face for sale.

Emory's bulletin board after graduation, when all the notices had been (mostly) removed. Taken May 2008.

on the brighter side.

Did you know that this year is the International Year of the Potato? What are YOU doing to celebrate? I want to have a Potato Party!!



Yesterday I went to a game of the Atlanta Dream! Below, "Atlanta Dream players Katie Feenstra (6-foot-8) and Ivory Latta (5-foot-6) model the new uniforms to be worn by Atlanta's WNBA franchise" (source).


They didn't win, but it was very close (85-81), against the Minnesota Lynx, who are undefeated this season. I'm very optimistic! I went with a friend and we were just so excited, trying to imagine what it would have been like growing up with professional basketball stars that were women.

I was for Obama all along, but it still stings a bit that we are not going to have a female presidential candidate. This helps!

Charity :)

[sigh]

Today.

I found out I didn't get the job and Guilford, and am feeling discouraged, because if I'm always up against 200 candidates (UNCG) or someone with more experience than I could possibly have at my age, then I'm not sure how I'm ever going to get a job, especially one close to my family. Or even at all. I tried not to get my hopes up, but seeing my parents so excited and acting confidently in the interview tricked me into doing just that. I'm very sad on top of being discouraged.

Therefore, I was not in the best state of mind to receive an email from a former student that was a not-at-all-veiled threatening and completely libelous attempt at blackmail.

My mom told me I should get a lawyer and keep my eyes open in case I need to get a restraining order as well. Great.

And today was supposed to be so fun in class. We are doing skits, and watching video clips. I guess it's best that I have activities planned, so I don't burst into tears halfway through. I love teaching. It gives me the most wonderful feeling, and I'm so good at it. I wish I could learn the secret to getting a job doing it full-time.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers. It still looks to be a long day.

Charity

bush vs. zombies!

the Marshalls near my dad's house is way better than anything they have down in Hot-Lanta.

I'm getting ready for my interview. I don't know what this feeling is. Is similar to nervousness, but more like excitement. Kind of like I'm getting ready to go on a first date. Let's just hope the school wants to kiss me at the end of it.

Not literally, of course.

Ooh, or it's like I'm getting ready to go back to the Dr. Who exhibit at the State Fair all those years ago. I know on a literal that I'm not actually in any danger. Yet, there's still this feeling of not quite knowing what to expect.

Hoping for the best!

Charity :)

ack.

Last night I was minding my own business, eating a yummy cookie (yummy!), when I crunched down on something predictably hard and round and little. Great, the top of my tongue stud came unscrewed again, I thought. One day I'm seriously going to crack a tooth.

Something felt different this time, though, and I rolled my eyes and headed to the bathroom, fishing out the little hard semi-sphere. That's when I realized what was different. The top had actually broken off, and the stem of the screw remained in the metal bar.

I've been thinking about taking it out lately anyway. I took it as a sign, and didn't really mourn too much. It was funny to realize I still have a slight lisp, although it might go away in time. My tongue was very sensitive where the stud had been, as I imagine one's skin would be once a cast was removed.

I didn't really miss it until this morning. Drinking my tall soy latte (I have to treat myself in troubled times such as these, I rationalized), I really felt the difference. See, the metal bar used to heat up when I drank my coffee, and I didn't even realize it until now. My tongue feels like a huge, desensitized blob that I'm in danger of choking on. Yuck.

I was going to post a film, as a visual aid. Then I looked them up and remembered my pledge after I got it done that once would be enough times. I can't go back. It's too gruesome.

One has to grow up sometime, I guess.


even goonies grow up.

bouncy castles are the best kind!

I got Sam a new zip lead today. I did have an old leash that was only about 4 feet long, and seemed a bit fragile. His new one is nice and silver (matching his collar; unfortunately his harness matches his last leash, but the green provides a nice POP of color, as Stacy and Clinton might observe). Anyway, it's from Planet Dog, and I asked the nice young man at the store today if he thought my cat would mind that it says "Planet DOG" and he chuckled nervously, replying, "No, I don't think so." I was like, "Kidding."

It's embarrassing how often I have to tell people I'm joking. And worrisome...

In other news, I think I'm in love with this cat. And maybe his human friend, too. Enjoy!



It's been viewed over 9 million times. I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around that, even though I recognize that it's really good.

Today I went to a birthday party for a 4 year old. I babysit her and was lucky enough to score an invitation to the after party as well. SCORE! And, there was a giant bouncy castle! So. Much. Fun. And the little girl's mom, my friend Sara, even bought me Boca burgers (even though I'm the only vegetarian). What a wonderful time.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the video as much as Sam likes his new leash and as much as I liked the bouncy castle.

Charity :)

At the Zoo.

I went to the zoo this past week with Alison and Jack. What a cutie! Here are some pictures.



The weirdest thing (aside from the beautiful Kori Bustard that was obsessed with me that unfortunately I neglected to get a picture of), was the otters, who were moving in a tightly clustered group, chirping. I guess I could find out more about it if I felt like researching, but Alison and I reasoned that they might be waiting for a feeding, since it was very close to closing time. I took a video, in case I have piqued your interest.



Have a great weekend! The weather is so beautiful. I'm off to a birthday party. Yay!

Charity :)

a sustainable mind.

I'm participating in a workshop on incorporating sustainability into the curriculum of my classes and in reviewing the preparation materials required for it, I came across this video.



I love the things he's talking about, and the idea that the developing countries could use our technological advances to skip our heavy ecological footprint types of development, but I don't really know how he expects the developing world to pay for it all...

In general, the environmental crisis scares me for that exact reason. Who is going to invest in the research and development of these ideas and how will we ever pay for them in time for them to make a difference?! It's like, if we would have devoted ourselves to the pursuit of "green" solutions" about 40 years ago, it might have made a difference. Instead, we've been "farting around" as my dad might say, while the window of opportunity slowly closed.

Now people can do whatever they want, and call it the wave of the future, but how can we possibly create the infrastructural changes necessary in time to avert social and natural disaster?

Just a thought.

[I've been struggling with financial crisis for the past few days, so I guess that's kind of "where my mind's at" right now. I sure would love a sustainable paycheck.]

But sure, I'll talk about sustainability in my class anyway. It couldn't hurt.

Charity :)

silly reindeer games.

OMG LOL. How do you like YOUR ramen??



I am having a pretty good day, even though I got TWO parking tickets last week. My first ever. The first was at school, and the second was in front of my house. I parked too close to the hydrant, because there were no spaces! Then today when I went to my car, there was a note from my neighbor asking me politely not to park in front of their house since they have kids and do a lot of construction. I love it. So I'm supposed to leave empty spaces there and park even farther from my own house when people who are at Fellini's and La Fonda are parked in front of MY house. Or maybe in front of the fire hydrant again? Oh, no. That's bad too.

Whatever. I don't even care. I got another interview done today (10 physicians, 22 total already!) and two more are in the works. Class starts soon, so I'm getting ready for that, too. I don't have time for silly parking games.

Charity :)

you know you're not at the top of your game...

you know you're not at the top of your game when you get up bright and early, drink your tea, take a shower, and then put clean pajamas on.

almost there... but not quite.

I have been cleaning my ceiling and other hard to reach places today.

Like, my ceiling fans, and my freezer. Here is some ice I got; when one bowl melted, I was able to fill up another and I'm still not through. The problem with renting is that I usually don't feel much ownership in problems such as these. But, as the post-it note on my bathroom mirror reminds me on a daily basis: Today's the day!!

Last week I went to Merlefest with my parents, and I wanted to post a few pictures of that.

Mom and me waiting for some music on a day when there was NOT a giant thunderstorm. (On the day there was, I happened to be on my way to see a venue indoors, which of course there were a line of people when I got there who were trying to escape the rain and so were standing in line for said concert, thus ruining my chances of being able to see it [grumbling continues under breath], which was not as bad as my poor parents, who figured they'd wait it out under Richard's poncho, which unfortunately had a hole in it, so didn't provide total protection from the torrential downpour in their seats situated right smack-dab in the middle of a slight, um, flood plain... So go the joys and sorrows of Merlefest!)

Mom and Richard while we were waiting (again, NOT in the heavy thunderstorm complete with lightning and dark gray sky which actually cleared up in about 30 minutes, which unfortunately was not quickly enough to prevent thousands of hippies and non-hippie bluegrass fans from getting completely soaked, along with my parents).

My most favorite band, even better than the Magnetic Fields (if only from a personalities of the artist perspective), the Avett Brothers performing some song which I don't remember which one it is but whichever one it was it ROCKED (they are great, and I had seen them the week before in Atlanta which also rocked, but what confused me was the extent to which the audience, made up mostly of what appeared to be a strange strange strange combination of frat boys and hippies, loved the band and sang along with a large number of their songs, a phenomenon which also occurred during the performance at Merlefest of another great band, Old Crow Medicine Show, both facts which prompt me to wonder where all these people are finding out about such great music, since most college radio stations I know of are playing mostly indie music [although Spin online did cover their Atlanta show]).

Anyway, I've also been taking Sam out on a leash lately. At first I thought it would be fun and hoped it wouldn't be too torturous for him, but I actually realized far too late that what has happened instead is that I've created a monster, as you can see below. He was waiting to go outside and he cries and cries and CRIES (also, his misdeeds have increased in both severity and frequency; the other day I was on my way out the door, of course dressed up and on my way to a baby shower with the gifts, and of course in the rain, and he bolted, finally allowing me to find him pressed entirely against the fence in my neighbor's yard, protecting himself futilely [I actually thought he was trapped at first] behind some dried out ivy stems).

Bless his heart.

since this time last week.

Since this time last week (check it out), I have done SEVEN interviews with physicians. Plus, I have three more scheduled, and one more who has committed to participate but who is out of town until June. So that's eleven, out of the 18 I need.

I can't believe how EXCITED I am! I mean, I can't believe how smoothly this is going! Of course, now I've doomed us all, but I mean, I am just walking on air right now!

Kind of like this guy. But in a different way.



Charity :)

the significance of 1649.

I found out this evening that the four digit number listed in the subject line of this entry is the dollar amount of income tax (state + federal) that I owe the government(s). Luckily, as part of the "economy stimulus package" passed in February, I will be getting a rebate of $600, maybe (why can't they tell me for certain?!?), which is great news in many ways! For example, now I won't have to sell one of my kidneys on ebay to buy gas.

In better news (hey, at least I finally did my taxes!), I went to the Pet Parade in Candler Park today with a friend. That was a lot of fun. There was actually a cat there, surprisingly. And on a leash no less! And called "Hoss" if I heard his human companion correctly. He was very curious and calm, and didn't seem threatened usually, unless dogs barked at him. And to my surprise, almost all of the dogs did pretty well with him. Some more than others, but most didn't bark. One of the most "okay" with him was a dog named Rocky.


Rocky LOVED Hoss! It was so cute! At first he bent his front body down and wagged his tail in the air, trying to get Hoss to play. When that didn't work the way he seemed to think it would, but Hoss didn't back up or seem scared, he crouched down until he was lying on his stomach, and inched his paw towards Hoss, trying to lure him into a fun game. People all turned to watch, and this went on for some time. Everyone was fascinated at his apparent infatuation with Hoss, but finally Rocky's people began pulling him home, with his lady friend promising, "We'll get you a cat friend, Rocky!" Rocky at first stood looking back at Hoss while his humans pulled him in the opposite direction, clearly mourning his inability to stay and play. Oh my gosh, how adorable.

Also, I cut my hair again. I'm getting ready to start on my interviews with physicians (hooray!) and wanted to look as professional as possible. I'm thinking about taking out my tongue piercing, but having a hard time committing to that, since I know I'll never have the guts to get it done again.



In other news, I got two GREAT air purifiers. They were on sale on the manufacturer's website, 2 for the price of 1. I'm glad I bought them before I paid my taxes, because I never would have committed to that if I'd known about the 4 digit payment I was soon going to have to make to cover the governments losses this year. Part of me would rather have two new air purifiers than an endless war, but I can see the other perspective too. Wait, no, I can't.

Sam is hurt again, speaking of emergency expenditures. Bless his little heart. It's tearing me up to see him so uncomfortable. I'll have to take him to the vet Monday, and I hope it doesn't get any worse for the little guy. He's in a lot of pain it seems, but the vet is booked up tomorrow, so if I take him in, I'll have to wait for hours and then pay an extra $50 IF they get around to seeing him. I feel it should be one or the other frankly. Why should I pay $50 extra just for the privilege of waiting four hours for the privilege of paying for an exam and treatment (and my vet is not cheap, either!)? I mean, if you can fit us in, just take us! If not, don't. But don't take my money for no good reason at all. (Speaking of rude penalties, I had to pay $50 to the government because my employer didn't withhold enough. That is ALSO BS if you ask me.)

Finally, I finished The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, which was absolutely amazing. Highly recommended. I also saw The Frighteners (directed by Peter Jackson, 1996), which I also highly recommend. Ben Hur (directed by William Wyler, 1959), which I watched the other night was pretty good, but it's kind of weird to sit through a 3 hour movie in order to watch a 15 minute long chariot race. Of course, there were other good parts, too, but everyone seems to talk about the chariot race, which apparently was astronomically expensive. It's interesting to compare that to something like 300 or The Lord of the Rings (speaking of Peter Jackson). The crowd scenes, the fight scenes, the death scenes, the battle scenes, all done without CGI. Anyway, recommended, especially if, like me, you are trying to watch the AFI Top 100 American Films before you die. Or before they update the list again.

I hope you, whoever you are and wherever you are, are well. I've been listening to my Pema Chodron CDs (when I'm not listening to my learning German podcasts or the Grateful Dead; I don't know what it is with me lately...) but I want you to know I'm practicing tonglen for you.

Charity :)

how many times will we get fooled again?

(originally posted 9/07)

Don't get mad, Dad!
Charity :)

Another musical.

No Johnny Depp, but it's not as gruesome as Sweeney Todd either, and a lot funnier.

Enjoy!!

Broccoli Vegetable Quiche

My friend asked for this recipe many moons ago. The other day I glanced at the Post-It note on my refrigerator, reminding me to give it to her and thought, "There's no way she remembers and still wants this," and almost tore it down.

I saw her at school that very day, and despite the fact that we hadn't talked about it in a year or so, she asked, "When are you going to give me that Tofu Quiche recipe, Charity?"

That's so funny to me! So anyway, since I'm typing it up for her, I'll give it to you guys too. A good diet is so important. I recently read an excerpt (Thanks, Mom!) from a book called Your Life in Your Hands by Jane Plant that described the link between milk products and breast cancer. I want to read the book! But anyway, hopefully this recipe can give you a start in the right direction.

(I mainly like it because I hate runny eggs, though, and quiche has to be cooked just right in order to not be gross to me. Tofu is easier, plus you get soy protein.)

The recipe comes from my favorite and most used cookbook, The Compassionate Cook or, "Please Don't Eat the Animals!".

Broccoli Vegetable Quiche

1 pie crust (get a sprouted wheat one for optimal health benefits and yumminess!)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 pound firm tofu, patted dry with a paper towel (don't skimp on this step, it makes a big difference--pat that tofu dry!!!)
pinch of grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 bunch fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tbsp dried (I like using dry--it tastes good, and doesn't add to the wateriness)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/2 cup soy milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Follow directions on pie crust to prepare it for filling (in the book, they use fresh dough, but I never have).

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion, green pepper, broccoli, and mushrooms until cooked, about 8 to 10 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, blend the tofu, nutmeg, turmeric, basil, salt, and soy milk until smooth. Stir the vegetables and the tofu mixture together and add pepper to taste.

Pour the batter into the pie crust. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted just off-center into the quiche comes out clean.

Serves 4 to 6.

Enjoy!
Charity :)

PS-By the way, I saw Sweeney Todd last night. The performances were great and the music was good, but overall I feel like they overdid the horror element. The original fun challenge that drew in Sondheim all those years ago was to try to make people scared in a musical. I would be interested in seeing the theatrical production of that, because I think it might be more intense. The movie felt a little schizophrenic or overdone. I kind of want the soundtrack, though. The singing was really good.

Elephant art

My mom sent me a link to this video, and I had to find out more. You can look on this website for more information. They sell these paintings in order, supposedly, to raise money for protecting the elephants, but I imagine they go pretty quick. It's pretty incredible, but I'm not sure to what extent it's actually a "self-portrait" as described. Although, apparently elephants are some of the only animals (also including apes, dolphins and humans) that we know can recognize themselves in a mirror (source). There was a fascinating article about animal intelligence in a recent National Geographic magazine. (In fact, National Geographic has posted a very interesting video about elephants on their website as well, which you can see here, and which I highly recommend watching after watching the video below).



This one is not as realistic. But funnier. (source)

Enjoy!
Charity :)

looking like your pet.

I went to volunteer orientation at this wonderful organization in Atlanta recently. It's a shelter for animals rescued from outlying "kill facilities" that have little chance of being adopted (since they are in remote locations) or animals who require medical procedures or care that their previous owners couldn't provide. I love this place. I've been wanting to do something like this ever since I saw "Year of the Dog." (I told a friend of mine that I was going to do it last week and he asked if I had seen the movie. I immediately gushed about how much I love the movie and revealed my trepidation at recommending it to friends, since I'm afraid they'll see it and be reminded of me for all the wrong reasons. He laughed and said "Yeah, when we watched it, I thought she reminded me of you.")

Being in a group of people who all want to help animals and thus do a tiny part in the work of making the world a better place was very moving. (Also, the pets were SO adorable and sweet and inspiring. The little cat I sponsored last week had almost died from a spay complication but when I visited her, she was so peaceful and friendly. I honestly think animals are an inspiration.) There was a single man in his forties dressed in his work clothes, several young college-aged women in sweatshirts and jeans, a few young professional women, and numerous sets of couples (one even brought their children, which was also moving to me).

It's funny, because I've often heard it said that people grow to look like their pets, and I think that's true, although I also think people pick pets that suit their temperaments, so they don't really have to morph that much (think "Best in Show"). I think what fascinates me more is when couples begin to look like each other. There was one couple there who looked so much alike that I stared at them a little bit, without intending to, of course. I thought, "Maybe they are brother and sister," but then I thought "Volunteering with your brother or sister once you're in your late twenties is kind of weird, too."

I have to admit that whichever way it actually is, the weirdness was still touching because like everyone else there, these two people--regardless of relation--want to give of their time and their hearts to help animals in need. And that's reassuring to me.

The whole experience reaffirmed my faith in humankind. It turns out that there are many humans who are interested in helping animals with no reward other than the unconditional love of a puppy or kitty, which of course is one of the greatest rewards you could receive in my opinion.

In a way, it's like the Grinch--my heart grew THREE SIZES that day.

Plus, I fell head over heels in love. With a beagle. I wonder what that says about my personality. I guess growing to resemble a joyful little beagle named Danny Boy wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

Charity :)

scarier even that octopeds.

Forgive me for reposting again. I am actually writing a few stories right now and will post one or two soon. However, when I read this I just had to share it.

It's the real nightmare, and one that I try not to think about since it's so terrifying. However, it's one that I will be living with for years to come and so will my children and grandchildren. I mean seriously, who has decided that we can't afford to provide health care for poor children or refinance loans for people who are losing their homes, but we can afford billions, nay trillions of dollars for a foreign war? If care for veterans is so fraught with problems now, who has decided that it will be sufficient to meet ever increasing demands due to an incredibly (unacceptably) long foreign war (that we were told would only last a few months, incidentally). Who has decided that cutting taxes while spending trillions of dollars on a foreign war is good for the economy?

Why does it seem that no one in power will listen to reason? Why does the American public seem complacent in securing this great nation's demise?

Sometimes I wish FDR would come help us out again. Remember when war was good for the economy and social programs actually helped keep things going?

------------

March 4, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist
The $2 Trillion Nightmare
By BOB HERBERT

We’ve been hearing a lot about “Saturday Night Live” and the fun it has been having with the presidential race. But hardly a whisper has been heard about a Congressional hearing in Washington last week on a topic that could have been drawn, in all its tragic monstrosity, from the theater of the absurd.

The war in Iraq will ultimately cost U.S. taxpayers not hundreds of billions of dollars, but an astonishing $2 trillion, and perhaps more. There has been very little in the way of public conversation, even in the presidential campaigns, about the consequences of these costs, which are like a cancer inside the American economy.

On Thursday, the Joint Economic Committee, chaired by Senator Chuck Schumer, conducted a public examination of the costs of the war. The witnesses included the Nobel Prize-winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz (who believes the overall costs of the war — not just the cost to taxpayers — will reach $3 trillion), and Robert Hormats, vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International.

Both men talked about large opportunities lost because of the money poured into the war. “For a fraction of the cost of this war,” said Mr. Stiglitz, “we could have put Social Security on a sound footing for the next half-century or more.”

Mr. Hormats mentioned Social Security and Medicare, saying that both could have been put “on a more sustainable basis.” And he cited the committee’s own calculations from last fall that showed that the money spent on the war each day is enough to enroll an additional 58,000 children in Head Start for a year, or make a year of college affordable for 160,000 low-income students through Pell Grants, or pay the annual salaries of nearly 11,000 additional border patrol agents or 14,000 more police officers.

What we’re getting instead is the stuff of nightmares. Mr. Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia, has been working with a colleague at Harvard, Linda Bilmes, to document, among other things, some of the less obvious costs of the war. These include the obligation to provide health care and disability benefits for returning veterans. Those costs will be with us for decades.

Mr. Stiglitz noted that nearly 40 percent of the 700,000 troops from the first gulf war, which lasted just a month, have become eligible for disability benefits. The current war is approaching five years in duration.

“Imagine then,” said Mr. Stiglitz, “what a war — that will almost surely involve more than 2 million troops and will almost surely last more than six or seven years — will cost. Already we are seeing large numbers of returning veterans showing up at V.A. hospitals for treatment, large numbers applying for disability and large numbers with severe psychological problems.”

The Bush administration has tried its best to conceal the horrendous costs of the war. It has bypassed the normal budgetary process, financing the war almost entirely through “emergency” appropriations that get far less scrutiny.

Even the most basic wartime information is difficult to come by. Mr. Stiglitz, who has written a new book with Ms. Bilmes called “The Three Trillion Dollar War,” said they had to go to veterans’ groups, who in turn had to resort to the Freedom of Information Act, just to find out how many Americans had been injured in Iraq.

Mr. Stiglitz and Mr. Hormats both addressed the foolhardiness of waging war at the same time that the government is cutting taxes and sharply increasing non-war-related expenditures.

Mr. Hormats told the committee:

“Normally, when America goes to war, nonessential spending programs are reduced to make room in the budget for the higher costs of the war. Individual programs that benefit specific constituencies are sacrificed for the common good ... And taxes have never been cut during a major American war. For example, President Eisenhower adamantly resisted pressure from Senate Republicans for a tax cut during the Korean War.”

Said Mr. Stiglitz: “Because the administration actually cut taxes as we went to war, when we were already running huge deficits, this war has, effectively, been entirely financed by deficits. The national debt has increased by some $2.5 trillion since the beginning of the war, and of this, almost $1 trillion is due directly to the war itself ... By 2017, we estimate that the national debt will have increased, just because of the war, by some $2 trillion.”

Some former presidents — Washington, Franklin Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower — were quoted at the hearing on the need for accountability and shared sacrifice during wartime. But this is the 21st century. That ancient rhetoric can hardly be expected to compete for media attention, even in a time of war, with the giddy fun of S.N.L.

It’s a new era.