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Thursday, July 17th, 2008
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9:27 am - Batman, tomorrow.
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i'm going to Batman tomorrow. i know, i know, the cool kids are going tonight. well, maybe the cool kids have been getting plenty of sleep this week and/or don't need to be at work early on Friday. in that case, i'm not one of the cool kids.
i am, however, seeing Batman on opening night, but i haven't decided where or when. anyone wanna get together for it? got plans already you wanna clue me in on? yes, now is one of the times i regret that i'm not always so up-to-date on reading other people's LJs. i imagine i'll find out in two weeks where i should be tomorrow night.
yeah.
current mood:  tired
current music: Run Lola Run Soundtrack - Running Three
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(4 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
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6:39 pm - My latest album cover
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| Monday, June 16th, 2008
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10:07 am - which dance class?
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my bellydance teacher says that i'm ready to move up to Tribal 2. i've taken Tribal 1 twice, and i know there's plenty more for me to get better at in the first-level class. however, one of the things i like about aikido is that new students start studying the complex/advanced stuff as well as the simple/first techniques. so, what do you think i should do?
Poll #1205630
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: AllWhich class(es) should I sign up for?
current mood:  awake
current music: Carbon/Silicon - National Anthem
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(20 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, May 21st, 2008
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5:02 pm
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I'm doing travel plans for a conference this fall, and I've got the option of adding the weekends to my trip if I want to visit friends our be a tourist. Any of you up there interested?
Poll #1191777 Me in Boston/Cambridge Oct 10th-ish to 19th-ish
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: NoneWill you be available to hang out with me in the Boston/Cambridge area around October 10th to 19th? Which of those weekends works better for you
current mood:  working
current music: Future Bible Heroes - I'm a Vampire
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(5 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, May 14th, 2008
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8:51 am - good day
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so far, i'm having a good day. i woke up early, walked my sugar to work, filled up my tin with coffee, ate my yogurt in the sun, read Dune on the metro, got to work early and have already fixed an urgent problem.
today is going well. time to turn in the grades for the class i taught and keep on victory-ing.
current mood:  pleased
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(comment on this)
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| Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
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6:00 pm - IRON MAN Friday?
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Substantive post to come - I've been busy, and I'll at least summarize with what, because parts of it have been important. But until then... who's interested in seeing Iron Man on Friday evening? I'm gonna send an email to some folks too, but I thought I'd ask here first, since I've had radio silence here and making a broad passive invite is easier than an equally-broad active invite.
Yeah. And include in your reply what your time limitations are, and your geographical area of interest. Mine: I work at least until 5:30 or 6 on Friday, and I'd prefer to see the movie in the DC metro area, but I might be willing to go up to Baltimore if there's a great and powerful crowd seeing it there.
REPLY! NOW!
current mood:  excited
current music: Belly - Dusted
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(13 comments | comment on this)
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| Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
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4:05 pm - Thursday is National High Five Day!
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 Don't forget this week's holiday! Everyone's celebrating! (image from here)
In other news, I got rear-ended on my motorcycle on Friday. I didn't go down - basically, the license plate got bent. The upshot: the impatient taxi driver promised to pay to replace my supplemental tail/brake light. If I don't hear back by Friday, it may be time to take legal action.
The excitement never stops!
Tonight we drive to Philly, tomorrow we watch the debate there, Thursday we drive back through traffic of Papal proportions. Things continue busy and well. And now, back to work!
current mood: excited
current music: Apoptygma Berserk - Eclipse
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(2 comments | comment on this)
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| Thursday, April 10th, 2008
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4:12 pm - Video player, glowing globes, zombie smurfs
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i installed VLC media player on my PC. it's free, open-source and it works good. my computer is my only working DVD player, so now i can start doing my bellydance DVDs again. yay workouts! yay practice!
i saw a device i thought was neat: light globes. 
and i thought you might all enjoy learning the lessons that were taught to the children of the 80's about zombies: The episode in question.
last night i got some me-time. the installing software, the bellydancing, it was all stuff i wanted to do and have put off. oh, but i forgot to pay that one last student loan. oops. gotta get on that. anyway, yeah, i'm actually scheduling "this night for sweetie, this night for me" and it's working great so far.
back to work!
current mood:  busy
current music: Tegan and Sara - Fix You Up
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Monday, April 7th, 2008
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9:17 am - crap
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crap crap crap.
crap.
crap.
crap.
crap.
crap.
...
please don't worry about the details. i just need reassurance.
current mood:  uncomfortable
current music: Tegan and Sara - Where Does the Good Go
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(15 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
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10:17 am - the excitement never stops
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the firstsecond thing my boss said to me this morning: "We need to sit down for a long discussion to talk about the implications of yesterday, because I'm serious about sending you to Switzerland."
(the first thing my boss said had to do with how long i'd be occupying the microwave)
in other news, i bought a Nikon D40. my take on it: it's a new electronic device. that's as far as i've gotten in evaluating it - i'm not used to new electronics. the buttons have a crisp, firm feel! the knobs turn smoothly! the lenses and display are clean! i'm hoping to do a photoshoot soon. any takers? i've got a few concepts i'm working on for solo shoots and for couples/groups who want to be photographed together.
and, my April Fool's prank on my students kinda backfired... while i was beginning to demonstrate the technique, the splint on my partner's broken finger caught on my uniform. the splint fell to the floor, followed rapidly by my partner. no real harm done, but my students were really rather shocked to see such an unpleasant collapse during a demonstration. fortunately, we were able to continue class and the student returned to the mat after a few minutes, with the splint back on. the entire class was spent working up to a single attack and a single technique: yokomenuchi shihonage, an attack at a downward angle leading into the four-direction throw, also known as the ten-year throw. it's a difficult technique, and the students did well.
anyway, i was totally vibrating when i started this entry, and i got all analytical and boring. but seriously, SWITZERLAND! for TWO WEEKS!
(and i'd probably want to arrive a week early or stay a week after to take advantage of the HOLY CRAP I'M IN SWITZERLAND situation.)
current mood: excited
current music: Tegan and Sara - Wake Up Exhausted
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(19 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, March 28th, 2008
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6:03 pm - Here I am, being political: the issue with Hillary, what convinced me for Barack
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Bear with me for a moment, please. I hope I have something interesting to say. Two more paragraphs is all I ask.
The issue with Hillary Clinton's campaign for president is this: entitlement. I don't know if she feels entitled to the office, I don't know what her campaign expects or wants or hopes, I don't know how her campaign workers feel. That said, from what I see in messages the media play, in the analyses I've read and particularly in clips of her behaviour in debates and rallies, is that she and her campaign are coming across as feeling entitled to win the Democratic nomination and the presidency. I get the same sense from her supporters.
The real problem with entitlement is its divisiveness. For those who feel that she should win, if she loses, resentment will reduce support for her opponent. For those who resent the appearance of entitlement, if she does win, that resentment will reduce their support for her.
I'm reminded of Dream's escape from Hell by winning the game that began "I assert reality." The game played out...
CHORONZON: I am a dire wolf, prey-stalking, lethal prowler.
MORPHEUS: I am a hunter, horse-mounted, wolf-stabbing.
CHORONZON: I am a horsefly, horse-stinging, hunter-throwing.
MORPHEUS: I am a spider, fly-consuming, eight legged.
CHORONZON: I am a snake, spider-devouring, posion-toothed.
MORPHEUS: I am an ox, snake-crushing, heavy footed.
CHORONZON: I am an anthrax, butcher, bacterium, warm-life destroying.
MORPHEUS: I am a world, space-floating, life nurturing.
CHORONZON: I am a nova, all-exploding... planet-cremating.
MORPHEUS: I am the Universe -- all things encompassing, all life embracing.
CHORONZON: I am Anti-Life, the Beast of Judgement. I am the dark at the end of everything. The end of universes, gods, worlds... of everything. Sss. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?
MORPHEUS: I am hope. (copied from here, [edited to correct 'world' to 'wolf'])
So, what follows all that? Barack's 37-minute speech on race. It's what convinced me he's got what it takes, and he's got what my country needs in a President.
current mood: impressed
current music: VNV Nation - Airships
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(11 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, March 26th, 2008
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4:31 pm - bellydance benefit... bellyfit? TONIGHT!
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| Monday, March 17th, 2008
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11:18 am - Sensei?
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my aikido teacher just asked me if i can take on a teaching position for the next 6-8 weeks. like, paid, at a university.
current mood:  surprised
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(10 comments | comment on this)
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| Friday, March 14th, 2008
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1:45 pm - So that was a lunch date.
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My dear friend ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) aggiebell once helped me understand what a date is; it's spending time with someone you might be interested in. I think the conversation had a topic like "should I go on a date with this person? I'm not sure it would work out." or "was that a date? I don't know if I want it to have been a date..." It's totally valid to go on a date with someone whom you're not sure you're interested in... that's kinda what they're for!
(Of course, Miss Manners would weigh in... I think her comment was along these lines: a date consists of three necessary things: entertainment, affection and food. As people continue to date, the entertainment decreases and the affection increases. When the affection is the entertainment, it's no longer called dating. At no point may the food be omitted.) [And no, I don't know what Miss Manners calls it after the affection is the entertainment!]
Anyway, I had lunch with V.L. We went to Nooshi. It was nice. The hello was a handshake, the goodbye was a hug, the entertainment was conversation, the food was sushi. Mmm, sushi...
I'm glad that I'm allowed to go on dates with folks to figure out if I want to be involved with them. I don't know yet, in this case, and having permission not to know helps.
We're going to hang out again, we agreed.
And now, back to work. *busybusybusy*
current mood:  contemplative
current music: M.I.A. - Bucky Done Gone
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(comment on this)
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| Friday, March 7th, 2008
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4:42 pm - still waiting on the photos; some of the busy
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so i've done the appearance change thing, but haven't yet posted pix because i haven't gotten them off the digicam. i hope to do that tonight before i head up to Philly to return my folks' car.
the current session of my bellydance class is coming to an end; i'm planning on signing up for another session. the price is definitely worth it, but i really need to practice outside of class to be making serious progress. before i got into the class i'd been practicing from DVDs, but my DVD player stopped working. i tried replacing it with someone's hand-me-down, and that didn't work. then i tried replacing it by using my computer, but neither OS on there has DVD codices. i should call my super support friend and get help on that sometime soon.
my shoe repair lessons continue, though this week i went by and my teacher wasn't there - though i did arrive a little late. this happens periodically. i don't know where i'm going with these lessons. i don't plan on changing careers to be a shoe fixer, and i'm not finding the repairs quite as rewarding these days. maybe i'm just in a lull.
i've been switching my aikido habits. still figuring out the schedule there. it's going okay, though the teachers at the dojo i'm starting to spend more time at, well, some of them teach very differently than my current teachers. some of it i like, some of it i don't.
i've had pangs of wanting to run the workshop at the Quaker Gathering that i had canceled, but i don't want to flip-flop on people. maybe if a bunch of people say to me "i wish you were running that workshop..." i might tell them to just meet me somewhere each morning and we'd do it informally. it wouldn't be much work to prepare, but i was burnt out and wanted to give up some commitments. eh.
i seem to have an easier time concentrating at work and getting things done when i'm operating on a serious sleep deficit. maybe i could achieve the same effect by getting a full night's rest, then starting my day with some alcohol. it's common in some cultures.
i'm starting to take care of some things i've been putting off. let's see how the un-burning-out goes.
blah. random. incoherent. tired.
however! i'm going to Philly this weekend with a good friend to show-and-tell. i'm really looking forward to getting out of my ordinary. i've been in the mood for a vacation, and this will be at least a tiny one.
[edit: last night i saw Synetic Theater's Romeo and Juliet dance performance. (Examiner review, Washington Post review it was steampunk-tastic, dance-riffic and athelete-licious. i'm definitely continuing the dance thing.]
current mood: good
current music: Rufus Wainwright - He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother [Zoolander Soundtrack]
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(1 comment | comment on this)
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| Friday, February 29th, 2008
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3:38 pm - busybusybusy
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i was already busy when i was just trying to be dating one person. here i am sorta putting myself on the market again, and i'm beginning to feel like my dance card is really close to full. crikey.
items of note: - i'm changing my commuting habits, metroing instead of motorcycling and taking more leisurely walks in the morning before taking the train. it's nice.
- my sweetie is sweet.
- for some reason my okcupid profile is suddenly getting lots of hits and i'm making plans with someone awesome to meet up.
- back on the commuting topic, i'm going to the dojo closer to my home more often, which reduces travel time and gives me good crosstraining. i'm also still on the assistant-teacher rotation for fundamentals at the further dojo (where i'm a member) and while it's much earlier than i want to be up on Saturday morning, i'm finding it rewarding.
- i'm returning my folks' car next weekend, and taking a friend with on that drive to show off my hometown.
- i'll soon have a (friendslocked) photo post to show you what transitions my appearance is going through.
- work is stressful but rewarding
- today i went to The Hirshhorn to see this talk by Mary Coble about "Note to Self". (process described here Note: links are worksafe on first click, but images beyond first click may not be) Summary: she found names of 438 (?) gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people who were killed in hate crimes, and had their first names written in inkless tattoos on her body, making contact prints by pressing paper against her bloody skin.
- Monday i have a meeting with a friend to go over prints from our recent photoshoot, and sometime this coming week i have another such meeting with another such friend. yet another friend has asked to do a photoshoot with me. when it rains, it pours!
- [Edit: advice on buying a digicam? I've been told to try the Nikon D40. Yes? No?]
so, yeah. life continues apace. keep being awesome and take care, youze!
current mood: busy
current music: Melborne Moon - Repairing Fence
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(5 comments | comment on this)
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| Monday, February 25th, 2008
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11:08 am - Vigil for Lawrence King, 6:30pm today
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A friend sent me info on a vigil today for the 15 year old kid in CA who was murdered in school for being queer:
Candlelight Vigil for Lawrence King
Washington, DC
Monday, February 25, 2008
6:30 p.m.
Location: Dupont Circle
Co-Sponsored By: GLSEN, SMYAL, Allied in Pride at George Washington University, GLSEN Northern Virginia, DC Trans Coalition, Alliance for Justice, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Mayor’s Office of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs, Gender PAC, GLSEN Baltimore, American University Queers And Allies, Advocates For Youth, DC’s Youth Pride Alliance, ACLU, ACLU-National Capitol Area, National Center for Transgender Equality, Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, DC Coalition of Black Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Men and Women
Questions: www.glsen.org ajohnson@glsen.org 202-347-7780 ext.201
[more info http://www.rememberinglawrence.org/]
current mood:  sad
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(comment on this)
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| Wednesday, February 20th, 2008
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4:41 pm - Holy crap TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE TONIGHT! (Wolf Moon: Full Eclipse Tonight!)
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| Tuesday, February 19th, 2008
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9:37 am - Steampunk music video? French, with gears and a broken heart...
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One of you linked to a gorgeous music video at one point not too long ago, and I enjoyed it daily for a while. Now I've lost the link. Does anyone remember who posted it or where that was?
[here it is, provided by celebdu: Tais-toi mon coeur - Dionysos]
p.s. I had a good weekend, starting Saturday 11am. Before that, it sucked, but I'm not going to dwell on it.
current mood: awake
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(10 comments | comment on this)
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| Wednesday, February 13th, 2008
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5:16 pm - April 17th is National High Five Day!
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3 (17.6%)
bouncy