and that's it. . .

Thu, 15 May 2008 17:37:56 GMT

yay edwards!!!

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:52:12 GMT

Dear Fergie,

Thank you for your over-the-top performance last night on Idol Gives Back. You made me laugh so hard, I cried.

Love,
Jessica

sprint wins!

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 22:05:38 GMT

elimgarak and i switched to sprint and got cute lil rumor phones today. mine's the bright obnoxious green color and for that reason comes in an "environmentally friendly" box. ha!

over the last few months numbers would randomly disappear and occassionally reappear in my phone's contact list. thought it was a problem with my sim card so i moved the numbers to the phone memory, but that didn't fix anything. then yesterday i noticed ALL my saved text messages were gone and it wouldn't allow me to text anymore! waah! it might not have been receiving texts either since i didn't get any in the last couple days.

so. . . i'm missing about half my numbers at this point. please comment with yo numbah, even if you think i have it, baby. of course, comments are screened to just me.

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:24:01 GMT

hee hee

totally going to the show when it happens w/ vv just like back when we were 11, unless they're over 50 bucks cause it ain't worth all that!

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:07:39 GMT

synthesizedwave works at a game stop, so i asked him to hold a Wii for me the next time they got a shipment. he called me on monday telling me that he had one for me. i get out there and he hands me a bag with a wii, extra controller w/ mini game pack, and extra nunchuck thing and says "this is from me and ashly to make up for all the missed christmases and birthdays". i was like huh?, totally not comprehending it at first. i looked through the bag and found gift receipts. then it hit me, and i was like holy crap! i'd give him a hug, look in the bag some more, and give him another hug. i think i cried somewhere in there. it's easily one of the most generous things anyone has ever done for me (well, anyone that's not related to me or dating me).

after much searching, i found my wedding ring on saturday. it was totally nothing like what i thought i wanted, but when i put it on it just felt right. it's kind of a plain band with three diamonds in the center. because the economy sucks, they were having a crazy sale, and i got a $712 ring for $327! the funny part is, i dragged my poor mother around to 10 jewelry stores saturday morning, and i found my ring at another store after dropping her off at her luncheon. as a thank you, i bought her an opal and chrome diopside pendant and am giving it to her at lunch today.

speaking of mommy, her surgery is scheduled for april 18th. it is indeed a tumah, but it is about 1/3 the size of a pea. that's still pretty large for that area. to get to it, they will have to remove the back half of 2-4 neck bones and not put them back, which is kinda weird. this whole thing is really rare unless preceeded by major trauma, so that's also kinda weird. we're praying the surgery will go smoothly and also that the nerve damage (ie: arm pain) won't be permanent.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 16:51:51 GMT

thanks for all the support and well wishes! boobie and i need it.

in other, better news, wolf's video won the wibrain contest! he gets all the accessories they have out for it. i think the contest was for videos showing creative uses of the wibrain. . . or something like that. my hunny is all talented n stuff. and i love his cute chrome nails.

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:17:38 GMT

as most of you know, american idol is my guilty pleasure (one of em). you can blame that on wolf who got me sucked into it during season 3. watched the top 12 guys show last night. why the hell would you start off with a 60's night? and then tell most of them that they sound dated? ridiculous. faves so far are the comb over guy (that slightly resembles a certain ex), blue eyed dread head, ellen degeneres look-alike guy (such a goof ball!), the wanna be axel rose who dated ms spears 10 yrs ago, and the aussie dude. the flaming gay jail house rock guy is hilarious, and the blonde with bangs androginous guy just plain weirds me out. my guess is the dad who sang moon river (wtf?) and the guy in the hoodie are gonna get booted. or possibly that first guy with the crooked ryan seacrest nose. it's weird there's only one black dude in the top 12, and he's not that good. i can't really see why they think that archuleta guy is wonderful. he sings well, and he's adorably cute/shy/just happy to be here so he'll stick around for a good long while. but really he's just a male version of lisa tucker. the comb over dude, dread guy, and aussie guy blow him out of the water - professionals vs a kid performer. and why did they put the aussie in a long, oddly tied scarf when he was singing "light my fire" and had a fire effect behind him for good measure? maybe he was cold and needed someone to light his fire? kinda ruined it for me. hands down the comb over dude had the best performance, with the dread guy a close second. they definitely did a good job of putting together people with talent who are also entertaining to watch. the last few seasons were just plain boring at times.

screw the lj cut

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 19:30:09 GMT

guess my dad is scanning old family photos. the first one is me around two, and the second one is probably around 6 or 7.

in case you haven't heard. . .

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:19:57 GMT

the coastal commission denied the toll road project!!! yay! :)

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:42:07 GMT

A few people have asked me for info about the sewage spill in Marin County. It seems to have been buried under the election news. This article sums up the story. . .

Agency misreported earlier Marin sewage spill
Audrey Cooper, San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 6, 2008

(02-05) 18:27 PST Mill Valley -- Less than one week before the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin spilled nearly 3 million gallons of sewage into San Francisco Bay, prompting a public outcry, the same agency failed to properly report the release of nearly as much sewage into the bay, water officials announced Tuesday.

The San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board said it is investigating both spills - the first on Jan. 25, which released 2.5 million gallons of treated and raw sewage, and a Jan. 31 incident that let nearly 3 million gallons escape into the bay.

The larger spill prompted San Francisco officials to post warnings at beaches because of concerns over possible contamination. Tests later showed there was no danger. The spill caused an outcry because the public wasn't informed until 20 hours after it occurred.

However, questions are now being asked about why the earlier spill wasn't reported immediately after it happened on Jan. 25.

"This revelation that there was a second significant spill in Marin during the course of one week is alarming. We will, of course, investigate the Sewerage Agency's failures, and at the same time we will ask for an independent review," said the statement from Bruce Wolf, the executive director of the regional water board.

State law says that sewage-treatment agencies must immediately inform water officials, the state Office of Emergency Services and county officials of any significant sewage spills.

The sewage agency's report of the Jan. 25 spill used an incorrect date and did not estimate the amount of sewage spilled, the water board reported. The problem was corrected a few days later, but water board staff didn't immediately recognize the error, according to the statement.

Stephen Danehy, the general manager of the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin, could not be immediately reached for comment.

The agency treats sewage and discharges it into a creek that flows into a tidal marsh and Richardson Bay.

also today is going to be one of the biggest hearings in california coastal commission's history. the whole day is devoted to the toll road issue in socal. they're expecting 3000+ people to show up (usually there's maybe 100 for a "big" agenda item). the meeting is streamed live on our website if you want to watch the drama unfold!

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:51:50 GMT

elimgarak and i are thinking about dropping our att/cingular/whoops we're att again cell service. any opinions on verizon, sprint, or t-mobile?

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:43:12 GMT

11.08.08 will be the easiest anniversary date to remember. so now we've got a date and picked a space. we have to keep it small for various reasons so only family and a few mutual friends will be there. wish we could invite everyone that we'd like to, but paying for this ourselves limits things. it really is the perfect setting for us. definitely helps that the riesling is very tasty, and i actually liked their merlot as well (no small feat in my book). i'm very happy that this part of the planning is settled!

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:08:13 GMT

Back in August, a blood test showed that my cholesterol levels were out of control. My bad stuff was high, my good stuff was low, and my triglycerides were just inside the normal range. Since then I started paying attention to my diet (eating at home more, eating more veggies, only having meat with one meal, cutting out obvious things like desserts and chips, and stocking up on 100 calorie packs for snacks), and I was retested yesterday. My cholesterol dropped 27 points! I'm still high but not in the super high range anymore. Go me!

lamelamelamelamelame

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:18:43 GMT

Bush exempts Navy from environmental law

By PAULINE JELINEK Associated Press Writer

Article Last Updated: 01/16/2008 07:27:26 AM PST
WASHINGTON—President Bush exempted the Navy from an environmental law so it can continue using sonar in its anti-submarine warfare training off the California coast—a practice critics say is harmful to whales and other marine mammals.

The White House announced Wednesday that Bush had signed the exemption Tuesday while traveling in the Middle East.

The Navy training exercises, including the use of sonar, "are in the paramount interest of the United States" and its national security, Bush said in a memorandum.

"This exemption will enable the Navy to train effectively and to certify carrier and expeditionary strike groups for deployment in support of worldwide operational and combat activities, which are essential to national security," the memo said.

The decision drew immediate criticism from environmentalists who had fought to stop the Navy's sonar training.

"The president's action is an attack on the rule of law," said Joel Reynolds, director of the Marine Mammal Protection Project at the Natural Resources Defense Council. "By exempting the Navy from basic safeguards under both federal and state law, the president is flouting the will of Congress, the decision of the California Coastal Commission and a ruling by the federal court."

A federal judge had issued a preliminary injunction earlier this month requiring the Navy to create a 12-nautical-mile, no-sonar zone along the California coast and to post trained lookouts to watch for marine mammals before and during exercises. Sonar would have to be shut down when mammals are spotted within 2,200 yards, under the order.

The court found that using mid-frequency active sonar violated the Coastal Zone Management Act and Bush exempted the Navy from a section of that act.

Complying with the environmental law would "undermine the Navy's ability to conduct realistic training exercises that are necessary to ensure the combat effectiveness of carrier and expeditionary strike groups," Bush said.

The Natural Resources Defense Council had sued to force the Navy to lessen the harm of its sonar exercises. In November, a federal appeals court said the sonar problem needed to be fixed.

Critics contend sonar has harmful effects on whales, possibly by damaging their hearing, and other marine mammals worldwide. The council's lawsuit alleges the Navy's sonar causes whales and other mammals to beach themselves.

In an argument that has been going on for years, the Navy has continually argued that the exercises are vital for training and that it works to minimizes the risk to marine life.

aw

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:40:36 GMT

this poor pied-billed grebe was photographed on sunday. the coastal cleanup day coordinator in berkeley sent em to us. poor thing! we've let the local animal control know so hopefully he'll be found and freed.

take care of your plastic bags people! or better yet, don't use em at all! you can get a free cloth tote bag for groceries by taking the coastal stewardship pledge.

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:30:34 GMT

Here's my booklist for the year. Only made it halfway to 50, but that is due to the additions of a DS and creative zen player to my work bag.

01. Orphans Preferred - Christopher Corbett
02. The Good, the Bad, and the Mad - E. Randall Floyd
03. The True History of Chocolate - Sophie Coe and Michael Coe
04. Perelandra - C.S. Lewis
05. The Great Influenza - John M. Barry
06. Garbage Land - Elizabeth Royte
07. When Worlds Collide - Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer
08. After Worlds Collide - Philip Wylie & Edwin Balmer
09. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whale Ship Essex - Nathaniel Philbrick
10. Exploration of the Valley of the Amazon 1851-1852 - William Lewis Herndon
11. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin - Benjamin Franklin
12. Planet of the Apes - Pierre Boulle
13. Electric Universe: The Shockingly True Story of Electricity - David Bodanis
14. A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing - Michael Farquhar
15. The Fasting Girl: A True Victorian Medical Mystery - Michelle Stacey
16. Logan's Run - William F. Nolan and George Clayton Johnson
17. The Ezekiel Option - Joel C. Rosenberg
18. Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus - Orson Scott Card
19. The Magnificent Rogues of San Francisco - Charles F. Adams
20. A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 - Simon Winchester
21. Stardust - Neil Gaiman
22. Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discovery, The US Exploring Expedition - Nathaniel Philbrick
23. The Last Unicorn: The Lost Version - Peter S. Beagle
24. The Great Mortality: An Intimate History of the Black Death, the Most Devastating Plague of All Time - John Kelly
25. Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush - Lael Morgan

ones rated higher than "just okay" are bolded.

so far this year i've read Farenheit 451. i can definitely see why it's a classic.

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:51:46 GMT

i'll be at the elevator down manufactura show tomorrow in san jose. you should go too. wolf, chris, boobie, sondra, and jeanetta are all tagging along for the drunken shenanigans.

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:43:51 GMT

i don't know which is scarier:

A) the fact that MUNI ran some poor lady over last night on Market Street around 6pm.

-or-

B) the fact that I have yet to see or read one news report about the incident.

Wolf saw it happen and called me. The driver didn't realize he had ran someone over. Passersby were banging on his windows to get him to stop and not run her over with his rear wheels. He overheard people on their cellphones, arguing with 911 dispatchers about whether an ambulance was really needed. By the time he left police were blocking off the street and asking the woman if she could feel this or that body part. Just one more thing to add to the long list of "Why MUNI sucks"!

have a twisted christmas

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:03:20 GMT

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:18:45 GMT

as briefly mentioned in the last post, we're finally watching the new battlestar galactica. i think we're in the beginning or middle of season 2, and i'm still loving it. i do have say starbuck irritates the crap out of me most of the time, although i did like her in this last episode where she was in that fake hospital thing on caprica. she was a real person for a change and not this cheesie stereotype. also i really don't like frack. frell is so much better. not to mention dren, tralk, yotz, and hezmana. it just gets worse when they say "mother fracker", "you're the one fracking her", etc. doesn't sound right at all.

so are there any other decent sci fi shows out there that i have missed?

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:52:45 GMT

okay wolf and i are officially old and lazy. we had two things to go to this weekend, and we didn't go to either because it was too damn cold to venture back outside (sheri, i'd never make it out near you). instead we sat at home watching battlestar galactica and making lasagna. only left the house to go to dad's family birthday thing on saturday since i can't exactly get out of that. when did i become such a homebody?

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 18:11:32 GMT

normally i don't do black friday. i think it's mean to the employees and mean to the rest of us who can't buy crap b/c it was all snatched up a week before payday. however, walgreens had this on sale for $70 + $20 mail in rebate. . .

. . . so wolf and i both now own one. it's not the best camera, but for $50 I'm not complaining. we decided to trek up to mervyns and best buy. they were both pretty dead considering the day. picked up a few things at best buy but were disappointed that the stainless steel cookware set was sold out at mervyns. bah!

my other big weekend purchase. . . . my wedding dress. i didn't want something big and white and poofy. . . but i fell in love with it when i put it on. mom convinced dad to buy it for me. it's the only money they'll spend on the wedding, and i'm grateful since i know some don't even get that. that leaves me trying to find a really cheap way of doing the wedding locally. the best i've found is a winery in the east bay and runs about $3000 (that includes everything - ceremony/reception venue, food, unlimited wine and non-alcoholic beverages for 4 hours, furniture setup/tear down, sound system, rehearsal time beforehand, coordinator, and bridal room). we'd have to keep the headcount to under 65, which would be difficult. i've mainly been looking at the east bay since most sf venues are $2000+ and require you to use their certified caterers that run $25+ per person. any suggestions of dirt cheap places (not churches) that can handle 80-100 people? i'm hoping for a house or hall, heck even a community center, that has a room, garden, or patio area for the ceremony on the same property.

Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:42:16 GMT

random question -

do you have a favorite romantic sci-fi quote? feel free to post multiple ones if you can't pick just one.

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:03:10 GMT

wolf is competing in Daly City Records' laptop battle this saturday!

BATTLE STARTS @ 7PM!

SAT 11/10 @
111MINNAGallery
111 Minna St. SF CA 94105
Cost: FREE BEFORE 9PM $10 AFTER

JUDGES:
RICHARD DEVINE (Warp/Schematic)
BORETA (Glitch Mob)
ROBOTSPEAK (Alan, Steve, Todd & More)
MICKEY T (Drum Machine Museum)
ZAPAN (Fourthcity)
LOWPRO LOUNGE (J.Tonal & James Christopher)
PATRICE SCANLON (Mills College)
BLOODY & FRIENDS (Daly City Records)

Just added! "Famous Room Battle of Monsters: Season Three"
See Season One Video here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a71L-4ApfRY

M-Audio Torq DJ Demo by Nsaj Thing
http://www.myspace.com/nosajthing

www.dalycityrecords.com

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:46:44 GMT

here are a few pictures, as promised. . .