You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:55 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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The ladies of The Cotillion have been having an interesting discussion about the internet and pRonoRgaphy (being hyper vigilant about assholes looking for smut here, sorry).

Several recent articles seem to indicate that because of the free availability of otherwise taboo sex (like child r@pe) on the internet and the anonymous ability to set up a liason, otherwise "normal" (whatever that means) men (and women) are doing things that they would never otherwise dream of.

Has the internet increased sexual perversion or merely made this kind of thing more visible?   Has internet availability caused men (and some women, to be honest) to pursue sexual gratification in ways that they would otherwise not? (and I'm not talking about Cybersex with another consenting adult here, or Cybercheating or anything like that)

What about censorship?  Does censorship of pornography impact the rest of the net?  Do you think that pRon has actually improved the internet (supposedly pRon was behind the development of modern chat rooms, user groups, hi-speed vid capabilities)?

I'm interested to hear your views, especially from the guys.  Clearly men and women view pRonoRgaphy and sexual issues differently...

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:28 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 I put up a similar post...I have a feeling not too many will comment due to the personal nature of it..some may be fearful to reply.

Posted by: Raven at April 20, 2006 01:57 PM (1dowF)

2 Ok, not a guy, but... I'm thinking it's a little of both, honestly. I think that it has made people more willing to do things that they otherwise would've sought help for - because now it's available in the privacy of their own home and "no one needs to ever find out" attitudes prevail. At the same time, I think our culture is on its way to a resurgence of Ancient Rome-like "anything goes" hedonism, and was before all the pron on the Internet was right there for anyone who typos a URL. So - split between symptom and exascerbation. As for improving the net? I would say no. There are enough ligitimate "needs" for high speed video, teleconferencing, etc. that I think we'd be where we are now even without pron. But I also don't feel that Hefner has done anything for the magazine industry or sexuality or any of the other things he claims to have benefitted. I don't have any formed opinions on censorship, honestly. In some respects, though I think pron is revolting, I also kind of feel like you have to let people screw themselves up -- because for some of them, if they can't get it there, they're going to get it somewhere else. I'm not a big believer in babysitting the universe. I'll see if I can get hubs to come and respond, though honestly he might just say ditto.

Posted by: beth at April 20, 2006 02:33 PM (IUoqt)

3 I've thought about this previously -- spurred by the arrested of a certain USC student for trying to do the nasty with a 13 year-old -- and I don't know whether the availability of this stuff on the internet is driving more people to act in more bizarre ways. But even if that's true, the internet is also facilitating ways for law enforcement to catch the creeps who actually commit crimes. Now, instead of old men soliciting young girls in parks, they are probably just as likely to try it on the internet, where there are records of what they have done.

Posted by: AW Cunningham 3 at April 21, 2006 11:22 AM (c8tlw)

4 Pornography is demeaning to the women it features, the women it excludes, and the men it serves. It's expensive, takes forever to download, is packed with viruses, and makes the keyboard sticky. Worst, I think, is that the stuff I see out there never shows sex in the expression of affection, only in the expression of power, anger, advantage or abuse. The only times you see sex between people who like each other, who treat each other kindly, both people are women. Guys fantasize as much as other people, but guys are more visually oriented. Every time I'm disgusted by the porn that's out there, I switch to pictures of motorcycles, fast airplanes...other daydreams. At least till tomorrow.

Posted by: Sonar at April 26, 2006 09:26 PM (qCS9x)

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PLAY FREEBIRD!!!!!!!

Posted by: caltechgirl at 08:24 PM | Comments (1) | Add Comment
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We're with you Michelle. Those who would seek to intimidate you are the worst kinds of cowards and hypocrites.

h/t imao

Posted by: caltechgirl at 06:52 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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And the HUGE list of categories in the post below. Scroll down for more new stuff. Somehow between the post editor and MuNu, something hiccuped. Not sure what the deal is.

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13 years ago today I was curled in a ball in my Mom's recliner, cuddled under a blanket and drinking hot tea. I was at home sick, and watching CNN. The ATF had held the Branch Davidian Complex under siege for 51 days before raiding their compound, killing 76 people, including the Davidian's leader, David Koresh.

I remember the whole screen erupting in flames as the buildings caught on fire, and wondering why in hell someone would ever think of doing that....or did the ATF do it? Turns out they set themselves on fire. Silly, really.

Two years later, I was home again. Maybe it was Spring Break. I don't recall. But I was watching again as the helicopters swirled around the Murrah building in Oklahoma City and firefighters rushed to save whoever they could. I remember thinking it was the "Arabs" because of the recent attack (first attack) on the World Trade Center. When we found out it was two white guys with an axe to grind we were flabbergasted, but in a way, not really surprised. Especially after the link to the Branch Davidians came out.

Fast forward 4 years and one day. College now, in fact it was my senior year and I was deep in the throes of choosing a grad school and planning a wedding. DH and I were in our bedroom in our apartment (with the only working TV). I was watching the news and he was writing a paper. Breaking News! Shootout in a Colorado HS! At least 12 people dead, including the stupid bastards who did the shooting. In later days, as we learned more about the lives of the two shooters, we were sobered by the fact that this could have been us. Some of you will recall our own "trenchcoat mafia" and the rumors of their weapons and intentions....

My own prayer is that we get through today and tomorrow without yet another somber anniversary.

Many touching remembrances of the OKC bombing across the web today, particularly this one, this one, and this one

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From an email from CaltechMom (who broke her foot yesterday....)

Caution! These people Vote

A guy bought a new fridge for his house. To get rid of his old fridge, he put it in his front yard and hung a sign on it saying: "Free to good home. You want it, you take it." For three days the fridge sat there without even one person looking twice at it. He eventually decided that people were too un-trusting of this deal. It looked to good to be true, so he changed the sign to read: "Fridge for sale $50". The next day someone stole it.
These people Vote!
===============================================================
While looking at a house, my brother asked the real estate agent which direction was North because, he explained, he didn't want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, "Does the sun rise in the North?" When my brother explained that the sun rises in the East, (and has for sometime), she shook her head and said, "Oh, I don't keep up with that stuff"...
She ALSO votes!
===============================================================
I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I got a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, "The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week." He responded, "Is that Eastern or Pacific time?" Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, "Pacific."
He ALSO votes!
===============================================================
My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the shore. She drove down in a convertible, but "didn't think she'd get sunburned because the car was moving".
She ALSO votes!
===============================================================
My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car. It's designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk. .
My sister ALSO votes!
===============================================================
My friends and I were on a beer run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount.
He ALSO votes!
===============================================================
I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, "Wouldn't the chain rip out every time she turned her head?" I explained that a person's nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned.
My friend ALSO votes!
===============================================================
I couldn't find my luggage at the airport baggage area. So I went to the lost luggage office and told the woman there that my bags never showed up. She smiled and told me not to worry because she was a trained professional and I was in good hands. "Now," she asked me, "has your plane arrived yet?"
SHE ALSO votes!
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To those who understand ~ No explanation is necessary.
For those who don't understand ~ No explanation is possible

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:35 PM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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One of my favorite "original content" bloggers, Rob of Say Anything, was one of two bloggers to take part in this year's Wal-Mart media conference, and he has some interesting things to say about what wasn't reported by the "big media outlets" that were also present.

I'm no fan of Wal-Mart, but I think they deserve a fair shake in the press for what they actually do and don't do, as any corporation should.

Start at the top and scroll on down.

BTW the other blogger at the conference was Tom Forbes of Palousitics, and you can find his wal-mart blogging here.  Again, just scroll down for more!
h/t Jawa Mike

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Ok, not really, but this made me laugh my butt off...

Wonder if Shirley Jones thought the same thing....

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1 Glad I made you laugh And thanks for the link.

Posted by: Ith at April 19, 2006 12:15 PM (2NOx2)

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I got Meme'd

Six weird things about me.... Hmm, what can I say that I haven't already....

1. I hate nitpicky people. You know, the kind who argue over every little detail even though there's nothing to be gained, simply because they are disgruntled. I hate that.

2. When I sleep, I have to put my feet out. Even in the dead of winter, at least I have to know I can put them out. Which is sometimes interesting as the dog often likes to sleep between where my feet are and the edge of the bed.

3. I have to have background noise when I'm working. White noise, music, TV, doesn't matter. It helps me concentrate.

4. I am really sensitive to hydrocarbon smells: smoke, exhaust, oil-based paint, etc. Just the smell can make me lightheaded and panicky. I guess I inherit this from my Mother....

5. I am super ticklish. My poor husband has to put up with me.

6. I can be really patient with anybody except my mother...

Tagging people.... Hmmm. How about Ben and blogsis Rave?

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:29 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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Some of you may know the story of my leaky tub fixtures.  Some of you have even seen for yourself the story that I am about to tell.  I promise, the end is worth it....

It all started in the master bath.  Which is nice enough as bathrooms go.  Except for two things.  First, the incredible geometry of shutting the bathroom door if one is already seated upon the throne (don't try it unless you're a contortionist.  Good thing DH and I are not in the least squeamish about calls of nature in front of each other).  Second, you could not get the water to run completely from the tub faucet.  Despite all the leverage you could put on the diverter, half the water always fell from the showerhead.  This was a unique problem to say the least.  But, as it is not our shower, and therefore not advisable to undertake major plumbing repairs, even though we pretty much know what  we're doing, we just dealt with it.

For several months.  As it turns out, it has been a problem for years.

So one day recently I was cleaning up the house before some guests were to arrive.  I took a shower, and then went downstairs to make sure there were hand towels and enough TP in the downstairs bath.  And I stepped into a puddle.  I looked up, and sure enough, a long crack in the ceiling, water still dripping from the plaster.

First thought:  OH SHIT!!!.  Second thought: Wait.  This isn't enough water to be from the drain.  And it doesn't smell like my shampoo either.... Hmmm.

So we call the landlords.  And so begins the process of finding the cheapest competent plumber.  A parade of the ass-crack brigade passes in and out of my house.  In the door, up the stairs, and into my bedroom.  Which means I have to clean.  Every day.  For a week.  Finally, they decided to go with one guy, and he came back later that afternoon and solved my problem.  Yay!

Turns out that the diverter was jacked up and the connections from the fixtures to the main water pipe were corroded.  Yes, they did put in cheap pipe.  I suspect my house was built by illegal day laborers too, but what the hell.

Anyway, the water was coming from the pressure surge when the faucet was turned off and the water fell back through the corroded connections on its way from the showerhead down.  Or so he tells me.  New fixtures, no more leak.  Yay!

So now it was time to fix the ceiling downstairs...

It's worth clicking the extended... really. more...

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I used to like Keith Olbermann.  I thought he was really funny, and some of the stunts that he pulled with his SportsCenter colleagues (especially Dan Patrick) are classics in TV history.

Then he decided to be a serious journalist.  Or something like that.  And got his own show on msnbc (the conflicted network).

Now he votes Michelle Malkin as "The Worst Person in the World".  I'll admit she's often over the top and takes positions that even her fellow Conservatives sometimes scratch their heads at, but NONE of this qualifies her as the "worst person in the world".

Michelle and I don't always agree, but there's no doubt she is a loving and devoted Mom and Wife, a thoughtful intellect, and above all a law-abiding tax-payer.  Sure, she broadcast some phone numbers, THAT WERE ON A PRESS RELEASE.  It's not like she used some clandestine cabal to obtain them.  They were published and publicly available.  Who did she rape or murder?  When did she plot a terrorist attack?

This Guy, now, he might merit "world's worst", or This Guy  or This Guy.

Yet another example of the "Unhinged" left, throwing words around like they don't mean anything.  Or maybe Olbermann is simply too ashamed to admit that he doesn't ever look outside his own backyard.

Expose the Left has the video.  Flap has the press release in question.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:56 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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If you have never read the sometimes insane, always insightful blog of my one and only blog-child, Let The Finder Beware, you could do worse than to start reading it today.

Paul some interesting musings on the decades of our lives, and the moral and cultural changes that define them to us.  Part I is here, and Part II here.  Drop by and share your thoughts!

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photo courtesy LearnCalifornia.Org

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:20 AM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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I'm gonna freakin' puke next time I hear one of these news-chickens refer to dook as "an Ivy League school".

Last time I checked, dook competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (a.k.a. the ACC).  Same as they have for the last 40+ years.  Ivy League Schools are so-called ONLY because they compete in the ACTUAL Ivy League.

Yes, the name is synonymous with excellence in education, but that doesn't mean that a school with a reputation for fine academics and located on the East Coast is AUTOMATICALLY an Ivy League School.

Sheesh.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:18 PM | Comments (9) | Add Comment
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Tried that Face Recognition site everyone else has been to...
Here's my results:
55% Angelina Jolie
54% Jodie Foster
53% Monica Belluci
53% Molly Ringwald
51% Emma Watson
47% Mira Sorvina

Yeah, I guess I just look like me....

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From Peep Boy:

You Are an Easter Egg

You're so sweet, you don't need candy. You much prefer the taste of artificial coloring instead.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 12:43 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Do you have:

      (X) your own cell phone... DUH.  Since 1996.  10 years of being in touch.
(X) a television in your bedroom....Oh HELL YES.  Can't sleep without it.
(X) an MP3 player...I am attached at the hip to my iPod shuffle.
(X) a photo printer...Yes, but it's still in the box.
() your own phone line....  Nope, one house, two peoples
( ) TiVo or a generic digital video recorder...Working on it
(X) high-speed internet access...Can't live without it
( ) a surround sound system in bedroom...No.  Too cheap.
(X ) DVD player in bedroom...See above.  Can you say White Christmas?
( X) at least a hundred DVDs...Cheaper than going to the Movies.
(X) a childfree bathroom...Unless the dog-child counts.
(X ) your own in-house office...Where my printers and my sewing machine live.
() a pool...  I wish
( ) a guest house...As if
( ) a game room...  If we had another room.  Does the living room count?
( X) a queen-size bed or larger...Oh yeah, King size. Of course, it's for two people and a stretchy dog...
( ) a stocked bar...Only if that means 2 bottles of wine, and a full bottle each of rum, Kahlua, and Baileys.....
(X) a working dishwasher...Oh, Hell yes.
( ) an icemaker...I used to.  Until we moved here.  First freezer I've had without one.
( X) a working washer and dryer...Couldn't Live without them
(X ) more than 20 pairs of shoes.. DUH
( ) at least ten things from a designer store...Designers don't make clothes that fit me.
(X ) expensive sunglasses... Prescription only.
() framed original art (not lithographs or prints)..
(X ) Egyptian cotton sheets or towels....Wedding presents are nice.
(X) a multi-speed bike...Two actually.
( ) a gym membership...I refuse to spend money to kick my own ass.
( X) large exercise equipment at home...Me and my elliptical.
( X) your own set of golf clubs...In my Dad's garage.
( ) a pool table...I wish.
( ) a tennis court...The first place we lived after we were married had one.
(X ) local access to a lake, large pond, or the sea...Hello, this is LA. The beach is right here.
( ) your own pair of skis...I fucking hate skiing.
(X) enough camping gear for a weekend trip in an isolated area...Yes, if you like sleeping outside a tent.  The army was good to us.
( ) a boat....When I'm rich.  Until then, I'll use Bill's
( ) a jet ski...no way
( ) a neighborhood committee membership...My landlord does.
( ) a beach house or a vacation house/cabin...When I retire.
(X) wealthy family members...Yep.  Both of us.
( ) two or more family cars...No.  Does the bike count?
(X) a walk-in closet or pantry...My closet is bigger than some bedrooms.
( ) a yard...Nope, but a nice balcony.
( ) a hammock...No.  No trees.
( ) a personal trainer...See above regarding Gym memberships
(X ) good credit...I rock.
(X ) expensive jewelry...I'm married to a geologist.  Need I say more?
( ) a designer bag that required being on a waiting list to get...As if.  Fuck No
( ) at least $100 cash in your possession right now...HA HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAA
(X) more than two credit cards bearing your name (not counting gas cards or debit cards)...Oh yeah.  A lot.
(X) a stock portfolio...Yes, whatever is in the retirement fund....
() a passport... getting there.
( ) a horse...No.  My niece does, though.
( ) a trust fund (either for you or created by you)...No
(X) private medical insurance...Thank You Jesus!.
() a college degree, and no outstanding student loans ...Give me a month.  Just one more month.

Do you:
( X) shop for non-needed items for yourself (like clothes, jewelry, electronics) at least once a week... Doesn't mean I buy them, though.  Shopping is fun.
(X ) do your regular grocery shopping at high-end or specialty stores...Yes.  Trader Joes ROCKS
( ) pay someone else to clean your house, do dishes, or launder your clothes (not counting dry-cleaning)...does my Husband count?
(X) go on weekend mini-vacations...Those are the only kind I can afford.
( ) send dinners back with every flaw...That's my mother, not me...
( X) wear perfume or cologne (not body spray)...Yummy smelling=GOOD.
(X ) regularly get your hair styled or nails done in a salon...Starting next week, it's coming off.
( ) have a job but don't need the money OR
( ) stay at home with little financial sacrifice...Again, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
( ) pay someone else to cook your meals...No
( ) pay someone else to watch your children or walk your dogs...I wish.
( ) regularly pay someone else to drive you taxis...Hell no.
( ) expect a gift after you fight with your partner...The fact that he remembers what we were fighting about is a miracle

Are you:
(x) an only child..Thank Jesus!
( ) married/partnered to a wealthy person...Nope, and I could care less.
(X) baffled/surprised when you don't get your way...I ALWAYS get my way.  Dammit.  Respect my Authoritah!

Have you:
( ) been on a cruise...No
(X) traveled out of the country...Canada.
(X) met a celebrity...Several of them.
( ) been to the Caribbean...Not yet
( ) been to Europe...It's on the list.
( ) been to Hawaii...DH wants to go.  Maybe I'll go meet Dog....
(X ) been to New York...Loved it.
( ) eaten at the space needle in Seattle...No, didn't make it to Seattle
( ) been to the Mall of America...No.  Skipped that on PURPOSE
( ) been on the Eiffel tower in Paris...No.  See above.
( ) been on the Statue of Liberty in New York...It was still closed when I was in NYC.
( X) moved more than three times because you wanted to...Fresno to Pasadena to Fresno (briefly) to Carrboro to Chapel Hill, across town, and back here to Pasadena.
(X) dined with local political figures. In Fresno, at USC, and at Caltech.
(X) been to both the Atlantic coast and the Pacific coast...I've lived near both, too!
Did you:
( ) go to another country for your honeymoon...Nope, but we went to the ocean.
(X ) hire a professional photographer for your wedding or party ...The bastard.
(X) take riding or swimming lessons as a child...When I was allowed to swim....
(X ) attend private school...In college.
( ) have a Sweet 16 birthday party thrown for you....Fuck that.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 11:06 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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1 It's a girls' quiz. You're a girl. You should have more than me

Posted by: Ben at April 14, 2006 11:54 AM (6O5DM)

2 You are something else!!!

Posted by: vw bug at April 14, 2006 12:37 PM (0LvyK)

3 Ben VW: Is that good or bad?

Posted by: caltechgirl at April 14, 2006 01:27 PM (jOkK0)

4 CTG: Which brand elliptical do you have? And do you like it?

Posted by: Cardinal Martini at April 14, 2006 05:04 PM (mR1K4)

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Headline:

Tom Cruise flies off in vintage plane as Holmes awaits baby

Posted by: caltechgirl at 09:10 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Go here.  Scroll down.  Laugh.  Refresh.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

note:  The management apologizes if you actually agree with this stoopid moonbattery and wish to add a sincere message of your own.  NOT!!!

P.S.  Look for Mohammed....
h/t Beth

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