Bronner's soap?
What is déjà vu?

This is a nice idea: Send a holiday message to any member of our military via the 'net.

From Deep Thoughts by Elmer Fudd:
To me, cwowns awen't funny. In fact, they'we kind of scawy. I've wondewed whewe this stawted and I think it goes back to the time I went to the ciwcus, and a cwown kiwwed my dad.
Hee Hee!

Have you ever met a human speed bump? I certainly have!

Hmm, your friends just might be right about your love life!

Eww. Eww. Eww!!

L.A. police unveil new officer dolls for children.

MindChallenge.com: Brain teasers, puzzles and games.

Ok, it's official now: I'm an online quiz addict, and here's the proof:

I'm How British Are You?!
"I know the differences between Brits and Americans, and I'm just so glad to tell you all about them. I won't say too much, though, or I'll exceed my daily bandwidth limit. Again."
Click here to find out which test you are!

Ironically, I took the How British are You? test, and here is the result:

"I am 27.5% British, just likeGwyneth Paltrow
"With enough practice I can sound British but do I really understand what I am saying?"
Posted @ 04:53 p.m. | comments?

Friday, December 7, 2001
More quizzes (Sorry, they're addictive) :

Galadriel If I were a character in The Lord of the Rings, I would be Galadriel, Elf, Queen of Lothlorien, wife of Celeborn and grandmother of Arwen. In the movie, I am played by Cate Blanchett. Who would you be? Zovakware Lord of the Rings Test with Perseus Web Survey Software

This is what sort of cat I'd be (sounds like me) :


Take the What Cat Are You?

Ahahaha.

Which Evil Criminal are You?
Posted by Joanna @ 6:35 p.m.

More personality tests (Have these things become ever more popular lately or what?)

I am Benoit Mandelbrot Holding a Chicken. I redefine tables of pepper with my jocular slices of casino. Elevated plastic toes infuse my intestinal dichotomies with limp inkwells. My forgotten compass is enscribed by master carrots. Which prawns require dough? The Utterly Surreal Test

Erm, ok. Heh.

I am 81-100% Ghetto

I am GHETTO FABULOUS.
Who woulda thunk it? Heh. [via scopophilia]

Next on my reading list: Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Speaking of reading, I read Kiss My Tiara, by Susan Jane Gilmam in two settings. It's one of those books that you don't want to put down until you've finished it.

More reading goodness: Online Book Reading Group. I'm going to have to look into it more, but it does seem interesting.

Oh, great.

Japan says it will allow combined human-animal embryos to be produced through cloning.

Ministers hope the move will lead to transplant organs being produced in specially-bred animals.

Oh, it's mini-Mr. Bigglesworth! (scroll down: the kittens look like baby bats!) Yes, they're so ugly, they're cute. More about Sphynxes here. (note the URL!)
Posted @ 05:08 a.m. | comments?

Thursday, December 6, 2001
I just archived the October and November entries here. (If that loads too slowly, you can also find the entries here.) If this is among your first visits to Eclectica, I encourage you to look through the archive here.
Posted @ 05:00 a.m. | comments?

Wednesday, December 5, 2001
From SupportTheEconomy.com: "Are you a shut-in, vampire, zombie or just simply don't want to leave the house but want to support our nation's economy? Give your money to ME and I will spend* it for YOU!" Heh, wish I'd thought of that first ;)

Oh, dear, it seems that Segway wasn't checked for acronyms ;)

The Utne Reader asked its readers to create new flag designs for their states. Here are the seven winners.

Also from Utne: Ally McBeal Meets the Coppertone Girl
(Yay, more alternative news: The Utne Web Watch)
Posted by Joanna @ 10:51 p.m.

Tuesday, December 4, 2001
BlogSnob, dispite it's name, actually looks like something I might be interested in. It's a system that allows you to use a text ad to get your blog some publicity: You display one small text ad on your weblog and another weblogger does the same, so each time you display an ad, your ad gets displayed. Neat, huh? (If I do sign up, I'll let you all know how it goes.)

Generation 9-11:

Where they once dreamed of earning huge bonuses on Wall Street, they're now thinking of working for the government, maybe joining the FBI or the CIA.

Nonviolence Web: A Guide to the Contemporary Peace Movement. There is some really great material at this site [A Widow's Plea for Non-Violence: "Craig would not have wanted a violent response to avenge his death. And I cannot see how good can come out of it. We cannot solve violence with violence...We will no longer be able to see that we hold the light of liberty if we are blinded by vengeance, anger and fear."].

I've been told that I'm more interesting than my weblog. Hmm, I wonder...
[link via quiddity]

Now you, too, can speak like a true Scotsman.

If a show drives you to alcoholism, I think it's time to quit!

For all the George Harrison fans out there: George Harrison 1943-2001 & Harrison recorded a secret last album.

FreakyDreams.com: Analyze your dreams.

More about Segway.

As if I don't read enough weblogs, I found a new two new places to find them: Blog of the day & Daypop.

Finished reading Stardust, by Neil Gaiman last night. Great book! Loved it. Read it sometime.

Before I believe this, I want them to see how many atheletes, specifically baseball and football players, have blue eyes and brown eyes.

"...an Ohio State University sociologist is trying to discover how e-mail has changed - or hasn't changed - the way people interact around the world."
(You can volunteer for the study here]

The Foraging Biology of Weddell Seals: Notes from the Field. Aww, seals :)

I found a pop-up killer most unoriginally named "PopUpKiller," but I don't care, 'cause it's free!

Freedomlist, the free ISP directory.

If you download a lot of free programs, you'll probably want to make sure you haven't downloaded any spyware (programs that track where you're going and doing online.) You can get AD-AWARE here; it'll tell you if you currently have any spyware installed. You can also visit scumware.com to see if you've downloaded two of the most popular spyware programs.

Watch out, a lot of Napster clones have spyware included with them, too.
Posted by Joanna @ 02:30 a.m.

Monday, December 3, 2001
Finally, "it" has been revealed. They call it Segway. (a play on the word segue, I guess)
Posted by Joanna @ 08:39 p.m.