just like everyone else's blog

Sunday, December 24, 2006

Ah, the holiday paper

So, in the news business *looks pompous* we got this thing called "the breakfast table test." When you're putting things on the front page, you've got to imagine Joe Public eating breakfast, reading the paper. Will he take a sip of coffee and then spit it out, seeing your picture of a man severing a turkey's head? (We had that photo, a while ago. It didn't run on the front, much to our disappointment.) Generally, we put the lurid stuff on the inside pages, when we have it. But this isn't about the breakfast table test; this is about what I'd like to call "the Christmas tree test." What would your family like to read about while recovering from the morning's gift orgy? Today in the paper (for tomorrow, Christmas Day) we have:

Girl, 2, stabbed to death by 9-year-old;
Man shot, killed after fight at shopping mall;
A local boy, 8, who had a sudden relapse of cancer and died unexpectedly.

Yay! I ... I think we fail. Merry Christmas, everybody!

7:00 PM

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

L'esprit de l'escalier

Okay, here's what we're going to do: Pretend that you never saw anything about posting every day, because I LIE. I lie to you, Internets. Don't give me any lip about it. I see nobody posted any comments, so that's good. Let's just pretend.

Here is a story, nonetheless. Do you know l'esprit de l'escalier? It is when just the right thing to say comes to you too late, as you're leaving, usually on the stairs. I had a visit from l'esprit last night. Mark, the news editor, had asked me to take five minutes before I left and come up with a good headline for the feel-good holiday story about a local company that slaughters turkeys (oh, you should have seen the photos we didn't run). I thought for five minutes, but only came up with "Before you gobble 'em ..." which was okay but not brilliant. I told Mark it was the best I could do, and headed out. As I was literally on the stairs, it came to me. I ran back up, into the newsroom, and shouted "Mark!" He jumped (I am startling, like a ninja) and said "Wha?!" "TRUE TALES OF THE TURKEY TRADE," I said. He threw both arms in the air and cheered, and I went on my way. And you know? You better believe it's the lead story on the front page today.

5:26 PM

Saturday, November 11, 2006

NaBloPoWhat?

It's NaBloPoMo! I'm too late to participate for prizes, but I think it's a great idea. I started this blog spurred by a class assignment, with no clear idea of what I wanted to do. It's a good way to keep in touch with family, share photos and things found on the Internets, sure. But I also wanted it to be a place where I could work on my writing. When you do something every day, you get better at it, really and for true. I've seen it happen with Webcomics (check out a current QC, then an old one), and with blogs too. If you're much of a blog-reader, you know what I mean — ever find a delicious new blog, then spend hours wading through the archives? Well, probably not. But I have.

So I've had this idea burbling around in the back of my brain for a while. It's wedged in between "I should learn to sew" and "I should read more nonfiction," but I'd like to think that it has a slightly better chance of happening now, rather than later. (Or ever — do you know how expensive sewing machines are?) Being relaxed and happy seems to have had a beneficial effect on my creativity, and I've been collecting anecdotes from work for something I'm calling "Adventures in the News Media." Not quite sure how to go about it, yet. Should I write them down first? Should I start a new blog? Should I move this blog to typepad so I can have a separate section for it? If I've learned anything in the past several years (*looks wise*) it's that a crappy first step is better than a million awesome plans, so ... tomorrow. Look for something tomorrow. (What? I've got to save stuff up now, if I'm posting every day!)

12:38 PM

Monday, October 30, 2006

The times they are a-changin'

So, it's been quiet around here. A lot of things (well, two big ones) happened in my life at nearly the same time, and I've been adjusting. I'd moved into my new apartment (a block from the beach, the size of a postage stamp, lovely) and left Spidell for good (for AWESOME, if you ask me) shortly before my last post. Since then, I've started my shiny new job as copy editress extraordinaire at the Long Beach Press-Telegram. I'm making less money, working strange hours, and I'm as happy as a clam.

I was supposed to go back to work for Spidell part-time until January. The more I worked at the P-T, though, the more I realized just how awful things had become at Spidell. Funny what you can get used to when you deal with it every day, huh? They'll never hear from me again.

Life is a lot easier now. I love what I do, and I'm frickin' amazing at it (that's basically what my supervisors have told me, I swear). Plus I have all morning and half the afternoon to putter around the apartment, hang out at coffee shops, read, knit, walk on the beach ... IT IS THE BEST THING EVER. And that's on days when I work. When I'm off, nothing's crowded and there's plenty of parking, because everyone else is at work. Yay! Nick's weird schedule means we still have plenty of time together, too.

Months ago, when my therapist asked me what my perfect situation would be, I described my life now, and then laughed. Have you ever gotten everything you wanted? It's unexpected. I'm not complaining, though.

For my next trick, I win the lottery

11:05 PM

Monday, September 25, 2006

We are different people

The Boy and I got magazines at B&N yesterday. We were each excited about our purchases. When we got home, I read my magazine, and he read his; then we traded. I just finished his, and realized that ... we are not the same person, at all. In fact, we're pretty embarrassingly gender-typical.

Can you guess which one is mine? It involves ... um ... chard. Click on the picture for a giant close-up of our article choices.

10:57 PM

Friday, September 22, 2006

Milk-snorting funny

This picture makes me giggle. Like, a lot. Why is that lady holding the little lamp's cord? Is she taking it for a walk? It's totally trying to run away from the big lamp, can you tell? Anyway, you can get your very own giant lamp for the low, low price of £1,660.00 here.

11:34 AM

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

Pressies?

Would you like to get me a present? I will accept this.

I've developed a strange passion for melamine tableware. We had several pieces when I was growing up, and I loved how simple and casual they were.

9:28 AM

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Not that smooth

I've been having a hard morning. My car wouldn't start, and once I'd woken Nick up so he could jump it, I drove off while my purse was still in his living room. Of course, by that time I was running late, so I had to leave the car running and unlocked while I ran into my apartment to dress for work. Good thing it was still there when I came back. Naturally, my coworkers decided the best thing to do would be to give me crap about fixing it (and how am I going to do that, guys, with no money or ID?).

Anyway, I had to take a Self-Pity Moment™ in the ladies' room. I'll just splash cold water on my eyes to get rid of the redness. Nobody will notice. When I left that bathroom, I looked totally composed. So smooth, I thought. And then when Tim asked me what I wanted for lunch, what came out of my mouth was a snot-clogged, wavery little I've-been-crying voice. Oops.

11:22 AM

Friday, August 18, 2006

"Did you do something? I just got a call from Samuel L. Jackson."

BWAAAAAHAHAHAAA!

http://www.snakesonaplane.com

9:31 AM

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

He's from Virginia!

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/08/15/allen.volunteer.ap/

Good old functionally retarded George Allen. He was Virginia's governor once! My favorite part is where he says "Let's give a welcome to Macaca here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia."

Sidarth was born and raised in Fairfax County (VA). He's a senior at the University of Virginia.

But you know, he's brown-skinned, so obviously he's one a them furriners. I bet it played really well with the crowd. Way to go, Georgie!

9:53 AM

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Oh that's hot

I read The Consumerist and Defamer on an hourly basis here at "work." Gawker Media is a blogging juggernaut that I would not throw a rock at in a dark alley. But sometimes I have things to say, and commenting on the Gawker blogs is by invitation only — keeps things civil, you know. Anyway today The Consumerist is giving away invitations, and you better believe I got one. Oh Internets, you better watch out.

9:03 AM

Monday, July 17, 2006

This is why I hike

Here's a quote for you from the National Park Service's webpage on climbing in Yosemite: Spectacular views from the rim of the valley quickly erase memories of any hardships suffered enroute.

And that about sums it up. Nick and I climbed Mt. Baldy this weekend — pictures to follow.

2:42 PM

Friday, June 23, 2006

A pox on both your houses

Capital One, you hire people who can't speak English, and I suffer for it. May your corporate office burn to the ground, and your souls rot in hell for exactly the amount of time it's going to take me to change all of my stored payment information on the Internet. I'm figuring about a week.

Also, your phone system sucks. Gethuman.com does not.

10:21 AM

You're adopted, and nobody loves you

To the person who stole my credit card number and made mysterious PayPal transfers to men with foreign-sounding names:

May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits. Please die.

Sincerely,
Meg

9:49 AM

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

A chat with the X-ladies

I love love love this interview with the actresses from the new X-Men movie.

---

Paquin (Rogue): I still never get to do anything. Three movies, absolutely no action. It's kind of amazing. [...]

Berry (Storm): Well, you got a great love story. I didn't have that. I got no action and no story. I had nothing.

Paquin: I had some gloves.

---

AP: So if Rogue sneaks up on Jean from behind ...

Paquin: Yeah, if she doesn't see it coming ...

Janssen (Jean Grey/Phoenix): The thing is, of course, she can see it coming, because she reads minds.

Romijn (Mystique): But Mystique could turn into any of them and just confuse everyone.

Janssen: And Storm can just make it misty and foggy.

Romijn: She would lose.

Janssen: She would lose because I can just see right through that fog.

11:03 AM

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Topato, I lack the ability to read!

I have really been enjoying Jeffery Rowland's story about the illiterate princess this week over at Overcompensating. I just mention this as a favor, because I know you want to do everything just like me.

10:57 AM

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

The new hotness

Note to the disgruntled young men of Iran: Fabulous careers await you abroad.
Careers in modeling.

From a Washington Post article about jobless youth in a town called Shaft. No, really. Shaft. As in, what the non-elite of Iran have been given, nearly 30 years since the glorious revolution.

Also, if you're looking for something terrifying but educational (as in, "Why those desert people gotta blow themselves and everybody else up all the time?"), read this. Bypass registration with Bugmenot.

from frivolous to serious in 30 words or less

3:08 PM

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

How everyone else sees us

I love Google News. One of the reasons? Because the news is aggregated from all over the Web, regardless of national origin, I get to see how other countries interpret American happenings. With that in mind, I give you: "Republicans target petrol rip-offs to appease voters," from the venerable Australian. You can read the article, but I was mostly amused by the headline. Don't hold back there, guys, tell us how it really is.

9:53 AM

Friday, April 21, 2006

civic duty

I was running late this morning, after falling out of bed at 7:30 instead of 6:45. Fed the cats, put on clothes, brushed teeth, considered hair briefly in the mirror before shrugging and heading out . . . and I was making pretty good time on the drive, all things considered, when I noticed something bad bad bad in the road ahead of me. In the lane to my left, there was a big, thick wood pallet. In my lane, there was a red plastic gas can. Both things had probably fallen off a passing truck. The work van in the lane next to me tried to drive over the pallet, but caught both sides of the thing on its wheels and sent wood flying everywhere. As I passed the gas can, I could see that it was leaking, and the smell of gas was overpowering.

Now, I'm kind of a wuss, but sometimes the right thing to do is too obvious to ignore. I called information, got the Stanton police, and told them about the mess. They said they'd check it out. Ta da! I even made it to work on time. *does a little dance*

Current Mood: totally full of myself

8:48 AM

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Miscellany

Today was awful, and I'm ready for it to be over. But nevermind that — on to (marginally) more exciting things!

Trader Joe's has an amazing new product: A whole chunk of not-quite-parmesan-but-close that comes right there in its own little grater! Squee! It makes teeny tiny little shreds of cheese, and there's nothing to clean when you're done!

I was eating (snarfing) half a not-quite-a-cantelope-but-close (also from TJ's) when I noticed that it matched my new flowers. Coincidence? Most likely!

Current Music: the ultra-soothing Sufjan Stevens

Current Mood: resigned

8:39 PM

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

John K. told me to tell you

Do you remember Ren and Stimpy? Of course you do, you eeeeediots. Well John K. has a blog, and today he's got some video clips from unreleased Ren and Stimpy episodes! Whee!

Also, check out that picture at the bottom — is he hot or what? Dang.

9:32 AM

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

overheard

Pirates Dinner Theater is now open in Buena Park!

You'll eat like a king — a PIRATE KING!

Call 1-800-466-AHOY to make your reservations today!

I love Buena Park. It's like the Twilight Zone, all the time! That's what happens when your whole economy is based on B-grade theme parks and motels from the 1950's.

9:26 AM

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Peep

Last night I went to a concert with Lori, up at the Gibson Amphitheater. It's a long drive, north of North Hollywood, but there wasn't a lot of traffic (thank you, L.A. traffic deities), at least until we got to the 101. What has eight lanes and never moves? The 101. Ha, ha. Anyway, it was a good chance to study some of those funny old apartment buildings in Koreatown/NoHo as we crawled past.

I like looking in people's windows after dark — not to be creepy, but for the same reason I like dollhouses and editorial portraits. Framed unsuspecting in their windows at night, people are unguarded, out of context. Anyway, in a high window of some ancient building with a name like "The Fauntleroy," hung a picture on a wall. I couldn't see exactly what it was of; it was at quite a distance from us. First I saw the picture, then I saw a man. He was standing next to the picture, staring off into space, hands on his hips. What was he looking at? As we passed (sloooowly) I saw some shelves — no, cabinets! — and a counter, and then ... a microwave. He was watching the microwave, waiting for it to finish. Don't you do that? I do that. That's the thing about staring at strangers — the longer you look, the more you realize you're looking at yourself.

1:48 PM

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Starbucks, you jerk

I hear on the radio "Starbucks is giving away free coffee!" and because "free" and "coffee" have just occurred in the same sentence, I immediately call my supervisor to tell him I'll be late. "I can't help it, man," I say. "The coffee is free." However, when I arrive and timidly ask the barista "Is it true?", what does she say but "It's true after 10." I cried a little, and paid for a marbled mocha macchiato, because it is one of the finest coffee drinks around (abbreviated "MMM" which is surely a sign), but in my heart I'll never forgive you. Jerk.

9:11 AM

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Patti or Star Wars? YOU DECIDE

When I got up this morning, my hair had arranged itself, overnight, into an exciting new shape. It may be trying to get an art grant behind my back. Anyway, I couldn't decide if I looked more like Patti Mayonnaise from Nickelodeon's "Doug," or one of those aliens from the bar scene in "Star Wars" — what do you think?

Current Music: Animal Collective, The Purple Bottle

Current Mood: distracted

10:02 AM

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

I was there, I swear

I added some more pictures to my flickr Joshua Tree set. Click to see more of ... well, me. In the desert.

2:02 PM

Monday, February 27, 2006

You get AAA because ...

… When you shut your locked car door on a rainy Monday morning, and turn to see your keys resting inside on the driver's seat, they'll send some guy to open your car within 20 minutes, no questions asked.

Happy Monday.

1:06 PM

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

The Wonderland of Rocks

So I went to Joshua Tree, with my Sierra Club class, and we wandered around in the desert, slept in the very very cold, and climbed around on things till we were all bloody and bruised. Whee! No, for realz, yo.

It doesn't look like it was almost freezing, does it? Link goes to flickr photoset.

9:18 PM

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

hahaha OMG

The Comic-Con hotel reservations opened at 9 today. At 9:45, when I called Sara to warn her, they were almost completely full. San Diego tends to swell to bursting with nerds during the convention, and based on my experience last year (two nights at the coolest hotel evar, followed by two nights at The La Quinta Hell-Pit — at the same rate) I wanted to get my res in early. Obviously the thing to do would be to make reservations at the Motel 6 or hostel or whatever a year in advance, but I don't think that way, so I depend on the Comic-Con's low, low, negotiated rates with local hotels. Now, these rates are low. Low. Especially considering where some of them are; Nick and I will be staying at none other than The Westgate Hotel, a five-star luxury hotel walking distance from the convention center. We are there at a rate that, for a total of three nights, is less than ONE NIGHT there at the standard rate. I checked.

Hey man, we can't afford to eat there, but we can offend some rich old people with our scruffiness. Holy crap.

Edit: I remembered that Spike stayed at some hotel in Little Italy last year that she recommended highly, and on investigating found out two people can stay there for the princely sum of $75 a night. So we'll be staying there, instead. Yep.

10:10 AM

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Awww

Meggish and Nickish

Last night the lovely and talented Jason G. sent me this photo, from his bonfire last month. Jason shares my love of a good source-light photo =]

9:45 AM

Friday, February 03, 2006

because I'm awesome

Well, I guess I can stop complaining about feeling underappreciated at work. Earlier this week I got my bonus and a raise, on the same day. Wooo! When I thanked my boss this morning, she gave me a hug and said "We've ignored you for too long. It's not time for raises yet, but you've earned it." Dang tootin' I've earned it!

*does the raise dance*

After shopping my little heart out at REI, my next goal is to move out of the ghetto. Belmont Shore, here I come!

11:31 AM

Thursday, January 26, 2006

slant slant slant, all day long

The latest FOX News poll finds that nearly half of Americans say they would vote to confirm Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito.

Alrighty, let's put our brains to use here. By "nearly half," FOX is saying — what exactly? That less than half of Americans want that grinning little weasel on the Supreme Court, i.e. most people don't want him there (or are too ignorant to care).

Thanks again, FOX, for fighting that ol' liberal media sterotype. *rolls eyes*

4:38 PM

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

Heck yeah, Georgetown

"When you're a law student, they tell you that if you can't argue the law, argue the facts. They also tell you if you can't argue the facts, argue the law. If you can't argue either, apparently, the solution is to go on a public relations offensive and make it a political issue... to say over and over again "it's lawful", and to think that the American people will somehow come to believe this if we say it often enough."
— David Cole, Georgetown University law professor, on certain lies

Meanwhile, Georgetown law students have something to say

9:13 AM