Hi.

Well, I had been putting off updating my blog because I thought I should probably explain recent events in real life, and I wasn't exactly sure how to balance the required sobriety of the topic with the rest of the blog. On the other hand, I notice my lovely sisters (they are lovely!) have not felt the need to make any mention of such matters on their respective blogs (ok, a blog and a xanga if we must be very technical about it).

Well, here's a friday five, anyway. Shut up, I know what day it is thankyouverymuch.

What 5 non-sexual, physical(tactile) sensations do you enjoy most? (from June 4th)
For the record, my interpretation of the question ruled out any interaction with non-plant life.

In no order:

1. Shower: hot, cold, or lukewarm--depends on mood, temperature and circumstances. Strong (but not painful) pressure greatly appreciated. Outstanding after a workout--in fact, a post-workout shower may deserve its own spot on the list.

2. Sunlight on skin: back/shoulders esp., but feet, arms, even face most of the time--it's all good.

3. Grass under bare feet. Why do you think I wear sandals?

4. 100% Cotton clothing, esp. t-shirts. Flannel is also very nice.

5. I forgot. Maybe the other shower thingy.

Yeah, that's a pretty good list. It'll do for now.



- posted by k @ 8:45 PM

 
An interesting story from NPR.

Commentator Lori Gottlieb was lonely for close female friends -- they'd all moved away from Los Angeles. So her friend Sam tried to fix her up with his female friends and then things got complicated.


Raises some interesting questions and fails completely to answer them or address them seriously. But I did like the part about a "Tina Fey-meets-Janeane Garafalo" type.

- posted by k @ 9:44 PM

 
This disturbs me.

So I was listening to my NPR station this morning. I heard NPR's news at midnight, and then the station switched over to the BBC's World Service, since it's almost a reasonable hour over there.

NPR reported that [the U.S. Gov't said] the raised (orange) terror alert in NY and NY, the sting operation in NY(mosque, money laundering, shoulder-launch thingy, Pakistani ambassador hypothetical asassination attempt), the raids in the U.K., and the seizure of a computer in Pakistan were unrelated. It was also reported that threats to Heathrow Airport were not serious.

In contrast, the BBC reported that the events were related, and in fact that some key pieces of information about the possible attacks on NY/NJ financial buildings came from that very seized Pakistani hard drive. Also that the threat to Heathrow was serious and that in the last year tanks had been posted around Heathrow.

Now, I'm not really sure what's going on. Is NPR just repeating what the government is saying? Is our government lying to us so badly then? Or is the BBC slanted/inflammatory? Are the standards of journalistic integrity really that different across the pond? What's going on here?

I should add that I have noticed that the BBC doesn't seem to make some of the same efforts to appear impartial that the American press does. For example, in the same program they had a discussion of "Bushisms" titled: Maladroit President Bush Puts his Foot In It Again (or something). On the other hand, they interviewed an intelligence specialist with the Washington Post.

But, I mean, the two reports were 20 minutes apart. It's not like the story evolved and changed in that time. I'll have to see what the American press is saying tomorrow.

All I can say is take a dose of international news every now and again.

http://www.kqed.org/programs/program-landing.jsp?progID=RD7

- posted by k @ 1:53 AM

 
Hands across the water

Berkeley sure is autumnal in the summer. Fog in the morning, fog in the evening, sometimes overcast all day. Gray. Though we’ve had sun in the afternoon the last two days, and I think I almost saw the sunset today. But the leaves turn early here, too. Sometimes the overall effect is exciting with a “back-to-school” aura, but other times it’s just drab.

In other news, I think I’m going back to classical music. The other day someone had the kitchen stereo tuned to our local classical station (I gave up on it some years ago because it’s commercial i.e. it has commercials and a limited playlist: elevator Mozart and Baroque stuff) and I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed to an extent far beyond that to which I was able to enjoy The Beatles' Revolver earlier the same day. There’s just more texture and more harmony. I mean, I like Revolver a lot, but I guess a diet of only pop/classic rock just won’t do it for me. And I’m getting fed up with our oldies station’s short playlist, also. I swear, it’s the same 10 songs every hour.

EXCEPT yesterday or two days ago I was listening to it and I heard a song I had never heard before. The beginning part was kind of blah, but sounded classic rock-y, with some gimmicky stuff and pseudo-sensical lyrics—so it reminded me of the Beatles, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t the Beatles. Then the second half was really catchy.
I looked it up and it turned out to be “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” from Paul McCartney’s solo album Ram. Wow, pretty cool. A song on the radio that I liked and had never heard before that’s been around for 30-odd years. Say what you want about Paul McCartney, but he could write a catchy tune. I much prefer the “Admiral Halsey” section—and the whole song *does* sound very 1971—but it was so catchy I downloaded it and have just finished listening to it for the third time. I guess I will have to add Band on the Run to my list of albums-I-want-to-hear/buy.

- posted by k @ 12:43 AM