joy and shadows

Hello everyone out in LJ land,

Hurricane Ivan the Terrible is on its way out of the Caymans and bearing down on Florida.

The pictures of the devastation in the Caribbean islands are heartbreaking.

Most of these small islands are very poor, and they don't have the resources the US does to rebuild. With the decline in sugar cane farming in this region of the world, the islands probably rely on tourism for income (which of course is going to be difficult, since many areas have been blown to kingdom come.) For disaster relief, places like St. George and St. Lucia and the Caymans need organizations like the Red Cross.

A lot of Americans became disillusioned with the Red Cross after the WTC, because their money might not be used for WTC victims. The point of the Red Cross, though, is to supply relief to a disaster.

They really, really need help right now. They've raised $35 million for hurricane victims, but that's not nearly enough.

You can help in two ways:

1. Donate money to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

2. DONATE BLOOD. There is a critical shortage of blood in the US right now, and healthy donors - esp. O-type blood - are needed more than ever.

Please help!

I normally don't post these things, but a lot of the random assignments fit.

Look, angstymcgoth, you're the loner goth kid. Who'd a thunk it?

If LJ Was a High School by Karen_Walker
Username
Principal	evilbra
Lunch Lady	aello
Head Cheerleader	crumblespade
Quarterback	xeontar
Prom Queen	catnapcat
Gang Member	lilykane
Band Geek	sarcasticval
Theatre Geek	caoin
Chess Club Captain	mindmirror
Loner Goth Kid	angstymcgoth
Class Clown	dazz
Quiz created with MemeGen!

3 out of the last 4 of my 3-day holiday weekends have been ruined by someone else's wedding or birthday party not-close to where I live. Stephanie's wedding doesn't count because she had the good grace to hold it on Friday night.

So, I have spent the weekend at the inlaws', catching up on my anime-watching because that's about all I do there besides go shopping.

In a little while we'll head off to see Laurie for her 30th. Knowing Paul, he'll want us to stick around after the party, but we'll have to see how that works out. I can't imagine that Laurie's whole family won't be there, and spending off time with her sisters isn't in my interests.

Tomorrow we'll go to Bordentown to spend time with Matt, Tracy, and the new MG. It'll be a play date for the boys and the S2000, and Tracy and I can hang out. Definitely will be the high point of the weekend - no kids and good fun with friends.

Should probably get ready to go soon. :P

Ganked from gojiraeight

VOTE CTHULHU 2004

Where the candidate stands on important positions

Honestly, the way Indecision 2004 is going, I think I will vote for Cthulhu. It would be an improvement.

It is disgustingly easy to order DVDs and CDs from Deep Discount DVD and CD.

But. I haven't been writing. If I listen to Cocteau Twins, I can write. There's only so many times you can listen to Blue Bell Knoll in one evening. So, I had to buy more Cocteau Twins, and $9.97 a pop isn't bad at all. And I've been aiming to get This Mortal Coil's "It'll All End in Tears" for a long time.

It was a weekend to do nothing, and nothing is what I did. It's still very strange to have to do that soft reset and tell myself that there is no more work I have to be doing, for my thesis or otherwise. The thesis is done, four copies bound and turned in; the cd version was delivered impersonally to the bossman by mail. God help me but I never want to see the fat fuck again.

Anyway.

Today's word is: SOVEREIGNTY. Can you say that, boys and girls? Do you know what it means? Our Fearless Leader is having a little trouble with it.

ymiinjersey sent me this scary, scary file. (Windows media file)

Pres. Bush on Tribal Sovereignty

Rick sent this to me. Send it to someone you love!

You are an Idiot

And, ramothhe sent this to me a while ago and OMG CAN'T STOP LISTENING

Magical Trevor

One of these days I'll have something to say, but suffice it to say that we loves the KitchenAid for its powerful ability to stir things.

Thanks to a tip from my former labmate Jim, the 1st season of Batman: The Animated Series is now in my hot little hands. Forget the travesty of Joel Schumacher; this is the way to go to see the Dark Knight in action.

There's a pass to go see "Catwoman" in the box. I wonder if you first go to see "Catwoman" and then go home to watch the series to get the bad taste out of your mouth.

Oh, and I finally read "Batman: Year One" last night. Commissioner Gordon, you dirty dog!

Cold is improving.... slowly. Advil x Afrin x me = OT3! And, the Sudafed. And, the cough syrup with codeine in it. Feeling nice and mellow right now, thank you very much. *lazy grin*

Get Backers is out a week early. No complaints here.

It has been the week from hell and it ain't over yet. I have to go in on Saturday, for crissake, to pick up some samples to run that frankly aren't going to show us jack shit. However, bossman seemed good with the idea that my name will go on these results. Like I needed this kind of crap this week, when all's was on my agenda was "go home and sleep." Keep on chugging.

Echo doppler went okay, but I won't know the results till later in the week. It was basically a sonogram of the heart, and it was cool in a squicky way to see my heart beating. Didn't like it when the tech put it on speakers - that freaked me out. Hope there's nothing wrong, there.

This is about as coherent as it gets on the codeine, so that's all for now.

Julia Child dead at 91

Sad. She was a great lady. I always got such a kick out of watching her and Jacques Pepin potter around the kitchen together - they were supposed to be doing the work together, but there was no question who was the chef and who was the sous-chef.

And, she was in the OSS. That kicks ass.

RIP Julia.

Two nights ago, we got a call from the Bridgewater Police department.

They found the Teggie - what was left of it, anyway.

According to the police, there was a raid on a chop shop in Elizabeth recently, and a bunch of cars stolen from the Bridgewater Mall around the Christmas time frame were found in the garage, my husband's baby among them. They have the owner of the chop shop in custody.

Husband made sure to tell the police that he'd be more than happy to testify. Me, I'd be easily satisfied. A couple hard slaps and a good punch in the mouth delivered to the asshole(s) who destroyed the car would do wonders for my sense of closure.

My husband called the yard where the car was stored, and the miscreants did a great job of stripping the car - everything was gone except for the frame. Doors, hood, lights, steering wheel, airbags, etc. Of course the special shocks and the air intake and the short shifter were long gone. I'm sure the thief just about creamed his pants when he got back to the shop and saw that the pristine '97 GS-R he'd just nicked had a bunch of modifications not obvious to the casual onlooker.

It makes me so angry. Husband did some of the interior work himself. He was so proud of the little sewing projects he did to make the plate around the shifter look nicer, and I bought him the shocks and the short-shifter for various holidays and birthdays. Oh, and the steering wheel cover, too.

Funny how Grand Theft Auto isn't fun any more after an experience like this.

Husband loves his S2000 and has a lot of fun driving it. He never thought he'd own a sports car, and once the Integra disappeared, it was a good opportunity to get one. He spends the weekend washing and waxing it, and we do get a lot of attention when we go out with the top down.

He doesn't love it the same way he loved the Teggie, though.

I do hope that they bring the owner of the shop to trial, and I hope to get a chance to go. I want to see the motherfucker who hurt my husband so much, who broke his heart over his first car, and who ruined the holiday season for us and our families. Then, I want him to see us drive off in the new car from the window of the prison in Elizabeth.