I was going to do some writing tonight, but then I kept getting overwhelmed by all that I want to understand but that I can't quite put into words. And I can't quite understand things until I put them into words, so all that to say: I got nothing done writing-wise.

*sigh*

But all was not lost.

I made brownies. *grin*

Today's Vlog:

A project that could've been, and a possible upcoming audition.

Should I go for it? Do the audition? I have until mid-September to decide... Help!


Well??

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I'm at home watching "Enchanted," drinking a Wild Berry wine cooler, and eating Easy Mac.

...

i would rather be... um... I can't think of any place... I know I'd rather be somehow else, if not somewhere else. :S

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Yes, she looks tired and ill, but give Madonna a break. That's what happens when we women hit 50.
(I tested that link a few times and sometimes it just doesn't work. No idea why. The article is by Liz Jones and is on the Daily Mail website.)

"And do you know what? This rampant ageism really hurts. I was in the hairdresser the other day (the demented, feverish need of all women past the age of 35 to have our roots retouched every 14 days is as oppressive as foot binding) when the young colourist dared to say: 'The white regrowth is really obvious, I wonder you didn't wear a hat!'

I would have been quite within my rights to opine: 'Well, at least I'm not fat and wearing a ridiculous mini skirt and prone to varicose veins because I'm on my feet all day.'

I could have said all this, but I am sure if I had jaws would have dropped noiselessly around me.

When I challenged the young woman, wondering whether, as I was a paying client, she might have been a bit more tactful, she said, affronted and surprised: 'Would you prefer it if I wasn't honest?'

Well, yes, I would, actually, you dim cow. And I would be very grateful if designers and stylists and photographers and magazine editors would stop holding up 16-year-old children as some sort of ideal we should all aspire to.

Yes, teenage girls don't have deep grooves running from nose to mouth, or thinning eyebrows and really stubborn white whiskers, but neither do they have wit, or conversation, or mystery, or opinions, or experience, or memories, or money."

Being a brief diversion on the dubious origins of the overheard conversation topic choices of teenage girls at the McDonald's on Bluemound and Brookfield Rd. in Brookfield, WI one sunny, summer, Wednesday afternoon.

I love you my Rose. Even though you play neither soccer nor tennis.

Thank you, my Rose.

[Uploaded 7/30/08 10:45 pm so it may not be available for a little bit yet...]

.

This video is so painfully funny I don't know whether it's actually funny, or just downright painful. Like- "Science and Vocabulary Police" painful.

If you're somewhere where you're unable to watch the video, here's what happens in it:

There's this meeting going on in Dallas someplace where you've got a bunch of guys sitting around a table talking about parking tickets coming in and then not being processed correctly and just... disappearing. One of the guys says the place they're going is like "a black hole" because of the way they all come in and then disappear like things do when they get sucked into a black hole.

All of a sudden two black members of the conversation start getting on that guy, some local white guy, saying that "black hole" is a racist term and demanding an apology and asking how he can say something so insulting at a table "with so much diversity represented" and blah blah blah. (Sorry, but where I come from, if you're going to say something racist then you're a jerk, no matter what all different groups are within earshot of your racist ass.)

The local news guy reporting the story talks with one of the two offended guys outside to ask him about his thoughts on the issue. The offended guy compares the white guy's use of "black hole" to his own hypothetical use of the phrase "Jew you down" and goes on to say they're equally inappropriate.

 

See how they're the same? A scientific term and an ethnic slur: Totally the same thing. Yup. Totally.

I was reading a blog the other day about a similar "town hall meeting" type situation where there was a group of folks discussing budgetary concerns and one of the people said he was tired of his opponent's "niggardly behavior" towards spending more money on area schools.

The opponent became outraged at this blatant use of what he thought was a racist epithet, especially in a public situation like this.


For goodness' sake, folks. Read a book.

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My dad is talking in very technical terms with his foreman, entirely in Spanish, in the other room. Sometimes I forget he can do that.

He just asked me how to say "shrink" in Spanish. *shrugs* I 'unno. The best I can come up with online is "encoger." Carlos buys that.

"You don't get anything clean without getting something else dirty."
Cecil Baxter

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke

"Since we cannot know all that there is to be known about anything, we ought to know a little about everything."
Blaise pascal

Went to the Bristol Renaissance Faire on Saturday and, as usual, had a way excellent time, thanks in large part to the fact that the day was "hosted" by pureinpink  's family full of awesome people. I've got video clips of some of the acts, and a few pictures, but I haven't had time to pool all that into a video yet, so below is one I made out of a video I took on Friday evening when I was, uh... s'pposed to be working on my lines...

In conclusion: I *did* work on my lines that night, thankyouverymuch. Fat lot of good it seemed to do, though. Really biffed it tonight at dress. Ick. I am such an unprofessional boob.

Wishing I was a professional boob,

Ruth

.

"I'm breaking out!
I want the world to know,
I got to let it show..."

"Yoinked from rustyangel  :

Based on the lj interests lists of those who share my more unusual interests, the interests suggestion meme thinks I might be interested in
1. goldfrapp score: 11
2. gardens score: 4
3. kissing in the rain score: 4
4. stereolab score: 4
5. absinthe score: 4
6. bette davis score: 4
7. herbalism score: 4
8. hedwig score: 3
9. jean m. auel score: 3
10. dexter score: 3
11. damn the man score: 3
12. sexy-rexy score: 3
13. hiccups score: 3
14. the sound of music score: 3
15. sylph score: 3
16. womyn score: 3
17. falcon score: 3
18. colleen score: 3
19. urban decay score: 3
20. buckethead score: 3

Type your username here to find out what interests it suggests for you. Popularity Ceiling: (Please be patient!)

changed by ouwiyaru based on code by ixwin
Find out more

Hmmm...

In other news: I got my dad's internet up and running at his new office! Hooray! *shakes clasped hands heartily above head before remembering "I'm not a boxer!!"*

I've been thinking about Jake M. a lot lately for some reason. Jake: How are you?

And to my friend Sarah K. who has been having eventful days right and left lately: Keep on truckin', little lady. You're doing beautiful things oh so beautifully.

Time to wrap this up and frantically try to learn a few more lines before rehearsal tonight. We were supposed to be off book last night. Who had their script on stage for most of her scenes anyway? That's right: ME! *sigh* It's getting easier now that we're not changing the set constantly anymore (I hope). I learn lines by doing them in the context of the scene on stage with the other actors, but when I'm constantly having to re-time stuff it just-- ugh. It throws me. Because I am a big, incompetent, unprofessional boob.

*pllbbbbbbbt*

HAHAHAHAHA!!

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"Pollution to Protest"
Posted by LauraLing on CurrentTV.com


"China’'s rapid economic growth has stunned the world, making it a global power in a short span of years. It has also produced a staggering amount of environmental damage, which the world is also beginning to note. But it has also done something else—spurred ordinary Chinese citizens to start organizing, sometimes in defiance of the government. In the process, they’'ve created the beginnings of a civil society that could bring greater freedom overall inside the world’s largest dictatorship."

And in a timely bit of Stumbling... Olympic nightmare: A red tide in the Yellow Sea

We're debating what to do about rehearsal on Thursday because it's Juneteenth and some of us have to drive through the "festival" areas to get to the church where we practice so there's no way we'll be able to start on time, but if we start too late then it's not worth going at all that day.

Last year I had to drive down Locust to get to an evening audition at that same church and ended up being super late because I didn't know about Juneteenth and I ended up getting stuck by all the people in the streets who couldn't cross them faster than .83 mph, or who refused to use the sidewalks, or who were too busy intimidating drivers who wanted to continue driving towards their intended destinations to be able to find time to, you know, get out of the middle of the street...

And bear in mind that these roads weren't closed off. There was no "festival" set up where I was. No events- formal or informal. Not really anything happening except people sitting in windows and on front stoops and in yards and on sidewalks and in parks and on curbs and milling around in the streets... I know there were things going on someplace else, but where I was there was nothing but people just kinda... hanging out.

And blocking traffic.

And yelling at you when you wanted to take your turn at a stop sign when you had the right of way.

Up to that point it was just annoying. But then--

I watched people in the streets pounding on cars that were trying to get through the crowds, and somehow just kept going like there was nothing to be afraid of. But you know what? There was. There were plenty of things to be afraid of. I was just too blindly optimistic to think there might be cops in riot gear a couple of streets over, or that people would actually break in my windows and pull me out of my car and start beating me in the street in celebration of a declaration read in Texas a hundred and fifty years ago.

What?!



Is that how we're supposed to celebration the emancipation of the slaves? Is that what people lived and died for? Are the freedoms and rights people have been sacrificing themselves for snce the inception of this nation something to celebrate by making a mockery of justice by ignoring laws and committing violent crimes against innocent bystanders?

Happy Juneteenth, everybody...

“The only thing that stops God from sending another flood is that the first one was useless.”
Chamfort

Some footage from the flooding here in Waukesha...



I didn't know it was as bad as it was until I saw some pics my friend Kurt posted in his Flickr stream. I stopped by on Monday afternoon around 5:30 to take some pics and video of my own. I didn't really have a plan so it's a bit disjointed-- sorry. :P

And so many of you guys who read this don't know what this area looks like anyway so I know this won't mean as much to you, but for those of you who *are* from around here, or who've at least seen the river walk area, these images are mind-blowing. The water level is up like 6 or 8 feet, and it's spreading so far beyond its normal bounds that it's up and over the curbs, over the sidewalks, up the steps of teh river banks, and flowing into nearby streets and parking lots.

So much of downtown Waukesha was roped off due to flooded out streets, parking lots, and bridges that it took me a half hour to cover a mile and a half to find a place to park!

If you're not a video person, I threw a few pics into my last LJ blog if y'd rather just scroll down instead...

(Note: It's currently 12:20 am and I just uploaded this vid a few minutes ago so if you're around now and check in shortly it may not be viewable yet...)

So did Carroll's "Lend Me A Tenor" suck as much as I am forced to assume it did based on the cast list I just read in the latest "Humanities, Fine Arts, and Social Sciences" newsletter?

Yowch, man.

And who chose that F Train to Dullsville performance picture that accompanied the article? FIRE THEM.

There's almost nothing you could do to get me to see that particular group of people in anything more than five minutes long that didn't involve them working behind the scenes with entirely different people actually up on stage.

Wow. I didn't realize I felt so strongly about their level of suck. Hm.

No but seriously: Double Plus Bad.

Are Carroll shows even reviewed anymore?

Anyone who takes theatre seriously needs to transfer out of that program. Obviously I hate to think of it going away, and I do think wholeheartedly and without any reservations that it can be salvaged, but that will take at LEAST a few years (a few years plus loads of outreach work and bringing in more and better folks), which means that in the meantime students are paying tens of thousands of dollars every year for... for what? Flabbergasting mediocrity? I'm sure it was rough on Tom gettin' the boot (or whatever really happened), but I think he's lucky to be out of there. Whatever was happening wasn't working, and deserved or not he'd've gotten all the blame, and that's no fun.

In conclusion, Carroll Players: Get out get out get out. Try back later. Lights off. Doors locked. Go home.

Or to Whitewater.

I hear they kinda suck too, but I'll be gol'durned if their grads aren't taught which bootays need kissin' back in Milwaukee if they want to keep nice and busy.

So Players: Get ready to pucker up...

Before putting together the video from the last entry I had to get my editing stuff together, and I realized as I did so that I pretty much do the same stuff every time I sit down to edit videos, so I figured I'd make a video of how I make videos.

:P *plbbbbbbbt*



I got all that together intending to do work on video footage I got today of the flooding in Waukesha, but it was kind of a daunting task what with all the video I took, and the one with Bekah and Patches just needed a title page and a quick fade, so I ditched the harder one in favor of the Bekah/Patches one. *meh* What can I say- I'm lazy. And those two girls are just so darn cute!

ETA: I noticed that video wasn't loading on its YouTube page anymore; that a note comes up on it saying it's no longer available. The same thing happens sometimes if I try to play it here in this LJ page, but it doesn't seem to ever happen on my MySpace blog where I have the video posted. Anyone know anything that might make this make some sense? (And there's no reason for it to be flagged- there's no nudity (*pfffft*), no copyrighted material, not even any music playing in the background.)

I've moved on to "Kon-Tiki" and will start on the flood videos later, but for now, a few pictures from my walk through Waukesha this afternoon...

...or at least that's what her ex-boyfriend would have you believe. *fumes silently*

I just told my sister that I un-friended her ex on Facebook because, you know, he and I were only really "friends" there so we could exchange jokes and one-liners about my sister-- all nice stuff, mind you-- but I thought that now since they're broken up there's not really much reason for me to have him on my list anymore. He was never unkind to me or anything, just didn't really know him, blah blah blah.

So then she tells me she took him off her list on Facebook too but how he keeps friend requesting her anyway after having told her she's "a pathetic slut," among other things, and bad-mouthing her to her friends who he's met along the way.

What a douche.

She told me some other just kinda lame-ass, inconsiderate things he did (*she* dumped *him*, surprise surprise) and some of the stuff he's saying about her (all of it untrue but very enticing in gossip circles) and she's really cool about it, but this guy is such an OC supporting cast wannabe I can hardly believe it. Seriously: guy's a jerk.

This is what happens when guys have mostly female friends (which he does). Does your guy have mostly female friends? Be worried. Not that he'll cheat on you with them, but that the constant proximity to feminine brands of passive aggression and self-centeredness will turn him into a douche. A "won't help you with driving directions when you're in an unfamiliar area and he can't be bothered to stop chatting up your girlfriends," "won't take you home in time for your curfew," "won't get you back home when you have things to do early the next morning and finals to study for," "won't leave the house after you keep asking him to and after your dad comes out to make him leave," "he's'a smack talk you to your friends" douche. Because that's what high school girls are like. And that's what guys are like who hang out with too many girls like that.

And he's trying to friend her.

*shakes head*

Idiot.

She said she told some of her friends who are friends with him also about the way he's been talking to and about her and she said most of them ignored her because, "LOL idc it's just my flist LOL."

The world is full of assholes. That's all there is to it.

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I'm at home now watching "Once Upon A Mattress" over a slice of reheated frozen pizza. Yum yum yum...

The pizza's almost as good as it was last night. Ain't life grand?

As for "Mattress"... I figure I keep hearing people who've done the show talk about it and I was curious what all the fuss was about. And boy if renting it for free from the library don't beat the heck out of spending $15 to see some crummy, two-bit production at a community theatre nobody quite knows how to get to, I don't know what does!! ;D

And can you believe Tracey Ullman was FORTY-FIVE when they filmed this latest version?!

And now, my sisters and me:

Weekend Schmeekend

Saturday: Awesome storms. Absolutely awesome. And unlike many parts of the country I can say that and *mean* it and *enjoy* it because I wasn't getting flooded out of any place at any point.

I did wonder for a brief period of time on Saturday afternoon/evening if I ought to mosey on down to the parking garage under my building for fear of being too near a window when a tree branch came crashing into my home, but as it stands that didn't happen, so all is well.

Went to Fave Local Townie Bar on Saturday night with friends and the place was only "pleasantly full" instead of "annoyingly packed" due to the large number of people who usually drive out from Milwaukee who apparently decided it wasn't worth the risk to take the 25 minute drive out to the 'sha just for some decent drink prices and an overly crowded dance floor.

Woo hoo!

I have a response vid I want to make today about "things I love." (Thanks jallen285!) Here's hoping I get to it because it's silly-ish but fun. Then rehearsal at 7. Slightly less worried about the show, but still a bit paranoid. But what's keeping me busy during the day is that while searching for a new job I'm going to be helping my dad get some stuff started up so he can keep busy and working and all that. Don't know how it'll play out yet, but we'll get it all figured out.

Kind of a complicated arrangement, but everything works out. Sometimes it works out to where you're brought so low in the process that you almost can't fathom the losses, but it does work out. And I'm not afraid.

Viiiiiiernes

Mimi and my brother are flying to Niger this Monday afternoon. There's a huge part of me that wishes I could join them, but I just don't feel drawn to go for the same reasons they're going. That, and it's HOT in Niger. Did you know this? HOT. One of those "120 degrees in the shade" type countries.

Giraffes = Abundant? Yes.

Giraffes > Extreme Heat? No.

They have a stop in Casablanca. Cool, eh?

I found their flights and booked 'em a couple months back. In and out on Air Morocco. I'd like to visit Morocco one of these days. I priced it out on Sidestep and it's around $1,600 if you fly out of O'Hare and have a stop at some Mohammad Something Or Other airport in Amsterdam.

Man... I can't even imagine how much Dramamine I'd have to take to be able to handle a flight like that. Yowch.

Went out with Jen and her boyfriend Richard tonight. Had a drink and some mozz sticks, went for an hour long walk along the river in downtown Waukesha, went someplace else for another drink and a lot of sitting and gabbing. Such nice people. And luckily Jen's a talker like me. ;) Poor Richard. ;)

And now, exhaustion sets in and I bid you all good night. Sweet dreams to you all of rivers, midnight walks with friends, and trips to Morocco...



Ahhh- lovely. "Amazigh," even...

Also: I think it's time we all started wearing more lightweight white tunics during the warm summer months. Heavy denim jeans and tight fitting t-shirts? *pfft* Pure silliness!!

From "The 86 Rules of Drinking"

1. If you owe someone money, always pay them back in a bar. Preferably during Happy Hour.

44. Being drunk is feeling sophisticated without being able to say it.

75. Beer makes you mellow, champagne makes you silly, wine makes you dramatic, tequila
makes you felonious.

"Boy it sure is Monday..."

I'm watching "The Road to Wellville" and wondering what on earth I'm going to do about "Wait Until Dark." I gave one of the dullest, most uninspired reads of my life tonight.

I just don't know to do with her, who she is, what's going on... I felt like such a dope. :S

I'm very excited about it, though, because three of the actors in it gave *awesome* reads. One of them, Randall, and I were cast in a show together several years ago, but something came up and he had to leave the show so we only worked together for about a week. He's got this great vocal quality and a very fun read on his character.

The other two, Brian and Matthew, were in a show together last season, and I've done a couple of shows with Matthew myself, and they're going to be great too! They're both creepy in all the right ways. Very. Creepy.

God I hope I figure something out. And fast...

Geez. Aside from the weird food and the colonics, I could totally do this whole Road to Wellville thing.

Minus Dana Carvey's George character, too. *jibbly jibbly jibbly* The kid who plays young George is also weird looking. Very weird looking. I almost don't know which George is creepier, really.

I could go for some Ramen noodles. Perhaps-- perhaps I shall have some...

"Not my fault, but my responsibility."

Doggonit.

That's been a big one lately. Lots of stuff going on, big stuff, crazy stuff. And in the end everything gets dealt with by whoever it is at the end of the line, no matter who it is that started it all.

Doggonit.

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

I'm at my parents' house watching Deadliest Catch. Patches is resting by my feet with her head on my knee (I'm sitting cross-legged), I'm full of pizza, Bekah's at work at her new job at the mall, David is out with his girlfriend picking up his motorcycle from... somewhere... and I just may swear off of crab forever after watching this show.

I'm starting my job search in earnest tomorrow. It's kind of exciting, but a little intimidating.

Intimidating like-- well like when you were given an assignment in school to write a paper about anything, provided that it was at least a certain length when you were finished. I can take a job where I do anything, provided that I earn at least a certain amount.

Aaahhh!! Too open-ended!!

Patches has shifted with me. She's now resting her head on my ankle. I love having a dog around.

Rehearsals for "Wait Until Dark" start tomorrow night at Bucketworks. Don't know what time yet, though. Hm. The show will be good, I think. I only know who four of the cast members are (including myself), but as long as we do our thing and we do it well, and as long as Mark Hooker has enough of a hand in it (it seems it's being guest directed...), it'll be good.

Is crab really tasty enough to warrant people subjecting themselves to jobs like the ones in this show? Mercy mercy me...